Chapter 11
"Whoa! Lower your blasters! She's on our side!" Gary yells.
Stormtroopers surround their Y-TIE, blasters at the ready. Moira lands in a changed primary shuttle bay, fully under control. The pirates and bodies were cleared away. Now, the assault shuttle and the pirate captain's ship are parked off to the side. Technicians repair TIEs busily. A platoon of stormtroopers leads a hundred more grey-uniformed army troopers surrounding the captain's ship. Bizarrely, scores of imperials watch the assault with eagerness.
"If they shoot like you," Moira slowly raises her hands. "I have nothing to worry about."
"Shutup," Gary growls. Standing in the bubble cockpit, Moira's words jerk him back to the present. "She works for the Grand Commander; focus on the ship. The captain isn't alone!"
"Who are you? Identify yourself, what's your TK number?" An officer demands.
Smirking, Moira declares, "He's Gary."
"Gary the stormtrooper!" Several people say excitedly.
Moira gives him a surprised look but her voice is full of skepticism, "You're famous?"
"That story is a myth!" Someone yells. "Everyone knows that!"
"They'd have to be an imperial to know it," another trooper points out.
"No," Gary groans. "I'm not famous."
"Rea-lly," Moira grins mischievously.
Gary winces, then wonders if this is how the Grand Commander views his smart-ass comments. Caught up in the thought, he notices technicians moving a plasma cutter towards the shuttle. Near the armory stands a pair of spacetroopers, examining their armor, uninvolved.
"What the hell is going on?" Gary grumbles, rubbing his temple through his helmet.
He slides off the side of the fighter, landing hard before walking through the line of troopers that confronted him. Moira climbs over the side but the troopers block her. "Hey, Gary!"
"She's with me," Gary motions impatiently. "Let her through!"
Stretching her long legs, Moira easily catches up to him. "How come they didn't shoot you? You just walked through them."
"Without orders, they won't shoot," he replies quickly.
"They won't?" She asks with disbelief. "Because you're wearing stormtrooper armor?"
"No, they won't act without orders or a clear threat."
"What are you? Droids? They should at least hold us until they know who we are."
Her words sting. Gary falters, looks at her, then marches up to the technicians with the plasma cutter. "Hey! What are you doing?"
The tech jumps, "I'm cutting into the shuttle door. It's magnetically sealed."
"It has no power!" Gary snaps. "You can't magnetically seal something without power!"
"Oh, uhhh-" the tech stares as if he never checked. "It's standard procedure-"
"Just ask the spacetroopers to cut the lock! Hey! Spacetroopers! Can you cut the lock and pull open the door? Bring your friend too!"
They share a look before shrugging, then climb inside their zero-G assault armor. Their booming footsteps carry through the hangar. One ignites his laser cutter and slices the lock.
"Haven't you been in combat?" Gary asks the stormtrooper commander. "Do you think the captain is waiting for us? He might have trapped the door. He and his gunner are taking cover and they'll shoot the first thing they see! The Grand Commander wants them alive. Set your blasters for stun and launch stun grenades as soon as the door opens."
"You can't talk to us that way. This isn't your unit. We're following standard procedure."
Gary points at his troops, "How many have to die before you think for yourself?"
The officer flinches.
The gathering of imperials watching from the TIE fighters laugh. Unbelievably, they seem oblivious to the fact that they're in the repair technicians' way. The sound seizes Gary's ire, even before he notices bottles of alcohol. What the hell? Anger unleashes his tongue.
"There is damage from bow to stern on the Inevitable! What do you think you're doing?"
"Our doctrine establishes our authority ends with the Corp," a stormtrooper warns.
"I don't give a damn," Gary snaps. He's sore, tired, and still anxious from Moira's flying.
The crowd quiets, stunned by Gary's words. Someone mutters, "We don't have orders…"
"What are you?" Gary's roars. "Droids? Think for yourselves!"
"Hey! Who do you think you are?" A pudgy naval officer with a bottle pushes through the crowd. "You're not in charge. You can't just walk in here and tell us what to do."
"What gives you the right to order us around?" The stormtrooper officer demands. "All I see is a sergeant with two black pauldrons, which violates protocol! Give me one reason not to have you charged on violation of Imperial regulations."
"He's the Grand Commander's personal aide." Gary looks up, discovering a slim and handsome pilot standing on the joint between a TIE's wing and its cockpit. Still wearing his flight suit, he points with a hydropanner. "I'd assume his orders are from the commander."
The stormtrooper hesitates but the navy officer presses, "Are they? Well, are they?"
No and that stumps Gary.
"This is a modified Star Commuter 2000," Moira interrupts loudly, pointing at the pirate shuttle. "The turret is aftermarket and not Sacul Industries; it looks like a top turret from a VCX-100 freighter. The aft of the ship is for luggage and droids. If it were me, I'd take cover in the doorway to the luggage area and leave a bomb on the entrance. They know they can't escape. They're Thalassians. They're trying to kill as many of you as possible before dying."
"The Grand Commander is on his way," Gary announces, so everyone in the bay can hear him. Moira's speech gives him enough time to form a proper deflection, "If people die because we're too stupid to ask spacetroopers for help, he'll be pissed. If he finds you drunk, he will punish you in the worst way possible."
"You might be his aide but I don't see him and I'm not going to be bullied by some ssstormtrooper!" The drunk officer slurs, pointing, before taking a threatening step toward Gary.
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! A towering spacetrooper crosses the deck and points with an arm as large as the man, "How about a spacetrooper commander?"
The naval officer pales, stepping back. The people who supported him retreat even further, and in a moment, he stands alone in a pocket surrounded by imperials.
"No one has given us orders," someone whines anonymously.
"What are we supposed to do?" Someone demands, irritably. "What can we do?"
"Sober up!" Gary roars. Then steps forward and yanks the bottle from the naval officer's hand. "Find something to do or someone to tell you what to do!"
"The pirate vessel has docked with the Inevitable. The Grand Commander is coming." Appearing suddenly, a silver protocol droid points to an adjoining doorway. The threat intensifies; changing from an unseen risk to an impending disaster. Tension races through the crowd. One person breaks, fleeing, before it becomes a full retreat.
Gary tosses the bottle to Moira, who deftly catches it and takes a long drink.
"How come she gets to drink but we don't?" A tech complains.
"Because she's a pirate and you're an idiot!" Gary replies sharply.
The TIE pilot laughs out loud, "That, is classic Gary!"
Amusement drifts through the imperials remaining. Frustrated, relieved, and embarrassed Gary can't manage his unease. The stormtrooper looks for a distraction. His eyes stop on the door leading into the shuttle, and Moira's words echo threateningly. They're trying to kill as many of you as possible… Gary asks the commander, "Are there riot shields in the armory?"
"There should be, I can't say for certain."
Gary points at the two stormtroopers standing in front of the door. "You two, grab riot shields and prepare to advance. The spacetroopers will open the door and take the first barrage."
"Sir," the stormtrooper's respect shocks Gary. "Do you think that's necessary?"
"These aren't average pirates, this is their captain and his personal bodyguard."
"They do this for a living too," the spacetrooper adds. "Assume they're squared away."
"You heard him," the officer orders. "Double time, get the shields, set for stun!"
Returning to the disciplined force Gary recognizes, two stormtroopers sprint into the armory and return with shields. Clicks race through the unit as they switch to stun. In heartbeats, they stand ready and the spacetroopers waits on the order…the officer gives a nod.
A spacetrooper yanks open the door, swinging on a hinge at the bottom, to create a ramp. Instantly, two blaster bolts nail his chest, and then a third, fourth, and fifth hit his helmet. The spacetrooper commander stumbles away, his helmet smoking. The second raises his arms defensively as he pushes into the ship under a volley of fire. Both stormtroopers with shields enter, as the pirates switch targets. Carbines at the ready, a hand on the stormtrooper in front of them, they charge. Red and blue flashes conflict until he hears screaming. His heart pounds in a way he hadn't felt since Endor. Then…silence.
Did I damn them by interfering? His imagination produces horrors, fed by his fears.
"Clear! Clear!" Shouts ring from inside. "Prisoners coming out!"
Stormtroopers carry the stunned captain and his bodyguard from the ship. They lay both on the deck, wearing binders on their wrists and ankles. Then the stormtrooper commander stumbles out, clutching his shoulder. Two more stormtroopers help a third, and a fourth drags his leg, pierced by a dagger. Moira grabs his arm and assists him. Gary rushes to the commander.
"I'm ok, Gary," he grumbles. Then slowly admits, "I've never seen anyone shoot that fast. They would have buried the whole platoon. Took four troopers to drag his guard down, and we still had to stun him. The other spacetrooper is down too. We'll need help getting it out."
Gary rushes onto the ship; the flight controls are directly to his left, but all the bench seats are gone. A single ladder leads to the roof turret. The rest of the platoon is exiting or staring into the storage compartment. He kneels next to the spacetrooper, "Hey! Sound off, trooper!"
"I'm ok," the trooper responds. "They hit the recharging power coupler and set off a chain reaction, shorting out my suit. It should be impossible; poo-doo, they're really good."
"All right," Gary sighs. "We'll get you out of there in no time."
Then, Gary notices the troopers lingering near stowage. Naturally, he peers beyond them.
His jaw drops. Crates, containers, and all sorts of boxes of credits mix with piles of money and jewels. Moving closer, Gary notices artwork and gleaming suits of ceremonial armor leaning against the walls. A trooper picks up a handful of credits, the chips spill out of his palm.
"I've never even heard of this many credits in one place," a trooper remarks.
"Hey!" The spacetrooper yells. "I'm still stuck inside here!"
"Out," Gary mumbles before shaking off the shock. "Out! Everyone out! Commander!"
"Yes," he peeks in, still clutching his shoulder.
"Everyone out, now!" Gary orders as the troopers linger. Gary yanks one out and pushes a second trooper, before hitting the button to close the door to the storage. "Commander, I know you're wounded but I need you to stand watch on this treasury."
"Can I take a peek?" Moira yells from outside.
"Hell no," Gary growls. "Commander, you and at least one trooper stand watch."
"Understood," the trooper enters and calls a number. A second trooper joins him.
"Sir?" The protocol droid peeks inside, waving at him. "I am CQB6."
"Great," Gary responds quickly. "Where's the deck officer?"
"I do not know, sir. I can look for him if you would like."
"That's ok," Gary exits the shuttle. Nearby, he notices the spacetrooper commander climbing out of his armor. The helmet still smokes, cracked from the blaster strikes. "Do you know where the deck officer is? Deck officer!"
"What?" Someone yells, irritably. A hefty man in a grey uniform, covered in tools, descends a ladder from behind a TIE interceptor. "This better be important, trooper!"
"I have a spacetrooper stuck in his armor," Gary replies. "It's shut down from damage."
"So? Can it wait?" The tech growls. "I have several breaches, dozens of teams working on damaged ship systems, and the flight leader wants his interceptor repaired immediately."
Gary winces. Then he requests, "If you tell me how I might be able to open it."
The tech laughs, "Sure. Look, tell him to wait and after the interceptor, I'll get to it."
"The lock is accessible internally," the spacetrooper commander details. "I can talk him through unlocking it and then you can wind them back with the right hydrospanner."
"Hah! Good luck!" The hefty tech pulls a large hydrospanner from his toolbelt and hands it to Gary. Then he returns to the interceptor, "When you give up, return the spanner!"
"Disconnecting the hydraulics is up to you," the spacetrooper commander explains.
"Well, here we go," Gary grumbles. They reenter the shuttle, only to discover the door to the aft open revealing the pirate treasure. "Hey, hey! I closed that for a reason. Close and lock that door. If I see it open again, I swear you'll be shot!"
"We just wanted a look," they grumble. The hatch whooshes shut and the trooper locks it.
The spacetrooper commander talks his trooper through unlocking the hatch. A loud CLUNK announces it, the hatch opening a hair. Through it, he can barely spot a series of connected machinery. The spacetrooper grabs a carbine and shines a light inside, revealing more.
"I think…that's the hydraulics," the commander says without confidence.
"That's the secondary lock, in case the hydraulics or first lock fail, it latches the hatch."
"Oh," the commander replies. "How are we supposed to get the hydrospanner in there, when we can barely get our hand inside?"
Gary considers his question, "Maybe we aren't. He might have given us a hydrospanner to leave him alone."
"Blast, that's unhelpful."
Gary feels the same way and his frustration makes it hard to focus.
"May I have a look?" Moira asks, surprising them. Gary shrugs and motions, she looks inside and winces. "Sorry, no, I know starships, not power armor."
"Isn't that kinda the same thing?" The spacetrooper officer inquires.
Gary shakes his head and Moira says, "Yes, and no, but mostly no."
The crazy flight with Moira. The stupid troopers and useless officers, the situation births a mountain of stress. Worse, it's not over. Gary's overtaxed mind can't identify specific parts of machinery. Instead, the sheer volume of gears, circuits, and bundled wires overwhelm him.
Was the deck officer screwing with me? No. Overworked and unimpressed, yes…but, he wasn't the type. Eventually, Gary spots one bolt large enough for the spanner but it's deep inside.
"I…," he can't even admit, he's lost.
"It's no emergency," the spacetrooper officer decides. "We can wait."
What would the commander do? Gary knows the Grand Commander would plow ahead, anyway. He takes a deep breath, reining in his feelings. Looking inside the hatch, he concentrates. He spots a separate screw piston, pinching the hatch plates together. At first, it resists his attempts. He quiets his mind, silencing his concerns, and focusing completely.
He feels—something…a sensation? A warmth, a connection, a piece to a much larger puzzle revealing itself…POP!
"Well done, Gary!" The spacetrooper cheers as the first hatch opens completely. Gary freezes. The feeling, the sensation disappears like fog. The spacetrooper uses the hydrospanner to unwind the secondary, opening the suit completely, and freeing the trooper.
"I'll admit it," the trooper says as he climbs out. "I was getting claustrophobic."
"Good job, Gary," the stormtrooper commander pats him on the shoulder.
"Now I see why the commander keeps you around," Moira slaps him playfully. "You actually care."
"You were quick to help the trooper with the leg wound," Gary counters and she blinks.
"As joint operations go," CQB6 comments. "I'd say you exceeded expectations."
"Um, thanks," Gary replies. "What are you doing down here?"
"Oh! Captain Keel thought I could help the Grand Commander interrogate pirates."
"Well, here he is," Gary points. Walking swiftly, the Grand Commander emerges from a hallway with a spacetrooper, Iona, and the slaves in tow. Gary's group exits the shuttle.
"What's with the aliens?" The stormtrooper commander asks unhappily.
As if it was planned, Agent Windsor appears with Serrano from the main doorway.
"Who are they?" Moira whispers urgently, nervously. She points, "Is that…is that a royal guardsman?"
Gary doesn't get a chance to answer. The two arriving groups converge on Gary's position outside the shuttle. The Grand Commander looks them over quickly.
"If we're back together, things must have gotten worse."
Agent Windsor begins, "The admiral shut down Shilling's attempt to exile or imprison you again, but most of the officers remain opposed to you."
"At least the Admiral is awake," the commander comments. "What's the situation here?"
"Per your orders, sir," the stormtrooper commander answers. "We captured the captain and his guard. Thanks to Gary, we didn't lose a single trooper."
"Sir," the deck officer calls from the interceptor. "He squared away my hanger too. He chased off a pack of tourists. I couldn't order them out, sir, because of their rank."
"He freed one of my troopers trapped in assault armor too," the spacetrooper commander adds. "You have one hell of an aide."
"A what?" Agent Windsor hisses.
"My what?" The Grand Commander asks.
Gary squirms as the whole docking bay turns and stares at him. Recognizing his uneasiness, Moira takes another drink and giggles.