by David Marron
“Are we there yet?”
Dannen looked at Purr. It was the fortieth time she’d asked him during this two-week trip through hyperspace, and it had been driving him nuts. This time, however, he had an answer for her.
“We should be coming up on Rafft soon,” he said.
“Then we meet this … Rebellion?”
“Sort of. We’re going to meet a group of Rebels who work out of this system.”
Purr looked at the star lines. “What did you say they did?”
Dannen rolled his eyes. “I said they were guerrillas. They specialize in hit-and-run tactics — they run in, blow something up, then leave.”
Purr’s eyes widened. “We’re carrying bombs?”
“No, we’re carrying medical supplies. Seems that their bacta tank malfunctioned and exploded, so we have a new one with some fresh bacta.”
“The healing jelly?”
“Yeah. That and some other stuff. It’s only medical supplies. Purr. We won’t get blown up.” At least. I hope not, he thought.
At that moment, the hyperdrive disengaged. The stars resumed their normal appearance outside the canopy, looking like diamonds surrounding the green sphere that hung in their midst.
Dannen checked his readouts, then nodded towards the planet. “That’s it, Purr. That’s Rafft.”
As the Lifeline approached the globe, Purr glanced at Dannen curiously. “What is the Rebellion?”
Dannen grimaced. “It’s not something you can describe in a few words. You know what Imperial stormtroopers are?”
“The men in white armor?”
“Yes. Well, they are the law enforcement arm of the galactic government, which is controlled by a man called the Emperor. Well, there are some who believe that the Emperor is evil, and are trying to destroy him.”
Purr thought about this. “Is he?”
Dannen looked at her. “Is he what?”
“Evil.”
Dannen considered lying, but then chose the truth. “Yes, he is. He wants to control everything and everybody.”
“Why don’t you want to work for them?”
“What, the Rebellion? Well, it’s a losing fight. The Empire is much too powerful for them. And, of course, if they find out that you work for the Rebels, they kill you.” Dannen smiled ruefully. “Linkaas is one being who wants me dead. I don’t need a whole government after me — er, us.”
Purr smiled at her inclusion. “So Krell arranged this for us? He must be a very good friend.”
“Yeah. The best.” Dannen gazed down on the planet, lost in thought …
“And that’s the story, Krell.”
Krell had stared openmouthed at Dannen. then at Purr, then back again. “I can believe it. Linkaas never was one for subtlety. So, what are you two doing here on Alderaan?”
“What I’ve always been doing. Looking for cargo to run. Moving cargo and staying out of his way.”
“What about the Rebellion?”
“Rebellion?” Purr said.
“Long story — I’ll explain later.” Dannen said. “I’m not interested in politics. Krell.”
Krell rose to retrieve a fresh bottle from the refrigeration unit in his home’s living area. “You have not heard? I have heard murmurings that the Empire is developing a special project,” he said, leaning forward, his words becoming hushed. “And any special project the Empire develops certainly endangers the freedom of peace-loving worlds.”
Dannen smirked. “Have you been taking Linkaas’ spice? How do you know what the Empire’s up to?”
“I have certain reliable friends who would have access to such information …”
“Look, Krell.” Dannen said, “I just need a tip on where I can go to make some credits. I’ve known you for a long time — you know everything. Give me an idea.”
Krell thought, then looked at his longtime buddy. “Are you willing to work for the Rebellion?”
“What, full-time? Nope. You know I feel for them, but I don’t usually get involved in politics.” He deliberated for a moment. “Tell you what — I’ll move some cargo for them, but I’m not getting involved.”
“All right. I will set up a meet. When I have something for you. I will leave a message. Are you at the spaceport?”
“Yeah, we can’t exactly afford a posh suite,” Dannen grinned.
“Of course, of course. Give it a couple of days; I will leave a message with the codeword at the port when I have something.”
Dannen rose. “Good. Alderaan’s a nice place to visit, but it’s too close to the edge for me, you know?”
Krell smiled as he showed them to the door. “Yes. I do know.”
And now they’d arrived. Rafft was a heavily forested planet, with several settlements dotting the planetscape. Checking the coordinates provided by Krell, Dannen angled the ship toward one of the smaller townships. He landed at the insignificant port, in a landing pit dug into the ground. A tiny tower stood over the other depressions, as if standing guard.
With a hiss, the ramp lowered and Dannen stepped out. “Stay with the ship, Purr,” he called up into the ship. “I’ll be back in a little while.”
“No, I want to come with you,” Purr said.
Dannen looked down into her blue eyes, then relented. “Okay, you can come. Just stay with me.”
She wrapped her arms around him, and kissed his cheek. “I will, I promise!” Embarrassed, Dannen disengaged from the embrace, then led her to the landing pit’s exit ramp.
They walked into the town, glancing at the small shops and houses as they walked by. Dannen paused, gazing into the window of a vehicle repair bay, then entered, motioning for Purr to follow.
The mechanic looked up, then crawled out from under the landspeeder he was working on. He was a little shorter than Dannen, but he was maybe 20 years older. Stuffing a dirty cloth into his coveralls, he approached the pair.
“May I help you?” he asked.
“Yes, you can. I was told to look for a mechanic named Ashe — he’s supposed to be the best on Rafft.”
The man smiled. “I’m Ashe, young sir,” he replied. “What can I do for you?”
Dannen smiled back. “I was told you can fix a frozen quarkmeter with a large hydrospanner with one hand tied behind your back.”
Purr looked at the man, then at Dannen. “Really?” She looked at Ashe, respect shining in her eyes.
Ashe looked at her for a moment, then his smile disappeared. “Who are you?”
“Name’s Dannen Lifehold.” Dannen leaned closer. “Krell sent me.”
“You have the supplies, then?”
“Yes, I do. Where would you like them?”
Ashe reached under the counter and pulled out a datapad. He typed for a minute, then removed the small mem-stik. “This has the planetary coordinates for the base,” he said, extending it to Dannen. “Take the supplies there — you’ll get paid on delivery.”
Dannen noted the sour tone the last words carried as he took the mem-stik. The man clearly thought he was a mercenary smuggler, only in it for the money.
Dannen wondered if Ashe might be right.
Purr caught the tone in Ashe’s voice, and the look that he had given Dannen, but she made no mention of it as they walked back to the Lifeline. Dannen’s silence spoke volumes to her, however — she had been taught since birth to watch the body language of other beings, and to determine what they might do. Dannen was upset, she knew, but if she spoke, he’d just get angry. And that was the last thing she wanted. No, better to let him work it out for himself, she decided.
Inside, however, she smiled. Of course, if he needs my help. I’ll be here.
The memory stick he’d been given directed him to a clearing about 200 kilometers outside the township. The clearing was large enough for the Lifeline to land, and still have enough room for the supplies. Telling Purr to stay put, Dannen disembarked, slowly stepping onto the soil. His blaster was in his hand as he gazed into the trees and bushes surrounding the clearing.
Suddenly, he sensed someone behind him. He whirled quickly, just in time to find the barrel of a blaster pointed at his face. The other person wore a uniform camouflaged for the forest, complete with breath mask, and suspicious eyes.
“Who’re you?” the stranger asked in a voice distorted by the mask.
Dannen slowly raised his hands. “Name’s Dannen Lifehold,” he answered. “Ashe sent me.”
“Do you have the mem-stik?”
Dannen slowly reached into his breast pocket and withdrew it. The stranger took the stick, examined it, then bolstered the blaster “Who else is on board?”
“Just my mechanic.”
“Do you have the supplies?”
“They’re in the hold,” Dannen said, lowering his hands.
The stranger produced a comlink from a pocket. “Leaf One to Base: all clear, bring the movers.”
“Copy, Leaf One,” a voice answered.
Leaf One reached up and removed the breath mask, releasing a mass of auburn hair and smiling blue eyes. She extended a hand to Dannen. “I’m Tawn Porew,” she said. “Sorry about the ambush, but you’re not our regular supplier.”
Dannen shook hands with her as he led her to the ship. “Well, I got the job at the last minute. Wait a second.” He raised his voice. “Purr, open the cargo hatch!” The docking ring promptly extended itself from the top of the ship.
Dannen sighed. “No, Purr, the button next to it!” With the customary hiss of hydraulics, the cargo hatch began lowering.
Tawn chuckled. “Your mechanic doesn’t know your ship too well, does he?”
“She hasn’t been with me too long. It’s kind of a long story.” He glanced back into the woods. “I hope you brought enough cargo lifters — there’s quite a bit of stuff.”
“Don’t worry, they’ll be here.” She sized him up. “You’ll get your money when we’ve verified the inventory. You’ll have to stay until we do.”
“No problem,” Dannen said. “Actually, I’d like to stay.” He looked into the forest again. “When you’ve lived in space as long as I have, you appreciate planetfall … ”
After the Rebels unloaded the Lifeline, Tawn and her commander took them to the base as the others moved the crates. It was fairly small, but cleverly hidden in a cave complex. There was just enough room for a small medical facility, bunks for 12, and an ammo dump.
“You have no ships?”
Tawn looked at Purr, then shook her head. “We just harass the Imperials on the planet we’re assigned to, and try to set up Rebel cells.”
Dannen blinked. “What would the Imperials want from here? From what I’ve seen, this isn’t exactly the technological high point of the galaxy.”
“The Empire is clearing land and building a garrison base,” Tawn said. “We’ve been sabotaging equipment most of the time, and trying to find out why the Empire wants a base on Rafft.”
“Wait a minute. With no ships, what happens if you have to evacuate?”
“We can’t,” Base Commander Peck told him. “The Rebellion doesn’t have enough ships to outfit every outpost, so we are forced to go without.”
“That’s a little cold-blooded, isn’t it?”
“That’s how we operate. We knew it would be dangerous, but we believe in what we’re fighting for.” He looked at Dannen with disdain. “We don’t do it for money.”
“Now wait a minute … ” Dannen bristled.
Peck turned away from him. “Sergeant Porew, unpack the supplies, verify them, then pay this — person — and get him out of here.”
“We’d like to take a look around, sir,” Dannen said.
The commander looked at him coldly. “If it’s all right.” Dannen added hastily.
“Very well. Sergeant, show them around, but keep your eyes on them.” With that, he strode off.
“Yes, sir,” Tawn answered. She faced Dannen. “He’s not big on mercenaries,” she said.
“Why not?” Purr asked.
“Mercenaries killed the woman he loved.”
Purr’s eyes watered. “Oh, no.”
Tawn put a hand on Purr’s shoulder. “It was a while ago. Come on, I’ll show you where you can get something to eat.”
Dannen shook his head. “I’ll help with the unpacking, if I can.”
“Me, too,” Purr piped up.
Tawn smiled. It was a lovely sight. “We can use the help. This way.” She led them to a small area where the crates had been placed. Three Rebels were already unpacking the supplies. They looked up as Tawn showed Dannen inside.
“This is the man who brought the supplies,” she said. “And this is his partner. They want to help unpack.”
The taller of the trio smiled. “Good, we can use it. Help me uncrate this bacta tank.”
Dannen gave an answering smile. “You got it,” he said, moving toward the crate. The man, who said his name was Colin, gave Purr a laser cutter, and showed her how to slice the packing material and not the precious cargo it protected. Once the crate was opened, Dannen, Tawn, and Colin muscled it out. Within half an hour the tank was upright and in its new location.
As they worked, Purr turned to Tawn. “Can I ask you something?”
“What?”
“Why did you join the Rebellion? Why do you fight this Emperor?”
Tawn stopped working to answer Purr. “My parents were killed by the Empire,” she said. Her eyes misted for a moment. “They refused to give up their land. So they were killed.”
Purr gaped. “And the Emperor said to have them killed?”
“No. The Emperor is the head of the government. He’s power-hungry. He wants to control the entire galaxy. He uses fear and terror to keep some planets in line. Others he simply sends in stormtroopers and destroys.”
“But why?”
“Well, some planets have resources that the Empire needs, some have strategic value, and some he controls just to keep other planets in line.” Tawn grimaced. “One planet, kept under control, will keep other planets — sometimes whole systems — from fighting back. And, since the Jedi are gone, the Rebellion’s the best chance the galaxy has.”
Purr’s brow furrowed. “The Jedi?”
Colin spoke up, his voice full of reverence. “The Jedi Knights were the keepers of the flame of the Old Republic. They knew how to use the Force to fight for justice and truth.”
“Yeah, but the Force didn’t keep them safe from Vader,” Dannen said.
“He betrayed them.” Colin answered. “He took their trust and stomped on it.”
“That’s ancient history, Colin. Believe me, I wish the Jedi were still around. Force or no Force. They would give the Empire a run for its credits.” Dannen handed the hydrospanner he was using to Colin, then sighed. “As it stands, though, I think you’re fighting a losing battle. The Rebellion doesn’t stand much of a chance.”
“Is that what you think?” Tawn asked.
“Hey, don’t get me wrong. I believe in what you’re fighting for. I just want to stay alive.”
“By being a smuggler? You have some strange ideas about staying alive, my friend,” said Colin.
Colin helped Dannen move the bacta containers to the tank. The Rebel connected a wide hose from the container to the tank’s inlet valve, and pressed the white “fill” button on the tank. There was a loud hiss as the valve inside the hose punched its way through the seals, then the gelled fluid began to seep into the holding tank.
Dannen turned to Tawn. “By the way, are you guys really expendable? I thought the Rebellion needed all the people it could get.”
/> “Commander Peck feels we are. He believes in the Rebellion, as we all do, but he’s from the old school.”
Dannen grinned. “You mean the ‘Come on, do you wanna live forever’ type?”
“He’s a good man,” Colin said from behind the tank. “And he leads his people well. We’ve survived some tough situations without backup or evacuation plans, mostly due to his leadership.”
“I’ll take your word for it, Colin. But you’ll understand if I don’t like him too much.”
Colin came around from the tank to stand next to Dannen. “That’s quite all right — sometimes I don’t like him much either.” He faced the tank. “You have no idea how badly we needed this bacta.”
“I can guess. You folks have seen a lot of action, huh?”
Tawn answered. “Yes. We disabled a small Imperial shuttle last month.” A grin lit her face as she remembered. “Delayed their takeoff long enough for us to booby-trap their power cells. They blew up in hyperspace.”
“But two men who were preparing the booby-trapped cells died when they exploded prematurely,” said a new voice. They all turned to face Commander Peck, who had walked in. “If we’d had this —” he tapped the side of the tank “— they would have survived.”
Purr’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry.”
“Why should you be sorry? You’re just a delivery service — why should you two care?”
“Look, despite what you may think, we do care.” Dannen snarled. “It’s just that …”
Purr, who had been watching the bacta flow into the tank, suddenly tapped Dannen’s shoulder. “What’s that?” Purr asked, pointing into the bacta.
Colin squinted. “Looks like a piece of equipment.” Quickly, he shut off the power, then climbed into the tank. He reached into the jelly and pulled out a fist-sized cube of metal. He hoisted himself out, wiping the gel from the cube.
“What is it?” Dannen asked.
“Don’t know. Let’s ask our tech expert.” Colin tapped his comlink. “Baker to Thinker, do you read?”
“Thinker here, go ahead.”
“We’ve found something in the bacta shipment — want to take a look?”