Subject: [OTL]: (alt. Betsy/Star Wars) Fanged Butterfly 2: Knightcross 10/? (PG-15) From: Phil Hartman Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2008 04:53:30 +0000 will1@earthling.net Fanged Butterfly Vol. 2: Knightcross Chapter 10 by Phil Hartman DISCLAIMER: Marvel's are Marvel's. LFL's are LFL's. Any original characters are mine. The rest belong to their owners/creators. No money is being made off of this. Please don't sue. NOTE: And now, letters from the Galactic Alliance Guard ... and a fan fave ... ;) -------------------------------------------- 40 ABY: GAG Flagship Ganner Rhysode, Hydian Way, approaching Bandomeer: -------------------------------------------- Jori Lekauf considered himself ... well-rounded. He'd excelled at the GA Naval Academy on Centax II, scoring superbly on hand-to-hand and ranged combat, and had opted for Coruscanti security duty when the time came. A soldier, like his father and grandfather before, serving the state. But he was also a historian. The Lekaufs had solder's blood, no doubt. It was that it tended to run Imperial gray and olive rather than Alliance - Rebel or Galactic - red that troubled some of his kin. Jori snorted at that. Whatever Darth Vader had done, he'd watched out for his troops. He'd given Jori's grandfather total access to the best burn care available after Gramps got burned helping save Vader from Dark Jedi clones years ago. Whenever people pointed to Admiral Ozzel, Jori reminded them that Ozzel had been incompetent, putting his troops' lives at risk. That Force choke had been deserved. Piett, on the other hand, had done his best and been rewarded. Competency and loyalty equaled promotion - merit, not extra credits or family names. And when Jacen Solo, Hero of Coruscant's Second Liberation, had called for help securing the homefront, Lekauf had signed on with the Galactic Alliance Guard. Mom had fretted about Corellian thugs; Dad, about what the real message being sent was. Grandpa - nearing 80 - had lit up when Jori visited him in the old sentients' home and told him about Colonel Solo's willingness to lead from the front. "Ah. A Skywalker who doesn't kark around. His Lordship would be proud," Grandpa had said. Jori had little use for Jedi - decent enough, capable fighters, but they were outside the system. Order 66 had proven that if pushed far enough, the mystics could be broken. That was part of the reason why Jori had decided to watch out for Ben Skywalker. The kid wasn't too young - Imperial military schools had started their training at 10 - and he'd taken to the GAG drills and terms readily. But he WAS a kid. And Ben was likable; friendly, down to planet, open, and he watched your back. Like a friendly version of Vader, Ben took care of his own, and he didn't breathe heavy or Force-choke laser-brained troops. It'd been Jori who'd given Ben a regulation buzzcut. The joy in the kid's eyes at being invited along to Dexter's after a few raids had touched Lekauf. Colonel Solo encouraged Jori to watch out for Ben, and it was a duty the 22-year-old corporal gladly took on - kind of like having a kid brother. (Two sisters had driven Jori quite thorougly into the GA military, as much as the family tradition.) Cap Shevu had quietly worried about Ben, still did, but while Jori respected his superior officer's concerns, he'd thought Ben was coming along well. Then those two suspects ended up on Ben's lightsaber, and the poor kid went down a black hole. #He was in shock. Colonel Solo almost had a panic attack when Ben vanished - we all did. I don't blame Ben, though - I cried all night first time I put a round through a perp,# Jori thought, finishing his Naboo duck and looking around the mess. Ben still hadn't shown up for lunch. The Colonel had said he and Ben had to talk, but ... Jori didn't put much faith in the less visible aspects of the Force. Jedi opening doors and subduing suspects, he could applaud. "Disturbances" and vague impressions? Not tangible evidence. But a soldier's gut instinct ... Jori didn't need midichlorians to follow that. Ben was in trouble. He motioned to Sergeant Teryn Wirut, one of the demolitions experts and a frequent squadmate, and said, "Sir, Lieutenant Skywalker hasn't been along ... I expected the Colonel to send him by now." Dark-haired where Jori was sandy-blond, Wirut was a Vong War veteran, and nearing 30 - many of the Guard were young. The swarthy sergeant scratched his chin and nodded, merely saying, "Lead on." Wirut was solid - had to be to launch stun grenades and shavit knew what else. He and Jori headed out of the mess - they were on standby, being ground troops on a naval mission in a military that didn't split up air, land, sea and space services - then went up a level. Jori heard it first - a low, painful gasping, like somebody'd been gut-shot - "Kark! Ben!?" Wirut barked - nobody really called Ben "Lieutenant" unless the Colonel or another superior officer were around, and Ben was one of the guys, not some tight-necked Academy loot-light. Ben was leaning against one of the white walls. He was back in uniform, his red hair still buzzed, his Padawan braid the only jarring part of his appeareance. Well, that and he was panting, with eyes spilling over with tears - Jori almost checked for blood or a disposed knife, he was so worried. "S-Sarge - Jori ...?" Ben whispered - kriff, he sounded like a little kid. As young as he looked. Wirut and Jori traded a look, and Wirut slammed the nearest com panel while Jori helped Ben to a conference room. "Hey, what happened? Did someone -" Jori began, relieved when Ben moved his arm and the boy's stomach wasn't bloody. Then Ben ... gave a low cry, and reached across the table, looking like he'd just lost ... Oh, shavit. Jori knew that look from when the New Republic major had told his Aunt Shayna about Uncle Gerid dying on Garqi during the Vong War. "I felt her - in the Force - she just WENT AWAY - it was so FAST, and she'd been here before, before I talked to J - the Colonel - someone KILLED HER ON THIS SHIP, Jori!" Ben sobbed, wrenching the corporal's heart. "Who? Ben, who could've been murdered on the Ganner? We have sensors everywhere!" Jori asked - karkit, he hated "intuition." But Ben's danger sense was really well-tuned. It was part of the reason he was so accepted on raids, even by Cap Shevu - Shevu liked the kid, but he wanted to protect Ben a little too much. Ben had this weird kind of radar that could narrow down threat parameters. The next words almost made even Corporal Jori Lekauf cry, as Ben fought to keep control: "My MOM - she hid on-board the Colonel's shuttle - she ruffled my hair before I came to lunch, I thought it was a mistake -and then - she went AWAY - I can't FEEL her -" Ben finally broke down, crying into his hands, and Jori slid over to put an arm around the boy's shoulders. #His mother ... on-board the Ganner?# Jori wondered - who could've killed MARA JADE-SKYWALKER aboard the GAG's flagship and not set off a Mustafar of alarms? Motive, method and opportunity, Shevu had drilled into the soldiers who'd cross-trained for civilian ops when joining the GAG. Method - had to be a Force-user. And Ben would NOT kill his own mother, no matter what she was doing; Jori knew Ben that well. The kid adored her, even if he had issues with his dad (well, so did Jori - Luke Skywalker HAD sort of kicked the New Order in the ...). Motive - harming Ben. The most obvious reason for Jade-Skywalker to be on board cloaked in the Force was to keep an eye on her son. Either she'd thought or known he was in danger, and didn't trust the GAG ...which was weird, because she'd reportedly been the one Council member supporting Ben staying with the Guard. Opportunity - When? Lekauf had said there were more sensors than stars in the Core aboard the Ganner. It had to be somewhere where the sensors couldn't reach ... which were few aboad a counterinsurgency vessel. A sliver of an idea - repellant to Jori, and almost certainly heartbreaking to Ben - dawned in the young corporal's heart, as he met Ben's numb gaze. "Ben ... did anything happen on Dathomir between your mom and ..." Jori said, looking around - Ben clasped his wrist, and mouthed the words, "Jacen's sick." It gut-punched Jori - that, coming from Ben. But not for long. Not after Ailyn Vel. Shevu had cursed a blue streak when the bounty-hunting schutta had turned up dead. Girdun, cold-blooded as always, had merely thanked the Colonel for saving him the trouble. "Jori. Can I - there's a way to ... talk," Ben continued, becoming calmer, and Jori raised an eyebrow - [Please don't be scared. I won't kriff with your mind ...] Jori maintained his calm, even as he tried to figure out how Ben was DOING this - Jedi weren't telepathic in the full comlink sense. [My aunt taught me some techniques not in the usual kit. Are you OK with this?] Ben asked, and Jori nodded - it was Ben. Even if it was Jedi, it was still Ben. [Jacen - the Colonel - cried when I was talking to him. Not like he was glad I was back, but like he was losing it. I wanna trust him, Jori, but he's ... he mindrubbed me, about stuff. And now, Mom's ... I don't wanna think Jasa did it, but -] Ben sent, closing the link as a wave of emotion swept over him - He released Jori's wrist and shuddered, resting his head on Jori's shoulder. "... Shevu told me to look after you. And I'm going to," Jori promised, as Ben looked up at him after a long moment. Wirut was standing in the doorway, arms crossed, and nodded. "You've saved our shebs lots of times, Ben. You're Guard, one of us. If your mom is on the Ganner - or, Force forbid - her body - we'll get her for you," he promised, as Ben managed a smile. The boy's entire body seemed weighed down, then, as he asked, "But - if the Colonel gets wind of this - and he IS the one who -" "Thing about being on-board a ship where everybody's watching? Almost everybody knows how to turn the cameras off, too," a voice - female, friendly, and slipping in from behind Wirut in a feminine version of the GAG uniform, with crisply short black hair - said, giving Ben a kind glance. "Lieutenant Tebut," Ben said, snapping off a salute - the kid respected women, a good sign, Lekauf thought - before Patra's kind look became sympathetic. "And ... Captain Nevil is ... aware of the weight of the Colonel's work. Job-related stress and all that," Tebut said cautiously - Jori could read between THOSE lines. Despite the usual conflict between Quarrens and Mon Calamari - they'd fought over their shared homeworld for millenia - the Ganner's captain, Kral Nevil, got along well with Grand Admiral Niathal, the Mon Cal fleet supreme commander. It was no secret that Niathal was wary of Colonel Solo. And Nevil probably had no issue letting her know about any issues the Colonel was having. The mention of the Quarren captain made Jori involuntarily flinch, despite the alien's loyalty to his crew. Mon Cals at least didn't have those mouth tentacles ... The corporal mentally slapped himself, then looked at Ben and asked, "How do we start? Distract the Colonel, let you and the sarge sneak into his quarters?" "He's got a Force bond with me - I can shield, but not at real close range. He can block HIS end, though," Ben worried. "So we need some way to get into the holorecords of his bedroom. Great - an eyeful of colonel," Wirut muttered. "Not only slicing, but decrypting. The files from the Colonel's quarters undoubtedly have the strongest protection of any in the archives," Tebut said, frowning. "Why *are* you pitching in with our little unauthorized recce, Tebut?" Jori suddenly asked - Patra was competent and cute, but also fiercely loyal to the Colonel. So was Jori - competent and loyal, anyhow. He was also suspicious. Tebut arched an eyebrow and replied, "Because I think you're wrong. But if the Colonel did go Sith on Ben's mom, then Ben is a target - and Shevu asked me to let him know if there were ... `problems' for Ben after his Dathomir trip." "Thanks, Lieu -" Ben began, but Tebut gave him a dazzling smile and waved her hand. "We're technically the same rank, Ben. Call me Patra - you're a good guy. If I can help, I want to. Nobody should lose their mom," Tebut said. The New Order's one problem, Jori thought, had been its bigotry against women and aliens. It didn't help that the few female Imperial Moffs had usually been karking insane, like Leona Tavira, or considered fluff, like the dread Daala ... "All of you - thanks, sir, Patra, Jori," Ben said, managing another smile - which became joyous when his comlink - toodled? "It can't be -!" Ben exclaimed, sounding like the kid he deserved to be ... Jori decided he'd rather shield THIS heir of Vader. ------------------------------------------------- Hydian Way, passing Toprawa: opening 3 galactic standard minutes before previous scene: ------------------------------------------------- Ben should be in that seat beside her, she worried. #I know Luke needs me to find out what happened at Bimmiel. If Jacen is really dark-side, we need all the facts we can gather to force Niathal and Omas to kick him out. Then again, maybe Niathal won't complain ... Omas wouldn't,# Betsy reflected, shaking her head ... She still should've been the one to sneak aboard the Ganner. Mara had the skills and lethality, Betsy admitted, with a fierce maternal protectiveness blossoming since Ben's birth - but Jacen could make anyone doubt themselves ... It was that accursed Solo CHARM, Betsy realized. OK, she was biased. That 12-year-old part of herself who'd squealed upon first meeting Han still occasionally got gushy around the smuggler. His sons had the same effect on her, or had once they'd matured. Had Jacen been even five years older than he'd been when Betsy had first arrived, she might have ... #Ugh. I can hear comparisons to Doug now.# Betsy's feelings for Ben were totally different. He'd practically grown up around her, and she'd enjoyed being able to be maternal without the ... maternity ... part of things. #After I was recorporealized, I asked Moira if I could have children. Ben is about the same age a child of mine would've been if ...# Betsy trailed off, fighting off memories of Warren. Force knew, in Luke's new Jedi Order, there was no rule forbidding marriage and children - the Solo children and Ben were proof of that, as were Valin and Jysella Horn, Corran's kids by Mirax. And there had been no shortage of males of many species trying to catch Betsy's eye ... But if she was somehow yanked back to her old life, her child might be left here. Betsy was NOT going to do that to a child. "Neal? Tweak the `drive. We need to get there faster," she asked the astromech. N4-EL squeaked, trying to comply. Astromechs were among the most loyal droids Betsy had encountered in this galaxy - N4EL had followed her through Mustafar and back, figuratively, after she'd saved him from Vong fanatics on Yag'Dhul. Then the Force kicked Betsy in the GUT - #MARA ...# Her friend, so like her in so many ways - spy, assassin, escapee of brainwashing, warrior woman - was simply not in the Force anymore. Neal squealed alarm, but Betsy said, "No - not me - somewhere else - Mara's been ..." She wouldn't believe it. Mara had to be alive, taken by surprise. Betsy wiped her eyes, concentrating on the living Force - on the mission. She would tear that bloody asteroid apart, then tear down the Ganner's shields and carve a path to Ben. And, Betsy prayed, Mara. ---------------------------------------------------- Ganner Rhysode, Hangar Bay 23, Service Tube Z-74: ---------------------------------------------------- The infiltrator whistled, low and sad, as he finished downloading what Ben needed to see, then rushed to Ben's position. Jacen's shuttle had hidden more than just Mara. He wasn't going to let Ben be hurt. He'd been Ben's first friend - they were like brothers. Besides, he'd BEEN at Mustafar. He knew Sith when he saw them. Jacen was going to hurt Ben. Well, not on THIS droid's watch ... --------------------------------------------- tbc ... ;)