Project Boussh: A Chance for Redemption
by Vickie Boyd

"I saw your discussion with Dorset Konnair."

She felt waves of grief flood out from Brad's unshielded mind. "Yes,"
was all he managed. And then, softly: "Dorset."

"Brad, I would be a lot more comfortable if you would turn your torps
elsewhere. You are scaring the crap outta me, but I know you won't fire
intentionally."

A spike of anger went through him. Why did she have to do that? He made
no move to unlock the torpedoes.

Vickie sighed. This wasn't working. And if Corran caught up to them,
there was no telling what might happen. Maybe that was it. Tell him
Corran was on his way and would take the weapons lock as a sign of
aggression.

No, that wouldn't work. Hell, that might anger him even more. An idea
popped into her mind. "Didn't I hear you say that you surrendered?"

Confusion. "What? Yeah, maybe. When I thought you were Horn."

She smiled. "Ok then, I accept. Now, let's go somewhere and discuss
this. How about your little base of operations where Dorset is."

Brad felt his control over the situation starting to slip. "Wait, what
do you mean you accept? You're not a member of the New Republic."

"You probably haven't heard yet. Sci sent word that Admiral Ackbar and
General Cracken have turned the investigation over to us. So, in a
sense, I can accept your surrender. Now, let's go talk."

The anger began to resurface. "I..." His response was cut off as his
ship shuddered from the impact of a missile. He checked his sensors. A
dozen TIE-Interceptors had suddenly appeared from seemingly nowhere. He
cursed under his breath and turned his guns towards the more important
threat.

Whistler screamed and boosted the port shields. The ship rocked when the
missile exploded.

"What the hell was that?" Vickie looked out the canopy to see Brad
turning the B-Wing towards a group of TIEs heading towards them.

IT WAS A CONCUSSION MISSILE. ENEMY FIGHTERS COMING IN ON ALL SIDES.

She froze, scared out of her wits. In the games, she was always aware of
when the enemy fighters were approaching. "Why didn't you tell me they
were here," she asked the droid.

I DID, BUT YOU WERE TOO BUSY DEALING WITH BRAD TO LISTEN.

Biting her lip, she pulled the X-Wing into a climb. "Ok, this is going
way too fast." A warning klaxon blared at her as another ship got a
lock. She jinked to port, but the pilot stayed with her. She pulled back
to starboard. The TIE was relentless.

Alec Guiness' voice suddenly filled her mind. *Use the Force. Let go.*
She closed her eyes and concentrated as she pulled the ship onto its
belly to run parrallel with the earth. Her mind clouded for a moment
then burst as dozens of thoughts filled it. She winced, but tried to
narrow down to the pilot behind her.

"Rookie," he was thinking as he began to pepper her shields with laser
blasts.

She grinned and allowed the Force to flow through her. She had always
wondered why she was so good at video games when she concentrated. This
was why. Her hands lay lightly on the stick. A quick jerk starboard and
back to center didn't break the lock. She tried again. No luck.

This time she jerked starboard, made like she was going back, but kept
going starboard.

YOU BROKE THE WEAPONS LOCK. NICE JOB.

"Well, let's pay him back." She pushed the X-Wing into a looping dive.
As she went under the TIE, she noticed something that suddenly made her
stomach drop. A red stripe down the wing. "Oh my god. It's the 181st."

She looked back down at the console and saw a message being decrypted.
It was from Piggy. "Whistler, from what direction did the fighters
come?"

BEARING 270 BY 323.

Shit, she thought, I don't know what those numbers mean. "Directions,
Whistler. Did they come from the east?"

YES.

They must be the ground crew. "Ok, this is going to get nasty." Her
comms beeped.

"Ace 2, this is Rogue 9."

"Corran... where the hell are you?" She asked the question as a TIE blew
into tiny pieces. "Never mind. What are you doing here?"

"Taking TIEs off your tail. Watch out."

Instinctually she jinked port and noticed her crosshairs were red. She
pulled the trigger and let a burst pepper the TIEs solar wings. Direct
hit. The TIE plummeted to the ground. "Corran, Brad, be careful. These
guys are the 181st. And they're working for someone here on Terra."

"I copy Ace 2," came Corran's reply.

She got no response from Brad. He was busy trying to gain some distance
from a group following him. She watched as they lit up his shields.

Suddenly, one of the TIEs exploded into a ball of flame. Another A-Wing
came screaming through the debris. "Ace 2, Rogue 9, this is Polearm 5,
ready to assist."

Vickie smiled. Good, we need all the help we can get. She turned the
X-Wing towards a new target and thus began the fight for Terra.