A Hero Lost: A Star Wars AU

Chapter 14: Recon

First Sister paced around the control room.

"Have any of the droids found anything yet?" She asked.

"Nothing yet, ma'am," a commander said. "We've picked up some tracks, maybe some abandoned equipment, but the jungle's so thick that they don't even have to try to cover their tracks. It's a wonder our probe droids can even fit through the jungle at all."

"Hmm," First Sister continued, "Have any of them been destroyed?"

"Well, yes, actually, two of them," the commander said, "but it wasn't the rebels. One of them got stuck in vines and we can't get it unstuck, and the other one appears to have been crushed by a Ruping."

"Crushed by a Ruping!?" First sister yelled. "What do they make these droids out of!"

"They're meant to be cheap and expendable," said another commander. "We've got more than enough replacements, and even then, can't you just launch them down from your Star Destroyers?"

"I'm not worried about droid supplies, I'm worried about finding those rebel filth, and so far, none of you have succeeded! No wonder Gianturco couldn't get anything done, he and everyone around him were absolute-"

"Inquisitor, I think we've got something," an officer said from across the room.

"You think, or you do?" First Sister questioned.

"I... I do," he replied, his face morphing into an expression of fear as he questioned if he did something wrong in the presence of the Inquisitor.

She hurried angrily across the room, and looked at the screen he was talking about.

They had hit the jackpot. A meeting of Rebels, including Tandin and Bonteri themselves.

"What's this one's location?" she asked.

"Here," the officer said, pulling it's location up on the map. "And, uh, this droid is armed, so you think maybe we could try to take out Tandin with it?"

"No," First Sister replied.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Shoot Bonteri," she said. "That's an order."

Suddenly, Bonteri looked like he was getting anxious.

"Okay then," said the officer.

He was just about to order the droid to fire, when suddenly, Bonteri pulled out a blaster and shot behind him, perfectly hitting the droid.

The screen went to static.

The Inquisitor was dumbfounded.

"How did he know the droid was there!? Are these stupid machines too loud!? By gosh, I should speak to Lord Vader about this. We need better droid designs!"

Oddly, she wasn't blaming any of this on her cohorts.

"Ma'am, do you want us to send more droids to the area, see if we can track them down?"

"No," she replied. "Get the gunships ready. Send in a small patrol squad of three of the gunships, then let the rebels take the bait. Once they engage, we'll know precisely where they are, and we'll have our reinforcements come in. And don't have them forget the infared scanners, or else you're not going to find anything under all those trees!"

"Inquisitor, are you-"

"That is an order! Get moving!"