Reviewing the Troops

[Bette Davis]

The Night Before

"TO LUCKY!" Bette lifted the shotglass high, clinking it against those of her wingmates and getting Corellian whiskey all over her hand. "May he continue to be... lucky..."

Grisham, their new commanding officer, chuckled as he excused himself from the table. "Don't forget, we're being visited tomorrow by a new batch of recruiters."

"Aye, aye!" She saluted sloppily and downed her shot. "Frelling escort duty and babysitting civilians and pencil-pushers is all we're doing lately."

[Aliya Vahlshalynn]

Aliya was almost as sloshed as her Flight Commander but had just a bit more control over her limbs to not spill the precious alcohol. Though to hear her speak, one would think she was, "Well, Shooter. They're probably being nice to us cuz they want the best to escort the big wigs."

She righted herself in the chair and mushed her face together in deep thought, "Though, maybe they don't want to keep replacing us ..."

It wasn't a pretty thought, but it was true. Shadow Squadron had gone through a lot of members lately. Aliya and Bette were some of the few remaining members since Endor.

[Bette Davis]

"Hey, did I tell you what the good Captain did yesterday?" Bette leaned forward as though she was telling a secret, but her voice was a very loud stage whisper. "I was gonna give him my report on the pilots I've been trainin' and he was in his office. Singing!"

Aliya looked back at her a little blankly, but waiting for the punchline. A few of the younger pilots jeered, and Bette continued, "Thing is, he can't carry a tune in a bucket. And he's trying to sing the anthem of the Empire, looking at his reflection in a picture of the Emperor on his desk -" she climbed up on the table to demonstrate, one hand out to mimic holding a picture frame.

"And when I come in he doesn't even notice! I cleared m' throat and he jumps and shuffles papers and does his look like 'no one saw that,' and it was all I could do to give him my reports with a straight face."

[Aliya Vahlshalynn]

Aliya had to lay her head against the table and hit it with a fist because she was laughing so hard. This time her drink spilled but it was worth it. That story was PRICELESS!!!

"Aw man, Shooter," she got herself up and wiped away a tear, "Sometimes the stuff he does on his own is even better then what we come up with."

Some of the other pilots leaned in eagerly to hear what they did to poor old Lucky. "It was one of them inspections in our hangar and honestly, really not sure how the hell Silus pulled dis one off, bu' he rigged a bucket of water against one of th' catwalks. Lucky tripped it an' got soaking wet in front of the entire Committee! He almost went completely farbot bu' had to rein it in!"

She cracked up as did the other pilots, "Poor guy is 'Lucky' to still have a job!!!"

The joke was terrible but when you’re drunk, such things were hysterical.

[Bette Davis]

Laughing so hard at the memory of their ex-commander's prank, Bette fell off the table and into a few of the male pilots. "Ah, pardon me." They helped her sit herself upright in a chair, and she grabbed for another beer.

The brew was taken out of her reach, however. "I think you've had enough, Davis." The flyboy winked at her. "Maybe you should come inspect my bunk!"

"Ha." Bette lunged forward and snagged the beer out of his hand. "In your dreams, Lieutenant." Scowling, she tipped the bottle back.

Aliya was still laughing over her own joke. Actually, Bette wasn't sure what the younger pilot was laughing about now. She glared at her, but was soon chuckling as the other pilot's laughter was infectious. "Hey, we should do something to Kellison tomorrow."

[Aliya Vahlshalynn]

Aliya stopped laughing but had a twinkle in her eye when she leaned forward to grab Shooter by the shoulders, "Ooooooooooooooo!!! You're right! 'Specially with the civvies comin'! It's gotta be good tho."

Her head wound its way upright as the few brain cells that were still working right had a 'thought'. "We know who's comin'?"

Another of the other Lieutenants that wasn't fawning over Bette chimed in, "No one knows. Dun even think Lucky knows actually. Jus' what Grisham said. Some recruiters coming on board."

"Hmm," Aliya pondered the options carefully. It was hard to really think what to do, especially so hammered. "Mebbe we should wait till we find out what the itin ... itin ... itinerary is!" Aliya blinked, proud that she got a big word out so eloquently.

[Tal Kellison]

In the Captain's Quarters abord the USD Termagent

0500

"And one and two and three and four."

With clockwork precision, Captain Kellison completed his morning calisthenics. Following would be a cold shower lasting precisely 5 minutes and a review of the reports from the previous day. Then he would make his way to the mess hall for a simple breakfast and share some wisdom with the troops..

True, there was an imperial dignitary scheduled to board the ship this morning at 0830, but that was no reason to interupt routine.

Though it didn't affect his morning drill, Captain Kellison still his mind to wander briefly. Who was it going to be? All he knew is that they were to take on board a very important member of the Empire and embark on a new recruitment program. Volunteers, fresh young faces, eager youngsters chomping at the bit to serve the Empire -- their mission would be to impart on them the opportunities that were open to them, all for the glory of the Empire. It would be glorious. He had no doubt that he would be in line for a promotion as the program matured with as an integral cog in the machinery.

Perhaps they'd even find some new pilots to replace Shadow Squad. Just the other day one of them, that blasted Davis, had barged into his office without knocking, interrupting his masterful rendition of the Imperial Anthem. True, she had obviously been embarressed she had put a stop to such a wonderful song, but that was just the sort of breach of protocol that couldn't stand.

Oh well, he thought to himself, it's not as if he could really blame her, wanting to experience it live. Perhaps he would treat Davis and the rest of the squad to a small recital. it was obvious they loved to listen to him.

[Miranda Tarkin]

At 0820, a Lambda class shuttle exited hyperspace on an approaching vector towards the Termagent bearing the markings of COMPNOR. It slowed the sub light engines to a quarter full and hailed the Star Destroyer.

"This is shuttle Arelian to Termagent. Over."

Copy Arelian. The Captain's been expecting you. Waiting for transmission of orders.

The pilot sent their clearance codes and the orders from Admiral Dryell, which were quite simple: To take extra special care of the representatives from the Political Advisors Committee. Whatever they needed the crew of the Termagent would provide without question. The political tour of the mid-rim and core worlds to promote the progressive Anar Work Incentive program was of the highest importance. The orders also included the list of passengers.

"Transmission commencing. Awaiting for confirmation and escort."

[Bette Davis]

Bette checked her chrono. 0825. Captain Kellison walked out of the mess and took a right turn down the passage to make his way towards the conference room where he would personally greet the special envoy from the Political Advistors Committee. He was right on time.

Shooter leaned back against the bulkhead, satisfied that Lucky hadn't noticed her, and allowed herself a smile. The visitors were docking right now in one of the shuttle bays, and there would be sufficient distraction for -

"Frell!" She clutched at her heart as someone grabbed her shoulder from the adjoining passage. "You scared the dren out of me."

[Tal Kellison]

Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth.

With measured strides, Captain Kellison paced slowly in the conference room, empty save for himself and a pair of aides. His mind mulled over practiced snippets of conversation and replies in an effort to be prepared for any situation -- after all, this could be a big chance for career advancement.

Where the hell were they, anyway? They should have arrived nearly 15 minutes ago. Kellison had had a hard time deciding whether to meet the envoy here or in the hanger, wrestling over the decision for quite a while before leaving the decision up to fate. A roll of the chance cube had made the decision for him and here he was...standing in an empty room...waiting, while one of the Commanders serving under escorted the envoy from the hangar.

He fought the urge to stalk down there himself to find out what was going on. Chance had decreed that he would meet them here, and here is where he'd stay.

Back and forth, back and forth...

[Miranda Tarkin]

Well-polished boots hit the pristine Destroyer floor with military precision as two Stormtroopers escorted the COMPNOR guests to the conference room. The crisp red and black uniforms of the agents were a striking contrast to the white body armor of their accompaniment, but they did compliment the woman that was in charge of the whole affair; who was quite arguably the most powerful woman in the Empire.

Miranda's black suit hugged her body in all the right ways that brought out her beauty. The v line lapel on her jacket was a bit daring, dropping down a tad lower then usual to accentuate her cleavage. She was trying to rally the troops after all and some stirring words coupled with voluptuous assets tended to work wonders. For those unswayed by that tactic, the proud heritage of her family and their deaths would always grab ears, though she was careful to not over do it. She dare not look arrogant. With the red insignia of COMPNOR proudly pinned above her left breast pocket, she would instill fear. Miranda had all angles covered.

She was far less enthused about being voluntarily chosen as the spokesperson for this political tour. It was obvious to everyone she was the perfect choice, and Miranda had humbly agreed and accepted the assignment with much pride, feeling much to the contrary. Perhaps if Sorsha had not just returned from her dealings on Tatooine the day of her departure, she would have been more welcoming. Now it was another month before she could be with her lover...

The entourage marched into the conference room. The Stormtroopers presented arms and parted, allowing Miranda to step forward.

"Captain Kellison." She raised her hand, waving her two men forward with a flick of two fingers. "This is Prefect Selran and Prefect Tunles." Miranda didn't introduce herself. She didn't need to. "I trust you have received your orders?"

[Tal Kellison]

To say Kellison was caught off guard would be a gross understatement.

She had arrived with no fanfare and little warning. His Commander, who should have been accompanying her was nowhere to seen. And, to be perfectly honest, her womanly assets were bordering on distracting.

Most importantly of all, she was Miranda Tarkin! If people saw Chancellor Anar as the stern authoritarian that made them take the bitter medicine they needed, she was the smiling face that made it taste like honey as it slipped down their throat. Captain Kellison was expecting an Admiral or perhaps a minor imperial dignity, not what many considered to be the crown jewel of the Empire.

Though briefly taken aback, Kellison quickly regained his composure, though his practiced exchanges evaporated from his mind like a shallow pool on a hot Tatooine day.

"A pleasure to meet you, gentlemen." he said, nodding his head to the prefects. "Miss Tarkin, I had no idea you would be joining us for this."

He grabbed one of the aides by his shirt, pulling him closer. "See to it that the lady has the proper accomodations. If anything is missing, I'm holding YOU personally responsible," he hissed in the man's ear before releasing him.

"We did, ma'am. Though I'm afraid we won't be able to set course for Ralltiir for several hours, as we're still waiting for the supply ship to arrive. Would you like to go straight to your quarters or would you like me to show you around the Termagent?"

The recruits would be tripping over each other to sign up for the service. He had to give credit to whoever had thought of assigning her to this initiative: it would be quite effective.

[Miranda Tarkin]

She crossed her arms in displeasure. Miranda drummed her fingers against the sleeve of her jacket, wondering what buffoon messed up the shipment orders. A several hour delay was unacceptable.

"This will not cause me to have a late arrival at Ralltiir?" She ignored the Captain's pleasantries and his men scrambling to accommodate her. It was all rather droll, but COMPNOR had to do things their way. Even if it was the last minute ...

[Tal Kellison]

"Of course not, Lady Tarkin, we will arrive on time. I give you my personal assurance." He, of course, had no idea if they would be delayed. But it wasn't as if he would admit that to her; it be the cause of pointless hassle. Better to deal with any repercussions when they came.

"The orders I recieved were understandably vague. What will you be requiring from my crew when we reach Ralltir?"

There we go, he silently congratulated himself. Keep her mind moving, don't let her dwell on the late ship.

[Miranda Tarkin]

"I give you my personal assurance."

Her eyes narrowed. Kellison did well to cover up his uncertainty. No matter. If he failed, she'll have his job.

"Thankfully nothing too considerable. You are mainly escort during our trip and shall provide us with the necessary entourage when we go planetside. I will be meeting with the planetary officials during my stay, but I will only require Selran and Tunles for those meetings." Miranda didn't need to let the Captain know that COMPNOR was really here to put pressure on the local systems to conform to the new initiative. Incentives and threats were all memorized and ready to use as needed to make sure that each planet provided enough men to rebuild the resources needed to crush the Rebellion.

"Now," her smile was forced, "About that tour? Our quarters wouldn't be ready just yet, hm?"

[Tal Kellison]

She may have been nice to look at, and the daughter of an imperial hero, but this woman had a way of unnerving Kellison.

"No, I'm afraid your quarters aren't quite ready. But I would be honored to give you that tour. Shall we begin with the bridge tower? I can introduce you two some of my Commanders."

He put on his best diplomatic smile in an attempt to smooth over any ruffled feathers.

[Miranda Tarkin]

The last time she had been on board a Star Destroyer was with her father over a year ago. She remembered standing on the main deck with her arms around her father's waist staring off into the stars as they caught up with one another. He was home from his six month tour out in the Rim and had just received the promotion Executive Officer on the Executor.

"Yes, Captain. Starting with the bridge is a lovely idea." That forced smiled relaxed into a genuine one.

"Selran and Tunles will stay here and go over the orders in more detail while we tour. If that is okay with you, Captain?" She added the last part to help Kellison think he had a choice in the matter.

[Tannis V'larr]

"Frell!" She clutched at her heart as someone grabbed her shoulder from the adjoining passage. "You scared the dren out of me."

"My apologies, Commander Davis, I was merely trying to be discrete," Tannis said, quickly withdrawing his hand. "Captain Vahlshalyn sends her compliments. And a full schedule of Captain Kellison's engagements, appointments, and exercises for the day complete with intermediate routes and strategic chokepoints."

He handed her the datapad with all the aplomb of a yeoman presenting the ship's bill. It might have been a shock to Bette that Tannis knew the contents -- Tannis, of course, had not been privy to the drunken conspiracy the previous night. It had become a well-known scandal among the squadron that the Sikarran halfbreed rarely, if ever, drank anything other than water and chilled kiva juice.

"If I may make two observations: First, you might consider changing your code language for covert shipboard communications. Second, the C-Alpha junction on deck sixty-one would be an excellent place to catch the captain before his formal inspection of the stormtrooper barracks. If that was what you were intending, sir."

[Bette Davis]

"Deck sixty-one..." She perused the contents of the schedule with barely concealed glee, and then frowned. "What do you mean, change our code language? What's wrong with it?"

Her commlink beeped, and she clicked it on, "Davis here."

"Vahlshalyn reporting in. I trust the Professor found you?"

"Taking me to school, as always. We rendevous in half an hour as planned."

"What about your training class?"

"Cancelled it due to the ship-wide inspections." She winked at Tannis, who looked properly scandalized, though for what reasons she couldn't be sure. "Davis out."

She gestured down the passage, "Professor, I think your skills are an invaluable asset to the Squadron. Now, about the C-Alpha junction..."

[Aliya Vahlshalynn]

"Eh?" Aliya looked down at her comm and shook it as if she was strangling Shooter's neck. She re-established contact. "Hey, you didn't let me finish! I found out the scoop of what's been going down. Seems we have a dignitary on board."

She hefted a half meter length box into her arms and looked about the supply room for more weapons to make good their plans. "Miranda Tarkin just arrived about an hour ago. Lucky's giving her a tour."

[Tannis V'larr]

Tannis raised a sharply angled eyebrow.

"Miranda Tarkin?" he repeated. "Curious. I wonder what warrants the personal attention of the poster child of Imperial propaganda aboard this ship."

The Sikarran followed political affairs as much as was possible from deep-space deployment. He had some hope that the new administration would correct some of the misguided policies set forth under Palpatine's reign. But there were more immediate concerns at hand.

[Bette Davis]

"Probably here to make our lives miserabler than usual." Bette grimaced, and looked sideways at him. "Don't let me hear you talking about propaganda again, First Lieutenant. At least not where other people can hear you."

She addressed the commlink. "Copy that Chipper. Safe to disconnect or do you have more?"

[Aliya Vahlshalynn]

"Nah, all I got. If I found out anything else, I'll buzz ya. Chipper out."

[Tal Kellison]

"Very well, Miss Tarkin. I'm sure they have the situation well in hand."

He motioned toward the door.

"Now, if you'll join me, we'll make our way to the bridge. I'm sure my crew will be quite honored to be in the presence of a lady of distinction such as yourself."

The two made their way through the portal and into the hallway, filling the silence with small talk concerning affairs of state and the health of the empire. Kellison carefully took them on a path that avoided the barracks frequented by Shadow Squadron by as wide a margin as possible.

[Miranda Tarkin]

"I've done some inquiries to what the Termagent's tour of duties has been. A rather impressive list for a ship so young and a Captain so new." Miranda was not belittling Tellison's commission. In fact, she was giving credit were credit was due. Diplomatic duty to Bakura, fought at the Battle of Endor and the finest pilots were on board. She had heard of the skirmishes against Rogue Squadron and coming out alive was an impressive feat.

[Tal Kellison]

"Aye, it's true, we do have some of the Empire's finest aboard the Termagent. And I try my best impart on them the wisdom I've gained from my experiences."

The pair slowed as they approached the lift. A large group of technicians moved to the side, allowing them to go before them. Captain Kellison pushed the button for level 61.

"I will admit, at times command be trying, but it's an honor to serve the Empire in any way I can."

The lift lurched into motion, sending Kellison's notoriously sensitive stomach plummeting to his toes.

[Bette Davis]

At the rendevous point, Shooter and the Professor awaited Chipper's arrival. "She better hurry - he'll be at that junction in twenty minutes."

Bette surveyed the props they'd stockpiled. Lucky was supersititious to a fault, and they'd already left a broken mirror in the passage he would have to walk through to begin the inspections. After the first inspection he would then walk through the C-Alpha junction.

[Aliya Vahlshalynn]

A bit winded, Aliya arrived ten minutes later. She had to slide down the ladder in the B-Gamma junction (Her hands still stung) and crawl through a service vent to make it here.

"Sorry." She huffed. "I didn't miss it right?"

[Miranda Tarkin]

It was easy for the Captain to say that. He was in charge of a Star Destroyer whereas Miranda's future would remain stagnant indefinitely. "Were you a fighter pilot at one time, Captain?"

Miranda dallied in the small talk to try and weed out the dren and facts from Tellison.

[Tal Kellison]

"A fighter pilot? No, I decided not to follow that path. I felt my skills could be better used by the Empire by leading others. I have been told, however, that I could have made a fine pilot, had I chosen to persue it. i think the instructors at The Acadamy were a little sad when I declined the offer."

In truth, though Kellison HAD been near the top of his graduating class and eligible to enter flight training, several unfortunate gastro-intestinal incidents in the flight simulator had convinced himself and his superiors that another career path would be more prudent.
The jeering and derision he had received from some of the other cadets had been harsh, but Kellison's remarkable coping mechanism had, over time, twisted the facts. Before long, he had convinced himself he had passed the simulator tests with flying colors, and the stories were made up by his classmates out of blinding jealousy. It wasn't surprising, really. They couldn't hope to rise to his level.

"And what about you, Miss? How did you end up in your current career? Is this what you dreamed of doing?"

[Bette Davis]

"Oh, no." Bette was handing off two small cages to Maniac, who was readying himself to crawl back into the vent that Chipper had just come out of.

"You got the stuff on his uniform, right?" She grinned maniacally.

[Aliya Vahlshalynn]

She gave the thumbs up. "Yeah. I had Marlane from maintance stick it in his uniform this morning while he was singing in the shower."

[Miranda Tarkin]

Now, this wasn't what she dreamt of doing. She deserved to be in a position of power, commanding over men to secure the Empire's place in this galaxy. Instead, she delegated to a glorified errand girl and persona.

"I honestly had no idea what to do with my life. The untimely death of my grandfather unlocked the door I was looking for. When the Central Committee asked that I speak publicly, I was surprised. What could I possibly offer the Empire?" The doors to the lift opened and Miranda gave Kellison a prideful smile. "I gave them hope."

She gave him the truth. Five years ago, her eyes were full of promise and power. Now she felt as if her usefulness was shoved into a box and placed in storage until those in power needed her.

[Tal Kellison]

"I gave them hope."

"You certainly did, Miss Tarkin. I wasn't there when your grandfather died, though I did have the honor of meeting with him many time, I knew him well."

(Kellison had been a lieutenant in charge of a communications stationed aboard the Death Star and had once been in a large meeting with Moff Tarkin, though he had been seated far way and never introduced to the Moff)

"When he was killed in that cowardly rebel attack...well it affected me deeply. It was as if I lost my own grandfather. It meant a lot to myself and to the Empire to see you remain strong in those tough times."

They emerged from the lift and Kellison steered them to the right. It wasn't the most direct route, but he had his reasons.

[Tannis V'larr]

Tannis stood lookout just a few meters away from his wing commander, idly tallying in his head the number of regulations they were infracting so far. He'd arrived at thirty-seven -- thirty-eight if the contents of the cages were counted separately. It occurred to him that the severity of those offenses could escalate drastically if the Lady Tarkin had any unfortunate allergies.

His heartrate quickened another beat as he added that to the growing list of unknown variables.

The Sikarran halfbreed was jolted out of his ruminations at the sight of a pair of stormtroopers crossing the corridor a few junctions down. It was plain they were on duty, and the scheduled patrol had already passed -- Tannis had made certain of that. The only logical conclusion was that they were the vanguard of Kellison's procession, and that the captain and his guest would be arriving just twenty meters behind them, a good two minutes before they were scheduled and two junctions off-course.

He cleared his throat. "Commander... I don't suppose it's too late to move the operation to the C-Gamma junction?"

[Bette Davis]

"Not too late, but Maniac is gonna have to scramble." Bette clicked on her comm, relaying the news to Tod. "Hey Maniac - change of plans. We're moving it up to the C-Gamma junction. Looks like Lucky's running ahead of schedule or taking a different route."

"...okay..." Maniac's voice was a bit strained. "These things are heavier than I thought."

Bette rolled her eyes, "They're tiny compared to you, just get on."

"Right! Maniac out."

Bette looked at her chrono. Not too long now.

[Aliya Vahlshalynn]

Chipper mimicked the eye rolling. "You'd think we were forcing him to watch over razor cats or something."

[Miranda Tarkin]

Miranda knew that Kellison was feeding her a line of garbage about her Grandfather. His words were a broken record, heard time and time again by countless Imperials that knew Grand Moff Tarkin well.

"Thank you for your words, Captain." She replied briskly. They passed by several officers that stood at attention and saluted respectfully. It was all she could stomach to say. The Captain wasn’t a bad man, he was just trying too hard to impress her.

“What about you?” She finally broke the silence as they rounded the corner. “Have you lost family during the war?”

[Tal Kellison]

They were approaching the display case. He didn't point it out, but he did slow his stride considerably.

"I lost an uncle in the Clone Wars; he was unfortunate enough to be crushed by a crashed Confederate starship when they dared to attack Coruscant. My immediate family and I were fine, but the death did hit my father hard. I was just a young lad at the time, though I remember the day clearly."

[Bette Davis]

Bette smacked her forehead. "He must be taking her by his precious display case!" She flipped on the commlink again, "Maniac, change of plans. Scratch C-Gamma and stop at C-Delta."

Silence. Then, "Ohh, the case!"

"Exactly. Make sure they're there before you let those animals out."

"Duh. I'll be there in thirty seconds. Maniac out."

[Tannis V'larr]

Tannis listened to the proceedings with a sort of macabre fascination, unsure whether he was more hopeful that Maniac would make it in time or more dreading it. The whole thing was far more nerve-wracking than any mission he'd flown in the service of the Empire.

"The case is transparisteel and not glass, correct?" Tannis asked idly. Bette gave him a quizzical look. "It would be a shame if, in all the excitement, something were to break."

"Target's in sight, Shooter," came Maniac's gleeful whisper. "Opening the bomb bay doors." There was a clatter of something leaping from the metal cages.

"It seems our work is done, Commander," Tannis commented. "Shall I return to my quarters, or head straight to the brig?"

[Miranda Tarkin]

The case did catch her attention and Miranda stopped to glance over the accomplishments that the ship and her captain had achieved. The ship out matched Kellison since it had been commissioned longer then his post, but he was no slouch. Medals, commissions and commendations were proudly displayed as well.

"I'm sorry for your loss," she turned towards his direction and spoke with sincerity. "Truly. How were you able to live with him gone?"

Her focused returned towards the case, remembering all of Andron Tarkin's achievements that were proudly displayed at home. She was so proud of him when the Emperor bestowed the Medal of Valor when he destroyed a small detachment of Rebels over Camas. "I ask because my father's death is very fresh."

[Aliya Vahlshalynn]

"Yeah don't worry, Prof.," Aliya confirmed. "If our friskies get too outta control, they won't do any real damage."

[Bette Davis]

Bette lightly punched Tannis in the shoulder. "Don't worry so much old man."

"The cats are loose!" came the excited whisper from Tod over the comm. "Heading back to you now."

"Hurry it up, we don't want to be caught here." Stealing an officer's pets from his quarters was one thing - being caught releasing them into the passages after rubbing catnip all over the Captain's uniform was another.

But technically, there wasn't anything there to incriminate them. Just Maniac in the ventilation system.

[Tod Marr]

Just as he was about to turn back, something caught Tod's eye. His gaze was fixed on something just below him. Through the ventilation grate, directly underneath him, stood Miranda Tarkin. Tod's vision was fixed on her cleavage.

"What's new, pussycat!"

To the side, Kellison could be seen next to the display case, his arms animated. He couldn't hear what was being said. His hearing was impaired by the hollow whisling that ran throughout the ventilation system. Not that he cared what he could or couldn't hear; just as long as his eyes didn't pack in anytime soon.

[Bette Davis]

Two large cats slipped out into the passageway, one grey, one black and white. They belonged to Lieutenant Johnson who was part of the nighttime bridge crew, and had been brought on board with special permission because his parents played cards with some Moff in some sector or other. The cats thought very little of the privilege, and even less of the canned food Lt. Johnson made them eat.

Life was boring, involving long naps on uncomfortable furniture, chasing each other around the Lieutenant's quarters, licking their privates, and, oh yes, more naps. Being shuttled through the ventilation shaft by an unknown human had them quite on edge.

They stopped for a moment in the middle of the passage next to a pair of female legs. The grey one rubbed up against a nearby shin. He was called Grand Moff, because of the grey uniforms (though all Imperials wore them, not just the moffs). The other was called Scooter, for no reason whatsoever.

They both smelled the catnip at the same time.

[Tal Kellison]

He really hadn't ever thought about it. Her question caught him completely off guard.

"To tell you the truth...I didn't really have time to think about it. So many other things were happening and I didn't even find out until a week later. And my father...well my father made us understand that he had died for a higher cause, and that it was the Republic that mattered."

He paused for a moment. "I realize that most likely isn't much comfort to you, but I believe it's true."

A movement in the corner of his eye caught Kellison's attention mere moments before two felines descended upon him.

[Miranda Tarkin]

Miranda was actually in the process of squatting down and scooping up one of the felines when they pounced on Kellison. Her face contorted from one of confusion, to one of amusement but then settled on irritation.

"Why are there felines running free on your ship, Captain?" She was going to ask that when the cats were docile but something about the Captain had aggravated them. What was really amazing is that the Stormtroopers did nothing to alleviate their leaders distress.

"Oh for the love of the Emperor." Miranda plucked the grey cat off of Kellison's leg and tried to keep it calm within her arms by stroking its fur gently. If Kellison couldn't contain one feline pest, then he was a fool.

[Bette Davis]

Bette hissed into the comm, "Maniac get your butt back here on the double. We're not going to wait for you."

She turned to Aliya and Tannis, and added, "Might as well make yourselves scarce. I'll make sure Marr gets out ok."