The pilots of Defender and Strike Squadrons were sitting down as I was escorted into the room. Capt. Farn looked extremely nervous. Adm. Azzameen had the look of being told that those in Republic High Council had once again over ruled what he was doing. Cmdr. Na’toth’s First Officer, another Bothan named Kref’yla was there as well. Fal was shifting his hands almost imperceptivity behind his back. I was surprised to see Trapps there. JC was standing next to Trapps and an unknown human officer from Alliance Special Forces. He wore the uniform, but in no way looked the role. That is why I never trusted physical appearance much I guess.“Pilots, we have just received word from High Command that the various rescue operations have turned up no more than a shuttle full of hostages. That changes things for us dramaticly. Either we will find just one shuttle, or we will find dozens of shuttles and imperial type landing craft. Lt Kref’yla is here to coordinate and process the POWs and/or refugees. Lt. Page has been assigned from Alliance Special Forces. I have scrapped the original boarding party assembeled and gathered up as many people with combat expierence on ship as possible. Specialist Trapps Sarlik was onboard as ATR Liberation as Chief of operations. Lt. Pbarny and Maj. Saber will still be on the assault teams, but Lt. Page has operational control,” Adm. Azzameen started his briefing.
It didn’t add up in my head. Why replace the people who’ve trained for this mission with those who probably haven’t fought in either a boarding battle or a groundside rotation in well over a year? I can see sending us Lt. Page and Lt. Kref’yla. High Command trusted Azzameen as nearly as much as I would to watch my six. Trapps I knew wouldn’t do anything stupid, as would Lt. Page. So that was Lt. Page. Not what anyone expects, but definitely one with a reputation for getting the results. That bad feeling about the mission I was having sunken even lower right there even with Page’s presence. Something terrible was going to happen and I knew about it in advance.
“Also, I have had Ship’s Secuirty sweep your quarters. Those who share quarters with some one not involved in an operation are being reassigned to quarters with those in an operation. All datapads, communication devices have been removed. Also, no outside contact is to be allowed. A Fleet Security Trooper has been assigned to you to escort you to and from where ever you need to go. I am taking the total communication black out order seriously.”“Sir, that is illegal and I will be lodging a formal complaint against you and those men who willfully carried those orders. Republic Military Code of Conduct Section,” I was cut off.
“Lt Pbarny, you will file no such request on grounds of treason and disobeying a direct order.”
“Noted, but the comp…”
“Security, confine him to quarters. That is all.” What air was left in the room had been sucked dry. Two Security guards started dragging me out of the room.
“Corporal, I know the way back to my quarters. If your hands touch me, you will have assaulted an officer under an illegal order. Not something that you want showing up on your record.”
“Understood, sir. Still, allow us to escort you back to your quarters.”
“Very well, Corporal.” I glared across the room at Azzameen. All thoughts went out of my head. Calmness came across me in the middle of this anger. I could sense a datapad in Adm Azzameen’s hands. That was probably the first time I had drawn on my special gift since my injuries. His datapad went flying off the desk, smashing into the wall. The heads turned in the room. “Please, escort me to my quarters.” I let go and turned following my bubble headed escorts. I could hear Azzameen yelling at Farn as I stepped outside the briefing room. I looked at my X-Wing. Squared wasn’t in the ship or at the maintenance computer access request station for astromechs. Hopefully, he was back in my quarters, probably with a restraining bolt on or at the rear droid recharging station.
“Omega’s back. That should mean nothing to most of you. They’re after those of us who haven’t come up dead still from my days in military. We need to get this thing prepped for hyperspace, the Medium Transports space worthy, and the supplies full on everything. If we go planet side, we go in teams. No one ever is in a group of less than four. No one goes down who’s an easy target either. That means if you don’t know how to use a blaster you aren’t going down. I’m sorry to be like this. What we’re doing here is safe. Safety in number, remember that,” I said.
The whole company was assembled in Hangar Bay One. The Medium Transports engine manifolds were being installed in the zero gravity just beyond the magnetic field. Gabi hadn’t talked to me since last night when I packed us up and moved everything up to the station. She was furious at me leaving her out of the loop. I told Garrik and her that night what had happened.Just that morning we had gotten the Utility Tugs up to spec. In their maiden voyage as Utility Tugs KW 1, KW 2, KW 3, KW 4, KW 5 and KW 6 the engine manifolds for the two medium transport hulls onboard the station were placed on the far end of the outer platforms. Trapps and his crew were beginning to install the manifolds to the ships themselves now.
“I’ll want three months worth of supplies from all the shop owners, families, mechanical parts and so on by the end of the week. Tomorrow, I’ll be going back down with Tarven Flimne, Miller Bohan, Flirry Mochanti, and my wife to talk to the Security Exhchange and Trade Commission Oversight comitte on the Public Over the Counter Stock Exchange about possibly incorporating ourselves. This will enable us to buy more while we set up some other things. After that, it’s an afternoon meeting with the Inner Council of the Republic about a refugee grant for us. Within two weeks, I want us out of here. I’ll take questions at this time with your concerns?”
Squared wasn’t in my quarters when I finally was escorted there. Just as well, they were probably going download his memory and memory wipe him after laity of charges Adm. Azzameen was going to bring against me; I would have done it to get to me further . Knowing how paranoid Ace was, he would have taken the information and have that transmitted to General Madine and Adm. Ackbar first. Just as well, after today my career in Guardian Wing and the Republic Military would be canned by any recommendation made by Ace Azzameen.
Really too bad that he’s not the Ace Azzameen who was one of the gunners on the Millennium Falcon and was a shipping heir. I heard that Ace Azzameen was a leader and some one who gets results. Not some lucky punk with some money who could commission a few ships for him to buy. Sure, the Admiral was a good enough pilot, but he wasn’t as good as some other units I’d seen operational reports. General Salm, General Antilles, Colonel Varth, and Commander Pash Cracken came to mind. Some of those commanders had given strange orders, but they had never suspended the rule of law.
The door chime sounded. “Enter.”
“I’m Lt. Page. I’ve been assigned to bunk with you,” said the man from the briefing. He extended me his hand.
“Lt. Voren Pbarny, JAG officer and apparently the only one who realized the illegal procedure that happened back there,” I said grasping his hand.
“Not my field. I have read Adm. Azzameen’s reports as well as that of his XO, yours and everyone elses. High Command has as well and is thinking about recalling Guardian Wing due to low operational fitness reports.”
“Yikes, I knew Rim assignments were bad, but that is really bad.”
“I’m here to make sure there are no screw ups. I know you’ve had experience in close quarters combat. From the list of men here, who do you trust?” He unfolded a piece of paper from his coat pocket. It had the list of names of the boarding party. I only saw two names on there that I know I could trust.
“Trapps Sarlik and Maj. Saber. Trapps, JC and I are the only ones left from the orignal Liberation crew that have trained.”
“Then you are with me on point. No one enters an area of the ship unless one of the four of us is with them. We’ll work forward always first till we reach the command and control area of whatever ship. Then you’ll take team three, here, and run the controls. I’ll take JC and Trapps and work our way aft. Lt. Kref’yla will then come on board and identify personnel in the forward secured sections. We’ll leave team two as our rear guards at the entry point. Team Four will remain onboard the Liberation in case it all goes to hell and a handbasket.”
“Sounds simple enough, Page. Almost sounds like Azzameeen’s orders have been countermanded.”
“They are but they aren’t. He has who he wants coming aboard. I have operational control from Adm. Ackbar. Interesting choice of side arms there by the way. A DL-18 and a light saber.”
I forgot completely that I even carried the hilt with me still. “A souvenir from a mission I was on. The owner won’t come looking for it anytime soon.”
“Well, at least I know who to send first if we have any Dark Jedi aboard.” It was the tone of his words. We were going to succeed. This was such a change to the way things were done in Guardian Wing. Lt. Page was obviously not used to failure. Page wasn’t used to ineptness. Page was precision. Page was cold and calculated. Page was going to get rid of this sickening feeling that something bad was going to happen. It however was still there.
“I’m no Jedi, Page. I just have a gift for seeing some things before they happen and occasionally I’m able to pick up a simple tool and bring it to me.”
“Sounds a lot like Luke Skywalker on some of the operations I went on with him early in his life. You don’t realize it, but I’ve read your classified reports and the commentary they asked him to make. I requested a bunking with you. Do you see anything about this mission?”
“No sorry. Just a feeling this time. It’s gotten worse and worse since I found out what the mission was and who was all involved.”
“Then we make our own luck.” With that, the decking vibrated slitely signaling our entry into hyperspace. A very bad feeling indeed.
