Chapters (57)
- Cover
- Doctor Aphra
- DRAMATIS PERSONAE
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- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I vaguely remembered Vader saying it was someone who worked for the Imps—the transmissions confirmed that and gave me even more beautiful, beautiful information to work with.
And, what a coincidence, this someone had just touched down on Vrogas Vas as well…
APHRA:
Aphra to Triple-Zero! Did you find Skywalker?
TRIPLE-ZERO (on comm):
Indeed we have, Mistress Aphra. And all is well. Skywalker is about to be subdued by Imperial stormtroopers!
APHRA:
What? No! Those aren’t Vader’s troops! They’re with his rival—his name is Karbin. He’s some Mon Calamari Imperial cyborg…guy who’s also tracking down Skywalker! He’s the one Vader’s been trying to…to beat on this quest for Skywalker. To foil!
TRIPLE-ZERO (on comm):
Oh my. You don’t mean—
APHRA:
Don’t let them take Skywalker! No matter what! Do you hear me?
TRIPLE-ZERO (on comm):
But, mistress, those are Imperial forces. How are we ever to—
APHRA:
Do whatever you have to do.
TRIPLE-ZERO (on comm):
Message received! Beetee, prepare to be extremely happy. But leave some for me to torture, you selfish little murder bucket!
APHRA (narration):
Oof. Here’s where things got really chaotic. I used the transmissions I’d intercepted to track down Karbin’s ship—much easier than Vader’s illicit vessel. And… Void.
Sorry. Your old pal Aphra still gets kinda frustrated thinking about this. Because somehow Karbin’s forces had gotten hold of the Skywalker kid and were dragging his unconscious form aboard their ship. I never got a clear answer out of Triple-Zero and Beetee as to how they’d failed to capture the kid, but my guess is the droids got a little too excited when I gave them permission to go all-out with the explosions and totally forgot about their actual mission.
I frantically scouted the area around Karbin’s ship, searching for my favorite Sith Lord, desperately hoping that he really needed my help right now.
I found him not far from the ship—he and the Mon Calamari cyborg were duking it out in an epic lightsaber battle!
Aphra makes epic lightsaber noises.
APHRA (narration):
And hey, now I was back in range! I reached out to Vader on the comm —and tried to crush the Bar’lethian flea-maggots dancing through my stomach. I’d just have to hope that now, when the Dark Lord’s back was against the wall…I’d finally be able to prove myself beyond all doubt.
APHRA:
Vader! Are you there? It’s me! Karbin’s guys are dragging the Skywalker kid aboard a transport. If you want to do something you need to do it fast.
The sounds of an intense lightsaber battle waft through Aphra’s comm.
DARTH VADER (on comm):
I am delayed by this fool.
APHRA:
Let me help! This is my “redeem myself for accidentally leading you into a trap” opportunity!
DARTH VADER (on comm):
Mmm. Very well. Listen carefully.
APHRA (narration):