Project Boussh: A Soldier's Duty by Josh Nolan Josh's eyes flipped awake at the sounds of movement, and saw Lobot scuffling with Neo. No, that wasn't it. The man with the flashing red light behind his ear was attempting to stab some guy in a trenchcoat with a scalpel. The way the trenchcoated one moved - that wasn't normal. Flashing-Red-Light lunged again, but Trenchcoat jumped *over* him, landing lightly then spinning to face his attacker. The jump clicked in Josh's memory, and he identified Trenchcoat as Terra Four. And his ally was under attack. Josh quickly reached out with his left hand, grasping the blaster carbine he had carried aboard. He brought it into his field of vision, and checked the power setting - kill, good. No use being soft on the enemy. "Face, you really don't want to do this," said Four, as the enemy turned to face the Jedi. "You'll get hurt." "I hurt already," stammered the cyborg. *Face? Why did that sound familiar? No matter. He's the enemy.* Josh levelled his blaster at the enemy's midsection, and fired. Mike had begun moving even before Josh had squeezed the trigger. The yellow-and-purple glow of his lightsabre snap-hissed into the path of the blaster bolt, and the shot careened off into the ceiling. "Josh?" asked Four disbelievingly - and unprofessionally. "What the hell was that?" "I was *trying* to kill him," Josh explained with a frown. "What's the problem?" Face used the opening to charge Four, who dodged out of the way, tripping the actor, sending him sprawling near Josh, the scalpel flying out of Face's hand. The bandaged Terran fired again, Four barely interposing his lightsabre with a desperate lunge. "Nice going, Farmboy," Josh drawled sarcastically. "Keep this up, and I'll start thinking you don't want him dead." "I don't!" yelled Mike, as Face began scrabbling for the scalpel. "What in Sith's name is going on around here?!" barked a voice from the entrance to the cockpit. Terra Lead was standing there, blaster in hand, eyes blazing. Josh turned and snapped a salute. "Sir, executing the prisoner, sir!" he barked in response. Four glanced at Josh, then at Lead. "Josh's gone nuts!" he cried, waving his lightsabre, his attention momentarily diverted from Face. "Face is trying to stab me, Josh is trying -" Face grabbed the scalpel, scrabbled to his feet and charged Four, who unthinkingly threw a straight kick into Face's midsection, knocking the actor off his feet. Four pirrouetted, bringing his lightsabre around to block Josh's inevitable shot. As the red bolt rebounded into the wall near the rear of the shuttle, Four turned back towards Lead and repeated, "Josh is trying to kill him!" "Sir, there has to be a penalty for trying to escape, sir," said Josh to Lead, bewildered by Four's attitude. "Otherwise, what's to stop them escaping in the future?" Lead spitted Josh with his stare. "Put the blaster down, or I'll have you court-martialled," he said coldly. Josh's face went white at the threat. "Sir, I am only doing my duty -" "Obey the order," Lead growled, and Josh reluctantly complied. "The prisoner is not to be executed - do I make myself fairly clear?" Josh snapped to attention, and cried, "Sir, yes sir!" Face untangled himself from where he was huddled, and began tensing for a spring at Four, but Lead raised his blaster and shot him with a stun bolt. Face fell to the ground, twitching, and Lead shot the prisoner again. Four glanced back and fourth between Josh and Lead, his eyebrows furrowed over his sunglasses. "What is with you two? I turn my back for a second, and suddenly you're all 'you can't handle the truth'!" Josh opened his mouth to reply, when suddenly, he finished waking up. His jaw dropped as he looked at Mike, Sci, Face and the blaster on the ground. He briefly ran through the events of the past minute or so, and his knees gave way. "Wha - what did I just do?" he stammered out. Sci holstered his blaster. "Josh, I think you'll understand if I ask you to get the Ewoks to tie you up while you're asleep." Josh nodded dumbly. "For sure," he managed to say. "What the hell is going on here?" demanded Mike of Sci, waving his lightsabre in Josh's general direction. "The stormie," said Josh unhelpfully. Sci nodded at Josh, and explained, "When Josh spent some time in bacta, there was a stormtrooper indoctrination tape playing in the tank. Our Aussie friend's been kind of brainwashed." Mike looked back at where Josh was shaking, and returned his gaze to Sci. "So when he woke up and saw me under attack...?" Sci nodded. "Yeah. As far as he was concerned, he was doing his duty. Still, because he sees me as his commanding officer, I could order him around. Ooryl gave me some tips on that - it's not like my parade-ground manner's had much practise," he said with a half-grin. Mike grinned. "No wonder he's such an arsehole, then." Mike sheathed his lightsabre, then paused, staring down at the pipe. "Hey," he said looking back at Sci, "I deflected blaster bolts!" Sci nodded, and grinned. "Good work, Jedi." His face fell serious again, and he nodded back to Josh. "Tell me when he's tied up. Tie up Face, too. Two randomly homicidal people on board..." "Is three too many, yeah." Mike paused for a second. "Are we counting Ewoks in that total?" Sci shook his head at Mike's wisecrack. "Just get it done." Sci turned around and went back into the cockpit, closing the hatch behind him. Mike glanced at where Face was lying unconscious, the red light behind the actor's ear blinking furiously. Satisfied that the Wraith wasn't moving anywhere in a hurry, Mike grabbed Josh's arm and hauled him to his feet. "Nice going, Farmboy," Mike parrotted at him, grinning. "Whatever," mumbled Josh, staggering towards the room where Mike had insisted the Ewoks stay. "I'll tell 'em to keep me tied up." Mike marched with Josh, keeping the lightly toasted Aussie on his feet. "Wouldn't be the first time, from what I hear," he said, grinning broadly. "They did a good job tying you up, if I recall," said Josh quietly, and Mike's grin disappeared. ******* Face jerked as the stimulant jetted into his system, snapping him out of the comfortable fog in which the stunbolts had left him floating. The stabbing pain began again, and behind the agony the imperative command - KILL THEM! Face looked to his left, and saw Josh's discarded blaster carbine on the ground. As the two Terrans were finishing their squabble, he dragged himself over to the weapon and grabbed the handle, then pushed himself upright. ******** Mike shut and locked the cargo bay panel, shaking his head. *The Ewoks are welcome to him*, he thought, and turned back towards the main compartment - only to see Face, conscious and upright, pointing a blaster towards him. "Oh, shi-" The fire of the blaster drowned him out.