Chinew Chapter 4

[Aella]

The two guards released their iron like grip and released me. Not into my cell as their superior officer had commanded, but into a crude gym yard. The weights were nothing more than pieces of downed ships attached to wheel axles, and the benches old hospital beds no longer fit for use by Imperial or Rebel hospitals.

A slight shove forward and I was standing alone in a yard full of thugs, pirates and some less identifiable types. I scanned the perimeter. Although outside, the gym remained in the middle of the prison, leaving nothing but metal walls to scale.

I watched their movements. The guards who had just escorted me in here were leaving through a different door. I knew the one behind me was only to cell blocks. Could this one they were entering through be a possible lead to an exit or a ship hangar?

"Alex!" I whirled around, my concentration broken by a familiar voice. "Alex!" Yes, there was Thomas pinned into a corner by a fairly vicious looking group of thugs, and next to him a scruffy, scrawny excuse for a human being. His arm being broken from our previous encounter and the medical supplies here being, I assumed, less than adequate he was in no condition to fight off a group of ruffians.

I began to trot over to diffuse the situation but paused. Could this be used to our advantage? I scanned the gym yard. Yes, it could! The guards had all begun to leave their posts to dispel the ensuing chaos. If I could get Thomas out of this fight and to the door I saw the guards leave through we might have a chance.

The gym yard erupted into chaos as one of the guards let his first blow hit a thug squarely on the back. He went down without a fight. I continued to watch. Men on turrets took aim at the people below but did not yet fire. More guards began to pour in to break up the fighting. They only pushed through that one door though. Perhaps that was not the exit we needed, perhaps....

There were still two others. Both I noticed, needed information punched into them before they would open. I tumbled onto Thomas.

"I have an idea!"

"Does it involve my other arm getting broken?"

"No, this one doesn't involve pain. I hope."

We waited patiently in a corner while the chaos died down and all of us were escorted back through the prison block door. My plan was too risky to try while all the guards were on high alert. Once back in a new cell and the guard was out of hearing range I began to recite my plan, but not without caution.

"Thomas what was that old song you used to sing back on that old planet we used to guard boxes on? You know the one we would sing when we got really bored."

"Why?"

"I want to hear it." He looked at me puzzled like. I indicated with my eyes the listening device on the wall. A laser beam lit up in his head and he began to sing, standing right next to the device, his tenor voice causing enough of a vibration that it would block out my whisper.

Thomas began, "The rebels were bantha chow, For the Imperials gave to much of a pow!"

I recited my plan into his ear. "We need to get an identification card or at least memorize the ID number of one of the guards. There are two doors, accessible only by ID number. I don't know what either does but it seems like our best shot. Next gym session we should see how close to one of those doors we can get without a guard noticing."

I finished my thought just in time for a guard to come in and tell Alex to shut up. I put one in for good measure, just to continue with my original plan.

"Yeah you Imperial loving scum. Save it for your cowardly Empire loving companions."

[Mike Mar]

Nice Story. Well done.

And Welcome to the Message Board.

[Aella]

Thank you sir. I hope to continue to make the Empire proud.

[CPT Nickoli]

I have no doubt that you will.