War Stories/Broken

The peaceful, violet hued atmosphere of Alderaan twinkled in the clear night sky. The occasional shooting star streaked across the star field backdrop, granting a lonely heart one wish. The full moon illuminated the landscape, casting shadows in the crevasses and peaks of the mountain range on the outskirts of Aldera, the planet’s capital. The chirps and howls of hidden, exotic fauna echoed throughout the vacant ridges. The chilled air of the high altitude had fused the layers of snow and ice together to form a slick, rigid ledge; it was an ideal landing spot amongst the jagged rocks. Any loose flakes of milky snow gently drifted across the arid tundra as the pulsing thrusters of the YT-1210 Corellian freighter, the Edessa, lowered the vessel to the surface.

The engines whined as the ship powered down, loosening the hardened terrain around the ship, burying the landing gear in centimeters of snow. The landing ramp pressed against the dusty ground, revealing two sentients. Both men were of average height and similar structure—wide at the shoulders, thick thighs, and defined arms. They appeared bred for soldiering with stronger legs over arms to be able to move faster and carry lighter weapons. It was a class of soldier as old as the mountains they had landed on, however, these two were not soldiers. At least, they were not anymore.

Tesh Vohore, an Arkanian, stood at the lower end of the ramp peering out. His beaming pupil-less eyes and long, milky hair drowned into the white noise of the terrain. The darkness of his tan skin and black armor contrasted the scene around him. He tucked his helmet under his left arm and rested his right on one of his dual pistols. Cautious, Tesh took a step out onto the mountain.

Staying behind, Rex Ordana, a native human of the planet, waited patiently for confirmation that the area was secure. He could not take any chances. Rex clenched the hand bar near the top of the landing ramp so tightly his knuckles turning the color of the ground; he did so should he need to quickly dart back into the ship. His short black hair wafted as a light breeze started to pick up, slowly burning the edges of his square jaw.

“It’s clear,” Tesh commented, donning his helmet, “I told you there would be nothing to worry about.”

“Oh, really? Then why did you put your helmet on?” Rex replied, concerned.

“It’s cold,” Tesh stated matter-of-factly, staring back up the ramp at Rex, “My contact has a T-24 waiting for us just over the ridge.”

“Are you sure?” Rex doubted.

Tesh took a moment to think about Rex’s question. Fear kept this man from taking even one step outside the transport. If they were going to accomplish their mission, he had to console him in some way. Things had certainly changed since Tesh was under his command, just over a year prior. He used to be strong. He used to be courageous. What Tesh did not know until just weeks before, it is easy to be those things when the galaxy thinks you are dead.

“Rex, it was years ago. I’m sure they’ve forgotten about you,” Tesh tried comforting Rex. It must have worked as Tesh saw Rex’s grip loosen.

“Listen, I’ll walk over the ridge and get the speeder and come back to pick you up. Will that make you feel better?” Tesh inquired, hoping to get Rex to at least let go of the bar. He did.

Tesh trekked off into the distance, leaving Rex alone with this fears. Rex did not used to be this way. He used to be a great leader, feared and respected. He was a heavily decorated officer for a private security task force on Alderaan for an offworld trading company specializing in the underground. Even Alderaan was not immune to corruption. All that was before he dared to set foot back on his homeworld, the one planet in the entire galaxy to which he would rather die before returning. Fear like that was unnatural.

Rex’s former position, before becoming an outlaw and mercenary for the Stark Combine, required that he show little to no mercy for insubordination, once leaving a irresponsible contractor with two broken legs and a bleeding, deformed nose for “misplacing” some cargo. The missing items were found in the contractor’s quarters aboard the transport just minutes prior. He expected to be treated with a more severe form of punishment should he be caught back on the planet.

Evil breeds evil, it was the unfortunate truth Rex had learned while employed with this security task force. The cost of this lesson, however, was too high. Shortly after becoming the father of a beautiful young lady, Rex’s home was raided. He found his wife on the living room floor beaten along with other detestable acts done to her. After tending to her, he discovered his infant daughter’s lifeless body lying across the master bed. A note lay next to her. It read: “No dependents.” He had violated the company’s number one rule with his secret life.

At this point, Rex knew no fear, no limits—no restraint. He armed up and set out to exact his revenge. He made arrangements for his wife to “leave” the planet and staged her death by having the transport she was supposed to take blow up. He then broke into the security headquarters and tried to post his sniper rifle, waiting for the director. His only mistake was letting his anger fuel and blind him. He knew the company had protocol to deal with instances like this. He was there when they were developed. They were prepared for him and he nearly lost his life in a counter attack. He fled to a nearby cargo transport and stowed away. Now, he returned for his wife and fear was the only thing that consumed him. He knew they had not forgotten about him.

Tesh returned over the ridge. The hum of the engine and flash of the headlights forced Rex to flinch, thinking the company had found him. He took a step back inside the comfort of the freighter. The airspeeder slowed as it approached the YT-1210, kicking a cloud of snow into the air. Immerging from the mist, Rex saw Tesh’s silhouette, but could not make out any of his feature. He took another step into the freighter.

“You there?” Tesh shouted out, careful not to mention Rex by name.

When Rex recognized the voice, he stepped back out onto the ramp. Rex could distinguish Tesh’s bleach-white eyes and hair glisten in the moonlight. He took one step down the ramp. He watched as Tesh’s gaze shifted from the lower part of the ship up the ramp, knowing Tesh had spotted him. He could not hide anymore.

“For a second, I was afraid you ran.” Tesh commented as Rex left the ramp.

“Honestly? Where else would I go?” Rex retorted as he passed Tesh for the speeder.

Tesh stood there taken aback at the comment. He took a deep breath and turn to head back to the speeder. Dealing with Rex’s fear was going to be a bigger task than Tesh has originally anticipated. He hoped he had the patience to continue. He climbed through the side hatch of the speeder, grabbing hold of the top-mounted fin, and slid his way into the pilot’s seat. He revved up the engine and flew off.

Rex sat in the passenger seat behind Tesh. He stared off into the blankness of the snow-capped mountains around him. The dull colors of grey and white faded together, drowning out any awe-inspiring features of the cliffs before them. Snowdrifts rolled past him at lightning speed, appearing to flow like a current against the speeder. The groan of the engine softened to a hum buzzing in his ear before fading out completely. Occasionally, the beep of a sensor or change in acceleration would kick Rex back to reality; destroying whatever dream world he had started to build in his mind.

The rolling mounds of snow swallowed the speeder in large rock ridges as they lowered down the mountain. The small, wedge-shaped vessel weaved its way through crevasses and glacier valleys, plotting its path to Aldera. They traveled low to the ground, hoping to avoid detection. Both Tesh and Rex knew the areal territory was closely monitored, but the rough terrain of the mountains rendered most sensor arrays useless on small crafts such as theirs, making them nearly invisible. As soon as they cleared the range, they would join regular traffic into the city and blend right in. Rex looked up and saw a split in the canyon wall up ahead.

“Go left.” Rex stated, glancing back out the window.

“Doesn’t that path have a patrol station?” Tesh inquired, confused.

“They aren’t looking for me.” Rex suggested, knowing his former employer used the secluded routes for smuggling.

He had a valid point. There was only one flaw in his reasoning: Tesh has borrowed the airspeeder. There was no legal way of putting their circumstances for the authorities. Tesh veered the ship to the right. He glanced back at the backseat monitor to see Rex lean up, confused.

“You may want to lay down.” Tesh urged, hoping to explain his intentions, “My name’s not on the registration.”

Behind, Rex’s eyes squinted, a scowl formed in his lips. Words crossed his mind he wanted to share with Tesh, but he knew, at that moment, his life was in Tesh’s hands. He dropped the scornful look and slid down, spreading out across the backseat the best he could. He let out a sigh of disbelief. He trusted Tesh. Now, he was not too sure about his decision to accompany Tesh to Alderaan. He had connections, and he could have found a different route. There was just something about Tesh’s approach that connected with him. Maybe it was a sense of mutual sympathy between the two down-and-out mercenaries, or maybe there was some truth to destiny?

Rex shifted his weight trying to pick at his jacket pocket. Slipping his hand out, Rex carefully held a thin datapad between his thumb and palm. He activated it and immediately pictures from his past came to life on the screen. He dragged his figure across the translucent screen, flipping through pictures. He scanned the photos with such speed and determination, one could only assume he was searching for just one photo, the right photo. Finally, he found it. It was his safe place.

Before him, he saw a woman of mid-twenties. Her golden blonde hair fell gently against her shoulders and curved with the bowing of her cheeks as she smiled. A shorter strand rested in front of her right eye, partially concealing her exotic green eyes. Her rosy lips arced up and brightened the dark speeder more than the light from the datapad. Two small dimples formed in the corners of her lips. It was an image he used to remind himself he could handle just about anything. It was a picture of his wife. It was the reason he was still alive. Seeing the photo, his mind flashed back.

''The large transport rattled as it hit a pocket of turbulence. Rex held tightly onto his datapad, revealing a picture of his wife he took nearly three years prior on their third-year anniversary. It was a picture of his past life, one he dreamed to return to but knew he never could. There were too many obstacles in the way now. But, a man was allowed to dream. Sitting beside him, Tesh Vohore leaned over, catching a glimpse at the photo.''

Hesitating only momentarily, Tesh decided to speak up.

”Someone important?” Tesh inquired, pointing at the datapad.

''”Very. My wife.” Rex admitted.''

”Hoping to get back to her?” Tesh wondered.

''Rex looked over at Tesh with a stern expression. His answers were concise. His motives were unknown. He preferred that very few, if anyone, knew about his past. He was viewed as their unofficial leader. There was no need for them to grow weary, worrying if he was strong enough to lead. What they did not know would not hurt them, and they did not need to know his past.''

''The transport landed on the outskirts of large opening in the side of the mountain almost two-thirds of the way up. Each soldier did one last weapons and munitions check before lining up to file out the door. Rex stood up and made his way to the front where the landing ramp lowered, opening up to a violent wind and bitter cold air. He turned and faced his men.''

''”You know the mission. Find the Republic outpost and report back. We are not to engage. Everyone understand?” Rex barked.''

''It had been several weeks since the Republic had been caught up in the mountain range on Troiken. They had fortified themselves after a failed negotiation attempt with the Combine’s leader, Iaco Stark, to bring an end to his faction’s illegal control of the healing fluid, bacta. Stark had struck a deal with the Trade Federation and the leading bacta producer, Xucphra. When bacta became scarce, Stark to took control of distribution from his supply, which he had previously raided from Federation ships, leading up to the negotiations. Stark had devised the plan that would cripple the Republic. With a virus infecting the navigational computers of the majority of the so-called Republic fleet, the Republic captives were nearly helpless. No one could aid them. It would be a matter of time before the Combine found the Republic. Rex hoped sooner than later.''

''They had already entered once before and were forced to retreat due to the Jedi that hid among the Republic inside. After Stark learned that several Republic officials had escaped, he ordered his men to retaliate, hoping to prevent more men from slipping past him. Knowing they could not reenter the way they went before, they searched for an alternative route, which supplied Platoon D-9 with their current mission.''

''Rex was met with a universal understanding. His leadership had been built on initiative, not rank. He had nothing to lose; therefore, he had nothing to fear. He motioned for them to exit the transport and one-by-one they filed out. Gathering in front of the cavern entrance, they set up a perimeter and cleared their exit path. Since it was an in-and-out mission, they wanted the final stages to go smoothly. Once they were established on the ground, Rex radioed the transport and it took off. The platoon watched as their ride flew away, hoping one day to see it again. They immediately turned around and found themselves consumed with fear of the unknown. Rex took the lead and stepped into the darkness.''

''The gloomy caverns of the mountain range faded to blackness as Platoon D-9 ventured in. The frigid cold of the rocks numbed the skin of the fifteen soldiers. Due to the extreme tilt of the planet and tidal lock with Quermia, its sister planet, the surface was split between frozen tundra and blistering desert. The mountain range located along the equatorial region was the only place with a moderate temperature.''

''Rifles out, Rex and the fourteen others moved along the walls of the cavern. Six riflemen filed in front, Rex at point, while four snipers covered them with their night-vision targeting reticules. Five others covered the rear, looking for danger that might lurk behind. They had heard stories of the creatures that haunted the caves in the dark there on Troiken, none of which they wanted to run into during their scouting party.''

''”Couldn’t they have given us something to help us on this mission?” Krill Mayth cried out, his whisper echoing throughout the cavern walls. A weapons specialist from Alderaan, he stood a head shorter and stockier than Rex. His golden brown hair combed back, bobbed slightly as he walked. Where Rex exuded manhood, Krill seemed to lack the fundamentals.''

''Those words shot straight to Rex. Should he take them as words of insubordination or blow them off as a useless comment by an almost equally useless soldier? Krill was constantly complaining about something, and if there were nothing to complain about—he would choose that very concept as his subject of complaint. It was useless to reprimand him and saying anything else would fall just short of enabling his negative tone.''

''”The Republic might know we’re coming otherwise.” Labon retorted, attempting to put a quick end to Krill’s outburst. Labon stood about the same height as Rex. He was clean cut, broad shoulders, and strong arms. His square jaw, like Rex’s, protruded from his short neck, giving the appearance of firm build.''

''“Shut up and keep moving. The Republic is probably buried deep within the mountain. We need to move quickly if we want to reach them before nightfall.” Rex ordered.''

''”Nightfall? Is it not dark enough?” Krill grumbled.''

Rex regretted making that final comment.

''”But, at night the critters come out.” Labon mentioned, clearly directing his words at Krill. Krill stopped talking.''

''Rex greatly respected Labon for consistently having his back. He was not used to such loyalty, especially among thieves and mercenaries. Rex glanced behind him catching a glimmer of starlight from outside the cave reflect off of Labon’s scope and onto his face. Rex noticed, in that glimmer, Labon stop in his tracks. He turned forward to see what might have caught his eye and saw a faint blue glow nearly a hundred meters in front. The distance was too great that the glow faded most of the details. Rex squinted to try and focus his eyes, but it was to no avail. At that, he heard footsteps behind him, slowly approaching. There was a tap on his forearm. Someone wanted him to follow them.''

''”Sir, I can’t quite get a reading on the U.O. It could be a Republic post, but I doubt it.” Labon stated, coding the conversation as to not startle the rest of the platoon with misinformation. Since he could not make out details even with the scope, he labeled it as an “Unidentified Object”.''

''”Gather the other marksmen and we’ll march ahead a few meters until you are able to get a good reading. Have the rest of the platoon stay put and ready to move on my mark.” Rex whispered back, following Labon’s example.''

''”Yes, sir.” Labon acknowledged. He left Rex briefly and returned with the remaining three snipers.''

''They stepped forward a few meters until one of them was able to make out some sort of details. Labon was the first to recognize any distinct features. He handed his rifle to Rex, insisting that he see it for himself. Through the scope, Rex found himself staring at the abdomen of a large flying insect. According to the reticule, the insect measured half a meter long and an eighth thick. Six skeletal legs dangled from the thorax, while two wings kept it airborne. Large, flesh-piercing pinchers protruded from its head. Its body illuminated the surrounding region with a blue hue. He recognized it as a Challat eater from his research of the planet prior to departure.''

''Rex handed the rifle back to Labon with the strict order of termination. There was only one and they needed to proceed. The sooner they accomplished their mission, the sooner the war would be over—the sooner they could return home. Or, at least what stood for home for these men. He watched as a green bolt streaked across the cavern in front of him, splitting the large insect, killing the glow. They were clear. They could move on. Rex proceeded to take one step forward when suddenly the glow returned. He glanced back at Labon.''

”Confirm your kill?” Rex ordered, wanting to make sure Labon in fact killed whatever it was in the distance.

”Confirmed.” Labon retorted, still peering through his scope, “These just appeared out of a side cavern.”

“These?” Rex inquired, hoping Labon only meant a handful more.

''Rex turned to face back down the cavern and watched as the blue glow began to grow, consuming more and more of the cavern in light. In that moment, he knew it was not as he had hoped. They were about to be swarmed. Their mission was cut short and soon to be classified “failure”. The only option now was to run—as fast as their legs could keep them alive. He issued the order.''

”Run!” Rex shouted, immediately taking off running, grabbing as many marksmen as he could in his retreat.

''As he ran, the only image in his head was not the cavern entrance several hundred meters in front of him. It was not the thought that there would be no escape once outside the cavern as their transport had abandoned them. It was not that there were potentially a vast number of creatures pursuing them. It was his wife. She flashed into his mind and immediately he found himself lost in her presence. Dazed, he watched as she fled from him. Screams of falling comrades faded into her still, soft voice, crying out for him to follow her. Her flowing hair beckoned him to fight with all his will to catch her. He was lost in her world.''

''Rex did not remember giving the order for Krill and Rim, the other weapons specialist, a human from Tanaab, to open fire at the mouth of the cave. He did not remember the sonic boom as the grenades struck their target, nor did he remember seeing the flash of burning light appear before him. The only thing he remembered was watching his wife’s image fading before him and finding himself outside the cave. Her still, soft voice pierced his ears as it faded back into the cries of his fellow soldiers, mourning the loss of those still trapped in the cave.''

Rex looked down at his datapad. It was dead. The image of his wife no longer displayed on the screen. A neon blue light flashed into his eyes, blinding him for a moment. He raised his head to peer out the tinted side viewport. Before him, a mammoth skyscraper sped past the window and soon another. He sat up and looked out the forward transparisteel screen to see them approaching a parking platform nearly one hundred stories from the planet’s surface.

The platform was bustling with people of all species, the predominant being human, creating the illusion of grass swaying in a light breeze. The arching semi-domed ceiling amplified the noises of merchants calling out local and imported goods for sale, each shouting newer deals competing for customers, grew louder with each meter they flew closer. As capitalism thrived on Alderaan, so did greed. Again, even Alderaan was not immune to corruption. Contrast to the smooth metallic appeal of the sleek spires, what dwelt within was as grimy as the soil they were built upon. Alderaan was a broken society. The same went to those who lived in it.

The airspeeder hissed as the main engines whined down, the repulsor motors blowing an area of the platform clear for them to land. Rex glared out the side viewport at the chaos around him as pedestrians passed back and forth before him. They crowded the speeder without care, occasionally tapping against the side. He peered to his left, pressing his face closer to the window, to survey the building entrance hall. Three cameras secured the entrances halls, two surveyed the space surrounding the exterior of the building, and only one was dedicated to the platform.

City regulation stated that the platform was deemed public property, allowing for vendors to take up shop. It also meant it was free from surveillance as Alderaan was a “free” planet. Any stationed cameras were managed through private security businesses, some legitimate, some like that which Rex used to work for. An unsettling comfort fell over Rex. The landlord’s blithe attitude towards the public might work to his advantage. It would be longer before any cameras could spot him. It also meant a greater chance that his former employer could own the cameras that would spot him.

“Okay,” Tesh spoke up, turning to look back at Rex, “We’ve gone over this enough times. As soon as you hit the turbolift, you have approximately thirty minutes to get in, find your wife, and get out before your old employer sends someone to the apartment should they be alerted to your presence.”

“That was the best case scenario, assuming they weren’t monitoring the halls around the apartment.” Rex confirmed.

“It’s been years.” Tesh stated, trying to reassure Rex that the agency had moved on since the incident.

“Even so, you of all people know how hard it is to forget someone trying to kill you.” Rex’s words burned into Tesh’s heart. Before agreeing to join together, they had shared intimate details regarding their pasts. Tesh turned back around in the driver’s seat, regretting he had shared his past.

“I have somewhere else to be. I’ll be back for you in thirty minutes.” Tesh ordered, angst building with each word.

Without warning, Tesh opened the side hatch of the speeder. Rex suddenly found himself exposed. His presence, at once, unveiled to Alderaan, his secrecy stripped from his grasp. Air rushed into the cabin as it depressurized due to the altitude, sucking Rex back into the speeder. He did not fight it, but he knew the longer he sat there, a still target, his time limit would decrease exponentially. Grabbing hold of the sides of the hatch, Rex bolted out, nearly leveling three pedestrians in the process.

Rex wove his way through the traffic of people, not once looking back. He caught only glimpses of frustrated expressions as he passed by, but he did not care. He heard the whimper of the engine fade into the distance. It was the last time the speeder entered his mind. With each step he took, he counted the seconds he had left. He was focused. He had a mission. He had to get to the turbolift. He had to get to the apartment.

Making his way down the faded magenta carpet, passed the gold-plated stands of the platform lights, into the pearl-white walled hallway that lead into the building, Rex found himself at the central court—alone with just the turbolift shaft in the center. The echoes of the platform had waned with each meter he entered further into the building. There at the center, there was silence. It was not a silence of peace, but insecurity. Fear trembled throughout the building. Rex approached the center tube of turbolifts and called one from three floors down. He wanted to hurry. He knew he was being watched.

Entering the towering apartment building from the upper docking platform made least logical sense. Exposing himself to such a great crowd increased his risk of getting caught, but in the end it was worth it. Tesh and Rex had studied the building for months, after receiving word of Rex’s wife’s last known location from one of Tesh’s connections on the planet. They could enter the secluded underbelly of the apartment, where surveillance was nonexistent and spend more time being monitored on the turbolift security cameras, or enter where they did and have a far shorter enter-and-exit time. The rest fell on Rex’s shoulders to be able to get his wife out quickly.

The turbolift doors slid sideways, grinding to a halt. Rex found himself face-to-face with a man. Rex froze as he watched the man take a step back and place his right hand to his hip. His heart beat harder, vibrating his entire chest cavity. He could sense that this was the end. He had been caught. They were waiting for him to return, he was sure of it. Now, he had his proof. Why did he let Tesh go on? Why did he not insist Tesh join him as support? Thoughts like these raced through his mind as he tried to comprehend the moment. His breath deepened and quickened. He felt as if his lungs were not big enough nor could he gasp enough air to calm his heart.

Rex shifted his gaze to the man’s hips, then back to his face. A menacing scowl disturbed his once tranquil expression. He peered straight into Rex’s eyes, as if he were searching for something. He appeared to read Rex’s thoughts, now a participant in the once private show of Rex’s life reliving before him. Without indicating any movement, the man seemingly laughed with Rex’s fun memories, mourned with his sad memories, and cried out with his pain. The man’s gaze was cut, however, when Rex’s mind fell on one image. His lifeblood. His goal. His wife.

Rex shook his head, breaking the man’s hypnotic trance. In doing so, he re-evaluated his situation. He noticed that some time had passed since their initial encounter, yet nothing had happened. He glanced at the man only to notice the menacing scowl replaced with shock and subtle fear hidden within the wrinkles of an aging face. Rex looked back down at the man’s hip to notice his withered hand clawing a walking cane.

“My—“ The elderly man spoke up, “you gave me quite a scare. I guess I’m not used to people wondering these halls lately. Seems like it’s been years since this part of the building has had any real residents.”

Rex let out a hesitant smile. The whole turbolift incident had set him back a few seconds, precious time he needed back. He rushed into the lift and waited for the man to hobble out before queuing the lift to take him ten floors up. As the lift doors closed, the old man’s words echoed in his ears. Years since there had been residents? Perhaps the old man was senile and could not hear nor see the large crowd on the platform just outside. Regardless, it was not his concern. He was on a mission.

The lift doors opened and Rex stepped out. He moved quickly out of the center hall and through maze of connecting corridors until he reached the one he needed on the outside ring almost directly above the platform. Rounding the corner, he spotted four men stationed at a door down the hall. The mission, in his mind, was intended as stealth, meaning no one was to know he was ever there. Thinking quickly, Rex knew he would have to cause a distraction long enough for him to slip into the room.

Rex noted a secondary entrance to the hall on the opposite side. He proceeded to retrace his steps to a location he believed would eventually connect with the other end of the hall and set up his distraction. Prepared, he rigged a frag grenade to set off two flash-bang charges. He hoped it would draw enough attention to decrease the number of patrons to at least one, if not zero. He set the charges and activated the frag grenade.

Timing his steps, Rex reached the end of the hall just as the grenade went off. The shockwave from the blast threw him against the opposing wall, causing him to stumble only a few paces before he regained his balance. He raced around the corner back in the direction of the hall he needed to access, knowing the diversion would not keep them occupied for long. Sliding up to the corner, Rex peered around to see only one man left. It worked.

Slipping out a small stun blaster, Rex raced up the corridor. The patron turned just in time to catch a bolt to the temple, instantly knocking him unconscious. Rex slid under the body as it collapsed, hoping to prevent it from making noise. He leaned it up against the side of the wall and stared at the door they were “guarding”. It was the room. It was his goal. His heart pounded within his chest. Years of waiting, years of fighting, years of searching led to this moment. Behind this door, he would once again be reconnected with his wife. He braced himself and activated the keypad.

Pulling out a slicer he borrowed from Tesh, he accessed the door’s lock. He started working his way through the code, hoping to catch the lock before the security system recognized he was inside. Before he could finish, the lock started undoing itself. In a brief moment of panic, Rex froze. Thankfully, his training and Tesh’s conditioning kicked in. His memory spoke to his muscles, telling him to step away from the console and arm himself. Someone was unlocking the door from the inside, preparing to leave the apartment.

Rex found himself in a strange predicament. What he thought was on the other side of the door was the object of his greatest affection, yet there he was with a pistol aimed at the entrance. Not knowing for sure created an uneasiness that required him to arm himself. It was a sense of security, even greater than the picture he kept replaying of his wife. If it was his wife, he would simply lower the weapon and embrace her in a way he had not done for years. If it was not, he was prepared. The door vanished before him and he found himself staring straight into the exotic green eyes—of a male. He fired.

The ensuing firefight blew past Rex in a fiery blur of red bolts of light as the previous party guarding the door returned. When it was done, he discovered an accumulation of unconscious bodies surrounding him, every one of them male. Confused, he surveyed the stunned carnage hoping to find his wife. Maybe in the fight, he accidentally caught her. It went too fast. He could not remember. He did not think he saw any females, but he could not tell. In doing so, he did manage to recognize one body. It was the body of the man who opened the door. All fear left his body in that one moment. Replaced with fury, anger pulsed through his blood. Laying before him, unconscious, was his former employer: Tyrus Kalbec.

He dragged the remaining bodies into the apartment. The dim lighting made it difficult to maneuver the weight of each man, but Rex did not care if they were injured in the process. He piled them on the floor in from of him and leaned his former employer up against a footlocker on the left hand wall. Staring at the familiar face, Rex sat in front of him waiting for him to awaken.

With each deep breath, Rex inhaled the toxin of bitterness. He could finally finish the task he started years ago. He was inches away from exacting his revenge from the brutal slaughtering of his daughter. Every fiber inside of him was screaming out for his to raise his arm. Holding himself back, Rex found it best not to look at the man; however, this only allowed him time to reflect more on his situation.

Too many questions raced through his head. His mind jumped from one thought to the next, each time finding its way back to one question: if this is his wife’s last known location, where is she? Why is he here? He could not wait any longer. Rex got up and approached his former employer. Raising his hand, he let it drop, swinging it around to smack Tyrus square in the jaw. When this did not work, he repeated it until he got a response.

Gasping for air and still dazed from the incapacitation, Tyrus looked around the room, attempting to focus his gaze on Rex. His vision blurred and sharpened for several seconds following his abrupt awakening. A piercing throb burnt on his left cheek, the result of Rex’s impatience. When Tyrus finally gained his composure, he stared at Rex in disbelief. Before him sat a man he thought was dead.

“Rex? The report from Troiken listed you as dead. How--?” Tyrus started to inquire. He had followed Rex’s whereabouts for years, including his enlistment with Stark and the battle on Troiken. His informants, however, had made the mistake of assuming Rex was among his comrades trapped within the mountain.

“Shut up!” Rex interjected, “Where is she?”

“Who?” Tyrus replied, still somewhat disoriented.

“My wife. What have you done with her?” Rex shouted, forgetting the other unconscious bodies around him. One guard shifted slightly but nothing more.

“What have I done? Look around!” Rex retorted.

Rex took a moment to shift his gaze from Tyrus to peer around the room. What he saw caught him by surprise. A faint glow came from a pedestal to his right, the source of dim light illuminating the room. As he turned, he saw two pillar candles, nearly half burnt already, framing in a picture, along with flowers and greenery of various kinds. A black stripe covered the top left corner of the picture. The person it portrayed? His wife. How had he missed this when he first entered the room? Tyrus. He had become so engulfed in his anger he forgot his training in those brief moments. He had become consumed with revenge he had not taken the time to observe his surrounding. His anger had blinded him again.

“She came to me after you abandoned her, begging and pleading. I should have killed her then to teach you a lesson, but I took some sympathy on her and invited her in. There’s just something about her—.” Tyrus paused to reminisce.

“She was killed a couple of days ago in a random speeder accident. Rex, it is entirely your fault what happened to her. You knew the rul—“ Tyrus continued to explain, but was cut off by a sharp projectile piercing his forehead between his eyes. Tyrus’ head slammed back against the footlocker. The force of the impact threw his lifeless body against the ground.

Rex, tightly grasping a small holdout Verpine shatter gun, stared down the dead body. He refused to allow his mind be filled with lies about what happened. If his wife truly was dead, Tyrus was no longer needed. If she were not, he would find her through his own methods. He faked her death once. It could happen again. Rex took a deep breath and cleared his mind of every word Tyrus just told him. He tossed the weapon on the ground as the ejection from its concealment and the one shot ruined the barrel of the gun.

Walking up to the pedestal, Rex examined its contents. The two pillar candles continued to burn, flickering light against the pastel image of Rex’s wife. Lying directly in front of the picture was the obituary section of the Holonews tablet, his wife’s name highlighted. Next to that were graphic pictures of a body, lacerated, bruised, bloody, and barely recognizable. If he had not spent three great years with that once beautiful creation, he would not have known it was his wife. Next to it was a hand-written letter:  “Now feel the pain you caused me.” It was signed from the leader of a rival security task force. It suddenly made sense what Tyrus had mentioned regarding her, the lack of civilians in the building. He was trying to hide her. He had fallen in love with her, but he knew his number one rule, too. “No dependents.”

The realization hit his stomach. His knees collapsed, forcing him to brace his body against the pedestal. Uncontrollable tears streamed down his cheeks. He turned back to stare at Tyrus’ lifeless body. The one shot was not enough to stifle the rage burning inside of him. Letting out a groan that came from the aching deep within his heart, he swiftly walked over to Tyrus and let his fist connect Tyrus’ upper temple. The punch was pointless. Tyrus was already dead. There was no release of anger, simply a building of more frustration that he could not vent it properly. If only he had not been so hasty. If only he had taken his time to make Tyrus suffer. If only he had not allowed his anger to cloud his judgment, then, maybe—then he might be able to get a release. Then he might be able to feel justice. He was not going to let that happen again.

Standing up straight, he examined his surrounding. The guards were still unconscious, but time was running out. The level of stun on his pistol could keep them out for an hour, pending their stasis remained uninterrupted. His groan earlier did not help that in any way. Knowing he would have to dispose of the guards because of their knowledge of him and the incident that took place, he had to figure out his next step to prevent being hunted down. Taking a deep breath, he let his instincts kick in.

Immediately, he began looking for something to useful for extracting small objects. Searching a workbench on the other side, he happened to find a pair of pliers amongst cables, circuit boards, and a welding torch. He returned to Tyrus and reached within his mouth. Picked at each tooth and pocketed them away. He did not want any authorities to properly identify the body when he was done. He walked back to the bathroom and rinsed the pliers off and proceeded to pluck away at a couple of his own teeth. Removing three of his back molars, Rex once again returned to the body. He opened Tyrus’ mouth and placed his own teeth inside, jarring them back in as best as he could.

Standing back up, Rex proceeded to look around for something combustible. He planned on burning the apartment down and the people in it to keep his presence there a secret. He searched the room he was in but found nothing. He branched out to other rooms, but could not find any good fuel or igniter. He decided to check one last room in the very back of the building. Attempting to open the door, it would not move. He tried again, in case it was stuck, but it was, in fact, locked. Rex began looking for a key panel only to find none.

Grabbing the welding torch, Rex began to slice through the wall. The process took little effort, suggesting the wall was not a true metal, but a weaker alloy, meaning it had already been tampered. After cutting a section out of the door, Rex managed to remove the panel only to find a thick layer of soundproof insulation. He disposed of the insulation and found another panel on the other side. He continued his way through, occasionally scathing his hands and face from the torch. Emerging on the other side, Rex found himself in a window-less room full of explosives and combustible content. It was not quite the secret he expected, but he understood the reason to keep it hidden. As Rex turned to head back into the main room to figure out how to rig the apartment, he heard a faint cry behind him.

Turning back around, Rex listen closely to make sure he was not hearing things. He was not. He followed the cry to a far wall, where it appeared to be coming from the opposite side. Repeating the process, Rex cut his way through the wall, only to find no insulation keeping him from cutting straight through. He observed a small room, the walls painted a light pink color with an overlaying floral print. A mobile slowly spun above the cot. On the other side, he noticed the backside of a secret entrance from another room. In the middle of the room rested a lone white crib with a crying baby girl.

Slowly walking up to the baby, Rex hesitated, not sure what to do. Looking around the rest of the room, he saw the walls littered with pictures; some were of the baby, while others were of familiar faces. His eyes fixated on one. He found himself staring into the exotic green eyes of his wife—and Tyrus with the little girl. Just below it were printed the words '' “The new addition. Sara.”''. Sara. He liked that name. Looking back at the little girl, Rex formulated a devious thought. He had nothing to lose, once again; therefore, he had nothing to fear. He knew he deserved the severest form of punishment for the actions he was about to take, and he figured someday he would have to face those consequences. But for now, he wanted justice.

Rex exited through the cutaway and returned to the main room. Remembering he still had one charge left, he grabbed some cables from the workbench and returned to the concealed room full of demolition and ammunition. He ran cables from the charge to one planted explosive and set a timer on the charge. In doing so, when the charge went off it would light the cable fuse, heating up the explosive. This would buy him plenty of time to get back to the platform and meet of with Tesh, who was close to finishing with his mission by this point. Rex activated the timer and walked back into the baby room.

Approaching the crib one last time, Rex picked Sara up in his arms. He held her close to his chest, hoping his calming heartbeat would sooth her. It worked perfectly. Her crying lessened. She was still young enough that she was not capable of recognizing people. She only wanted to be nurtured, and that was something Rex was willing to offer. Her immediate sedation in his presence gave him all the more reason to follow through with his plan. Wrapping her tightly in his outer shirt, Rex raced out of the room.

He shifted through the main room and out into the hall. Rushing down the corridor, he found himself at the turbolift. Patiently waiting, the door opened before him and he filed in. Riding it down ten floors, Rex found himself on familiar ground. He did not hide his face this time, nor did he worry about the cameras. He knew the room was packed with enough EMP explosives to wipe the memory of every computer terminal on the adjacent twelve or more stories, both above and below. Charging out of the center court, down the pearl-white walled hallway, passed the gold-plated stands of the platform lights, and across the faded magenta carpet, Rex made it to the platform. Waiting on the other side, through the still thick crowd of sentients, Tesh sat in the idle airspeeder. Rex gave him the signal to start the engine. In the distance, he heard the purr of the booster ignite; giving him confirmation that Tesh caught his signal.

When Rex was only half a meter away from the speeder, Tesh opened the side hatch so he could crawl in quickly. Rex shifted into the back seat and settled down, taking a deep breath. He unraveled his shirt to reveal the infant child he had concealed during his quick exit. Tesh looked back and stopped as the sight of the girl startled him.

“Rex. When you said you came to pick up a girl, I imagined her to be a little—older.” Tesh joked, hoping his comment would lighten the obvious tension he had left Rex in.

Rex ignored the comment.

“Take us out.” Rex ordered, resuming his once strong and commanding self. The Rex Tesh knew while he was still under his command, “And Tesh, I’m going to need your help with some paperwork.”

Tesh checked the rear monitor as he piloted the vessel away from the platform. Rex was staring down at the little being he held in his hands. He seemed captivated by it, almost like child mesmerized by the unexpected gift of a new toy.

“Paperwork?” Tesh inquired, hoping to get a clue as to Rex’s plan, “You’re going to have to fill me in a bit more, Rex.”

“My name is no longer Rex.” Rex paused long enough to take one last gaze into the child’s piercing green eyes, ones that greatly resembled her mother’s, “My name is Tyrus Kalbec. Rex Ordana is dead.”

Almost simultaneously, as if he had timed it out, the explosive detonated, blowing a large hole in the building’s structure. Chaos ensued on the platform as power went out on the thirty upper-most levels and debris fell upon the unsuspecting pedestrians. Rex, now Tyrus, and Tesh could hear the screams of horror from the building as they flew away to the mountains, to rendezvous with their freighter and leave the planet. He did not care anymore. Rex could not take his eyes off of the beautiful being resting in his arms, her blonde hair barely visible in the darkened speeder. Every time Rex looked at her, he was at peace, as if every broken thing in his life was magically fixed. He had attained justice in its simplest form: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth—a child for a child. His mission was complete.