Set in the time prior to the events of Star Wars – A New Hope and paralleling them.
Based on the actions arising from a Star Wars role-playing game, created by the ‘author’, for the characters belonging to some friends who convinced him it would be cool to play in a galaxy far, far away…
It was ‘decided’ that as the ‘author’ knew the most about the realm, he would be the one most likely to come up with a good story line without going mad. At least, not too mad. Little did they know, Thanks a lot Andy and Tim. Bastards!
***
- Star wars -
-The Corsca Bell
Episode one - flight from Coruscant
By Bruce Cox (AKA Qui Gonn Bruce)
***
The old XT-1200s hyperdrive engines thrummed a constant tone as it sped through null space; blaster scorched hull plates contrasting against the star-blur void beyond. The starship’s cockpit nestled snugly between its forward mandibles, making it appear smaller and more asymmetrical by comparison to the outrigger configuration of its YT cousin.
Engineered by the Corellian Corporation, the ship’s design allowed separation into halves, so that special modular cargo ‘slot’ boxes could be carried in-between. Larger contracts could then be taken on with minimal crew increases or capital outlay, thereby generating maximum profits, making the vessel popular with many of the smaller haulage companies — both legitimate and not. But, as with many mass-produced products, even in the height of modern technology, the odd ‘lemon’ escaped the stringent quality control protocols. Customers seemed uneasy with the prospect of ‘spontaneous ship separation’ during an extended light-speed jump. After several recalls, cover-ups and near bankruptcy, the driveyards had the line canceled and replaced it with the more reliable YT-1300.
Given the inherent dangers of its operation, the XT medium/bulk modular freighter series slid from popularity into obscurity and very few were left in service. Only the most courageous of star pilots — or perhaps most ignorant — continued to put their lives at risk.
"Pass down the hydrospanners!" an agitated voice rose from below the decking.
Mothan Adebo was startled from his reverie; meditative expression transforming suddenly and scrolling though a myriad of emotions.
"What?" he called down through the sub-light engines access panel.
As he leaned forward, legs dangling into the floor space, the hydrospanner slipped from the edge and down into the darkness.
"Ow! Sithspawn!" came a yell.
Mothan rubbed a stubby chin and smiled as his sibling’s mousy haired head emerged from the gloom below.
Ando was a younger and thinner version of Mothan, yet his barely contained and excessive energy often exploded into sudden impulsive actions — the epitome of the brash starpilots of his favorite holovids. By contrast, the elder brother tended towards the calm confidence of their father Remming, back home on Coruscant. Unfortunately Mothan had shown more ability in street brawling; rather than the mediocrity of the accounting and commerce studies his banking father had pressured him into.
"Why’d you do that?" cried Ando, rubbing an already coloring brow, "Near knocked me out!"
"Wouldn’t take much to hull breach that cranium, vacuum head!"
Ando scowled more at the almost absent-minded retaliation from his brother, rather than the comment itself. This kind of banter was common between the two since they were old enough to converse, yet he always felt that he got more that he gave.
"Sorry brother" said Mothan apologetically, eyes sparkling but tone turning serious. "I was just thinking about Ma and Da. I hope they’re alright"
Ando crossed his arms under his clean-shaven chin and leant against the decking plates. "From what Uncle Onibald told us, I’d say they’ll be fine." he said hopefully, "That’s if they got clear to the safe house he told us about."
Onibald Daykim was an old Adebo family friend and life-long work colleague of their father at the First Bank of Corusca. In the hopes of instilling some level of responsibility in their sons, Remming and their mother Penn had convinced the boys to start a business of some sort. They jumped at a chance to see the galaxy - under the guise of running a haulage company - and Daykim helped them organize a credit loan for the purchase of their ship – The Corsca Bell.
News of a financial blunder in the account of one of the banks many customers had reached them as they started loading cargo aboard the Bell for their first job. The customer in question had turned out to be the Emperor Palpatine himself, and, according to Onibald, the bank had been closed down with its employees held under Imperial investigation. A few had managed to escape capture and flee to the bowels of the planet-wide city, where Onibald had established a haven of sorts, safe from even the Emperors eyes. Daykim had urged the brothers to depart the system quickly, assuring them that their parents were already en route to the sanctuary.
It was still unclear to the Adebo brothers whether or not they still legally owned the Corsca Bell, or even if the bungling at the bank had any relation to their transaction. One thing though was certain: the ‘accidental’ death of the Stormtroopers involved with their panicked flight from the spaceport would not likely go unpunished. Out-bound, a near miss with a red striped Corellian Consular Corvette, the pursuit by Star Destroyers and its TIE fighter swarm, supported their current working theory - Avoidance of all Imperial authority equals a longer life. One of the Tie’s had even fallen to Mothans’ inexperienced turret laser defenses.
"I’m sure they’ll be fine." said Mothan hopefully, "We, on the other hand, seem to be in a rather precarious situation." He sighed heavily, "All in all, a perfect start to our first business venture. What do you think, Master Adebo?"
"Undoubtedly, Master Adebo!" replied Ando formally. He licked a finger and jabbed it at an imaginary data pad, "And now to divide today’s profits between all active partners…" he said.
"Yes, and just what is half of zero, Master Adebo?"
"Why zero, Master Adebo!" Ando held his arms wide and palms up dramatically.
‘I hope I’m not interrupting anything important" a smooth feminine voice came from behind them.
Startled, the pair spun to face the speaker.
Winter, at least that was the name she had given them, lent against the bulkhead in the starboard cargo bay’s portal. Ash-white hair framed an unflawed siren face and, even in an unmarked and utilitarian flight-suit, her subtle and alluring frame was apparent.
The classic Alderaanian beauty of holovid stardom, Mothan thought dreamily.
"Um..." started Ando distantly, " I… ah, that is… uh…"
Winter raised a single brow questionably.
Mothan lent over and slapped Ando’s slack-mouthed jaw closed.
"What he’s trying to say," he said "is we were wondering when we would be paid. You said half now and half when we reach Nar Shadda."
"Yes," she replied levelly, "And the problem would be?"
Beautiful she may be, with an air of danger too. He swallowed and licked his lips nervously. "Ah…when will now be?" he said aloud, "We haven’t got the first half yet"
The deal they had made when first they met in the spacer bar, Downtime, had been interrupted by a brawl with an intoxicated alien patron. Mothan had held his own admirably, but the situation was complicated with the appearance a Stormtrooper patrol. Chased from the scene in the family speeder by biker scouts, they were prevented further clarification of the contract details until reaching their starship. Winter was forced to escape the planet with the Adebo brothers when the cargo loading was rushed though after the appearance of even more troopers.
"Don’t worry yourselves boys, I have something for you here."
Winter slowly unzipped her flight-suit to mid chest, revealing a cleavage just short of tantalizing. Her eyes were locked on Ando's, whose mouth had once again fallen ajar. Sliding a slender hand down her front, she pulled free a data card and tossed it lazily into Mothans waiting palms.
"I've got the box locked down" she said, thumbing over her shoulder and zipping the suit slowly back up "If you don’t mind, I’ll get some shut-eye in your crew quarters. Wake me when we get there"
Mothan let his gaze follow her as she disappeared into the ships aft section.
Like two Squalkbats in a Nerf-skin bag… and as many teeth I bet!
"Payment received, with much interest, Captain!" he said out loud, turning to his brother, who was watching the space Winter had vacated - mouth still lucid. "Hey, Gundark! Wake up!"
"Hmm?" he mumbled, turning slightly to Mothan "Yes. Good. What?"
"Seven and a half thousand, Ando!" replied Mothan " With the second half, we can maybe afford a shield generator."
"I think she likes me"
Mothan grinned as broad as a super nova. "Of course she did" he said sarcastically "What female, of any species, could possibly resist a male with the sexual charms of a Gungan Fambar herder, and conversational prowess and good looks of a laser brained Rancor."
He skillfully ducked under the now airborne hydrospanners with ease, yet as he thought more on their experience so far, he couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that they had stumbled into some Rebellion entanglement. He was about to voice his concerns, but was interrupted by a shrill wine from the ships’ engineer station across the deck from them.
"Now what?" sighed Ando, climbing from the floor space.
Mothan checked the Navcom readout on the console. "Real space re-entry in thirty time parts. Faster than I thought"
"I’ll go get Winter," said Ando.
Mothan rolled his eyes. "No," he said sternly, "I’ll get her. You’re the pilot, you take the helm"
"Ok. But remember, she’s mine."
"Sure she is."
"No really. I saw her first"
"Actually, I did. In the bar, remember? But we don’t have the time to argue. Now get to the cockpit!"
Ando poked out his tongue as he turned for the forward passage, muttering an expletive as he disappeared through it’s portal.
Mothan stuck his head into the darkened crew quarters. "Winter?" he called softly.
When no reply came he flicked the lumi-switch on the wall closest to him. The room was empty, save for the discarded flight suit on one of the bunks.
Must be in the ‘fresher. His face coloured at the thought of knocking on the refresher door. I’ll come back later, He thought, and turned back to follow his brother.
Ando looked up expectantly as Mothan slid into the co-pilots pneumatic chair. "Well?"
"Dolling herself up for me." He replied off-handedly.
Ando turned back to the console. "Idiot." He said under his breath.
"What?"
"Hyperspace exit in Five, Four, Three, T… Woah! What the…?"
The ship lurched as the hyper-motivation fail-safes snapped the hyperspace accelerator toggles to their deactivation positions. Outside the Bell’s canopy the mottled sky of hyperspace turned to starlines, which in turn collapsed into stars, and they were there.
Only ‘There’ did not seem to be where they should be.
"Um… stupid question? Where’s Nar Shadda?" asked Ando, leaning closer to the Plexiglas
"I’m on it." Mothan turned to the scanner controls. "Wait!" he called, "Got movement, bearing point Oh Six Three!"
Suddenly the Corsca Bell lurched violently, as if grabbed by a giant hand, sub-light engines whining in protest.
Ando’s hands ran franticly over the XT’s still unfamiliar controls, wrestling the vessel to face the hidden assailant.
When the Empire had commissioned Kuat Drive Yards for a secretive project, many believed it to be the much rumored ‘Global Mining Station’, a moon sized processing facility touted to profit the growing New Order by reducing dead planets to useable minerals and ores. It was not.
The real result of KDY’s efforts was framed neatly in Corsca Bell’s cockpit view port.
"By the Emperor’s black bones!" cried Ando, "An Interdictor Cruiser!"
A giant wedge of Imperial practicality, the Star Destroyer Interdictors were capable of pulling unwary starships from hyperspace transit with their gravity well projectors, often stalking shipping lanes for tax evaders and contraband runners.
The Comlink crackled to life. "Attention incoming vessel!" called a no-nonsense voice, "this is the ISD Interdictor Clandestine, you are hereby ordered to power down all systems and prepare for boarding. Resistance is futile"
Mothan shifted uneasily in his seat, "I have a bad feeling about this." He breathed faintly, turning to his brother.
"Failure to comply," continued the Com, "Will be considered an act of rebellion against the Empire and met with force."
Ando’s face was ashen white.
"I don’t feel very well…"
-The Corsca Bell-
Episode two – dark tidings
By Bruce Cox (AKA Qui Gonn Bruce)
***
Madden Haskin stood before the forward view port of the Clandestine bridge, watching the small Corellian XT freighter disappear beneath the star destroyers equatorial edge. A tight-lipped smile encroached upon his otherwise bland face.
"The captured vessel has powered down Admiral." Said a voice behind him. "Tractor control reports a positive approach vector."
"Thank you Major Tarn." Haskin said without turning. "Dispatch a security detail with a scanning crew to the main hanger. I want a thorough sweep of the Corsca Bell, and its occupants brought before me." He paused, "Pay particular attention to the contents of their computers, droids, data pads and the like."
"Yes sir." The officer responded promptly, gesturing to the Comm operator.
" And power down the gravity well projectors." Haskin continued.
He turned when the man failed to respond. "A problem Major?"
Tarn hesitated under his commander’s basilisk gaze. "I was under the impression we were to remain on Interdiction duty for another Standard day, sir."
The Admiral smiled the condescending smile he reserved for just such occasions. "Running costs for an Interdictor Cruiser are rancorish enough, without running a constant gravity well." He said. "You confirmed the Intel reports of the Corsca Bell fleeing Coruscant, did you not?"
The Major nodded. "Yes sir."
"As my Uncle used to say, ‘Catch only that which you need, for you can not eat them all at once’." Haskin said. "We have that which we sought Major, carry on."
"Yes sir." The Major responded tightly. Pivoting neatly, he marched towards the port control trench.
The chain of command may rattle from end to end, Haskin thought grimily. Yet the links shall remain strong.
Madden Haskin knew his quotations rankled the men under him, particularly the words of his infamous Uncle. Though nepotism had not risen Madden to the command of the Clandestine – he was a more than able tactician and leader, yet the added fear of reprimand from the Grand Moff Tarkin himself, was often a beneficial tool. Fear was conductive to order, and order meant a highly efficient operation. What ever their personal feelings towards him, the crew gave him the respect he was due and as a consequence he thus far led the field in capital starship operation in his sector. Haskin had not corresponded with Tarkin for some time as the Emperor had placed the Grand Moff in charge of some new developmental project somewhere. They had last spoken just after the Mon Calamari assimilation – the source of his last quote to Tarn.
If the information garnered from the capture of the Corsca Bell proved fruitful, the Clandestine would feature prominently in the war against the Rebellion.
In time, I to may be raised Moff, Perhaps younger than Uncle Willhuff.
Something was already brewing. His ship had just taken delivery of an entire legion of Stormtrooper personnel, fresh cadet graduates from Carida bound for an as yet undisclosed destination. Not the numbers to outfit a mere garrison, something big.
"Major Tarn." He called, returning his attention to the vast star speckled vista.
The Major reappeared beside him. "Yes sir?"
"Have Navigation plot a course for Coruscant. We shall depart after I have interviewed our guests."
Major Tarn smiled knowingly. "Yes sir"
***
Ando Adebo watched from the Corsca Bell’s pilot chair as a Stormtrooper squad trotted from the docking hanger’s entrance and lined into a tight formation before him.
"I still think we should have tried making a run for it." He said tightly. "We’re only a couple of Parsec’s from Huttspace"
His brother beside him, Mothan sighed. "Even if we did manage to break free of the tractor beam lock," he said, "It would take too long to clear the their gravity well. Turbolasers’d strip us before we could make lightspeed. Besides which, your plan requires the possession of concussion missiles, which we don’t." he slumped into co-pilots chair disgusted. "Don’t even have shields, damn it."
Ando lent forward and peered upwards. Hanging in racks high above the hanger floor were rows upon rows of Tie fighters, bombers and scouting ships. Several pilots lent against railings, cradling their jet-black helmets, ready to jump into their starfighters for an almost instantaneous launch.
The Comm station crackled. "Attention Corsca Bell, you are advised against any attempt of resistance. You will unsecure your vessel and exit unarmed."
"Come on." Said Mothan as he stood, slipping his vibro-blade into a boot. "We can’t keep our hosts waiting."
Ando removed his blaster holster and poked the weapon under his chair cushion, unhappy to be without it, yet without choice. By way of self-abnegation, he slipped the Hydrospanner from the Bell’s engineering bench into his belt, and under his vest, before following his brother.
Mothan hit the ramp release and took a breath. "Here goes nothing."
They stepped down to the hanger floor to the soft clanking of Stormtrooper armor, a forest of carbine muzzles aimed all too accurately at their skulls.
A gray-clad officer strode before them, stern face and penetrating eyes. Several troopers repositioned themselves behind him.
"You will remain silent and accompany these Troopers to the bridge." He said, motioning to those behind him.
Eight troopers flanked the pair as they marched towards an exit, passing a scanning crew.
Mothan stopped, looking back to the Bell. "Winter!" he exclaimed in a whispered voice. He fell to the decking from the sudden collision of a BlasTech rifle butt to his head.
"Quiet, rebel scum!" his assailant admonished, striking him again.
Ando hauled his brothers’ unconscious form to his shoulder, glancing back as the scanning crew disappeared into their ship.
In their haste to comply with their Imperial captors, the Adebo brothers had forgotten that the owner of the Corsca Bell’s current cargo, the lovely Winter, was still aboard in the crew quarters.
They’d better not hurt her. He thought angrily.
"Move along!" A not so gently shove propelled him down the corridor.
***
A stoic silence prevailed as the group shot upward in the central turbolift chute. Ando resisted the urge to strike up conversation, fearing to move at all. The Stormtroopers as unmoving statues, yet with an air of unfeeling death, should he but sneeze.
Both Ando and Mothan had been on the wrong end of the local law enforcement agencies on more than one occasion whilst growing up. As with most adolescent infringements, they had received no more than ‘a slap on the wrist’ community service by way of punishment – often fearing their parents admonishments instead. Yet under Imperial justice, on a galactic scale at least, even minor offenders against the New Order doctrines were sometimes not found until someone took out the garbage on the mining moon of Kessel. Ando was scared.
Lack of saliva the least of our problems, he thought dourly.
The lift stopped only briefly several times, the Troopers disallowing any more passengers, and after being marched along further passages and a final lift, the silent party arrived at the Clandestine’s command bridge. Mothan stirred from his comatose state, mumbling incoherently as Ando let him slump to the floor.
A middle-aged man strode down a short stair from the Destroyers central bridge flanked by two black-clad guards, a Captain at least, by his arrogant demeanor more than any insignia.
"Thank you Troopers," he said in soft, yet commanding voice, "You may return to your posts."
The escort pivoted on heel as one and re-entered the Turbolift, leaving the Adebo brothers to shift uncomfortably under the commander’s basilisk gaze. He smiled tightly.
"Welcome aboard the ‘Clandestine’. I am Admiral Haskin. You will address me as sir and talk only when spoken to. Am I understood?"
The boys nodded, Mothan gingerly rubbing the back of his neck as he stood.
"Good." Haskin’s smile slid from his face, replaced by an unfriendly regard. " Your vessel was recorded by Coruscant Golan Defense Network in the act of an UN-cleared planetary liftoff and on a restricted exit vector. You will remain silent!"
Ando closed his mouth with a snap, forestalling any objections he was about to voice.
"Furthermore," the Admiral continued, "You are believed to responsible for the death of several Imperial personnel, including ground staff and the pilot of a Starfighter destroyed in your flight from Coruscant." He paused, as if to dare interjection. It seemed obvious to Mothan that the man saw the death of one of his own as the greater affront, rather than the half dozen or so Stormtroopers who had fallen at the spaceport. The Tie fighter had fallen to the ‘Bell’s laser cannons under Mothans control, almost by fluke. He shifted uneasily.
" You are also believed to have been involved in an altercation in a hospitality establishment, seen consorting with a suspected Rebel agent – possibly under the codename Targeter - and trafficking in either classified information or illegal goods, or both. You are therefore to be held on the charge of Rebellion against the Empire and shall be transported back to Coruscant Penitentiary to await trial."
Another officer stepped out from one of the bridge control bunkers and flanked the Admiral.
"Excuse me sir, we have a priority communication coming through on the Holonet."
"I shall see to that later Major, I am busy at present." Haskin replied briskly, not removing his attention from the prisoners.
"Uh… it’s a live transmission sir, on the highest encryption classification."
Admiral Haskin snapped his head sideways, then slowly turned back to the Adebo’s, the smile forming on his gaunt face giving him a skeletal aspect.
"Patch it through immediately" he breathed malevolently.
Shit! Thought Ando suddenly, the hairs on his neck were prickling.
The translucent blue flickering of a Holo-image exploded into the center of the communications bay and congealed into a tall, dark form. A harsh rasping breath punctuated the heavy silence. Mothan and Ando shuddered involuntary as a sense of wrongness flowed over them like melted plastic from a blaster burnt wall.
Oh shit!
The dark lord of the Sith, Lord Vader.
-The Corsca Bell
Episode three – winter equilibrium
By the Arctic Fox
***
Ando stood transfixed by the azure giant before them, it’s lifeless eye-sockets staring from a dark helm. As sunspots interfered with the Clandestine’s Holo-receivers, the figure wavered like an apparition of nightmares.
Darth Vader!
Ando knew there was nothing physically to fear of the translucent representation, yet he was almost certain were he able to close his eyes, he would still sense the Dark Lord’s presence. The young pilot tried desperately to convince himself that the situation was not happening, looking to his brother beside him for reassurance. As another mechanical breath was expelled, his thoughts were torn apart as if by a vibro-knife and only one hopeless thought remained. We’re dead men!
"Admiral Haskin." Vader entombed
Haskin stepped forward promptly, bowing deeply to his master, "My Lord," he said, the self-satisfied smile still pasted on his gaunt skull.
"You have much to explain, Admiral."
The man stood up rigid as confusion forced it’s way across his face, " My Lord?"
"Your instructions were to intercept a Rebel vessel, Admiral, yet I am informed you are not even at the coordinates you were supplied."
"My Lord Vader," Haskin stammered, regaining his composure to some extent, "With all respect, my Intelligence officers discovered an error the telemetry given to us".
"Explain," Vader growled after a short pause.
The Admiral cleared his throat and continued, " Sir, Coruscant Golan Defense Systems information on the incident showed that the Corsca Bell made a course correction immediately, prior to its hyper-jump. We believe this was done in close proximity to a diplomatic vessel leaving the system on a parallel exit vector, in order to confuse any attempt of tracking it’s route. We re-calculated on this basis, and have the Bell’s operators in custody now."
The air seemed to thicken and Ando thought he could hear a distant rumble, like the blood through a restricted artery. The Admiral caught his breath and appeared to rise slightly on his toes.
"It was the diplomatic vessel that you were to concern yourself with, you fool!" Vader spat, "You have but a decoy!"
"My Lord, please! I…" Haskin choked in fear and disbelief.
"Do not concern me with petty excuses, Admiral," the Sith Lord grated impatiently, "Were you not proven in your endeavors to serve your Emperor, you would be as dust. Fortunately, Captain Needa of the Avenger has secured Tantive four in your stead. Disaster has been averted, no thanks to you."
The chagrinned giant lowered it’s slightly raised hand and the Admiral’s panting form staggered backwards, one hand gripping the side of a vacated Comm chair, the other clawing at his collar.
"Luckily for you..." Vader continued, "I am in a good mood."
The sensation Ando had felt ceased as abruptly as it began, leaving him with bitter after taste. He shot a quick look to his brother, whose jaw mussels played angrily on his cheeks. They had been used - the woman Ando had felt so attracted to no more than a Rebel stooge. Winter had played them for fools and they had fallen prey with little hesitation.
"Admiral Haskin, you are to conclude your business with these… fools" Vader spoke again, the mask briefly regarding the Adebo pair, "They may yet prove informative. You are to then proceed to the coordinates I am sending you with due haste and await further instructions from Governor Tarkin – the contingent you are carrying are to be made available to him. Do not fail in this Haskin, for your Uncle is not as forgiving as I."
"Your will, my Lord," the Admiral replied bowing deeper than his composure should have allowed, a hand still to his throat,
"Yes," Vader returned in mocking amusement as the menacing silhouette faded, "My will…" The image flickered out to nothing, along with its sense of presence.
Gone too, was the subservient meekness in Haskins eyes. Burning now was a hatred that bore down on Ando and Mothan like the turbo lasers of his Star Destroyer.
"Major Tarn," he said quietly, "Remove these vermin to the holding bay of the interrogation room. I will be there shortly to…supervise"
The sound of a stun blast accompanied a sudden blue haze as the brothers’ universe slid into the void.
***
Winter let the scanning officers’ comatose body slump uselessly to the floor, pulling at his uniform’s fasteners as he fell and watching the Corsca Bells’ access ramp intently. Beads of refresher fluid ran off her naked body onto the deck.
The realization that an Interdictor Cruiser had the Bell caught in it’s tractor beams had sent her into hiding within an equipment locker, revealing herself when the scan crew had arrived. The fact she was as naked as a Tatooine plain had dulled their reflexes enough for a roundhouse on one and the twist of the neck of the other. Although unnecessary taking of life equated to murder no better than the actions of the Imperium, in Winters mind, she knew that that very reason made it unavoidable were she to attempt a rescue of the Adebo brothers.
After stowing both victims and making minor adjustments to her ‘new’ uniform, Winter tucked her ash-white hair into the officer cap and marched down the access ramp with a confidence that she did not feel.
The Stormtrooper guards outside paid her little attention and one or two hanger personnel saluted, more to the uniform than the woman, before returning to a multitude of tasks. Female officers - though not common in the male dominated Empire, were not unheard of, but Winter did not tarry long. Not until rounding the hull of a dormant assault shuttle, did she allow herself a quick look to confirm her anonymity, before making her way to a restricted access passage.
The door to an auxiliary control room slid open with the first code keyed into its lock-pad, confirming her assumptions of the Clandestine’s production – the last known produced by the Kuat Drive Yards.
The Alliance hierarchy had inserted several operatives into the corporation – the primary manufacture of the Empires capital starships, for just such a reason. Very few operatives were given such important information. Should the knowledge be uncovered, having been taken unnoticed, the upper hand would be lost – along with the lives still involved in the heist. Only the most trustworthy held such power.
Winter had joined the Alliance in the service of her friend and ward, Senator Leia Organa, having risen to the position as her mother had for Leia’s mother - bringing with her all the skills necessary to become the most successful intelligence operative on both sides.
In more peaceful times these very skills would have held her in high regard within the Holo-Entertainment industry - grace poise, the ability to assume a character profile in a script as if born that person, and a holographic memory unsurpassed by any. Instead her identity remained hidden, known only by the results of actions accredited to the Rebel agent named Targeter.
Her tasks in the recent past had bordered on that of a bounty hunter – seeking out persons of import to others, removing them from the equation, or bringing them in for debriefing. Yet the killing of sentient beings had worn heavily on her Alderaanian sentiments. Now she favored the more challenging information gathering assignments, focusing instead on uncovering a weakness in the Emperor’s vast reign.
When the Corellian senator, Garm Bel Iblis, and the Princess needed to smuggle the plans of a new Imperial weapon from Coruscant, she had to work quickly to devise the means by which the Imperial fleet may be distracted from the young Senators escape. Tampered transmissions from the planets defense network and a decoy vessel – the Corsca Bell.
Now she herself had to escape, but not before helping the wet-behind-the-ears Ando and Mothan Adebo. The Empire had incarcerated enough innocents already; she would not let any more fall because of her actions.
Winter booted up a control screen in a data booth and quickly pulled down a task list for the Clandestine’s detention levels. Again using normally restricted encryption; she amended several command rosters, moving less experienced personnel to posts vacated by now, off duty employees. With any luck the changes would not be observed as being outside the standard operating protocol and give the time required to get the boys clear.
A tight window, but not impossible, she thought, impossible would have been too easy.
She stripped down again, this time donning the maintenance coveralls from the booth's locker and gathered the items necessary to the task the terminal so graciously set for her new persona and wandered lethargically down the corridor.
***
Ando’s eyes opened slowly to the pain conveyed down dormant optic nerves, thought coming even slower. It was not until he pulled himself into a sitting position that he was able to reify his location.
The Calandestine's holding cell in which he found himself and an unmoving Mothan, was as Spartan as the rest of the capital starship; little more than a pale grey box with a windowed blast door and simple bed-down pallets.
Ando crossed gingerly to the door and ran his fingers along its lintel and down the architrave, eyeing two secturity personnel attending data booths in the next room.
"Thought of that."
Ando jumped at his brothers voice, expecting the butt of another rifle from an un-feeling security officer, "Damn!" he cried, "Thought you were still out."
"You stop mouthing off and we might stay conscious a little more," Mothan replied, flashing a shaky smile, "At least to stop your infernal snoring"
Ando ignored the comment and turned back to the portal, "Give me your vibro-knife, and get ready"
Once, in their Coruscant youth and having ran into its authorities often, the Adebo brothers had been briefly incarcerated for a crime they had little to do with. The corrupt official had eventually been exposed, but not before they had acquitted themselves from a detention facility.
"You haven’t checked your clothes, have you?" asked Mothan, sitting up.
"Ah, damn!" exclaimed Ando, grabbing at his midriff and clutching at the clinical coveralls, "That was my best Hydrospanner! Now what will we do?"
"Wait to be taken to Kessel, I guess. Unless you think your girl friend might come back?"
Ando sat down on the floor, back to the door, "I never want to see her again," he said, screwing up his face, "Ever."
"Forever, ever?" Mothan asked, raising an eyebrow high.
"Forever, ever. I hope she falls over somewhere and some furry beast attacks her."
Mothan smiled, "So if she turned up now, in nothing but high heel Coruscasnake boots and a blaster, you’d turn her away?" amusement on his face.
"Yes," Ando snapped, "Why?"
Mothans answer was cut off as the door shot open and Ando fell to his back, starting up in surprise.
"Honey! I’m home!" said Winter, quickly buttoning up her security uniform as she stood over Ando and tapped him with the toe of a glossy black boot, "Power up boys, this is going to be tight"
She threw Mothan another uniform and exited the cell, returning with the Former owner’s body.
Ando climbed to his feet dumbfounded, "What?" he cried, "Are you totally deranged? How are gonna get off this ship? How’d you get here anyway?"
"Full of questions, aren’t we. Shut up. You - put these on."
"Why should we trust you, anyway? Wait, where’s my uniform?" he said, catching a set of restraints.
"You’re wearing it. It’s grey, to match your ungrateful eyes," she shot back.
As Winter dropped the second officer on the floor, Mothan pushed his sour faced brother from the room motioning to the waiting turbolift; "We don’t have much choice I guess. I hope you know what you’re doing"
" You’ll just have to trust me," she said, pushing the lift’s activation pad, "Cool and calm. Are we ready?"
"Yes" replied Mothan unconvincingly.
The lift dropped fast, the boys’ stomachs feeling as if they were clawing upwards, only to come to a sudden stop after one floor. The doors opened to three figures in white.
Stormtroopers.
"I’m not ready…" said Ando in a tiny voice.
-The Corsca Bell
Episode four – a parting shot
By ArcticFox
***
The three Stormtroopers stepped into the turbo lift and faced the doors as they closed, giving little attention to the occupants. Mothan shifted uncomfortably in his ‘borrowed’ security uniform, glancing furtively at his fellow conspirators.
This had better work… he thought.
The Adebo brothers, Mothan and Ando, had fled their home of Coruscant under a cloud of intrigue - and into the grasp of the Interdictor Clandestine. Their first hire was for the woman standing on next to them, quite possibly a Rebel agent, now the boys only chance of escape. Ando, acting a manacled captive for lack of a suitable disguise, fidgeted in between Mothan and Winter, trying his hardest not to make eye contact with the vizored Imperials. After several floors, the Troopers exited the lift, leaving behind a visibly relieved trio – more so when the lift closed and resumed its decent.
"How," started Ando suddenly as he turned on Winter, "By the hairy ass of the Emperor, are we supposed to get off this ship? Have you not noticed that it has a kind of large number of Imperials on it?"
"Easy Ando," pleaded Mothan, "She’s just trying to help…"
"Help?" Ando exclaimed as he turned abruptly on his brother, "You call what she has done for us so far help? Are you totally devoid of oxygen?"
Winter remained focused onto the turbo lifts chronometer, a steely-eyed look on her face to match her name.
"What I did was necessary to the freedom of the whole galaxy," she breathed coldly, "I don’t expect you to understand, being that you were born under Imperial reign. Besides which, I came back for you, didn’t I?"
The brash young pilot turned back, manacles swinging loosely on his wrist, finger at her face.
"Just because we’re from Coruscant, doesn’t mean we approve of the Emperors actions! What do you expect us to do? Attack the Imperial Palace with a vibro knife?" he shouted.
The last was interrupted with the lift doors opening to another two Stormtroopers, both of whom raised their BlasTech muzzles to bare on Ando – his unfettered hand still raised at Winter.
"Freeze!"
In the blink of an eye, Winter front kicked the BlasTech from the closest Trooper’s gauntlets, an errant laser bolt scorching the wall behind her. Mothan reached out and grabbed the forearms of the other, dragging the Imperial into the lift and frantically wresting him to the deck. Ando tripped forward over the prone pair, knocking his head on the control panel as the first assailant launched through the closing doors at Winter.
Ando managed to pull the helmet from Winters assailant, revealing the freshly shaven and angry head of the Imperial elite. Being that he had recently taken a strong dislike to the Empire, Ando chose to balance the feeling out by whipping his arm around – brining the loose manacle with it. By this time Winter had retrieved the discarded blaster rifle, discharging it into the side of the prone man. Mothan stood, turning the other rifle on its former owner and both Troopers lay motionless on the deck. A strong ozone smell permeating the air.
"YEAH!" Ando shouted at the fallen foes, " You like that? Huh? Stupid damn Sithspawn sons of…!" kicking hard into the side of the head.
"Ando?"
Ando kicked again, only harder.
"ANDO!" shouted Winter.
"WHAT!"
"Ando, dear, the man is dead now. You should stop"
Ando looked down at his handy-work, not much older than himself; the Troopers face a bloody pulp. He felt briefly shamed at his sudden and cold-blooded reflex, no better than that of the Imperium.
"Next time, Ando," Winter said as she dragged the limp form into a corner and motioning for Mothan to do the same with the second body, "Control your anger. It clouds your judgement and could get us all killed. Help me with this panel"
Ando pushed aside the welling feelings of shock and remorse. He removed the armor from one of the victims and then together they removed a section of the Turbo-lifts venting and pushed the bodies into the void of the lift shaft beyond. Several minutes later he stood impassively in the Stormy suit as the three resumed their decent into the bowels of the Clandestine. Silently he lamented on his earlier actions and hoped they would not hinder their escape.
The lift finally came to the level they needed to make their fastest exit and opened into an empty corridor
"The Recreation level will be full of personnel," Winter said to the Adebo brothers, reaching out and loosening Mothans collar, "I want you to act as if you belong. You’re going to move casually though it so as not to attract too much attention. The primary docking bay lies just the other side of the blast door on the far side, wait for me there."
"Where are you going?" asked Ando with a hint of suspicion evident even through the Stormtrooper com speakers.
"You think you can maneuver the Bell against three Tie fighter and several Interceptor squadrons before out distancing the Grav-Projectors?" she shot back, "Did I mention the 60 plus Ion cannons and Heavy Turbo-lasers? No? Or ten Tractor beams to pull the Bell straight back in before you exit the launch bay? I need to prep a couple of things so you can. OK?"
"No need to get nasty about it babe, just asking"
"Get blasted, Hutt head," Winter pushed angrily past Ando and disappeared into a side passage, leaving the startled pilot behind her.
"Yeah, I think you’re right," Mothan said straight faced to his younger brother, "She likes you a lot."
"Go jump into the Maw"
"After you," Mothan smiled and headed for the entrance to the Recreational facilities.
The Clandestine’s Rec center was a vast, relatively open plan area, almost 100 meters long and 40 odd meters wide. Several lounging and refreshment zones were pressed against the outer wall length amongst a scattered combination of workout stations, gaming and Holo-entertainment areas. Most Holo-screens sported pro-Imperial programming. Throughout the hall, personnel of various divisions of the Interdictor’s operations relaxed and distracted themselves from their responsibilities. A large amount of them were of the proportions that typified the rigorous training of the Stormtrooper corps, and didn’t seem to be mixing with the just as obviously Naval conscripts.
"These guys have a lot of time on their hands, huh?" Mothan stated quietly as they wandered down a central walkway.
"Not a lot of people needed on duty to capture an innocent freighter and its crew, I guess." Ando replied, before bumping into the side of a man at an Air-Disk table, "Hey, ah, sorry"
The man, heavily muscled with cropped hair, straightened up and glared at him, "What do you expect, not looking where you’re walking, why have you got your helmet on in here anyway? Who’s your girlfriend?" he said nodding towards Mothan.
"Uh," Ando pulled the white helm from his head, "My cousin, um, Timoth. I’m Andre. I was just about to go on guard duty in the hanger and thought I saw him. We, er, haven’t seen each other since we enlisted."
Mothan rolled his eyes internally at his brother’s attempt at subterfuge.
"He looks more like he should have been on Carida for training than you do, skinny runt." a second man at the table said to the Ando, taller and broader than the first, "Does Stupid run in the family and get him into the Navy corps by mistake?"
Mothan stepped forward with an angry look before Ando stepped between them, "Yeah, he’s a bit on the Nerf-headed, but don’t hold it against him. I’d rather have him by my side than some of them wet-nursed pilots," he thumbed over his shoulder at some men standing around a Tie simulator and laughed nervously, "He’s not bad in a scrap and pretty fast too."
"I bet you are!" The first man laughed and slapped Mothan on the back, "I’m Tieraan, this is my friend Quadroon. We call him Quads, cause if he hit you, it’d be like a Quad Turbo-laser," motioning to the Air-Disk table, "Do you want a game?"
"Ah," Mothan glanced sideways at Ando, who shrugged helpfully, "…Sure."
***
Quadroon Franz folded his arms over his well-muscled chest as the cousins disappeared into the Rec. room crowd. "Well then," he said with great mirth, "21 – 3. Not a bad score…. For Timoth, that is. Ha!"
Tieraan Karr scowled at his friend’s jests, more than a little abashed at losing the game. He had a feeling about the pair that made little sense to him. He shook aside the feeling, remembering his training - emotions a hindrance to an efficient warrior. "Shut up, Quads…"
***
"What?!"
"Yeah, but we won…" Ando explained quietly to Winter when they reached her at the hanger doors.
"It doesn’t matter now, Winter," Mothan interrupted, "Can we just get out of here now?"
"But it was so cool! That stupid Stormy thought he could beat us!"
"Is he always like this?" Winter asked of Mothan.
"Yeah. Annoying, huh?" he replied, "When he says ‘We won’, he means just me. I played, he just watched"
"I helped you by distracting him with my witty remarks!"
"Shut up, the both of you!" Winter snapped before regaining her composure, "As you can see, we have to get past that squad of Troopers to get to your ship. I’ve programmed your Nav-Comm to get you to a safe place. Just get to the ship and get it out of the hanger for the jump."
Ando frowned, "You’re not coming with us, are you."
"Just attend to business, fly-boy, and I might let you kiss me goodnight." She replied with a smile before walking into the bay and sauntering past the aligned Imperials towards a dormant Assault Shuttle.
"She scares me Mothan."
"Me too, lets go before it all goes wrong"
Just they neared the Corsca Bell, the Stormtrooper detachments Naval officer stepped towards them.
"You there! Step forward. Where do you think you are going?"
"Ah," Mothan began, "I was ordered to check the captured vessels Log entries, for further information on its operators."
"Isn’t that the scan crews job? Who ordered this? Why is this man with you and not in his squad rooms?"
"Tarn ordered it, Sir. Err, he sent this Trooper with me to…um…"
"I just Spoke to the Major. He said nothing of this!" the man interrupted, "I’m going to confirm authorization." He pulled at the comlink in his vest.
Mothan glanced at the Bell, painfully close to freedom. Behind the Imperial officer several white helmets turned towards the discussion, Winters face peered intently from the shuttles veiw-port further behind again. She nodded, as if to agree with his forming thought. He pulled out his blaster from its holster.
"Authorize this…" he said, discharging bright energy into the mans stomach.
The return fire from the Trooper detachment was instantaneous, forcing the brothers to duck and weave their way towards the access ramp of their ship, blasters firing blindly behind them. Ando heard the whine of Winters Shuttle engines as they started into a pre-fight sequence, but the joy of this was short-lived when his brother spun to the decking with a glancing hit to a shoulder. Vapor tailed from the scorched wound as Mothan fell, blaster skittered across the floor. Frantically Ando hauled Mothan into the open ramp, punching the lock pad to shut out the advancing Stormtroopers. Klaxons blared and blaster fire thumped the hull plates outside as he removed his borrowed helmet.
"What’s happening out there?" came a speaker-modulated voice behind him.
Ando dropped to one knee and repeater-fired his BlasTech one handed, hitting two Stormtroopers off-guard in the necks and killing both instantly. Mothan moaned as he lifted himself to sit up.
"You OK?" asked Ando as he dropped the rifle and pulled the first aid box from a locker.
"Fine, I think. I’d be dead if hit any lower. Hurts like Hutts!" Mothan breathed, taking the Bacta bandages from his sibling, "Get to the chair and us out of here Ando."
Ando cold-jumped the Bells engines and lifted her from the deck, whines of protest coming from the repulsor-lifts. Outside the cockpit Plexiglas Ando watched as Heavy cannon fire spewed from the Shuttle Winter controlled, vaporizing Tie launch racks high in the Clandestine’s main hanger. He grinned maniacally as he maneuvered his starship out of the launch bay and into the black void beyond. Pulling hard at the yaw controls, he spun the Bell about to avoid the sudden eruption of Turbo-laser fire and inverted for a glimpse at the exiting assault shuttle. several Tie Interceptors followed, apparently having survived Winters methodic strafing
The Turbo fire ceased as abruptly as it started. Whether because of the overheating cores that caused the various Vulcan-flared eruptions Ando saw, or to give the Tie’s free reign, he could not tell. He increased sub-light speed to maximum and hoped Winter had managed to do something about the ImpStar’s Gravity Projectors. The Corsca Bell rocked and jolted with hits from the incoming Tie pursuit.
"This is Winter," a demure voice sounded over the Bells Com, "Happy hunting, boys. Out."
Ando smiled, twisting the XT into a loop to avoid the Tie’s lasers. Suddenly he heard the sounds of the Bell’s own laser cannons firing and fumbled a headset to his mouth. "Mothan?"
"I got it, little brother" Mothans voice crackled into his ear
Up in the XT’s only turret, Mothan pushed himself past his wounded shoulder pain and traced a quad hail of energy after a passing Tie, narrowly missing it. He grimaced and fought to bring the cannons to bare on a second assailant, desinagrating its solar panel, as Ando spun the ship on its side to stave off an attack at the Bell’s vulnerable belly. Ando’s voice called into Mothans ears that the Navcom had completed the jump calculations as he destroyed a second starfighter. The ship leveled out and lunged into the appearing star-lines of their jump to hyperspace. Gentle swirls of null-space tunneled about the Corsca Bell and as he finally let his body slip to the edge of unconsciousness from pain, Mothan knew they were safe. Dimly he recognized the sensations of Ando pulling him from the pneumatic control-chair of the Quad-laser turrets and hoped that Winter had escaped as well as they had.
"Winter?" he mumbled.
"No, big brother," Ando replied in Mothans ear as he changed the bandages, "She’s mine."
"Sure she is," Mothan laughed, "and then?"
"I want that kiss goodnight."
***
Admiral Haskin stood silently on the bridge of the Clandestine, the last hyper-fade streaks of the departing Corsca Bell snapping into the star studded void. The stolen shuttle departed adjacent the Bell’s exit vector not long after, leaving the Tie fighters to return to the ImpStar empty-handed. After a time he turned to his second.
"Major Tarn?"
"Yes Sir?"
"Was the ship fitted with a beacon?"
"Yes Sir," Tarn replied, "As per standard protocols, we shall have their trajectory when the computers are back online. I have the Slicing team working on the Navcom’s viral status now. . I cannot be sure without the data, but it seemed the shuttle Tydirium was headed in a different direction than the Bell. I must say, splitting up and using one of our own vessels against us was rather bold. Strange, they didn’t seem the type capable of such high level encryption’s, more a couple of bumbling idiots."
"I believe they had a little help with that, Major."
"An inside operative?"
"Possible, but not likely," Haskin replied, "Perhaps we now know the where-abouts of our infamous Targeter fellow."
Major Tarn appeared startled.
"Indeed. Most alarming," Haskin continued, "Imagine the information an interrogation of Targeter could yield, Lord Vader will be interested to hear about this. As soon as the Slicer crew is done, set course for the co-ordinates he supplied us, we must get this information to Grand Moff Tarkin in person. Then I want you to attend to the investigation of this debacle personaly, a full report as to how the Rebels escaped my vessel without anyone noticing until too late, before we arrive."
"Yes Sir."
And if I survive the Dark Lord’s anger, he thought as he turned back to regard the vast blanket of deep space outside the Clandestine’s bridge, I will have the heads of the Adebo brothers mounted on my wall.
***
end
This was the last episode in the Corsca Bell’s first adventure, but due to the fact that I have the ‘real’ Adebo brothers (Tim ‘Chief Many Hats’ Ide and his cousin, Andy ‘the Yapping Dog’ Ide) badgering me for another Star Wars RPG session, more may well follow. They’d like to meet the Smuggler Solo and his Wookie fur wall, to explain how much better Mothan and Ando are than them. Far be it for me to hinder destiny.
I hope you have enjoyed reading the Corsca Bell as much as I have writing it.
Never would I ever have thought I had it in me, it just shows that anything is worth a try.
But then, in the words of one great warrior with little sense of grammar or diction…
Do, or do not. There is no try.
A product of the warped mind of
The Arctic Fox
With thanks to the wonderfully warped mind of George Lucas
For use only as a non-profit item, only with permission
