Project Boussh: Loose Ends
by scifantasy

Sci hit the ramp close button, and his shuttle and its escort of
X-wings and A-wing started on its flight to Mendellia. His comm
crackled as the voice of Tycho Celchu filled the shuttle's cockpit.
"Terra Lead, Rogue Two. Mind filling me in on a few details?"
"Be glad to, Two. What do you need to know?"
"We'll start with: Why did you suddenly demand that we prepare to
evacuate _hours before_ the Imps arrived?"
"We got a message from our teams in Mendellia. Atner managed to blame
the oil spill on the Resistance and was preparing to sweep the caverns
to find them. We needed to get there to help--we'll evacuate the caverns,
or maybe take Atner and company out now. The sweep is expected to begin
in a few hours."
"And you couldn't tell us this earlier...why?"
"Dramatic irony?"
Tycho laughed. "At any rate, it's lucky we started. If we hadn't, it
would have been Hoth all over again--just no shield. Are you sure
you're not Force-sensitive?"
"No." Sci's voice colored slightly at that.
"Don't worry, Lead. They're alive. Both of them."
"I know. We'll get them back. And, for that matter, Dia and the techs
aboard _Red Home_. I hope they get her to a bacta tank somehow."
"Good. Other questions: Where had Gavin and Inyri been? Who's their
escort? Who is Pol McEwok"--Sci remembered that Mike had informed
the company that Pol had defected--"and why is he fighting against
us with the Imps? Where was Plourr and how was she captured? And who
was in Plourr's X-wing?"
"All of those questions tie in with one other. First--" He waved
Sharon, who was in the back of the shuttle helping to tend to the
injured, up front. "This is Sharon Kerr. She was Gavin and Inyri's
Terran escort. Say hello, Sharon."
"Hello, Sharon," said Sharon. Sci smiled. Ah, the wonders of George
and Gracie.
"What?" Tycho asked.
"Never mind. Anyway, I assigned Sharon to go with Gavin and Inyri to
meet up with Policrat McEwok, who was escorting Plourr and serving as
our information gatherer in England. Pol met me at the cabin, but
couldn't stay long--Gavin, Inyri, Sharon, and Plourr were still in
England working on something, so he said. Next thing I knew, Sharon
contacted me talling me Pol had defected, Plourr was captured, and
Sharon, Gavin, and Inyri were incoming--Sharon in Plourr's X-Wing.
As far as I can tell, Plourr's now on the _Admonitor_ with the rest of
the prisoners there."
"Okay, that's that. Any--"
"Hang on, my sensors are picking up a pair of X-Wings moving towards
us. What in blazes--"
"Terra Lead, this is Rogue Ten and Terra Twelve. What's going on?"
"Long story. We'll tell you on the way. Form up on me. I will say this
now. Rogue Three is alive."
"What?" Ooryl and Emily's voices both jumped an octave. "How?" Emily
managed to get out. Ooryl was probably incapable of speech due to
happiness.
"We believe he was accosted and replaced by a clone of himself. The
clone was then captured and killed. Thankfully he wasn't the real
thing." Sci paused for a moment, enough time for Emily to figure out
what he was getting at. "Three is now where we left helping fight a
teddy-bear war."
"Is that what Ten thinks it is?"
"Guerilla war with Ewoks."
"You're joking." Emily's voice was back to its usual happy tone for
the first time in days. "So, what happened and why are you in mass
evac?"
"First, why were you heading back? Something tells me you have good
news and I need to hear some."
"Retsim is dead, Shannon Baksa is rescued."
"Good to hear. Now the bad news. We got One's message a little while ago,
and prepared to evac, but the Imps caught us as we were leaving. We managed
to hold them off until the ISD started firing."
"Eleven's going to kill you if the cabin is damaged."
"I know."
"Form up on me--we have a government to topple and a campaign
manager to save." As the fighters got into position, he began thinking
aloud. "The road goes ever on and on..."
"What?"
"Do I have to loan you Tolkien as well, Nine?"