Scheduling, organizing, editing, communicating, and advising. These are just some of the duties of Lugos Lothar, personal assistant to the Imperial Governor of Serenno.
This was the life. Ever since Kasdeya was able to hire him out of the Imperial army, he had been able to do something he felt was worthwhile. Helping Kasdeya to run an entire planet was much more gratifying than marching to conquer worlds for the Imperial expansion. The job he had now was relatively stress free... until today.
Lugos paced nervously around the Governor's office. It had been hours since her light cruiser had come crashing down onto the plains of Serenno. After numerous failed attempts to reach the Governor on the commlink, Lugos was beginning to lose faith.
All reports had indicated that the majority of the crew was able to take escape pods with all but three of them being accounted for. The Governor had to be aboard one of the three.
Lugos' somber look was quickly erased when the holoprojector on the Governor's desk began to beep. He scrambled over the device and let the message through.
The hologram that appeared over the desk was not one that he expected. The color in his face faded away as he looked back at the face of Grand Admiral Leneh Rod.
"Where is Governor Kerrim?" she said sternly.
Lugos moved his mouth, but no words came out. Ever since Leneh had arrived, he had been petrified of her.
"You will answer when spoken to, executive assistant Lothar. And it would be wise of you to assume I know everything," she continued, her patience already wearing thin.
"I... I don't know. I can't raise her on the communicator. She is currently among the list of missing in action from the rebel attack."
"I'm not missing," a voice called from the entrance to the room. A weary eyed Kasdeya walked into the room eventually taking a seat at the desk.
Lugos scurried off to the side, hoping to be out of the holographic Admiral's sight.
The corner of Leneh's mouth turned up as she studied the woman at the desk. "Your insignia plaque is missing. Tell me why."
Kasdeya reached into her pocket and revealed the piece of metal before fastening it back to her shoulder. "It was in my pocket."
"I didn't ask you where it was, Governor Kerrim. I asked you why it was missing. I would have hoped you would be smart enough to understand the question... although your intelligence is something that I have found to be lacking at times."
Kasdeya clenched her teeth as she stared back at Leneh's scornful look. "I assume you have a point to make, Admiral."
"As a matter of fact, I do," Leneh started. "My sources indicate that your light cruiser was destroyed by two starfighters and a small transport. Please tell me how an Imperial light cruiser could fall to such meager rebel forces."
Kasdeya sprang out of her seat and moved closer to the hologram. "I have maintained since the day you arrived that I was not the military leader that you expect me to be. I was put through the academy as a formality, not to prepare me to squash a rebel insurgency. I was given this post for my political and social knowledge. To turn a once traitorous world into a productive member of the Empire. I will not sit here and be reprimanded for failing at a task that I was so ill-equipped for."
Leneh maintained a straight face, staring back at the Governor. Kasdeya all but braced for the rebuke that she expected to follow. She was astonished to see the Admiral let out a small chuckle. Kasdeya couldn't get a read on this woman, and it made her feel uneasy.
"I admire your fire, Governor Kerrim," Leneh finally said after a few more chuckles. "And I am inclined to agree with you. That is why I will be dispatching reinforcements to your aid. An Imperial-class Star Destroyer as well as two additional light cruisers will arrive by the next rotation. ISB Supervisor Ja-que Aga will brief you on my plan to establish a full blockade of Serenno."
"A full blockade!" Kasdeya shouted. "How am I supposed to—"
"Good day, Governor," Leneh interrupted before closing the comm channel.
That did not go as planned, Kasdeya thought as she stared at the dormant holoprojector. But then again, nothing had been going as planned for her. She hadn't planned to be drawn into another conflict after narrowly surviving the Clone War. And she sure hadn't planned to have her normally stable emotions upended like a rancor on roller skates. But that last one was definitely Rhodes' fault. The thought of him brought her gaze to the single shelf on the wall of her office. She got up and gingerly made her way over to it.
"Anything I might be able to do to help?" Lugos asked, his voice still a bit shaky.
Kasdeya ignored him and reached for the framed picture of her and the Jedi. She brushed her hand over the dusty frame and couldn't help but allow a slight smile.
Rhodes wore a poncho with his short hair, but that was all overshadowed by the beaming grin on his face. She was in a similar outfit with her hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. They were at a small shop somewhere in the outer rim. She never knew where they were as they hopped from planet to planet avoiding Count Dooku's bounty hunters. It was a time when things were somehow simpler. Even with a galaxy at war, the time she spent with him felt so straightforward. All they had to do was survive.
Now, surviving was just one of the many things that swarmed her brain.
Kasdeya held the photo close to her chest and she moved back to her desk. She placed the photo on the corner of the desk. While adjusting it, her fingers slid across a lump on the back of the frame. After feeling around for a few seconds, she flipped the frame around and noticed a small black device with a faint green light. She glanced at Lugos who had been watching curiously from the corner of the room. "Lugos, you trust me, right?"
"Of course, Your Excellency."
"Then what I am about to tell you shall never be spoken of again."
The burden of leadership often includes many different emotions stemming anywhere from anger and frustration to pride and fulfillment. Today, Abie didn't know what she was feeling but it was definitely closer to anger than anything else.
She sat hunched over in a small chair in the back of the command room.
"Something the matter, Commander?" Oster asked, peering down at Abie's face.
Abie let out an involuntary sigh. It wasn't that Oster annoyed her; it was just hard to have a new officer reporting to her. It had been months, but she still missed Nina. Abie looked up at Oster's concerned face. "Twitch and Rhodes are just... I can't believe they..." Abie clenched her eyes shut as she tried to gain her composure.
"It's ok, Commander. I'm sure they will make it back alright."
"I know they will make it back, and when they do there will be hell to pay." Abie grunted as she got up from her seat. She brushed past Oster and into the next hallway where she was illuminated by light from the base entrance.
The sunshine on Mercuris was deceivingly bright at times. From inside the base, it looked like the sun was blazing down on the small moon. Abie stepped out into the frigid air to see the Iron Stump soaring past the base, touching down in the adjacent landing field. She was waiting with arms crossed as she saw Rhodes and Twitch leading a small group of rebels.
Twitch wore a beaming smile, much like the rest of the group. Rhodes had a faint smile but still sported a determined expression. The mood of the group shifted once they noticed the harsh scowl plastered on Abie's face.
"Twitch Edge!" Abie yelled, giving him no chance to speak. "You destroyed the Governor's light cruiser?"
The smile on his face quickly disappeared as he fumbled over his words. "Well, that wasn't part of the plan, you see. We just wanted to disable this ship but... the cruiser got caught in Serenno's gravitational pull and, well, crashed. I would have thought destroying Imperial ships would be a good thing?"
Abie shook her head before grabbing her brother by the ear, pulling him down to her level. "Normally, yes. But now, thanks to your carelessness, the Empire is sending a small fleet to replace it. Our attack on the Imperial refinery will be that much more complicated now." After a few seconds of listening to Twitch whimper, she released him and turned to Rhodes. "I take it your mission was a success?"
Rhodes nodded, his face returning to an emotionless expression. "I believe she is in the Sprizen Sector."
"You believe or you know?"
Rhodes scratched the back of his head. "The Governor only knew that Grand Admiral Rod is in that Sector. I can only assume that Lena is there as well."
Abie sighed. "And you assume that this governor is telling the truth. And you also assume that Lena is still alive. You expect me to plan a mission based on a myriad of assumptions which is something I cannot do."
"But Abie, I—"
"No, I don't want to hear anything about the Force. You and Twitch will wait in the briefing room until I have come to a decision." Twitch went to complain but was quickly silenced by Abie's finger. "That is an order!" she said before storming away into the base.
Twitch and Rhodes just stared at each other in silence. The rising and falling tides of emotions were becoming taxing. One minute they get to relish a successful mission and the next they are standing gut wrenched after being reprimanded for the same action. But that is the price you pay when serving under Abie Edge. She seemed harsh at times but always had the big picture in mind. Twitch understood that. Rhodes did as well... but he was much less inclined to admit it out loud.
By now, the rest of their group had dispersed, leaving the two alone. "We should get going," Twitch finally said. "I don't know about you, but I don't want to hear another lecture from Abie."
Rhodes managed a quiet breathy laugh in response. "That would be wise, especially if we want to pull off this mission."
Twitch nodded and the two headed for the briefing room. Twitch and Rhodes spent much of the wait in silence. Twitch was pacing around the room in circles while Rhodes sat on the floor meditating.
It wasn't long before the automatic door slid open, and Abie walked into the room. "Listen up you two," she said, her voice soft but firm. Twitch stopped his pacing while Rhodes remained motionless on the floor, not bothering to open his eyes. Abie cleared her throat while staring at the Jedi. Rhodes could feel her glare as she waited for him to react.
"You said to listen, and I am," Rhodes finally said. "I do not need my eyes to listen, do I?"
Abie rolled her eyes but chose not to argue. She instead took a seat near the center of the room. "Here's the deal. I may have found a way to get you into the Sprizen sector to confirm if they have Lena and maybe even free her."
"Well, that's great!" Twitch shouted. A few seconds later he began squinting at Abie. "Wait... what's the catch?"
Abie took a deep breath. "You two will have to do this mission alone. I have arranged for you to be escorted aboard the Admiral's Star Destroyer."
"But we need more—"
"We can do it," Rhodes said from the back of the room, his eyes still closed.
Twitch began to grumble but said no more. Satisfied, Abie gave the two a nod before walking toward the exit. Before leaving, she turned back to say, "A shuttle will pick you two up next rotation. Be ready."
The door slid closed leaving Twitch glancing back and forth between the door and Rhodes who still hadn't moved. "But... she didn't even tell us a plan. She just left."
"Patience," Rhodes muttered.
"What do you mean 'patience'. I have been patient for months and I know you have as well. Why doesn't this bother you?"
Rhodes finally opened his eyes and jumped to his feet. "We are being afforded a chance to get her back. Is that not what we asked for?"
"Well... uh." Twitch lowered his voice and moved closer. "It is, but I am tired of Abie deciding everything. She keeps dangling hope in front of our faces and yet doesn't take an active role in helping us. If you ask me, she is just trying to keep us here because we are useful to her."
Rhodes shrugged and frowned. "I understand your frustration and I agree with much of it, but she has a lot to consider. Since the day I met her, I have observed that she is a broad thinker, focused on the big picture. I believe that she is trying her best to help when it isn't strategically sound for Cloud Squadron to expend resources for one person."
"I don't care," Twitch countered. "Lena saved my life on Teth and I am going to do whatever is necessary to repay that debt. And besides, I know that you know how important she is. She isn't just another person. She is a Jedi, and she is a friend."
Rhodes felt a twinge of annoyance creeping up in the back of his mind. He believed every word that Twitch was saying but his pessimism was starting to get to the Jedi. Rhodes sighed and headed to the door. "I know, Twitch. I know. Just do your best to clear your mind and relax. We have a big day tomorrow. I say we make the best of it."
Rhodes was through the door before Twitch had a chance to say anything. Not sure what else to do, Twitch made for his quarters. Maybe sleep will help, he thought, knowing full well that he would be up all night, dreading the day to come.
Twitch spent much of the restless night tossing and turning around in his bed. The night seemed to drag on forever as he thought of the endless scenarios that might happen the next day.
At one point, his anxieties must have been bad enough that Rhodes could feel them. That was made apparent when the Jedi made a brief appearance in his room, gave some sort of speech about the Force and centering one's mind, and then left. At first it seemed like a dream, but Twitch soon tried his suggestions and managed to drift off to sleep.
His peaceful rest soon turned to feelings of panic when breathing became increasingly difficult. His eyes quickly snapped open, and his arms flailed. It wasn't long before the sleep-deprived Twitch realized that Rhodes' meddlesome droid, Hunter, was pinching his lips and nose closed with the two claw-shaped arms that extended from the dome of his head.
Twitch took a swipe at the droid who quickly rolled out of reach, letting out joyful beeps of amusement. It was at this point that Twitch noticed Rhodes leaning against the doorway. "Our ride is here," he said in a calm tone.
Twitch rubbed his eyes and shook his head. The man gingerly stood up and reached for his gear. "You couldn't have found a better way to wake me?"
Rhodes shrugged while sporting a slight smile. "Wasn't my idea. You made Hunter impatient, and he did what he does best."
"Which is?"
"Annoy other people."
After hearing Rhodes' words, the old C1 droid rolled out of the room while issuing various beeps and whirs.
"Oh, now you are mocking me?" Rhodes started while turning down the hallway. "Are you just trying to prove me right?" The Jedi's head poked back into the doorway to look back at a still disoriented Twitch. "Just hurry along, everyone is waiting outside."
Everyone? Twitch thought as he was left alone in his room. Afraid of missing out on something, he got ready as fast as he could, almost forgetting to slip his blaster pistol into the holster on his hip.
Once suited up, he headed out of his quarters and into the rest of the base. He eventually made his way outside where the sun was barely rising. I could have sworn it was later, he thought as he glanced around.
The space in front of the base and the adjacent landing field was virtually lifeless except for a small group huddled in front of a gleaming silver yacht. He could tell that Rhodes, Hunter and Abie were present with their backs turned toward him. The others in the group he couldn't recognize until he got closer.
He sulked into the circle hoping not to be noticed. Once in the circle he was able to recognize another member of the group, a bald man with a long white beard as well as his two guards.
"Ah, young Twitch," the old man said with a soft smile. "It sure has been a while. Good to see both Edge siblings in one place again."
"It is good to see you too, Lance," Twitch replied with a bow.
"That's Senator Varden to you," one of the guards bellowed, his deep voice causing Twitch to flinch backwards.
Lance gave a wave of his hand to the guard who returned to attention. "No harm done Cassius. I go way back with the Edge siblings."
By now, both Abie and Twitch had confused expressions as they glanced back and forth from each other to Lance.
The old man let out a sigh, realizing what was happening. "I was hoping that you would have found out already. I regret to inform you that the Senator has passed. I have been appointed to serve in his stead until a suitable replacement is elected."
"I am sorry to hear that," Abie said, a somber look on her face. "But we have little time to mourn. You all should be getting underway."
"Right you are," Lance shouted while turning toward the yacht. "Come along dear Twitch, Master Jedi, and my newest robotic friend."
The group boarded the ship, leaving Abie standing alone in the snow. Once in the ship's main seating area, the two guards continued onto the bridge while Lance sat at a table in the middle of the room.
"Sit, sit my friends," he said while gesturing to Rhodes and Twitch. The two sat down, with Hunter rolling up beside the table.
"What's the plan here, Lance?" Twitch asked while leaning forward.
Lance sighed as they felt the ship lift into the sky. "I was hoping that Abie had a chance to brief you, but I understand that this mission is rather rushed. I have arranged a meeting with Grand Admiral Leneh Rod. After all, the planet I represent is within the handful of sectors that the rest of her fleet is tasked to defend. Twitch will accompany me as a personal guard. I'd suggest you wear a helmet, so you are not recognized. Cassius and Avern will remain on the ship. And you, Master Jedi, should be able to sneak to the detention level with the help of your droid to liberate your friend."
"That's it?" Twitch countered. "What kind of rushed plan is that. It's too simple."
Lance dismissed his comments, instead turning to Rhodes. "What are your thoughts, Master Jedi?"
Rhodes, up until this point, had not said a word. He gave a bow when introduced by Abie but beyond that he had been silently watching the events unfold. He put a hand on his chin and continued staring at the table. He finally looked up to say, "I agree that the plan is a simple one. So simple that the Empire may not suspect it. After all, it's been months since Lena's capture. They have no reason to expect a liberation attempt at this point."
Lance glanced back at Twitch as if waiting for a response. "Fine," Twitch admitted. "It's a solid plan. I just hope she is actually there."
Rhodes placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled. "The second we enter the system, I will know. Don't worry Twitch, I have a good feeling you will get to see her again."
Twitch couldn't help but smile at the thought. "Good, I can't wait until she is safe on Mercuris."
Lance smiled and got up from his chair and moved across the room. "Now that that's settled, could I interest you gentlemen in a game of Shah-tezh?" He soon produced an old dusty box from a shelf. He set the box on the table and sat back down. "If either of you can beat me, I have a few nice meiloorun in the galley as a reward."
"You're on, old man. I got first," Twitch said with a grin.