by Rob "Biggs" Baden

Chapter 1: Knowledge

"They're on me tight. Nine, I could use some help here."

"I'm a bit busy myself, Ten, you'll have to make do without me for the time being."

Mark Hagues pulled back on the throttle and did a barrel roll to port just as a TIE Interceptor shot past him at full speed while his rear shields started lighting up with green laser bursts. Stang, I knew I wasn't going to fool both of them. The light show continued as he snapped to the port again and did a corkscrew roll to try and lose his tail but was not successful. This guy is very good.

Swive, his astromech droid, beeped at him and he glanced down at his CMD screen. A text message showing the destruction of Alpha Two scrolled across the display and Mark gave a small grin. "Nine, was that you?"

"Confirmed, Ten; I decided to send a torp your way, glad it could be of some help."

Mark pulled back hard on the flight stick and pushed the rudder pedal as he turned to look back at his pursuing Interceptor. "How long before you're done? I still have a squint on me and he's good."

"I'm in the process of finishing off Alpha Four, but Three is still hard on my six and tough to shake off." There was the sound of a trigger being fired and Rob's astromech, Torch, bleeped a response over the speaker. "Four's gone."

"I've got an idea, Nine, try and bring him over in my direction."

"Kill exchange? That's still pretty dangerous, it leaves our sixes wide open."

"Shunt extra power for shields." Mark checked his radar display and hit the throttle to full power. "Let's make it happen, Biggs."

"I've got your tail, Redjed, you take mine."

Moments later the image of a badly damaged X-wing with an Interceptor following behind him increased in size as both Mark and Rob flew towards each other. A moment before he was close enough to fire, the Interceptor following Rob elevated above the plane of revolution and a beep from Swive alerted him that the fighter behind him was doing likewise. "Biggs, fire now, they're trying to pull a similar move!"

Moments ticked away. A full quad burst from the Interceptor struck Rob's X-wing just as a proton torpedo streaked out of the launch tube. On cue, Mark fired a shredding volley of laser shots at the fighter behind Rob as both the Interceptors fired full quad bursts twice in a row at his own X-wing. The torpedo that Rob had fired exploded into the cockpit of Mark's pursuer as the impact of four sets of quad bursts tore his fighter apart. Just as everything went back, Mark saw Rob's X-wing break in two and the last Interceptor collide with the rear section, destroying it in turn.

The sound of pressurized air hissed out as the canopy of his cockpit opened up. He hefted off his helmet and began to climb out of the cockpit and down the ladder. "Well, that was certainly a very strange way to end a sim flight."

[Simulators, Regis, Tatooine System, 1540 Hours]

Kelly St.Clair looked over the six pilots emerging from their simulators, four dressed in bulky Imperial TIE flight suits, one in the standard bright orange flight suit used by New Republic pilots, and the last dressed in his personal black flight suit with gold stripes. He shook his head and turned to look at Neill Magill as he compiled the simulator data onto his personal datapad. "Well, what do you think?"

He shook his head and looked up at him as he pointed out some things. "Having Yale and Schmitty work together was a good idea, but Biggs was able to identify with Schmitty's flying style almost immediately, which was what allowed him to take him out so easily." He punched up the flight data from Hagues' camera and ran it through a bit. "Vape, surprisingly, got vaped - no pun intended - very early in the engagement. She spent so much time trying to take out Redjed that she wasn't aware of Biggs' torp launch." Again he accelerated the time of the data and stopped to just before the multi-kill disaster started. "But right here, this is the most complicated data I've seen in an engagement in a while. Leo knew that Biggs and Redjed was going to try that and came up with this contingency. Both he and Yale thought things out instead of just following their target blind, and that thinking paid off."

Kelly saw the pilots trading stories and talking about their sim battle with each other with a slight frown on his face. "These are the best pilots in the unit we've got, and I think we should reward them some before we get put out into danger again. We don't want them to have their morale low, especially in a critical time such as the buildup on Brentaal IV at the moment."

"Have we heard from High Command? Are they going to be sending us over to help with the fleet and troop deployment?"

"No, we're going to be staying here; we need to have some more time to train Allen and Huberty before we're put too much into battle."

"They've already finished the approved New Republic training, I don't see how much more we can give without actually going into battle."

"A lot of our best fighters have been Outer Rim bush pilots, and two former Reds were from Tatooine, least you forget." Kelly gave a small nod towards the view port at the end of the room. "Down there is a world that has endless caverns, canyons, and out of the way routes that could give our pilots some on-the-job training. Why don't you let them take those two down and let them have a chance to see the arid environment."

"Agreed that Tatooine is a good planet for this kind of training, but what about those six over there?"

Kelly looked once more at the pilots and then handed the datapad back to Neill. "Give them a three-day pass on Tatooine, but be sure to instruct them that they are not to leave the planet or get tangled up in anything local."

"I doubt they'd get into much trouble on this pile of sand, but even if someone approached them I am sure they could handle it like Reds."

Kelly gave him Neill a stern look before answering. "That's what I'm afraid of."

[Flight Deck, Regis, Tatooine System, 1800 Hours]

Rob huffed the duffle bag over his shoulder and headed up the ramp of the shuttle, his five comrades following closely behind him. Despite his usual somber mood, he couldn't help but smile at the news he received earlier. He hadn't gotten a break since he first got to the unit, and the prospect of a three-day pass was very appealing to him. Of course, having the pass while on the planet of Tatooine is not exactly the most appealing part of it.

The remote world of Tatooine was little more than a dust ball full of sand dunes and rock; not exactly the vacation spot of the galaxy. It was also the home of a good portion of the dregs of society. Almost every major crime organization had agents on the planet, as well as a host of local gangs, all fighting a cold war of supremacy over scraps that are worth nothing in comparison to the Empire's wealth.

"Hey, space boy, wake up and pay attention, will you?"

Rob grinned and turned to look at Steve behind him. "You know, it's a good thing we're going on this three-day leave," he said as he sat down in one of the passenger seats of the shuttle.

"Oh?" replied Steve as he sat next to him. "And just why is that?"

"Because if I had to deal with your personality anymore I'd have to slap you with the backend of a hydrospanner."

There was laughter behind them and both turned to see Chelsey Maxfield with a smile on her face. "Sorry," she said, stifling another laugh with her hand. They turned back to face forward and could still hear the snickering of Chelsey behind them.

"That's not exactly a nice thing to say to your roommate, you know." "You're not exactly a nice person to room with, Mr. Michadick." He shifted slightly in his seat and tugged at his jacket. It had been a while since he wore civilian attire and he found that he itched from the fabric. It's not really the fabric, but what it represents. For several weeks I've been wearing a uniform or a flightsuit, and being out of them is very...disconcerting.

"It's not like you're a barrel of Ewoks to room with either, Rob."

Rob slapped his friend on the back and just gave a smile. "Hey, we're on leave for three days, lets try to enjoy it, shall we?" He took a deep breath and sighed as he felt the shuttle lift off. "Of course, a three-day leave on this Force-forsaken planet could kill us."

More laughter erupted from behind them and Rob just grinned as he turned around to look at Chelsey again. "Ms. Maxfield, you seem to be in high sprits today; is there something you would like to share with the rest of us?"

She waved herself calm again and just grinned back at him. "Sorry, it's just been a good while since I've heard you say a joke." She stopped for a moment and tilted her head a little to the side. "Actually, I think that's the first-and consequently, second-time I've heard you say a joke since you've been here."

"Well," he said in a calm, mock voice as he resettled himself in his seat. "I am on leave. I believe I have earned the right to be social once in my career." He lowered his voice and sighed through his gritted teeth as he spoke, "after all, who knows just how long I'm going to live?"

"Stifle it, Biggs." Steve slapped him on shoulder and settled back in his seat. "I am sure there you'll live for a long time. You're a very decent pilot, after all."

"I don't know about decent, but I did vape your sorry Caridan rear this afternoon. You went to the Academy and I still wiped your six today; looks like you need a refresher course, my friend."

"Oh, ha ha, very funny." He grunted and closed his eyes while he leaned back. "We'll see who gets to take a bacta bath the next time around."

"Oh, will the two of you knock it off," came a stern voice from in front of them. Sazril Murshid turned around briefly and gave them a glare. "We're here to relax; make sure you do just that, okay?" Without another word he turned in his seat again and settled back in his way, Sean Healey sitting beside him with a quiet expression on his own face.

Rob just sighed and looked out the shuttle viewport as it entered the upper ionosphere of Tatooine. This is going to be a long three days, I just know it.

[Spaceport, Mos Eisley, Tatooine System, 1830 Hours]

Steve walked down the sandy landing pad alongside Rob, both of them carrying their duffel bags over their shoulders. While it was true that the Regis would still be in the system, it did not seem cost-effective to have six pilots shuttled up and down to the planet every day, particularly when they would have a different sense of when they wanted to go. So, during their leave, they would be staying at the Grand Tatooine Emporium in some of the finest rooms that their credits could afford.

Steve heard a small sigh from behind them and turned to see Chelsey following them. Before he could even say a word she looked at him with a smile and said, "You think I'm going to spend this leave by myself? I plan on making sure the two of you do something constructive instead of just spending it lounging around in your rooms. You do enough of that while on the ship."

Steve just grinned and continued on his way. "Well, okay, it would be good to have someone kind around here. I've always got Rob here to deal with and he's worse than a Wookiee when it comes to being social."

"Thanks, Mr. Michadick, I love you, too."

Steve gave a small laugh. "Hey, before we check into the Emporium, why don't we head over to one of the tap-cafs and see what the local music sounds like?"

"Schmitty, this is Tatooine, there are no top-cafs," commented Chelsey. "Best we could get would be a tavern or cantina."

"We are not going to a cantina," Rob stated immediately, shocking both of them with his conviction. "I don't like cantinas and I will not enter one."

"Okay... Then let's find a nice, small tavern to go to and see if we can find a decent band."

Chelsey grinned and said in a sing-song voice, "I heard of a band called the Dead Rebels is somewhere in this town. They're supposed to be quite good."

Steve winced a little as they walked into town. "The name leaves a bit to be desired. I'd much rather listen to a nice Carida Concerto, if you ask me."

Both Rob and Chelsey looked at him with a look of concern on their faces and then continued forward without saying a word. Steve jogged a little to catch up, sighing to himself. "There's nothing wrong with a concerto!"

Even as he said the sentence he felt as if someone was looking at him. He quickly turned around to see what was giving him the impression, but he couldn't find anyone around. That's strange, I could have sworn that I felt something. He turned around again, but he couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching him. He looked back once more, but still there was no one to be seen. "I must be seeing things; I've been around Rob too much."

"I heard that," came Rob's voice far in front of him.

[Mos Eisley Cantina, Mos Eisley, Tatooine System, 1840 Hours]

Jak Basn looked out the window at the trio of newcomers coming from the spaceport entrance and focused on the one that was starting to fall behind. The man looked very familiar to Jak and caused him to bring out his macrobinocs to zoom in on the man's face. That's Steve Michadick.

Jak placed the binocs down as Michadick turned around and looked in a sweeping fashion, almost sensing that he was being watched. Hmmm, his talents have not dwindled since I last saw him, but what is he doing here? A moment later he remembered there being a report from one of his agents of a frigate entering the system yesterday. The Empire doesn't send ships out this way anymore, not since the loss of the force under Marl Semtin's command a couple of months ago, and if they were it would be more than just a simple frigate.

He got up from his chair and left a couple of coins on the table to pay for his drink. Draping the hood of his cloak over his head, he walked out of the cantina and onto the sandy road. Chancing another glance in the direction that Michadick went and then looked up into the sky. He knew that he wouldn't be able to see the frigate without the assistance of binocs, and that's even if it was within the dayside of the planet, but just looking up gave it a sort of significance. The Rebels use frigates just as much as the Empire, if not more, and there were rumors that Michadick's parents were Rebel sympathizers after they didn't come back from Coruscant. It made sense, then, to assume that Michadick was here as a Rebel, but that did not explain the reason as to just why.

He was about to head back to his place when he caught sight of five men moving a good deal of musical equipment into the back of the Grand Tatooine Emporium. This was unusual because not a lot of bands were actually around on Tatooine, and the ones that were sort of cornered the market. The way that these people dressed made it obvious that they were not from Tatooine, and Jak was positive that he recognized one of their faces. He took out his binocs and focused on one of their faces, then took it away as he placed a name to the face. Not wanting to doubt himself, he brought the binocs up again and looked at the other four faces of the group and then put them away, smiling to himself.

He turned and walked in his original direction, swaying about to give the impression that he was drunk. Thus far he has been able to keep his identity a secret from the local authorities - not like they knew much in the way of security - and he wanted to make sure that he kept it that way for as long as possible. The new government might not be as ruthless as the Hutts, but they did have their own little army under the command of an ex-Rebel fighter pilot and an ex-Imperial Storm Commando. How those two are able to work together is beyond me.

He reached the small house that was his place of operations and entered through the door quickly. As he closed the door behind him he pulled back the hood and took off his cloak, handing it to the man standing in front of him. "Anything to report, Lieutenant?"

"No, sir," commented the young lieutenant. "I haven't been able to confirm anything on the frigate in orbit, but it hasn't left the system or even changed its orbit."

"Yes, I am aware of that." He took off his gloves and handed them to the young man then headed over to the small table against the wall. "However, there have been two new developments, one of which could be very beneficial, the other of which could be very, very problematic." He sat down and pulled out a datapad from one of shelves on the wall. "Is the holonet hookup still working?"

"Yes, sir, but we're having some trouble with getting proper access. They keep running a check on our account since we haven't paid it since we had it commissioned."

"Make sure to switch accounts as soon as possible so they don't get too suspicious, and try to piggy-back it onto another account so we won't get these annoying messages about not paying." He punched in his security access code onto the datapad and plugged it into the holonet projector. "Okay, now to verify the information I have obtained."

"Excuse me, sir, but just what information would that be?"

Jak ignored his question as he raced through the holonet database until he reached the access port that he was looking for. He hit the access port command and entered the data storage subsystem of the Imperial Intelligence network. "Ah, if only Director Isard knew I had this access code. Then again, if she did, I would probably be dead. Now, where are the files on people currently wanted by the Empire? Ah, there they are."

"Major, can I inquire as to what you are looking for?"

"Patience, Lieutenant, and you shall see." He punched up a command and on the projector appeared the wanted poster of one of the men he had just seen. "'Name: Vogel, Richard, known also as Wildstar. Wanted for resisting arrest, flight to avoid prosecution, assault; suspected of running supplies and information to the Rebels. Occupation: entertainer. Considered to be armed and dangerous.' Hmmm..." He punched up the list of known accessories and grinned as the faces matched that of the people he saw outside. "'Reward: fifty thousand Imperial credits." He turned and grinned at the younger man. "Bingo, Lieutenant, bingo. We have found something we can make money off of."

"You're saying these men are here, on Tatooine?"

"Quite correct, Lieutenant, I saw them myself." He punched up another command, searching the files for another name. "However, if the second person I am looking for is, indeed, on this list, then we may have a problem concerning the group from Belkadan."

"Sir, I know you like to make me think and try to guess what you're up to half the time, but why can't you just tell me this once?"

Jak scowled at the young man and he cowered back from the glare. "Did I not say 'patience' earlier, Lieutenant?" He hit a button and another profile appeared. "'Name: Michadick, Steve, known also as Schmitty. Wanted for treason against the Empire and armed rebellion. Affiliated with the Rebel Alliance. Last known location: Red Squadron, the Frigate Regis.'" He sat back in his chair and sighed slowly. "I knew it, I just knew it." He got up from the table and punched in the access code that allowed him to disconnect from the holonet database, placing the datapad back on the shelf behind him. "Get Alpha Squad in here immediately, I've got a job for them."

"Sir, what is going on? We're going to kidnap a group of wanted refugees and turn them over to the Empire for the rewards? May I remind you that five months ago, we..."

"Lieutenant, while we are no longer Imperial soldiers, I do think this organization would benefit with a strict chain of command and code of which to follow. Now, all of you chose to follow me when I announced that I was deserting, and we have not had too much of a problem yet. We came to Tatooine because we felt that after the Marl Semtin situation the Empire would not be sending any more ships out here, and we've been right thus far. The presence of a Rebel frigate is not good, but we aren't at immediate risk, either."

"I agree concerning that analysis, sir, but if we contact the Empire concerning these refugees, they'll know of our location and send someone to take care of us."

"Do you think me so much of a fool, Lieutenant, that I did not anticipate contacting the Empire at some point? We will round through a secondary account and piggyback it through a series of relays so that they will not be able to pinpoint our location. And In the case that we will have to actually make contact in order to turn these people over to the Empire we'll contract a bounty hunter for a piece of the reward." Jak walked into the adjoining room and sat down behind a desk that he used as his personal workspace. "Von, we've known each other for a good three years, and you've been my second ever since I left the Academy. I have always been able to plan ahead in case of something happening that is not to my liking, so would you think any different of me now?"

"No, sir, that's not what I meant to imply. There are three major problems with contacting the Empire in any fashion; one is Sate Pestage, another is General Carvin, and the third is Director Isard, which represent three distinct views that the Empire has. Pestage has the power to run the Empire, but because he has to rely on others to do his bidding, it will only be a matter of time until he becomes an inconvenience; his sending someone like Semtin to handle the situation here on Tatooine a couple of months ago shows just how weak his grasp on power is. Carvin, on the other hand, has real power and knows how to exercise it effectively; since he took over command of the military, there has been a strengthening at almost every Imperial hold and very few in the way of real losses. However, he is easily replaced should he ever fail, and his dependence on the council that was put together after Palpatine's death shows that he can't completely make decisions on his on. Now, Isard is the most serious problem, and I am sure the Rebels are aware of that as well, or at least their intelligence operatives; her ruthlessness in turning her father over to the Emperor shows just how vile she can be. She wields as much power as Carvin, but is not so quick to use it in a public arena. And the simple fact that she used to be our direct superior would make tracking you down very advantageous to her."

"I am quite aware of the implications of contacting the Empire, Lieutenant." He settled back in his chair and propped his feet up on the desk. "That does not, however, change the plan in which we are going to be several thousand credits richer."

[Sand Dune Tavern, Mos Eisley, Tatooine System, 1930 Hours]

Steve pushed Rob out the door with Chelsey close behind him, both him and her covering their ears while Rob hummed. "How in the name of the Force can you listen to that music? I've heard better musical notes come from an ion cannon."

"Oh, you just can't appreciate any kind of music that is from Carida, Mr. Michadick. You've been too exposed to that aristocratic life, you need to experience something new!"

"He's not the only one who dislikes the music, Rob," commented Chelsey as she fell into step beside them. "I can't see how you could even stand to listen to that band, they've got to be the most wretched sounding musicians I have ever heard, and I've been to the fringe."

Rob gave a smile and turned to look at her. "The Dead Rebels are a great band, you just lack style, the both of you."

Steve barked a laugh and headed in the direction of the Grand Tatooine Emporium. It didn't take them long until they reached the building and looked at it from the outside. It wasn't that remarkable, but, then again, most buildings on Tatooine weren't able to hold a candle to the majesty and architectural diversity of the Core worlds. All in all, he wasn't greatly disappointed with the design...

That is, to say, until he stepped into the building and saw how much it showed the outside to be better. Looking around he saw the holes in the adobe walls and a stairway that looked like it might give way at any time. Turning to Rob he simply said, "This place is a disaster."

"It could be worse, you know."

"And just how could it possibly be worse?"

"We could be rooming together." Rob picked up his bag and headed for the stairs. Carefully he stepped up the weak stairs and made his way down the hallway, disappearing from Steve's gaze.

Steve just turned to Chelsey and shrugged. "It's better than a detention cell, that's for sure." Steve picked up his own bag and started walking towards the stairs, nearly bumping into someone. "Oh, I'm sorry, pardon me, sir."

The man, quite tall and with a full set of brown hair, turned towards Steve and gave a slight nod. "It's quite alright, it's just as much my fault as yours." He quickly moved away and walked towards the other end of the foyer, a group of others waiting for him.

Steve looked after him as he left and rubbed his head as he tried to figure out what was on his mind. He looks very familiar, but I can't place from just what. He shrugged a little and picked his bag back up as he headed for the stairs.

[Grand Tatooine Emporium, Mos Eisley, Tatooine System, 1945 Hours]

Richard Vogel turned back and looked as the two people in civilian dress walked up the stairs, then looked back at his friends. "I'm going to reprogram Forpe for his choice in location."

A young man in his mid-twenties with raven-black hair and dark red eyes gave a small laugh. "It's not that bad, Richie. I mean, this is the same planet that Luke Skywalker was from, it's practically a landmark."

"Only if the 'New Republic' truly becomes the dominant power in the galaxy, Eysic. Until that happens I doubt the provisional government of Tatooine - which is nothing more than a joke, if you ask me - will leave the planet the way it is." He picked up the case on the floor beside him and watched as the rest of the group picked up their cases. "At least it's better than being in an Imperial holding cell."

"That reminds me," commented the short, petite woman with long red hair, "I saw someone looking at us while we were unloading the equipment from the speeder. They didn't seem to be the local sort that you'd expect, but they didn't appear to be military either. My guess would be a bounty hunter."

"How do you figure that one, sis?" asked the tall man with spiked red hair next to her. "You weren't even supposed to be out with the band, you were supposed to be helping Forpe and Lynda with making sure the Stange area was all ready for us tonight."

"And just where were you, Justen?"

Justen looked at his sister glaring at him and just stepped back behind the rest of the group.

"That's what I thought."

"Kayte, lay off your brother, he can't help it if he was cruising the local women, it's all he thinks about." Richard just took his box and opened it, taking out the microphone that was stored inside. "We're lucky to have this job at all, but I don't like the fact that someone was watching us. Did you happen to see who it was?"

She shook her head. "He had a cloak and hood on, it was impossible to make out who it was. I still think it could very well be a bounty hunter."

Richard just grumbled and pulled out his hold-out blaster and checked the power pack. "Well, there's just one thing we can do."

"Yeah, and what is that, boss?"

"Contact the Rebels."

There was a good deal of silence for about ten seconds until Eysic spoke up. "Are you crazy? The Rebels are about as reckless at bounty hunters."

A very tall man with a pale complexion and dirty-blond hair slapped a hand on Eysic's back. "Eys has a point, Richie, I once ran into a Rebel pilot during our stay over on Ord Mantell and the man almost shot me because I looked at him the wrong way. They're nothing more than a bunch of, well, rebels."

"I know all about the reputation of the Alliance, Oze, but we're going to need help if we're going to avoid being hunted down." He cleared his throat and looked at all seven of his fellow band members and ship crew. "We're smugglers, we're on the run from the Empire, we're wanted people. Not to mention that we're on Tatooine, which is the closest thing to Mercenary Central outside of Nar Shadda. The chances that anyone on this planet would be able to come to our aid is very slim, but there is one hope in mind."

"That being?" asked Eysic.

"When we came into the system, our sensors picked up a Nebulon-B-class frigate on the far side. It could be Rebel as well as Imperial, and the run-in I had with that man a few minutes ago is a good indication that there are Rebel fighter pilots here."

"How can you determine all of that from just one chance meeting?"

"Two reasons: first, the way he walked showed he had been in some military service, but the way he was relaxed clearly showed that he was on leave, something that the Empire is cutting back on because of their fight against the Rebellion. Second, the man who went up the stairs just before him wore a particular design on his jacket, as well as having the jacket and slacks in a particular color scheme; The design, as well as the color scheme, is very well known to those who have been to Nar Shadda, it depicts a starship service shop that was very well known on the planet. I surmise that the man who ware that design and color is the owner of a ship called the Pride of Alderaan."

"Pride of Alderaan?" asked a black-haired man of medium build. "Isn't that the ship that was berthed in a space dock next to ours at Mrlsst? The one that was under heavy guard by Rebel troops?"

"You got it, Mikel. I did some checking on it and it belongs to one Rob Baden, a transport pilot that's been working for the Alliance for the past few months. He used to run a business-the one I was talking about on Nar Shadda-until something happened, what, I'm not sure. Now he's heavily involved in the Alliance and could even be a fighter pilot. Since I didn't see the Pride at the spaceport when we landed, I have to assume that he came down in another craft from that frigate in orbit."

"That's a very big assumption, boss. It's a lot of faith you're putting out there."

"Sometimes people must have faith, Kayte."

A silver protocol droid walked up, his arms flinging to the sides. "Oh, Master Richard, there you are! I've been looking all over for you!"

Richard just sighed and turned towards his friends for help, but they had suddenly disappeared. Deciding to give into his fate, Richard turned and gave a weak grin in the direction of the silver droid. "Yes, Forpe, what can I do for you?"

"The hotel manager has informed me that we will be performing in exactly thirty minutes! I've been looking for you all over!"

"Yes, we established that already." He sighed and looked as his chrono. Thirty minutes, alright, 2030 hours. "Alright, I'll make sure that we're ready to go on. Is there anything else, Forpe?"

"Well, Master Richard, I was wondering when we're going back to Belkadan? I rather enjoyed that place."

"How many times do I have to explain it to you, Forpe, we can't go back there, we're wanted beings."

"If we're wanted, then we wouldn't have a problem going back, right, Master Richard?"

Richard just sighed and shook his head as he turned and walked in the direction that his friends had gone. He had only about twenty minutes to find them and get everyone where they were supposed to be for the show. "Go make sure no one takes our equipment, Forpe, I'll get the rest of the band."

"At once, Master Richard." The silver droid shuffled off in the direction he came, leaving Richard alone once again.

I hate this job.

Chapter 2: New Developments

[Grand Tatooine Emporium, Mos Eisley, Tatooine System, 2030 Hours]

Rob sat at the table that he, Steve, and Chelsey were sharing as the band members started coming onto the Stange. Sipping at his drink he fought back the bitter taste that it left in his mouth. "Ugh, this stuff is worse than that Green Dream you tried to have me drink."

"Hey, a Green Dream is a great drink, Rob, you just don't have any appreciation for the finer things in life."

"Sometimes I think you drink it for the simple fact that it's green. You could at least have something else, like Coruscant Cola or a Full Throttle." He set his glass down and pulled out a flask that he kept in his jacket, pouring the contents into the glass. He put the flask back and picked the glass back up, sipping at it cautiously. "Ahh, that's much better."

"Dar I ask?" commented Chelsey.

"Just a little bit of Corellian Ale that I keep with me in case I'm away from the bar for a while." He grinned at her as he read her expression. "Don't worry, I don't use it while I'm in flight situations, I'm not an alcoholic. My life is already bad enough with having to live with Steve." He turned to his friend and awaited a riposte but didn't get one. Steve seemed to have something on his mind and his eyes were focused on the singer for the band as he announced the song to the audience. "Something fascinating about the band, Steve?"

"Huh?" Steve shook his head a little and nodded in the direction of the band. "The singer, I know that I have seen him somewhere before but I can't quite figure out where. I don't think it was in person, but his face looks very familiar somehow." He waved it off and returned to his drink, the color as muggy and humid looking as the planet's temperament.

Rob turned and looked at the band, the word "Starshot" being displayed over their heads as they started a heavy tune that made the table rumble. He looked over the various members but didn't see anyone that he recognized, but off to the side he noticed a silver protocol droid conversing with a short, red-haired woman. It took him a few minutes to completely recognize just who the droid was and, more importantly, remember from where. While he was running supplies for the New Republic, before he joined the pilot corps, Rob had frequented the planet of Mrlsst, a planet that had an extensive university and culture derived around its natural inhabitants. While on one of his runs he had come across a freighter registered out of Belkadan, and had even spoke to a silver protocol droid called Forpe. At first the droid had been a minor nuisance, especially since the only thing Rob and Jeff were looking for were foodstuffs and other forms of supplies, but the more and more they got around to looking for the particular supplies they needed, the more and more the Belkadanian freighter kept coming up as being a viable source for them. The problem, however, was that they had to work with the droid, and, like so many protocol droids before him, Forpe was very much an annoying creature of metal. Whoever came up with the idea for protocol druids should be spaced.

Rob's thoughts continued until the song was over and the crowd applauded. The singer, who Rob still didn't recognize, spoke into the microphone. "We're going to take a short break, but Starshot will be back in about ten minutes." He put his microphone down and switched it off and gave a nod to the rest of the band before walking off Stange.

Since he was the singer he didn't have to secure a lot of equipment before taking the break, but Rob also knew that he seemed to have something on his mind. He wasn't, to use Steve's work, very sociable, but he was able to read body language for the most part and understand just what was going on. The singer was defiantly preoccupied with something, and the fact that Rob knew the protocol droid made possible to go and talk to him with an actual pretense of conversation.

Rob put his drink down and cleared his throat. "If you'll excuse me, I think I'll go talk to the singer."

"I'll come with you," said Steve. "I still can't seem to place him, but I know that I have seen his face somewhere before."

"Does the planet Belkadan mean anything?"

Steve was quiet for a moment and then started to nod. "Yes, I do seem to remember something about a group of Belkadanians on the run from the Empire. I think it was because-"

Steve never got a chance to finish his sentence as the wall behind the band exploded and blaster fire started coming into the area. Eight tall figures dressed in black armor poured out of the wall and took up positions that covered every angle of the audience. Half of them stunned the remaining four members of the band and carried them out while the other four started firing at people who had chosen to fight back.

Rob reached behind him and pulled out the hidden blaster that he had. Long ago he had learned to always be armed, even if you were off work, or, in this case, off-duty, and he had always made sure to keep a blaster or something else near by. Taking cover behind the table he has previously been sitting at he fired off a few shots in the direction of the band Stange but didn't hit anyone, mostly because he didn't want to hit one of the band members who were being dragged off. Stang, I hate it when they hide behind innocents.

The light-fight didn't last very long and soon the men in armor and their captives were gone. Several of the audience members, as well as the singer, moved to where the hole in the wall was and Rob noticed that the singer, as well as three others, were all holding blasters and looking around in a defensive posture.

"Richie," called out the woman with red hair, "I think my analysis about a bounty hunter was a little off the mark."

"You've got that right, Kayte, this was a professional military hit." He put his blaster away and started going through the wreckage of the instruments. Rob was about to say something about the importance of his comrades coming first when he noticed the band was pulling weapons out of hidden compartments: a couple of E-11 blaster rifles, some flash grenades, a BlasTech DL-44 pistol, and even a heavy blaster carbine much like the one that Rob carried when he was in uniform.

"Richard Vogel."

Rob, as well as the four people next to him scavenging through the remains of the instruments, turned and looked at Steve and Chelsey, the expression on Steve's face being one of recognition while the expression on Chelsey being one of confusion.

The singer, now holding one of the E-11 blaster rifles, nodded slowly. "That's my name, yes. And you are?"

"You wouldn't know me, sir, but I know of you, and your group." Steve extended his hand and gave a slight nod. "It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Second Lieutenant Steve Michadick with the New Republic."

Richard took Steve's hand and grasped it firmly. "Nice to meet you, Lieutenant, but don't be too offended if I decide that right now is not the best time to have an introduction. My friends have been captured and I have to find out by whom and where they are so that I can get them back."

"I believe I know who captured your friends, but I don't know where they are. However, by knowing just who it should be easier to figure out where."

"Steve," said Rob, putting the small blaster back in the pocket behind him, "just how do you know who captured those people? We've been on this planet less than five hours and already you know what's going on?"

"Did you happen to notice their crest? There was a patch on their left breastplate that displayed a Corusca blue gem. It's a very rare design, and I've only seen it one place before. It's the same design, and in the exact same sequence and position, so the people who took your friends are working for one Jak Basn."

"And just how do you know all of this?"

Steve looked over at Richard and gave a sigh. "Because, Mr. Vogel, I was once his student and he was my favorite instructor at the Carida Imperial Academy."

[Freighter Starlight, Mos Eisley, Tatooine System, 2200 Hours]

Richard sat in the command chair of the modified freighter Starlight, Lynda, Justen, and Kayte taking up the other three seats of the bridge while the three Rebel pilots stood beside Richard's spot. "And what is the reason why we couldn't go to your shuttle again?"

"Security, Mr. Vogel," answered Michadick quickly. "You, more than anyone else, should know the importance of keeping security precautions in a time of war. While you might not be friends of the Empire, you're not exactly that supportive of the New Republic either."

Richard gave a small frown and turned in his chair towards Lynda's station. "What's taking so long? It shouldn't be that difficult to isolate the frequency that that frigate is using and call to them."

"We're having trouble trying to get a transmission out of the area. It appears as though there is some sort of jamming field somewhere in this area, making it impossible for off-planet communications to occur."

Richard turned around again and stared up at Michadick. "Alright, Lieutenant, I've been patient with you and have done everything you've asked of me. I got us out of the hotel, I made up some false cover story for you disappearance in case anyone asks, and we've spent the last fifteen minutes trying to contact your command ship to let them know of the situation. Your time has run out, good sir, so I want to have some answers, right now."

Michadick gave a slow sigh and glanced over his shoulder to where the other pilot, Baden, was standing. He gave Michadick a subtle nod and then crossed his arms. While it was true that Michadick waited a moment to make sure that no one else was going to speak again and then cleared his throat. "I grew up on Carida, so the Academy was very much a part of my life. My parents were instructors at the Academy and I was able to obtain a free ride because of that status. I only attended a couple of years, and didn't even finish my second year because of the disappearance of my parents. During my first semester of my second year, Captain Jak Basn was the senior special intelligence instructor and hand-to-hand combat expert at the Academy. I was planning on going into field infantry and wanted to make sure I didn't have to rely on a blaster if I got pinned down or captured, so I took his course in self-defense, as well as his counter-espionage course, and became sort of a protegé of his until I went to Coruscant to look for my parents. That crest I was telling you about? It's his personal design and no one else would use it without him giving explicit permission."

"That doesn't really explain why those guys were wearing it." Richard turned to Lynda again and tapped his finger on the arm of his chair. "What about the HoloNet? Is that still functional?"

"Yes, but the real-time transmitter won't go past the filter. We would have to record a message, send it, and then wait for a reply." She turned in her seat to look over at him. "I doubt we would get a response soon enough to be able to get going. Time is rather short, Richie."

"I am quite aware of that. Well, can you use data access?"

"Yes, but what am I supposed to look for?"

"If I could use the terminal for a few moments?"

Richard turned in his chair and looked at the small woman with blonde hair standing beside Michadick and Baden. "Lieutenant Maxfield, I believe?" She gave a small nod and he cleared his throat. "How can you help?"

"I learned a few tricks from my mother." She walked around the command chair and stepped down the two-step stairs to where Lynda was sitting. "Ms. Usel, if you could?" Lynda moved aside and Maxfield sat down in the chair, her fingers already dancing over the keys. "Steve, what was Basn's identification number, do you remember?"

"One-Zero-Five-Seven-Cresh-Aurek-Seven-Seven-Nine."

Richard watched as Maxfield punched the number into the computer and hit a few commands on the keyboard. A moment later the dossier for Jak Basn appeared up on the holo-projector with all the information that they needed, complete with a holo-portrait. "'Major Jak Basn, commanding officer of a special intelligence insertion platoon, called the Blue Corusas. Attached to Imperial Intelligence, direct supervisor: Director Ysanne Isard. Current status: deserted, wanted for questioning.'" She moved in her chair and looked over at Richard. "He's no longer with the Empire, and it appears as though he's on the run. It also appears as though his entire platoon deserted with him."

Richard just sat with his eyes a little shocked. "Whatever your mother taught you, I want to learn." He cleared his throat and turned back to Michadick. "Okay, so now we know just what he is capable of and how much manpower he has, but that still leaves the question as to just where he is. He could be anywhere on the planet."

"Well, not anywhere. Strategically, the best place to be would be in the center of where that jamming field is emitting from, but tactically that would be a very bad thing to do, as it would be very predictable." He turned to Lynda and gave a small nod. "Can you show me a tactical overlay of the area covered by the field?"

"Sure, just give me a moment." She slid back into the chair as Maxfield got out of the way and started working at the controls. A moment later a holographic image of about a quarter of the planet appears on the holo-projector.

Michadick moved forward and looked at the information. "Okay, he was able to hit the hotel with an eight-person force, but I think it was more than that."

"Right," chimed in Baden as he walked forward to join Michadick at the projector. Typically, a squad has twelve people in it, so let's assume that four people were securing the area outside the hotel while the other eight went in."

"Exactly." Michadick pointed to the center of Mos Eisley. "From the calculations of this projection, the field is emanating from somewhere in town. I am sure that we will be able to find out the exact location and try and take it out, but it will end up with us being in an ambush." He waved his index finger around in a circle around the center. "There will probably be a full squad waiting for us in the surrounding buildings with heavy equipment, and it's possible that he could have put it in a spot that would require we bust in on one of the local crime lords. That would end up with us having to fight someone who isn't even involved."

Richard got out of chair and walked a little bit forward, his hands behind his back. He studied the map carefully and noticed that all it did was cover two major towns - Mos Eisley and Anchorhead - as well as some small villages, moisture farms, and barren wastelands of sand and rock. "He'd have to place the prisoners somewhere that he could defend, but would be very hard to detect." He thought for a moment and then pointed to each of the towns. "It's definitely not in either of these places, they're too crowded and it's not easy to secure such a position without drawing attention of other scum and the local authorities." He then moved over to each of the moisture farms. "These are too scattered and undefensible."

"And the villages would be an unlikely prospect; they're too small and everyone knows each other." Michadick pointed to the three rock formations. "Using these as natural fortifications would make it a prime prospect, but which of the three do we go after?"

"Mr. Vogel," called out Baden, "Is there anyway to do an extensive scan of the area for power usage?"

Richard nodded. "Yes, but we'd have to get in close to do it. That would leave us open to an attack if they catch on to what we are doing."

"How close would the ship have to be?"

"About ten klicks."

There was a good deal of silence. At ten klicks, the Starlight could not only find itself under attack by anti-air defenses, but would also have a limited ability to perform sophisticated evasive maneuvers. That fact didn't seem to get past anyone on the bridge and the silence continued until Richard spoke up again.

"Lieutenant, just how well armed is that shuttle you came in on?"

"Standard lasers and..." Michadick looked at him with a grin and gave a nod. "I understand now, but I think I have an even better plan. Tell me, do you have any Aratech 74-Zs?"

[Basn's Hideout, Jundland Wastes, Tatooine System, 0400 Hours]

Jak walked back and forth, almost in a pacing motion as he looked at his second-in-command. "One man, Lieutenant. One simple man is the difference between nothing and fifty thousand, and you let him slip through your fingers. Von, I am not happy with that report."

"I'm sorry, sir," said the younger man, "but we were unable to secure the singer. He had left the Stange when we attacked and we couldn't get to him. We met with some resistance from the audience; apparently several people in Mos Eisley carry blasters and carbines."

"Of course they do, Lieutenant, I think that there isn't a person alive in Mos Eisley that doesn't carry a blaster, carbine, or even a thermal detonator!" He slammed his fists against the table and looked down at Von, teeth bared in a snarl. "We could have forgotten all of the other four if you and just brought that one, but no, you had to leave the one we need the most behind!" He scowled and turned away, looking over at one of the two men standing by the door dressed in black armor. "Sergeant, status?"

"Alpha Squad is spread out to cover all three possible advancements, while Beta is manning the heavy equipment and providing inner security."

"Any reports from Gamma?"

"Negative, sir, no contact since we put up the field, but that's to be expected."

Jak just nodded and looked back at Von. "Is the HoloNet still working through the patch work network you set up?"

"Yes, sir, all you need is to turn it on and make sure the blocking program is online before you send out a transmission."

"Good. Get me Imperial Intelligence, Office of the Director." There was a long silence and Jak looked at all three of his subordinates. None of them moved right away until he gave them each a glare, daring them to continue to defy him. "Get me Iceheart now!"

"Sir!" yelled Von as he moved over to the communications console and started working on the keyboard. Both of the troopers who were by the door were now gone and out doing whatever they were supposed to. Von kept dancing his fingers over the keys and in a matter of twenty minutes the Imperial Intelligence insignia started floating in mid-air above the holo-projector. A moment after that, an image formed of a woman with hair as black as night (except for the white streaks down both sides) and dressed in a uniform as red as blood. Her eyes were mismatched, one ruby, the other icy sapphire.

Jak stepped over to the projector and grinned at her as the light flashed off his Imperial rank badge. Normally he would be wearing his cloak and light garments because of the arid weather, but he didn't want to tip off the Empire as to where he was. Because of that possibility, and because the were able to afford it, Jak and his team had cleared out a hollow cave in the Jundland Wastes and made it look like any Imperial garrison throughout the galaxy. "Ah, Director Isard, so good to see you again."

Though her exotic and beautiful features would make her the desire of any man, the scowl on her face and the threat she represented kept any such thoughts out of Jak's mind. "Major Basn, this is certainly a surprise, but please don't think it's considered a pleasant one." The venom in her voice was unmistakable. "What do you want? Unless this call is to give yourself up and tell us where you are, go away."

"I have someone you might be interested in, he's on your list of most wanted people."

"You're on my list of most wanted people, Major."

"Point taken." He raised a hand-sized holoprojector, which emitted a tiny flickering bust of Richard Vogel. "I believe you've been looking for this man."

Isard was silent for a moment then spoke with an even tone. "The Belkadan group; they've been on the run for a few years. You have them, I suppose."

"Indeed I do. And I want the reward for it."

"And I want to make sure the Rebellion is destroyed, but we're both going to have a hard time achieving our goals. What makes you think I would even allow the likes of your to obtain that reward?"

"Because I have something you want, as well as the location of the last free Michadick."

Isard just blinked her eyelids and quiet for a few moments. It was a trivial hesitation for most, but indicated the extent of her surprise as well as her control. "I don't need to know anything about him, I already know he's in the Rebellion. He is not that great of a concern, and if he ever becomes one, we can use his brother as leverage against him."

"Yes, I am quite sure the facility you have him in is a grand institution." He held up another printout and looked straight at Isard. "I doubt that you would like it much if I released the location of it to Michadick. Especially since it shows the exact time tables of guard stations and their routine."

Isard just glared at him, and then simply said, "Forty thousand."

"Fifty. I'm not some pirate or mercenary you can buy off with table scraps, I want the full package."

Isard glared again and gave a nod. "Where are you?"

"Oh, no, I'm not that stupid. We will have an exchange. I will drop the, uh, cargo on Kuat exactly one week from now. I will send you a message one hour before the pickup so that you cannot ambush me. Also, you will deposit the amount into an account at the same time I provide the pickup destination."

She just glared at him and nodded. "Done." With that she simply cut the transmission and left Jak with his lieutenant in the room.

Jak turned and met the shocked expression on Von's face. "Do you have something to say, Lieutenant?"

"Sir, you lied to her."

"Only on a matter of degree as to just how many of the Belkadan Five we have. It won't be long before we obtain Vogel, he can't go very far and he'd never abandon his friends."

"But what about Michadick?"

Jak just grinned and turned around, starting to walk towards the exit of the communications room. "He'll get what's coming to him, don't worry. I'll see to that personally."

[Shuttle Remembrance, Jundland Wastes, Tatooine System, 0600 Hours]

Steve looked at his chronometer and saw that it was 0600, the time that they had agreed upon to start the operations. He punched up the repulsorlifts and increased altitude until he was able to retract the landing gear and lower the wings, then engaged the ion thrusters.

Steve had been lucky to find the shuttle pilot asleep so as not to have to explain the whole situation to her. He knew he'd be in for a lecture when he returned. On the bright side, maybe I'll be dead soon. He looked back at his two passengers. "Are you ready?"

Both Lynda and Justen nodded in return, getting up from their seats and moving to the cargo-hold of the shuttle. "Remember, you have to come in low," said Justen, "or else we won't have enough of a stable ground to use the speeders."

"I wasn't born yesterday." He goosed the throttle to full and glanced back at the two of them. "Get going, we have very little time."

[Freighter Starlight, Jundland Wastes, Tatooine System, 0630 Hours]

Richard brought up weapons control system on the console he occupied while Forpe sat at the communication station. Normally Forpe wouldn't even be on the bridge, and Lynda and Justen would have occupied the stations Richard and the protocol droid were at. However, for Michadick's plan to work, everyone had to be in specific places, and that left just Richard and Kayte to work the Starlight.

"Oh, goodness me, Master Richard, I'm picking up some traces of electronics."

Richard was just about to ask where when the ship shuddered from being hit by laser fire. Another bolt streaked past the viewport. "Well, that cinches it, we're in the right spot. Forpe, send a tight-beam signal to Baden and Maxfield that they can begin their run." He looked over the console and found the location of where the fire was coming from. "Kayte, bring us in towards that huge rock structure."

"I want to go on record as saying that this is not the best of ideas I've heard."

"Maybe, but it's the best we have to work with given our situation. Now let's get going."

The ship did a tight turn to port and leveled itself downward towards the laser fire. While the lasers themselves were not that powerful to get past the shields of the Starlight, the combination of more than one laser station on a concentrated spot could severely weaken the shielding there. "You know, you can shoot back at them, Richie, I doubt you'd really hurt their feelings."

Giving a sideways grin at her, Richard danced his fingers over the weapons controls and the sound of weapons fire coming from the quad-laser batteries he'd just extended from their concealment thrummed through the hull. "Is that better?"

Chapter 3: New Fight

[Basn's Hideout, Jundland Wastes, Tatooine System, 0645 Hours]

Jak looked over at Von as the first shots were being fired from the laser defense cannons. "It appears that Vogel has found us."

"We're working on it, sir. Alpha squad is moving up to provide defense around the cannons, and Beta squad is locking down the inner doors to guard against the possibility of an armed incursion on foot."

"Oh, they won't come on foot, I can tell you that much. Watch for a speeder."

"Sir!" yelled a private running into the room. "We've just picked up a Lambda-class shuttle coming in from the south."

"Ah, it appears as though Michadick has gotten himself involved in the situation too. Most unfortunate for him. Get Delta squad back here immediately, tell them to completely abandon their post."

Von ran over to the communications console and started running through codes for Delta. A moment later her turned towards Basn and said, "Sir, they're not responding, the link appears to be dead."

"Stang! Where are they?"

[Basn's Residence, Mos Eisley, Tatooine System, 0640 Hours]

First Sergeant Ulic Vanse peered through the sniper scope of his rifle towards the doorway of the building across the sandy street. The building had been the center of Basn's Mos Eisley operations, while the building he was currently in was the one that Basn used for his own personal housing. It was very comfortable for a house in a sandpit like Mos Eisley, but Ulic would have preferred a more Imperial setting, such as their secret facility out in the Jundland Wastes.

He continued to sweep the area just around the door with the sniper rifle but noticed nothing unusual. "Anything?" he whispered to the trooper next to him.

"Negative, First Sergeant, no contact at all." There was silence for a few moments and then a nearby building exploded in flames. There were shouts from his men as well as from passing civilians who dove for cover from the flying debris. Another building exploded; this time, Vanse heard the shriek of heavy blaster fire a split second before, as well as the faint sound of an engine. He shifted position to see if he could find the source.

The engine noise got louder and he looked up to see a bright light shining into the window. The turret-mounted cannon moved to point in his direction and the red glow in the muzzle showed that it was ready to fire.

Ulic gasped, forgetting to pull the trigger. The burning red light was the last thing he saw.

[Skyhopper Albion, Mos Eisley, Tatooine System, 0645 Hours]

Rob pulled back on the throttle and brought the T-16 Skyhopper up and leveled above the city of Mos Eisley. "Albion to Havoc, area is secure. I'm taking out the jamming field." Rob fired off another round from his laser cannon and watched the small housing unit burn apart. "Scratch one communications jamming field."

"Good work, Biggs. Can you get in touch with the Regis?"

"Negative, range on this craft is too short. Hang on a moment." Rob danced his fingers over the controls and grinned. "Vape, tune your communications over to Two-One-Five-Oh-Five." Even as he told her, Rob was doing likewise and was glad to hear the familiar voice ringing through his cockpit.

"I repeat, this is Red Six to all Red units on ground, come in at once, where are you!?"

"Six, this is Twelve, we're in a bit of a situation right now, are you able to help?"

There was a long silence and then Sean Healey's voice came back over the radio again. "What did Baden do this time?"

"Hey," piped in Rob, "I didn't do a thing."

"Stifle it, Biggs," came Chelsey's voice. "Leo, we need your help, do you have access to a land speeder or some swoops?"

"Sure, we rented one for the stay."

"Good, then get to the coordinates I am transmitting as fast as you can, and be prepared to fight. Twelve out."

Rob pulled back on the throttle and leveled the Skyhopper behind Chelsey's. "Now what, Vape?"

"Now," she said as she pushed her throttle to full and went down to skim the deck, "we move to help Schmitty. Keep low, under their sensors. Let's give them a surprise that they're not expecting."

[Basn's Hideout, Jundland Wastes, Tatooine System, 0700 Hours]

The lights dimmed a little and Jak turned to look at Von. "Mind telling me what that was, Lieutenant?"

"Jamming field is offline; that was the feedback surge." Suddenly the console sparked and caught fire, causing Von to jump back.

"Oh, get up and put it out, Lieutenant!" Jak moved over to the weapons monitoring station and noticed that the shields and half the laser cannons were damaged. There was another dimming of the lights and the sounds of panic from down the hallway.

"Sir," yelled a trooper as he ran through the door, "they've broken through! We need to fall back."

"Bah, am I the only one who won't run?" He pulled out his blaster pistol and held it at his side. "Get back to your post, mister."

"Begging your pardon, Major, but you're going to have to shoot me before I'll do that."

Jak just sighed and brought his blaster up. "If you so need the reassurance."

The corpse hit the floor with a thud. Jak holstered his sidearm and turned to look at Von calmly. "No one is to abandon their post; I will not be the commander of a group of cowards."

"Understood, Major," said the younger man, swallowing. Moments later the lights went out completely and were replaced by the dim red glow of the emergency lights. An alarm klaxon sounded throughout the facility. This small outpost had all the usual security features, making it seem to the men like they were still in Imperial service. To some, that was comforting; to others, the opposite.

Jak looked at Von with eyes full of venom and said in a slow, even tone, "Dare I ask?"

"The power's been cut by something. It's not a local problem, it appears that the power loss has to do with somewhere off-base."

"In other words, we're without power to run shields and lasers!" He snarled and took out his commlink. "This is Major Basn. Arm yourselves, and be on full alert; while these people might not be as well-trained or experienced as we are, they're not to be underestimated. Be very careful. Basn out."

[Freighter Starlight, Jundland Wastes, Tatooine System, 0710 hours]

"Master Richard, main power to the facility has been knocked out."

Richard looked up from his console and stared out the view port to the fore of the bridge. The laser fire had stopped. "Indeed. I wonder what made that happen."

"Master Richard, we're receiving a transmission from Lieutenant Maxfield."

"Put it through." A moment later the speakers on the Bridge squeaked and a background static sound showed up. "Lieutenant, I hope this is good news that you are bringing me."

"It is, Mr. Vogel. We've been able to take out the jamming field and also the power tap they had."

"So you're the one. Good work."

"Also, we have some backup that will be arriving very shortly."

Richard just grinned. "Excellent. Thank you, Lieutenant. Land when you can."

"Acknowledged."

The speaker went dead and Richard turned to Kayte again. "Set us down to cover the western entrance."

"What about the north and east?"

For answer, Richard held down the trigger and slewed the quad turret across the rock face. The now-unshielded sandstone crumbled under the barrage. Soon the tunnel entrance had been completely covered by a rockslide. "Well, that takes care of the north."

"And the east?"

"We'll let the Rebels take care of that."

[Shuttle Remembrance, Jundland Wastes, Tatooine System, 0715 Hours]

Steve tapped the headset microphone and cleared his throat. "Okay, you two, this is the final push. Stand by for detachment." He brought the shuttle in as low as he could, hovering just above the point where he would have to bring his wingtips up. Throttling back to a gentle cruise, he cut in the repulsorlifts. "Detach!"

The hull gave a double-thud noise as the two speeder bikes detached from the magnetic hooks that had been installed and zoomed out from underneath the shuttle, in the direction of the western entrance to the facility. The shuttle bobbed up a meter or so with the release of its cargo; Steve throttled up again and headed off towards the eastern entrance, his head swarming with possible scenarios of what would happen once he encountered Basn.

It had been years since he had seen him, and even though he had come to despise the Empire and all that it stood for, he found himself debating whether or not he should take Basn down. The man had been his favorite instructor, a model soldier in every way. But in the years that he had been searching for his family, Steve had learned that being a real soldier had little to do with what the Imperial Academy taught. Joining the Rebellion had been hard for him because it went against everything that he had learned in his childhood and adolescence, but in the end he knew that it was the most logical and moral thing to do. There were problems with the Empire, monstrous problems, and while an armed insurrection against an overwhelming opposition might have seemed to be suicidal, without such a radical move there would never be changes.

After making a fly-by over the eastern entrance, Steve folded the shuttle's wings and set down with the laser cannons covering the cave's mouth. He put the shuttle on an auto-defense posture and headed to the back of the passenger cabin where the ramp was beginning to lower to the desert's sandy floor. He drew his blaster as he started down the ramp.

Just as Steve reached the foot of the ramp, one of Tatooine's twin suns appeared above the rock formation, dazzling him. He held up his left arm to shield his eyes. A half-second later, a blaster bolt hit that arm and spun him around, knocking him to the metal ramp. Grunting in pain, he managed to roll off the ramp and hide behind one of the landing struts while he returned fire in the direction of the cave. Blast, I can't see where it's coming from.

Then there was a rush of gritty desert air, a howl of engines, and a Skyhopper dropped down between the shuttle and the cave mouth. Flashes lit up the interior as the craft fired its single heavy blaster into the cave several times. When there was no further activity from the cave, the Skyhopper settled down beside the shuttle. The side door of the angular craft swung open and the pilot asked, "Why am I always rescuing you?"

Steve held his left arm carefully at his side - it wasn't a bad burn, and better his arm than his head - as he walked over. "Well, if you weren't always late, Rob, I wouldn't have gotten this wound in the first place."

"Sure, blame the Corellian. It's always the fault of a Corellian."

Whatever Steve was about to say was cut off by the arrival of the second Skyhopper. A moment later a land speeder with the rest of the furloughed Reds pulled up and the pilots hopped out.

Sean Healey walked up to Steve and glanced at the wound. "I take it you and Biggs got into a bit of a fight?"

"Ha ha ha! You're funny!" Steve shot back, not at all amused. Being shot will do that to you. "I assume Vape's told you everything?"

The younger man nodded, the weariness in his eyes betraying the time he had spent in the Rebellion. "She told us. I don't like it very much, but I can understand why we have to do it."

Steve checked the power pack on his blaster then brought it up in an attack stance. "Then let's go bag us some Imperial deserters."

"My, you have such a way with words."

"Shut up, Rob."

[Basn's Hideout, Jundland Wastes, Tatooine System, 0740 Hours]

Richard stepped through the blast doors that made up the western entrance, carrying an E-11 with the stock unfolded for extra stability. He turned towards his three companions and gave a slight nod in the direction of Kayte. A moment later a silver sphere was tossed through the entrance and a blast rocked the foundations a moment soon after. "Go!"

All four of them pushed through the doorway and fanned out, with Kayte and Richard at the front. They carefully worked their way into the facility and came to a juncture that led off in to separate directions. Without instruction, Kayte tossed two more thermal detonators down the hallways and watched as they exploded. The faint sound of a man screaming in pain came from the path on the right and Richard gestured towards that direction. They ran down the corridor, passing three bodies. As they got close to a doorway, they came to a stop and checked to make sure their weapons were fully charged. Stepping out slowly, Richard did a scan of the area and then moved into the doorway carefully while Kayte covered him. The room was clear and he proceeded towards the next doorway, then jumped back as a rain of heavy blaster fire shot out of the door's entrance. "Give me another thermal."

"We're all out," shouted Justen.

Richard snarled and pressed himself back against the bulkhead. "Two troopers up there with an E-Web cannon. No way we can take it out with just blasters."

Kayte grinned and shrugged out of her pack, lowering it to the floor. From it she withdrew and unfolded a proton missile launcher. "Just leave it to me."

Before Richard could stop her, Kayte lay down on the floor just to one side of the door, launcher at her side. Taking a deep breath, she rolled into the line of fire and depressed the trigger. As the miniature missile WHOOSHed down the corridor, she kept rolling onto her back.

There was a very loud explosion. Kayte lay there, giggling. Finally she looked up to find the others looking at her strangely. "What?" she asked innocently.

"Where did you get that thing? Hell, when did you get it, sis?"

Kayte just smiled at Justen and held out a hand to be helped to her feet. "A woman has to have her secrets, dear brother." Discarding the spent launcher, she pulled out her blaster carbine and looked back at Richard. "We ready now?"

Richard just nodded and started walking down the corridor, his mind racing with problems... the least of which was where Kayte got a proton missile launcher.

Chapter 4: End Game

[Basn's Hideout, Jundland Wastes, Tatooine System, 0755 Hours]

Rob held the carbine that Rich had given him tightly and tried not to frown. It was a fine weapon, but it wasn't his.

The carbine that he normally carried was one his father gave him on his birthday just before he died, and it really meant a lot to him. While most parents wouldn't give such a gift to their child, his father understood that in a galaxy where the Empire existed, there was cause to be cautious. The destruction of Alderaan and the dissolution of the Imperial Senate pretty much proved his point.

He moved down the hallway with Steve beside him, the two of them covering the left flank while Healey and Murshid covered the right, Chelsey and Hagues bringing up the rear. He whispered in a low voice, "I don't like this set up."

"Well what would you like," answered Steve, wincing from the pain of his arm wound, "a holo-sign saying THIS WAY TO SECRET HIDEOUT?"

"Quiet," whispered Healey.

Rob aimed his carbine towards the doorway that they were coming up on while the others did likewise. Carefully he moved around the edge to check out the layout of the room and then shied away. "It's clear."

Everyone moved through the doorway as quick as they could, covering all angles so as not to be taken by surprise should anything happen. Once they secured the room the moved on to the next doorway and this time Healey did the corner edge. He moved back quickly and mouthed the words "E-Web cannon" to the rest of the group.

Murshid moved up and pulled out a chromed sphere. "What is-" Healey started to say as Murshid moved up to the corner and tossed it through the doorway. "I suggest we duck," said Murshid very calmly, and did so.

Rob and everyone else moved down as well just as they heard a voice from the room shout "get down!" and a large explosion rocked the foundations of the facility causing some loose ceiling panels to fall to the floor. Rob couldn't be sure, but he thought he heard a faint scream just before the explosion hit full capacity, probably from one of the troopers manning the E-Web.

Once the smoke cleared Murshid and Healey moved up to cover the hallway as Rob and Steve walked over to where the troopers had once been. There were various body parts all over the corridor and blood splashed the walls like modern art. "We're clear," said Rob.

"What was that thing?" asked Chelsey in the direction of Murshid.

"Thermal detonator with double yield. Something See-Four came up with."

"I should have known."

"Okay, cut the chatter," said Healey. "There's three directions we can take up here at this junction," he said, pointing in the direction of the end of the corridor, "and since there are six of us we'll split up into three teams." He turned towards Rob and Steve and nodded at them. "Eight, Nine, take the center tunnel. Ten, Twelve, take the left. Thirteen and I will take the right. Comm silence, got it?"

Everyone nodded. Rob brought his carbine back up again and moved along with Steve to the center passage. He moved through the corridor carefully and made sure to keep his weapon handy in case he had to deal with anything. Thankfully, though, he and Steve didn't come across anything until they reached near the end of passage, and even then they didn't move out to take care of the two troopers standing guard at a door because Steve told him to stop.

"What is it? We could take them right now," whispered Rob back at Steve.

"Listen," came the response.

Rob positioned his ear towards the entrance and was greeted with the muffled sounds of voices, two men, coming from the room behind the two guards. They sounded as though they were arguing, and then came a third voice, weak sounding. "The prisoners?"

"Yes, and Basn as well. I'd recognize his voice anywhere." He winced a little from the pain and looked at Rob. "Okay, this is how we're going to play it."

"You're starting to lose it, sir."

Jak glared at Von. "You think I'm weak, Lieutenant? You think I am starting to lose my resolve because of the situation? I am not." He drew his blaster and held it out, demonstrating the steadiness of his hand. "Our time here is at an end. I was not prepared for Vogel and the Rebels. We have very little time to get away, and that means we have to dispose of our guests." He raised his pistol to the head of Eysic Hafnren, the leader of the prisoners. "Do you have any last words?"

Hafnren coughed and looked up at his executioner. "Yeah. See you soon, you Hutt-licker."

Basn smirked. "How colorful." He started to pull the trigger. Von lunged at him, pushing his arm off target and blowing a new hole in the rock floor. "No, sir! We don't have-"

Another blaster shot echoed in the small space. Jak pushed the body away from him, something like pity crossing his face as his old exec crumpled to the ground. "You too, Von? Well, you got what you deserved for trying to stop me."

"I guess that means I'll get what I deserve too, Captain Basn?"

Jak turned around and looked at the two figures standing in the doorway. Both were armed, and both were familiar. "It's Major now, Lieutenant."

Steve Michadick swallowed and kept his blaster pointed at Jak. "I'm flattered that you remember me. And surprised that you know of my current status. But, then again, Isard trains her insertion commandos very well."

Jak gave a slight nod. "You've been keeping up with your homework; I applaud you. However, I would like to know how you got in here without my guards alerting me, or firing a blaster shot; I would have heard the sound."

Rob held up the hand he'd been keeping behind his back, revealing a dagger bathed in blood. "Your guards met with a fatal accident; me."

"Charming companion you have, Michadick."

"He's my wingman, and every bit a better man than you are."

"And how do you figure that?"

"He doesn't kidnap people and use them to gain money from his former employer."

Jak blinked and then his smile widened. "You have been doing your homework. But, then again, you always were a good student."

"I am no longer the student, Basn." Michadick took a step forward. "I suggest you drop your weapon now, or else I'll drop it for you."

The Michadick he remembered never bluffed. Basn lowered his blaster carefully. At the same time, however, he twisted his left wrist; a small blade dropped out of his sleeve into his hand. With a lightning flick of that hand, the silver shard flew across the room and buried itself in Steve's wrist. He cried out, dropping his blaster.

Grinning, Basn raised his blaster again. At that moment, however, someone drove a molten spike through his chest. He gasped at the pain, glancing down reflexively at the hole that had been burned through his uniform, squarely over - and through - his heart. "Nice... aim..." he gasped to Steve's companion, and fell to the floor.

Michadick leaned over him, looming in his fading vision. Jak coughed, feeling needles in his lungs and wetness on his lips. "You're still... the same... but I know... something..." Michadick moved closer and Jak strained to lift his head, whispering into his ear. "I know... where your brother is."

Michadick stared at him in shock. Jak smiled despite the pain; as he'd suspected, his former student must think his brother was dead. He felt hands on his cold limbs, shaking him. "Where is he?" Steve shouted at him from the end of the long tunnel. "Tell me!"

Jak just grinned as the darkness closed in. He mouthed his last word: "No." His final vision was of his favorite student's face twisted in fury.

Steve released his grip on the dead body of Jak Basn and let out a scream of anguish. For years he had searched for his brother, even to the point where he thought him to be dead. Now to find out he was alive, to have the location in his grasp... and then it was all taken away from him.

He felt a hand set itself on his shoulder and looked up to see Rob still with his carbine, smoke escaping from the muzzle. "We'll find him, Steve, don't worry, we'll find a way to get to him."

"If you don't mind, could you please untie us?"

Steve and Rob looked over to where the four prisoners were sitting in chairs, binders restricting their movements. Though he couldn't do much thanks to his wounds, Steve walked over and undid the binders on one of them while Rob took care of the other three.

"Thanks. Hey, weren't you the one that bumped into our singer?"

Steve nodded. "Second Lieutenant Steve Michadick, of the New Republic. We're here with Vogel to rescue you."

"And to put in a request for a number," chided Rob.

"Oh, be quiet, like you even enjoyed their music."

"Better than that Carida Concerto."

Steve was about to say something when the sound of footsteps caused him to look back at the doorway. "So good of you to show up."

Murshid and Healey moved over to where the dead troopers were and checked them for vitals while the rest moved to reunite with their friends. "Nice work, Michadick."

"Yeah, but this one," he said as he pointed to Basn, "knew something that I needed, but he denied it to me just to goad at me."

"What was it?"

"The location of my brother. He said he knew."

Murshid was silent for a moment and then walked over to the only terminal. In moments, a face and dossier appeared on the screen. "Is this him?"

Steve walked over to the terminal and gasped. "Yes! That's him! Where is he?"

"I'm afraid I don't know." Murshid pointed to the bottom of the data. "According to these records your brother escaped prison a while ago and has been in hiding." He turned to look up at Steve with an apologetic look on his face.

Steve's heart sank once again, but then he forced himself to give a small smile. "Well, at least he's not in the clutches of the Imps." He then looked at Murshid. "How did you get access to that file, anyways?"

Murshid shrugged and smiled faintly. "Basic data security: always log out of your terminal when you're done."

"Pardon the interruption, but could you call the ship now, please?" asked Rob.

"Why, not enjoying your vacation?"

"I've seen wars that have been more relaxing."

[Docking Tube, Regis, Tatooine System, 1400 Hours]

Rob shook hands with Richard in front of the airlock. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Vogel. I'll be sure to remember you and your band if I ever want to throw a party."

"Well, we'll always be available. By the way, how is Lieutenant Michadick doing? He got hurt pretty bad."

"It wasn't anything bacta couldn't cure." Rob opened the airlock for the older man and gestured to it. "I hope you have a good trip, but I still think you should join up."

"No thanks, I'm not one for causes or movements." He grinned and then reached into his pocket and produced a small datafile. "However, if you ever need my services, look me up. I'm a whiz with information, and I'll even give you a discount."

Rob just pocketed the file and gave a small grin. "Good, because I don't have that much money."

"I thought you were rich, due to your old business on Nar Shadda."

He laughed a bit and then moved away so the airlock could close. "Have a good trip, Mr. Vogel, and remember to think about the possibility of joining the new Republic."

[Red Leader's Office, Regis, Tatooine System, 1500 Hours]

Kelly sat behind his desk, his arms folded across his chest as he looked up at his three pilots. "After two days of debriefing and investigation, I have but one question to ask you. How is it that after being on the ground for only two hours, you got involved in a kidnapping? One that ended in over thirty Imperial deserters killed and three captured?" He looked at each of them in turn, but was met with silence. "No answer? Lieutenant Michadick."

"Sir." Schmitty had a white cuff wrapped around his left forearm, keeping the limb immobile and immersed in bacta.

"You were wounded, twice, because of this, and yet you have nothing to say?"

"We felt that it was our duty to help, sir."

Kelly nodded and got up from his desk, walking around it and sitting down on the edge of it before his pilots. "Well then, I have but one thing to say to the three of you." He let the statement hang for a moment. "You've been promoted."

This time the silence was of stunned surprise. Finally, Rob Baden spoke up."Excuse me, sir, but we're being promoted?"

"That's right." Kelly reached back over his shoulder for a small box that had been sitting on his desk. Inside were three shiny new rank badges. "Command reviewed the reports on the situation and looked at your records. My recommendation that you all be blown out an airlock was not considered." He grinned, showing he wasn't serious. "Effective this day at 1500 Hours, Second Lieutenants Steve Michadick and Chelsey Maxfield have been promoted to First Lieutenant, and Flight Officer Rob Baden has been promoted to Second Lieutenant." As the pilots stood before him, he pinned the new ranks to their collars. "Now, do me a favor. Next time I give you leave, don't blow anything up."

Rob grinned back and saluted. "We'll try not to, sir." Chelsey and Steve followed suit with the salute and Kelly returned it. "Dismissed."

The three of them left his office and Kelly found himself chuckling as the door closed. They make me feel so old and responsible sometimes. He settled back into his desk chair and started going over squadron datawork once again. But I have to admit, if I'd been there... well, it would have been quite an adventure.

The End