OS Chapter 24

[Baker]

14 ~ Jansen
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Warning....VERY LONG!!!!!!


OS Chapter 24
By CPL Baker/ Viper Four/ 2nd Brigade/ Imperial Army


Charlie Baker was quiet that night in the shuttle. His eyes were killing him from pouring over the consoles looking for any evidence of the Rebel Alliance, but his hard work paid off. Not only was that his first mission where he wasn’t injured in some way, but he was able to discover valuable data. LCP Carotis walked into his room wearing his armor.
“You’re not dressed yet? We land in 40 minutes,” He said.
“What’s the big hurry? I’ve got 40 minutes.”
“ALT Foley is giving his briefing in 20 minutes.”
“Well then, I’ve got 30 minutes.” Carotis gave him a puzzled look.
“You know as well as I that Foley spends the first ten minutes talking about how great his plan is” explained Baker. Carotis give a little chuckle.
“Nonetheless,” he said, “Don’t be late. Foley doesn’t like anyone to miss his self glorification lectures.” With that statement, Carotis preformed a brisk about-face, and walked out of the room.

Baker picked up his breast-plate for his armor. He carefully ran his hand over the scorch mark left by a laser that almost killed him aboard the Chimera. Slowly he gathered up his armor and began putting it on. Despite his melancholy attitude, he was able to get his armor on and make it to Foley briefing on time.

The briefing began as usual: the first ten minutes were UCR (Unfocused Commander Rambling). Baker, as was his custom whenever Foley started with these speeches, stopped listening and focused instead on himself. His thoughts brought him to his early childhood on Curoscant and his childhood friend Dimitri Peterdov.

Right on schedule, Foley stopped his UCR and begin the important part of the meeting.
“Alright…but enough about me…” began Foley, “We have a simple mission. 3 main parts: 1) We land, 2) We find the prisoners, and 3) We get them out. Any questions?”
Baker raised his hand.
“Do we know who we are fighting?”
“Army Intelligence indicates that we are facing elements of the Rebel Military Police. They are highly trained, but in no condition to face the Army of the Empire.”
“What about support? Who’s backing us up in this operation, Boss?” asked CPL Rylan.
“We are leading the assault. Hornet and Raider are backing us up. The other companies will take a different transport and land on the other side of the platform. Anything else? …No? Good…be ready to land in ten minutes.”

Everyone got up to leave the room.
“Baker, will you remain behind for a second?” requested Foley.
Baker sat back down in his seat and took off the helmet he just put on.
“Baker, why haven’t you fixed your armor?”
“The shop was out of white polish.”
“Enough with the wise cracks” warned Foley. “What’s wrong?” he asked, suddenly becoming less like a leader and more like a friend.
“Nothing’s wrong.”
“Is this about your near-death experience?”
“No…I’ve made peace with that…My problem is…Peterdov.”
“Yes…I understand he was your friend.”
“He was my best friend growing up. We both talked of joining the Empire. I never thought…never conceived that he would do something so…”
“So wrong? Listen Baker…I’ve got to tell you something that no one else knows. Through my connections, I’ve learned that Peterdov will be on this platform.” Baker looked at him with total shock. “You know what you must do if you find him?”
Baker nodded his head…slowly at first that increasingly faster as he comprehended what he was being told.
“Baker,” continued Foley, “I’ll understand if you want to sit this one out but remember this, if you do stay, and you should encounter Peterdov, you will have to capture him so he can face Imperial justice.”
“I’ll stay,” replied Baker. “Viper Company is understaffed as it is.”
“Very well…Be prepared to move out. We land in 5 minutes.” Foley put on his Storm trooper helmet and moved toward the cargo bay of the transport while Baker stayed behind. Turn over Peterdov? He thought I could never do such thing.
Four minutes and thirty seconds later, Viper Company was in the cargo hold ready to launch. The shuttle had slowed to a near crawl as it approached the Rebel space-station. The space station had three landing platforms, and Viper, Hornet, and Raider took the platform to the relative north of the three. The door slid open and Viper came out cautiously, despite the fact that the stations outer defenses had already been disabled by earlier attacks by gun boat Mu’s attacks. The platform had only one door, about 20 meters from where Viper Company stood. A lone automatic gun stood guard above the door. A well placed shot from Carotis put the gun out of order.
“I don’t like this,” said Baker. “It’s too-“
Foley cut him off in mid-sentence. “Remember the last time you said ‘It’s too quite’?” Foley pointed to a black mark where a laser had grazed him.
“But how did-“
“You’re too predictable,” Foley said, cutting him off again. He signaled to Rylan who brought up what looked like a blow torch, except it emitted no flame.
“Cover your eyes,” said Rylan. “This is gonna be bright.”
Rylan pointed the rod at the door of the platform. He hit a button and an electrical charge shot from it. The immaculate white door turned even whiter than it imploded. The door rocketed back from the landing dock and hit a far wall.
“Still to response from the Rebels…it’s too quite,” said Baker. As soon as he finished the sentence, a hail of red lasers came from the hallway through the smoke. Each Stormtrooper dove for cover.
“Baker…I am going to kill you,” said Foley. “Alright…no point in hiding. Carotis, provide suppressing fire. Baker, you’re with me, when Carotis and Rylan have good fire, we move in and mop up, understand?”
A unified “Yes, sir” came from Viper. Carotis and Rylan both took up positions on both sides of the door. Baker and Foley were behind them. Rylan nodded and Carotis and they shot blindly into the corridor. The Rebel fire stopped and Foley nodded to Baker. Baker tossed in a concussion grenade and waited for it to explode in a ball of hot shrapnel. Baker slowly made his way into the station, Foley behind him, and Carotis and Rylan pulling up the rear. The Rebels had fled, except one who caught a piece of shrapnel in the leg. Hew was lying on the ground, clutching his leg. Foley walked up to him.
“Where are the prisoners?” he asked forcefully.
“Go to Hell, buckethead,” was the reply.
Foley placed the heel of his boot over the Rebel’s wound.
“I’ll ask again,” he said, “Where are the prisoners?”
Fear flashed in the wounded man’s eyes, but just for a second. His gray eyes regained their defiant tone.
“Very well,” said Foley. He slowly placed his heel on the wound and began to apply pressure. Still, the Rebel said nothing. Foley increased the pressure until he reached the breaking point.
“Down the hall and to the left!” cried the Rebel.
“Good,” said Foley as he raised his heel, “Rylan, take this man back to the ship and make sure he gets medical attention.”
Rylan lifted the man up from the ground and he carried the Rebel to the ship. Foley signaled his squad, or what was left of it, to form up. Baker and Carotis both flanked Foley and they continued into the heart of the station. When they came to the intersection of halls where the caved in door lay, they took a left and followed the corridor. After about 100 meters, they came to a large silver blast door. Foley tried the panel to the right of the door. He pressed the large green button, but nothing happened. He pressed again and again, but still nothing.
“Uh, sir?” chimed in Baker, “I think the doors locked.”
Foley stared at Baker with what Baker saw as a glare, although it was hard to tell with the stormtrooper helmet on.
“I know that!” said Foley. “You think I can’t figure this out on my own?” This mere sentence threatened to release another UCR but instead Foley said “Baker, you stay here. Carotis and I are going to find the command center.” Foley motioned to Carotis and the two walked off in the other direction.

After ten vastly long minutes, Baker heard the door unlock.
“That do it?” asked Carotis over the radio.
“Affirmative,” replied Baker.

Baker opened the door and walked in. The room was dark, the only light coming from the twenty or so cells with Imperial prisoners. They were happy to see him but there was something else in that room that made Baker very unhappy; and all-to-familiar face.
“Peterdov?”
The only Rebel in the room turned around, pistol drawn.
“Charlie? Charlie Baker?”
Charlie raised his gun and pointed it right at Peterdov’s chest. Peterdov lowered his gun.
“Charlie…don’t do this. We go to far back.”
“Dimitri, our friendship stopped the day you decided to betray us.”
“The New Republic has won, Charlie. You’re on the losing side. Come with me, Charlie. We’ll leave this war.”
“No, Dimitri. You swore an oath. By law, I have to arrest you.”
Fear shone in Dimitri’s eyes.
“Charlie…don’t turn me in. You know what they do to traitors.” It wasn’t a statement so much as a plea.
Charlie placed his gun on Dimitri’s chest.
“Thank you Charlie. I’m glad that it’s you.”
Dimitri closed his eyes. Two shots were fired.

Twenty minutes later, the teams, along with the prisoners, were back aboard the shuttle, headed for base. Viper was in the common room, along with members of the Brigade staff.
“Well done everyone!” said Lt. Col. Nexant. “This operation went off perfectly. I think we all know who gets the credit for this operation.”
“Viper?” asked Foley hopefully, trying to get another Combat Medal.
“No…The credit goes to me. Remember, credit travels up, blame travels down.” With that, the Lt. Col. gave a laugh and walked out.
“Is he serious?” Carotis asked Foley.
“I don’t know. You can never tell with that guy.” replied Foley.

Several minutes later, after the commander had left and the Corrillean Ale started flowing, Baker entered the room.
“Hey, Chuck. Where have you been?” asked Foley, half hammered as it was.
“I was at the, uh, head,” replied Baker, thinking quickly. “Can I talk to you?”
“Sure…let me just grab another mug.” They walked out into the hallway.
“I want out,” began Baker. Foley sobered up instantly.
“Out? Baker, when you signed up, you knew you were in it for the long haul.”
“I didn’t join to kill my friends.”
“Met Peterdov, did you? Remember this, he was a traitor. He hung you out to dry. He placed himself over the collective good. Tell you what, you go to bed now. If tomorrow you want out, I’ll process your papers that day. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a keg to guard.” Foley turned and headed back to the party. Baker made his way to bed.
Charlie didn’t sleep well that night. He kept on reliving that encounter with Peterdov. Something bothered him about that.

He showered and went out to the mess hall early. Foley was waiting there. Baker got his food and sat down across the table from Foley.
“Well?” asked Foley.
“I thought about it for a long time last night. Something Dimitri said bothered me. He said ‘The New Republic has won. You’re on the losing side.’ Foley…he was just a fair weather soldier. He wanted to be on the winning side. What I guess I want to say is, sir,…I want in.”
Foley gave a smile.
“Good,” he said.