Friends Part 5
Friend in Need - Part 2
Two star destroyers were the least of the damage…less than four days after rumors of a mobile orbital station being destroyed circulated, taking the ‘most honorable’ Tarkin with it, Imperial News Network offering platitudes no one believed. Gradually the truth became known…a machine called the Death Star wiped out, the Rebels ascendant escaping their base on Yavin IV…the Emperor obviously now seriously concerned had let Vader off the leash.
The best thing to come out was Veers return to Coruscant and Harm with him – a ‘high level’ debriefing they called it.
It was the first time she had seen Harm with her new eyes…she hadn’t remembered him looking so haggard before,
“Jyna?” he asked,
“Sorry…just takes time to adjust…you look beat,” her ‘down time’ voice coming out for the first time in months, she wanted to hold him…but the huge cast of technicians officers and troopers around the hangar would frown upon such open affection.
“Yeah well…let’s…let’s talk about it at home…” not that it was really his home she thought sadly.
The trip was fast, the speed with which she tore off his clothes even faster…she didn’t know how long he would be home…she didn’t want to waste any time
“Whoa…Jyna are you…”
“Shut up, pants down Captain Harm,” she said firmly.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“What do you thinks going to happen now…” she asked twirling his chest hair
“Nothing good…the rebs are going to get bolder…Vaders going to get meaner…everything we’re trying to create…order…peace…”
He sat up shrugging the thought away
“Uh…that’s too depressing, tell me about how you’re doing in the new job…really doing,” he looked at her sternly, her message indicated it was OK but he wanted to hear it from her lips, he’d know if she was lying
“It’s…not bad…” she stared up at the ceiling
“I…at least I can make a bit of a difference…a few more credits means better services, better security…its fighting on a different front…”
“But you still miss it don’t you,”
She nodded, “I do…the heart pumping…sweaty hands beneath gloves as you pivot the stick just in front of a flight path…breath held as the green streaks forward…the release when it plumes into fire…simulators are fine but I won’t lie I miss the real thing,”
“Well,” he shifted back down to cradle her, “I’ve built up a lot of leave and a lot of overtime payments…if we save a bit we could look at getting you new growth eyes rather than cybernetics…” she shook her head,
“No...I looked into it...the damage is too great…the grafting for the cybernetics damages as much as it fixes by shortcutting…” she spun on top of him
“Lets not talk about this…not waste the little time we have…” she slowly slid her hand down his chest, past his hips,
“You know simulators are fine but I won’t lie…” she nuzzled into his ear
“I missed the real thing…”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Harm stayed only three days, Veers was put under Vader directly to hunt the Rebels down…she feared she would never see him again…not because of a Rebel shot but a Dark Lords abhorrence of failure…that wasn’t how any officer should die…no matter their failings…
Yet as months passed the true failings started to pile up on her desk…more and more facilities hit…more stations scuttled and sold off to Andisson and his company Lyssia Resource Recovery…she had to laugh he must’ve have enough Imperial infrastructure to build a whole fleet.
The Admirals demands increased, they were working on something big a new special ‘Project’…they needed all the credits and recovered doonium they could get…she pushed for 70% recovery, a number dropped out of contention, Andisson picked up ever more work.
She saw what she thought was the ‘Project’ when she had to sell of the remains of a dreadnought called the Arc Hammer…it built some kind of battle droid, huge R&D cost now all scrap metal that Andisson scooped up with relish – paying 80% he value of the scrap direct to the Empire –he must be taking a loss on that but he didn’t seem to care…she wondered sometimes if he knew something she didn’t – what could you learn from the refuse of an factory.
As the rebels blasted more facilities the Empire shoved more money into failed ventures that ended up on her desk- two huge Conductor Towers near the Fewse Corridor, marked with Tagge co. components and etched labels for Omega-Frost, A star destroyer belonging to Governor Tiber Saxon that once held an Arc Pulse weapon project, and most troubling shipments of Stygium crystals and a wrecked Super Star destroyer the Terror that took Admiral Sarn and some secret fighter project on Imdaar Alpha nearby with it…Each time Andisson lapped up the detritus…
It was just crazy, these major projects must’ve cost billions of credits…yet now scrap floating in the void. And there were no results for it…no new droid armies, no new advanced fighters or weapons systems…this was the problem with a dictatorship, the emperor’s favour drifted day to day, and a single failure put him off.
The only ones benefitting seemed to be the Rebels and Andisson…she didn’t begrudge Andisson making his fortune as he provided a fair price for what he got, but seeing the Rebels success growing and the Empire’s decision making slowly breaking…Harm still out there on the front line fighting across the Frozen wastes of Hoth…
The chime once more
“I’ll send him straight in,” Nyka said by now well drilled in Sala’s directness,
“Morning Colonel,”
“Andisson…do I even need to ask,”
A rare smile trickled across his mouth, his handsome features lighting up for just long enough for her sight to register
“Not really…I’m very interested in the former Raider Corvette facility…”
“Ah yes the new one…only 45% damage…” it annoyed her, this could be repaired, but every resource, every half intelligent technician was being diverted to the ‘Project‘, they wanted credits now and fast not spent on repairing disabled facilities,
“2.3 million,” he said instantly, the directness suited them both.
She glanced at the estimate from her valuations team, 1.5 million…
“That’s quite a bit over the estimate…” she was honest with him, he had been her best contractor after all.
“Doesn’t bother us…we have a new method of dissolving out impurities in flash forged doonium…makes it more valuable to us.”
“Very well,” she sighed
He arched an eyebrow,
“Unimpressed with something,”
“oh…” she shrugged, “just…depressing seeing all the destruction…” she didn’t know why but she felt comfortable near him…the only other person she let her guard down with was Harm…
“Well new life from decay…perhaps this will lighten your mood,” he slid an envelope across, it smelled woody...fresh...real paper.
She gave him a questioning look but took it,
“We’re having a small celebration on recent successes…they wouldn’t be possible without you so…I thought you might like to come…as a friend not a colonel,”
“I…” she worried if she accepted this an Imperial Loyalty Officer would show up asking about where her true allegiance lay…still…it wasn’t against regulations to accept small gifts or invitations…and perhaps for her own mental health a break was what she needed.
“I’d like that, thank you Andisson,”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Held in an upper class penthouse overlooking the Imperial palace, the party seemed relatively low key when she arrived, various employees in mid-priced suits and dresses, she felt slightly out of place in formal dress uniform, but soon spied a few other Officers. Wandering over they gave her a short nod,
“Evening,”
“Evening colonel” a Captain nodded to her as an admiral turned around, she had long copper hair done in a tight bun, relatively youthful with green eyes,
“Admiral,” Sala saluted,
“Ah so you’re in their net as well!” Sala recognised the voice of Natasi Dala
“Net?”
“Our mutual friends,” the Captain gestured to a small group cluttered to the side of the room, a male who looked like Andisson, possibly a brother or cousin, and three women who looked like triplets
“So what do you do for them?” Dala asked, Sala noted the causal tone and drink in her hand, this was not a formal occasion despite the white Admirals tunic.
“Resource Recovery Admiral”
“Junks seller” Dala noted to Sala’s nod,
“Nothing is junk in their eyes…” the captain said sourly, he looked about forty with greying hair, moustache and firm staunch expression
“Indeed…nothing wasted, an important role, Colonel,” she said honestly
“Unfortunately you must have your work cut out for you of late,”
“Most unfortunately Admiral, but we get a good return from a bad situation,”
“I wonder what do they do with that junk you sell them,” Dala inquired further
Something about that question seemed odd to Sala…like…it wasn’t meant to be asked…a taboo of some kind…she realised she ahd never really looked into it herself…she’d looked into everything else about her role, reviewed the battles that created the scarp she sold, learned about transport, clean up using magnetic harvesters…but never asked what was done after…she assumed it was sent to a smelting facility of some kind…but…Why hadn’t she ever asked?
“None of us know…” the Captain said bitterly
“And how do you know Andisson Admiral,” Sala asked an invisible prompt truing the subject away from the niggling topic Dala had raised.
“One of his associates, Aresdottir provides us with…independent research and innovation advice for a small installation I run.”
“Welcome friends…” came a feminine voice behind them, Sala’s eyes adjusting finally resolved an exceptionally beautiful young woman, dark auburn hair loose and curled at the tips, stunning blue grey eyes and a pristine pink smile perfectly centred on alabaster skin that made the red shimmer dress seem an affront to art to cover the rest of her body.
She gestured for a male behind her to come forward,
“A small gift to recognize your assistance over the last few years,” she took small red pins, three pointed stars that decorated their official sign off from a silver plate,
“Admiral, Colonel, Captain,” she handed one to each in turn, “We have a small gift for each of you when you leave as well to show our appreciation. Please excuse me as I hand out the rest!”
The party passed comfortably, Sala met various academics, scientists and former Imperial personnel, it seemed resource recovery was one part of a very large…or rather very broad organisation.
Finally it came to a speech by the same woman who had handed her a pin.
“Friends, that you for coming, we hope you have enjoyed our hospitality, and more importantly working with us…we have prepared small gifts for each of you to leave with…”
“We like to give our friends whatever they want the most” she said pointedly
“Enjoy the open bar and desert carts…feel free to take home some bottles or cakes…we look forward to working with all you in the future. Long Live the Empress!” she finished in a suitably patriotic note, but giggled realizing her mistake
“Apologies...one too many Corellian Curisers! Long Live the Emperor!”
As people began to leave Andisson approached her with the young woman on his arm
“Colonel Sala, thank you for coming, we hope you enjoy our gift…” he pointed towards the table with small white bags labelled for each attendee.
“Thank you for livening my evening…”
“Not at all, we appreciate all you’ve done for us, and wish to assure you, that in these difficult times you have a friend in us should you need it.”
She wasn’t sure just what he meant but accepted with a nod.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
She waited till she was home till she opened her small gift bag…inside was a necklace of gold and emerald, a small thank you card and two envelopes.
Opening the first she gasped, at first she thought it a joke…but having met her at the party. It was only a copy but it meant the world to her…
[Maximillian
I understand you rely on Captain Harm, however to ensure he is at his best I request you allow him to take two weeks leave to recuperate after the Hoth campaign, I’m sure you agree he needs it!
Yours
Natasi]
It was somewhat in appropriate yet…it was what she wanted…had she been asked she would’ve protested against it but it was done…and both she and Harm could use the time off, rest and reconnection would improve their performance after all.
The second was stranger yet more inspiring
[Colonel Jyna Sala,
We are pleased to offer you an all-expense paid treatment course in ocular regeneration at the Lyssia Memorial Treatment Centre. Whilst based on Fresia we are able to treat you on Coruscant. Please contact me on the following number or holo-mail to arrange a consultation.
Dr. Jisi Karisadottir]
The woman with Andisson was right, they did give their friends just what they wanted.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Six platforms orbited over the volcanic moon, purple-blue swirls of the Gas giant behind making the orange magma glows stand out even more against black-brown crystal sands.
Andisson…or such was his Pseudonym as far as the Empire was concerned, gazed at the view screen. Their ships did not have ‘windows’ they were structural weaknesses and limited compared to advanced electromagnetic radiation sensors.
Pieced together from recovered pieces of Imperial facilities, as well as their own custom built components, each platform was tethered to a facility on the moon by a space elevator, easy as there was only a thin atmosphere. 70% of the scraps went to the ground facilities where they were melted through thermal heated blackstone pipes, and cooled using Omega frost tech towers to allow fractional distillation to separate out the elements then sent to the Orbital facilities where 3D printers produced TIE Defenders, Corvettes, Armour, Small arms…from the wreck of the Empires failures they were equipping a new army…a better army.
She slid in behind him taking his arm and leaning her hear on his shoulder, her dark auburn hair spilling across her face as it had since she was a child.
“Shows about to begin,”
The massive tip of the “Terror Arc” came into view…built from the wreck of the Arc Hammer, the Imdaar Alpha facility and the Super Star Destroyer Terror, improved and advanced…it would now produce both of its precursors original products…no not original better…Everything had to be better…what they lacked in Quantity they made up for with Quality.
It slowly filled the view screen, the aether suffused with pride as the first lights blinked on, yellow and green against the black durasteel, vibrational sensor picked up the hums of the internal manufacturing starting up.
The Empires innovation and losses…were their gain.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The first thing she saw with her new eyes was Harms face…he looked even more gaunt than last time.
Dr. Karisadottir pushed in front checking her eyes with a piercing blue laser
“You can see…”
“Yes…I…I can see…”
“Scans indicate you can see…”
Sala couldn’t suppress a grimace…Doctors
“Everything should be back to normal, but we’ll keep you under observation for two days…and need to run some test…human eyes are difficult for us.”
Something about that seemed off to Sala, wasn’t Karisadottir human, she pushed it aside in favour of gazing on Harms face.
“But those can wait,” she added leaving them alone.
“I thought it could never happen…how did they…”
“Trade secret apparently” Sala replied sitting up…she felt fine…better than fine in fact.
He stroked her face, her skin still sensitive, but his gentle touch was welcome after so long.
“You know it didn’t matter to me either way…” he said supportively sliding over to sit on her bedside
“But…you know simulators are fine but I won’t lie…” he added as she shifted into his arms
“But we both missed the real thing…” she finished.
*********************************************************************************************************