Rebel Force_ Renegade Part 9

"This is all a big mistake," Han said. "I'm just here to fix the cargo lifts."

"The cargo lifts don't need fixing," one of the stormtroopers responded, marching him into the corridor.

"All a big misunderstanding then," Han bl.u.s.tered. "No need to apologize. Just show me what needs fixing and I'll...uh...fix it."

This time the stormtrooper just ignored him, handing him off to two others.

"Take the prisoner to interrogation," he said. They nodded in unison. Each grabbed one of Han's arms, and they marched him down the narrow white hallway.

Han had experienced Imperial interrogation tactics. He didn't have too much interest in a return visit. He wriggled around in his restraints. The stormtroopers had replaced Lore's makes.h.i.+ft rope cuffs with a pair of standard Imperial binders. There was no hope of escape, but if he stretched, he could just just reach his comlink and open a channel to Chewbacca. Hopefully, Han could alert the Wookiee to the situation before he responded and gave the game away. "So, you're taking me in for an Imperial interrogation?" he said loudly, once he'd opened the channel. "Where is that, exactly?" reach his comlink and open a channel to Chewbacca. Hopefully, Han could alert the Wookiee to the situation before he responded and gave the game away. "So, you're taking me in for an Imperial interrogation?" he said loudly, once he'd opened the channel. "Where is that, exactly?"

The stormtroopers ignored him. Hope you're listening, Chewie Hope you're listening, Chewie, he thought.

There was the possibility Chewbacca had been taken prisoner as well. But Han didn't let himself think like that. The Wookiee was too smart.

Of course, so am I.

As they turned a corner, Han spotted the two things he needed for an escape: a notation marking this as corridor E-71, and a damaged bulkhead, its top half peeling away from the wall.

"See, you could use some maintenance after all," Han said loudly, hoping that Chewbacca could hear him-and that he'd succeeded in infiltrating the station's operating systems. Specifically, it's electrical system. "Look at that shoddy workmans.h.i.+p, right here in corridor E-71. That could be dangerous," he warned the stormtroopers. "What if you had some kind of electrical failure with your lighting system and someone just blundered into the bulkhead?" He shook his head, taking a close look around to memorize his surroundings. The remote locking device for his wrist binders was tucked into the utility belt of the stormtrooper to his left. "Nothing more inconvenient than an on-the-job injury,"

he said. "You should really get that checked out. Now, while the lights are still on."

"What are you yammering about?" the stormtrooper on his right snapped irritably.

Come on, fuzzbrain, Han thought. Get the message Get the message. But nothing happened.

He'd have to buy himself some time.

Feigning clumsiness, he tripped and stumbled to his hands and knees. The stormtroopers stopped and hauled him back to his feet. "See, this is what I'm talking about," he said, even louder than before. "Imagine a bunch of clumsy folk b.u.mbling around here in a blackout blackout. Here in corridor corridor E-71. You wouldn't want-" E-71. You wouldn't want-"

The lights went out.

Han was ready. Before the stormtroopers knew what was happening, he slung his bound hands into the first one's head knocking him into the second one. They tumbled to the floor together. By feel, Han found the locking device lodged by the stormtrooper's blaster, and then for good measure, s.n.a.t.c.hed the weapon, too.

"See, fellas? This is what I'm talking about," he said, as he pried the peeling bulkhead off the wall. The stormtroopers were shooting blindly in the wrong direction, their laserfire sizzling through the dark.

"You said right! right! " Han hissed into the comlink, slithering backward through the duct until he reached the fork. This time, he took a left. Chewbacca growled into his ear. "No, if you'd said " Han hissed into the comlink, slithering backward through the duct until he reached the fork. This time, he took a left. Chewbacca growled into his ear. "No, if you'd said left left, I would have gone left left," Han snapped, inching forward again. He'd been s.h.i.+mmying through the ducts and conduits of the station for what seemed like hours, following Chewbacca's hastily whispered instructions. If all went according to plan, he'd eventually emerge in the shuttle docking bay, meet Chewbacca, steal a shuttle, and fly off to safety.

If he could ever find his way out of these tunnels.

This one pa.s.sed right over a series of crew quarters, and the ceilings were thin enough that he could hear s.n.a.t.c.hes of conversation filtering up from below.

Banter about a recent game of zoneball, gossip about the latest antics of a well-known HoloVision star, even a parent yelling at his kid for shooting out a viewscreen with his junior blaster-it was almost easy to forget that this was an Imperial outpost, bent on rooting out the heart of the Rebellion and stomping it to pieces. They all seemed so normal.

And then: "This is taking far too long!" an angry voice raged. "You know the punishment for failure."

"I have a lead," said another voice, strangely familiar. "Only a little more time and Skywalker is mine."

Though he knew the stormtroopers were tearing the station apart searching for him, and any delay could mean his life, Han froze.

One of the voices belonged to a stranger.

The other-it made no sense, but Han had no doubt it belonged to someone he knew and trusted. More to the point, someone Luke Luke knew and trusted. It belonged to Tobin Elad. knew and trusted. It belonged to Tobin Elad.

X-f0 7 couldn't avert his eyes from the screen. The Commander was terrifying in his rage. His narrow, pinched face remained palely inexpressive. But X-f0 7 knew well the anger that roiled behind his steely eyes.

" You think you can escape? You think you can escape? " " the Commander roars. the Commander roars.

X-f0 7, who once thought himself a man without fear, cowers in the corner. A 7, who once thought himself a man without fear, cowers in the corner. A large borrat scampers toward him and begins gnawing at the flesh of his hand. large borrat scampers toward him and begins gnawing at the flesh of his hand.

X-f0 7 ignores it. Locked in the dark for endless days, he has become used to the 7 ignores it. Locked in the dark for endless days, he has become used to the borrats. borrats.

" There is no escape from me, There is no escape from me, " " the Commander says, quiet now. Dangerous. the Commander says, quiet now. Dangerous.

X-f0 7 no longer knows how long he has been in the training facility. He no 7 no longer knows how long he has been in the training facility. He no longer remembers how he came to be there. And he no longer knows who he longer remembers how he came to be there. And he no longer knows who he once was. once was.

But he knows he was someone someone . .

Before they cleansed his brain, before they turned him into a machine to do their bidding, before he belonged to the Commander, he belonged to their bidding, before he belonged to the Commander, he belonged to himself himself . He . He remembers that. remembers that.

Which is why he killed the guards, scaled the walls, escaped.

Until the Commander's men dragged him back and threw him into the dark.

" You thought you'd succeeded, didn't you? You thought you'd succeeded, didn't you? " " the Commander asks. He the Commander asks. He laughs. laughs. " " I I let let you try. Wanted to see whether you'd make it. you try. Wanted to see whether you'd make it. " "

X-f0 7 is afraid to speak. He doesn't want to say anything that might make the 7 is afraid to speak. He doesn't want to say anything that might make the Commander leave him alone again, in the silent dark. Any longer, and he fears Commander leave him alone again, in the silent dark. Any longer, and he fears he may go mad. he may go mad.

The Commander crosses the room, strokes X-f0 7 gently across the forehead. 7 gently across the forehead.

X-f0 7 s.h.i.+vers at the touch of another human, the confirmation that he is not alone 7 s.h.i.+vers at the touch of another human, the confirmation that he is not alone in the galaxy. in the galaxy. " " This has been very hard for you, This has been very hard for you, " " the Commander says softly. the Commander says softly. " " I I know. And you have a long road still to walk, my young friend. But at the end of know. And you have a long road still to walk, my young friend. But at the end of it, you will emerge strong. I will make you strong. You want that, don't you? it, you will emerge strong. I will make you strong. You want that, don't you? " "

X-f0 7 nods. He wants whatever the Commander wants. Because the 7 nods. He wants whatever the Commander wants. Because the Commander holds the keys to the door. The Commander can let him out of the Commander holds the keys to the door. The Commander can let him out of the dark. dark.

" You're not going to try to escape again, are you? You're not going to try to escape again, are you? " " the Commander asks. the Commander asks.

" You've learned your lesson, haven't you? You've learned your lesson, haven't you? " "

X-f0 7 nods again. He means it. But the Commander frowns. 7 nods again. He means it. But the Commander frowns. " " No, you No, you haven't, haven't, " " he says. he says. " " But you will. We'll make sure that you don't want to be But you will. We'll make sure that you don't want to be anywhere else than here. That you don't want to do anything else but serve me, anywhere else than here. That you don't want to do anything else but serve me, Only that will make you happy. You'd like that, wouldn't you? Only that will make you happy. You'd like that, wouldn't you? " " he asks. he asks. " " To be To be happy? happy? " "

X-f0 7 nods. 7 nods.

" Speak, boy, Speak, boy, " " the Commander snaps. the Commander snaps.

" Yes, Yes, " " X X-f0 7 says, hesitantly, his voice dry and raspy. It has been so long 7 says, hesitantly, his voice dry and raspy. It has been so long since he's spoken. since he's spoken. " " I want to be happy. I want to be happy. " "

" And only one person can make you happy, And only one person can make you happy, " " the Commander says. the Commander says. " " Do you Do you know who that is? know who that is? " "

" You, You, " " X X-f0 7 whispers. 7 whispers.

" That's good, That's good, " " the Commander says. He kneels down, eye to eye with X the Commander says. He kneels down, eye to eye with X-f0 7. 7.

He brings his face close enough that, in the dim light filtering through the open door, X door, X-f0 7 can see the rage in his eyes. The Commander pulls out a vibroblade, 7 can see the rage in his eyes. The Commander pulls out a vibroblade, the light glinting off its razor edge. He presses it to the soft flesh beneath X the light glinting off its razor edge. He presses it to the soft flesh beneath X-f0 7's 7's jaw. jaw. " " Now then, Now then, " " the Commander grits, bearing down. the Commander grits, bearing down. " " Let's teach you how to be Let's teach you how to be happy. happy. " "

X-f0 7 recoiled from the rage in the Commander's gaze, glad that several light-years separated him from his master.

"Where is Skywalker?" the Commander asked, as he had been asking for the last several days. Each time, his voice grew quieter and tighter, as if a great force of will was needed to keep him from climbing through the screen and throttling X-f0 7 with his bare hands.

Not that the Commander believed in applying his own force. He preferred a more elegant style of punishment.

X-f0 7 suppressed a shudder. "Tatooine," he said, with a certainty he didn't feel. Extensive a.n.a.lysis of Luke's computer records had turned up traces of a deleted communication from several weeks before. An invitation to attend a gathering of old friends on his home planet, conveniently set for this week. There was no other evidence that Luke was there-along with no evidence whatsoever that he was anywhere else. It was X-f0 7's best lead, and it would have to do.

"This delay is unacceptable, X-f0 7," the Commander said.

"Yes, Commander," X-f0 7 said obediently.

"You will go there now, and you will kill him."

X-f0 7 nodded. "Am I still to maintain my cover as Tobin Elad?"

"If possible," the Commander said. "But your first priority is Skywalker's death. If you need to reveal yourself to do so-" His face wrinkled in distaste, and X-f0 7 knew exactly what he was thinking. X-f0 7 had been given a mission, and he had proven himself inadequate to the task. The Commander was now easing his standards. If you need to reveal yourself If you need to reveal yourself meant meant If you're so If you're so incompetent that you can't do what I wanted you to do incompetent that you can't do what I wanted you to do. X-f0 7 would pay for that later.

He was paying for it now, with a deep, throbbing pain radiating from his chest and head, so intense it was nearly paralyzing. The Commander had taught him well, and X-f0 7's body remembered as well as his brain. The Commander's displeasure was X-f0 7's agony, whether they were in the same room or halfway across the galaxy from each other.

"It will be done, Commander," X-f0 7 said.

"And then you will report to me," the Commander said.

"That's not necessary-"

"You defy defy me?" the Commander asked in a level voice, raising his eyebrow. me?" the Commander asked in a level voice, raising his eyebrow.

The ghost of a smile pa.s.sed across his face.

"Never," X-f0 7 said.

"Then when the job is done, you will report to me," he reported. "For further training. You seem to need a refresher."

Further training meant further pain. Meant further hours in the dark, with the needles and the blades. It also meant returning to the only place he would ever call a home.

"Yes, sir," X-f0 7 said in a thin voice. "I look forward to it."

And deep down, in a dark, hidden corner of his mind, this was true.

The stormtroopers didn't know what hit them. They were expecting to find Han behind the bulkheads-not cras.h.i.+ng through the ceiling of the shuttle bay, blaster blazing. He took down the two nearest stormtroopers before they had time to react. Chewbacca, storming in with two of the prisoner Wookiees on his heels, took care of the other six. Laserfire streaked across the shuttle bay, sparking and sizzling against the durasteel of the shuttle bodies. Alarms blared, but-as they'd originally planned before Lore's betrayal-Chewbacca had disabled the poorly protected s.h.i.+eld systems that would have prevented an unauthorized departure. All they needed to do was select a shuttle, and they were good to go.

Han picked the ugliest of the s.h.i.+ps, a Lambda Lambda with scarred wings and a gaping hole in the cargo unit. Something about it reminded him of the with scarred wings and a gaping hole in the cargo unit. Something about it reminded him of the Falcon Falcon.

And, he rationalized, if it had endured this much damage, it must be able to really fly fly.

"Whoa there," Han said, as the other two Wookiees tried to pile in after Chewbacca. "Where do you think you're you're going?" going?"

Chewbacca growled, and gestured for the Wookiees to come inside.

"What do you mean mean they're coming with us?" Han asked, with a pointed look at the useless cargo hold and the cramped cabin. "Does it look like we have room for strays?" they're coming with us?" Han asked, with a pointed look at the useless cargo hold and the cramped cabin. "Does it look like we have room for strays?"

Chewbacca growled again, pointing out that the Wookiees had helped him escape and now he was returning the favor.

Then he reminded Han that if it wasn't for his help, Han would be stewing in an Imperial interrogation chamber right about now.

Han sighed. He'd always had a soft spot for Wookiees. It couldn't hurt to help a couple of them break free.

Even if it would mean spending the return journey with a mouth full of fur.

"Well, what am I supposed to do, Chewie?" Han asked, leaning back in his chair. It should have felt good to be back on the Millennium Falcon Millennium Falcon, but something still felt off. A strange, queasy feeling, like everything was off-balance.

It's got nothing nothing to do with Luke and Leia to do with Luke and Leia, he told himself. Probably he was still unsettled by Lore's betrayal, and the thought that once, he might have done the same thing.

Or maybe he'd just eaten some bad meatlump.

"You expect me to power up the hyperdrive and speed off to Tatooine?" Han asked. "All because I overheard something that may may mean Luke is in danger?" mean Luke is in danger?"

Chewbacca's response made it clear this was exactly exactly what he expected Han to do. what he expected Han to do.

"You know who else is on Tatooine?" Han said. " Jabba Jabba. You realize that puts my my life in danger, right?" life in danger, right?"

Chewbacca barked a dismissive reply.

"No, Jabba doesn't scare me," Han retorted hotly. "But he's got half the bounty hunters in the galaxy out looking for me-and you want me to show up on his doorstep? Without Without his payment?" Han shook his head. "Besides, don't you think it's just a little convenient that we stumbled onto exactly the information we were looking for? That of all the Imperial stations in all the galaxy we ended up on this one? A little his payment?" Han shook his head. "Besides, don't you think it's just a little convenient that we stumbled onto exactly the information we were looking for? That of all the Imperial stations in all the galaxy we ended up on this one? A little too too convenient, maybe?" convenient, maybe?"

Chewbacca growled a final answer and, as if to make clear this was last word on the issue, turned his back on Han and began monkeying with the dented power cell housing.

"Don't know why you're so sure I'll do the right thing," Han muttered, staring blindly at the navigation computer, trying to decide which coordinates to enter.

"Not like I ever have before."

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

I would know if Luke were dead, Leia kept telling herself. I would know. I would I would know. I would know. know.

Three words, repeated over and over again, got her through each moment and the next. They meant everything to her-and nothing to anyone else. As darkness fell, Luke's friends were ready to give up on him, but Leia insisted on staying and searching the area of the crash, seeking some clue to Luke and Jaxson's fate.