Unanswered questions

[Captain Tohmahawk]

The door guards were talking to each othe, when a man in a Republic General's uniform approached the doors.

"Good evening...."

The guards turned.... and damn near had a collective heart attack

"General Tohmahawk!! But you were reported dead two weeks ago!" exclaimed one.

"I know. I had an accident. I've just gotten everything nicely cleared up now"

"Excellent to hear that sir!"

Tohamahwk returned the salute then proceeded inside the Bar

--

His eyes scanned the bar, scoping out the area. There was a table in the corner that was clear that was also perfect for watching the entire room, almost exactly the place he would want it to be. He was armed with a new model of the NRSF rail gun, which he had to admit was one hell of a beast and much better than anything he ever had.

Okay Marcus my friend, what have you left me with? What did you do? Why did you have to vanish and leave me with this @#%$?

As he walked ot the table, he came past a woman who did an obvious double take. Frell, He hoped that she wasn't soemthing important he should know.

[Garik Loran]

<Noting the unease of the man in the uniform, Garik leaves his booth and sidles beside the nervous man at the bar>

Evening to you good sir. You look as if you could use a drink. Loran is the name, what will you have? Worry not about the tab. You seem a bit anxious. Is there trouble?

<Hoping to be so openly honest that it would throw the man off, Garik delighted in seeing the man squirm a bit at the proximity of a perfect stranger. A General by his rank insignia, the man seemed out of place. If something were making this man upset, it would be something of great importance.>

[Nathan W3st]

Something strange was afoot, and something let Nathan know it was time for a wicked bit of alchohol.

" 'tender, I get the feeling I need an very stiff drink, short of that toilet duck stuff."

West didn't normally drink, and Topsten sort of stared at him for a bit. The glass slid neatly in front of the acting commander of the NRSF. Nathan took a gulp of the brownish stuff. His face seemingly imploded for a moment, and he winced and shuddered as it took a flamethrower down his throat. Then it dropped into his stomach like an asteriod, and his eyes popped open wide.

After a mild coughing fit and a glass of water, Nathan re-evaluated his surroundings.

normal normal normal normal normal... James... normal... JAMES?!?!?!

Uh. No. Not possible.

"Shorty, with me." Topsten nodded.

West walked up to the man who appeared to be Tohmahawk, and neatly saluted.

"Good to have you back, Sir."

[Captain Tohmahawk]

"Good to have you back, Sir."

Tohmahawk turned at the voice. The face took a few seconds to recognise.

"Ahh, Commader West. Good to be back"

--

Like @#%$ it was! He was lying through his teeth on that one and he knew it. He needed to speak to this west and in prvate, fast

--

"Commader, I need to speak to yo in private. Would you join me in my office?"

[Nathan W3st]

"Certainly."

West followed the man with about two meters between them. Topsten got the hint and stayed put.

The office door closed behind West, and he neatly leveled his rail pistol so it pointed between the man's eyes.

"Who the frell are you?" Nathan hissed. His hand was deadly steady. Menace glared through his eyes, the look of someone who wasn't in the mood to be screwed around with.

[Captain Tohmahawk]

He turned at West's question to see the biggest handgun he had ever seen levelled at his head.

"FRELL! PUT THAT @#%$ THING DOWN!!!"

The expression on Wests's face said that his request wasn't goign to be answered for the positive.

--


Your dead if you dont placitate this West.

Tell me something I dont frelling know he thought. Okay, lets see what he thinks of the truth then...

-


"Colonel Damar Tohmahawk, NRI. You know my brother, James. Or should I say, would have if he was alive. I take it your aware of Q'Dunn?"

[Nathan W3st]

'Mmmm."

The rail gun dissapeared back into the holster, but it was clear that it would appear again with the same speed if the acting NRSF commander so willed it. Nathan's eyes still held the same sort of menace. Damar looked visibly relieved, but still somewhat nervous.

"Yes, goddamnit. Leave me a note or something in advance." he growled. "The last thing we need is this kind of confusion and BS. Do know you what kind of bizzare situation you've put me in now? Just tell me, what the frell are you here for?"

[Captain Tohmahawk]

"You think YOUR in a bizarre situation? Bloody Frell, what do you think I feel? Anyway...." He took a deep breath "I've been ordered into this by the Chief of State. She likes the deal her and Q'Dunn worked out and she wants me to help you keep it. She seems to think that if I make it look like James is in fact alive, the Senate wont attempt to rein in the NRSF. I have been briefed to give you all assistance to that end.

I've also been asked to present the Chief of State's best wishes on your permanent appointment and promotion"

[Nathan W3st]

"Permanet appointment." Nathan's frowned deepend into a look of disgust. "This isn't a promotion: this is a frelling nightmare! Screw the senate, and damn the Chief of State!" West stopped, and realized he was yelling.

And why not? He had pretty damn good reasons to yell. But he was yelling at the wrong person, and just realized it. He sighed.

"Sorry. I think its pretty clear we are both in situations we don't want. I'm going to arrange a meeting with the rest of the commanders to explain this, unless theres some stupid implicit instruction not to do so. Then I'll do it and enjoy it."

[Captain Tohmahawk]

"Listen General, it's important that no one does know. It's important to make it buisnes as usual or as much as it is possible for now"

Damar sighed.

"There's a lot of things I dont understand either. My brother and Marcus have been fighting a war that we didnt know about for years until James was killed and Marcus made it look like he lived. That hurt me West, it was a damn insult to my brother's memory or so I thought for the longest time. Now, Marecus is dead too and we're supposed to help someone else keep that fight going... someone called.... Cross? A woman I think. Do you know who that might be?"

[Nathan W3st]

"I don't think you get it. If I don't tell them, it won't be bussiness as usual. They'll wonder who the frell you are, and Sarins is likely to be less polite than I was. If I tell them, they'll understand. They won't like it, but they'll accept it because they have to. If they find out on their own that you were an impostor... well, you just don't want that to happen."
Nathan stopped. Cross might be... very likely.

"Cross? I think I might know."

[Captain Tohmahawk]

"West.... look, I didnt ask for this any bloody more than you did, okay? I'd much rather be getting laid on some beahc somehwere, than on this -DO-NOT-SWEAR--DO-NOT-SWEAR--DO-NOT-SWEAR--DO-NOT-SWEAR-hole. Now I know it's not going to be business as usual, but my job in Intelligence also gave me one hell of a lot of training in imatating people... and I think that I can pull off being my own brother!"

"Anyway..... where is this Cross person? She needs to be in on this"

[Nathan W3st]

"You want someone who I can barely vouch for in terms of security and you flat refuse to let me tell the unit commanders so you and I can have an easier job, perhaps a job period? Real sane." Nathan sneered with disdain. He was going to tell the commanders whether anyone liked it or not.

If he didn't, the interview they conducted with Damar would likely be a lot less friendly than the one West was conducting.

"And the thing is, while he may have physically imitated your brother, I doubt he was the same man. A very important thing about imitating James, er... Marcus."

"He was an as.shole, but you knew he backed it up. There was never a doubt in anyone's mind what he meant when he said something. And," West glared into the man's eyes, "if his gun left a holster, there was a very good chance that someone would die. Now get lost, and go find Fireblade, who just happens to be Cross, and his wife. My officers and I need to have a chat."

[Captain Tohmahawk]

He was about to retort to West about his abilities to imitate Marcus when he was stopped short.

"Cross .... is Q'Dunn's WIFE?!?! Allright, West, what type of @#%$ scam are you trying to pull, because I know damn @#%$ well she is dead! Now you listen to me West and you listen damn good, I've got enough of a problem here without you trying to put past some bull-DO-NOT-SWEAR--DO-NOT-SWEAR--DO-NOT-SWEAR--DO-NOT-SWEAR- story!"

Now he was getting angry.

"Now are you going to help me, or am I going to take that gun of yours and shove it so far down your @#%$ throat that you'll @#%$ bullets? Now where the @#%$ is Cross West and dont even THINK about bantha-DO-NOT-SWEAR--DO-NOT-SWEAR--DO-NOT-SWEAR--DO-NOT-SWEAR-ting me. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!?!"

In his anger, Damar was beginnig to look errily like his brother. His twin brother.

[Nathan W3st]

West seethed.

"No. You're as clear as mud. Now sit down and shut up, Colonel." Cold emphasis on his rank. Hes on my turf and he better realize that if he wants anything to go smoothly. "She's very much alive, and I'm not in the bussiness of spreading bantha-DO-NOT-SWEAR--DO-NOT-SWEAR--DO-NOT-SWEAR--DO-NOT-SWEAR- around. That seems to be your job. She has a small room in the C barracks, room twenty-seven. Good luck catching her there, but she seems to get all the notes I leave. I'll code it, just leave it on my desk. I'll have a look at in an hour." Nathan started for the door.

[Captain Tohmahawk]

The reply was in action. Tohmahawk quick drew his blaster, pointing it at West's head in one motion.

"No [/i]General[/i], if your so certain, I have a code that only she will know that your going to send. She is going to come down here and then we are goign to have a bit of a chat and work this out like civilised beings. Unlike James or Marcus, I dont @#%$ around. I dont have time for your bantha-DO-NOT-SWEAR--DO-NOT-SWEAR--DO-NOT-SWEAR--DO-NOT-SWEAR- West, now send the code aand get her here or become wall decoration"

[Nathan W3st]

"There is no sending, you turd. I leave a datapad with an encrypted message and a password. She has the decode key, and she knows the password. It normally takes an hour or two for me to get a response. I'd really like to convien with my officers now." West titlted his head slightly.

"As a matter of fact, here comes one..." Damar's face lost a smidge of the edge, and he blinked. The vent in the corner of the room fell open, and out dropped a very grouchy looking bothan, gun first.

"Have I mentioned," Res'lay grumbled, "how very little I like vents?"

[Captain Tohmahawk]

His face became even harder edged if that was possible.

"Unwise West, vey unwise. Got any more surprises coming, hmmm? Invite them in. Maybe next time - if there is one - they can tell what remains of your staff about your mistake. I dont just walk into a potentially hostile enviroment without some sort of out."

He held up the other hand, revealing he had a remote in his hand.

"DNA coded to me. If my live hand doesnt touch the switch every 10 minutes, something rather nasty will happen to the citizens here. You have about 40 seconds till the next touch needed. And of course there's no telling what backup devices I have to make sure it works. Now, get Cross here now"

[Nathan W3st]

This Damar man was a total maniac.

"I told you, I can't. And this wasn't planned, nor was it my idea. Broom, how long have you been in the vent?"

"Just now. Can I go smack Shorty after you and imposter get done? And" the Bothan added quickly "I didn't know till just now. Anything else?"

"Yeah. Get me the resident of C27. Its a bit of an emergency now."

[Captain Tohmahawk]

Damar thumb moved deliberatly, clicking the switch.

"You just bought yourself 10 minutes. I dont think I need to elaborate what will happen if any alarm is raised. Now take a seat West while we wait"