Thorne came too in a cold metal room. His body ached from the random position he’d been laid on the solid metal bank that was meant to be a bed. A pneumatic door closed and he realised he was not alone in the room. Three disciplined minds were watching him. He didn’t move although his body screamed for it, the cramping muscles and stemmed blood flow forcing him to.
“We know you’re awake. Come and have a seat, we have much to discuss.” A cool calm voice said. Thorne moved slowly, he felt air on his face and hand, he’d have to be careful what he touched, he could already feel the lingering fear from the metal bed. He rolled over and his boots struck the floor, glancing down he realised they hadn’t taken his laces, ‘that’s considerate’ he thought. The room he as in, was a cell, defiantly a cell from the small interior, lack of furnishings and no windows. Opposite the bed was the door with two white armoured men standing either side watching him. Their helmets and the armour Thorne had never seen before, the field of vision on the helmet looked very restrictive especially with the enlarged low half, Thorne thought was the respirator functions. The lens of the helmets were completely black, there was no way to see the man behind. They both carried a compact rifle, another design he’d never seen but being so compact Thorne assumed it was a carbine version and this must be on a vessel where space was a premium. Between him and the guards was a man dressed in a grey uniform with a series of red, blue and yellow bars on his left breast dictating a rank, but Thorne had no idea how to interpret.
“My name is Grand Moff Tarkin, but I believe you already know that.” The older man said, cold blue eyes staring at him, judging him he realised. Thorne stepped forward and looked at the grey hair and high forehead, the man’s posture was perfect.
“I have no idea where I am, let alone who you are.” Thorne replied honestly.
“The coincidental timing of your arrival, the mix of high and low technology in your equipment, and that you had the remnants of a locally produced substance on your attire. I have no option to think you are part of the Rebellion against the Galactic Empire.” Tarkin continued
“The Galactic what? We’re from Earth, we’re in the middle of a war with the arachnid threat and destroying their Faster Than Light Device we ended up here. What were you working on?” Thorne asked, his temper was raising but he knew he had to keep his cool.
“That is not of any importance at the moment. What is of importance is that you respond to my questions honestly. Firstly it was obvious you were in charge of the unit so please, what is your name and rank?” Tarkin asked
“Major Alvin Thorne, Military Intelligence, Terran federation.” Thorne replied
“I asked you to answer honestly.” Tarkin replied
“I did, what was the project you were working on and I might be able to shed some light on how we got here.” Thorne replied, he started testing his psychic powers on Tarkin but his mind was well trained and disciplined.
“There’s no use trying to pry” Tarkin said tapping his head “Jedi were unable so I don’t think you will be”
“Sir, as I believe you have a military rank. I have not lied to you. If you do not wish to explain the project to me ask my trooper Luk what we were doing, he’s the easiest spot being the largest, he was also the trooper with the most science background, he might be able to explain how we got here” Thorne tried a different tack if he was not going to be talked to.
“No Major, I believe I will explain this quite simply. You have a mixed gender unit and I have watched and judged them. I have decided which members of my crew should be left guarding who. I have not chosen the pure clone stormtroopers as I have here” he gestured at the two white armoured men “but conscripts that usually I keep in places that are not of importance.”
“Your point” Thorne said placing his prosthetic hand with a loud thump on the table. No one flinch from the dramatic action. Thorne was not pleased by the amount of calm they had.
“I’ll show you.” Tarkin replied, from his lap he drew out a circular device slightly bigger than the palm of his hand placed it on the temple. Thorne watched as a three-dimensional image appeared showing another cell like his with Olwen, stripped down to just her combats and vest top lying on a bunk the same as Thorne’s. “This is rather debasing way to show you the point but the rebellion is young and its members are generally like this young girl full of spirit and youth but not tempered with wisdom. Light shone on Olwen making her blue ghostly image fainter. “Ah they have realised that the door is unlocked to her cell, and that the recording units are not operational. This...” Tarkin said while tapping the device “is linked to a separate recorder I had installed”.
“I’m not a fool or unused to the darker methods of interrogation I see your point but I am not a member of their rebellion, somehow the device we destroyed transported us here. I don’t know how or why, but that’s the truth. Call them off.” Thorne’s aggression was rising.
“Stand up. Body search. Put your hands on your head and turn around” Came from a small speaker as two men walked in wearing the same armour. Thorne looked at them, even in the miniature form, he could tell by their movements they were not the same breed of soldier as the ones in the room with him.
“Call them off now!” Thorne shouted and went to raise his fist. It didn’t move from the table.
“Your archaic hand as been magnetically attached to the table, and the table to the floor; Please stay seated and watch the show. Unless you want to tell me the truth and I will stop this.” Tarkin said calmly from his seat across the table.
“I have told you the truth and her rape will not change it.” Thorne watched and Olwen complied, he saw her stand and judged the two men, position of her feet were not equal, and her knees slightly bent.
“You are adamant that you have no idea where you are and that you are not a member of the rebellion” Tarkin said almost whimsically.
“Yes.” Thorne replied. He saw how this was going. No matter his answer Olwen was about to be attacked within her cell. Probably the one next to his; he concentrated on his hand. It had been specially built with forty-seven separate latches that were made of a different material than the rest of the hand. He flicked the first on telekinetically, the catches were not magnetically sealed.
“Shame, the poor girl.” Tarkin relied waving at the display. The two men had moved forwards one holding his rifle towards her the other slinging it round, he’d taken his helmet off but all you could see was the back of his head as he approached her.
“Stand still this won’t take long” The voice came over the speaker, this time with less distortion. He unclipped the belt, and other sounds of clips disengaging continued as he moved slowly closer.
“No it won’t...” Olwen said, Thorne heard the dark tone return in her voice, he was up to clip thirty-two. Olwen spun, her elbow connecting perfectly with the closest mans temple. He staggered to one side dropping to the ground; Olwen dived as a cone of blue energy passed over her. Standing from the roll she ran towards the cell wall only two paces, taking two up the wall she jumped up and over the next cone of energy. One boot extended and cracked on lens of the helmet of the other man. She dropped down, spun on her heel, grabbed the now fallen fully armoured mans weapon, turning it back on him two blurs of blue energy hit the man in the chest and he fell limp. She spun the weapon round in time to see the other try to stand. She shot him in the back and watched him fall to the floor. Tarkin had watched stunned as his plan had fallen apart.
“We are not rebels. We are not from wherever this is. But we are the best from where we are from. Any weakness you see is your own.” Thorne said each one with pure venom. Tarkin looked at him, a new level of thought processing in his mind. Thorne took the initiative. He stood and extended his left hand, slamming the two stormtroopers against the wall. Tarkin glanced at the metal hand still attached to the table and the stump now exposed with a metal plate shining. “You are coming with me, and we will have a little chat while, we release the rest of my unit. Thorne said moving round the table.
“I believe that is acceptable” Tarkin said his calm never leaving.
“After you” Thorne gestured to the door. Tarkin pressed a series of buttons and the door slide open. The moment he stepped through he went to close the door, but a rifle barrel to his temple changed his mind.
“Olwen wait!” Thorne ordered
“Yes Sir” Olwen replied
“Thank you Major.” Tarkin said calmly.
“Now Grand Moff, please release my entire unit.” Thorne said responding in the same calm tone.
“As you wish but I must inform you that you are severely outnumbered and your chances of survival beyond this point are minimal.” Tarkin continued as he opened cells, Medb and Morrigan stepped out.
“I see you have a new friend sir.” Morrigan said taking the second rifle from Olwen. “How does this work?” she asked
“Point the barrel away from you and pull the trigger” Olwen replied as Oakham stepped into the corridor. Morrigan pulled the trigger and nothing happened, the trigger didn’t move all the way. She began investigating and pushed another button. A slim cartridge ejected side of the weapon.
Morrigan bent down to investigate “Found what counts as a magazine but there’s nothing in here, looks like a battery” She said, clipping it back in place. She thank weapons designers for always making weapons simple to use as most soldiers, in her opinion, are stupid.
“Ok, found the safety” Morrigan said as she fired a blue cone of energy into the wall. “That’s boring, what’s this switch do?” she clicked another switch, pointed the rifle and pulled the trigger. A cohesive bolt of orange energy struck the wall with a small blast leaving a smouldering mark.
“Olwen! Switch on the right hand side, flick it down. Far more destructive.” Morrigan shouted over.
“Your last trooper” Tarkin stated to Thorne, he’d been listening between the exchange in regards to the weapons. Tarkin began to think it might be possible the major was telling the truth. Aasith stepped out and looking at the two holding weapons walked straight over to Olwen and held her hand out for it to be given over. Without a word the rifle was handed over. Aaasith extended the collapsed stock and tucked the rifle into her shoulder. She fired three shots into a mark on the wall. Clicking the reticule adjuster on the small scope she fired once more and hit the centre of the grouping. Aasith glanced over to Thorne and Oakham and nodded.
“Now, we would like to leave your fine accommodation. Would you like to show us the way?” Thorne spoke to Tarkin with all the civility he could muster
“A pleasure but if you were telling the truth, where would you go?” Tarkin asked.
“Not a prison” Oakham replied gruffly
“A very good point, but as military men you must realise that there are procedures, when you believe there has been a terrorist attack on an installation” Tarkin explained as he moved along the corridor. He knew the silent alarm had been tripped and that soon more stormtroopers would arrive soon and he was curious how they would respond.
“Sir, do you have moment?” Luk said
“If it is not important to the current situation the answer is no.” Thorne replied
“We are not in our own galaxy” Luk said. Everyone stopped dead and stared at him. A single orange blast brought them out of the moment as a group of at stormtroopers burst through the door.
“If you keep them alive. I have a deal for you.” Tarkin turned and said the Thorne with all earnest. Not out of compassion for his men but he had realised the Major had been telling the truth and if they were from another galaxy they were completely untraceable in regards to the Empire, the same as how he wanted his installation. If they followed this request then he knew he could trust the Major at least in the future.
“Aasith shoot to wound. Morrigan covering fire only, keep their heads down.” Thorne shouted over from his cover.
“Yes Sir!” The pair replied. Morrigan stepped out and fired five quick random blasts.
“Eight men, four behind the central consoles, two within, two making a flanking manoeuvre, one each side.” Morrigan said to Aasith.
“Three shots to front central console, make them stand. On my count. Three...Two...One...Go!” Aasith gave the order and they both leaned out, Morrigan rapidly fired her three shots and retreated. When the storntroopers stood to return fire Aasith shot both of them in the shoulder. A Third trooper stood to attack from behind the fallen men and she fired two more times, once in the rifle, the second into the forearm.
“Three down!” Aasith called when she spun back into cover as a volley was fired by the stormtroopers.
“The flankers should arrive soon. Flick the switch on the right hand side. It’s a weaker shot, if we’re only to wound.” Morrigan called. Aasith nodded and they both waited. The firing briefly increased in ferocity but neither flinched. The shooting stopped and the two flanking stepped through the gap blasters raised. Aasith and Morrigan opened fire, cones of blue energy bristled over the armour until the two troopers dropped to the floor. Orange blaster bolts sprayed the area as the two troopers dropped to the floor.
“Five down” Morrigan said with a smile.
“Cease Fire!” Tarkin shouted, turning to Thorne “I’ve seen and heard enough” the weapons fire stopped. Tarkin and Thorne stood shortly followed by the rest of the troop. Tarkin strode forward and looked at the remaining stormtroopers.
“Get the injured to the infirmary.” Tarkin ordered and the white clad soldiers quickly responded.
“I take it this is honour between officers now.” Thorne said carefully watching the Grand Moff
“Yes it is. I believe your trooper is right. You are no longer in your own galaxy.” Tarkin said coolly to Thorne “And as such I believe we can be mutually beneficial to each other, especially with how quickly your unit can dispatch the elite of the Empire.” Tarkin scowled and the fallen storntroopers. There was a scream from the back of the unit. They all turned to see the trooper with a knife in the side of Eastre, his helmet removed and a large bruise swelling the side of his face.
“Stand down trooper that is an order!” Tarkin shouted at the man. He didn’t reply he just glared at Olwen. She smiled and walked forward.
“Olwen, don’t hurt him too much.” Thorne said. The stormtrooper dropped Eastre to one side pulling the blade free.
“Medic now!” Tarkin shouted to the stormtroopers behind him. The blade glinted from beneath the blood.
“Don’t you like a woman showing you how to fight” Olwen teased with her gentle voice. He said nothing in reply “What could a little girl like me do to a big strong, armour clad man wielding a knife.” She continued. He lunged. She sidestepped and kicked as hard as she could into the side of the knee joint of the armour, he screamed, his knee not completely dislocated but collapsing from the pain. His grip on the blade loosened for a moment, and Olwen took it.
“How about gut you like a fish!” Olwen growled out. She flicked the blade upwards and removed the collapsed troopers nose in one move. As blood rushed forward she kicked again as hard as he could to the back of the troopers head. He plummeted forward into the deck plating. She stomped twice more, once on his head and the second to his lower spine where the armour was thin to allow him to turn. She knelt down next to him, placing the tip of the blade on his cheek and watch as bubbles formed in the blood as he breathed.
“Olwen” Thorne said to grab her attention
“Sir.” She said standing up
“Put the blade down” Thorne ordered. She let go, and they watched as the blade sliced through the man’s cheek and through his mouth to pin him to the deck.
“What the fuck is that!” Aasith said, rifled raised and point at the lift. A feral roar replied to her.
“That is a wookiee, and I believe you have just made the final point quite eloquently” Tarkin said looking at the mixed expression of shock and fear as the wookiee slave came into the prison area and carried the trooper back to the turbolift. “Major Thorne, I will have your trooper seen to at the infirmary and the rest of you escorted to one of the hanger bays where we can arrange some temporary accommodation for you and your unit, but in the mean time would you join me in my quarters for a discussion about your unit’s future?”
“First let me see they will be adequately looked after, before I leave and that they are not just shipped back into these cells.” Thorne replied
“Of course. Please follow me.” Tarkin headed to the turbolift “We will not all fit in one lift please enter in groups and request level zero upon entering.” Tarkin stepped in, followed by Oakham, Aasith, and Medb. “Major?” Tarkin gesture for him to join.
“I will wait with my unit, Luk take my place.” Thorne said and Luk stepped in.
“Level Zero” The doors closed upon Tarkins request and they were gone. Thorne pressed what he hoped was the call button.
“Sir?” Morrigan asked, no real question intended
“If Luk is right we need help, he seems to be able to give it, the price however I’m not so sure about.” Thorne replied. Morrigan nodded. “I’ll be asking for our weapons and armour before I leave so we can ‘check’ on it and keep it in working order.” Thorne continued. The lift returned and they filed in. Following Tarkin they moved through a facility that was obviously a research facility, and Thorne felt strangely at home.
They were led into a huge hanger bay with only on vessel. It was white with three wings, each one reaching to the ceiling; the two on either side were articulated so that they could be lowered. The cockpit stood out as being almost like a flat head attached to a large flattened body. Tarkin lead them to the end of the hanger bay where it looked out into space. When they reached the end they realised they were not looking through glass but some form of energy field. Looking out they saw almost nothing near complete black emptiness of space hardly a star visible.
“Welcome to the Maw cluster, and my research station.” Tarkin said as they gazed out watching the group of ever hungry black holes consume all they could reach.