A Very Bad Day

Cinstar opened his eyes. He muttered "Sh*t" quietly and closed them again in the hope that reality might go away and leave him in the blissful mirage that he'd been experiencing for the last...what? Day or so?

Gingerly he tried again.... His heart sank as he realised it was worse than he had originally thought - there was a large jagged crack running through the transparisteel in front of him, he waited...was it getting bigger?

He shook his head and stopped trying to recall his dream of Sari Mikelaa Geler, and it stopped. He struggled to his Kaffin pot, but alas it was empty.

Making his way round the apartment he found a bill for Occupation Tax on his data screen. Sighing he went to find his work suit. It needed an iron - which took him half an hour to get working and then burnt a hole in his suit. He set of for work half an hour late.

In the car he ranted to himself about the Tax bill – the Administration couldn’t even keep the Windows in one piece, so why was he paying half his wages over to them?

Cinstar's section leader stopped him as he entered the building.
"You are late once again. This is not acceptable. You are now suspended from duty".
The section leader stomped away. Sometimes Cinstar seriously wondered if the man was really a Droid. He stood staring at the jobs worth’s back, thinking that at least now the day could not get worse. He re-traced his steps to the parking bay for his ground car. Sod's law had struck again. His ground car had been stolen!

Looking around to see if there were any guards about he could report his car to, he noticed a very odd looking fellow beckoning to him from an alley...Now normally, Cinstar would have ignored the beggar - non-human scum.... But today he figured that normal didn't seem to be quite cutting it and he strolled over.

Hoping that he looked like he was just looking about for a guard still, he made his way closer to the alley - not entirely sure that the, what, wrinkly alien? Was looking to catch HIS attention.
"Hello Cinstar, lost ANOTHER job? How are you going to keep your cover? The Imps will start noticing a bum like you..."
Cinstar gaped - how did this freakaziod know his name?!

Then Cinstar realised. It was on his work suit. He was about to walk away - discretion being the better part of valour – but just as he was beginning to turn he changed his mind.
"Excuse me but did you see who ran off with my speeder?” he said to the beggar flipping a half credit at him.
"Nice one" the beggar replied "oh no! Espos, meet me in sonar south at the Hitchhikers return"

The beggar melted into the alley leaving Cinstar alone. He gave a long graphic sigh, then began his walk home. The Espo the beggar mentioned rounded the corner, pointed at him and shouted,
"Stop! In the name of the Corporate law!" whilst another spoke urgently into his comm.

Cinstar had another look at the Espo... And grinned. It was his Cousin, Farntfarr. Farntfarr was always playing jokes on him - truth be told he was a bit of a pain, but he always gave Cinstar a lift home on LifeDay.
"Hi Farntfarr. What is it this time? Forgetting to send Mom a greeting for her birthday?"
"No Cinstar.... There really is a warrant out for you - something about colluding with known traitors? It's serious kiddo, and I'm going to have to bring you in."
Cinstar gaped. What the hell was his cousin wittering on about now? He looked about the now deserted boulevard for inspiration.

There was only one thing to do. It was definitely the most low down dirty act that he had ever even considered.
"Farntfarr, if you do this then I will see to it that your Mom finds out you left your toy speeder bike in the rain and it didn't really get stolen"
"you rat!"
His cousin looked at him a moment and then grudgingly muttered:
"Get out of here, now"
He ran, hearing his cousin shout: “stop him, he's getting away”
There was only one thing he could do now. He was a fugitive, he just hoped to all the gods that he had the guts to keep running.

He Ran.... Pelting down the wide boulevard, listening to the pounding feet of the Espos behind him.... He HAD to get off this street - into an alley or something, but how could he be sure that the alley he picked wasn't just a dead end? He heard the Farntfarr shouting to his colleague that Cinstar had just bolted...no chance to slap the cuffs on him... and heard the other Espo radio in for backup.

Cinstar realised that he had to do something soon - he could hear vehicles approaching and he was done for if they caught him again. He was running so hard that his heart threatened to thump out his chest...except that it wasn't his heart, it was a hovercar, big, black and menacing swooping down on him. It wasn't the Espos - but who was it?

The side of the vehicle opened and the most exquisitely beautiful woman he had ever set eyes on looked out. She had long shiny bright red hair and emerald green eyes and skin like milky Kaffin o’ froth. He didn't take the time to make further analysis of her as she shouted:
"Get in, you great lump of Banta excrement."
It was the best offer he had all day so he gladly complied. The interior was plush, it must have cost many credits more than he made in a decade - plus overtime.
"Thank-you" he said as he fastened his seatbelt. "But who are you? "
"Don't be an idiot Cinstar, we don't have time for your underdeveloped sense of humour"
"Let's assume I don't know what you're talking about and you tell me your name" Cinstar said somewhat rattily, things were beginning to get on his nerves.
"It's Olander, shish - Why couldn't mom give me a sensible brother?"

Cinstar was beginning to feel like he was starring in a movie....
"Look, I really don't know who you are - I've never seen you before in my life - are you sure you're not mixing me up with someone else?"
The woman sighed, "boy - they did a really good job on you, didn't they? Never mind, we'll be back at base real soon and someone there should be able to sort you out"
Cinstar began to feel very very afraid.... Who were these people? Surely he'd have remembered having a SISTER!?! And who had done exactly what to him? He was a law abiding citizen, never been in more trouble than being late for work, so why were all those Espos after him? What had that freakaziod alien guy wanted with him? His head was reeling, but he knew that he should stay focussed on his surroundings and be ready to get away as soon as an opportunity presented itself...

His sister or whoever she was turned to him and said "Glove compartment, drink all of it"
With a sinking feeling Cinstar looked in the glove compartment, there was a bottle of fizzyglug in it.
"I don't drink fizzyglug"
"Drink it stupid its not fizzyglug...Its Buffer"
"That’s supposed to make me feel better?"
Cinstar was aware that his voice had gone up a few octaves.
"Drink it"
It had been a hard day and this was too much
"Make me"
"what?"
"You heard. I don't think I will"
"Ok I'll make you, no problem."
Suddenly there was a Blaster in her hand;
"alright, I'll drink it"
He drank it as defiantly as he could. He was asleep before the bottom of the bottle

He sat up quickly - looking all around him. He had the strangest feeling of Deja Vu as he scanned his apartment - Cracked window, over due bill (for a great deal more money than he had right at the moment) and the bashed and empty Kaffin pot. His head was pounding and it looked late outside...
"You’re awake then?"
It wasn’t his alleged sister speaking, however. The man who sat there was not nearly as easy on the eyes. He looked as if he had been dead for a month and buried but for some reason dug up again. The most unpleasant feature of the cadaverous man was undoubtedly the Blaster he had pointed at Cinstar.

This man was familiar, however, Cinstar found the details slipping away as fast as he pinned them down in his mind. He shook his head to clear it of the drugs.
“Now Soorman you will tell me where you have put the plans”.

Cinstar was horribly confused. Soorman? That was the name of his kindergarten teacher....
"This ISN'T REAL" he shouted, hurting his throat with the sheer violence of his cry. He rubbed his eyes, willing the strange man to go away.

"Shhhh, you're ok, it's alright, you're safe now Sir... you're at Miloth City Medi-Care"

Cinstar opened his eyes and still the cadaverous man sat there. What was going on?
"Why so quiet?"
"Who are you?"
"Don't be a fool” the man sneered, and then softened. “You really don’t know do you. This is interesting."
The man walked over grabbing the back of his head with the hand that wasn't holding the Blaster.
"I see you have a chip implanted. This needs to be examined closely and then we can have our little chat. You will come with me now"
The man grabbed Cinstar's hair and pulled him off the bed onto the floor with a bang
"ahhh - what ow, that hur...." Cinstar moaned.
Trying to struggle up, he waved his arms pathetically, before realising that he really had very little control over his body at all.

"Doctor - The Patient is having some kind of fit - come quickly!"

Cinstar looked about, trying to work out who was speaking - he could see no one, bar the shadow of the man now dragging him across the floor by his hair. The edges of his world turned fuzzy, grey and indistinct...

When Cinstar became conscious again, he realised that something was wrong. After a few moments he realised what it was. He was Billet Soorman of Imperial Intelligence on a mission to track down rebels in the Corporate sector. No, something wasn't right. He couldn't quite work it out. The cadaverous man walked in, and Soorman suddenly knew he was General Dresdan.
"Ok solider are you ready for debriefing now?"
Soorman nodded, he knew that he was.

Soorman followed the General down the corridors of the base, reflecting on what his mind was telling him. His so called 'life', his job, and his 'fictitious' family. Had those people been real? Has there been a real Cinstar? He knew his mission had been to infiltrate the Rebels, but his mind now questioned that mission. These people were real, not just a faceless enemy, a living, breathing people with a mind of their own. Not just some pawns in a game played by the Imperial High command.

Was what he was doing right? Mind control to make his mission all the more effective, the last had been the 4th time it had been done to him. How much more could he take before he became a veggie? He'd seen it before, too many missions, too many treatments and bang, in an Imperial mental Institution as a living zombie. Did he want that?
“Perhaps” he thought, “it is time for a change of employer.”

Soorman followed the General into a debriefing room and sat down as the General indicated a seat. "So Corporal, now perhaps you would like to explain why you where deserting."
What? "Sir, I'm sorry but, I don't appear to have regained my memory. I was deserting?"
"You tell me Corporal. You have seen fit to supply yourself with a memory erase and a new identity. Perhaps I can enhance your memory.”
The door opened and in came an interrogation droid. Soorman felt his colour drain as the fear of recognition rose up in his head.

"Doctor - you'll need to do something NOW - if the patient goes on fitting like this he'll hurt himself!"

Soorman, or was he really Cinstar? Fought the urge to thrown up as the menacing droid floated nearer, needle extended. He squirmed and fought to stand up, to get out of the chair and away from that needle - but he couldn't, he couldn't escape, he couldn't even stand up on his own... He closed his eyes, willing the terrifying droid to go away...he felt the needle slide into his neck...

Soorman woke up. He was in an Imperial detention facility. He remembered such places but not like this. It should be him doing the integration. His head hurt, these hospital hallucinations were starting to get on his nerves. He wished he could wake up somewhere safe but he was certain that this horrible reality was not going to go away. How much had he told the General? How much could he say? A sharp hiss and the general was standing at the cell door
"Quick, Stand up! We need to get you out of here as soon as possible!"
Soorman looked at the General, bewildered at what he was hearing. Weakly he tried to push himself up to standing. The General stepped back out of the doorway, to let a large furry shape through the door. Soorman's heart leapt into his mouth.... Rwall! Someone was here to rescue him after all!

Rwall. He had originally been his slave but these last years he had discovered the extreme sentience of the Wookie. He ran after his friend. But wait a p****c why was the general aiding his escape this didn't make any sense unless... This was a test to see if he really was going to desert. Soorman stopped suddenly. Rwall turned and growled a question at him. Soorman felt an almost physical pain caused by the situation he now found himself in.
“No I can't, I won’t leave the Empire not like this not now ...”
Ominous clapping came from behind,
"Well done corporal well done. You have indeed passed the test but that’s not to say I am convinced of your loyalty yet. We will speak further. You may however go and refresh"
With that the general turned on his heels and left.

Soorman was now free in the complex. He wondered if he would be stopped if he tried to leave. In any case, the general's offer of a 'fresher sounded good...he smelt of Wookie. Soorman headed down the corridor towards where the furball was being cuffed and lead away by armed Stormies.
"{How could you let me be re-captured? They might have let us go! - Given us a fighting chance to get out. You have betrayed me twice now}"
Soorman tried to ignore his former comrade. The Imperial way was best...

The ‘fresher did feel good. It even made him forget about the upcoming conclusion to his interview with the General. What it did not do was let him forget about his faithful wookie friend. Knowing that the consequences would indeed be dire should he be caught doing what he knew he had to, he went to a terminal and typed in a security code he thought he had forgotten.
“Got it. Detention block 2549 cell 08.”

It took some explaining to get the wookie to stop strangling him and listen but finally he got the message. After pulling rank on a few Stormtroopers he ushered the wookie from the facility and returned to his quarters. Now what? His memory still hadn't returned fully and he needed to know what was really happening.

Maybe the datanet would furnish him the answers he so badly wanted. He sat in front of a terminal and let his fingers type the userid and password that he couldn't remember, but they could.
64737 password: s1G1lS Good Morning Asgil Soorman, what activities do you wish to perform today?
Well, now he knew his first name. He didn't feel much like an Asgil, but maybe he had a nickname, and the net was unlikely to know that. He pondered - what activities DID he want to perform today

"Come back - come back...Doctor - can't you do something?"

The doorbell went. Standing before him was the woman who had rescued him, the woman that claimed to be his sister. She was dressed in an officer’s uniform.
"Hey’ Feeling better?"
"Olander? Sorry head not on line yet"
"I came to tell you that your Wookie’s escaped again."
Soorman kept his sabbacc face
"oh no. Do they know what happened?"
"Probably a Rebel wanting their favourite spy back. Rebels are so sentimental,” She said with a sneer.
Olander looked at the computer terminal
"A little research, trying to find out a little personal history. Now that you’re here maybe you can help?"
"Maybe we can talk over a drink"
The look she gave him was not a look he ever wanted from a family member. It made him blush to his roots. Soorman blinked, looking at his "sister". She made him feel very uneasy, and he couldn't help thinking that she might not have his best interests at heart.
"Mmmh. Can I take a rain check on that? I'm feeling a bit unsettled at the moment and I think I could really do with a bit of downtime before I see the boss again..."
"Fair enough, brother mine - maybe I'll come and take you out tonight - I've just got a new rug that I'd love you to see" she purred.
Soorman felt even more unsettled and was relieved when the door shut behind her. Now, back to the computer...maybe he could call up his service record or something...

Back at the computer terminal he did indeed manage to get his service record:

Soorman, Asgil. Rank: Corporal Service Military Academy 1285 Graduate 14986543 Storm trooper 5 years (Private) special ops 6 years (Private, Corporal) Distinguished conduct

That was it cold, clinical and short. Not much help at all. There really was only one thing to do, have a really long nap and go see his sister

Cinstar was about to turn of the terminal, when a message flashed across the viewer. "Please enter access code", "Please enter access code". Of their own volition, Cinstar's fingers flew over the keys. A digital code appeared on screen. "Access Accepted" flashed up in replacement of the code. An instant later his own features replaced the message. Data flowed across the screen. More data that he should have access to. Name, family history, medical history, undercover ops... Cinstar quickly hit the command to download on to the data cube and cleared the screen. Again his fingers flew over the keys, accessing information he consciously knew nothing about. Subconsciously he obviously knew a lot more than he should. Quickly he covered the access he had made and shut the comp screen down. Snatching his carryall he hurried from the door. Imp Security would appear at any moment, he had a few moments at most to disappear.

Soorman opened the door and there stood his sister (well stepsister) with a 12 Stormtroopers. The front ones notably had their Blaster rifles aimed at him.

"Well, Well sister of mine. I see you have brought a few friends around. Sorry I can't let you in just now, I'm on my way out."
Soorman/Cinstar looked the woman straight in the face. She returned the stare equally non-committally, except for the slight twitch in her hands.
"We have a warrant for your arrest and search of your quarters." The lead trooper intoned,
motioning with his Blaster for Soorman/Cinstar to move into the group of troupers surrounding his 'sister'. Olander continued to twitch her hands in the strange way. Soorman/Cinstar finally realised she was using Corelian hand signs. 'Rescue team on roof' - the same signs were repeated time and again.

"Go ahead then,” said Cinstar "There's nothing here to find..."
‘I need out this room to get to the roof - go along with me’ He signed.
"I'll wait in the corridor while you search...it'll take you all of two seconds" he hoped Olander would pick up what he was doing and help
"Yes - you do that...I've got some questions for you while we're waiting. Trooper - get on with the search" She said.
‘You're going to have to RUN. And hit me on the head first’

Cinstar walked out the room with Olander, waiting for the door to close before cuffing her on the back of the head as she'd requested. As he pounded along the corridor towards the stairs he started wondering more and more about who he was.... The computer had said he was Soorman, but he didn't feel like Soorman. Trouble was, he didn't feel much like Cinstar either.

When Soorman reached the roof he did not expect the sight that was before him. Yet there stood an AT-AT its side door partially ajar. Behind him he heard sirens going off. No time to lose. Soorman made a dash for the entrance and tripped in his hurry as he crossed the threshold. Immediately he felt the AT-AT lurch into motion and when he stood up he found he was alone in the main hold. Carefully Soorman approached the cockpit there in the seat was.... The Beggar

"It really would have been much easier if you'd just met me in sonar south at the Hitchhikers return like I asked you to, you know." Said the freaky looking man
- although Cinstar was not as freaked out as the last time he had met him –
"probably information overload!" he thought, irritably shaking his head.
He sat down, watching the man manipulate the drive controls and sensors with an expression of avid and enthusiastic concentration. It quickly became obvious that despite the danger and roughness of the journey, Cinstar had some relatively safe thinking time on his hands for the first time in what seemed like forever. Lacking a terminal or even a data pad to plug his data crystal into, he couldn't read what he had downloaded just yet - but he could think over what had happened to him. He closed his eyes and started remembering the strange flashbacks he'd been having all day
"Shhhh, you're ok, it's alright, you're safe now Sir. you're at Miloth City Medi-Care" "Doctor - you'll need to do something NOW - if the patient goes on fitting like this he'll hurt himself!"
Had someone been talking TO him? Or about him? He couldn't remember. Admittedly a long medical stay might account for some of what he was going through - maybe some kind of trauma induced amnesia?

Soorman tried to concentrate on that voice trying to remember.
He felt the rocking motion of the AT-AT.
Rocking motion of the AT-AT
”Corporal shall we proceed to the rebel base?”
Rocking movement of the AT-AT
“Yes proceed leave no survivors”
What was that?
What had he done?
Slowly the image of a village came into his mind. They didn't fight back all they did was die What had he done?
The AT-AT had stopped and what stood before them now was definitely a base and this one was not defenceless

The questions and images pounded in Cinstar's head. Who was he? What had he become? Again almost of its own volition his hand moved to a control at his side, an open Comm channel hissed in his ear.
"Spirit 1 to base. Spirit 1 to base. You are under attack. I repeat you are under attack." He expected no answer and got none. As he popped the hatch at his side, Cinstar pressed a last control. Jumping into the snow below the AT-AT exploded around him. As consciousness fled he bit down hard on his rear teeth. He knew the homing signal would be activated. But would they find him?

Soorman shook his head vigorously like a wookie coming out of a swim. He was still in the AT-AT with the Beggar and the base ahead was a different base. A huge door opened and the AT-AT walked in. The Beggar turned and grinned at him. Suddenly without seeming to move at all, the beggar had a Blaster in his hand
"Right, Show Time. The boss really wants to talk to you."
Outside the AT-AT was a group of men, some dressed as Espos, some as Rebels and some as Imperials. They where all armed with the wrong sort of weapons. There was a pilfered look about the whole area in fact. The Beggar put the mouth of the Blaster onto his back

"Come on, move"
Cinstar/Soorman could felt a pressure building up behind his eyes - all these memories leaking out of his head - but no context to put them into - WHO IN THE 9 HELLS WAS HE!?! And almost more importantly what was he? He was almost afraid to probe further - afraid that he might find that he was someone he didn't like very much.
"Will you move? I really don't want to have to shoot you in here - it might be a bit messy"
The beggar was steering him out the door of the AT-AT with the pressure of the Blaster on his spine indicating which way to turn.
No matter who he was, he agreed with the Beggar that being blasted was not a good idea right now. He walked to the door of the AT-AT and down the clanging metal stairs at the side...he did not know where he was going or who he was going to become as he climbed down…

Chapter 1

A Very Bad Day

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7