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The video of Mon Mothma appeared clear as day on their hologram in the middle of the team’s U-Wing.
”Thank you all for answering on such short notice,” she said, “I know you usually get your missions from Luthen, but he is busy as of now, so I hope I do well.”
”You do just fine,” Cinta replied with a cocky smirk, forcing a glare out of Vel and flattered if not embarrassed grin out of the senator.
Cassian sighed. “What’s the mission senator?” he asked.
Another picture popped up on the hologram. This one showed what looked to be a moderately-fortified Imperial base. “Luthen is wanting you to infiltrate the base and take the Imperial weaponry to Yavin IV. We’ll be waiting for you there.” She ended her message with: “May the Force be with you.”
The hologram shut off and Vel turned it back to the Imperial Base. “It looks like it’s 7 stories, most armories have their weaponry stored on the sixth.” It changed to zoom in on the entranceway. “Melshi and Cass have contacted some pirates in the area to cause a distraction. Cinta and I will infiltrate it as it locks down.” The video showed the door closing and then shifted to the armory on the sixth floor, loaded with DC-17s, E-11s, thermal detonators, flamethrowers, jetpacks, and rocket launchers. “Once you’re on the sixth floor, you will load the cargo onto a transport platform and Melshi and Cass will be waiting outside with the U-Wing.”
Cinta purses her lips. “How do we know these pirates of yours are gonna show up.”
Melshi added a rebuttal. “Garson hasn’t been late for a mission yet. He got me out of a lot trouble on Jakku.”
”What’s to say he can still be trusted?” she pressed on.
”Cinta,” Vel interrupted angrily, “he’s gonna show. Quit doubting my work and think about the plan.”
”I am thinking about it,” she said, glaring her partner in the eyes, “and I think it’s a bad plan.”
Cassian glanced over at Melshi and tilted his head towards the cockpit and the two left, closing the the door and letting Cinta and Vel be alone.
The blonde haired rebel turned to Cinta again. “What the hell was that?”
”Your plan isn’t gonna work,” Cinta said turning away, loading her rifle.
Vel shook her head. “How do you know? You think you can see in the future or something?”
”No, I’m just smart enough to tell a poorly thought-out plan when I see one.”
”Haven’t failed us yet, have I?”
”Emphasis on yet.”
The two continued bickering as Melshi sat down in the co-pilot’s seat and Cassian flew. Cass looked on edge too.
”What’s the matter?” Melshi asked.
”I don’t like it.” Cass answered, “we usually have more time for a mission like this, scouting the base, memorizing the patrol patterns, familiarizing ourself with the environment. It’s just too much too quickly.”
His co-pilot looked down. “Yeah you’re right, but think about Narkina V. There was no plan there either!”
”And what did we sacrifice for that.”
There was silence in the cockpit afterwards, unlike in the back.
…
Their U-Wing dropped out of hyperspace in Dantooine’s atmosphere. The air was dry and sandy and weighed heavily on the engines.
Vel was in her simple underwear and tank top as she pulled on her imperial uniform. Cinta was already buttoning her shirt up and putting her cap on. As soon as Vel was done, Cinta knocked on the cockpit door to let Melshi and Cass know they could come in.
The four circled around the hologram screen again.
”Now to go over the plan once again: Cass, Melshi, and the pirates distract the air forces and force a lockdown. This gives Cinta and I time to enter without getting card-checked. Once we’re done loading the crates, Melshi and Cass will come pick us up. In and out.”
Cinta nodded her head, but it was clear she still didn’t agree with it, and by now with so many doubts floating about, it didn’t look like anyone was sure about it, not even Vel.
As they approached the base, Melshi turned on the jamming signal so Imperials couldn’t see them.
Inside the base, an imperial saw a red dot appear on the screen and asked his supervisor to come look but by the time they got there, it was gone.
”Probably just another Cordosect. Those things seem like they get bigger every year.”
Back on the ship, Vel and Cinta put on their parachutes as they stood next to the door. Vel tried to give her girlfriend a reassuring smile, but it wasn’t returned.
All of a sudden, a voice came from the speaker. “This is T-14455 from the Imperial Armory, you are trespassing on Imperial territory. Send us your Imperial Ship Code immediately.”
Cassian looked nervously at Melshi. “Hi, yes, we’re so sorry. We’re just a cargo ship, we mean know harm.”
Silence for a moment. Then the voice spoke. “Send your Imperial Ship Code immediately!”
Melshi got into the co-pilots seat and turned the canon 180 degrees. “Sending now!”
With a red blast from the canon, the TIE Fighter was hit right in the cockpit, destroying it instantly.
Cinta and Vel realized they didn’t have much time before the Empire locked their doors so they opened the hatch and jumped out.
The two flew through the sand with goggles on as the wreckage from the TIE fighter flew down near them. Vel had parachuted a couple times back on Chandrila, but it was nothing like this. She tried to not think about what a strong gust of wind blowing a piece of that sharp metal over might do to them.
About 100 feet up, Cinta and Vel pulled their parachute loops and it exploded from its bag.
They safely landed in the sand and they brushed themselves off. The two ran for the stairs that entered the base as sandtroopers scrambled to lock everything down. Vel and Cinta ran upwards and got in right as the doors were about to close.
Like Vel predicted, they were able to get past the first checkpoint since everyone was in a frenzy.
The TIEs were deployed and Vel and Cinta made it up to the second story. They nervously looked at each other as they about their friends on the ship.
…
“TIEs on our tail!” Melshi yelled from the co-pilot’s seat, firing canon shot after shot at them.
”I can’t shake them,” Cass yelled back as they did a barrel roll into a canyon.
The TIEs started firing and the rebels desperately tried to outmaneuver them with their much bulkier aircraft.
Cass dodged shot after shot but with each one they were getting closer. Melshi looked up and saw a ridge just up ahead. He aimed the canon and shot it, so they had just enough time to pass through before it smashed the TIEs chasing them.
The two rebels let out a sigh of relief and laughed for a second before another dot showed up on their radar.
Melshi quickly grabbed the controls but was too slow and their engines were hit before they could do anything.
They ran for the back and quickly put on parachutes and ejected from the U-Wing as it crashed into the dunes below.
…
Vel and Cinta walked across the second floor as Stormtroopers ran past them. Neither of them dared to take a breath as the Imperials scattered and shouted orders.
Cinta immediately decided they needed to do something quickly if they weren’t gonna stand out.
”You two!” she shouted at a couple stormtroopers that seemed to be moving slower, “I want the north quadrant guarded NOW!”
”But ma-“ one started.
”No buts! If I hear one more word from you trooper I’m sending you to Mustafar!”
The stormtrooper didn’t argue. Him and his friend ran out quickly to the north quadrant as Vel and Cinta took another flight of stairs.
”How did you know that was going to work?” Vel whispered.
Cinta replied with a smirk. “You should trust me more.”
…
Cassian and Melshi walked towards the canyon from where the other TIEs were. They immediately stopped and stayed around the corner when they saw Stormtroopers coming. “I want your eyes pealed troopers,” the captain said, “this doesn’t seem like a regular pirate attack.”
Cassian and Melshi ran down into a cave that entered underneath the canyon just as the troopers turned the corner.
Part of the squad broke off to investigate the crashed U-Wing. “Sir,” one of the soldiers called, “it seems to have belonged to-“
Before he could finish his sentence, the ship blew up and sent almost a dozen strormtroopers flying.
The captain stood up, taking his helmet off as he observed the carnage. Ringing went off in his ears and his vision was blurred, but he knew what he had to do to avenge his fallen brethren.
”Tracks!” another trooper called. He pointed to the foot tracks leading down into a cave.
The Captain put his helmet on. “Let’s kill these bastards.”
…
Vel and Cinta had now made it up to floor five and were close to being at the armory. Up here, it was a lot less chaotic and the troopers and officers alike held their composure. This was going to make it even more difficult to get into the armory, since the stairs were also guarded by troopers and the elevators needed an official Imperial Key Card.
Cinta walked up to the stairs. “Lieutenant Kaz, I demand to be let up to the armory.”
The troopers looked at each other and then looked at her. “Card please.”
The rebel reluctantly grabbed it out her pocket and gave it to them. It was a fake, but it was enough to fool the naked eye.
The stormtrooper then looked at her. “How come you aren’t using the elevator?”
”I’m scared of them.” Vel blurted out.
Now both troopers and and Cinta were looking at her. “You’re scared of… elevators?” he asked incredulously.
”Yes, and she’s my girlfriend,” Cinta declared, “now will you please let us up?”
The stormtrooper looked at the card again. “The barcode looks a little smudged. Let me go try it on that elevator real quickly just to make sure it’s working.”
Cinta and Vel eyed each other nervously, but they followed him over to the elevator.
Right before he was about to swipe, Cinta grabbed his arm. “How about instead,” she trailed her fingers up his arm,” we show you boys a good time in here while everyone else is freaking out?”
She looked over to Vel, who immediately entered. The two troopers looked a little stunned, but then Vel put her hand on the other’s chest and bit her lip with a smile. “We’ve never tried a man before,” she said seductively, “and it looks like there’s enough to go around.”
The stormtrooper immediately closed the elevator door and turned off the camera. Cinta and Vel both back the Stormtroopers up against opposite walls and got real close to them… and then slid their knifes out and slit their throats!
Vel grabbed a keycard and slid it in the slider, pushing the button for 6th level.
…
Cassian and Melshi navigated their way through the caves with only a couple flashlights to guide them.
”I contacted Garson, he should be here soon,” Melshi whispered as water dripped in the cave and different little bugs scittered around.
The pilot shook his head. “He should’ve been here half an hour ago! There’s no way we can rely on him.”
Melshi stayed quiet after that.
By now, the two were almost completely lost and Melshi was hitting his flashlight as the light flickered.
”We can’t die down here,” he moaned.
Cassian grabbed his arm and pointed. “Look! There’s a light.”
The two ran towards the exit, only to be met with many blasters pointed at their faces once they reached the light of day.
A stormtrooper walked forward, eyeing down the two of them. “So you’re the men who killed my soldiers,” he mused taking his helmet off. He reached into Cassian’s holster and threw out his blaster. He turned to Melshi and did the same. “I’m gonna enjoy putting you two to death!”
…
Vel and Cinta walked out onto the sixth floor, blasters in hand. They immediately took out the cameras and what little staff there was on the floor.
”Go, go, go,” Vel ordered as Cinta and her started piling the weapons into crates. They got multiple blasters, thermal detonators, rocket launchers, and grappling hooks into the large imperial crates. They drove the transporters to the exit landing as sweat poured down them onto their imperial uniforms.
As they went back to get the second load of weapons, Vel looked at Cinta. “Why are you so mad at me,” she asked, “and I know it’s not because of the plan!”
Cinta looked down, setting a box of almost a dozen thermal detonators into the crate. “It’s nothing, let’s focus on the mission.”
Vel sighed. “This will go faster when I know what’s wrong.” She walked over to the dark-skinned Rebel and took her blood-stained hands. “I don’t want to be a bad girlfriend to you. If there’s something about me or what I’m doing that’s making you upset, I wanna fix that.”
Cinta slowly looked her in the eyes and then looked down again, turning her hands over. “This is why. You always stick me with the dirty jobs, the ones where I have to do horrible things. It’s not Luthen, it’s not Mon Mothma, it’s always you. I had to kill the hostages at Aldhani because of you. I had to-“ she choked on her words. “Vel, he was just a boy.”
Vel looked at her sympathetically and then grasped her cheek in her hand. The two of them now looking each other in the eyes. “I’m sorry,” she apologized, “I didn’t know.”
Her girlfriend looked her in the eye fully now, her face dripping with tears. They were both monsters. They deserved each other. Whether they died in the green grass of Alderaan or in this armory, they would at least die together. Both knew this. And not single word had to be spoken.
The sound of blaster fire and explosions interrupted their moment and the two immediately went and grabbed guns as stormtroopers entered the room.
Red blaster beams went back and forth, echoing throughout the room. Vel grabbed a thermal detonator from their stash and threw it into the squad of crowded stormtroopers. They tried to run back to the elevator but were too late.
Limbs went flying and armor exploded onto the walls.
”Get the crates outside, now!” Vel ordered.
Cinta got onto the transporter and drove it to the landing pad on the outside.
”Cass, Melshi,” she whispered, grabbing onto her necklace, “where are you?”
…
The two rebels knelt at the entrance of the canyon, guns pointed at them.
”Any last words, rebel scum?” the captain asked as he pressed the cold steel up against Cassian’s head.
Andor smiled as he looked down into the water and saw something reflecting in it. “Yeah,” he said, “behind you.”
The Captain turned around only to get immediately shot in the head by a sniper rifle.
All the other Stormtroopers turned their heads and saw the pirate vessels with men all pointing their blasters down. They aimed their blasters up and started firing, and screaming orders to each other.
While the blasts were getting exchanged, Cassian and Melshi took advantage of this and tackled some stormtroopers, stealing their guns and killing them.
”Melshi!” one of the pirates shouted, waving at him, “told you I’d come!”
The pirate was weequay male with goggles and worn down vest and pants that were embedded with jewels he definitely didn’t buy.
”Hondo!” Melshi yelled back as the ship lowered, “I knew you’d make it!” They embraced each other in a very manly way as Cass stood to the side, frankly just glad that the pirates showed up on time.
”We’ve gotta go,” Cassian ordered as he entered the ship, “our friends need our help, they’re waiting for us on the sixth floor of the armory.”
”You heard the man,” Hondo shouted to his men, “get this ship to his friends!”
Cassian turned to Melshi. “I thought you said his name was Garson?”
Melshi shrugged. “I didn’t wanna spoil the surprise.”
…
The rebels were pinned down behind a transporter with crates on it on the sixth floor as Stormtroopers layer down heavy fire.
Vel threw another detonator, but they now had shields and they just put them up and let the force subside, before continuing forward.
Cinta grabbed Vel’s hand and looked her in the eyes.
If we die, she thought, we die together.
They closed their eyes as the blaster fire closed in around them. when all of a sudden the sound of vessel that sounded very much in need of repair. Then blaster fire came from it and they recognized the sounds of those blasters.
Cassian, Melshi, and a bunch of pirates blasted at the stormtroopers who started running back into the safety of the facility.
“What are you waiting for,” Hondo asked the rebels as he stepped off his ship, “load those crates!”
…
They got out out of Dantooine safe and sound and were now in hyperspace.
Cassian extended his gratitude to the pirate and apologized for doubting him.
Melshi gave him a big sack of credits and promised double that by the time they got to Yavin IV.
Meanwhile, Cinta was in the bathroom, washing the blood off her hands.
Vel came in and stood behind her. They stood in silence for a moment with only the sound of running water. “About what you said,” Vel interrupted the silence, “I’m sorry for making you do all those things. I thought that you were more prone to violence because of- well everything.” Cinta sighed and waved her hands to dry them off, but Vel grabbed one with her still bloody hands. “I won’t do that anymore. I understand that’s not who you want to be and I’m not gonna make you be it.”
The black-haired rebel stood silently for a moment but gazed deeply into her partner’s loving, caring, blue eyes. She then pressed her lips against hers and held her in a long embrace.
The deserved each other. For now and forever.