Nowhere/Chapter 5

CHAPTER V: SUSPICIONS
“Our fuel supplies will last us three – maybe four weeks.” Briggs counted the sparse resources the Nowhere was still in possession of. Rylex never accounted for something like this to happen. He had expected a simple drop to Yavin 4 and back, and that would be it. Being stranded in the middle of space was not something he would see coming. “Do you think we can make it to Yavin 4 with what we have?” Rylex asked Briggs, who gave him a sigh. “Even if we had the fuel to do that – it would take us months to get there. Maybe even a year.” He spoke truly. Rylex scratched the back of his head and sunk in his chair. “Blast it all.” He cursed.

“How about the men? How are they handling it?” He asked. Briggs looked at him, frowning. “The men?” He chuckled. “You know, I believe that’s the first time you’ve gone without referring to them as ‘sinful, thieving refuse’.” He smiled. Rylex chuckled and stared away. “They’re on edge. That much is certain. You just told a bunch of ex-convicts who already don’t trust one another that there’s a traitor on board. How do you think they’re ‘handling’ it, hmm?” He asked. Rylex remained silent in contemplation.

“You know, some of the crewmembers even suspect they’re being sent into some sort of ‘suicide mission.’ They suspect you for hiding something.” He told him. “Hiding something?” Rylex looked at Briggs, amazed. “They accuse me of hiding something? Ha, that’s just rich.” He sneered. “Just suitable for those damn outcasts. One of them is a traitor and they think I’m one? Bastards. Thieving bastards, the lot of them.” He spat. “You were never really open about why you recruited them instead of the ordinary soldiers –“ Briggs tried to explain the sense of suspicion directed towards the captain. “Don’t give me that lecture again!” Rylex accosted him. “I expected them to do their damn jobs! You think I was happy that these filth made up my crew? Ask General Organa or Solo! Ask them why they didn’t do their damn homework and never bothered to organize their forces!” Rylex yelled. “Not enough men for a cargo drop, please.” He mocked.

Briggs looked at him in sympathy, tossing his schedule away. “Can I give you some advice, Rylex? Not as your quartermaster but as a friend.” He asked, Rylex looking up at him. “You shouldn’t antagonize these men. I know you think lowly of them, but if the Empire comes? They’ll be your last defenders.” He advised. Rylex thought for a while, contemplating his options. “And what about the traitor?” Rylex asked. Briggs rolled his eyes and sighed. “You think a hyperdrive just simply disappeared? We had one when we took off and now we don’t. Someone removed it, Briggs. Which is what happens when you have criminals join your crew.” He pointed out. “There is no traitor, Rylex! And if there was one he definitely isn’t on board.” He countered. “So the hyperdrive just vanished, huh? Is that what you’re saying? How did the hyperdrive vanish, Briggs – tell me.” He stood up and crossed his arms waiting for an answer. “Well?”

“I – I don’t know…” Briggs admitted. “Precisely. I’m pretty sure no one here can use the Force, huh? So by my calculations a big engine like that couldn’t just evaporate into thin air. It was removed by a member of our crew and tossed into space. More than likely they sent a signal to their Imperial overlords to arrest us while we’re sitting out in the open with no means to escape or contact anyone.” He concluded. Briggs looked away and sighed. “If it was tossed into space we would’ve heard it! It was dead quiet when we passed the blockade. An airlock opening had to have been heard! And if it was removed before we took off, some of the hangar employees had to have seen it!” Briggs debated, making Rylex think. “I don’t know where the hyperdrive is – but now is not the time to sow paranoia in the ship!” He advised.

Rylex turned away and thought for a while, before turning back to Briggs. “Maybe you’re the traitor.” He whispered, his eyes glaring at him. “W – what?!” Briggs said, astonished. “Yeah – you seem very keen on letting this all go. ‘Don’t sow paranoia’ and all that, huh? And you were the last one to have seen the hyperdrive before we took off. You could have displaced the thing just after we took off, huh? Am I wrong?” He asked, his green eyes eyeing him from top to bottom. “You’re mad, Rylex. I’ve been with you for thirty years! We fought in the Clone Wars together!” He argued. “You’re accusing me of treachery?! Me of all people?!” He angrily asked.

“What’s your alibi?” Rylex asked, arms crossed. “Alibi – wha – what?!” Briggs asked in complete disbelief. “You claim you’re not a traitor so answer me – what’s your alibi?” Rylex asked again stoically. “To hell with your damn alibi. I would never betray you or our cause! You know better than anyone that I have more cause to hate the Empire than you!” Briggs roared, feeling betrayed himself. “I don’t have the patience for this, captain. I’m going back to my quarters. Good luck with you and your conspiracy theories.” Briggs concluded angrily as he walked towards his cabin.

Before he could storm out of the room, however, he heard a blaster load behind him. “You’re not going anywhere, quartermaster.” Rylex softly spoke, aiming his blaster at Briggs. The quartermaster turned around, facing the end of the captain’s blaster. He raised his hands, shock and disbelief marring his face. “Rylex – please. You’re being irrational.” He tried to persuade him. The captain laughed it off, yet he remained stoically determined. “You know what I think?” He asked. “What I think is this – the Alliance needed weapons delivered to Yavin 4. They asked me to do it so I agreed. But they couldn’t send me any proper soldiers so they gave me ex-criminals and spacers. I was suspicious at first but I put my trust in them, you know why?” Rylex continued, Briggs remaining silent. “Because you made the roster.” He spat beneath his teeth. “There’s no single traitor. It’s a damn conspiracy. I think there are two traitors aboard. Easier to cover up a potential sabotage.” Rylex concluded. Briggs was sweating bullets, yet slowly lowered his arms.

“Rylex… please.” He continued to plead. “I am not the traitor.” He tried to make it clear. “We are brothers, Rylex. We have known each other for years. You know I would never betray your loyalty.” He continued, reaching his hand. “Give me the gun, Rylex.” He offered. Rylex stood tall, his arm shivering. “You’re suffering from isolation-induced paranoia. You’re in space for too long. Remember? When we were drifting around Kashyyyk? You were suffering from hallucinations…” He tried to refresh Rylex’ memories. The latter smiling. “I thought I saw a flying bantha…” He remembered. Briggs laughed back. “That’s right… and I thought I was a Jedi, remember?” He answered. Rylex laughed, the tension seeming to have relieved for a while. They continued laughing for a while, their laughter filling the otherwise acoustic, empty, dark room. Then there was a shot. Bang, and it was over. Briggs fell to the floor, lifeless. Rylex stood tall, his blaster smoking. Everything seemed to have frozen in time, and the captain could not move. He was returned to reality when his cabin door burst open. The crewmembers stared in the door’s opening, shocked as they looked upon Briggs’ body. Rylex lowered his gun, and spoke without emotion.

“I got the traitor.”