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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Insight" data-source="post: 1384550" data-attributes="member: 11437">Orega Vala's TaleWhile Beedo and Vortimax Weer are sent to Alderaan on a mission for Major Devan Brightway, Orega Vala, former Imperial Captain, is sent on another assignment, one that will bring him very close to something big, and closer still to his own demise, and finally, a brush with greatness...The Alliance gets word that Imperial Governor Hez of the Kevol system may be ready to hand over control of that system to the Rebellion.  Along with that information, Alliance Intelligence learns that the Empire may also be aware of Governor Hez's plans.  Rebel leaders decide to send someone to contact Governor Hez and perhaps protect him in case the Empire tries to eliminate the threat, and Orega Vala is selected for this task.Assigned to watch Governor Hez, Vala assumes the cover of Karles Dowwer, a famous droid designer, and takes a trip aboard the Singing Dawn, an Ithorian luxury cruiser, where Gov. Hez will also be traveling.  The trip will take passengers from Ithor to Kevol, a journey of about six days including stops at Arkania, Coruscant, and Byss.Things go well early on during the cruise, and Vala, as the droid designer, manages to get close enough to Governor Hez to learn that he does indeed have sympathy for the Rebel Alliance and also that some Imperial handlers aboard the Singing Dawn are keeping Gov. Hez on a very short leash.  Vala thwarts an assassination attempt when a droid enters a mostly empty casino room where Vala and Gov. Hez had been talking and starts shooting.  Saving the governor's life, Vala reveals his identity and gains Hez's confidence, learning even more of the Imperial Governor's plans.Hez explains that the Kevol system has long hated Imperial rule, and that he could influence certain regional and planetary leaders to shift their allegiance to the Rebellion.  The Governor believes that the Empire doesn't really care much about what happens to Kevol, pointing out that there are very few Imperial bases in the system, and Hez believes handing the system over to the Alliance would not be difficult.Just after the Singing Dawn leaves Coruscant and heads back into hyperspace on its way toward Byss, the luxury liner hits an interdiction field and is attacked by pirates!  Dozens of starfighters surround the Ithorian vessel and, because they are non-violent, the Ithorian captain and crew immediately surrender to the pirates.  Ever suspicious, Vala hides while the pirates board and circulate throughout the ship.  Vala's suspicions are confirmed when he watches a group of pirates pass him by and notices that they are not pirates at all, but Imperial Stormtroopers out of armor and disguised as pirates...Before Orega can do anything about it, the 'pirates' capture Governor Hez and take him aboard their freighter.  Strangely, or perhaps not so strangely, the Imperial handlers who were supposed to be keeping Gov. Hez safe do little or nothing to stop the 'pirates' from capturing the Governor.  Realizing that he alone might be Governor Hez's chance for survival, and indeed the survival of any possibility that Kevol might be handed over to the Alliance, Orega Vala takes a big chance and makes for the disguised pirate freighter.  He fights off a few of the erstwhile Stormtroopers and slips board the freighter just before it detaches from the Ithorian luxury liner.  Vala sneaks around the ship and finds Governor Hez in a holding cell, and convinces the Governor to stay put for the time being.  Vala disarms a 'pirate' and using the carbine he finds, assaults the rest of the ship.  Because they were not expecting an attack from within, the disguised Stormtroopers are slow to react to the threat, but eventually block off the cockpit and create chokepoints around the ship, forcing Vala into a very dangerous and strategically limiting situation.With only a few grenades he stole from a downed trooper and his carbine, Vala charges one of the chokepoints and manages to take it out, sustaining heavy wounds in the process.  But the gamble pays off - the attack nets more grenades as well as a secure commlink by which he can now listen in on the Stormtroopers' conversations.  Accessing the ship computer (which the troopers had not secured), Vala studies the ship blueprints and learns of a maintenance access tunnel running from a cargo pod to a spot right underneath the cockpit.  Though badly injured, Vala figures this to be his only way to take control of the ship, so he straps together his last three grenades and starts down the access corridor.  It is a tight fit, and the trip from the cargo pod to his destination is longer than Vala had anticipated.  vala forces his way through some sort of blockage near the cockpit and wriggles his way close enough to plant his jury-rigged explosive under the cockpit.Blowing a large hole in the floor, Vala climbs into the cockpit and battles the four 'pirates' piloting the ship.  Because it was already in hyperspace, there was no danger of losing control of the freighter.  Vala, with the element of surprise, manages to take out the four crewmen in the cockpit, but was now faced with a few other problems.  First, Vala has little in the way of starship piloting skills.  As an Imperial Captain, Vala was assigned to walkers and ground troop support; his knowledge of space travel was confined to being a passenger, not piloting.  Second, Vala had no clue where the freighter was heading, and no idea what might be there waiting for the captured Imperial Governor.Sealing the cockpit hatch, Orega decided that his only other ally on board, Governor Hez, would need to make himself useful.  Vala went back down the access tunnel (which the Stormtroopers still had not discovered) and found Hez still waiting in his holding cell.  Freeing Hez, Orega handed him a procured carbine and instructed the retired warrior on the best tactics to use to take out the rest of the disguised Stormtroopers.  Together, Vala and Hez wipe out the other seven troopers on board, though now Vala was in critical condition due to the fighting.  Though Gov. Hez did not have any medical skills, it turns out he was a pilot before he entered Imperial politics, and he takes control of the cockpit.  Meanwhile, Vala finds the ship's medical supplies and does his best to repair himself.  Governor Hez determines that the freighter is headed on a course to Kuat, home of the Imperial shipyards, and there would likely be a welcoming committee for the Governor there.  On Vala's suggestion, Hez re-programs the astrogation computer and sets in a new course for Yavin, where he and Vala would meet with the Rebellion to discuss the Governor's plans to hand Kevol over to the Alliance.The stolen 'pirate' freighter arrives in the Yavin system just as the Death Star looms near the gas giant, edging ever closer to the moon Yavin IV, location of the Rebel base.  Neither Vala nor Gov. Hez have a clue as to the nature of the huge Imperial battle station, though it is obvious from general sensor scans that it is some kind of ship and it is broadcasting Imperial command codes.  Another clue as to its purpose are the dozens of TIE Fighters emerging from the Death Star's landing bays.Vala calls down to his contacts on Yavin IV in an attempt to get a handle on the situation, but the comm channels seem to have been jammed, most likely by the immense Imperial battle station.  Hez steers the freighter well wide of both the Death Star and the TIE Fighter squadrons, taking a roundabout heading to the Rebel base.  Just as they clear Yavin and get a visual on Yavin IV, Vala and Hez see several squadrons of fighters coming from the direction of the Rebel base - X-Wings no doubt.Using secure Alliance codes, Orega contacts the closest X-Wing pilot to find out what's going on.  The pilot, identifying himself as Red Five, explains that he and his fellow X-Wing pilots were to engage the Tie Fighters briefly and then head to the space station itself, in an attempt to destroy the Death Star before it detonates Yavin IV.  Red Five advises Vala to take his ship away from the battle zone, as all non-combat vessels have been ordered to take a hyperspace route to Ord Radama, where the Rebellion plans to regroup in case things go badly.Despite the pilot's admonition, Vala has Gov. Hez fly the freighter away, but only to get a better view of the battle.  Hez programs in a course for Ord Radama while Vala watches the spectacular space battle between the TIE Fighters and the X-Wings.  The Rebel pilots make a few passes at the Death Star, but there is no indication that the X-Wings are having any effect on the huge battle station.  When Vala figures they only have seconds left before the Death Star is in position to destroy Yavin IV, Gov. Hez takes the freighter into hyperspace on a course for Ord Radama.Vala and Gov. Hez arrive in the Ord Radama system to find many other similar vessels there, most of them bearing Alliance markings.  Vala contacts the commanding Alliance officer of this ragtag fleet and explains his situation.  When everything is discussed, Vala and Governor Hez transfer command of the disguised pirate freighter to a Rebel pilot and the two board an Alliance cruiser to await word from the forces at Yavin.After a time, an old beat-up Corellian freighter drops out of hyperspace and contacts the Alliance commander.  Shockingly, the Rebels managed to destroy the Death Star!  They could now return to Yavin and regroup.  Though the Death Star had been destroyed, the Empire now knew of the true location of the Rebel base on Yavin IV, and the Alliance would need to gather its forces and abandon Yavin for a new location.Though a great battle had been won, the war was definitely not over, and perhaps was only beginning to intensify...</blockquote>

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