Kyle Katarn: The Rise & Fall
Book 1: Rise of a Hero
Chapter 1: A Reluctant Soldier
Disclaimer: I don't own Kyle Katarn or any of the other characters, place and ships referred to in this story or in the Star Wars universe. So, puh-lease don't sue. And now; on to the story.
A/N: To make a long story short, I'm tweaking and editing this again. Sorry to everyone for the sudden story disappearance. In retrospect, I could have just replaced the chapters as needed. But as I said in an email to Miscellaneous Soldier, hindsight is always 20-20. So please be patient with me while I get this back in place - Shanest.
What is past is prologue to this tale. Many have heard of Kyle Katarn, ex-Imperial officer, former mercenary, and Rebel sympathizer. Some speak his name with fondness and respect, regarding him as a hero. Others, however, say it with hatred and disgust, to them Kyle Katarn represents a man that they would rather see dead.
Once an up and coming student at the Imperial Academy, Katarn was focused less on becoming a loyal member of the Empire than getting an education. As time wore on, however, he found himself uncomfortable with life as an Imperial officer. True, the Empire had brought law and order to the galaxy. But Kyle had heard stories, rumors really, that told of unprovoked attacks by Imperial ships, and mass executions of dissidents.
There were even tales that the Emperor, whose hard work had made the crumbling Republic into the strong Empire was not the moral and just leader Kyle had been taught he was, but instead a malevolent, deceitful and some said evil despot. Despite the discomfort these stories brought to him, Kyle found he could give them no credence, having seen evidence of the many good works the Empire. Indeed, the educational system put in place by Emperor Palpatine had allowed Outer Rim citizens like him to experience benefits that once only the people of the Core Worlds enjoyed.
For a hard working farmer's boy, attending the Imperial Academy was more of a dream than a reality. But the Imperial observer at Kyle's school had noticed the young man. Seeing his grades, hard work and single-minded dedication to excellence, the man had selected Kyle as one of the recipients of an academic scholarship specially designed for Outer Rim citizens. The award guaranteed Kyle admission to the Imperial Academy on Carida and took care of all his expenses. Kyle remembered the day he had left Sulon. His father, Morgan Katarn, had hugged him tight. "Do well, son," he said. Kyle could only nod, unable to speak. Leaving home was scary and he knew he would miss his father, but such feelings were overcome with thoughts of how his life was going to change, the newness of it all and the possibilities that training at the Academy represented for his future.
Kyle was determined to make the most of the opportunity. He worked hard, becoming one of the Academy's top students. He was determined to be a part of the Imperial Army and serve with honor and distinction. But what Kyle didn't know was that things were going to change, and change in a way that would shake the young man to his very foundations.
About a month before he was to graduate, Kyle participated in his final test as both an Academy student and as a potential stormtrooper. Along with a group of other students, Kyle, serving in the role of cadet leader staged a raid on a suspected Rebel Base. Accompanying them was a veteran stormtrooper, Sergeant Major Hong. At first glance, the assignment seemed simple enough. Investigate low band transmissions from an asteroid and determine who was broadcasting. If the presence of Rebels was detected, then the team was authorized to take any and all necessary measures to disrupt the transmission and eliminate the Rebels.
The landing went off without a hitch and having spied the transmission array, Kyle and his troops approached a nearby structure. Surprised at the lack of opposition so far, the cadets entered the structure only to be met with a barrage of laser fire. Despite their complete lack of battle experience, Kyle's leadership and the advice of Sergeant Major Hong enabled the cadets to mount an effective counterattack. Several Rebels fell to their blaster fire, and the Imperials advanced on their positions.
Staving off a second attack, Kyle noticed that while the Rebels showed remarkable courage, they were proving to be no match for him and his fellow cadets. Even Sergeant Major Hong remarked on this while praising Kyle's work in his role as cadet leader.
Breaking into a control center, Kyle's troops found the Rebels not already killed clustered around banks of equipment. Imperial policy stated that all Rebels were to be shot on sight, even if they attempted to surrender. But when this group did indeed surrender, Kyle found himself unable to follow orders and eliminate them.
Ordering his squad to take the Rebels prisoner, Kyle removed his helmet in order to see better and began to investigate the control room. It was then he noticed her. If asked, Kyle wouldn't be able to say why it was his eyes landed on her, but they did. The female Rebel was a little shorter than him, standing just about 6 feet, with a what appeared to be a medium build, although the oversize clothes she wore made that difficult to determine. A mass of unruly brown hair covered her head and part of her face. But what struck Kyle most about the Rebel was her expression. Despite the fact that she and her fellow Rebels were prisoners, he saw no fear in her eyes, no worry or concern.
Thinking that she might be the leader, Kyle ordered the woman brought forward and questioned her about the room's use. The Rebel confirmed the room was indeed a communications center and staging area. After ordering one of the troopers to pull the data tapes and then destroy the console, Kyle found his gaze returning to the woman once more. Her expression clearly showed her dismay at losing the communications equipment, but little else.
She has to know that she and her fellow Rebels aren't going to escape, Kyle thought, so how is it she seems so calm? Perhaps if I ask…
Whoa! Wait a minute here! What am I thinking? This woman is the enemy! It's not like she's just going to answer my questions willingly.
"All right, Cadet Leader," said Sergeant Major Hong, "tapes are secured, equipment's trashed, all that remains is to take care of these Rebs."
Kyle looked at the older man who was clearly anticipating the order to fire. But he found himself hesitating. It was strange. In all his battle simulations, he hadn't hesitated to eliminate the Rebels.
So why am I hesitating now?
"Cadet Leader," prompted Hong, "your orders sir."
"Stand down, Sergeant. I'm not finished talking to this Rebel yet."
"But sir, our orders…"
"I am aware of our orders, Sergeant Major," Kyle said sharply, "and I believe you heard mine."
The helmeted face stared at him for a long moment, then turned away, muttering a "yes sir," as he did so.
Well this is a surprise, thought the young woman named Jan Ors as she gazed into the face of the young man looking back at her. Clearly, he was unlike the average stormtrooper who followed orders without question. Rather than letting his blaster speak for him, this man was evaluating the situation before him, considering his actions and the possible responses.
"What do we have here?" she asked, "An Imperial soldier with a heart?"
The rough voice of another trooper told her to watch how she spoke to the young man, but Jan ignored it.
He's staring at me, she thought, but why? It's almost like he wants to ask me something, but doesn't know how. Maybe I could…
Whoa, Jan, back up a sec. However unusual this situation may be, that guy is still the enemy.
Even so, Jan found herself returning his stare, allowing her eyes to take in his features. She noticed his brown eyes and dark hair, sweat dampened and unruly from being inside the helmet. She opened her mouth to ask him a question when a fresh wave of blaster fire spattered against the wall.
A chorus of shouts and cries began to fill the room. Turning to see what the commotion was, Kyle realized he had made a possibly fatal mistake. Rather than take care of the Rebels as his orders had stated, holding this group had allowed another to circle behind his troops and launch a counterattack.
"Return fire!" he cried.
Kyle went to put his helmet back on when a blaster bolt struck him full in the chest. The concussion knocked the young man to the ground, unconscious.
Despite the fierceness of the Rebel's second advance, Kyle's troops were able to hold their ground. However, in the confusion of battle, the prisoners he had captured were able to escape. Fortunately for the beleaguered troopers, Sergeant Major Hong was able to get a transmission out to the Imperial command ship, calling for reinforcements. A fresh detachment of stormtroopers soon poured into the Rebel base, eliminating the few Rebels that hadn't escaped. They came upon Kyle's group and after the wounded were treated as best they could be, shuttled them back to the command ship.
Two hours later
Imperial Command Ship
Soon after the ship flickered into hyperspace headed for the Imperial Academy on the planet Carida, Kyle awoke in the ship's sickbay. Blurry at first, his vision began to clear. He saw the ceiling above, an unbroken river of white. The overly clean, antiseptic smell told him where he was. He could feel the bed beneath him. Gingerly, Kyle moved his head, raising it slightly off the pillow. He could now see his the rest of his body, most of it contained beneath a white sheet. His arms lay at his sides, the needle of an IV protruding from his right forearm. Craning his neck and looking over, Kyle could see and now hear the IV unit, its low, steady beep assuring the young man he was indeed alive.
From Kyle's left came a voice. "Well, you're finally awake. I thought you were going to sleep all the way to Carida." Turning his head the other way, Kyle's eyes went wide with surprise to see Sergeant Major Hong sitting in a chair next to his bed. "S…Sss…. Sarg…" Kyle tried to speak, but his mouth was bone dry and he couldn't make the words form. "Easy there," Hong said, "the doctor just finished with you a little while ago." Kyle opened his mouth to try and speak again, but Hong held up a hand to stop him.
"The doctor said you wouldn't be able to talk for a bit, so let me fill you in. We've returned safely to the ship and have set course for home. We bombed the Rebel Base from orbit before leaving however," Hong continued, smiling, "it's history. Whatever Rebels we didn't kill are long dead now."
I hope she made it out, Kyle thought, and just as quickly, wondered where that thought had come from. He chastened himself for thinking such a thing. Whoever the woman was, she and her kind were enemies of the Empire.
"We've got some injuries among the squad," Hong said, drawing Kyle's attention back to him, "mainly blaster burns; a few broken bones."
Good, Kyle thought, then no one was…
"We've also got three dead."
Kyle felt his chest tighten as the Sergeant Major said the words. Three dead. Three of his squad, three of his classmates were dead. In his mind's eye, Kyle saw himself and the other cadets suiting up for the mission. There had been jokes, smiles and laughter. Everyone had expected the mission to be a simple recon. And now…
It's because of me, he thought, they're dead because of me.
Hong saw the initial shock appear on the young man's face, followed by the realization of what had happened. Part of him wanted to comfort the young man, but he couldn't do it. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that had Katarn followed orders, those three young men would be alive right now.
"While we were busy guarding the Rebs in the comm room, another group snuck up behind us and attacked."
Kyle felt as if he could not breathe, grief and pain wallowed up inside him and he fought for control.
"Still, "Hong said, "we did achieve the mission objectives and gained some valuable intelligence from the Rebel computers before we destroyed the base."
Kyle heard the words, but they didn't register. Over and over in his mind, he said,
Three dead. It's my fault. Three dead. It's my fault. Three dead. It's my fault.
Tears began to issue from Kyle's eyes; he was powerless to stop them. Seeing this, Hong rose from the chair and began to move away. "Listen, Cadet Leader," he said over his shoulder, "you made a mistake and unfortunately, it cost three lives. But the rest of your team survived and the Rebels were defeated."
With that, Hong left the sickbay, the entrance opening and closing silently. With Hong gone, Kyle's grief overwhelmed him and he lay there, weeping silently, alternately mourning the deaths of the three cadets and chastising for not following orders and eliminating the Rebels when he could.
Kyle's guilt over the deaths only deepened when he was informed that, at graduation, he was to be awarded a medal for valor and courage under fire during the asteroid mission.
How can they give me a medal after what I've done? Those deaths are my fault.
Still, he was not about to defy his superiors and on the day of graduation moved forward to accept the medal.
Present that day along with General Mohc, commandant of the Academy, was Jerec, a Dark Jedi, the first Kyle had ever seen. The man was an imposing figure standing at least five inches taller than Kyle. Jerec's head was hairless and where his eyes should have been, was a strip of black cloth. Black robes covered his body allowing only black boots to be seen as Jerec stepped forward, medal in hand to present to Kyle.
As the Dark Jedi touched him, Kyle felt a sensation altogether new and amazing, but frightening and confusing at the same time. The stage he stood on, the men standing before him, the crowd of cadets behind all seemed to fade away. For a moment, there was nothing. Then, a flood struck him. Kyle felt as if he could see, hear and feel everything at once. It was as if he was no longer bound by space or time; he was everywhere at once.
Too much, too much, I can't process it all, I…
And then it was over.
Kyle opened his eyes, not recalling having closed them to find General Mohc staring at him with a concerned expression. He was back on the stage, Jerec having placed the medal around his neck, took a step back. The man was smiling at him in an odd way, but just then General Mohc told him to rejoin his fellow cadets.
Kyle did so; unaware that the Dark Jedi's "eyes" followed him all the way.
What Kyle did not and would never know was that Jerec had probed the young man's mind with his dark power and was surprised to find that Kyle had in him the capacity to access similar power. The connection was still in its infancy and had more than likely gone unnoticed by the young man. But it was there and there was something about it… something unfamiliar and yet familiar.
At that moment, Jerec decided that would follow young Kyle's career.
If he develops in the way I hope, he might be of use to me one day.
And while Kyle rejoined his classmates, he couldn't shake the feeling that something had happened on the stage when the black robed man had approached him. But what it was he had no idea. Such thoughts were driven from his mind as the final events of the graduation ceremony were concluded and Kyle joined his friends and classmates in celebrating their freedom from the Academy and their newly minted commissions as Imperial officers.
And while the celebration lasted well into the night, for Kyle, things took a much different turn when he received news of the worst kind.
A message from General Mohc told Kyle that Rebels had staged a raid on Kyle's home planet of Sulon. During the raid his father, Morgan Katarn, had been killed by the Rebels. Grief, pain and anger washed over the young man, coalescing into a rage. He had spared the lives of the Rebels during the mission to the asteroid and now, Rebels had killed his father. So enraged was Kyle that he vowed that from that day forward, he would do everything in his power to eliminate the Rebels and the Rebellion.
However, in time, he would find his blind hatred redirected in a most unusual way.
Despite his low mood, Kyle accepted the invitation of one of his classmates to go on a trip aboard the pleasure vessel, Queen of Empire. But rather than find solace, rest or relaxation, the young Imperial officer instead found himself almost a pariah. Many of the ship's passengers gazed at him disdainfully or not at all, others seemed to purposely bump into him.
While Kyle found their behavior both odd and confusing, he tolerated it with good grace. What he didn't know was that the beings aboard the Queen who were treating him so rudely knew the Empire for what it truly was, a corrupt dictatorship where most of the rules were enforced at gunpoint. News of the rise of Emperor coupled with the demise or disappearance of most the Republic Senate had brought opposition to the Empire, rather than the unity preached by the Emperor.
So it was that Kyle found that an Imperial uniform got more dirty looks than smiles or salutes. But the most dramatic part of the journey came while Kyle was dining with family of his classmate, Nathan Donar. The Donars treated the young man well, toasting his exploits and praising his service to the Empire, including his medal of honor, which he wore. Slightly embarrassed at their effusiveness, Kyle was beginning to enjoy and that was when he saw her.
On the far side of the banquet room, he spied a woman, but not just any woman. Her face, when he caught a glimpse of it, was all too familiar. It was the same woman from the asteroid mission, the one he had allowed to live. Excusing himself, Kyle quickly left the table to follow the woman. At the very least, he hoped to capture her and any other Rebels she was with.
But unbeknownst to Kyle, the woman caught sight of him and led the young Imperial into a trap. Captured by two other Rebels with the woman, Kyle faced what he thought would be his demise. Surely the Rebels would not spare him. But to his surprise the woman asked him his name. For a moment, Kyle considered not telling her. But what did it matter?
Upon hearing the name, the woman revealed herself to Kyle, identifying herself as Jan Ors. She next asked why he was following her. Almost spitting out the words in anger, Kyle told her of his father's death and his intent to take revenge. Realizing that the young man was Morgan Katarn's son, Jan debated with herself only briefly before explaining to Kyle that his father was, in fact, in league with the Rebellion as well as a leader of the local group of Rebels on Kyle's home planet of Sulon.
At first, Kyle rejected this, there was no way his father would have anything to do with the Rebels. But he could deny the sincerity in Jan's words, the honesty of her expression.
Could it be true?
But if it was, it meant that he had been lied to, that the Empire had lied to him. Jan continued, explaining that it was the Empire, not the Rebels, who attacked Sulon. But the most convincing part was a visual record of the battle she showed to him.
As Kyle watched the video, he recognized that the supposed "Rebels" were using standard Imperial attack procedures. Also, the equipment being used by the attackers appeared to be brand new. Kyle heard the whine of a blaster on the video, and recognized it as an Imperial blaster rifle. The video continued and Jan warned Kyle to brace himself for what he would see next.
The view shifted, then refocused on the spaceport, which Kyle recognized. As the camera drew closer, Kyle saw what appeared to be decorations on the wall near the entrance. The view tightened and Kyle's breath caught as he realized the "decorations" were really severed heads placed on posts. And one of the heads in the view was that of Kyle's father.
No, no, this… this can't be true. But… but it is… and this means… this means… the Empire…
Looking down at himself, Kyle saw not his splendid dress uniform and shiny medal, but instead a uniform tainted with blood. Reaching to his chest, he grasped the medal of honor and ripped it off his neck, casting it to the ground. Before the others in the room could stop him, he ran out, grief and shock nearly overwhelming him.
The two other Rebels were about to follow, but Jan ordered them not to. She wasn't sure why, but something had happened. She had seen the realization in Katarn's eyes, the dawning of the truth in his mind. Her instincts told her to trust him just enough to let him go. Besides, there was work of their own to be done. And since the young Imperial had found them, they would have to be extra careful.
An hour passed as a nearly broken Kyle Katarn stalked the corridors of the Queen of Empire, fighting to put the pieces of his shattered world back together. His mind was awhirl with visions of what the Rebel woman had shown him. Though it went against everything he knew of Rebels and their outlaw Alliance, he knew one thing for sure. The Rebel Jan Ors had told him the truth.
But to believe her could mean that everything he had learned and believed about the Empire into a lie. And if the Empire was wrong, did that make the Rebellion right? No, Kyle decided, it was much too soon to answer that question. Right and wrong seemed little more than concepts to him now, abstracts of truth. And for Kyle Katarn, there was one overriding truth he felt at this moment; he wanted revenge!
I'll make them pay. I'll make them all pay for lying to me and for killing Father.
The question was, how? Despite his training and ability, Kyle was only one man, up against the vastness of the Empire. That was when he remembered the woman, Jan Ors. Perhaps through her and the Rebellion, he might get his revenge. Still, Kyle felt unsure about her. She was an unknown to him, once an enemy, now an ally?
No, he thought, shaking his head, not an ally, but perhaps she can help me.
And Kyle could not deny that Jan had spared him. She had also revealed the truth about his father's death.
No, not death, his murder.
The question was, could he trust her?
He didn't know the answer to that question either, but he decided that for the moment, he could try to. And with that decided, he knew what he had to do.
Returning to his room, Kyle changed clothes, stripping off his uniform and tossing it on the bed. His eyes followed it, watching as it came to rest. As he stared at the uniform, Kyle remembered how proud he had felt when he had first put it on. It had taken years of hard work just to earn the right to call himself an Imperial officer. And now, it felt… wrong. Just looking at it reminded Kyle of the images Jan had shown him. The uniform represented the Empire, who had killed his father and, for all he knew, had deceived him all this time. Grabbing the uniform, Kyle wadded it into a ball and threw it onto the floor. Then, without a second look, he turned around and left his quarters for the last time.
His next step was to find Jan Ors, although he had no idea where to find her. But find her he would.
I have to.
In the hangar bay of the Queen, Jan sat on top of the Truly Sorry; the ship she and the other Rebels had flown aboard the liner. She was supposed to be working on the hyperdrive, but her thoughts were preoccupied with the young Imperial, Katarn. Granted he was the enemy, but the look on his face when he had seen the image of his father...Jan shook her head.
Maybe I shouldn't have showed it to him. Seeing his father like that… it must have been painful.
She also pondered what it meant when Katarn had torn the medal off his uniform and cast it to the floor before running out of the room.
Focused on these thoughts, only half paying attention to what she was doing, Jan unscrewed the last bolt holding the hyperdrive motivator in place. Freed from its mounting, the unit started to fall to the deck, and a crash that would cause perhaps irreparable damage. Realizing her mistake, Jan grabbed for the unit, catching it just before it fell. But whatever relief she felt was soon replaced by a realization of just how heavy the motivator was. It was taking everything she had just to keep it from falling.
Oh boy, she thought, feeling her grip slip a little, this is not good.
Positioned as she was, half sitting, half lying across the hull, Jan had no leverage whatsoever. Her grip slipped a little more.
It's too heavy for me, she thought, I'm going to….
She heard footsteps coming at a run, coming to a halt nearby. From beneath a voice floated up.
"Need some help there?"
"What... makes... you think... that?" Jan said through gritted teeth.
From below came a snicker, followed by, "Hold on a sec."
What do you think I'm doing?
The inexorable pull on her arms suddenly lessened as the owner of the voice reached up to grasp the motivator from beneath. Together, they lowered it the rest of the way to the ground safely. Jan let out a long exhalation, taking a moment to rest her aching arms.
But who had helped her?
As this thought came to her, Jan moved down to the Sorry's maintenance hatch, lowering herself into the ship. From there, she made her way to the main hatch and back out into the hangar, her eyes widening in surprise at the sight of the figure there.
It was the Imperial, Katarn.
So surprised by his appearance was Jan that for a moment she just stood there, staring at him.
The first thing she noticed was that he was no longer in uniform. In its place were a nondescript, loose-fitting shirt and pants. And given the earlier encounter with him, Jan wondered if this might mean something.
Okay, Ors. Before you go hoping that, you'd better make sure. This could be a trap. Wouldn't be the first time the Empire tried something like this?
She reached down to the blaster at her hip, loosely curling her hand around it.
"What are you doing here?" she called to him.
Looking up from the hyperdrive motivator, Kyle's eyes met hers. He opened his mouth to speak, closed it, opened it again…
"Vrelt got your tongue?" Jan prompted, "I asked what you're doing here."
Staring at him, Jan saw a play of emotions go across Kyle's face, uncertainty, frustration, resignation.
"Would you believe that I was looking for you?"
Looking for me? Jan thought. Is he actually serious?
"Not likely," she replied.
"That's what I thought," Kyle said, "but… if you'll let me explain…"
Though his words seemed honest, Jan had seen too much of Imperial treachery to take them simply at face value. Whether or not he wore the uniform, Kyle was still an Imperial. Granted, she knew her revealing the truth of his father's death had caused the young man terrible pain. Still…
"Maybe some other time, Katarn. I'm busy right now."
His face fell, the hopeful look crumbling into disappointment.
His look pulled at Jan's heart a little. She didn't want to cause him any more pain, but…
"Well then," Kyle said, "could I at least offer you some help with your ship? I'm pretty good with machines."
Now he was pushing it. Jan had hoped that with her last comment, Katarn would leave. But it hadn't.
All right then, let's try being a little more aggressive.
She shook her head, putting some iron into her tone.
"Listen, kid, I don't..."
Kyle interrupted her in mid-sentence. "Consider it my way of apologizing for coming after you earlier."
You just don't get it, do you? Jan thought, opening her mouth to tell him to go.
"Please."
Jan paused. Her mouth hung open, the words poised on her tongue. But she couldn't say them.
Katarn was looking her right in the eye, his expression matching the earnestness of his words.
Jan narrowed her eyes at him, searching the young man's face. Though she still wasn't sure, Katarn sounded sincere.
Maybe, she thought, maybe he is telling the truth.
She also noticed that Kyle appeared to have no weapons on him.
"All right," she said, "I could use the help. But listen here, Katarn. To me, you're still an Imperial. Try anything stupid or foolish and I won't hesitate to shoot you."
Kyle gave her a solemn look. "I understand."
"Good," she said, "then start by taking a look at that motivator. It started making a knocking sound as we came out of hyperspace."
"You got it," Kyle said.
"Stay there for a moment," she said, "don't move."
Keeping him in view, Jan stepped back towards the Sorry's hatch. Stepping inside, she quickly moved to the cockpit and retrieved the spare toolkit. Stepping back outside, she found that, to her relief, Katarn hadn't moved. She tossed the toolkit towards him.
"Here."
"Thanks," he said.
He turned to the motivator and began studying it. Jan moved some distance away, where she could work on some of the exterior instrumentation and still keep an eye on Katarn.
A few hours later, Jan found herself glad that she had allowed Katarn to help her. He had discovered the issue with the motivator and fixed it in less than an hour. Jan inspected his work and found no evidence of tampering or hidden traps.
She looked over at Kyle who was watching her with a questioning look.
"Not bad," she said, "follow me and you have a look at the scanner array."
"Sure," Kyle moving to stand up, "but first there's something I have to ask you."
Uh oh, Jan thought, here it comes.
"I told you earlier that I was looking for you, but I didn't tell you why."
"True," Jan said.
"Please understand," he said, "this is kinda difficult for me to say and I'm not really sure how to say it, but…"
He looked away for a moment and Jan could see in his face that he was struggling with what to say next.
"Well?" she prompted him.
When Kyle finally looked back up, Jan could see the conflict of emotions Kyle was feeling. He was unsure and afraid.
"I... I want to come with you when you leave this ship."
"What!" Jan asked, taken aback.
"I can't be part of the Empire anymore." Kyle said; his uncertain expression replaced by one of anger and grief. "They killed my father and then lied to me about it. They've been lying to me for years. I trusted them and they betrayed me."
Jan nodded; it was a story she had heard many times before from so many beings. But was he telling the truth?
"And what do you want from me?"
"I just told you," Kyle said, "I want to come with you."
"But why do you want to come with me, Katarn? What do you hope to accomplish by coming with me?"
The grief disappeared from Kyle's face, replaced by a fierce anger.
"Because you and your Rebellion can help me get revenge on the Empire, Kyle said flatly.
This was another familiar story. So many races and peoples victimized by the Empire wanted revenge.
But still, there was the question of whether or not she could trust him. And while she sympathized with his feelings, Katarn's desire for revenge could end up killing him.
And it's not like I've been authorized to recruit new agents.
At the same time, Jan considered that as an Imperial, Katarn possessed a great deal of knowledge and experience that could be useful to the Rebellion.
Jan decided she would take him along.
Just then, the hangar bay entrance slid open and Jan's two companions entered at a run. As they approached she called, " Roscoe, what's going on?"
The taller of the two men answered. "Word is somebody tipped off Governor Donar about us. There's a squad of security guards headed this way."
Great, Jan thought, so much for the mission.
"Okay, we need to get out of here fast. And we've got a passenger. Roscoe, get up to the cockpit and get the engines fired up. Waller, get to the gun turret and be ready for anything."
When the men didn't move, Jan asked, "What?"
"You mentioned a passenger?" said Roscoe.
"Yes," Jan said, pointing to where Kyle was, "He's coming with us. I'll explain on board."
"Okay," Waller said, "but where is he?"
"What do you mean?" Jan said. "He's right..."
It was then Jan realized Kyle was missing. Suddenly, from behind her, the sound of the Sorry's engines powering up filled the air.
"Blast!" Jan yelled, yanking her weapon free of its holster. "He's in the ship. Waller, get to the gun turret. Roscoe, come with me."
The three ran up the Sorry's boarding ramp, Waller heading aft to the turret as Jan and Roscoe approached the cockpit cautiously, blasters drawn. They caught sight of Kyle in one the cockpit chairs, his hands flying over the cockpit controls.
"Okay, Katarn," Jan said loudly, "put your hands up and turn around."
Kyle threw them a look over his shoulder and kept working.
"I mean it!" Jan said, drawing a bead on Kyle's head, hesitating only because she didn't want to damage the cockpit instruments, "don't make me shoot you."
"There's no time!" Kyle exclaimed.
Jan tightened her finger on the trigger, "Last chance."
Kyle spun the chair around to face them. "Look, I heard what Roscoe said and figured you'd need some help getting this thing in the air."
Reaching back, he pressed a final control. "There!"
"Hands up! Get away from the controls!" Roscoe growled.
"C'mon!" said Kyle said in a exasperated tone, "those guards will be here any moment!"
"Check out what he did," Jan said to Roscoe, "I've got him covered. Move away from the console, Katarn."
The look on his face matching the frustration in his voice, Kyle nevertheless complied, stepping away as Roscoe came forward and examined the panel.
"Engines are powered up, "he reported, "shields are on standby and the turret is armed." Roscoe turned to Jan with a look of surprise. "We're ready to go."
Jan opened her mouth to speak when the ship jolted, knocking them all to the floor.
"What the..?"
"We've got company," came Waller's voice from the comm panel, "at least a dozen guards!"
The Truly Sorry jolted again as more blaster fire struck the hull, causing the trio to struggle to maintain their footing.
"Let's get out of here!" Jan cried.
Roscoe stabbed at the engine controls. A roar came from the back of the ship as the engines came on, spewing blue fire. Feeding power to the repulsors, Roscoe brought the ship off the deck and towards the bay doors.
"I've got us airborne," he said, "but we need to get those doors open."
Settling herself into the chair next to him, Jan turned so she operate the comm panel and keep an eye on Kyle.
"This is Truly Sorry to hangar control requesting emergency departure."
The speaker crackled and the voice of the hangar control officer came through. "Permission denied, Truly Sorry. You are ordered to shut down your engines and land. By order of Governor Dal Donar, you are under arrest for suspicion of treason."
Jan closed the channel. "Well, so much for the easy way."
"What about ramming the doors?" she asked Roscoe.
"Bad idea," said Kyle, "they're double thick durasteel. Even with shields, we'd lose better than half the ship."
She turned to look at him. "What about blasting them?"
Kyle gave her a look. "Sure, as long you don't mind seeing what sudden vacuum exposure will do to us, not to mention the rest of the bay."
Jan cast about in her mind, there had to be some way... Then, through the cockpit glass, she found her answer.
"Waller", she called into the comm, "target one of the ships to our port side and open fire."
Waller complied and a stream of red fire issued from the Sorry's turret. It lanced into a small shuttle parked nearby. The vehicle exploded, throwing debris in all directions.
Switching channels, Jan called out. "Hangar Control, you have thirty seconds to get those doors open. Otherwise, we'll keep blasting ships until we hole this bay."
Over the hangar speakers came the frantic voice of the hangar control officer. "Attention! Attention! This bay is decompressing in thirty seconds! Repeat, decompression in thirty seconds! Clear the bay!"
With the decompression klaxons calling out their warning, the Queen's security guards retreated, leaving the Truly Sorry unmolested. Thirty seconds later, the ship exploded from the hangar bay, angling away from the Queen. Roscoe fed as much power as he could to the engines without compromising weapons or shields.
"Status?" Jan asked.
"We're 50,000 klicks away from the Queen and increasing," Roscoe said. "Computer is calculating the hyperspace jump."
"How soon?" Jan asked.
"Twelve minutes."
"Waller, any pursuit?"
"Negative," he started to say, "Wait, cancel that. I'm detecting a transmission. The Queen is radioing for assistance." He paused a moment more. "We'd better be gone quick. The Star Destroyer Vengeance has signaled back that it's on the way and expected to arrive in less than five minutes!"
"How long till we can jump?" Jan asked.
Roscoe consulted the instruments, then turned back to Jan, frowning. "Ten minutes."
Jan cursed and struck the panel with her first.
"Can't we go any faster?" Kyle asked.
"Not unless you want to get and push, boy," Roscoe snapped.
Ignoring the comment, Kyle did some quick thinking. "What if you cut power to everything except emergency systems and pour it all into the engines?"
"What?" Roscoe said, his eyes burning into Kyle. "That means we lose weapons and shields."
Kyle glared back at him. "What good are they going to be against a Star Destroyer?"
Both men looked to Jan.
"It'll work," Kyle said.
She gave it a moment's thought, then looked to Kyle. "It'd better." To Roscoe, she said, "Do it."
Expression betraying the reluctance he felt, Roscoe did as instructed. The lights dimmed as power was drawn from most of the ship's systems. Their roar increased as the additional power was fed into them and with a suddenness that caught them unawares, the Truly Sorry leapt forward.
"Time!" Jan called, holding onto the console.
"Hyperspace in one minute." Roscoe said.
Waller called from the turret. "Too late."
Space shimmered as a massive wedge-shaped object slipped into view. It resolved itself into the white hull of a Star Destroyer, exiting hyperspace directly above them; it's shadow eclipsing the Truly Sorry.
The comm crackled. "This is Star Destroyer Vengeance to unidentified ship. Shut down your engines and prepare to be boarded."
Roscoe and Jan looked at each other.
"How long? Jan asked.
"Thirty seconds."
"We've got incoming!" Waller yelled, "TIE fighters!"
The Truly Sorry shook violently as laser fire struck the unprotected hull. The controls in front of Roscoe exploded in a shower of sparks. The man tumbled from his seat and crashed to the deck.
"Roscoe!" called Jan. A cry came from Waller as the gun turret suffered a hit.
The comm crackled yet again. "This is the Vengeance to unidentified ship. You cannot run and we have you outgunned. Make it easy on yourself and surrender."
Jan and Kyle looked at each other, each thinking the same thing.
"I'm sorry," she said sincerely.
"Well, we tried," he returned.
Just then, an alarm sounded. The hyperspace warning!
Launching herself, Jan grabbed the twin levers and pulled. With a whine, the hyperdrive activated. Stars streamed past them, elongating and finally disappearing as the Truly Sorry disappeared into hyperspace.
Two Hours Later
"There she is," said Roscoe, pointing.
Kyle looked outside the cockpit and saw the ship, recognizing its shape immediately. He turned to Jan with his brows raised. "How did you get a hold of a Nebulon B Frigate?"
"We have our ways." Jan replied.
Kyle shook his head in amazement. The Nebulon B was one of the front line ships used by the Empire and manufactured exclusively by the Kuat Drive Yards who, as far as he knew, were loyal to the Empire.
The Truly Sorry got closer, approaching the hangar in the forward section of the frigate. He noticed that Jan was not radioing in for landing clearance. He was about to ask why when a pair of ships appeared just ahead and to the left of them. The comm crackled.
"This is Gold Leader to approaching ship. You are trespassing in restricted space. Identify yourself."
"This is Truly Sorry to Gold Leader," Jan replied, "nice job, Quell. I didn't pick you up on scanners until you were right behind us."
"That's our job," replied Gold Leader, "you're cleared for landing, Jan. See you later."
With that, the two ships peeled away out of sight.
"A screen force of Y-Wings," Kyle mused. "Not bad."
Nodding at him, Jan refocused her attention back to the controls as the Truly Sorry entered the hangar bay and settled to the deck. The group rose from their chairs and was heading for the hatch when it opened from the outside. Two men with weapons drawn stood at the entrance. Jan nodded and the men came forward, stepping up to Kyle. Before he knew what was happening, one of the men grabbed Kyle's hands and snapped a pair of wrist binders on them.
"Whoa!" Kyle exclaimed, "What's going on here?"
A/N: Whew! What a ride! But more is to come. Join me for Chapter 2!