The Hunters and the Hunted 7

It occurred to me, as I stepped back on board Executor, that in my wildest dreams I could never have imagined my life as it was now. I was strangely exhausted despite having spent hours doing nothing but sit around and wait yet at the same time I was too wired to sleep. My mind raced, my thoughts were scattered and unfocused. Sorting out everything that had happened seemed just as impossible as getting some rest. I considered going to the training room and exercising my demons away by working out but I didn’t really want to. After dithering around the living space of my quarters for a few moments I finally settled and did the only thing I could think of that made any sense, I made tea. Once that small chore, which never failed to bring me down to earth, was done, I sat down to write to the one man in the galaxy I missed more than anything and the only person I could talk to about what had been going on.


Mia e’Tekari,

In your last letter you wrote that you hoped life onboard the Executor would be relaxed and quiet. Well, I regret to tell you that things here have been anything but 'relaxed and quiet'; in fact things have been completely crazy.

Do you remember the arms shipment at Derra IV? Well, just recently, they found the Rebel Base that shipment was supposed to be sent to. One of the new Viper probe droids discovered the secret hide out on Hoth and things got pretty interesting. Probably it would have been an easy mission but Admiral Ozzel, in his infinite wisdom, had the fleet drop out of hyperspace way too close to the system. The rebels figured out that we were on our way and things got messy. As you can guess, Lord Vader wasn’t impressed with Ozzel’s colossal cock up and dealt with him in the usual abrupt manner. Now Captain Piett is Admiral Piett and the crew have taken started a pool on how long he will survive in this position. The grim humour on board this ship is depressing.

It seems the rebels had a pretty good evacuation plan in place because before we even had ground troops on the way they were sending transports off the planet protected by a large ion canon. While the ISDs went after the rebel transports Lord Vader sent General Veers to the planet with Blizzard Force. The rebels were able to disable one of the ISDs but in the end, Jorae told me, around seventeen rebel transport ships were destroyed in total. From where we were in space it was just pretty flashes of light. Not much to look at really until you think of all the lives being snuffed out in the blink of that brilliant momentary explosion. It hurts me to be near it all. It seems that so many beings dying at once is painful, at least for me. I have been listening to my mother’s diary to see if she says anything about this but so far nothing along those lines has cropped up.

The ground troops had better luck and with the AT-ATs on the surface it wasn’t much of a fight. What was interesting was the rumour that the AT-ATs could be stopped by hobbling the walkers’ legs with some sort of cable. Bet that caught a few people by surprise. When Lord Vader got to the base most of the rebels had escaped, including Han Solo and he, Lord Vader that is, was not in a good mood about any of it. By the time he was back onboard the Executor the planet had been completely evacuated. The rebels were pretty badly beaten and the losses on the Imperial side were fairly minimal by comparison. Once the ground battle was done the space chase began.

Lord Vader sent the entire fleet after Han Solo’s ship the Millennium Falcon, but Solo managed to elude everyone by flying into the Hoth Asteroid Field which caused some serious damage to several ISDs. Do you know that taking and ISD into an asteroid field is a lot like trying to swim in the desert, incredibly pointless and very stupid. I wasn’t able to see the actual chase, I was not allowed near the bridge, so all I saw from the windows in my office were a bunch of asteroids alarmingly up close and personal. It was pretty hairy.

Jorae told me the comm chatter between the ships in the fleet was insane. I got to listen in for a bit and it sounded more like some crazy-assed podrace commentary than anything else. I must admit to a few panicky moments when some of the larger asteroids smashed against the shields and the ship rocked a bit, but for the most part it was the smaller ISDs that took the brunt of the damage not Executor. The hunt went on for several hours and the only reason the Executor was not damaged more is due to the Emperor demanding to speak with Lord Vader. You can’t get a clear signal in an asteroid field so we headed up in free space. I have never been so happy in my life to clear away from a bunch of bouncing stones. I have to tell you, it was just about craziest thing I have ever seen done in a space ship yet, particularly one as large as the Executor.

The Falcon had been tucked away in a cave or sink hole on one of the larger asteroids, according to the TIE Bomber chatter Jorae heard, but despite the searches and the bombing raids they didn’t flush the Falcon out. One of the pilots said it was a giant space worm that spat the Falcon from its huge mouth back into space. This news raised a few eyebrows in the spook room, let me tell you. Despite my best efforts to convince Jorae that Space slugs are not a myth, he wasn’t having any of it. He let me listen in on the com chatter. You should have heard the guys; they were all a twitter about it. It was almost funny!

Once the Falcon was back in open space, the chase started all over again but somehow they missed catching her despite the fact that her hyperdrive was obviously not functioning. Captain Needa, whose ship had lost track of the Falcon, was summarily executed in Vader’s standard manner after he had come on board Executor to apologise. I was awfully glad not to have been there when that happened. A couple of the guys who ended up having to deal with the Captain’s body were pretty down about the whole episode. A high speed chase through a field of dancing rocks is one thing but executing Needa was overkill.

Lord Vader decided that Solo must have taken the Falcon into hyperspace and deployed the fleet to try and figure out where the smuggler had gone. Not surprisingly, it was Boba Fett who tracked Solo down to a place called Cloud City, Bespin, which is where things really got weird.

I know you are sitting there asking yourself, how could it get any weirder…well, get comfortable and I’ll tell you.

Firstly, it began weird when Lord Vader requested me as his shuttle pilot. Okay so that’s not so out of the ordinary, but it was really annoying considering we were still in state of battle alert. It didn’t make anyone else happy either. I don’t know if it is because I am a girl or because I don’t wear a uniform, but me at the helm seems to make everyone except Lord Vader very uncomfortable. It’s not even as if I am a bad pilot or anything but it does feel odd to be ferrying around the Emperor’s Iron Fist, along with a small platoon of storm troopers and a couple of officers when there is an entire ship full of qualified pilots who could do the job. Lord Vader wasn’t too impressed with my protests and I figured it was better to do as he asked than end up like Captain Needa. He was even less impressed when I almost flew us into a building because he decided to use the headset comm I was wearing to yell at Cloud City Air control without taking the head set off my head first. Once the excitement of trying not to crash was over and we had landed, he and his men disembarked and I was told to stay put. Sometimes I feel like a well trained slash hound when I am around him. Yip, yip, yip yes master…most of the time I don’t mind but occasionally it gets tedious.

I don’t know if you have ever been to this system, but Cloud city is an impressive place. It hovers in the oxygen layer, what the locals call the ‘life Zone’, above the gas giant Bespin. The planet itself is incredibly beautiful. Its reddish coloured gases move lazily about the surface and lower atmosphere making it seem as though it is wearing a swirling red dress, veiled in delicate lace of golds and oranges. There are almost six million people living in this place which just floats here like a giant sail barge. I wished I had been able to fly around the city to get a really good look at it, but Lord Vader was in one of his “don’t piss me off moods” so I wasn’t about to try my luck. As he outlined some of his plans, I just felt sorry for the rebels he was chasing.

He planned on using Skywalker’s friends to lure him into Cloud City and making use of the carbon freezing facility to trap him. He seemed pretty confident that Skywalker would not only come to rescue his friends but try to engage Lord Vader in a fight. It doesn't sound like this kid is really all that smart to me, you know?

It isn’t often that Lord Vader will speak about his son but something odd happened a while back that made me ask about him. We had been in the middle of a meeting when there was a sudden ripple in the force. It felt as if a cold hand had brushed the back of my neck. I had started to ask Lord Vader what it was but he had waved his hand at me to shut up. For the longest moment he stood statue still, as though he were listening to a sound only he could hear. The conversation that followed went something like this…

“Skywalker is powerful in the force.” He had said after what seemed forever.
“He is your son.” I had countered.
“Yes, there is that but he is stronger now. He was well trained.”
“Who is training him? I thought all the Jedi had been…uhm...dealt with.”
“My old master managed to avoid capture and gave the boy some help. I dealt with Kenobi on the Death Star but it would appear that Skywalker has taken his lessons to heart.” There was a touch of pride underneath the contempt; I could feel it as strongly as I feel your desire when you want me in your bed. (Which, by the way, I miss.) Anyway…
I asked him, “What will the Emperor do with Luke if you catch him?”
Vader had turned to look at me. “Do you really wish to know?”
I hadn’t really had to think about my answer. “Uh no, I guess not.”
He had turned his head to look back out at the stars. “The Emperor will train him in the ways of the Sith.”
“I thought you said there could be only two...” I did not dare to ask the question which was really on my mind, namely if the Emperor got a hold of Luke to train up as a sith, what did that mean for Lord Vader?
Vader had glanced at me. “Perhaps there is hope for you yet.” Was his only comment, it had made me shiver. Shortly after this all hell had broken loose because we had dropped out of hyperspace too close to the Hoth system and the fight over the Rebel base began.

I’m not sure when he came up with the plan to catch Luke, but I do know that Boba Fett was helping him. Speaking of Fett I had a long chat with him and ended up telling him about my biological father. Talk about a strange conversation. I won’t regale you with the details here, that’s a conversation to save for face to face with something to drink. It’s too surreal to even try and write about.

Anyway, I waited on the landing pad for pretty much the whole day. It was probably one of the dullest assignments I have ever had but I wasn’t about to argue with Lord Vader given the mood he was in. There is enough work on a shuttle, if you look for it, and I had a book with me, one that you had given me. However, even I have my limits and once I finished the book, cleaned the engine and done all the rest of the keep Merly occupied tricks I knew, I decided to take a short nap in the cockpit, you know how easily I can sleep in the pilot’s chair, (no jokes please). The most annoying thing about the entire day was that I could not leave the shuttle to explore the city. I must have had a good nap because the next thing I knew I was being barked at by Lord Vader to let the Executor know he was on his way back and the sun was setting.

I didn’t need to be force sensitive to figure out that things had not gone so well and considering that only half the men he had arrived with left with him I guess it was good for me that I got to stay with the shuttle. The trip back to the Executor was pretty quiet from my side of things and I was grateful not to be sitting with him in the back. He was in a don’t disturb me if you want to live sort of mood and I decided not to ask him about the wound on his arm.

Later on I pestered him about what had happened; he told me had been in a lightsaber fight with Luke Skywalker. He didn’t really want to talk to me about what exactly had happened even after I inquired about the damage to his shoulder. He did fill me in on what had happened to Han Solo, though. Well actually, I had to bug him about that as well, mostly because I was curious about how that particular part of the story ended. It turns out that Solo had been easily captured, betrayed by Lando Calrissian. Vader used Solo as a test subject for the carbon freeze facility and then once he was placed into carbonite, Boba Fett was allowed to take him back to Jabba the Hutt. Fett has been after Solo for years so I am betting that this will be a bit of a relief for him and Jabba will be thrilled. I can’t imagine what he’ll do with a Solo encased in carbonite though, but I have to tell you he’d make a great wall decoration. Jabba was so ticked when Solo dumped his spice cargo. I don’t recall ever seeing the Hutt so annoyed with one of his smugglers or so vengeful before.

Calrissian must have had a change of heart after watching his sometime friend get put into carbon freeze because shortly after I got notification we’d be bringing prisoners back to the Executor all hell broke loose on Cloud City. I think some sort of evacuation order had been given because people suddenly began streaming from the buildings and fleeing. The people he had wanted to capture escaped on the Millennium Falcon and I sometimes think this ship has a charmed life all of its own. Once Lord Vader was back on board the Executor he gave the order to chase the Falcon and capture her along with her crew. Vader had his men disable the hyperdrive on the Millennium Falcon but I guess something went a little wrong there because they managed to engage their hyperdrive anyway and she escaped with all hands on board, except Solo, that is. I guess Lord Vader was really distracted by the fight he had had with his son because he let Admiral Piett live despite the fact that the Millennium Falcon slipped away from right under everyone’s noses. The whole ship has been buzzing about it ever since. I didn’t need to be on the bridge to know that Lord Vader was furious but he also had his mind on other things.

Lord Vader is now utterly wrapped up in finding his son. It has become his obsession and even though he hides it, I know. It doesn’t help that the Emperor nags him about it. If were to tell you I don’t know how I feel about this would it seem odd to you? Would it be even odder if I told you that I even though I have never met Luke Skywalker I already don’t like him? Part of me is jealous and part of me is annoyed and part of me wonders why I even care? It doesn’t make much sense but I don’t have anyone else to talk to about it.

Once I got the shuttle back on board, I was off duty. It was a long tedious day and I should be sleeping but here I am back in my quarters and I can’t shut my brain up so guess what…you get this letter! I had thought that we would be heading back to the core at some point, as soon as Lord Vader concluded what ever business he still has left here but as I look out of my window I can still see Bespin and we are in a holding orbit, so I guess we are not done here yet.

I have to be honest with you, despite the fact that Shiv and the crew will be there, I don’t much look forward to returning to the Core. With you gone it will be hard to be back there and even harder to rattle about in that stunning flat of yours all alone, which is my round-about way of telling you that I miss you but I suspect you already know this.

I should also tell you that the last book you gave me, you know the one you handed me before vanishing off into the Unknown Regions again, completely caught me off guard. I had taken it with me when I flew Lord Vader to Cloud City figuring there might be a bit of a wait in there but I wasn’t expecting it to be so… well… arousing, for lack of a better word. It made me shiver and not in the way that happens when one is cold. I had no idea the Chiss had authors capable of such passionate wording or intensity. You always give me the impression that your people are quite cool and dispassionate with you being an exception, of course.

You might want to warn me the next time you give me a book like that to read. Telling me it is considered a classic somehow doesn’t really give me any clues as to its true nature. Mostly, it made me miss you so needless to say by the time Lord Vader returned to the shuttle neither of us was in a particularly cheery mood. You were right though, I loved the story and how it was written. It was racy and breathtaking plus it made me cry at the end which you knew would happen. I was incredibly happy that I was alone when I was reading it. So, to answer the question you asked before you left, yes I would certainly love to read more of his work, although I’d prefer to do that when you are closer at hand. You might want to let me know when you will be around next because I have plans. Speaking of plans…what is this I hear about you having a possible change of rank?

Now, I need to get in touch with Jarack so that he can deliver this to you. Take care of yourself.

Mera’ta’llath’Ia,
Merlyn

I folded the letter and slipped it into an envelope. An hour later, while I was in the middle of watching the HoloNet news cast my door chime rang. The surprise on my face made Jarack grin and the stormtroopers at his side tense slightly. He smirked as he walked in, waving his escort away, they ignored him despite the Imperial symbols on his flight suit sleeves.

“Thank-you gentlemen, I’ll be fine.” I told them. There was a moment’s hesitation and then an imperceptible shrug and the stormtroopers left, the door closing quietly after.

“I wasn't expecting to see you.” I said. “In fact I was going to try and get in touch with you to pick up a letter.”

“Does this mean I surpassed your expectation with my exceptional service?” he asked with a smirk.

“The next time I see Thrawn I’ll be sure to tell him how wonderful you are.” I teased and gestured to the couch.

“I heard you had some excitement.” He said as he sat down.

“Are you talking about Hoth or Bespin?”

“Both actually.” He answered.

“Yes, well actually I think the most exciting part of the whole event was watching the bridge crew trying to navigate an SSD through an asteroid field. Well, I didn't actually get to see them but I saw the results.”

Jarack raised both eyebrows in silent question.

I just shrugged, what was there to say about it? “So, what brings you to my neck of the galaxy?”

“I have something for you.” And he drew out a large sealed package from his satchel and handed it to me. As I smiled he grinned. “See, that’s the reason I do this job.” He said.

“Oh?” I asked trying not to hug the courier package to my chest. “Do you want something to drink?”

He shook his head and said. “The Admiral inferred it was of great importance that this get to you today so here I am, but I can’t stay.”

“Hang on a sec then, I have something for you to return to him with.” And I handed him the envelope. “So, you just happened to come all the way out here just to deliver mail?”

He gave me a little shrug. “Actually, this was a side trip. I was on a little mission for the Admiral, nothing spectacular and now that I am done I must return to rendezvous with him as soon as possible.” His tone of voice told me he wouldn’t elaborate.

I just shook my head. “Keep your secrets, then. Will you tell the Admiral I said hullo?”

“I always do, Miss.” Jarack waved my letter to Thrawn and then tucked it in his satchel. “I am sure this will keep him entertained for a bit, maybe I can even catch a few hours sleep. Take care of yourself, Miss Gabriel, you look tired.”

“As you so aptly put it, we’ve had a bit of excitement here, it does throw a bit of a hyper-wrench into my sleeping routines.”

“You mean Vader actually lets you sleep?” He asked cheekily getting up and heading to the door.

I made a ‘Pssht’ noise at him and waved him out of my quarters. “I guess I’ll see you next time.”

He nodded and I watched as he left. It was late, I was exhausted and suddenly the only place I wanted to be was in bed. I was about to turn in when the door chime rang again. I thought it was Jarack, that maybe he had forgotten to tell me something but when I opened the door to my surprise it was the young man who took care of the mail. He surprised me even more by handing me a pile of small packages.

“These came in on the last delivery but we were told not to give them to you until today.” He said. “I guess it must be a special day or something. I hope it was a good one, Miss.”

I took the mail from his hands and merely nodded. Special day? Nothing came to mind but mail was always welcome. I thanked him and closed the door, puzzling over what made this particular day different from any other.