Project Boussh: In the Belly of the Dragon
by Brad Corletti

Captain Larommi reviewed his initial notes with glee. This would be
the highlight of his career. They had captured a Jedi, and, most
importantly, the most famous fighter pilot in history, General Wedge
Antilles, destroyer of both Death Stars. Breaking this man's will
would elevate him beyond his current meagre rank, and possibly to a
command position of his own ship. Possibly even a barony!

He straightened his posture once again and assumed the demeanor of a
professional surgeon. It was his job to inflict pain so that the
patient may live. His patient was the Empire.

He keyed the detention cell's lock and the door cycled open. He
stepped inside and smiled grimly, the door cycling close behind him.

"Welcome to the _Admonitor_," he began. "Rest assured that you cannot
hold out. You will tell us everything. You will tell us things you do
not even let yourself know. It is impossible to resist interrogation.
We have many paths open to us. We can circumvent any measures you
choose to put in place to stop us. You cannot win."

The door cycled open. Inside stepped a tall man with dark hair. He
faced Larommi. "Dismissed, Captain."

Larommi spun to face him, confused. "Major?"

Major Defel smiled. "I'm taking over this interrogation, Captain."

Larommi indicated that Major Defel should follow him outside the cell.
Brad did so.

Once outside, with the door safely shut on the baffled prisoners,
Larommi snarled. "Never bring the authority of the chief interrogator
into question in front of the prisoners, Major!"

Defel simply locked his eyes on the Captain. "I am the chief
interrogator now, Captain."

Larommi wasn't about to back down with his career in doubt. "You're
Procurement, Major! You don't have the training..."

Defel cut him off. "You don't know that. You have been ordered to
stand down. I have cleared it with your superiors. Return to your
normal duties."

Larommi's heart sank. He was going to interrogate *General Wedge
Antilles* but now he'd been usurped by some bigshot with the right
connections. How typical. He glared at the Major and stalked off.
Protocol be damned.

Brad returned to the cell.

"General Antilles, Jedi Boyd," he said in greetings. The two regarded
him warily.

"What were you after?" Wedge asked him. "Money? Power?"

"I will ask the questions here," Brad said, ignoring the question.
"But I will indulge you."

"Where is she?" Vickie asked.

"*Safe* and *well*," Brad replied. "The *bacta* treatment *healed* her
leg just *fine*. She's currently in a detention cell like this one."

"Who?" Wedge asked.

Brad turned to face him, his eyes cold. "Dorset Konnair, of course.
Had you forgotten? What did you have planned to rescue her? Did you
give her so much as a second's thought?"

Wedge glared back at the implication that he did not care for those
under his command. "A rescue attempt against a Star Destroyer would
have cost more lives," he replied. "We were focused on rescuing those
of us held in Mendellia."

"Mendellia," Brad murmured. "I should have guessed. You were more
interested in attacking Imperial holdouts than saving lives. Quiara is
no longer in Mendellia. Any attack against it will only result in
casualties."

"They have some of our people," Vickie interrupted. Brad nodded, as if
he already knew that.

"They wouldn't be in that position had you not been so singleminded,
General."

Wedge stood. "It's all well and good to criticise from the sidelines,
Corletti, but those of us in command have to make decisions that can
have dire effects on people's lives. We can't wait until after the
fact to decide on a course of action."

"My name is Defel," Brad said. "Corletti was my cover name."

"Awfully long cover," Vickie said. Brad shot her an obvious warning
glance. Vickie ignored it.

"You are such a small-minded, petty fool," she declared, "Too busy
thinking with your small head to actually get a clue! And I was a fool
to trust you!"

Wedge put a hand on Vickie's arm to restrain her. Vickie ignored that
too. She stood up and advanced on Brad menacingly.

"You told them all about us, didn't you! You sent them down to kill
us! All so you could ride off into the sunset with your
Dorset-in-distress!"

If it weren't for the ysalamari protecting the cell block, Brad was
sure she'd have crushed his throat with the Force. But the look in her
eyes told him she wasn't going to abandon that plan just because the
Force wasn't handy.

"Look, I left my rhyscate in the oven, so I'll have to keep this
brief. In accordance with the Imperial Interrogation Manual, section
SO-32, I'm moving prisoners Konnair and Quiara in with you," Brad got
out as Vickie moved closer. Any closer and he'd have to abandon his
dignity...