The Adventures of Kaalia Haar: The Final Return

The Final Return

        It had been two years since Kaalia Haar had seen her former co-pilot Torel Janks. He’d asked her to let him solo her ship to Tergaluis Eight to complete his pilot training. In the process he’d also managed to find the man who would become his Jedi master, hiding in a cave on the dark mountainous world. Torel had tagged along with Kaalia for so long and through so much that she thought that he would never leave her side. When he did, it was a bit of a shock. She remembered her last goodbye to him before continuing on her smuggling run.

       “I can’t believe this is it.” Kaalia put her hands on his shoulders.

        “Me either,” Torel smiled. “Who’d thought that rumor Tortai told me about would turn out to be true.”

        “Tell me about it.” Kaalia reached into her right pocket. “Here, I got you a going away present.”

        She dug around her pocket, pulled out a circular metal part and handed it to him.

        “You got me the field stabilizer for my light saber!” Torel yelled. “I looked all over for this, where’d you find it?”

         “Tortai has many friends, quite a few are immersed in Jedi culture,” Kaalia winked. “Don’t worry it didn’t cost me a thing.”

         “This is just so awesome,” Torel installed it and lit off his light saber. It produced a strong blue beam and a loud even hum. He turned it off and hugged her. “Thank you Kaalia, I’ll never forget you.”

         “Neither will I,” Kaalia let go and observed the young man. “I swear if you didn’t want to be a Jedi, you wouldn’t make a half bad smuggler.”

         “Maybe, but I can’t waste the natural talent I’ve been given,” Torel turned to walk back to his master’s cave. “Bye, Kaalia.”

         “Bye, Torel.” Kaalia choked out, nearly crying.

         She’d become somewhat emotionally attached to him in the months that he was her co-pilot, almost like he was the little brother she never had. He also seemed to be her good luck charm because as soon as she left him on Tergaluis, everything seemed to go to hell. First, Tortai needed transport to her rebel organizations base on a little known planetoid because her hideout on Nar Shaddaa was discovered by an Imperial spy, then her parents both lost their jobs, just recently she’d lost her own job with Jabba and her old mentor Jax Ting was falling really ill. After her last collection of credits from Jabba, she decided to pay him a visit.

        “It was nice of you to join me for a last drink Kaalia.” The white shirted large man in tan trousers said as he walked from his kitchen with a bottle of Corellian scotch.

        “Don’t say that Jax,” Kaalia doffed the hood of her cloak and sat down on one of his chairs. “You’re a man in the prime of your life; we’ve got plenty of time to have another drink together.”

        “Kaalia, please,” Jax laughed, sitting down onto his personal red chair and setting both glasses on the small table. “I’m sixty three and in declining health. The doctors don’t give me long, maybe a month or more.”

       “Ah, what do they know? They’re Imperially trained, I bet they still think that togruta fangs are poisonous.”

       “Very true,” Jax chuckled as he poured them both a drink. “Still, my health does seem to be declining rapidly, It doesn’t seem like have very long.”

         “Well, as long as you’re still alive there will be a chance to hang out and drink.” Kaalia grabbed her drink. “I just wish that there was something I could do for you.”

          “You shouldn’t worry yourself about me and my problems,” Jax took a sip. “You should be worried about your own problems.”

        “But I don’t really have any problems.” Kaalia took a sip of her drink.

        “Like hell you don’t, what about your parents or your sudden loss of work?”

         “I’ll be fine,” Kaalia waved off his concern. “As for my parents, they’re survivors, they’ll make it through this.”

         “Hmm,” Jax nodded. “Still it seems like a visit to Shili is in order.”

         “No, I can’t,” Kaalia shook her head. “The Empire is still waiting for me there and I don’t have Tortai to help disguise me.”

        “They’re looking for you here also, yet you still come to my home and hang out.”

        “Well they aren’t selectively looking for me here like they are on Shili,” Kaalia took another drink. “Besides, your place was on my way back to my ship.”

        “Very true,” Jax agreed. “So what’re you going to do now that you’re not working for the slug anymore?”

        “Well, I’ve got quite a bit of money saved up, figure I might take some time off, maybe rent a place on Naboo then take up a job after a month or so.”

         “Sounds good,” Jax motioned to her with his glass. “How much do you need to finally retire?”

         “I’m about a hundred thousand away from retirement.” Kaalia rolled her eyes in thought. “Figuring in my short stay at Naboo, it should take me another twenty shipments, if the pay is good enough.”

       “Good, if you get the chance to retire, do it. Maybe you could finally settle down, find yourself a man and have some kids.”

       “What makes you think I want kids, Jax?” Kaalia gave him a wry smile.

       “Oh, I don’t know, maybe because of that kid Torel you lugged around for almost a year.” Jax chuckled. “You did treat him like a child sometimes.”

         “That doesn’t mean I actually want kids,” Kaalia smiled at the thought.  “Though, it would be nice to have a man of my own for a change, tall brave Togrutan warrior of a man.”

         “Good luck on that one,” Jax laughed. “Any way you look at it you have a good future ahead of you.”

         “I hope you’re right,” Kaalia raised her glass to his. “Cheers.”

          They drank and had a good time for a couple of hours. They laughed and reminisced about the good times when Kaalia had been his co-pilot. After getting slightly buzzed, Kaalia decided to leave and sleep it off on her ship. She departed his hovel and made her way through the crowded dirty streets of Mos Eisley, trying her best to avoid being spotted. But then she felt a strange gloved hand on her right shoulder. She turned halfway round to find a storm trooper standing right behind her.

       “Alright, you, let see some I.D.” The trooper growled.

        Even in her intoxicated state, Kaalia reacted quickly. She whipped out her blaster and shot him right in his chest. As soon as he fell to the ground, she took off running and a trio of troopers took off after her. The crowded streets of Mos Eisley made Kaalia’s escape extremely difficult; she kept running in to people. Kaalia’s heart jumped up to her throat as she saw the troopers start to gain on her. After pushing her way through a group of Jawas, she turned down an alley that was a short cut to the spaceport. She felt confident as she looked behind herself and saw no one behind her. As she exited the other side, she was hit with a stun blast and lost conciseness.

         She woke up lying face down in the sand with her hands cuffed behind her back. She heard the crackle of storm trooper voices over her.

        “Hoo doggy,” One of them remarked. “Good job, private. You just bagged Kaalia Haar!”

        “Damn,” The private said, tugging at her right arm. “I’m sure to get a promotion for this.”

         Despite having her hands being cuffed, Kaalia decided she wasn’t going down without a fight. She wriggled and thrashed as the storm trooper private barely kept his grip. She also started cursing at the troopers with every swear word she could think of.

         “Oh man, she’s a fighter,” Another trooper commented. “Need help?”

         “Nah, I got this.” The private grunted.

          He quickly let her go and she suddenly felt an electrical pulse surge through her body. The pulse paralyzed Kaalia and dropped to her knees. Then another trooper rushed her from the front and bonked her between her montrals with the butt of his blaster. Her head started ringing, it gave her such a headache that all of her fight left her immediately. She was grabbed on each arm by a trooper.

          As the troopers pulled her off in the direction they wanted her to go, she dragged her feet. The shouted expletives at her as they pushed and shoved her as they tried to get her to move. As she regained her ability to think, she returned with a few expletives of her own. They threw her in the back of an awaiting speeder and drove off.  They traded profanities until they reached the Mos Eisley police station. They dragged her out and brought her inside to a cold sterile gray walled room with a semi-circle silver desk. An average sized black haired male Imperial officer in a black uniform greeted the troopers.

        “Well, well, well,” The officer commented as they dragged her up to the desk. “Who do we have here?”

        “Just Kaalia Haar, the supposedly uncatchable togrutan smuggler,” The private arrogantly stated. “That is, uncatchable until she ran into us.”

        “Good job, guys!” The officer high fived them. “Get this prisoner booked and I’ll put you both in for promotions.”

        “Thanks Colonel,” The right side trooper shouted in victory. “Alright we’re finally going to be promoted!”

        “Sweet!” The left hand trooper agreed as they dragged her down the hall. “Maybe we’ll finally get the respect we deserve.”

        “Enjoy your victory while it lasts boys,” Kaalia glowered. “You’ll probably never have another one like it.”

        “Will you shut up?” the trooper on her right complained. “You haven’t been quiet since we arrested you!”

         She was about to retort sarcastically when all of the sudden she was smacked across the jaw by a rock of a fist.

        “There, that outta shut her up.” The trooper on the left growled.

        She wished she could prove him wrong, but the pain emitting from her jaw and the potential for more of a beating kept her mouth shut. They stopped in front of a door and led her to a room with a height chart on the wall. They took her mug shots then cuffed her hands up front and took her fingerprints. She was then lead to a room with a medical droid poised at a table. There, her cuffs were removed, she was told to disrobe completely and they’d be back after the examination was over.

      They shut the door and left her in the cold gray room with the heartless droid. She took off all of her clothes, suffered the humiliation of the medical droid poking and prodding at her naked skin with its cold metal fingers. After the droid had examined every inch of her and was satisfied, it motioned to her new clothes. There was a set of two piece white cotton underwear sitting on the table with a pair of green sandals and orange scrubs. As she got dressed, she picked up the scrub top and was revolted by the smell of wet wookiee hair.

       
       “Oh, do they ever wash these things?” Kaalia grimaced and muttered to herself.

       “They do, but only on a monthly basis,” The droid replied. “To conserve water.”

        Nobody asked you, smart aleck. Kaalia sneered at the droid.

        After she was completely changed, only one of the troopers stood alone as the door slid open.

       “Where’s your friend?” Kaalia smirked.

       “That isn’t of any concern to you,” The trooper pulled out his stun cuffs. “Let’s see your hands.”

       “Couldn’t you just humor me?” Kaalia asked as he went around cuffing her hands behind her back. “I’ve always been curious about the lives of troopers.”

       “If you must know,” The trooper dragged her out into the hall. “He’s filling out the booking order for you right now.”

       “Huh,” Kaalia scoffed. “The way the Empire’s going, it’s a surprise you guys can still read.”

        The trooper slugged her in the gut, knocking the wind out of her.

        “You better watch your mouth, you tail headed whore!” The trooper growled. “All of us storm troopers know of your reputation for killing our brethren. To reduce the amount of pain you’re about to endure, I’d suggest you keep your mouth shut!”  

        He then pushed her forward, continuing to nudge and shove down the hall to her to the cell. The cell door slid upward and revealed a plain room with a bed area and toilet. The trooper undid the cuffs and shoved her in. The door slid shut and locked her in. Kaalia observed her new surroundings, finding no windows, a small air duct opening, and no possible chance to escape. It was just a dull gray walled room with a cold durasteel floor.

       She took off her sandals, sat on the bed and assessed the damage that the troopers had done to her. Her rear hanging lekku was bruised, coupled with the montrals strike it gave her a massive headache, her stomach hurt from the trooper punch, her jaw ached, she tasted sand and blood in her mouth, her wrists were sore and one of her elbows was scraped.

       Could’ve been worse. Kaalia shrugged.

       She leaned back on the bed, stared up at the ceiling and contemplated her situation.

       So this is it, huh? Kaalia sighed. Looks like I’ll never get to enjoy retirement.

       The Interrogation

           Gina Porl waited in the interrogation room at Mos Eisley police station that afternoon. She hardly believed when her commanding officer at Imperial Intelligence told her back at HQ on Coruscant: They’d caught Kaalia Haar and they wanted her to interrogate the smuggler. She was shocked, not by the fact that they’d caught her, but that they wanted her to do the interrogation. It was a privilege that she thought they’d reserve for a higher ranking Intelligence officer like Ysanne Isard, but apparently she was busy and couldn’t do the interrogation so they gave Gina, a Major with Imperial Intelligence, the opportunity. She spent the previous night studying her rap sheet and familiarizing herself with what she wanted to know from her. She picked up her cup of Java juice and observed her mug shot. Taken three days before when the smuggler was booked by a pair of young troopers. She already looked like hell, with a bruise between her montrals and an open cut on her bottom lip. After another three whole days isolated in an Imperial prison, she probably wasn’t fairing any better.

         This will almost be too easy. The fit figured black haired, twenty six year-old, gray uniformed Imperial interrogator grinned.

        In her five years as an interrogator, she’d questioned all kinds of criminal scum from all across the galaxy. Smugglers, pirates, spies, prostitutes, there wasn’t a form of crook or rogue she hadn’t seen. From what she heard about this Kaalia Haar woman, seemed to be a mix of all of them. Gina had also been told some tall tales that made some people fear Kaalia, spooking even some of her fellow officers. But she didn’t care, as far as she was concerned Kaalia was just another suspect and she was going extract the information that Lord Vader wanted from her, no matter what it took.  

        The door opened and a storm trooper dragged in the red skinned togruta with white swirls on her cheeks. The trooper shoved her in chair across the table and left. Gina just stood at her end of the table and examined the beaten prisoner. Kaalia just glared at her from across the table with her hands cuffed behind her back in an orange prisoner uniform that was at least two sizes too big. On top of her mug shot injuries, she had a black eye on her right eye, a pair of bruises on her right arm and a freshly scabbed over cut on her right eyebrow. Gina just stood at her end of the table and worked up a smile, she always tried some pleasantries first, just to gauge how a suspect was going to be.

      “Hi there, Ms. Haar,” Gina courteously said as she walked over to her. “I’m Major Gina Porl of Imperial intelligence. How are you doing?”

     “Just fine and dandy,” The prisoner sarcastically spouted. “I always love to roused out of bed just as I’m about to get some sleep.”

     Gina patted her on the right shoulder and looked into her blue eyes.

     “Now Kaalia,” Gina cooed with a sympathetic tone. “There’s no reason to be hostile. We’re not so different, I may be an Imperial officer but I also know how hard it is to be a woman in this male dominated galaxy. I understand how hard it is to gain respect.”

     “Yeah right,” The togruta scoffed. “You have no idea what it’s really like out there. You’re just some brat that probably got where she is by crying to her parents or bedding some high ranking officer.”

      Rather vulgar woman, Gina scowled as she looked back at her data pad. But she’s tired and irritable; she’s bound to slip up.

     “Are these cuffs really necessary?” Kaalia whined. “We’re in an Imperial prison filled with storm troopers, I’m not foolish enough to try and escape.”

     “I assure you, it’s standard procedure, Ms. Haar,” Gina glared down at her. “Especially for a criminal as dangerous as yourself, we all know of your antics on Alderaan.”

      “Whatever,” She grumbled. “Why are you even questioning me anyway? I don’t know anything you want to know.”

      “Don’t play coy with me, Ms. Haar,” Gina smiled. “I know that you know way more than you’re letting on and I plan to bring it out of you.”

      “You can try,” Kaalia smirked. “Go ahead; what do you think I know?”

      Gina frowned and looked at her datapad and scrolled to a picture of a scruffy brown haired young human male. She showed the data pad to Kaalia.

     “Do you recognize this man?” She bluntly asked the prisoner.

     “Maybe,” Kaalia took her eyes off the picture and leaned back in her chair. “What’s it to you?”

     “I know you know Torel Janks, a Jedi fugitive,” Gina glowered. “Our agents have spotted you two all over the galaxy doing your pirate activities.”

      “So I know him, what do you care?”

      “He hasn’t been seen in two years,” Gina stated. “Since you were the last person we saw him with, we figure you’d know where he is.”  

     “Well I don’t.” Kaalia shrugged. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him, I don’t honestly know.”

     “Oh, really,” Gina chuckled walked around her. “Then perhaps you could explain this.”

     Gina scrolled along her datapad and pulled up a message and showed it to Kaalia.

     “It’s a message from Torel, so what?”

     “We pulled this from your ships computer,” Gina stood over her with her right hand on her hip. “Its two months old, so we can’t ascertain where it came from and you’re Jedi friend seemed clever enough not to mention where he is specifically. But it is familiar enough that you definitely know where he is.”

     “Not necessarily,” Kaalia grinned. “Have you considered that he moved?”

     “Wising off to an Imperial officer,” Gina set the datapad on the table. “Very cute.”

     She’s a lot tougher than I thought, Gina dug in her right pocket. Looks like I’m going to have to take it up a notch.

    She pulled out a stun cuff remote and glared at the smuggler. Her light red face framed by her blue and white striped lekku with matching montrals seemed fearless.

     “I’ll give you one last chance,” Gina toyed with the buttons. “Where is the Jedi?”

     “Even if I knew, why should I tell you?” Kaalia asked and then called Gina an expletive.

      Gina shocked Kaalia; the electrical pulse surged through her and caused her pain. She then questioned her, but Kaalia just kept cracking wise and cursing. She shocked Kaalia with the stun cuffs for hours, and then started beating her with her stun baton. After a while, the smuggler was leaning forward and wheezing hard. Gina smiled as Kaalia seemed ready to cave.

      “Be reasonable, Ms. Haar,” Gina paced around her, grabbing the deactivated baton with both hands behind her back. “There is no escape from this predicament, unlike the many Star Destroyers and storm troopers you’ve evaded in the past. Tell me where the Jedi is and I could help you.”

      The togrutan woman sat there and wheezed, regaining her breath to speak.

     “I don’t know,” The smuggler coughed out. “Been too long.”

     “Stop resisting me,” The brown eyed Major grabbed her by the shoulders. “By not divulging the information the Empire wants, you’re only making it worse for you and your friend.”

     Kaalia didn’t respond; she just sat there hyperventilating. Gina grabbed the prisoner by her collar and pulled in close to her face.

    “Stop wasting my time, you filthy whore,” Gina shouted. “Where is he?

    The togrutan woman did not respond, she just rolled her pupils and shut her eyes, appearing to be unconscious. Gina knew she couldn’t really be unconscious and was probably just faking to get out of the interrogation. She started shaking her and smacked her around in an effort to get her to open her eyes. But no matter how much she wailed on her, Gina couldn’t seem to get Kaalia to “wake up”. She was either really unconscious or was a real good faker. Gina slammed her down into the chair

       “You may have faked your way through this round, but I’m not through with you yet.” Gina called the trooper standing guard into the room. “Take her back to her cell, when she regains conciseness contact me immediately and we shall take her to Bestine. There, we will continue her interrogation.”

       “Yes ma’am.” The trooper said and grabbed up the togrutan woman.

       After he left with the prisoner, Gina looked over Kaalia’s file on her datapad. She looked over her list of charges: Possession of illegal substances, Resisting arrest, Failure to pay registration fees for non-humans, impersonating an officer of the Imperial Navy and the list went on. It was the impersonating an officer charge that really ticked her off, Gina, who was loyal human subject of the Empire, had to go through multiple safety checks just to become a Lieutenant in Imperial Intelligence. Yet, this nonhuman criminal hussy managed to sneak herself into one of the most secure Imperial garrisons in the galaxy as a high ranking liaison officer. It made her almost wish the interrogation droid they had at that dump they called a police station was functional. She scrolled away from the charges and found an interesting report from the holo-news on her.

       Hmm, Gina smiled to herself. I might be able to use this.    


      Reasoning

         After the trooper laid her on the bed and the door to her cell slid shut, Kaalia opened her eyes.  Despite the bruises on her face, the taste of blood on her tongue and the pain radiating from her lekku, she felt confident after playing the interrogator so well. It almost made her feel like celebrating, but she couldn’t move due to the paralysis inflicted by the stun baton. Instead she just shut her eyes and fell asleep. A couple hours later she was roused by the door sliding open and a pair of Imperial officers seemingly in argument.

       “But sir, Porl is acting on Lord Vader’s orders, if she finds out you were visiting her…”

       “I don’t give a damn,” An older sounding officer growled. “I’m still governor of this system and I have the right to negotiate with my prisoners if I so wish.”

      “But sir, what if Porl calls?” The younger officer worried.

      “Just lie, claim that poor Kaalia is still unconscious.”

      “Yes, sir.” There lower ranking officer reluctantly replied.

       Kaalia was a bit confused as to why an Imperial officer would care so much about her wellbeing. Then she rolled herself over and found the face of a familiar white haired, gray uniformed planetary governor staring at her.

      “I thought that voice sounded familiar.” Kaalia grinned. “How you doing Governor Orloff?”

      “Oh, Kaalia, I’m so glad you’re alright,” He turned to his officer and the trooper at the entrance. “Leave us; I must speak to her alone.”

      “But sir she’s dangerous,” The younger officer argued. “She has to be cuffed at least.”

     “No, leave her alone,” Orloff motioned to stop the trooper from entering the cell. “She’s in no condition to fight. I’ll be fine.”

     They reluctantly complied and let the door shut, locking the governor in with Kaalia.

     “So,” Kaalia sat up on the edge of her bed. “What brings you to my cell?”

     “My goodness,” Governor Orloff sat down next to her. “What did that awful bitch do to you?”

    “Meh, it’s nothing that won’t heal,” Kaalia dismissed his concern as he observed her face. “You still haven’t answered my question, what are you doing here?”

    “I’m here to talk some sense into you,” Orloff looked right into her eyes. “You were one of my favorite serving girls and felt that I must try to save you from execution.”

    “You sure know how to talk to a girl.” Kaalia sarcastically rolled her eyes.

    “Kaalia, you have to listen to me,” Orloff grabbed her left hand in both of his. “That Porl bitch is just going to keep torturing you until you give out the location of your Jedi friend. And then they’ll kill you in the most gruesome way possible. I can get you out of that.”

     “Oh; and just how do you intend to do it?”

     “You tell me where the Jedi is hiding; I’ll pull a few strings and get you back as one of my servants at my mansion here on Tatooine.” Governor Orloff smiled. “Now, wouldn’t that be much better than being executed?”

     “Not really, that actually sounds kind of awful” Kaalia pulled her hand away from his. “You really don’t know me that well, do you?”

    “Be reasonable, Kaalia,” Orloff grabbed both her hands. “You were the best and most beautiful serving girl I ever had, when you ventured off and became a smuggler, committing all those crimes, I died a little. The very thought of having to sign your execution papers pains me to no end. Please, my red princess, don’t let them do this to you. You could come away with me and we could have a whole new life together.”

     “Wouldn’t that be a bit conspicuous considering you have a wife?”

    “She doesn’t have to know,” Orloff dismissed her question. “You’ll be my secret mistress.”

    “But why do you need a mistress,” Kaalia tilted her head. “Don’t you love your wife?”

    “No,” He shook his head. “It’s a sham marriage. My wife doesn’t love me either; she married me because her father wanted to get some defense contract from the Empire. We live the lie of a loveless marriage.”

    “Well, I’m sorry to hear that,” Kaalia wiggled her hands free of his. “But I’m afraid I just can’t be your mistress, especially since I really don’t love you.”

    “Kaalia, please reconsider,” Governor Orloff begged her. “You’re the only woman I actually loved; I just can’t let you go without trying. C’mon, give me a chance, I promise I’ll treat you right.”

   “Very flattering,” Kaalia smirked. “But my answer is still no.”

   “A lot has happen to you in the past couple days, you probably can’t think properly,” Governor Orloff patted her left thigh. “I’ll do my best to get you some time to think it over.”

    “Whatever,” Kaalia grumbled as he stood and walked toward the door. “Bye, Governor Orloff.”

   “Kaalia, don’t be so formal,” He gave her a crude smile. “Call me Veen.”

   “I’ll stick to Governor Orloff, thank you” Kaalia laid down on the bed. “I like to keep things formal.”

     The governor knocked on the door and was let out by the storm trooper. Kaalia rolled over on her bed, shut her eyes to tried and get some sleep. The next morning, she was awakened by a strange voice in her head that sounded vaguely familiar. It was very faint and she couldn’t make out what it was telling her, but it seemed to have a positive connotation. Another boring day later, Kaalia’s cell door opened, exposing the black haired interrogator flanked by a pair of storm troopers.

     “Ah, Major Porl,” Kaalia sat up on the bed. “What a pleasant surprise.”

     “Save it,” The officer growled then turned to the right side trooper. “Get this whore ready for transport.”

     The trooper went over to her, cuffed her hands behind her back. After the trooper checked her restraints, he walked her to the entrance. Porl just stood there outside the cell with an arrogant grin on her face.

    “What are you so happy about?” Kaalia sneered as the door shut behind her.

    “Well, if you really want to know,” The Major paced back and forth in front of her. “I did some research after that performance of yours and discovered something that might get you to talk.”

     “You’re going to make me go with the governor?” Kaalia joked.

     “No,” The Major smirked. “Where you’re headed even that unseemly admirer of yours can’t protect you.”

     “And where’s that, exactly?”

     “I’m having you sent to Kadavo.” Porl said with a smile.

     As soon as she said that, Kaalia’s eyes shot wide open and her blood ran ice cold.

    “Well, looks like I have caught your attention,” The Major rocked back and forth on her boots. “A news report I happen to find told all about one of your friendly encounters with the Zygerrians. I got approval from Lord Vader himself to send you to their slave processing facility on Kadavo.”

      Kaalia looked straight down at the ground as her spirit began to sink. The interrogator continued as she paced in a semi-circle around her.

     “Officers of Imperial Intelligence can be very patient people, Kaalia,” The Major said. “Whether it takes a couple hours or a couple months, we usually tend to find out what we need to know. What do you say; you want to tell me where that lousy fugitive Jedi is now or later after the Zygerrians have had a turn at you?”

     There was a long pause as the Major glared at her with her brown eyes. The grin was wider than ever on her fair skinned face, seeming confident that Kaalia would talk. Kaalia’s mind spun faster than a hyper matter generator as she thought about her decision.

    “Think about it, Ms. Haar, working all day doing hard labor in that harsh environment until you collapse and then forced to work harder. And if the physical torture isn’t enough, I hear the Zygerrian mental torture is more powerful than anything in the galaxy. Speak now or be tortured by the zygerrians. Surely, that Jedi boy didn’t mean that much to you.”
Kaalia raised her head and glared back the Major, knowing exactly what to say.

    “He does,” Kaalia gritted her teeth. “He showed me a loyalty like nothing you’ll ever know, I’m not about to betray his trust.”

    “Very well,” Porl motioned to the troopers to move and they started walking with the four some of storm troopers. “The Zygerrians will probably sell you off once you’ve told us what we want to know.”

    “Wait, I thought I was to be executed.”

    “And let you become a martyr for the togrutan resistance?” Porl sneered. “I should certainly say not. It’s bad enough that filthy orange skinned spy cousin of yours has caused rumors that have become a rallying point for their movement; no need to get them riled up any further. After some training I’d imagine you’d make a rather nice slave. ”

    “No!” Kaalia shouted.

    “You have an objection to that,” The Major and the troopers all stopped in the middle of the hallway. “Because if you don’t start talking, that’s exactly wait awaits you: a lifetime of servitude as a slave. Your life devoted to someone else merely because they paid for you. Speak now, and I might be able to pull some strings to get you a few years rehabilitation. Speak later, and I’ll personally see to it that you spend the rest of your life as a slave.”

    Kaalia’s eyes welled up with tears as she pondered her options. They were very grim: Confess and sell out the only person she’d trusted enough to pilot her ship or say nothing and be sentenced to a lifetime of slavery, a fate worse than death. Her entire life seemed to flash past her eyes as the Imperial brat glared at her.

    “Well, what do you say?” The Major smiled.

    Kaalia closed her eyes, inhaled and made the hardest decision of her life.

   “Go kiss a wookiee’s ass!” Kaalia shouted.

    Then one of the troopers slugged her in the gut and she dropped to her knees.

   “A very unwise choice of words, Ms. Haar,” Porl growled. “As you’re wasting away on that polluted rock, always remember I tried to help you. Oh, and while you’re there, don’t forget to say hello to Galsapar Dertosky for me. He just became one of the administrators there and can’t wait to see you again.” Porl cackled as she motioned for the troopers to walk again.

    They pulled her to her feet then pushed and shoved Kaalia until she started moving again. She did her best to keep from crying, but she couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. She’d dedicated her entire life to avoid her destiny being controlled by the Empire. Now that they apparently had the final say on where she was to spend the rest of her life, she started weeping slightly. Her only relief came from knowing that she hadn’t sold out Torel.

     The walk to the entrance of the station seemed longer than normal, possibly due to her dragging her feet. They got outside and a black painted prisoner transport speeder van was parked at the bottom of the entrance steps. As they walked toward it, Kaalia caught her last glimpse of the people of Tatooine: A group of children playing ball in the street, some merchants haggling with customers and a human couple walking hand in hand down the street.

     Kaalia was about to look away and accept her fate when she spotted a dark brown cloaked figure rushing through the crowd. It was similar to the other cloaked figures that roamed the busy streets except it was headed right for the group. Kaalia’s heart started racing as she realized who it was. As the group got to the bottom of the steps, the figure pulled out a light saber handle. She wanted to stop him, but if she said anything, he’d immediately be killed.

      He lit his light saber, charging and cutting down one of the storm troopers then he deflected a laser blast from another and killed him. He turned to the other pair of troopers and force pushed them against a wall, breaking the air seals on their armor. In all the confusion, Kaalia’s cuffs snapped opened. The interrogator tried to grab her, but Torel used the force to push and lock her into in the transport van. Kaalia looked through the confusion and saw Torel who stood in his brown Jedi robes, harried but victorious. She almost didn’t recognize him; he’d grown up so much. His normally scruffy brown hair was neatly cut, his face was somewhat stubbly, and his typical young teen looking face was now more rugged and older looking.

     “Are you alright, Kaalia?” Torel asked as he walked over to her.

      “Yeah, I think so.” Kaalia was about to say something else, but Torel started shouting.

      “C’mon, we have to get moving!”

      They ran to the corner toward an awaiting speeder bike. They hopped on and Torel started it up, Kaalia wrapped her arms around his torso. They sped through the busy streets of Mos Eisley. As Kaalia hung on to Torel for dear life, she couldn’t believe how muscular he’d become. They stopped in front of the landing pad where Kaalia had landed the Misfortune. She held the blaster she stole from the major at the ready and approached the apparently unguarded ship with caution. Torel blocked her with his right hand.

       “What’s wrong?” Kaalia asked

       “You must hide,” Torel frowned, pulling out his light saber. “I sense a dark presence that I must face alone.”

      Kaalia just stood there staring at Torel as he walked toward the ship.

       “Go,” Torel shouted, turning back slightly. “Hide and wait for my signal, I’ll let you know when you can board the ship!”

       Kaalia finally did as she was told and hid behind the right side of the entrance. She watched as the young Jedi walked solemnly to the ship.

       I've a bad feeling about this.  Kaalia thought as he disappeared through the entrance.

    The Duel

    Torel walked toward the ramp of the ship and found a tall black armored figure standing at the top. The heavy breathing made the figure seem even more ominous. He’d never seen the Sith Lord in person, but Torel recognized Darth Vader from the Imperial propaganda holos. Never in his wildest imagination did Torel ever expect to meet him.

    “That was a valiant effort, Torel Janks,” Vader growled. “But I’m afraid your heroics were all for naught.”

     “That’s what you think, Darth.” Torel lit his light saber and held it at the ready.

    “The force is strong with you, young man,” Vader approached him, drawing his red light saber. “Don’t let your talents go to waste. If you join me and come to the dark side, you could become twice as powerful.”

    “I’ll never join the dark side; it’s nothing but a violation of traditional Jedi values.”

    “A foolish choice, young Jedi,” Vader raised his light saber to him. “For that you shall die.”

    Their light sabers sizzled and arced as they dueled on the boarding ramp. Torel did his best to fend off Vader as he hacked at him. They battled their way down to the bottom of the ramp and Torel did his best to hold off Vader’s attacks. After defending himself from several ferocious flurries of Vader’s saber, Torel was still locked in a stale mate only a few meters from the entrance of the docking bay. To get Kaalia aboard her ship, Torel needed some way to get Vader further away from the ship. He looked around the dilapidated landing structure for something to help him distract Vader. As Vader backed him against a wall, Torel found a metal crate in one of the corners of the landing pad. He levitated it and threw the heavy crate right at the Dark Lord’s head.

     “Agh!” He shouted as he was knocked over by the crate, stumbling back out into the street.

    “Go!” Torel shouted at Kaalia as he charged Vader.

     Kaalia took off running in the direction of the boarding ramp as Torel fended off another attack. Torel was a bit sad as he turned slightly and watched the red skinned togruta rush up the boarding ramp. He knew it was probably the last chance he’d ever see her.

     “Your feelings betrayed you, young man,” Darth Vader chortled. “It was your feelings for that Togrutan woman that lead you right into my trap.”

    “Maybe so,” Torel grunted as he held him at bay. “But at least I have compassion for someone.”
 
     With that, Vader growled in anger, hacking and driving at Torel in a rage. Torel held him off the best he could, but the heat and the all-out effort it was taking was wearing him out. Vader battled him to the outside of the Misfortune’s cockpit. As he stood parallel to the cockpit holding Vader off with both hands gripping the handle of his light saber, Kaalia waved to him. She seemed to be beckoning him to come aboard. He noticed the boarding ramp was still lowered as he glanced over Vader’s shoulder. Realizing that he didn’t have the strength to take down Vader and that running away would only get Kaalia captured again, Torel made the only logical decision. He raised his light saber to his face and accepted his destiny.      
   
Depression

    “Torel, no!” Kaalia screamed as she watched Darth Vader cut down her former co-pilot.
She felt like crying as Torel’s body seemed to evaporate and the heartless cyborg stomped on his brown Jedi robes. But then a whole squad of storm troopers rushed through the entrance and fired upon her ship as Vader walked out. She raised the boarding ramp and the deflector shields. She then started up the engines and took off. She blasted in to orbit and sped past the Star Destroyer patrol that was orbiting the planet. After being rocked a bit by the laser batteries, the nav-computer had the coordinates to the Rebel planetoid base she’d dropped Tortai off on and the ship jumped to light speed.
When she got there, Kaalia took stock of everything that had happened and felt devastated. The Empire had taken almost everything she owned, the interrogator had toyed with her emotionally, and worst of all she’d gotten her former co-pilot killed at the hands of the evil Sith Lord.

     Oh, Torel, why did you have to die?

     The thought ran through her mind as she sat around her living quarters for the next two months. She wondered around in a white bathrobe. She was despondent, eating little, rarely sleeping, all the while thinking of how she caused Torel’s death. Tortai came over at least once a day to try and convince her that it wasn’t her fault, but Kaalia refused to believe her. Then one day, while sitting on a small black sofa, Kaalia heard what she thought was Torel’s voice telling her something.

     “Torel, is that you?” Kaalia looked around the small sitting room.

     “Indeed it is.” A bluish white spirit of Torel faded into her sight.
Kaalia gasped as he appeared, looking exactly as he did when Vader struck him down. He stood there with a smile on his face so wide, he almost seemed alive.

     “But how’s that possible,” Kaalia looked over the spirit. “You’re dead!”

      “Yes I am, but before I was killed, my master taught me how to project a force spirit.” Torel’s spirit folded his arms. “I’ve just now worked up the energy to make an appearance and I wanted to tell you that it wasn’t your fault I was killed.”

       “How could it not be?” Kaalia moped. “The Empire used my arrest as a trap to lure you into a duel with Vader and got you killed.”

       “But that wasn’t your fault,” Torel’s spirit sat next to her on the sofa. “I let myself be killed to save you, I knew that it was the only way I could. The whole reason I arranged transport to Tatooine was to save you from the Empire.”

      “What about you? You were killed before you could help bring peace to the galaxy.”

      “Maybe so,” Torel smiled. “But my duel with Vader has seemed to weaken him and his grip on the galaxy. Coupled with your escape inspiring the togrutan resistance, it’s now only a matter of time before the Empire falls.”

      “Maybe,” Kaalia somberly shrugged. “Still, I was devastated when you struck by that fiend. I miss you a lot.”

     “I know, that’s why I came to tell you it wasn’t your fault. Also I want to tell you that you have to move on, obsessing over my death isn’t helping anybody.”

     “You sound like Tortai.” Kaalia smiled.

     “I understand your feelings for me. That’s why I want you to move on with your life. Also I want to tell you that I’ll always be with you.”

     “Well, I guess I could take that pilot instructor job Tortai offered me,” Kaalia weakly smiled. “It could be my way of restoring peace to the galaxy.”

     “Sure,” Torel’s spirit stood up starting to fade in and out. “Well, I must go now to conserve my energy.”

     “Of course,” Kaalia stood up and hugged his spirit. “Bye Torel, thanks for everything.”

     “Bye Kaalia,” Torel patted her on the back. “May the force be with you.”

      Kaalia let go of his spirit and he faded away. She would never forget the feel of hugging his spirit, it felt like hugging a column of really cool air. She rushed to her bedroom and started changing into the Rebel military uniform Tortai had given her. She’d changed into the grayish white shirt with Rebel emblem on the right shoulder, matching cargo pants and black boots when Tortai showed up at her door. She was wearing her typical casual uniform of a green shirt and red shorts with black sandals. The orange skinned togruta stared at Kaalia in shock as they met in the sitting room.

      “Hi Tortai,” Kaalia patted her on the shoulder. “How are things in the intelligence business?”

     “Oh, you know, still a bit slow,” Tortai looked at her in confusion. “Are you going somewhere?”

     “Yeah, I was thinking of taking that instructor job you told me about,” Kaalia headed toward the door. “That is, if it’s still available.”

    “Of course it is,” Tortai followed her out the door. “What’s gotten into you, Kaalia?”

      Kaalia told her all about Torel.

     “Ah, something told me you would be getting a visit from him,” Tortai smiled as they walked toward the hangar. “I’ve been feeling his presence all week.”

    “Well, now that he’s got me back to work, all we have to do is get you back out in the field, shorty.” Kaalia patted her head.

    “Oh, don’t you worry, I’ll be back out there soon enough,” The slightly shorter togruta grunted. “And I’m not that short!”

    “Whatever,” Kaalia stopped and looked out one of the base windows in admiration. “It’ll be a wonderful universe once it’s free of the Empire, won’t it, Tortai?”

    “It sure will be, Kaalia,” Tortai admired with her. “It sure will be.”