Beginning, Section II,
Prologue
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away . . .
STAR WARS
Shooting Stars
It is a dark time for the Rebel Alliance. Though they have won a significant victory at the Battle of Yavin, Imperial troops have driven them from base to base to the frozen planet of Hoth. But hope is not lost; the Rebels know they have some of the finest fighter pilots in the galaxy in addition to former Imperial Senators, smugglers and apprentice Jedi Knights.
Unfortunately, some hotshot pilots work better solo than together, and are determined to prove that they, alone, are the best. At the present moment, Commander Ricard Fitzwilliam is wondering what to do with his two best pilots in Comet Squadron, Lieutenants Lizzi Benyt and Wills Darcy who are bent on out-doing each other - and don't exactly get along.
Somehow, he has to get them to work together - and soon, because the Imperial forces are getting closer . .
DRAMATIS PERSONAE:
Rebel Alliance:
Commander Ricard Fitzwilliam - human male from Chandrila
Captain Nyanti Zyol - Twi'lek female from Ryloth
Lieutenant Wills Darcy - human male from Corellia
Lieutenant Lizzi Benyt - human female from Alderaan
Charls Bingley - human male from Borvall II
Denny Cathos - Gand male from Gand
Hendri Sanderson - human male from Bespin
Uid Chamberlyne - Sullustan male from Sullust
Clmney Carter - human male from Kessel
Servan Fosset - Ishori male from Iphigin
Zri'an Hodge - human female from Thyferra
Forster Par'yla - Bothan male from Bothawui
Jain Benyt - human female from Alderaan
Gianna Drax - Omwati female from Omwat
Kit - Lizzi's astromech droid
Modal - Wills's astromech droid
Imperial forces:
Lady Katrin Bourg - human female from Coruscant
M'Ann Bourg - human female from Coruscant
Co-3PO - 'Collins' Lady Katrin Bourg's protocol droid
Fringe:
Sharl Lukas - human female from Nar Shadda
Myra Lukas - human female from Nar Shadda
Wickham - Falleen male from Falleen
Lijia - humanoid female, homeworld unknown
Settings: Hoth Rebel Rendezvous point Nar Shadda Nicira New Cov Cathe system Sullust Endor
Part One
Posted on Sunday, 25 April 1999
She was surrounded by stars - well, nearly. The giant gas planet Yavin dominated most of her view to the right, but otherwise, Lizzi had an unobstructed view of the depths of space that reached into infinity.
Each star was a star system, each with its own array of planets that held masses of beings from a thousand species. Each star was a system where people lived and died - though Lizzi imagined that at this time in the galaxy's history, more were dying than living.
Each star was a star system under the iron grip of the Galactic Empire.
And each star is a star system waiting for us to liberate them.
The black emptiness of space to the port of her X-wing starfighter was soon filled with five more similar ships. They settled into formation; two arranged themselves to her left and right while the remaining three formed their own trio of ships.
The emptiness of space in front of her was soon filled as well. Coming slowly around Yavin was the weapon of destruction that, if given time, would shatter the fourth moon of Yavin where the Rebel base lay.
I don't intend to give it that time.
Checking that her fellow pilots were in position, Lizzi checked her X-wing's various monitors; some for her shields, another for her weapons systems, engines and everything else that made up the X-wing. All the lights were a healthy green.
"Blue Two is good to go," she reported over the squadron's comm frequency.
"Blue Three is good to go," came the slightly high-pitched voice of her Gand wingman, Denny Cathos.
"And Blue One is also good to go," came the deeper voice of her other wingman, Wills Darcy, who was not the pilot she would have chosen if she had a choice. Not that he was a bad pilot, but she just did not like him.
"This is Blue Four, my group is ready, do you want to make the first run or shall we?" asked Zri'an Hodge.
Lizzi thought. The Death Star trench run, though the attack had been a success, had been the death of dozens of Reel pilots. Only two X-wings, one Y-wing and a smuggler's freighter had survived to attend the celebratory ceremony back on Yavin IV. Their simulation run was based upon it, with the aim being to shoot two proton torpedoes down the thermal exhaust port and so destroying the enormous battle station.
That was the 'easy' part. Unfortunately, the numerous TIE fighters and the Death Star turbolasers added a lot of potentially fatal factors into the run.
"Hey, Liz, you can let me go in by myself and I'll save you all the trouble," chipped in Blue One. "Anyway, why are you the one making the shot? I'm the better pilot out of us two so maybe I should do it."
Lizzi restrained the urge to give Wills a sharp retort. On their last simulation, he had been the one to score the highest and he never lost a chance of needling her about it.
But this time I am going to blow up the Death Star and get top, vowed Lizzi. And no one, not even Mr. Wills I'm-the-greatest-and-the-most-arrogant Darcy is going to stop me!
"Look, Wills, Commander Ricard already assigned me to hit the target and you are acting as my extra shield to keep those eyeballs off me and let me take the shot," she said. She knew very well that he would not let that comment pass and so quickly said to Zri'an, "You'd better take the first run. Watch out for the Commander; I heard he's pretty good in a TIE as well as an X-wing."
"Will do." The connection was cut off and Lizzi steeled herself for Wills's reply.
" - only said that the top-scoring pilots were going to make the shot, so that means me!"
"What are you talking about, you beat me in the last one but I beat you in the one before that!"
"That was a simple escort-run, the Requiem scenario which I won is a greater challenge."
"Denny sees some Imperials."
That broke off any further comment. Lizzi risked one glance at her sensors to see Zri'an leading Charls and Hendri into the trench. The hail of green turbolaser fire soon hid them from view.
There was another reading on her monitors. A trio of TIE fighters was coming in behind them in hard pursuit. This was also keeping in with the Battle of Yavin, three TIEs going after any fighters who tried the running the trench. It was rumored that Darth Vader himself had piloted one of the three fighters.
But they couldn't reproduce the whole battle exactly. In the simulation two trios of X-wings would try in turn to hit the exhaust port. The second group waited for the first one to either succeed in the mission, or (the more likely and common scenario) get killed. There were also only six TIE fighters, three to chase after the fighters in the trench, the rest to take out the second group of X-wings. This usually ensured that all six Rebel fighters were destroyed very quickly.
Not this time.
"TIEs approaching," reported Denny.
"One each then. Try not to blow, if Zri'an and her group don't make it, I want to make it," replied Lizzi. "Kit, even out the power between shields and lasers."
Kit, her R2 unit, bleeped in reply. Kit had been named after the kitrian, a small, feline mammal native to Alderaan that produced a squeal beginning in the lower frequencies and slowly ascending to the high frequencies. Kit had a tendency to do that.
The group of TIEs was closer. The lead TIE, or 'eyeball' in pilot slang, came at Lizzi, lasers firing. She pushed the stick down and the bolts passed harmlessly over her. She came around in a tight loop as the TIE flew past. Nearby, she caught glimpses of Blue One and Three dealing with their own TIEs.
The loop brought her up directly behind the TIE but a hundred metres away. She accelerated and the distance between the two fighters decreased. The TIE fighter was faster, but lacked shields and so in a dogfight the X-wing was the superior fighter.
As she drew closer, the TIE suddenly veered off to the right. Lizzi kept on its tail and prepared to hit the firing button.
The yellow box around the TIE turned green and Kit whistled shrilly. Lizzi pressed the button and two bursts of laser fire streaked out towards the TIE. Both missed. Lizzi swore under her breath and prepared to chase it again.
She never got a chance. In front of her, the TIE had turned into an expanding ball of incandescent gas. Lizzi blinked, wondering who had taken her kill. The answer soon came; Blue One streaked past her and her comm crackled to life.
"Two for me, nil to you," laughed Wills.
Lizzi swore in three different alien languages. To have Wills take her kill was a huge insult and when they finished, she was going to give him an earful.
For now, she ignored it. "Blue Three, you copy?"
"Denny has destroyed his target."
Good, we're all safe. She flicked through the computer. Three readings for TIE fighters came up and only two X-wings.
Looks Zri'an, Charls and Hendri didn't make it, she thought. Oh well, my turn now.
"Blue One and Three, Blue Four, Five and Six didn't make it so we're going in."
"Okay, you two cover my back while I hit the target," replied Wills.
"What are you talking about?" snapped Lizzi. "It's my shot."
"Whoever gets there first." She saw Wills's X-wing heading at full speed towards the surface of the Death Star.
"Oh no you don't."
She kicked her engines to full throttle and sped off in pursuit. Behind her, Denny Cathos did the same.
"Blue Three thinks it would be wise to go by the plan."
"You tell that to him," said Lizzi. The fighters skimmed over the metal surface of the Death Star, adroitly evading the turbolaser fire coming at them. Lizzi almost off-handedly blew one of the towers apart.
I'm too fast for them to hit me.
The trench was coming up. She dived into it, just a few metres ahead of Wills who followed suit in fell into place beside her. A few moments later, Denny took his place to her left.
"Hey!" yelled Wills, "Move it!"
"You are supposed to be watching out for those TIE's," said Lizzi smugly.
"Uh, guys, Denny sees the TIE fighters."
"Where?" asked Wills.
Lizzi sneaked a quick glance behind her. Bearing down on them at full speed was a trio of TIE fighters in tight formation. Lizzi wondered who was the third pilot. She knew that the Commander and the Captain were piloting two of them but she didn't know who had been selected to fly the third TIE.
Whoever it was, it didn't matter. Right now, she had to hit the thermal exhaust port.
"Increase velocity - that should keep the eyeballs off our backs," said Lizzi. Wills had fallen silent and she wondered if she had finally gotten through to him or if he had something else in mind.
There was a burst of laser fire. She felt her X-wing shudder and the back shield readout turned red. Quickly, she shunted all power to the back shields. Now that there were TIEs in the trench, the turbolaser towers had fallen silent so she did not have to worry about them.
They were nearing the thermal exhaust port. Lizzi switched on her targeting computer. Maybe Luke Skywalker didn't need it but she did.
The TIEs behind them increased their speed.
"Watch it, guys - " She broke off as the lead TIE fired.
Beside her, Blue Three exploded.
Lizzi shook her head, "Denny, we are going to have to talk about evasive action in close quarters after this," she muttered.
Her targeting computer told her that she was getting close. She switched from lasers to proton torpedoes and prepared to fire.
Fifteen seconds.
More green laser fire, this time hitting Wills. She was vaguely aware of him maneuvering to evade them and he was partially successful, only receiving a glancing, though powerful blow, to the back.
"Kit, see if you an squeeze more speed out of the engines," she ordered.
Seven seconds.
This time, the TIEs aimed for her. Her X-wing rocked but otherwise stayed on course.
Three seconds.
There it was, a small thermal exhaust port no more than two metres wide. It fed directly into the Death Star's main reactor. A direct hit would initiate a chain reaction that would destroy the station.
Chances of hitting it at such high velocity were small. But Luke Skywalker had done it, and what one can do, another can imitate.
She pressed the firing switch.
Just as the proton torpedoes left the X-wing, Blue One darted in front of her, letting his own torpedoes go.
"Damnit, Wills!" screamed Lizzi, knowing full well what was going to happen in the next split second.
Her proton torpedoes slammed directly into Wills's weakened shields. They tore through and penetrated.
Wills Darcy exploded into a virtual fireball.
Though the whole thing was a simulation, Lizzi was still shocked that she had shot down one of her own squadron mates. She pulled out of the trench, noting that Wills's torpedoes exploded on the surface without doing any damage.
She was too stunned to do anything complicated when the lead TIE fighter tailed her and pumped three blasts of laser bolts into her X-wing.
The cockpit turned black, expect for one monitor that gave her statistics for the mission. She didn't read much, but the blood red words, 'Mission: Failed' burned into her mind.
The simulator pod hissed as it open and Lizzi shivered as the cold of Hoth seeped inside. She sighed and removed her helmet, freeing her wavy brown hair. Standing up she looked around. There was a group humanoids watching her. She looked at each of the faces in turn. The grey-green Gand, Denny Cathos looked depressed while the Sullustan, Uid Chamberlyne had a big grin on his face. Clmney Carter and Servan Fosset looked mad. Zri'an Hodge, Hendri Sanderson and the perpetually optimistic Charls Bingley were resigned. The fur on the Bothan Forster Par'yla rippled in an unfamiliar way.
The simulator beside her also opened. Wills Darcy looked out, his dark brown eyes flashing.
"You idiot! You shot me!"
"Who asked you to go in front when I fired?" she retorted.
"Do you think I was going to let you take the shot?"
"I was supposed to do it!"
Zri'an rolled her blue eyes. Wills Darcy and Lizzi Benyt had never gotten along. Bad enough that Wills had made that insulting remark about Lizzi which she had happened to overhear, but he was a former Imperial while Lizzi's home planet was Alderaan which was now an asteroid field, thanks to the Death Star which was now free-floating atoms in the Yavin system.
Charls Bingley looked at Wills and Lizzi in turn as they yelled. Around them, passing fellow Rebels had gathered around to watch. It certainly beat patrol or trying to keep warm in the ice-base.
He had to admit it was entertaining watching and listening to them. Wills was now swearing in his native Correlian (a language in which Lizzi was fluent) and Lizzi was responding in some alien language she had learnt during her days as a smuggler.
As this exchange was reaching a crescendo, a powerful, authoritative voice was heard over them, silencing them.
"That's enough."
Everyone turned to look at Commander Ricard Fitzwilliam. Behind him, the Twi'lek Captain Nyanti Zyol looked grim. She had a scarf around her nerve-laden lekku to keep them warm.
Commander Fitzwilliam was a man in his thirties with blond hair and a nice smile that at the moment was not seen. He had been a former captain of the Chandrila Home Guard but joined the rebellion after hearing of the Rebel victory at Yavin. Chandrila was also the home world of Mon Mothma, the leader of the Rebel Alliance.
Nyanti Zyol was a cold Twi-lek female with no sense of humour. She was a perfectionist and an excellent pilot, and was not one to cross when angered. So far no one had done so, but it looked as if Wills and Lizzi would find out what the Captain's lethal temper was like.
Ricard looked over his squadron's pilots. Some were better than others were, some needed more training. Bingley was one that definitely needed more training, he decided.
He let his gaze drift to the two standing in their simulators. Wills Darcy, his gaze defiant under his dark brown curls whereas Lizzi was expressionless.
These two are the best pilots, but if they can't work together, they are going to get themselves very dead.
"Lieutenants Darcy and Benyt, please come with me," he said calmly.
Without looking, Commander Ricard turned and headed for the briefing room, Nyanti following behind.
Wills and Lizzi hopped off their simulators. Their fellow pilots parted to let them through. Some, like Charls, gave them encouraging looks but most of them were grinning.
They did their best to ignore it and headed down the corridor, awaiting the tongue-lashing that undoubtedly awaited them.
The Comets watched them disappear through a door. It slid shut, cutting off any attempts to listen on to the goings on inside.
Clmney Carter shook his head, not attempting to hide his big grin.
"Those two are in a bit of trouble, don't you think?"
Clmney had a talent for understatement, but that was going too far.
The eight Comets collapsed with laughter.
Part Two
Posted on Saturday, 15 May 1999
In the briefing room, Commander Ricard Fitzwilliam looked long and hard at the two before him. Lizzi, head high, was defiant while Wills had an unreadable expression on his face. They obviously knew that they were in for it.
Slightly behind him, Nyanti glanced towards him. Ricard knew what she was asking. He shook his head slightly, silently telling her that he would take acre of it. Schooling his features into their most intimidating, Ricard began,
"Lieutenant Wills Darcy, can you give me an explanation for your actions in the Death Star attack simulation?"
"No, sir."
"You disobeyed a direct order from your commander."
"Yes sir."
"Do you understand that disobeying one's superior is a serious offence?"
"Yes sir."
Ricard sighed. "In the Imperial Navy, you would probably be, literally and figuratively, kicked out. If we were under normal circumstances, you would get a court martial, but as it is, the circumstances are far from it." He looked at the shorter female beside Wills. Lizzi was smiling to herself, obviously enjoying her fellow pilot's lecture. Well, it will be her turn soon, thought the Commander grimly.
"The Rebellion needs all the pilots we can get, and your high level of skill in a star-fighter is even more desperately needed," continued he to Wills. "What's more, we cannot afford to let you leave this planet - you would be a possible information leak to the Empire, revealing the location of our current base. We've lost too many before Hoth and each evacuation always leaves behind valuable personnel and equipment - we cannot afford to lose Hoth because of one man's mistake."
He watched Wills's face. Unfortunately, Ricard was not very good at deciphering body language and facial expression, and with Wills Darcy who already was such a closed-up person, Ricard drew a complete blank. Unless there was a banner flying from Wills's head, Ricard had absolutely no idea what the lieutenant was thinking.
"I will allow you to stay in Comet Squadron, on the condition that we never have a repeat of your actions, is that understood?"
"Yes sir."
Ricard allowed himself to smile a bit. "Do it again, and next time I'll let Nyanti deal with you - and believe me, she's colder than Hoth itself." He heard a slight 'Humph' from behind him - Nyanti's ice-cool demeanour was legendary - and she saw no reason to convince people otherwise.
"Dismissed."
Wills sharply executed a ninety-degree turn and headed for the door. It opened and shut, letting a brief gust of cold air from the corridor inside.
Ricard turned his attention to Lizzi, who seemed slightly disappointed.
"Lieutenant Benyt," he said.
Lizzi snapped to attention. "Sir?"
"In this incident, you are entirely blameless - but there are other times where you are not."
The Alderaanian stiffened.
"For example, during the Derra IV scenario, though I emphasized that team-work was imperative for it to be successful, you deliberately forgot to cover Wills, who was your wingman at the time, and so losing him."
Though Ricard had to admit, it had been quite funny, watching Lizzi and Wills fight it out verbally after that. He privately thought if he had tossed a pair of lightsabres in between the two antagonists, they would take the duel from verbal to physical.
But it happened again; whenever he paired Lizzi and Wills up, they always tried to outdo each other. Sometimes the competition got so fierce, they would forget the object of the mission and concentrate wholly on eliminating each other. Ricard was sick of it, and was now determined on getting these two to work together.
"Not only that, Lizzi, I do not approve of your opinion of Wills. Yes, he used to be an Imperial, but that does not automatically make him evil. We have former Imperials in the Rebellion, even a former Imperial Senator, are they all bad?"
Lizzi bit her lip, but replied, "No sir."
"Good. I want you to try to get to know Wills. Perhaps you will learn that he is not such a bad person after all."
Lizzi stared at her superior as if he had just spoken in Gammorean.
"You have got to be joking."
"No, I'm being perfectly serious."
"With all due respect sir, I don't believe you know what you are asking. Wills Darcy is the most conceited, hot-headed, standoffish - "
Ricard cut her off. "That may be so, but perhaps you make judgments too quickly. After all, I think you came to this idea of Wills about a standard day after meeting him. Isn't that too short a time to judge someone?"
Lizzi didn't answer.
"I leave you to think about it. Dismissed, lieutenant."
She turned smartly and left the room.
"She won't take your advice," said Nyanti, who had been silent all this while.
Ricard sighed. "I know. She has already set her impression of Wills in duracrete. It's going to take more than my words to get her to change her mind. What I want to know is, there is another reason why she dislikes him, apart from him being an Imp - what is it?"
Nyanti started up a datapad on the table. "Let me see. Wills Darcy, human male from Corellia. Joined the Imperial Academy . . . skill in TIE fighter allowed him to rise to the rank of Commander . . . after the death of his father under suspicious circumstances, he deserted, stealing a TIE advanced fighter. Joined the Rebellion a few standard months ago and he's up to date."
"No hints? Great. What about Lizzi?"
"Lizzi Benyt, human female from Alderaan. She was a smuggler and was on Nar Shadda when Alderaan was destroyed. Her sister, Jain was studying medicine on Naboo . . . Lizzi picked her up and they joined the Alliance, Jain as a medic, Lizzi in Comet Squadron."
"So Lizzi and Wills have never met before the Rebellion?"
"No."
Ricard flopped down in a chair. "We really have to get these two to work together, otherwise they're a risk for the entire squadron."
"Ha," snorted Nyanti. "You'd have an easier time escaping a black hole."
"Hey, it's possible. I have a feeling if those two could some how reconcile their differences, they'd make a great team. Problem is, we have to help them get to know each other properly." Suddenly, a grin spread itself over the usually serious Commander.
"Commander, you have that look on your face which means you're up to something."
"I know, because I have an idea. Force them to work together. Every mission, every sim, hey, even put them in the same room!"
"Are you serious?"
"Well, maybe not alone; they might kill each other, but yeah, I'm serious."
Nyanti began to smile a wicked smile.
"That would be kind of funny. But I suggest that you have a third person in their sleeping quarters to act as peace-keeper."
"Which pilot deserves a punishment like that?"
He laughed. "Some of them would rather go to Kessel than get between those two. Put Charls with them - he's good-natured enough to put up with them and smart enough to keep them in line."
"Plus he's Wills's friend, and he has a crush on Lizzi's sister."
"Does the whole Alliance know about that?"
"Most of them."
"Come on, leave the man alone," protested the Commander. He had a soft spot for Charls, who always tried to please everyone. "Can't say I blame him; Jain Benyt is pretty striking. Anyway, put him in with Wills and Lizzi - he can talk to Wills and also to Lizzi. Maybe living with her will help him with Jain."
"Any other unpleasantness you want me to do? Kiss the Emperor?"
"No. What about a Whipid?"
Nyanti aimed a mock-punch at him. Ricard ducked and held up his hands in surrender.
"Okay, okay," he protested. "So, from now on, those two are always going to be together. They'll have to adapt sooner or later."
The smile on Nyanti's pale face was bigger now. "I like that idea."
"Put it down as official."
"Done."
Part Three
Posted on Monday, 31 May 1999
Lizzi stormed off away from the debriefing room, too angry to take much notice of the people around her. Which was why she didn't realize she was about to bump into someone until her face came into contact with the other person's chest.
"Oops, sorry - " she began, until she looked up into the rather amused face of Wills Darcy. Immediately her tone hardened and she changed the apology to,
"Watch it, nerf herder."
Wills backed off and lifted his arms in a gesture of peace.
"I'm sorry."
"So you should be," she shot back.
"Hey, I was going to apologize for flying in front of you, but if you are going to shove it back in my face, then fine, I won't!" He glared at her and stormed away.
Lizzi stared after him. She felt bad, but she quickly squashed that feeling. In an even blacker mood, she continued walking. As she walked towards the South Passage, wisps of conversation floated around her.
" - where are you going to put that?"
" - Yarla's back from patrol - "
" - geez, it's cold!"
Perhaps she shouldn't have snapped at Wills. He was trying to apologize but she didn't give him a chance. Her anger at him now began to be directed towards herself.
For a moment she was distracted by a small confrontation, taking place at the end of the South Passage. As Lizzi pretended not to listen, she wryly thought that her sharp tongue was nothing to the lashing Princess Organa could give to Captain Solo. But then again, Solo had some pretty good comebacks up his sleeve.
"You're imagining things," said Organa.
"Am I?" retorted Solo. "Then why are you following me? Afraid I was going to leave without giving you a goodbye kiss?"
Lizzi stifled her laughter. The pirate had an ego-problem almost as big as Wills.
"I'd just as soon kiss a Wookie!" said the Princess in a most un-Princess like manner.
"I can arrange that!" Solo stormed away from here before delivering the parting blow. "You could use a good kiss!"
Lizzi quickly continued on her way before the laughter inside of her exploded.
She had always admired Leia Organa's strength of will and determination. Organa had entered the Imperial Senate at the age of seventeen, becoming the youngest Senator in history. But it had been a short-lived career, for the Emperor had dissolved the Senate three years ago, barely a year after Organa's appointment. Even so, the Alderaanian Princess had turned to the Rebels, using her diplomatic skills to bring other systems and planets into the Alliance.
It seemed that her diplomatic skills could do nothing against the fast-tongued smuggler Solo. Ever since Solo and Commander Skywalker had rescued the Princess from the first Death Star Leia Organa and Han Solo had never lost the chance to argue with each other.
Lizzi thought it would be the funniest thing if those two ended up becoming a couple.
After a while, she arrived at the medic center. If she had timed things correctly, Jain should be finishing up now . . .
Her timing was perfect. As she walked in the door, she saw her sister cleaning up at the end of her shift. Lizzi watched for a moment as Jain carefully put away the medical instruments. Her beautiful golden hair neatly pulled back and she gracefully walked to the wardrobe to put away her coat. The two sisters were such good contrasts of each other; Jain was fair while Lizzi was dark, Jain was sweet, Lizzi was fiery. Each was beautiful in their one way, but Jain was beautiful inside as well. Lizzi smiled; there were many males in the Rebel Alliance who had a crush on Jain, but Jain kept her emotions in such good control, that she would never recklessly fall in love.
Jain turned to see Lizzi standing in the doorway. "Hello," she said, coming to give Lizzi a hug. "Training finished early?"
Lizzi scowled, reminded of how she and Wills had messed up the simulator training session. Jain immediately noticed and said, "What happened?"
Finally able to release her emotions, Lizzi summed up her troubles in one word, "Wills."
Jain smiled. She and Lizzi had had this conversation many times.
"What did he do this time, program Kit to play the Modal Nodes?"
"This time, he flew in front of me just as I was about to take the shot at the Death Star, even though he knew very well it was my shot!"
"Then?"
"I released my proton torps - and blew him into a million pieces."
Jain shook her head so that her sister wouldn't see her smile.
"Then one of the TIEs blew me into a million pieces."
Lizzi looked so woefully at her that Jain burst out laughing.
"It's not funny! We got lectured by Commander Fitzwilliam!"
Jain laughed even harder. Finally she regained her composure and said, "No, it's just that you and Wills have been fighting for so long, I just knew that some day you would both get it."
"It wasn't my fault. It's all his! Wills is such an exasperating, irritating, agitating, maddening, infuriating . . ."
She continued on in this vein for a very long time. When the expletives in Basic were exhausted, she switched to Rodian, then Huttese which had the best vocabulary of insults in all the galactic languages. But the human vocal cords were not designed to speak in Huttese for any more than a few minutes, and Lizzi ran to a halt.
"Lizzi," said Jain while she was drawing breath, "have you even considered that Wills may have some good points?"
She stopped. She thought about it. She shook her head.
"He's a damned Imperial!" spat Lizzi.
"Just because he used to be an Imperial it doesn't condemn him to being a monster."
"Jain, have you forgotten what the Empire did to Alderaan?"
Jain looked away sadly. "No, of course not. There's no way I will ever forget it."
"And Wills was one of those space-slugs that supported the Empire that created the Death Star."
"Was, Lizzi, not is. Doesn't that fact that he has joined the Alliance say something about him?" said Jain, trying to think of a way to get her stubborn sister to admit that Wills was not bad. She liked Wills, and wished that he and her sister could get along. "What about Gianna? She used to be an Imperial. Do you hate her too?"
"Gianna's different," said Lizzi defensively. "She was enslaved, she didn't have a choice. Wills did."
"Then he chose to become a Rebel."
Lizzi lowered her eyes, unwilling to confront this issue. Deep in her heart, she knew she was being unfair to Wills.
But there was more; Lizzi well-known reason for her dislike of Wills was that she didn't like his attitude, and that he had been an Imperial. What wasn't well known was that she still was hurt about what Wills had said about her.
She blushed. Fine, so I had a crush on Wills when he first arrived. That's past - he obviously hates me so I'll return the favour.
Lizzi sighed. "Okay, I'll admit that if it wasn't for Wills attitude and Imperial past, I could like him." This subject was getting uncomfortable, so she grinned and changed it. "Anyway, do you like him?"
"Who?" replied Jain, caught off-guard.
"You know. Charls."
Jain looked down and blushed.
"You do!" crowed Lizzi.
"Alright, I admit it. I like him. He's kind, sensible, good-humored, lively - "
"And handsome?" teased Lizzi.
Jain smiled.
"Well, you don't have to worry about him not returning your affections, because whenever I talk to him, he always talks about you."
Wills stormed away, angry. He did not know why he had done what he had in the simulation program. He couldn't explain it. He knew very well that it was Lizzi's task to fire the proton torpedoes, yet he had done it anyway. It did have something to do with the fact that he never wanted to rely on anyone every again, least of all a woman . . .
He had tried to say sorry, admit he was in the wrong (a big step for him) yet his labors had proved unsuccessful.
He needed to get his mind off Lizzi. He changed direction and headed for the main hangar deck.
The hangar was its usual mix of carefully controlled chaos. Various fighters rested on their landing skids, some covered with Rebel techs maintaining the starfighters. They were mainly Y-wings and X-wings, old fighters but reliable. Rumor was that Admiral Ackbar was designing a new type of fighter, but Wills was perfectly happy to stay with his X-wing.
Wills's fighter was near the back. It was unattended, for it had just been checked over yesterday. A few meters from it was the largest ship in the hangar, the Millenium Falcon, a YT-1300 freighter belonging to Captain Solo. Right now, Solo and his co-pilot were quarrelling over some kind of maintenance issue. Wills was under the impression the Falcon was held together by jury-rigs and hope.
He climbed up into the cockpit of his X-wing, barely registering that two droids had come up to Solo and speak to him. Wills wished that he could take his fighter out for a spin, but any activity outside the Rebel base was limited to the few patrols and ground defenses. Any stray sensor readings from a flying ship, even something so small as a starfighter, could be the one thing that would betray their location to the Empire.
He sat in the cockpit for a little while, not really thinking about anything until a loud voice shouted, "Deck Officer! Deck Officer!"
Wills looked out. The voice belonged to Solo. The smuggler was now talking animatedly to the D.O.
"Do you know where Commander Skywalker is?" said Solo abruptly. He had his hand over the protocol droid's mouth. Even though a droid couldn't produce facial expressions, Wills got the distinct impression that the droid was rather put out.
"I haven't seen him. It's possible he came in through the South Entrance," replied the D.O.
"It's possible? Why don't you go find out? It's getting dark out there," said Solo sarcastically.
"Yes sir."
Wills climbed out of the X-wing, jumping the last few rungs of the ladder. He began to head off for the pilot's lounge.
He found Charls sitting in the best chair, staring dreamily off into space.
"Hey, I like that chair," said Wills coming up behind his friend.
Charls jumped, nearly spilling the cup of hot caf in his hand. Wills took the advantage of slipping into the chair.
"Oh, hi Wills. How did the talk with the Commander go?" asked Charls, looking ruefully at the chair.
Wills grimaced. "Don't remind me."
"Come on, it was your fault."
"Fine, so I went against my superior's orders. Still, I could have made the shot, if it wasn't for Lizzi. Who asked her to release her torps right up my thrusters?" Wills scowled. "She's such an exasperating, irritating, agitating, maddening, infuriating . . ."
He continued on in this vein for a very long time. When the expletives in Basic were exhausted, he changed to Corellian. When that was exhausted, Wills finished off with a loud exclamation of, "I don't need any woman in the galaxy, least of all Lizzi!"
Charls didn't say anything. He knew his friend very well, and he could tell Wills wasn't at odds with Lizzi because she was Lizzi, it was because Wills just did not trust women in general.
I don't blame him, considering what she did to his father . . . thought Charls. His mind flashed back to that night, Wills alternating between tears and rage . . .
But Charls was getting rather tired of it. He felt Wills should realize that just because one woman had broken his heart, it didn't mean that every woman in the entire galaxy was a monster.
"Lizzi really dislikes me," said Wills, staring off into space.
"Can you blame her?" countered Charls. "After what you said - which she happened to overhear?"
"I didn't mean it - not now, anyway," protested Wills.
"So? What was it you said, ummm . . ." Charls took an arrogant pose. "'Lizzi's a tolerable pilot, I suppose, but about as pretty as a Wookie on a bad hair day.'" Charls tried to stop himself from laughing at Wills's grimace. "'I could fly rings around her in a one-winged hopper with a plugged jet.'"
"I wasn't myself that night. I was cold, I was tired - I did not mean it."
That was true. He hadn't really meant to hurt Lizzi, but he was never in a good mood when his friend forced him to socialize with the other people. It had been about two days after they had arrived at Hoth, and Charls had dragged Wills down to meet some of the other Rebels. The moment they arrived in the cafeteria/tapcafe Wills had sat down and refused to speak to anyone. Charls had abandoned him, trying to talk to Jain. Lizzi had come up to him and tried to strike up a conversation. Wills was uncomfortable that of all people, Lizzi, the popular, beautiful, sparky pilot, was talking to him. He had been rude perhaps and she left him. Charls had observed this and asked why Wills had not accepted Lizzi's company. That was when Wills had said those rather fatal words - which Lizzi, standing about a meter away, had heard.
After that, things between Wills and Lizzi had degenerated rather quickly.
To tell the truth, Wills found Lizzi rather attractive. Not that he would admit it to anyone; after his last experience with a lover, he was afraid to expose himself to so much potential danger and pain.
"Anyway, enough about me and Lizzi. How are things with Jain?" asked Wills, changing the subject.
Charls blushed. "Uh, I don't know."
"Come one, surely you've made some progress."
"I don't know."
"Why don't you just tell her that you like her. Everyone knows already."
"Everyone?" repeated Charls with an embarrassed look.
"Yes, everyone. Or are you too shy to admit it?"
Charls blushed even redder. Wills sighed.
"If you don't tell her, I will."
"Don't you dare!"
"I will - but if you promise me that you will go and see her tomorrow, I won't."
Charls thought about this. "Okay."
"Good. I leave you to think about how you are going to approach her; I'm going to visit Gianna."
Wills got out of the chair, but Charls didn't take it.
Wills found Gianna absorbed in a three-dimensional crystal lattice puzzle that looked so difficult it made his head swim. Gianna seemed to find it easy though - she had completed another three sections in the time Wills took to enter the room, grab a chair and sit down, back to the door. He watched her for a little while.
Gianna Drax was a member of the Omwat species, well known for their high intelligence and ability for solving complex problems. Gianna was a classic example of the species; tall, slender with blue-tinted skin. Her gossamer hair seemed to be composed of pearly feathers. Her eyes were a deep violet, wide and inquisitive.
Their relationship was a strange one. Like him, she had worked for the Empire, and similarly she had defected to the Rebels. She would not speak of her past business in the Empire, only saying that it was terrible work. She seemed vulnerable and unable to protect herself. Because of this, Wills felt as if he had to take care of her, like an elder brother.
Wills liked Gianna very much. Problem was, she was a good friend of Lizzi, and wanted Wills and Lizzi to be friends.
Gianna saved puzzle and shut it down. Only then did she turn to him.
"Hello," she greeted him in her soft, musical voice. "What happened in the sim training today?"
"How did you hear about that?" asked Wills.
"Word gets around very quickly," she said smiling.
Wills sighed then quickly recounted to her what happened. He made no illusions about his mistake, admitting that he was in the wrong.
Gianna thought for a moment afterwards. "Why did you do it?"
Wills waved his hand around, trying to explain it. "I don't know, I just - "
"You just what?" asked a voice from behind him.
Gianna's face lit up in a smile. Wills gave himself the three-count before turning around.
"Hello, Lizzi," said Gianna.
"Hi," said Wills unemotionally.
"Hi Gianna," responded Lizzi. She came into the room and sat on Gianna's bed. Wills didn't look at her but rather closed his eyes.
"You just what?" she repeated.
"Nothing," he said, waiting for the blow to come.
"Nothing? You call getting me into trouble with the commander nothing?"
"Look, I'm sorry - "
"Anyway, I'm here to see Gianna. Did you know that Commander Skywalker is missing?"
Wills and Gianna looked at her in shock. "Where is he?" asked Gianna.
"Don't know. Somewhere outside. Captain Solo is out looking for him."
From far away, there was a sound of two heavy objects clanging together. Wills listened, then realized what it was. "They've closed the shield doors."
"And Commander Skywalker and Captain Solo are still out there?" aid Gianna in disbelief.
"We don't have a choice, Gianna. We need to protect everyone inside, prevent everyone from freezing to death," said Lizzi.
"You don't have to worry about freezing, Ice Queen," said Wills, grinning.
Lizzi spun around.
"If I was an Ice Queen, then you must be the King of the space slugs!"
"Maybe a good kiss would warm you up."
"What, from you? How about a punch in the mouth to shut you up?"
Wills turned to Gianna. "I think she would like it if I kissed her."
"Why you - !"
"See?"
Gianna laughed in spite of herself, then she calmed down and protested, "Stop it. Stop hurting each other."
Wills laughed. "Are you kidding? This is fun! Aren't you having fun, Lizzi?"
"Not as much as I had blowing your X-wing up."
Wills frowned then launched into a fresh attack. Lizzi responded in kind, Gianna trying to calm them down.
The noise was called to a halt by a loud "STOP!" from the doorway.
All three of them looked up at Nyanti Zyol. Her face was cold, though there seemed to Lizzi that there was a smile hovering around the Captain's mouth.
"New arrangements have been made," she said crisply. "Room assignments have been altered. Lieutenants' Darcy and Benyt will move to room J17. You are to share the room with Charls Bingley." At Lizzi and Wills's gaping mouths, Nyanti continued, "This is an exercise to force you two to work together. Bingley is there to keep you in line and make sure you don't kill each other. Transfer effective immediately."
"What?!" cried the Lieutenants. "You can't be serious!" They looked at each other. The thought of living in the same room was shocking.
"Oh, we are very serious," said Nyanti. "Don't make too much noise, don't mess up the room, clean up any spilled blood . . ." Wills couldn't tell if she was joking.
Nyanti smiled evilly. "You're wasting time. Get moving."
Part Four
Posted on Wednesday, 2 June 1999
Off the beaten track of the well-traveled space lanes, was a little-known planet named Nicria. Not that there was anything special about it; average size, two moons, breathable atmosphere, gravity acceleration of about 7m/s. Three large oceans, four main continents, flora, fauna, this planet was much like any other.
Except no one knew about it. There were no colonies, no cities - no evidence of civilization.
Which made it a perfect secret location for the Imperial Helfire Laboratories.
Much of the facility was underground. The only exterior structures was the hangar, landing bay and some buildings housing communications, less important equipment and the bulk of the living quarters.
A casual observer would never realize just what was going on beneath the surface.
Lady Katrin Bourg stood on the observation gallery, scrutinizing the activity below. Various scientists, techs and such forth scurried around an enormous simulator version of the Death Star planet-shattering laser. The simulator was scaled to fit inside the 700m long hangar. It was 160 times smaller than the actual 80km long second-generation Death Star superlaser that was currently being built at Endor. Instead of emitting a planetary-destroying beam, the simulator gave an immensely powerful, yet relatively harmless beam of light. The only danger was to make sure no one was directly facing it when it was 'shooting', for the light was bright enough and hot enough to cook an eyeball in seconds.
In the control room above, the head scientist stood rubbing his hands.
"Lady Katrin, I believe you will be astounded. With my superior intelligence, I have solved your problems and it should be working correctly."
Lady Katrin did not answer at first. She stood, silent until the man began to squirm uncomfortably. Only then did Lady Katrin turn to face him.
"It had better work this time. The Emperor does not approve of bunglers - and neither do I."
The head scientist gulped. Lady Katrin ignored him and watched the preparations below.
Beside Lady Katrin stood her daughter, M'Ann. The relationship was evident; both were tall and fair with black hair and ice-cold gray eyes. Their faces carried identical expressions of determination.
"Is it ready for testing?" asked Lady Katrin.
Captain M'Ann spoke into a comlink. One of the human males below gave the observation gallery a thumbs-up.
"At your command, mother."
Lady Katrin nodded.
"Let us proceed then."
M'Ann gestured to the head scientist beside her mother. He acknowledged her then hurriedly ran to a control board on the side of the command room.
The original Death Star, destroyed three years ago by one Rebel pilot, had been Grand Moff Tarkin's gift to the Emperor for total control over the galaxy through fear of the gigantic battle-station. The laser for the Death Star was immensely powerful, able to destroy any planet with one shot. But it had only been used once, on Alderaan as a punishment for Princess Leia's collaborations with the Rebel Alliance.
It was the task of Helfire Laboratories to make the laser even more powerful.
When the laser plans were completed, they would be handed to Bevel Lemelisk, to be used on the Empire's secret project at Endor. They were on a tight schedule, and the deadline when Bevel Lemelisk would arrive was getting close.
Problem was, they couldn't get the laser working properly.
The laser research had originally been based on Gornovin. A few days before the Battle of Yavin, the project and most of the people involved were to be moved to a new location to continue the research and development. But on the day of the transfer, the facility had been attacked by a group the Empire believed to be Rebels. Two of the alleged Rebels had been killed, as well as one of the scientists, Dr. Kellering who was suspected of having Rebellion connections. The attackers had been driven off - but not before hijacking the Loronar Strike Cruiser holding one of the main sections, Module Seven of the Prototype B Death Star superlaser. Later, just before Alderaan's destruction, the Strike Cruiser had been dumped on Tatooine. Now it was impossible to find; Imperial troops had scrounged the planet but a planet is a large place to hide a ship, especially when it has been covered by tons of shifting sand.
What's more, during the transfer, the main scientist on the project had jumped ship - taking a copy of the Death Star laser's blueprints with her, and destroying all the others. That scientist was also the only one who had the knowledge of how to safely upgrade the weapon.
Now, they had to start from scratch again.
The upgrade sounded simple enough; increase the power output while at the same time fine-tuning the accuracy. It was hard to miss hitting a planet - but the new orders stated that the laser must also be able to target capital ships.
Whenever they thought they had the power source tuned correctly or the laser calibrated, during the test something would go wrong. Once, it had 'exploded' - thankfully they were only working with the simulation, otherwise the entire facility would have been wiped off the planet.
Hopefully, things would be right this time.
Lady Katrin Bourg had bean appointed Imperial Supervisor of Helfire Laboratories, after the first one suddenly 'retired' during Darth Vader's visit to reprimand the Supervisor for the loss of Module Seven. Her job was to make sure everything went smoothly, and to dispense punishment when needed. Her daughter, trained on Corellia was responsible for the defense.
Both mother and daughter had done exceedingly well during training to work for the Empire, but the Emperor was well known for both his xenophobia and dislike of women. Lady Katrin and M'Ann had been passed over time and time again for promotion. In the end, they had wound up on Nicira, a backwater planet, to baby-sit a group of scientists - and the most powerful weapon in the galaxy.
The experiment was almost ready to begin.
Lady Katrin thought for a moment, then said into the comlink, "Set simulation to fire with maximum power, to hit a target six hundred thousand kilometers away." She smiled grimly. "Let's pretend we're hitting a Rebel planet."
M'Ann laughed. A man below acknowledged the order.
The scientists below hunched over their control boards, or watched the operation through safety glasses. In front of Lady Katrin, the diagnostics read-out stood ready.
"Fire."
The head scientist beside her opened a protected switch, then pulled the red lever inside.
The air inside the hangar began to hum with restrained energy and rise in temperature. Lady Katrin took no notice, but stared at the readout next to the male scientist.
"Pressure normal, calibration set correctly . . . I think its going to work this time!" said the man excitedly.
"Don't count on it yet," cautioned M'Ann.
Eight beams of light shone out of the tributary shafts surrounding the primary shaft.
"Nearly there . . . if the main laser works then we have finally succeeded," murmured the man. "We're nearly ready to fire - increase the pressure."
The hum began to rise steadily in pitch.
"Activate primary superlaser," commanded Lady Katrin.
"Primary laser activating," reported the scientist. Sweat stood out on his brow.
"It's working, it's working," he muttered.
The primary beam began to glow - then it began to sputter.
"What's going on?" shouted Lady Katrin. Alarm klaxons were screeching. Below, the scientists began to shout at each other.
"The pressure's building too quickly!"
"Release the thermal hatch to ease it off!"
"Can't - it's not responding!"
"Shut off the main power!"
"Too late - "
The heat was immense; the tech closest to the exit point of the laser collapsed as his skin turned red with medium burns. The bulk of the personnel was on the other side of the room and protected. Lady Katrin, M'Ann and the scientist were in the command room, above it all and out of danger.
A huge, beam of light exploded out of the primary laser.
M'Ann grabbed the mike and shouted into it, "All personnel, evacuate immediately!"
The scientists and techs needed no encouragement. One of them quickly dragged the injured tech out before the doors slammed shut.
M'Ann shielded her eyes, but, curious to see what would happen, switched on the holo-monitor.
On the wall was a very bright spot, about ten meters in diameter. As she watched, the wall began to glow cherry-red. Wisps of smoke began to appear. She absently thought it was rather like the time she had as a child, gone out on sunny days to focus the sun's light through a magnifying glass and burned paper . . .
But this time, the heat intensity was thousands of times hotter - enough to melt metal.
The red spot quickly tuned white. The metal began to sag. The smoke began to obscure the camera. Finally the superheated air blew the wall out altogether. M'Ann silently thanked whatever Fates existed that the beam of light was only designed to stay on for two minutes. If it had not then the whole compound might have been destroyed.
Lady Katrin watched it all unemotionally.
After the smoke cleared, the damage was evident. The main end of the simulator was blacked and twisted, and the wall facing it was no longer there. M'Ann took this all in and shouted for the emergency crew.
As cool water was being sprayed into the room, Lady Katrin turned to the head scientist.
"You were saying, Scientist?"
The head scientist in the command room turned white.
"Are you aware of how the Empire rewards incompetence?"
The head scientist began to shake.
"Are you?" repeated Lady Katrin icily.
M'Ann smiled evilly. She knew what her mother was leading up to. She reached down to her side and pulled out her blaster.
Lady Katrin almost lazily pointed at the man. "For failing the Empire, I sentence you to death."
The man had time for one squeak, before M'Ann's blaster bolt found him between the eyes.
M'Ann looked distastefully at the slumped body and holstered her weapon.
"Now what are we going to do? You know that none of these idiots have any idea as to how to upgrade the Hammertong," she said. 'Hammertong' was the code-name for the Death Star laser.
"I know. The only one who does is Scientist Drax, but she fled to the Rebellion," replied Lady Katrin.
"Maybe we should get her back. You can use your underworld contact, what his name? That Falleen male."
"Wickham?" Lady Katrin thought about it for a while. "No. We shall try one more time. Perhaps the next scientist will be able to work the Emperor's little toy properly."
She glanced down at the wreckage below.
"And when the next fails me, then we'll get Gianna Drax back."
Part Five
Posted on Thursday, 3 June 1999
Lizzi glared over the prize at Wills.
"I was here first."
"No you weren't, I was."
"Look, that's my stuff on top, so you move!"
Wills pushed the bag off.
"It's not there any more."
"I get cold easily, so I should get the bed closest to the thermal heater!"
"What do you think, we're in an ice-base. We're all cold!"
Charls looked uncomfortably from one to the other. They were facing each other across the middle bed. At the end of the bed was a thermal heater. There were two other beds, one on either side of the bed Wills and Lizzi were fighting over.
"You don't need it - your overblown ego should keep you warm!"
"Me egotistic?!"
"Uh, guys, can you shut up?" said Charls unhappily.
Lizzi and Wills looked at him, only just realizing that he was there.
"If you two are going to fight over it, why don't we make it neither of you get the bed?" said Charls, trying to negotiate a peace between them and for his mind. "I'll take it."
Lizzi and Wills looked at each other.
"I suppose that's acceptable, as long as he didn't get it."
"I can live with that, as long as she didn't get it."
Charls rolled his eyes. He dragged his kitbag to the bed and dumped it on top. Lizzi and Wills turned their backs to each other and moved to the opposite sides of the room.
Soon, all three of them were trying to sleep. They lay there in silence for a while. Charls remembered he was supposed to playing mediator and decided to introduce a topic of conversation. He racked his brains, trying to think of something that wouldn't include friction between Lizzi and Wills.
"Why does Denny keep speaking in third person?" he asked finally. A safe question, he hoped, and one that had annoyed him for some time.
Denny Cathos was their fellow pilot in Comet Squadron from the planet Gand. A short humanoid, with three fingered hands and an exoskeleton, Denny would never use the pronoun 'I', but always refer to himself as either 'Denny', 'Cathos' or just 'Gand'. Charls found this habit puzzling.
"How would I know? I know nothing about Gands," said Wills.
"It's part of their culture," replied Lizzi. There was a hint of smugness in her voice. "On Gand, names are important. Any Gand who has done nothing important in life is just called 'Gand', but after they have achieved something, they are given a surname. If they prove themselves further, they use a first name, and any Gand who has achieved something really great uses 'I', assuming that everyone will know who the speaker is. Denny has got some achievements, but not quite good enough to call himself 'I'."
"Uh, okay," replied Charls. He still didn't really get it.
"Then how come Denny alternates the names he calls himself?" asked Wills.
"You must be pretty unobservant if you haven't noticed why," said Lizzi sarcastically. "If Denny thinks he has done something wrong, given offence or is ashamed of himself, he'll reduce the name he calls himself. Like if he had been the one who flew in front of me today, he would have called himself 'Cathos' or even 'Gand' because he would've been ashamed of it. Unlike some people."
"Look, I'm sorry about that, okay?"
"Where did you learn so much about alien cultures?" asked Charls quickly to cut off Lizzi's retort.
"Before I joined the Rebels, I was a smuggler. You interact with heaps of different species and if you want to cut a deal with them, you have to learn how to get along with them. Jain knows more than me, as a medic she has to get her patient's trust."
"So, um, where did Jain study?" asked Charls as casually as possible.
He sensed that Lizzi was smiling. "On Naboo. Very nice planet with two main cultures. There's the Naboo people, who stay on the plains and the Gungans who live in the swamps. They're ruled by an elected monarch. Jain really liked it there; it reminded her a great deal of Alderaan."
"Was she there when it was destroyed?" he asked.
"Yes," said Lizzi sadly. "I was on Nar Shaddaa, when it happened."
Charls shook his head. "It's been three years since I happened and I still can't believe the Empire would do that. Blow up a whole planet - what madman would do that?"
"That's why Jain and I joined the Alliance. We want to help bring the Empire down."
"Alderaan is not the only atrocity, though it's certainly bad enough. There's also the destruction of Camaas, massacres on Mantooine and Chandrilla, elimination of all protesters, not to mention the extermination of the Jedi Knights," said Charls.
"The Emperor, and all who support him, must be punished," said Lizzi grimly.
The room fell silent for a while. Charls realized that Wills had not spoken for some time, left out of the conversation.
"How about turning the thermal heater up to full?" shivered Lizzi, teeth chattering. "My thermal blanket hasn't warmed up yet."
"I wouldn't advise that, Lizzi," replied Wills from the other side of the room. He also sounded pretty cold. "Did you hear what happened to Princess Organa's chambers? Some idiot turned the heater up - and the whole room literally melted. All her stuff was saturated."
Lizzi laughed in spite of herself. "I bet she was pleased."
"If you think it's cold in here, think how it must be outside," said Wills grimly. "There's two of our people out there as well."
"I hope Commander Skywalker and Captain Solo are okay," said Charls.
Wills and Lizzi voiced their agreement. No one spoke again that night, united in their hopes for the two missing Rebels.
Just before he fell asleep, Charls drowsily thought that he had made a little progress with Lizzi and Wills.
Not much, but it was a start.
The next morning, the whole of Comet Squadron assembled in the pilot's lounge. There were pilots from other squadrons as well, but one squadron was missing.
"Where did Rogue Squadron go?" asked Lizzi. Her friend, Zri'an Hodge looked at her.
"Didn't you hear? The Rogues are out in the snowspeeders - they're finally working. They're looking for Skywalker and Solo."
Lizzi nodded. She turned to go refill her cup. Zri'an followed her, a big grin on her face.
"So, how did you sleep last night?" she asked.
"What is that supposed to mean?" replied Lizzi suspiciously.
The woman's blue eyes widened with mock-innocence. "Oh, nothing."
Lizzi glared at her. "You have a dirty mind."
"Actually, I'm jealous," confessed Zri'an. "You get to share a room with the two handsomest guys in the squadron."
Lizzi rolled her eyes. "So what? It doesn't say much. Charls kept trying to find the courage to talk to me about Jain and Wills just slept."
"Heya, Lizzi!" called out Hendri Sanderson. "Some kind of punishment, sharing a room with Wills."
Denny came up to her as well. "Denny wonders if the people in the rooms nearby were kept awake by your shouting."
"Guys, just shut up," said Lizzi.
The group laughed and left. The door on one side opened and Wills strode in, an angry look on his handsome face.
"You were supposed to turn off the heater when you left!" he snapped at Lizzi. "The place was beginning to get wet, luckily I went back and saw it. The heater was on max level!"
Lizzi turned to face him. Around them, the room's activity stopped as everyone looked to watch the confrontation. "I left it on? Who's the one who turned it on maximum?"
"Me, but it wouldn't have mattered if you had turned it off!"
"We weren't supposed to have it on full in the first place!
"You were last to leave the room; you were supposed to check it!"
"If you keep it on low, then the thermal heater can be left on for hours without doing any harm!"
Seated a few meters away from them, Clmney Carter was leaning back on his chair, eyes closed. Without opening them, he said loudly, "The newly-weds are fighting again."
The whole room burst into laughter, except the two arguing. They stopped and looked at Clmney bright red. As one, they shouted, "You keep out of this!"
The laughter rose another notch. Charls came in unnoticed and wondered what the hell was going on. He had to yell to get everyone's attention.
"Guess what! Commander Skywalker and Captain Solo have been found!"
The room turned away from Lizzi and Wills and stared at Charls. He faltered at the sight of so many pairs (or trios in some cases) of eyes staring at him.
"It's true. Rogue Two found them. Solo is perfectly fine, but Skywalker needs treatment quickly."
"But they're alive," said Uid with thankfully.
The entire room erupted in cheers, until the squadrons dispersed to their meeting rooms.
Commander Ricard Fitzwilliam watched as his pilots filtered into the room. Nyanti Zyol discreetly nodded her head towards Lizzi and Wills, who somehow ended up sitting next to each other.
Progress or was that just chance? he thought.
Finally all ten pilots were seated. Ricard cleared his throat and began.
"I presume you've all heard by now that Commander Luke Skywalker and Captain Han Solo have been rescued. It's unknown just what happened to the Commander, but the theory is he was attacked by some kind of creature."
He coughed. "Comet Squadron is on tauntaun patrol today. Before anyone asks, we can't use the speeders because Rogue Squadron's on long-range patrol. Because of Commander Skywalker's attack, everyone is to go in pairs."
He called up a list on the datapad in front of him. From one of the seats in front of him, he heard someone grumble, "Why do we have to use tauntauns? They smell bad."
Without looking up, Ricard answered, "The other option is walking."
The speaker died down.
He continued. "Alright. Zyol and Sanderson, zone two. Bingley, you're with me on zone four. Cathos and Chamberlyne, zone six and Hodge and Carter zone eight. Par'yla and Fosset in zone ten. Darcy and Benyt in zone twelve."
He shut down the screen. "Watch each other's backs out there and take note of anything unusual. There's no point carrying blasters because they just freeze up. This meeting is over, report back on return."
As everyone got up to leave, Ricard called out one final message.
"Oh, and Lieutenants Darcy and Benyt? Don't kill each other out there and save the Imperials the trouble."
The whole squadron, except for the two lieutenants, snickered.
Part Six
Posted on Friday, 4 June 1999
They had been riding no more then twenty minutes when Wills began to wish he were back in Echo Base.
Last night's blizzard had covered everything in a white blanket. Light from Hoth's faraway sun reflected off the surface bright enough to blind. His hands, though covered inside thick gloves, were cold, his feet, though encased in furred boots, were frozen - in short he was very cold. He glanced at Lizzi, whose pretty face seemed to have taken on a blue tinge.
Every now and again, they would pause and scan the landscape for any signs of life. They didn't see any living organism and Wills began to wonder just what the point of the patrol was.
They were to check in at Station Three-Eight for a quick rest before finishing their circle. He couldn't wait. His tauntaun was not a very docile animal compared to the rest of the snow-lizards and it smelled bad.
They came to a halt again. Lizzi climbed off her tauntaun and took out a pair of macro-binoculars. She ignored him. They hadn't spoken to each other since they had left the base.
Wills really did like Lizzi a lot, and wanted her to like him. He couldn't really see why she didn't though.
Remembering her words last night, when she said that she felt the cold easily, he asked her, "Are you all right?"
She didn't take her eyes from the macro-binoculars. "Why do you ask?"
Wills shrugged. "I just remember you telling me that you got cold easily. Are you cold?"
"I'm fine, thank you."
Fine, that conversation didn't go anywhere, he thought to himself. He watched as Lizzi put the macro-binoculars away and climb back onto her tauntaun. She began riding off without waiting for him. Wills dug his heels into the flanks of his tauntaun and hurriedly caught up with her.
He tried to think of something else to say. "Um, where are you from?"
Lizzi didn't bother looking at him. "Didn't you know?" she replied contemptuously. "Oh, I forgot, you're too good to hang around with the rest of us Rebels, Imp."
Wills seethed inside, wishing she would stop holding his past against him. "Well, now I'm trying to get to know you," he replied. "Someone told me your home planet but I forgot."
She glared at him. "Alderaan."
"Oh."
Now he remembered. He wanted to express his sympathy but the words wouldn't come out.
Surprisingly, Lizzi continued. "My father owned a chain of stores. I had no brothers, just four sisters. We all lived in Fiera, a small city near Aldera, where my aunt and uncle lived. My uncle was a lawyer with four children. Mother was sickly, something to do with her nervous system. She wanted all of us girls to get married; she was pretty old-fashioned."
"We used to have family gatherings. Jain and I would care for our cousins while my three younger sisters enjoyed themselves. My two youngest sisters were the most popular girls in school. My third sister was the best student of us all. Jain had left to study on Naboo and I wanted to see the galaxy, so my father bought me a ship and I became a smuggler. My family didn't know, only Jain did. It was an exciting life."
Lizzi sighed. She stared into the distance as if she had forgotten Wills was there. He thought he detected a tear running down her cheek. "Apart from myself and Jain, none of my family had ever left Alderaan. There was no reason to. We all loved our home planet. We were peaceful, and even the Empire seemed distant. None of us liked the Empire, but we never felt its presence. We were . . . innocent, I suppose."
Her voice took on a sad note. "I was spending time with my friends, Sharl and Myra Lukas, also smugglers. When the newsvid came on and broadcast the destruction of Alderaan, I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe that someone had blown up an entire planet. Of course the censored Imperial newsvid blamed it on the Rebels. I frantically tried calling home over the Holonet - but all I got was static."
Lizzi made a choking sound. Wills got the impression she had kept her emotions to herself and only now was releasing them. He wished he could say something to ease her pain.
She had stopped now. "I immediately flew to Naboo. I found Jain; it was the day of her graduation. She also had heard what had happened, but she also had confirmation from one of the professors. We both left, and flew to Alderaan - or what was left of it."
Lizzi paused and looked over the white landscape. "It's called the Graveyard now. Appropriate. Everyone's dead, my father, my mother, my three sisters, two aunts, two uncles and four cousins, pet kitrian, everything. Out of a large family, only Jain and I are left."
Wills coughed, about to express his own sorrow. When he had heard of Alderaan's destruction, he had been outraged, but not sorrowed. He didn't know anyone from Alderaan. Now he did - and the pain of the planet's destruction hit him more deeply. He reached out a hand to touch Lizzi.
As if suddenly realizing whom she was talking to, Lizzi jerked away. She spun to face him and spat, "Why do you care? It's because of you and your kriffing Empire that Alderaan is dead."
Wills did not flinch. "I'm sorry." Lizzi looked at him. "Really, I am. I wish that it had never happened." Now it was his turn to look away. "When I first joined the Imperial Academy, I didn't know about the other . . . darker side of the New Order. I heard rumors, I pretended not to know about them. Then, while I was on leave at home, my father was . . ." He broke off, trying to blink away the tears that threatened to come.
Lizzi saw this and asked, "What happened?"
Wills looked at her. Remembered who had killed his father, and his vow never to trust or open his heart up to any woman again. "You wouldn't care." He kicked his tauntaun and sped off.
He heard Lizzi pounding the snow behind him. She shouted, "I was only trying to be nice!"
Wills thought she sounded insulted. He yelled back, "Nice? You? Did I hear right?"
"You jerk! I'll get you!"
"You and what army?"
Their argument continued until the tall antennae of Station Three-Eight came into view. Wills enjoyed it; the argument helped him forget their painful conversation and the anger warmed him.
He felt much better by the time they dismounted and went inside.
Inside was relatively warm, compared to the ice-plains outside. They were greeted by a small group of Rebels who immediately got them hot drinks.
The stations were the outposts of Echo Base. They kept a lookout for any activity in the area. Each station was manned by a group of five for a three-day shift. Patrols checked in at each station within their zone.
One of the Rebels was fiddling with a communications console. Wills asked what the matter was. The man, Orin, grunted with frustration and replied, "The damned transmitter is playing up. I can't fix it either and I'm getting just a little bit annoyed."
Wills, sympathizing with the man, offered his help.
"You're welcome to it, I need a break."
Orin left him, heading for the 'fresher. Lizzi watched as Wills took the man's place and begin work. She turned away, ashamed that she had exposed herself to Wills.
Why on earth did I do that? He didn't care.
Unbeknownst to her, Wills was thinking exactly the same thing.
An hour or so later, the transmitter was working fine. Having rested, it was nearly time for Wills and Lizzi to leave, when one of the Rebels spotted something on the sensors.
"Hey, got some activity just outside zone twelve," she announced. "It's behind the ridge - can't get a visual yet."
Wills and Lizzi came over to have a look. The four other Rebels, who were on the other side of the station with the blaster rifles and the power generator, came over as well.
"What is it?" asked Lizzi.
"Can't tell much," admitted the woman, Padri. "It's metal, that's all so far. Wait, it's moving. East."
Wills frowned and said crisply, "Patch the signal to Echo Base."
Lizzi looked at him, wondering at this new Wills, taking command. Padri shrugged and complied.
"Do you think it's one of those things that attacked Commander Skywalker?" Lizzi asked.
"Don't know. Don't think so," replied Wills.
"This is Echo Station Three-Eight. Unidentified object is on our scopes," said Padri into the newly fixed transmitter. "It's just over the ridge. We should have visual contact in about - "
Suddenly the video monitor came to life. The Rebels all glanced at it - Wills quickly took in the picture of a black, cylindrical body with various appendages, some with black pincers - and a powerful built-in blaster.
A blaster that was taking aim at Station Three-Eight.
Padri at the console saw this and exclaimed into the comm, "What the - ?"
The blaster fired.
"Oh no!" screamed Padri just before two scarlet bolts streaked towards the power generator on the side of the building.
The wall blew up, as well as all the blaster rifles leaning against it. The Rebels instinctively ducked, their transmission cut off. A wave of heat slammed into them, then the explosion itself.
When the smoke cleared away, Wills glanced over his fellow Rebels. Protected by the desks of equipment, Wills Lizzi and three of the Rebels were unscathed, but the two others had not been so lucky. Orin's skin was blistered with burns, and the second Rebel, Layr was dead, crushed under some of the flying debris. To one side, he could see the charred bodies of the two tauntauns. Through the wreckage, Wills watched as the Imperial probe droid floated on, its repulsor lifts towards them.
"Go, go!" he shouted, pushing Lizzi to hurry her along. She ignored him and ran to the side of the wounded Rebel.
"Help me get him out of here!" she called.
Wills swore, then lifted Orin's arm over his shoulder, supporting him. Lizzi scanned around for any weapons to retaliate. There was none.
"We're in the open, with no means of defense and it's freezing - I think we're in trouble," she muttered.
Wills quickly glanced as the three other Rebels halted, wondering where to go. There was almost no protection out on the open snow plains.
"Head for the ridge!" he shouted. The Rebels scrambled away while he tried his best to follow them, carrying the wounded man. Lizzi turned back to help him.
"Run, idiot!" he snapped at her. "Don't worry about me; Imp probe droids track by infra-red and the explosion should hide my IR signature."
Lizzi slung the man's other arm over her shoulder. "Now let's go."
Wills refrained from calling Lizzi a stubborn Hutt.
Together, they made for the ridge as best as they could with the Orin slowing them down. Orin gasped with pain and hissed, "Why bother bringing me? Just dump me and protect yourselves."
"Over my dead body," replied Lizzi.
Wills looked at her. "That's not funny, considering the circumstances."
Finally, after some minutes of frantic running, expecting a blaster bolt in the back, they made it. The three other Rebels were shivering behind a rock.
"Did the message get through?" Lizzi quickly asked Padri.
"I think so," she replied.
Wills placed Orin down on the snow and then stood up to look for their attacker.
The probe droid had halted inside the ruins of the base. It turned a 360-degree turn, as if searching for survivors. Finding three dead bodies, one human and two tauntauns, it stopped then began to move again. Wills held his breath, hoping it wouldn't find them.
It didn't. It hovered on its repulsor-lifts and continued in an easterly direction, where Echo Base and the shield generators lay.
Wills breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's gone," he reported to the others.
Lizzi sat beside Orin, trying to ease his pain. Padri and the two other Rebels looked at him and asked, "Where's Layr?"
Wills looked away
"He didn't make it; he was caught in the explosion."
Padri and her companions bowed their heads. Wills looked at his fellow survivors and decided to take charge.
"We can't do much except stay here and hope the message got through and Echo Base is sending help," he told them. He looked at Lizzi.
She was glaring at him with a dark expression. Wills wondered what was wrong.
Half an hour later, the welcome whine of snowspeeders was heard approaching. Wills stood up and waved his arms in the air. The pilots banked around and carefully landed near the ridge.
"They're here. Come on, help me get him down," he told Lizzi.
To his surprise, Lizzi didn't answer and helped Orin down to the speeders herself.
The two pilots had exited their speeders and quickly said, "Rogues Ten and Eleven. More help is coming. Everyone alright?"
"We've got one injured with second-degree burns and one dead," Lizzi said. "Get Orin back to base quickly; we can wait."
Rogue Ten nodded and helped Lizzi carry Orin into the empty gunner's seat. Soon they were above the ground and speeding home.
Rogue Eleven looked around. "What was it?" he asked.
Before Lizzi could say anything, Wills quickly said, "An Imperial probe droid, Arakyd Viper series."
"How do you know?" asked the Rebel pilot.
"I used to be an Imp," Wills replied simply.
"Well, whatever it is, Captain Solo and Chewbacca are taking care of it," said Rogue Eleven.
Wills frowned at the man as the hum of incoming vehicles was heard. "If that droid manages to send its information, the Imperial Navy will be here before you know it."
The pilot 's eyes opened wide with fear. Wills let his gaze drift back to the smoldering remains of Station Three-Eight, where one Rebel lay dead.
Even without looking, he could still feel Lizzi's suspicious glare on him.