Heroes' Caul: Chapter 8

Once arriving on Bespin, the crew is made aware of an order by the Imperial Garrison commander, Colonel Brecht, which states that all ship crews are to stay aboard their ships until Imperial forces have captured an “insurgent.” IL-1D20 takes off anyway, fooling Imperial troops about his true identity. D20 discovers through linking to the city's computer system that this officer used to be assigned to a garrison on Tatooine, like many others the crew has run into lately. However, his resume also includes chasing off vigilantes that attacked Jabba’s palace, which ultimately resulted in the death of an Imperial Spy and two stormtroopers during this vigilante's escape from Mos Eisley. Kane immediately recognizes this story as a biased version of his own past. He knows he has to be extra wary. He relates the real story to Beedo. (Also he suggests that as a last resort plan here on Bespin, he might be able to call on Brecht to return the favor done for him at that time.)

Back at their new Starhammer Cruiser, Fabius Kane and Papa Beedo make plans. Kane works a disguise to look like a Kel Dor, since he is wanted by the Imperials. Beedo is trying to convince him to go out immediately, but Kane thinks they should wait. At that point, the third battle droid comes out to relay the information D20 found. Beedo and Kane discuss what to do. They realize they cannot feasibly get off the ship. They do decide to see if they can use the ship’s scanners to see other parts of the station or at least other docking bays: in particular, the contents of the YZ-900 Corellian. However, they are interrupted by a knock on the ship. Kane scrambles to put on his disguise, while Beedo answers it with Battle Droid “C”. It is a pair of Imperial Stormtroopers, telling them that they are cleared to leave the ship.

Elsewhere, D20 is accessing the city computers, when he senses an invasion into his own systems. He immediately cuts the link and becomes wary. Running a quick diagnostic on the intrusion, he detects a small sideways crescent mark. However, he does not recognize the mark. When “C” reports the crew’s release from the ship, D20 gets suspicious. He hacks into the command authority and sees it is from Colonel Brecht. However, the droid is able to trace the command back to the “Crescent” Hacker. D20 reports this to the others. It then tries to find this hacker, but fails. Confused, D20 tries to throw out a slew of data to try and lure the hacker out into the open, to meet with him and talk. The droid then goes offline to wait and look later for a response.

Meanwhile, Beedo and Kane leave the ship (the latter in disguise). D20 sends his “A” and “B” battle droids after them. The two crewmates look at each other anxiously, not sure what the droids' true purpose is. The four head towards the casino, intending to look for hookers, since they were D’urrou’s last prey. However, Kane realizes that they should just head for the YZ-900 directly. Even if D’urrou is not there, they can take the ship—which is partially Kane's anyway—and return later: stranding D’urrou. That part of the station is very crowded. As they arrive, they see about a half dozen seedy-looking men of all races loading cargo onto the White Wing: two Zabraks, a Kel Dor, a Mon Calamari, and two humans. The Mon Cal seems to be in charge; the human woman and the Kel Dor are repairing the ship, while the other three are doing the actual loading. Kane and Beedo learn quickly that they have just bought the ship the day before. The Mon Cal is now the owner; He bought it from a “Mr. Boruu.” Fabius and Beedo exchange looks, but leave. However, they do get that he bought the ship through a male human agent. As they look up, they see stormtroopers watching them. Beedo leads walks over to them. He asks if they know what happened to the original owners of the ship, being very polite. They do not, but tell him to report it to station security if there is a problem. Beedo says that they will and thanks them.

Elsewhere, D20 logs on to the station system again and finds the other entity waiting. He determines that this “Crescent-Moon” person is not yet malign to him, but is just trying to safeguard the station. Whoever it is, was just curious about this intruder to the system. D20 tries to sense his motive, but cannot truly discern it. Still, the droid tells the entity the truth, or most of it: that EV-99 is lose (his replica, though he leaves out this fact), out of control, and linked to the criminal, the “Eviscerator.” However this entity tells D20 that he has already heard this story: from the opposite point of view. The evil droid and murderer have prepared a story to cast blame on the crew and their droid. This entity wants to meet D20 and his associates. Crescent-Moon sends him an overlay path for the station map. He then gives him one minute to download it and leave the system. D20 agrees to meet the entity in three hours. D20 immediately contacts his Battle Droids, “A” and “B”.

As Beedo and Kane are heading back to the casino, “A” and “B” stop them and tell them of the situation, as relayed by D20. Still not trusting the droids, Beedo and Kane follow them warily and listen. Apparently, the entity D20 has met knows also that the Imperials are hunting some vigilantes and have been for a year. Fabius suspects a trap. D20 agrees, but thinks it is an acceptable risk. Knowing they have three hours, Beedo and Kane head for the casino.

At the casino, Kane notices an MD series droid, who is looking at them. They head towards it. It is MD-1102. It warns them to leave. Donovan and Naria are safe, but not for long. Images of the two smugglers and D20 will be spread over the holonet, as EV-99, and the “Eviscerators”. Kane asks it to tell him where D’urrou is. The droid refuses. MD also tells Kane that it is the one who blew up his ship on Corellia. It was all engineered to free D’urrou, who had been caught there doing his crimes. Kane is furious, but Beedo gets him to leave, convincing the human that it would be extremely unwise to slag the droid inside a casino.

They decide to look for any reference to a Mr. Boruu. Kane finds information on a Dargan Boruu., who is apparently a Bith high roller who owns a casino on Cloud City. Kane hacks into the system and finds he has sold three ships in the last two weeks, one to someone who sounds like he has a Mon Calamari name. They think that this "Boruu" is D’urrou. They decide to go after him. However, doing so will force them to miss their meeting with the “Crescent man.” They inform D20 and move on.

They have plenty of trouble finding him. Apparently he doesn’t live in Bespin. However, he did play one hand at his own casino and lost 50,000. That is all they can find out about him, though. The Smugglers are stuck. Kane asks Beedo to search for him with the Force. The Ithorian senses a Force presence, a dark one, so they head towards it. However, they are cut off at an Imperial checkpoint. They are left to either go to the meeting or fall back on the Imperial "last resort plan ." They choose the latter.

D20 goes to the meeting with A and B. There is a lone figure at a table. It appears to be a human, cloaked. When he lifts off his hood, it is the cyborg, Lobot. Lobot, or “Crescent-Moon”, as he identifies himself, asks where his friends are. D20 gestures towards A and B. Lobot asks if he wasn’t going to bring sentients. D20 says dryly that it told “Crescent” that it was bringing his friends. However, they do talk about the “sentients.” They compare the smugglers' danger versus D’urrou’s—whom D20 associates with Dargan Boruu—and the data around their culpability or lack there of. Lobot does confirm much of D20’s assertions. However, he thought that they might have been Syndicate operatives (a group of criminals brought together by Destine [with Veroshk {the Falleen Jedi} and Kaya Tarkin as his lieutenants]).

Kane and Beedo reapproach the Imperials and ask to see the Colonel. The stormtroopers are leery. Kane says that he has information on the vigilantes that the Colonel has been looking for over the last year. They wait for an Imperial escort to take them in. They go in through the security area eventually, passing even black-armored elite Storm Commandos, among many others. They take the two smugglers to a makeshift office and wait outside the door, while ushering them in. Inside is Colonel Brecht, a cyborg with a mechanbical unit over his eye, and three stormtroopers on either side, plus another Storm Commando, who is not wearing her helmet: the woman who confronted Kane on Corellia. Kane (in disguise) tells Brecht that he has information for him. Immediately, Brecht references Kane, calling him the scum of the galaxy. Fabius tells the Colonel that he is there on behalf of Kane to collect a favor. Brecht claims to owe no favor. The disguised Kane tries to barter by giving up Boruu as the Eviscerator, but Brecht claims Kane is the more dangerous rogue. Kane tries to sway him, using the logic of the rich elite hiding crime in the Empire’s face, defying their call to Order, compared to the small-time, if notorious, rogue of Kane who was merely smuggling the Max Rebo Band out of Tatooine when last they met. However, despite his convincing oratory, Brecht demands to see the disguised Kane’s face. After looking at Beedo, Kane reveals himself. Brecht demands him arrested. Kane tries to call the favor again. When Brecht denies it again, Kane recites the entire story from Brecht's office on Tatooine—the real version. Yet in the face of everyone, Brecht admits his own guilt and says it does not matter because he has Kane in custody and can blame it all on him. At that point, the cyborg notices the Force inherent in both Kane and Beedo. Nonetheless, as an alien, he demands Beedo taken outside and shot. Inside, they prepare to arrest Kane.

Outside, after being escorted away, Beedo tricks the three stormtroopers into believing that they shot him and then wanders off to safety. When out of view, he casts an illusion of a Storm Commando over his own form, and goes back to find Kane.

Kane talks to the cyborg—who identifies himself as the High Inquisitor Tremayne—about his future; Tremayne says that the smuggler and nscent Force-user will be initiated into the Dark Side, one way or another. Kane also asks the woman how she found him on Corellia; apparently it was just chance. He tries to keep them talking, to buy time, trying to convince them all that his arrest is unjust, even according to the Empire’s concept of Order, but none buy it. They order him taken away. Just then, the other three stormtroopers return saying that Beedo is dead. Kane gives the three leaders glances each before shaking his head and allowing the troopers to manacle him. The woman seems to start to have issues with what is happening, but Kane cannot prevent them from escorting him away.

While looking around, Beedo is approached by another Storm Commando, who not recognizing him, asks his designation. Beedo tells him that he is not classified to know. He is from the orbital cruiser: reinforcements. He claims to be there to escort the prisoner when the Colonel is done with him. The man says that they already took him away. After getting directions on where they took Kane, he heads that way. Arriving at the prison block, Beedo confronts the stormtroopers who are about to put Kane into a cell. The illusion-covered Ithorian orders them to give the prisoner to him. Only one stormtrooper buys the bluff. The other after a moment opens fire on the “Storm Commando,” though he misses. Using the Force, Beedo turns one trooper on the other. His thrall misses his comrade, however. Kane runs into the open cell for cover. At this point, it cannot be long before more troops come rushing in.

Things look bleak, but just then, Veroshk springs out of a hidden door and mows down both stormtroopers; he looks peturbed at Kane for getting into such a mess. Beedo is alarmed and thinks Veroshk a threat, but Kane quickly convinces his friend that Veroshk is their only chance. When Veroshk objects to an Imperial joining them, Beedo drops his illusion. Kane says they can all settle out their differences later. But right there and then the Empire is the enemy of all of them and they need to escape. That, they all agree on.

The three Force-sensitives run deep into the bowels of Cloud City. There, Veroshk asks if they are injured. Beedo nods. Veroshk heals him. Kane tells the Dark Jedi everything. He tells him of the danger D20 poses, its droid clone, the battle droids, and the Eviscerator. He tells Veroshk that if he can help him destroy these evils that he will do whatever the Dark Jedi wants; he will train under him as he wishes. Veroshk is impressed, but tells Kane that he has already taken an apprentice since the smuggler and his tech companion refused his offer.

Veroshk says he is there with the Syndicate to extract someone from Bespin. Kane asks how the Imperials knew he would be there. Veroshk tells him they did not know, that rather, their presence is just a cover for someone’s visit. Kane suggests it could be the Force presence Beedo detected earlier; Veroshk says he felt it too. Suddenly, Kane realizes that it was Tremayne Beedo had sensed earlier. Veroshk goes wide-eyed. He seems concerned by the High Inquisitor's presence. Veroshk suggests that they accompany him to the Syndicate headquarters in Cloud City. Both Beedo and Kane agree.

As they enter through the underground base, they move through a hangar, where they see a heavily modified Z-95 Headhunter and several people milling about. One, which he introduces them to, is an attractive blonde, Kaya Tarkin. After introductions, she introduces them to a female Bothan pilot, Jun Daboo, and a female Wookie security guard, Hoosekka. While they talk things over, Kaya departs for a minute. Her contacts say that EV-99 is with the Eviscerator and wants to stop the other EV-99. Veroshk finally just asks Kane to see into his mind to understand it all. Kane agrees.

After looking into Kane’s mind, Veroshk informs them that the Syndicate had approached Boruu for an alliance, but was rebuffed. He will go to him personally and read his mind. If he is who the crew say, he will leave, signaling them. He will then rescue their friends, while they finish the Eviscerator. He also offers some of the Syndicate guards to Beedo and Kane. Readying, Beedo, Kane, and their forces move towards the casino. There they buy time. Kane is mildly successful, so Beedo proposes that the young human use the Force to augment his natural talents and go for a big jackpot. They move over to the high stakes table and drop a hundred thousand credits. Kane wins and they rake in a total surplus of three-hundred thousand. They leave and meet Veroshk. He could not find the Bith, but he found their friends. Kane tells him to rescue them; they will worry about D’urrou. They turn back to the high stakes table. Suddenly, they see him. He is arguing with an Ortolan cook, yelling at him, and then firing him.

After this display, D’urrou gets up to leave, heading towards his private elevator. Beedo creates an illusion of the three murder victims they knew about in front of the doors as they open. Boruu freaks out as they start moving toward him. He starts sputtering saying that this was impossible, that he killed them, and pushes past them, fleeing into the elevator. Beedo and Kane run in after him, followed also, to their surprise, by the Ortolan cook. As soon as the doors close, Kane pulls off his mask and puts his hold-out blaster to D’urrou’s head. They start bargaining immediately. D'urrou tells them that their friends will die if he dies, that the robot will know and detonate bombs in their necks. Carefully, without giving anything away, Kane calls Veroshk and tells him of this. Veroshk tells him he is working on it. They talk, buying time. The elevator doors open and there is nothing apparently amiss. Yet they do not know yet if their friends are safe. Kane checks with Veroshk. The Falleen says he needs more time. Beedo asks Boruu what he was thinking about. Moving away from Kane (who puts away his hold-out blaster and pulls out his heavy blaster pistol instead) D'urrou goes into a spiel about how the galaxy thinks humans are beautiful, how they are the norm, and how he has to show the galaxy how ugly they are: by turning them inside out. Kane checks with Veroshk again. He is not done yet. Beedo stalls. The cook, having just come up to dispute his firing, is weirded out.

The voice of Mark 2, as EV-99’s clone calls himself, begins to filter down, though they cannot see him. The voice says their friends are all dead since the cortex bombs in their friends are no longer active. Kane fires at the Bith immediately, not waiting to hear any more, hitting the villain twice and burning him badly. However, the Bith runs to a nearby desk for a weapon as another blast rips from behind Kane. The smuggler turns and sees MD-1102 behind the curtain, holding a smoking blaster. Kane fires at the droid and puts a hole through it. The cook runs and tackles D’urrou. As he does, a large treaded droid bursts through the wall; it has Mark 2’s head on it. He unloads on Beedo with a salvo of blaster fire, but misses; the old Jedi gestures and calls on the Force, turning the droid around and flipping it over, letting its own weight crush itself.

D’urrou tries to break free from the cook, but cannot and the cook starts squeezing him to death while yelling at him, defending his cooking. Yet another droid, a lifter droid, comes in through the broken wall and tries to lift the damaged tread droid, but Beedo knocks it over also and then drops the tread droid on top of the lifter. Kane tries to circle around and take out the EV/tread droid, but is unable to find its vitals, however, it cannot recover from being upended yet. Just then a protocol droid walks in and fires right at Kane, but misses, as if his hand was moved. They look at each other, both surprised.

In the confusion, Beedo unleashes a Force Strike on the EV droid. Kane follows his lead and unloads another blast on it also. However, it finally rights itself, still intact. Meanwhile, the cook keeps pummeling D’urrou in the face and the villain eventually stops moving. The protocol droid tries to fire at Kane again, but misses again, oddly. Beedo then flips the tread droid onto the protocol droid, crushing it. Kane then calls on the Force, and finishes the tread droid in a spectacular array of laser fire. Beedo makes sure D’urrou is dead, while Kane melts all the processors on the four destroyed droids.

Yet the voice of Mark 2 returns. He is upset that he cannot shoot Kane. While they are talking, the cook opens the door to the elevator by force. Beedo bluffs that he programmed the inability to harm Kane into D20. While it seems to accept that explanation, it claims cryptically that it will continue on with its plan and move to the next stage. Before leaving, Beedo decides to loot the penthouse, finding 100,000 credits and a lightsaber. As the three move down the elevator, they introduce themselves: the cook's name is Spid Dövan. As they exit the elevators, the tower top explodes. They quickly leave the casino, pausing only to pick up the Syndicate soldiers they had been forced to abandon in rushing after D'urrou.

When they return to the Syndicate base, they find Veroshk injured, as are Donovan and Naria, but they will all live. They exchange information. Kaya reports that the Executor has just come into the system. It is what used to be Vader’s ship and what now may be Skywalker’s. Veroshk offers to take them back to the Spire, to allow them to join his organization. All three agree. Leaving Bespin as quickly as possible, they fly toward Kessel in the Syndicate’s space transport. As they are splitting the loot three ways, Beedo does not seem to want the lightsaber. Kane pays him ten grand for it. While busy primarily with his own student, Veroshk does agree to show him how to use it.