The usually so quick lifts took an eternity. It only had to cross three levels but it didn't seem to move at all. When the doors finally opened to the detention level, Vas pushed his way through before they had opened entirely. He brushed past the Stormtrooper sentries which prompted a burst of pain from his hup rushing through his entire body.
When he finally reached the right door, he stormed inside. Boc'seca still sat cuffed in the same position on the table. Vas aimed his blaster and shot him in the foot. "You bastard."
The Twi'lek squirmed and tried to reach his foot but in his awkward position, he wasn't able to. A Stormtrooper rushed into the room, his blaster raised looking for threats.
"Everything alright, Sir?"
"Yes, we're fine trooper. You may leave."
The trooper looked between the two for a moment and then decided not to tempt fate and left the room.
Through clenched teeth, Boc'seca said, "I didn't expect you to be back so soon or at all. How was-"
Vas shot him in the other foot to shut him up.
"Creed, my … friend, died because of you."
"The one who tortured me." A sick smile crept on his face. " Well, the universe plays funny pranks sometimes, doesn't it? When I planned that ambush who would have known it would hit him of all troopers. To be honest I had hoped it would be you."
"Why did you do it? You said you wanted to be an informant," Vas asked, barely restraining his urge to shoot the man.
"I honestly wanted to betray the rebels. They screwed me completely. But when you brought me here on this Star Destroyer, I realised who our real enemy is, just like my rebel friends told me. So, like a dead man switch, my men prepared to be attacked when I was captured and I led you right to them. Who would have known it would hit exactly the right person? What a pleasure."
Vas jumped to his feet, sending his chair hurtling back. He walked around the table and placed the pistol on the Twi'lek's forehead.
"What? Are you going to kill me now? Isn't that against Imperial regulations? You will be reprimanded for that."
"I don't care at all. I will kill you. I will kill every one of your friends. I will kill every single rebel until there is order in this system again. But killing you here would be too nice. I would torture you but I don't have the time for that. Too many rebels to catch."
Vas released the handcuffs from the table and dragged the Twi'lek up. With his wounded feet, he cried out in pain and slumped to the ground. Vas grabbed the handcuffs and dragged him to the door. The wound on Vas' stomach protested but he completely ignored it. Boc'seca scrambled behind him but every time he put weight on his feet, he slumped back to the ground in pain.
The Stormtrooper sentries stood close to the door and were debating what they should do about the noise when Vas and the traitor appeared. They fell silent immediately and just watched him as he dragged the alien down the corridor. Every few steps he cried out in pain and it was pure delight in Vas' ears even if his own wound sent spikes of pain through him every time the Twi'lek moved. He could have done this all day but unfortunately, he reached his destination much too soon.
He threw Boc'seca into the small compartment and pressed a button. The door slid shut, leaving only a small window for him to look at the Twi'lek touching his wounded feet. Vas waited until the alien scum looked up and then pressed the button next to the door. Red lights flared up in the small compartment and suddenly the alien understood. Then the doors behind him slammed open and with an explosive decompression was yanked out of the ship's airlock into the cold embrace of space.
Satisfied, Vas watched through the small window as the body hurled away. The decompression also ripped all air from the alien's lungs so he immediately started suffocating. Water was sucked out of his airways and slowly but surely the whole body was covered in a layer of ice. After several minutes the body was just a small dot before the black sky.
One rebel down, a lot more to go.
The other Twi'lek they had caught in the cave should have survived. Even if he didn't work for the rebels, he would have valuable information on the alien scum's network and contacts. He would root everyone and everything out. No one could withstand torture.
But Creed was gone … gone. Gone forever. He would avenge him. He would torture the whole planet if it meant they would find the traitors. He could send the Stormtroopers down into the city and question people until they would give up their secrets.
He just needed to convince the Captain somehow. She would probably have some moral objections. That was why she was weak. She wouldn't get the job done.
Someone cleared his throat behind him and Vas turned around. Constable Dalle took a step back when they locked gazes. In horror, the young man stared at him.
"What?" Vas barked.
"The … the Captain wants to see you."
"Good, I wanted to talk to her anyways," Vas said and rushed past the startled man. The Stormtrooper sentries didn't meet his eyes as he entered the lift. Dalle barely managed to slip into the elevator before the doors closed.
"Don't you want to change uniforms before-"
"Why would I waste time on something like that? The only important thing is to stop these rebels once and for all."
"But-"
"Are you proficient in interrogation techniques?"
"I had a bit of training with the corps."
"Perfect, you will interrogate the prisoner we brought in from the ambush. I want you to find out everything about the rebels and this smuggling operation. But try not to kill him too quickly, we're in short supply until I find new ones."
The man hesitated for a few long moments before nodding. The lift's doors opened to reveal the host of Stormtrooper guards milling in front of the bridge. The Sergeant took one look at him and then waved his men aside. A wise move for his career's sake.
The Stormtroopers' helmets hid their emotions but once the doors opened to the bridge proper, the bridge crew wasn't so lucky. Their fear was written all over their face as they saw him. Whenever he made eye contact, they ducked away like an unruly child caught red-handed in the sweets box.
The first one to meet his eyes properly was the Captain. He stared at her impassive face but she didn't flinch away. Locked in this duel of wills, they stared over the holotable at each other. A wry smile crept onto his face when eventually she looked away.
"Lieutenant, what is the status of our ground troops?" she tried to cover her defeat.
"They are waiting in the hangar for your orders."
"Thank you." Turning back to Vas, she said, "I heard you lost one of your comrades in the assault on the caves. I am sorry, do you want to take some time off? I'm certain we can deal with this situation."
"Do the rebels take some time off? No, I'm ready. What did I miss?"
She stared at him –her mouth trying to form words– yet she didn't say anything.
"What. Did. I. Miss?"
"There are rumours all over Kuuniru City that the Senator will make an announcement."
"The Senator? Any idea where and when?"
"No, but the rumours are consistent and are appearing all over the city. We have also spotted a large number of blue fists painted onto buildings," she said and displayed a holographic image of the first they had spotted in the city several days ago.
"I will take command of the ground forces and once the Senator appears, lock down the city."
"Are you sure you're up to that task?" she asked, looking down at his bandage.
"I'm fine. Once the Senator appears I want TIE-fighters ready to patrol the sky, they won't escape me another time."
Vas looked over the city from the roof of the Imperial Garrison. They had waited for hours now and the rebels were nowhere to be seen. A shuttle stood ready behind him with Zero and a heavy weapons squad of Stormtroopers, ready to engage anywhere in the city.
At least two dozen blue fists were painted on the nearby buildings, proclaiming their loyalty to these rebels. The rebels were hiding somewhere in this city. Before the day was over, he would root them out wherever they might hide.
"Sir, incoming message from the Senator's mansion. The troopers are under attack."
"Get us there and send all units in the area to secure the perimeter, these rebels won't escape us now," Vas said as he ran up the ramp of the shuttle. The moment he was on board, the shuttle lifted off the ground and they rushed the short distance to the mansion.
Vas checked his weapon, waiting for the ramp to open.
"Sir, you should let us go first," the Stormtrooper sergeant said.
"What is your name and operating number, Sergeant?" Vas growled.
"TK-9372, Alphabet, Sir?"
"Alphabet?"
"That's what everyone calls me, you wouldn't be able to pronounce my real name, Sir."
"Alright, TK-9372. I understand your eagerness to keep me safe but I don't need your protection. What I need is a lot of dead rebels at all costs. Understood?"
"Yes, sir. We'll be right behind you."
"Good, try to keep up."
The shuttle shook as it landed and opened the door. Vas grabbed a handle and once he had regained his balance ran out of the shuttle. A few hundred troopers –Stormtroopers and regular Army troopers– had already assembled on the square. At least half of them were pointing their weapons up at the all too familiar balcony.
On the same balcony where only a few days ago the rebel had been. In the same house that had been cleared by the technical team. It had been under guard constantly since then and no one should have been able to get in there.
Nonetheless, there they were. The Rodian Senator in his formal robes and a green-skinned Twi'lek. The same Twi'lek who had bumped into him when they had left the Senator's wife's apartment. Why didn't he see it then? How amateurish?
But something was off with the two men. At times they looked distorted like extreme heat messing with his vision. He took out his datapad to scan the balcony which revealed a high energy concentration around the balcony.
"A deflector shield. How did they smuggle in a damn deflector shield," he said to no one in particular.
The ground shook as one of the heavy AT-AT walkers walked onto the square, easily towering over the balcony. It was tailed by several dozen more troopers
It is time to end this farce.
"Alphabet, gather a few hundred Stormtroopers and make ready to enter the building. Shoot to kill. If someone gives you a hard time, send them to me."
Vas walked to the front of the perimeter and used his commlink to amplify his voice –just as a few days ago. He wasn't making any progress. Everything was turning in circles and it was getting worse "Rebel scum, lay down your weapons immediately and let the Senator go."
"I order you to stand down, Agent," the Senator said. "I have an important announcement."
"You can't order me to do anything Senator, especially because you don't seem like you really want to do this. I urge you to take cover. We will storm the building soon."
"You will do no such thing, Agent," he said in a more agitated voice.
"Tell them what you wanted to say, Senator. We're running out of time," the Twi'lek said.
"Alright." Raising his voice so everyone around could hear, the Senator proclaimed, "As of today Kuuniru and all its colonies are declaring their independence from the so-called Galactic Empire. Under the wise regency of our new leader, Governor Na'tuna, we will strive for a more prosperous future without the oppression through the Empire."
The Senator looked at Na'tuna who nodded approvingly and stepped to the front of the balcony.
"As your new governor, I -"
"Pathetic," Vas spat. His commlink drowned out the Twi'lek completely and startled him long enough, so Vas could continue. "That's what you risked your life for. A worthless declaration of independence. The Confederacy didn't work in the Clone Wars and they had the support of half a dozen galactic powers. What does a worm like you think he can achieve here?"
Vas switched channels and when the Twi'lek started talking again, he said, "Walker two, open fire on the wall above the balcony."
"But, Sir, the senator."
"That is an order, soldier. Do it now."
The screeching of the AT-AT's main cannons drowned out the Twi'lek. The blasts hit the building and tore a massive hole into the wall. The deflector shield collapsed even from this glancing hit.
"All troops advance," Vas yelled as he charged towards the building. They wouldn't escape him, not again.
His stomach wound slowed him down, so he was overtaken by Alphabet and his squad. Armed with their DLT-19 heavy blaster rifles they kicked open the door and illuminated the room with red blaster bolts. Pained cries from the inside were quickly cut off as the squad advanced. They lost only one soldier while at least a dozen rebels had died.
"Up the stairs," Vas commanded. He had an uneasy feeling, the rebels would magically disappear again if they weren't quick enough.
Vas overtook the others and rushed into the all-too-familiar room just in time. A wall panel on the far side of the room slid shut and blended in seamlessly with the rest of the wall. How had the forensics team not spotted that?
He rushed toward it, trying to open it when bright light bloomed up in front of him. He was thrown through the room and hit the wall hard when the sound of the explosion reached his ears. His wound complaining even more, he shook his head to clear his vision and looked at the wall. The panel was gone and smoke rose from the explosion within.
Vas climbed to his feet and stumbled to the entrance that had appeared in the wall when a hand collapsed like iron shackles around his arm.
He looked up at Alphabet and snarled, "Let go of me or you'll be a trooper again."
"I can't let you go in there. It is most likely mined. A deathtrap."
Vas blinked a few times as he cleared his head. He needed to follow them. They couldn't escape. Not again. But Alphabet was right. What had he been thinking? Of course, the rebels had trapped the way behind them. They couldn't expect to escape another time that easily. The rage was blinding him. That was what got people killed.
He breathed in deeply and let it go.
"You're right, Sergeant. Now let me go."
The trooper hesitated for a moment but then let go of him. Vas took out his commlink when Zero appeared next to him –without making any sound of course.
"The electronic alarms at the residence of the Senator's wife just reported an intruder. He or she was scared off by the alarms."
"Then it's not important right now," Vas said and dismissed it from his mind.
"But combined with the half dozen inquiries she made during the last few days on the state of the investigation, doesn't that strike you as suspicious?"
"Not now!"
He activated his commlink. "Captain Setaro, where are the TIE-Fighters?"
"They are entering the atmosphere right now."
"I have seen the Senator. He is definitely in the city. We need an immediate lockdown of the entire city. I want all the TIE-Fighters aboard the Challenger patrolling the skies so no one escapes via spaceship or any other kind of vehicle. Deploy all Army troopers in the outskirts of the city to block off every street. No one leaves the city. Scoutbikes are to patrol for two clicks around the city. And give me all the Stormtroopers you have. All of them. We'll search house by house until we find the Senator."
A pregnant pause filled the comms.
"Are you sure this is necessary?"
"Yes, and you will follow these instructions to the letter. We are not in the same chain of command, so I can't technically order you to do anything. But I promise you, if you don't do this now, I will end your career and make sure you end up behind a desk in the Bureau of Standards," Vas snarled, as the anger fought its way back to the surface.
"Understood," she said coldly.
"And one more thing. Bring the Challenger into the atmosphere. Let these rebels fear every time they look up and see an Imperial Star Destroyer right above their city."