Chapter 19 Almost a hero

 

Chapter 19  Almost  a  hero

Ceecee had been busy checking provisions and spare parts on the ship Mykala and her were supposed to fly back. She had just realized she hadn’t seen Mykala in hours. She had thought maybe she went to see how the other ship was coming along but even then she should have come back by now. She packed her equipment inside the tool compartment that had been built into her droid and walked over to the other ship to ask about Mykala. She looked around the other ship and found Granic in the engine room.
“Where’s  Mykala?” Ceecee asked.
“She went to have a look around.”Granic said. “ She was getting antsy just waiting with nothing to do.”
“How long has she been gone?” Kang asked as he came in.
“I don’t know, maybe two hours since I saw her.” Granic stopped working and began to become concerned.

“What’s taking so long, should we be worried? “ Tarin asked Venis. Tarin had been waiting in her quarters when they landed over two hours ago. Baltis, Venis and herself were to take this ship back to the base. The two new ships would meet them there in three days.
“I just spoke with Ceecee and she said Mykala is missing.” Venis said.
“ What do you think is going on?”Tarin asked.
“If she went and got herself lost here that’s got nothing to do with me.” Venis snapped. She had become very defensive.
“Step back with that. You will not talk to me that way. I just wanted your opinion because I figured you knew this place better than any of us.” Tarin said coldly.
Venis had forgotten she was talking too one of the deadliest assassins in the galaxy.
“I’m sorry, it’s just that everybody knows me and Mykala don’t like each other and this would be the perfect place for me to do something about it. I know it’s hard for you all to trust me, it makes me a little defensive.” Venis had changed her tone to a more apologetic one.
“Well?” Tarin said putting Venis back on track.
“Oh, uh, I guess she could be at the “Trade Store”, It’s not a store but a huge area where you can buy just about anything. It’s really big and confusing so she might have gone there and got turned around and can’t find her way back.” Venis said.
“ I have a bad feeling about this. I wish Buck was here. This is bad and there’s going to be gun play involved I can feel it.” Tarin said as she turned and left the cockpit.

Pep slipped out of bed and put on one of Matt’s shirts. He was fast asleep, he could always sleep well no matter what was happening around him. Pep left the room and quietly went to the galley. She poured a large cup of stimtea and carried it to the cockpit. Bronski was at the controls. He had his feet up on the main console relaxing with a cigar. He had made himself comfortable and had his shirt off. Pep saw for the first time just how many scars he had. After so many injuries how could this man still be alive.
“Hey Pep, what you got there?” Bronski asked.
“I thought you might like something to keep you awake.” she said handing him the cup.
He took the cup in his big hand. Pep was afraid he would drop it because it was still very hot but it the heat didn’t faze him.
“Thanks.” he said and took a big gulp of the steaming hot liquid without even a blink of his eye.
“What’s got you up so late beautiful?” Buck never seemed to give Pep a hard time. He thought that anything he said or did to this poor girl would be nothing compared to what she had really been through. If anyone deserved a pass from his big mouth it would be her.
“ I’m nervous about tomorrow. Something bad is going to happen.” she said as she leaned back in the other chair.
Buck looked over at her. She was almost nude wearing only Matt’s shirt. She had  buttoned one of the buttons causing it to hang open revealing most of her left breast and thigh.
Bronski looked closer.
Her face was dimly lit by the cockpit lights giving her a very sensual glow. She was pouting her lips due to nervousness making them all the more inviting. It didn’t help matters that her tail was swishing back and forth occasionally  brushing against Bucks leg.
“Do you ever have sex with anyone else besides Matt?” Bronski asked bluntly.
“No, Matt wouldn’t want me to do that, he likes it better this way.” she smiled.
“Then you should probably go now.” Buck said smiling.
Pep looked surprised for a moment and then looked down and noticed how she was dressed.
“Oops, sorry.” she said smiling and hurried back to Matt’s room.

Mykala stared at Lyda Starkiller with a hatred that burned as hot as a star. Lyda looked back smirking. They didn’t put up a fight when they were taken away by the Storm troopers. Both were wanted by the Empire but they were arrested for trespassing on Imperial property. They had stumbled onto the new Imperial base  with out knowing it. Neither one had told the Stormtroopers anything so they were brought in for questioning. They had been hand cuffed and thrown into a room together along with Brea who was also hand cuffed. The Stormtroopers had found each ones light sabers when they were searched. They had their handcuffs fastened to long horizontal poles on opposite sides of the room.
“It’s best if we don’t reminisce about old times, I’m sure they’re listening in on us.”Lyda said as she tossed back her long dark hair.
“Nice hair, it is going to look nice hanging on my wall.” Mykala said almost in a whisper.
“Once again we find ourselves so close and yet so far apart. Isn’t it terrible to have an itch that you can’t scratch?” Lyda taunted.
“Don’t worry there will be plenty of scratching going on later.” Mykala grinned.
“Ooh me-ow, I can hardly wait.” Lyda undulated her shoulders as if Mykala had made a sexual reference and then laughed. She had no fear of Mykala.

“Please Vee we need you down here.” Ceecee said.
“Fine, just great. I’m doing this for you Ceecee.” Venis didn’t want to get involved with Mykala’s sudden disappearance. Ceecee begged her to help since it had now been over three hours since Mykala had gone missing.
“We’ll stay here and watch the ship Venis, you just go and help the best you can.” Tarin said. Baltis had his rifle with him. He trusted Tarin’s instincts now and wanted to be prepared.
“ Look, I have only been here a couple of times so it’s not like I know a lot more about this place than you guys.” Vee said as she stood in the doorway.
“You want us all to trust you right? Well now’s your big chance to show us.” Baltis added.
Venis turned and left. Of all the people that had to go missing why did it have to be her. Venis took the elevator down to the hangar below. There she met Ceecee, Granic, and Kang.
“Okay it’s important we all stick together when we get to the “Trade Store” because it’s very confusing in there. Don’t loose sight of each other for any reason.” Venis said. The others just nodded and off they went.

Matt was sitting up in bed with Pep behind him. She was rubbing his shoulders and back helping him to wake up. His shift was about to start so he had to get ready. He reached around and put his hand on Pep’s leg.
“Off !” She said playfully and gave his hand a smack. “You have to get up and take over for Mr. Bronski.”
“ Okay, okay .”Matt said as he stood up and grabbed his pants. He was well rested and new he had to go. It didn’t help that he had this overly enthusiastic woman laying naked in the bed he had to leave.
“Hurry up Matt or you’ll be late.”
“Uuuh.” he groaned and walked out the door as he put on his shirt.
“I’ll be up and give you some company later.” Pep said as he disappeared around the corner.
Matt entered the cockpit just in time to see Bronski  pull a big fuzzy lump out from between his toes. He balled it up and flicked it at the cockpit window. It stuck fast and Bronski shot both hands into the air as if he had just scored a point in some Bronski land game.
“Okay, I’m here.” Matt said as he tried hard to think of a way to remove the object from the window without having to look at it for the next ten hours.
“I had too throttle it back by fifteen percent because number four engine is running hot. That’s going to add four hours to the trip, I just hope it doesn’t make a difference.” Bronski said as he stood up.
“Wonderful.” Matt said as he sat down.
“Well I’m gonna get some shut eye, I guess I’ll be needing it.” Bronski said. “Oh yeah, buy that girl friend of yours some pajamas.” he added as he walked down the hall.
Matt just looked down the hall with a puzzled look on his face for a moment. “Crazy bastard.” he muttered to himself.

The door opened to the cell. In stepped two Stormtroopers and an officer dressed in his sharp gray uniform. He motioned to the Stormtroopers to take Brea out and to leave him alone with Lyda and Mykala. The officer pulled up a chair and sat down with his back to the door so he could watch both women at the same time. He calmly removed his hat and tossed it onto the table.
“I am Commander Willin, I am in charge of this facility. Both of you were captured armed with light sabers. This is a very serious crime. If you were just twenty feet away and not on Imperial property there would be very little I could have done. We are guests here and I am charged with respecting Rollo the Hutts rights. Now my task is to determine who you are and what you are doing here. I’ve noticed that your light sabers are red and you carry two.” he said addressing  Lyda.
“You are Sith.” he said to Lyda.
“You only carried one.” he said too Mykala.
“You are a Jedi.” he said to Mykala.
“ My problem is figuring out why you are here.” Willin said.
He waited for either of them to respond.
“I find it strange that a Sith would not be demanding me to release her and to obey her orders. I find this very strange indeed.” he looked at Lyda waiting for her response again and was met with silence.
“It seems you are some sort of Jedi or Padwan that we have missed until now. Your fate is much easier to determine. Once we have had you checked out you will be executed.” he said to Mykala.
Mykala shook her head and laughed in frustration. She would be shot and teleport back to Tahl Jae Roe’s home to begin this whole ordeal again. To her amazement Lyda began to laugh along with her. She had obviously figured out what was about to happen and felt the same incredible frustration. If she told the Commander who Mykala was they would find out that she was Lyda Starkiller and she would be shot also but she wouldn’t be coming back from the dead. It seemed neither one could tell on the other without making things worse than they already were. They both began to laugh hysterically from the shear exhaustion of their never ending battle.
“So you think this is a laughing matter do you? Well I assure you both you won’t be laughing for long.” he said and left the room.

“Get back!” Venis said suddenly as she pushed against Kang as hard as she could, it was as if she was pushing against a brick wall. Kang stepped into a doorway sensing Vee’s urgency. Granic and Ceecee were farther back and saw Kang hiding so they ducked behind some large crates just in time to see a squad of Stormtroopers walk around the corner. They held their breath until the Stormtroopers were out of sight.
“Those were Stormtroopers! There shouldn’t be Stormtroopers here!” Venis said with her eyes wide as they could get from fear. “We have to go! They must be on to us!”
“We don’t know that so calm down Vee.” Kang said as he put his hand on her shoulder.
“You calm down! I’m not going to wind up in the spice mines. Come on Ceecee let’s go.” Venis said.
“We have to help Mykala Vee, remember? Vee you said you would help me.” Ceecee said disappointed.
Vee slapped her hand on the wall. “Don’t you get it? They probably already have her! There’s 

nothing we can do now.” Vee was in near hysterics.
“Let her go! If she keeps flipping out like this she’s going to get us all caught.” Granic snarled.
“ Vee! Calm down. It will be alright but you have to get hold of yourself.” Kang said firmly.
Venis looked at the others faces. They were sickened by her cowardly out burst.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry but I can’t be caught. I can’t take being tied up or imprisoned, not again.” she was thinking about the narrow escape she had made from Zefrada’s fortress. She had been tied up naked and at his mercy. She only escaped by shear luck.
“ Relax Venis we won’t let them take you away.” Kang sensed something in her past was the cause of this break down and new he must get her to safety or she would give them all away.
“Now listen to me Venis, we are all safe. The Stormtroopers don’t know we are here. We need you to calm down and lead us back to the ships. You can stay there and wait for us while we find Mykala okay?”
Venis began to get control of herself. She felt awful. She was letting everybody down even Ceecee wouldn’t look her in the eye.
“No, I want to go on. I’m okay now. We have to stick together.” Venis saw Ceecee looking at her and smiling. “ I want to go on. I’m sorry.” she was deeply ashamed of herself.
“Are you sure? We can still take you back.” Kang asked.
“Lets go. I want to go with you guys, please.” Venis said looking at them.
“ Okay then, let’s see were they’re going.” Kang said putting his huge arm around Vee’s tiny shoulder as they started off in the stormtroopers direction.

“You know this is all your fault Mykala. You’re the reason for all of this.” Lyda said after they had stopped laughing.
“What do you mean?” Mykala couldn’t help but to try and get the reason for why Lyda hated her so much.
“You killed the only person I ever considered a friend. You took him from me.” Lyda actually had a tear in her eye.” After you killed him I was completely alone in this Galaxy. Nobody deserves that. Not even me.”
“You’re crazy! You’ve killed hundreds of people that I know about. You’re a monster! A blood thirsty monster.” Mykala  said angrily.
“ I did what I did to survive! I never had anybody look out for me, no one! I was sold as an orphan into slavery only to wind up ship wrecked on some death rock facing the wrath of the savages that lived there. Even then the other survivors treated me differently then themselves I became an offering to appease our captors. I was only eleven years old and I was turned over to them like a discarded blanket for them to do whatever the pleased with. And they did, they abused me for years and no one cared. So don’t call me a monster! The monsters are the decent folk that gave me up to be raped every day for eight years until I became the worst monster on the whole damned planet. Don’t tell me about monsters Mykala. You have no idea what monsters are like.”
Mykala sensed something odd from Lyda for the first time. She had always been too consumed with her own fear to notice. It was pain. Lyda radiated it like a furnace. It wasn’t anger or hatred that fueled her wrath it was the most unimaginable pain she could think of.
“What was his name?” Mykala asked.
“Who?” Lyda replied.
“Your friend, the one I killed so long ago. I want to know his name.”
Lyda looked at Mykala with suspicion. “His name was Rethis.”
“ I’m sorry I killed your friend Lyda” Mykala said.
“What? Do you think that changes anything? Do you think I want an apology?”
She asked angrily.
“No, I know that you won’t be happy until you torture me to death or until I go mad but I’m still sorry I killed your friend Lyda.” Mykala said calmly.
“Why?” Lyda asked.
“Because I did the only thing that could have hurt you. I think it would have been more merciful if I had shot you instead. A lot of people would still be alive today if I had shot you and ended your pain.”Mykala said.
Lyda didn’t respond. Mykala was right. She had thought the same thing over and over again. She would always be a killer. She had only fear as a friend now and she kept it with her at all times.

“This must be the place.” Granic said as they looked down into one of the lower areas of the “Trade Store”. This area was built on a part of the cavern that was lower than the rest. It was easy to look down on this area from any of the streets above. They could see the gleaming white armor of Imperial Stormtroopers as they walked around below tending their duties.
“There must be hundreds of them.” Ceecee said looking down. Venis was hanging back. She had kept her word and helped them find the base.
“Great job Venis. You’ve done well.”Kang said.
Venis just stood nervously with her arms crossed and gave Kang a shaky smile.”Thanks.”
“Look there.” Granic pointed towards the back of the cavern. They could just make out four heavy shuttles in the dark. “ They must be up to something big with this much staging equipment.”
“How do we find out if they have them prisoner?” asked Granic.
“Somebody has got to go down there and take a look around. Somebody that would have a reason to be there.” Kang said as he slowly turned and looked at Venis.
“What? Me? I don’t have a reason to be there! I’ve done my part.” Venis said becoming frantic.
“I’ll go with you.” Ceecee said. “She’d do it for us.”
Ceecee went over and put her arm around Vee’s shoulder. “Come on, it’ll be easy, in and out.”
Venis was so scared she was crying. “I want to help, but I can’t pull it together. I’m sorry.” Venis said as she wept into her hands.
“If she’s in there and you don’t find her they’ll kill her and you’ll live the rest of your sorry life thinking about it every day for the rest of your life.” Granic said in the harshest way he could.
Venis looked up in disbelief. How could he be so insensitive. She was scared and needed reassurance not a guilt trip.
“ You might think I’m being hard on her but we don’t have time for this. All I know is that if it were me down there and you didn’t help me I would find a way to come back and kill you you dirty little coward. Now get to it or leave and never show your face around these brave people again!”
“ Alright I’ll go! I’ll go! “ Venis said. She pushed Ceecee back and headed off down the street towards the compound.
“ Venis wait.” Ceecee started to follow but Granic grabbed her and held her back.“ Listen girl, she’s going down there and she’s going to screw everything up you can count on it. We’ll figure out an other way to do it.”
Venis had walked up to the gate and stopped. She was still sobbing a little and felt a little sick.
“What do you want?” Said the Stormtrooper on duty.
“I need to speak with the Commanding officer. I have a message from Rollo the Hutt.” she said.
The Stormtrooper made a call and then told Venis to go on in. Venis exhaled in disbelief that they let her in. She thanked the guard and headed towards the commanders quarters. Venis walked around the corner and threw up. She was so scared she could hardly walk. She continued on her way and up to the door. She walked right in without thinking and smack into the commander that was walking out.
“Well well what have we here?” Venis could tell he liked what he saw. “What can I help you with my dear? My goodness, your trembling, are you alright?” he said.
“I was sent to check on your prisoner.” Vee blurted out.
“ Has Rollo sent you? It doesn’t matter these prisoners were found on this base.” The Commander stepped over to the side table in his office. “This is a special case you understand. They were captured carrying these light sabers.” he motioned towards the weapons on the side table. Venis recognized Mykala’s light saber lying next to two other matching ones.
“The fact that they were found with these weapons supersedes any previous agreement between Rollo and the Empire. Anyone found anywhere with these type of weapons must be handed over to the Empire for determination of their security risk.” He said in a very impressive official tone.
“ At least tell me if they are unharmed.” she stammered.
“ They gave up without a fight. They are quite safe and unharmed, for now.” the officer was amused at this girls nervousness. It was strange for Rollo to send someone so frightened.
Venis had no idea who he was talking about when he mentioned he had prisoners.  She had figured out that Mykala had been captured but who was the other Jedi that owned the other light sabers?
The door opened and in stepped a Stormtrooper.
“Commander Willin, there is a transmission for you in the communications building. It’s urgent.”
“Thank you Captain. Will you be alright waiting here for a moment? I have to see to this and then I will be right back.” he asked Venis.
She nodded and then put on his hat and left with the Captain.
Venis looked around the room nervously. She could see a diagram of the facility  hanging on the wall. There wasn’t anything useful on it besides the location of the buildings and what each one was. She walked over to get a closer look at the light sabers. She had never seen one this close. They seemed almost magical. “The diagram !” she thought. She grabbed the light sabers and ran to the diagram. There it was, the holding cells. She had only the slimmest of chances but she had to try. Thinking quickly she found some paper and wrapped the light sabers in it. She peeked out of the door and saw no one was around. Without any thought she ran out the door and over to the holding cells.
“Hold on you, what do you want?” the guard said.
“Someone just stabbed Commander Willin, if you hurry you can catch him.” she said in a completely convincing terrified tone as she pointed in the direction she had just come from. The guard hesitated for a moment and then took off in that direction.
She quickly went inside the small building and locked the door. Her heart was pounding from fear. She looked around and saw a slave handcuffed to a bench in the hallway.
“Where are the Jedis?” she asked.
“In there.” the slave said nodding towards the door.
“Let me loose and I’ll help you.” said the slave.
Venis grabbed the keys from the desk and opened the girls handcuffs.
Venis opened the cell door and saw Mykala handcuffed to the rail behind her. She didn’t recognize the other Jedi that was handcuffed to the other wall. Venis put the light sabers on the floor and pulled off the paper. She went right to Mykala and unlocked her handcuffs. Mykala had a huge smile on her face as she looked at Venis. It then turned to horror as she looked past her. Venis turned to see the slave girl take one of the matching light sabers and turn it on. She stood motionless for a second as she looked at the weapon as it pulsed with unlimited power. She slowly turned towards the other Jedi and raised the weapon over her head.
“Yes, yes do it, do it !” the other Jedi yelled. The slave girl swung down hard striking the bar behind the woman’s back freeing her.
“No !” Mykala yelled and grabbed up her own light saber. She nearly hit Lyda with that first swing but Lyda was too fast. They smashed their weapons against each others as they ducked and swung at each other. Lyda was handicapped because she still had on her handcuffs. Venis crouched in the corner of the room trying to cover her head with her hands as if that would stop a blow from one of these weapons. An alarm began to wail loudly as Mykala and Lyda jumped back from each other. They both new the building would be full of Stormtroopers in minutes so this battle would have to wait once more.
“Mistress?” Brea said wanting to know what she should do next.
Lyda spun her light saber cutting the handcuffs loose.
“You’d just slow me down Brea.” and with that Lyda swung with her light saber  decapitating the girl where she stood. Lyda reached out and her second light saber leapt up from the ground and into her hand. Mykala had positioned herself in front of Venis waiting for Lyda’s attack.
“This isn’t over Mykala.” Lyda said taking a step closer to the door.
“What’s your name?” Lyda asked  Venis.
“Venis Vey.” she said without thinking.
“Thanks for the rescue Venis Vey.” and Lyda was gone.
Mykala grabbed Venis and yanked her up off the floor. She grabbed her by the collar and pushed her up against the wall looking into her eyes.
“Thanks for the rescue dummy.” she said and then she smiled.
“Your welcome.” Venis said looking embarrassed.
The alarm shook them back into the urgency of the moment. They ran out of the building and into a small service shed.
“ I saw this on the diagram in the Commander’s quarters. She reached down and opened an access hatch that lead down too the service tunnels.
“You learn to spot things like this if you’re a smuggler like me.” said Venis.
“Nice going criminal.” Mykala said smiling.
The two made their way back up the hill and into the streets. The Stormtroopers had no authority once off the base so they were safe. They met up with Ceecee, Kang, and Granic.
“I’m so glad you’re alright.” Ceecee hugged Venis.
“I think we should get going the others will be worried.” Kang said.
“Lyda is here.” Mykala said.
Venis went white, she never made the connection who the other Jedi was until that moment.
“Yeah, that was her.” Mykala said looking at Venis.
“What will we do now?”Ceecee said.
“We hunt her down and kill her. When we fought I realized I can’t beat her in a fair fight, it’s going to take all of us. We need to do it while we have this chance.” Mykala said.
“ Well what are we waiting for? Let’s get the others and go find her.” Kang said as he turned and headed back to the hangar.

If you have enjoyed these stories please check out my first all original book series at Amazon.com. The title is Beyond the Crystal Heaven.

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Last Updated (Tuesday, 10 September 2013 01:50)