Shattered Ice, Dying Star

As I exited the hangar, I examined my map to see where the nearest escape pods were. I looked up from the map and conveniently found them right in front of me…

I shrugged and started walking. This was the easy part… At least that's what I had thought.

With a scream, the force warned me of imminent danger. Acting on my instincts, I rolled to the side just in time to avoid a plume of flames that exploded from the floor. The stream of fire made me sweat through my clothes as I clutched my broken arm. The heat was unbearable.

I struggled to my feet and moved away from the flames as quickly as I could. "Fuck, that was close."

Distance had yet to come between me and the hangar I had just departed. Looking through the doors, I witnessed a concerning sight. The outside was becoming blue…

This could only mean one thing. We were plummeting through the atmosphere of a planet. There was little time remaining to escape.

The pain made it difficult to walk straight. There was nothing wrong with my legs, but my mind was faltering. I couldn't hold on much longer.

A stream of Imperial personnel scurried about. They ignored me as they were all too concerned for their own escape. I didn't mind.

I struggled towards an unoccupied escape pod. Upon reaching it, I opened the hatch and stepped inside. There was just one last obstacle for me to overcome: the landing.

Before I could even sit down in the pilot's seat, a bald, lean, black man rushed into the escape pod. He was wearing surgical scrubs and was covered in blood. Through bated breaths, he yelled in what I could only describe as the poshest British accent I had ever heard. "Well?! CLOSE THE BLOODY HATCH!"

I nearly choked on the air in my lungs as those words entered my ears. Was this guys serious? Nonetheless, I sat down and pressed a button on the control panel. The hatch closed before I pressed another button. The clamps holding the escape pod in place disengaged and the thrusters ignited. I had made it out.

I unzipped my uniform even more and sank into my seat. I let out a slow exhale as I shut my eyes for a moment.

Behind me, the man sat in one of the seats to my left and secured the restraints. He was audibly stressed. "So, how long have you served on the Hellfire?"

I chuckled with my eyes still closed. He had just taken a seat in the wolf's den. "Oh, no. I'm not Imperial."

The force told me of his anxiety. He grew ever more nervous with each passing second. He shifted in his seat. "Who are you then?"

I opened my eyes and slowly turned my seat around. My entire body was in pain at this point so I winced as I did so. "Commander Soryn Brenko, Jedi Knight. Nice to meet you."

He was frozen. Drops of sweat melted off of the ice cube that was his head.

I sighed and shook my head. "Relax. Jedi don't attack those that can't fight back. No offense, but you are harmless."

He laughs nervously but relaxes slightly. "Haha, you aren't wrong. What were you doing on an Imperial cruiser?"

I took a slow breath, pushing through the pain of my broken ribs. "Destroying it. Are you going to tell me your name?"

He nodded. "I am Dr. Stark. I am… was a surgeon for the Hellfire CSG."

I smiled to mask the pain. "Impressive. I'm a bit of a doctor myself… well, more of a medic."

To prove it, I pulled part of my uniform aside. The scar from the Kashyyyk crash was on full display.

He leaned forwards, the anxiety all but gone from his mind as curiosity took over. He examined the scar carefully. "Not too shabby."

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "I'd hope not. Dr. Ourat Kroos taught me everything I know."

He shot backwards as his eyes widened in apparent shock. "Do you mean THE Dr. Kroos? Like Republic Surgeon General Dr. Kroos?"

I nodded with a smug expression. "Yep, that's the one. Are you a fan or something?"

Stark nodded enthusiastically. "No shit! Not only is she one of, if not, the best medical doctors in the galaxy, she runs what might be the most efficient and successful medical operation in galactic history!"

I tilted my head, thinking for a moment about what he was saying. "I didn't know she was that big of a deal. I met her by mere chance."

He sighed, shaking his head. "You're way too lucky. I'd do anything to exchange notes with her."

I raised my brow. "Are you even qualified to exchange notes with such an exalted figure?"

Stark laughed, slapping his knee. "Here, I may be nothing. Back home, however, that is not the case. She may be several paygrades above a meager surgeon such as myself, but I am Deputy Chief of Surgery at the hospital I work in back home."

I shrugged. "Well, it doesn't really matter. I doubt you'll ever get to meet her since you're a prisoner of war now."

His expression visibly sunk. "Ah, yes. That does seem to be the case."

I nodded. "Mmmmhm."

He suddenly looked back up. I could almost see the lightbulb flickering above his head. "Isn't there anything you can do? I wouldn't say that I am anything even close to loyal to the Empire. All I care about is saving and improving lives."

I was now thoroughly confused. "What? Then how the hell did you get mixed up with them? The only reason they keep doctors around is because people are more useful alive than dead."

He sighed. "Pirates raided a transport I was on. I was taken prisoner and they forced me to be their doctor. That didn't last long as the Empire got rid of them. Then, they put me to work. They said I was valuable."

I took a moment to process his claims. "Quite the story."

He shook his head quickly. "The story isn't important. Can you do anything to help me get out of this situation?"

I scratched my chin with my right hand. "Well, it would seem that your status as a prisoner technically never changed. Thus, it could be said that I rescued you from captivity."

He nodded. "Yes… Yes! That could work!"

I sighed, shaking my head. "Ahhh, but what do I get out of this? I'm basically lying to the Republic to let an Imperial go free."

He furrowed his brow. He was a quick thinker as he didn't take long to reply. "If you weren't a Jedi, I'd say I could work for you. A man of your caliber would clearly have ample use for someone such as myself."

I chuckled. "I'll have you know, I'm a very successful businessman."

He tilted his head, clearly confused. "How so? That must be against some sort of Jedi rule."

I smirked. "I own Acta Non Verba."

For several seconds, silence consumed the escape pod. He went through every stage of grief before my eyes until he landed on plain old shock. "Fucking hell. Acta Non Verba?!"

His face twisted into mania as he started laughing crazily. Did he just lose his mind?

I sighed. "What's gotten into you?"

Stark stopped laughing and looked me in the eyes. "Well, that'd be the perfect company to work for."

My eyes widened in surprise at such a novel idea. "TRUEEE! We don't even have an official medical division yet! We'll also need hospitals in our HQ and on our planets. Ah! How did I not think of this?!"

He shook his head before freezing. "Hold on just one second. Did you say planets? With an S? Plural?"

I waved my hand dismissively. "Don't worry about the details. Just leave it to me."

He sighed. "I- Okay. I'll leave it to you."

The console started beeping aggressively as the reverse thrusters engaged. I turned around and finally took notice of the planet we were landing on. My brow furrowed in confusion. "Ice?"

I tapped a button on the console. The screen lit up with lines of text. "Ah. I see. We're on Hoth."

I pressed my right hand onto the console and braced. We were about to land.

The pod shook gently as it touched down with unprecedented grace. This put a smile on my face. "Finally, a smooth landing."

I released my grip and then pressed a few buttons on the console. Now, there was an encrypted distress signal being sent to the Republic.

With a light push of my feet, the seat spun around. It was time to go outside and cool down… literally.

I tried to stand up but quickly fell back into the seat. A wave of dizziness and pain consumed my body.

I barely managed to hear some buckles clip followed by hurried footsteps. "Soryn!"

My vision grew blurry. Only vague shapes filled my eyes. A painful cough escaped my mouth. "B-belt."

I felt hands reach for my belt before a cooling sensation filled my body. My vision cleared slightly, although I was still lightheaded, exhausted, and in extreme pain.

Stark was standing over me, gently holding my functional arm. "Did you activate the beacon?"

I nodded weakly, barely able to keep my eyes open. "Only the Republic will find us."

He nodded in clear relief. I felt his ease emanating from his body. "Perfect. I'm going to find the med kit. Don't fall asleep on me, okay?"

I nodded as I felt the pull of slumber. It pressed on my body with the weight of a thousand planets. There was no fighting against it. Then, darkness overcame me as I fell unconscious.

The day was done. The Star of Coruscant was no more and our fleet was crippled. My mind and body gave in as there was nothing more for which I needed to fight.