Buckets: A Star Wars Story

21. Monster

One of the first places my squad got sent to after everything was Naboo. Rumors of that cell of Rebels returning had permeated the ranks and as soon as word got to the right ears that I had been a part of Lorias' previous mission there, I was immediately requested to be placed on the mission. Thesh was a little miffed at being circumvented again, but we had little choice in the matter as we all loaded up into the Summa and headed for the home planet of Emperor Palpatine.

Aurek looked over at me as I calibrated my rifle and chuckled, "Think we'll finally be able to meet your girlfriend?"

"She's not..." I trailed off as I tried to formulate exactly what Vesanne and I were to one another and got more than a little frustrated that no other words were coming to mind to replace "girlfriend". "We're not..."

"Not what?" Aurek pressed with that tone in his voice that told me that he was bugging me. "Not rolling in the hay?"

"Shove your E-11 up your ass!"

"Oh ho! You do like her!" Aurek gave me a punch to the shoulder and laughed maniacally. "Did you two ever...?"

"Enough, Aurek," Besh cut in with a shake of his head. "Who Dorn sleeps with is none of our business."

"Is she cuter in person?" Osk asked with a snicker and Besh hauled off and slapped him upside his head, making the other trooper snarl an expletive.

Thesh looked over at me as it erupted into a three-way argument between them and shook his head, "Who is she to you, anyway? You've kept all of that rather to yourself as of late, Dorn."

"She was..." I struggled to find how to describe Vesanne without breaking it down into some one-night tryst. She and I had been talking ever since I left Naboo. She knew everything I had done, almost. I kept some things from her for obvious reasons, but she had been there for me through everything. "She is someone I hope to see again after this is all over, you know?"

Thesh held my gaze for a second and gave a knowing smile, "I understand. Do you think you will see her again here?"

I couldn't help but smile at the thought of meeting Vesanne again in person. "I hope so."

*

We touched down on Naboo and were greeted by Governor Habea, who swept to my side almost immediately and turned to me with a frown, "I am happy that you are here, Specialist. The Naboo are getting uppity and I need someone capable of working discreetly. You helped Lorias and I take down this cell before. We need you to do it again."

"Is the Director involved?"

"Minister now. He is, and at the behest of the Emperor. Naboo needs to be under control at all costs. He doesn't care what happens or who gets killed. Leave the politicking to me. Do what you need to do." She nodded to the rest of my squad and left with her cadre of supporters and guards in tow as she began to bark orders to them.

"No time to lose. The leak came from within the Ambassador's house before. Chances are the rest of the cell operates from within there, too," I turned to Thesh and nodded to him. "Permission to take command."

"Granted. Tell us what you need."

"Look intimidating and let me do the talking. I have a plan."

*

We were moving through the fancy garden districts like we owned the place as Imperial patrols nearby wrangled with angry Naboo protestors in the streets. I was making straight for the small off-shoot building where I knew Vesanne lived with Rana's other ladies, and as soon as I hit the threshold, one of them greeted me with a blaster, "Not one step further." If I hadn't decided to switch into my uniform and out of the armor, I doubt she would have recognized me. It took her a moment as I held my hands up before she blinked and lowered her blaster, "Specialist Ruana?"