Project Boussh: Liable Forces
by Vickie Boyd


Vickie slammed her fist against the wall. Who the hell was Mike to send
her back to the *Red Home*? She stomped to the bridge. Kirney, Kolot and
Koyi were preparing to lift off after Dia got aboard with the last of the
things from the cabin. "So, how's the fight going?"

Kolot turned at looked at her curiously. <Why are you here?>

"They don't trust me anywhere else." She slumped down in the
navigational chair.

Kirney turned from the controls. "They trust you, Vickie."

"How can anyone trust me anymore? I'm the cause of this damn attack. I
let him go and he sent down all these troops."

"How do you know Brad went to the Imps?"

She sighed and slid further into the chair. "I don't. In fact, I don't
even feel him out there. You would think he'd lead this attack himself."

Koyi decided to add her two cents. "Perhaps they found us another way."

The ship shuddered as it rose from the ground. Dia came into the bridge.
She stopped when she saw Vickie. "Why are you here?"

"I'm too much of a liability."

The Twi'lek's lekku twitched. "Well then. Are you any good in a gun
turret?"

She shrugged (quite a feat for as low in the chair she was sitting).
"Don't know. Never been in one before."

"It makes for a good show. Come on. I'll teach you." Dia pulled her from
the chair and her funk and dragged her to the turrets.



Vickie sat in the seat and pulled on the headset. She was in the
starboard turret. "Are you ready," she heard Dia ask. "I think so," she
replied. Just like in ANH, the grid appeared before her when she toggled
on the switch. Blips appeared on the radar and she looked outside the
canopy to see the starfighters flying around.

"Here they come," said Koyi.

The music from the TIE-fighter attack came into her mind. Unconsciously,
she began singing it softly. A TIE came through her sights and she
chased it with laser fire. Watching the radar, she saw the unfortunate
pilot fly right into Dia's crosshairs. It exploded in a brilliant flash.
"Nice shot, Wraith Two."

Dia didn't have the chance to reply as another TIE came into view. She
hammered its shields before it got out of range.

Vickie looked out beyond the canopy. She saw a shuttle following an
X-Wing. The shuttle was Sci's, she knew, but who was in the X-Wing? The
unknown pilot turned and headed directly for the front flight of TIEs.
She reached out with the Force and immediately recognized the pilot.
"What is Fel doing," she asked herself.

Scanning the TIE pilots, she suddenly realized his course. He was a
clone. As was the pilot in the lead TIE. "By the gods, don't do it,
Soontir." Her chest clinched as she got her first taste of Empathy.

The resulting explosion shook her as much as it did the ships around it.
Tears flooded her eyes and she could barely see. Why did Fel do that? He
had seemed so sincere. Perhaps it was because he was a clone.

"Terra Nine, there is one headed straight for us. Fire before it gets
away!" Dia's voice pulled her back into the ship. She fired blindly (or
so she thought) only to shoot through the solar panel and send the TIE
plummeting to the ground.

"Great shot," Dia's voice rang out. "That was excellent, Nine."

"Thanks, Two."

Koyi's voice came over the comms. "We are going to have to land. We have
a medical emergency to take care of."

"Who is it?" Vickie's gut clinched again.

"Wraith Lead."