Star Wars - Empire of the Innocents

30 - Justice

Upon exiting hyperspace at Sluis Van, the sensors of the X-Wing piloted by Akdron quickly detected the presence of the rebel ships. There was a Mon Calamari cruiser, a CR90 corvette, and a few X-Wings. Almost immediately, the bridge of the cruiser established contact:

"Attention unidentified X-Wing, this is the cruiser Justice. If you remain in this space, you will be considered hostile. Leave this quadrant immediately or we will open fire," warned the officer from the cruiser's bridge.

At the same instant, two Alliance X-Wings matched Akdron's fighter, one on each side. Akdron had anticipated the possibility that the X-Wing he had stolen on Bespin might no longer be recognized as part of the Rebel Alliance fleet. For security reasons, military often classified any missing ships as "lost in combat," and if they reappeared, they were initially treated as enemies.

"This is Captain Akdron Navarre of the Imperial forces speaking. I come to declare my defection from the Galactic Empire and surrender to the Rebel Alliance. As a gesture of good faith, I bring information obtained directly from an Imperial command center that a patrol from the Empire is aware of your position and is approaching this quadrant at this very moment."

After Akdron's statement, there was radio silence for a while. Then, the Justice resumed the transmission:

"Captain Akdron Navarre of the Imperial forces, lower the shields of your X-Wing, deactivate your weapon systems, and shut down your engines. We will bring you aboard using the tractor beam."

Akdron followed the Rebel officer's instructions and was soon guided into the docking bay of the cruiser. As the fighter touched down on the ship's deck, a group of Rebel soldiers had already surrounded it. Akdron stepped out of the fighter and placed his hands on his head. Upon disembarking from the navigation socket, one of the soldiers fitted "Drizzle" with a control clamp.

Shortly after, an alarm sounded throughout the ship. Under battle lights, the bridge reported the presence of Imperial ships in the quadrant and that the small squadron was retreating.

In the interrogation room, time seemed to drag on. Akdron's questioning had been going on for hours, and the questions were starting to repeat themselves. Frustration was building, and impatience was setting in. Every time he inquired about Helzaah, the Rebel officer would reply that "he would soon have his answers."

"Listen, officer: I have already declared myself a deserter from the Empire, surrendered, returned one of the Alliance's fighters, warned this squadron about an imminent Imperial attack, and brought with me an R2 unit filled with classified military information obtained directly from an Imperial lab. What more do I need to do for you to recognize my goodwill and allow me to speak with my sister?"

Suddenly, to Akdron's surprise, a beautiful young woman entered the room to answer his question without hesitation:

"We are accustomed to double agents, Captain Navarre."

Immediately, he recognized her. She was the Vemonts' daughter from Tatooine. If anyone could provide him with information about Helzaah, she was the right person, he thought. The girl continued her speech:

"You surely know that the penalty for espionage in times of war is summary execution. Do you think you have any chance of infiltrating the Rebel Alliance after what you've done? The question we're asking demands an immediate answer from you: where is your sister, Helzaah Navarre? Where have they taken her?"

The officer, who had immediately risen and saluted Lorena, finally spoke to her:

"Good afternoon, General Vemont. I requested they call you as soon as he identified himself."