Brimstone:
Operation Perdition Extradition
By Sylvana Lorrdain, and Alison Sky
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Face turned to the group. "Okay. Basically, it seems that an unknown
group of hunters has figured out that Cracken has some very
interesting guests up in Peredition right now; so we're under orders
to break in, get them, and break out."
"Sounds appropriately vague," Hobbie replied. "Just how do you suggestwe
go about this? We can't just waltz in there, that'd be suicide."
"We're going to commit Wes."
"WHAT?!" Wes looked up from where he was re-bandaging up his arm from his
speeder bike fall.
Hobbie chuckled, glancing at his best friend. "Makes sense."
"Ooryl agrees," said the Gand. "With Janson's proclivity toward
thoughtless actions, it will be simple to contrive a reason for his
committing."
"I told the Hutt I was sorry and would pay for a new brassiere!"
Face chuckled. "I'm sure you did, but this is our best option. Now,
Ooryl, you're the pilot. Hobbie is going to be Wes's bodyguard because,
for some reason, we all know he only listens to you-"
"Tell HIM that," Hobbie glanced over at Wes, then shook his head.
"I listen to Wedge too... and Tycho... occasionally..." Wes muttered, "if
I have to."
"When you feel like it," Hobby finished in another mutter.
"So. We need to get in, get the guests, then get out; all without raising
a big commotion."
"And just whom are the guests?" Ooryl asked, his mandibles clicking.
"I'm assuming Alison is one," Wes stated, his hand balling into a fist a
moment.
The Wraith shook his head. "Actually, she isn't. In FACT, we're not
supposed to look for her or let her get wind of who the guests are,"
Face stated. "Just as much as i want to see her again, we can't."
"Then who?" Hobbie asked, puzzled.
"Gand thinks he knows..." Ooryl muttered, mandibles clicking ominously.
"Who are we going after, Face?" he asked.
The Wraith sat down. "There are three Terrans that were sent there. Terra
5, 6 and 11. Ooryl, you know 5 and 6 if I recall correctly?"
"Ooryl knows. Ooryl also knows Eleven, she is the one who dreams," He
stated. Hobbie looked at him sharply, "Elev... Wait, Syl's there?! What
the hell happened!" he looked back to Face, as though he might hold the
answers.
Face held up his hands. "I don't know, Hobbie... Cracken didn't give me
anything more than need to know. But, that's why he wanted you, he figured
that you could convince her to come with us calmly; just like Ooryl can
convince the Crispy Fried Aussie."
"She's got enough she's dealing with, I want to know who decided she had to
go there - Perdition's not exactly a summer playhouse," Hobbie grumbled,
scowling.
"Ooryl believes she is perfectly safe there, at this point in time."
Wes put his hand on Hobbie's arm, squeezing it a bit. He knew what his
best friend was feeling... he felt it too when he learned Alison had been
sent there. "So... we just have to get them and get out?" Wes asked.
"Yup. In and Out. Very simple."
"It won't be simple," Hobbie told them.
"Never is when a Wraith is involved," Wes looked sideways at Face.
Face blinked. "Hey, this wasn't MY idea, you know..."
Hobbie and Wes just looked at him.
Face rolled his eyes as he passed out datacards. "Here's a layout of
Perdition. I've marked the rooms of 5 and 11 in red. 6's location floats,
so I can not be positive where he is."
"Where's Alison?" Wes asked, calling up the map.
"The room in green... " Face sized Wes up. "I'm serious, Wes."
"Yeah, I know, I know..." Wes sighed, waving his hand at Face as he looked
over the file.
Hobbie and Ooryl accepted their own datacards, the Gand perusing it in his
'pad momentarily before standing and leaving the room... and heading toward
the piloting cabin of their craft.
Hobbie glanced up at the Gand, shrugged, then glared at his datapad again.
"So, why can't Cracken just release them to us?"
"Because if they go willingly..." he paused and started again. "If there
is paperwork, that means whoever is hacking into Perdition will know, and
we can get ambushed. He'd rather us get them out, and get back safely,
before they are able to track us."
"It makes sense, I guess..." Hobbie said, flipping through the pages. "I
still have a bad feeling about this, though."
"So do I," Wes said, his eyes locked on the green box. He ran his finger
over it a moment before taking the file and standing up. "I'm going to see
if there are any more bacta patches on the ship..."
Face watched him a moment and sighed. "Sure thing, Wes."
Hobbie waited for him to go, then looked over at the Lorrdian. "I dare you
to tell me that you don't want to take them both out of there... without
lying."
Face crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "I don't like lying to
anyone, Hobbie... but I know my job. Unfortunately, in this instance, it
has to come first."
"I know... I'm not sure Wes does, though. I don't like leaving Alison in
there, however; especially if something's apparently going to happen."
Hobbie replied.
"We know she's capable of taking care of herself," Face sighed. At
least, she used to be....
"Cracken's never going to be a favourite among our lot, is he," Hobbie
said, leaning back with a sigh and putting the folder down on the bench
beside him. "I really don't think it's a good idea to leave her there."
"If I bring her back, I'm going to have a LOT of explaining to do, and
might even lose my job," Face stated. "Plus, all of your jobs will
be at risk."
"Like it matters," Hobbie frowned. "Being left someplace without backup
GOT her into that mess, surely he's got to see that."
Face leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. "I want to Hobbie,
she's my best friend. You know I do... but I CAN'T."
"Well, I'm telling you this now, if things start going bad while we're
there - I'm making sure ALL our people are out of there."
Face looked at Hobbie, and something in his eyes changed... the mischievous
glint was suddenly there. "Well, if the mission parameters change, and I
can't help but have to help evacuate people from there...."
Hobbie nodded, smiling slowly. "Exactly... and just imagine the chaos if a
stray bomb were to, say... blow something up?"
"If there is risk, we're under obligation to do what is needed to minimize
the damage."
"And leaving Alison loose, certainly wouldn't minimise anything."
"She'd kill everything in her path, probably... that's a LOT of paperwork
we'd save Cracken."
"Loads," Hobbie agreed, nodding. "Besides, it's been far too long since I
blew something up. I'm getting terribly bored."
"You figure it out, I'll see it works in our favor... but we CAN'T tell Wes
or Ooryl."
"Hell no, Wes'll want in on it, and Ooryl'll stop us."
Face held his hand out. "And then, let the chaos begin..."
Hobbie shook his hand firmly, "Boom."