Barton IV
New Order - day 364
Crosshair felt Mayday stretch out a little, he was still alive. He had been mumbling during the night, names Crosshair assumed were brothers he had lost. But the name Hela, a female from what he mumbled, came through loud and clear, numerous times but then he had gone quiet and very had wanted to ask him who they were and who exactly she was but he had said no more.
The blizzard had stopped sometime during the night but it was not yet fully light.
Mayday's chest rattled as he breathed; Crosshair knew that wasn't good. Then he moved and shuffled more upright.
"I lied when I said I hadn't thought much about the war ending. I thought about it a lot." Admitted Mayday, he was lucid now.
"Why? It's not like we can do anything else." Crosshair scoffed.
"I had a girl."
"Only one?" Asked Crosshair attempting humour.
"Huh!" Mayday coughed until he was out of breath; he took some deep breaths. He seemed to want to say this, to tell someone; to let them know someone else cared if he lived or died.
"A special girl."
"Ah!"
Wrecker had always wanted a special girl but with his scars, he had no luck. Tech didn't seem interested, Hunter had to fight them off. Echo—Echo was Echo. Himself, he could take 'em or leave 'em but he never had any trouble finding anyone to spend time with, when he was in the mood but never the same one twice.
"You?"
"A different girl in every space port."
"Commandos eh!" Commented Mayday, huffing, as if that explained everything.
Crosshair shivered, it was still cold and he didn't have his helmet on, that had been lost somewhere in the avalanche.
"Hela was special though." Mayday coughed again, "We were going to be together after the War."
"And?" Asked Crosshair.
"Not been back to Coruscant since Order 66. So…"
Crosshair waited at least ten seconds before he finally confessed.
"I didn't lose my squad. They left me."
"Left you?" Mayday wheezed.
"We had a difference of opinion. Over the way forward."
Mayday waited for more.
"That bad eh, so they left you?"
"Over the Empire."
"Ah!"
There was nothing more to say.
.
At first light, they moved again, Mayday using Crosshair's rifle as a crutch; the weak sun providing a little welcome warmth, which revitalised them a little. They made slow but steady time, urged on by Crosshair, who did not let Mayday give up and stop.
"This Hela, if she's waiting for you, you need to keep moving. Don't want to disappoint the lady." he urged.
Mayday glared at him, "That's low."
Crosshair didn't reply, he didn't need to Mayday straightened up.
They finally reached the depot as several Imperial shuttles came into land and watched as Stormtroopers disembarked and began loading the cargo onto their was and Mayday slowly approached the base and Nolan came to meet them but offered no help or called anyone to help them.
"About time you returned!" Nolan groused.
"He needs a medic!" Crosshair demanded.
"I see you haven't retrieved the crates which means you've failed your mission."
"Didn't you hear what I said? Help him!" Crosshair demanded
"Certainly not! That would be a waste of Imperial resources."
"He'll die." Gasped Crosshair.
Crosshair looked down, Mayday's breathing was bad, it may still be too late; he knelt next to him and checked his pulse, feeling was too late.
"He served his purpose as a soldier of the Empire." Nolan declared.
Mayday lost all his squad, his brothers, as had Crosshair but still he had given him a chance and reached out to him, saved him twice.
Brothers did that.
"You could have saved him!" Accused Crosshair.
He was a man, not just a soldier. They were all more than that.
"You didn't hear me. He is expendable as are you. And if you speak to me again with such disrespect. I'll see to it you meet a similar fate—clone!"
What started as a tiny knot of anger unfurled fully and all Crosshair's anger at everyone. His brothers, Rampart and the Empire were all targeted on Nolan, furious at him for refusing to help Mayday but he kept it under control, just as he had all his short life.
"Now leave him and get back to work, while you're still useful."
Crosshair looked upwards, an ice vulture circled them and then it became clear. Mayday was the only brother who had reached out to him. Even his own squad had turned their backs on him.
Mayday deserved better. He deserved to be with his girl.
His anger crystallised and he faced the embodiment of the Empire, "Lieutenant!" He turned.
Good. I can see your face.
Crosshair pulled the trigger at point blank range. He already knew the Lieutenant was dead before he hit the frozen dropped to his knees beside Mayday, exhausted, still checking him, for any hope, because it was the right thing to do for a brother. He vaguely heard stormtroopers approaching before it went black.
.
The ground was freezing but his body wasn't responding.
This was it–the end, he thought as his knees gave way and he dropped to the floor. He heard Crosshair pleading with the natborn, he didn't even give the man the courtesy of thinking of him as an officer; much good it had done him. There were, no had been, better men than he, and Mayday had served with them all his life and he was serving with the last one now.
Brothers to the end.
They are all gone now.
Crosshair's voice was getting quieter. He could barely hear him now.
Was that blaster fire?
He didn't care anymore.
He closed his eyes.
There was someone singing, no words, just a tune.
.
Hyperspace
"Okay. You're set to go, it can't be traced." Zur had rerouted their com channel so many times it would send whoever tried to decipher it cross eyed.
They had picked up a news channel that showed they were still investigating their deaths; it should have been over by now but something was wrong.
Hela took a deep breath; this was going to be a shock but she had to make sure Nola would do as she asked. It would leave them without access to further funds but that didn't always help them, they would need to blend in.
"Who's this?" Nola asked as soon as she answered the com.
Then she saw the face.
"Hela? You're alive?"
"Yes."
"But—"
"I don't have much time. You need to have me declared dead. The accident. There won't be any bodies."
"But they're refusing to do anything without bodies."
"There's never any bodies if you go down in that lake. It's why we picked it. Everyone knows that."
"The Empire doesn't."
"Damn!"
"What else was in the ship?"
"Clothes. Jewellery."
"Did you itemise them in the manifest?"
"Not all. Why? What are you thinking?"
"I have some of your mother's. I know a few fishermen around that area…leave it with me."
Hela had a guess at what she was going to do, with the jewellery. It could be identified.
"Thanks."
Hela heard a baby wail.
"Wait a minute!"
Nola disappeared off camera and came back carrying a healthy looking baby boy, with bright red curly hair. His hand reached out to the holo emitter to grab it but you could see exactly who the father was.
"Say hello to Decker, Plug's son."
Hela swallowed hard; she hadn't expected that.
"He's a healthy fine young boy but he's hungry now."
She smiled at him, reaching out a finger towards him. Then withdrew it quickly, it hurt to much to think about him.
"Nola. Do what you need to do and look after them. Bye!"
She cut the com and let the tears come.
.
Zur let her get it out of her system.
"You okay?"
"Yes."
"Sure?"
"Yes. Where are we going?"
"Daiyu!"
"Never heard of it!"
"Good!"
"How long will it take to get there?"
"A couple of days. I'll make several jumps on rarely used lanes. Get some sleep!"
"Yeah. I think I will."
Seeing Decker had affected her more than she expected.
.
Barton IV
Something or someone was pulling him by his feet but Mayday couldn't do anything about it. His arms and legs would not work, and was barely registering what was happening to him.
"Are we sure he's dead?"
"They said so, didn't they?"
"Yeah but they didn't check much."
"It's all in the helmet. They can check through that. Remember your Basic training."
"Oh yeah."
"TK- 375 and TK- 753. Have you finished yet?"
The Sargeant's voice came through their buckets at the same time.
"Not reached the crematorium yet. He's heavy. It's the armour."
"Leave him then. Everything's loaded and we have to leave now! This equipment is needed."
"Yes sir!"
"Where shall we leave him?"
They both heard the Sergeant sigh through the com.
"Anywhere. Nobody will want to see him or mourn for him. Those bird things'll soon make short work of him. Just make sure it's tidy."
"Yes sir."
The two troopers looked at each other, saw the rubbish area. It was only a few metres away and dragged him there. Rushing back to the transport to leave this place. They didn't want to get left behind; they had heard that had happened to Stormtroopers before, if they weren't fast enough.
Mayday vaguely heard the sound of transport engines in the distance, then singing. Hela. Until it went black again.
.
Rebel Base
New Order - day 366
Donca took deep breaths, or tried to; these episodes of breathlessness were increasing in frequency, intensity and length. Finor watched a worried expression on his face. He had given the Bacta inhaler but they were beginning to have little effect.
They both knew the prognosis for this.
"Stop worrying about things you have no control over." She wheezed.
"I still don't like to see you suffering."
"No one in their right mind enjoys that."
"Good to know I'm in my right mind then." He tried to make her smile. When they first met that had been easy.
She reached out; he grasped her hand holding it tight.
"I'm sorry for what I put you through," she managed to wheeze out.
"I know. I married you again, didn't I."
"That wasn't much better."
"True. But here we are."
"Both grown up now."
"Yeah."
With too little time left and so much to do.
"Finor?" A voice interrupted his thoughts.
"What?" He snapped, turning to see Zak frowning.
"Sorry lad. What is it?"
"Olek's team. They've not reported in and I can't raise them on the com. There's no weather interference, not now. The blizzards' over. It's been twenty eight hours now. They should have reported in after the raid but we assumed it was the weather."
"Check the Imperial Coms." Donca wheezed, pulling herself upright, "See what they're saying."
If the whole team was lost, she'd have to have a difficult conversation with the Tribal Elders. All Olek's team came from the same tribe.
.
Finally she was able to breathe normally again, Donca grabbed her stick and went in search of Zak and Finor.
"Any news?" She asked as she walked into the small room Zak had made his own.
He and Finor were hunched over their makeshift com equipment, cobbled together from various places and yet Zak made it fit.
"There's no coms from anywhere." Said Zak, "And the last ones I picked up sounded as if the Empire had left. Abandoned the facility. They talked about it being decommissioned."
"Just left?"
"Looks like it." Confirmed Finor, "There's nothing from the Empire at all."
He watched her; she was planning something.
"We'll go and check and find Olek's team."
"We?"
"I'll be coming with you."
.
Daiyu
Zur piloted the craft into the spaceport; Hela was still distracted after her conversation with Nola. Now all they had to do was keep track of what happened on Naboo.
He tapped in his latest responder code.
"Daiyu ATC to Freighter Anoon. Please proceed to Area Five for inspection."
"Will do ATC, out." He slowly turned the freighter towards that area.
"Hela! Get your things. They're coming to search us."
"Hmm!"
She dragged her bag towards her.
He pulled into the designated holding area, lowered his docking clamps and opened the door; the two of them wandered down the ramp and waited for Immigration and Customs. Even planets not under Imperial control had tightened up on security.
Two uniformed guards wandered up.
"Any passengers and any of this on board?" The shorter one pushed a datapad in front of Zur's face, as the taller of the two entered the ship.
Hela turned to join him.
"You!" The shorter one addressed her, "Stay here!"
She glanced at Zur, who nodded.
"No! No passengers and none of that."
"You sure?"
Zur had a bad feeling about this.
"Yes."
The taller one emerged from the ship and walked back down the ramp, holding a box, "This yours?"
He looked at Hela, she shook her head, "Never seen it before."
"And you Falleen?"
Zur looked for the security cameras; they were well away from them, in a blind spot.
"Not mine."
"Got any passengers?"
"I said no. Just the two of us."
"Had any passengers?"
"No!"
The guard opened it and peered inside, "Looks like Spice to me, unrefined, so not medicinal." He looked directly at Hela! "This is an arrestable offence."
"It's not ours."
The guards exchanged a glance and the tall one said to Zur, "Are you the first wave for the Black Sun? We don't want them here."
"No! Not every Falleen is linked to the Black Sun." Zur was trying to keep his anger under control but he was struggling.
The guards looked at each other again and then at Hela; the shorter one leaned towards her and said, "Has he enthralled you with his pheromones."
"No!" Hela grimaced, "We're just partners."
That seemed to make up their minds.
"Of course, we can make it go away—for a price— a fine." The taller one spoke and closed the lid of the box but we would have to confiscate this."
"So this is what it is. A scam." Zur's patience had run out.
"Are you accusing us of something illegal?" The shorter one asked, hand going to his blaster.
"No he isn't!" Hela interrupted, holding Zur's hand back. It had dropped to his sword scabbard, "It's just been a long flight. We're tired. We need to find somewhere to stay and look at getting some work." She put on her most reasonable voice despite agreeing with Zur that this was a scam.
"Our last passengers at Ryloth must have left it." She lied, knowing full well it had not been on their ship when they left. "How much?"
"Five Hundred Cash Credits."
Hela swallowed hard. They had plenty but it would not last, not at that rate. She delved into her bag.
"Here!"
"We'll put it down as a spaceport violation." He said, handing her a receipt.
She looked at the flimzi in her hand, it was exactly what he said, a receipt for a fine for exceeding the speed limit in the holding area of the Space Port.
"We have to keep appropriate records. We get Audited." He explained, "That's it. Our business is done. Enjoy your stay on Daiyu."
Hela watched until they were far enough away.
"Is everywhere going to be like this?" She whispered to Zur. She thought Coruscant was bad but it seemed there was corruption almost everywhere.
"Most places are. There's always someone wanting to make money off someone else. It's how the galaxy works." He smiled at her, "Sometimes your naïveté surprises me."
"Sometimes, I surprise myself." She replied following him, as they joined the crowds piling out of the spaceport.
"We need to find somewhere to live. Somewhere private. We need to blend in." He told her.
Hela looked around; there were a multitude of different species milling around on what looked to the main thoroughfare; some species she had never seen before and she tried not to stare at them but she saw no Imperial presence as yet. She spotted a young girl heading towards them. She had obviously pegged them as new to the city and Hela tried not to make eye contact but failed; the girl looked haggard, ill.
She stopped in front of them
"You want some Spice? Enhance the sexual experience."
"No thanks." Replied Hela, walking around her and past.
"You sure?" She dipped her hand in the bag she had over her shoulder, "I got Kessel Pure, Glitter Stim—"
"No thanks." Hela said, sharper this time.
The girl skipped to keep up with them, moving in front and walking backwards so she could still talk to them.
"I can get—"
"Are you deaf? Has the Spice addled your brain?" Zur retorted, "She said no and that goes for me too."
"Dank Farrik! I'm only trying to make a living." the girl wandered off to try someone else.
"You didn't have to be so —"
"Yes I did, she would not have left us alone and then we would get noticed."
Hela turned around and the girl had moved onto yet another newcomer, coming out of the Spaceport, pulling her wares from her bag to show them
"In here!" Zur pulled her into a small Tapcaf.
.
They sat in the Tapcaf getting their bearings and watching the other customers, trying to get a feel for the place. Hela was surprised there were no server droids, as a female Zabrak headed over with a datapad.
"What can I get you?"
"Just Caf." Answered Hela.
"There's nothing in the menu that says 'Just Caf.'" She nodded to the sign on the wall.
'Beverages will only be served with food orders.'
"Okay what's on the menu?
She pointed to another sign behind the bar.
'Ronto wraps, Ronto burger, Ronto balls in sauce, Spicy Ronto noodles.'
"Ronto balls?" Asked Hela.
"Is that an order?"
"No!" She replied quickly.
"I thought not. They're big. You'd need to take a doggy bag for what's left over and they don't keep well."
"Two noodles then." They picked the cheapest option.
Looking around, it was very quiet, only a few customers, most with some kind of food, which they pushed around their plates.
Hela swallowed a forkful of noodles and immediately regretted it, she needed the whole caf to take the taste away.
Zur turned to the server and stared at her, then breathed deeply, closing his eyes. When he opened them the server was walking slowly over to them; her eyes fixed on Zur in a way Hela had never seen before.
He smiled at her.
The server smiled back and only had eyes for him.
Hela watched closely.
"Hello there!" He said, smiling; she leaned over. Hela couldn't remember her blouse being undone so much when she served them.
"I wonder if you could help us?"
"I'm sure I can. Has anyone told you you're rather handsome?"
"Not recently. Do you know of any reasonably priced, comfortable accommodation?" He patted his lap. The server sat there without batting an eyelid, seemingly entranced by Zur.
Hela watched fascinated.
So this is the pheromones at work.