Hello Belkor
"We are going to have to attack immediately. We are hidden amongst the trees. We have the element of surprise Cap. We attack now and we have a chance to overthrow the Empire."
"This isn't you Bucky. That's the Winter Soldier talking. We are not endangering the lives of innocent Twi'lek's!" Captain America said forcefully
"Sam we don't have a choice. If we don't act now then Vader will be prepared to counter attack and possibly signal for Imperial reinforcements. We've lost too many allies to fail." Isval argued
"We cannot just prioritize victory over protecting innocent people we are not the Empire!" Captain America shouted
"And you aren't Captain America Sam Wilson!" Isval shouted back glaring at Sam
There was a moment of silence before Sam finally spoke.
"You're right but you do this and you'll be a monster to that little girl sitting next to Vader."
Isval was stunned by Sam's words and she turned to stare at the bewildering sight in the center of the village. The Imperial enforcer of the Empire tinkering with a crude telecommunications device made out of scrap alongside a precocious and intelligent little girl. If this were an image on a data pad she'd have burst out laughing at its absurdity. Isval saw herself in that young girl stuck in the orbit of the Empire and powerless to break free. Isval realized saving that young girl was more important than killing Vader. Hope was greater than death. This is why she fell in love with Cham.
"He's right Isval. As much as I hate to admit it...Captain America is right. But there's a chance...a small chance to save those villagers and kill Vader. Belkor is the key." Cham interjected
White Wolf shook his head, "What you're talking about is suicide. You could get us, all your Free Ryloth soldiers and the villagers killed. And for what...some sense of honor that died when the Clone Wars ended and the Empire took over. I mean Steve back me up here."
Before Sam could argue everyone noticed Steve aka Nomad was gone. He didn't even bother to participate in the debate.
"Are you sure you can even trust that Imperial? He could have easily fled by now or is in hiding waiting for all of this chaos to die down." Isval said skeptically
"She has a point Cham. What you are suggesting could result in failure and prolong the war by at least another decade. Is it worth it to trust Belkor an Imperial officer who could care less about saving a group of villagers?" Yelena added
"Belkor is a wild card yes but he's in a corner. A tight spot. The only way he wiggles his way out is if he helps us kill Vader and the Emperor. He'll do that when we tell him that Vader has finished his improvised communications device and has signaled Imperial reinforcements. Of course it'll be a bluff on my part." Cham explained
Yelena folded her arms, "I was trained to be a habitual liar and a hyperspit detector since I was 7 years old. There's no way Belkor will believe you."
"We have no other choice. Cham go make the call. Get Belkor to send in rescue airships to obstruct the airspace above the village. That'll scare the villagers into fleeing into the woods and I'll be able to spot Vader and the Emperor's actual location by hiding amongst the rescue airships." Sam added firmly
Before Cham could make the call Imperial reinforcements surrounded the village and eyed the contingent of Cham's forces and allies hidden among the trees. Bucky glared at Sam upset the group had lost their window to wage a surprise attack on Vader and the Emperor.
****
30 Minutes Earlier
"Hello Belkor. It's over. I've repaired the damage to communications that you inflicted across the country. That allowed me to locate Vader and the Emperor and I'm close to eliminating the insurgents you've been helping. I know you're out there somewhere. I know everything thanks to one of the officers in my personal security detail actually being a special operative with the ISB. She's the reason I'm not dead. Don't worry I won't take you trying to kill me personally. Turn yourself in and I promise I'll advocate for a life imprisonment sentence for you instead of execution for treason.
Don't allow your pride to cause you to string Captain Torres along because of this lie you told him. You lied to him to make him think I'm the traitor. Torres is a good officer and a good man. He doesn't need to be involved in your treachery. Consider this a warning. A lifeline. If you refuse it then I will send Imperial forces to hunt you down and kill you. Oh and those officers who are personally loyal to you...Ghost is dealing with them. Thanks to her powers they won't see her coming." Mors said
Mors voice echoed like a spectral figure throughout the rescue airship. Torres stopped his search through Imperial databases in the Ryloth/Algeria Imperial military complex's data banks. He stared at Belkor as if he was really seeing him for the first time. Belkor had no words, no clever lines or smooth professional words to win over Torres. Then out of nowhere his private comm link buzzed before he could answer it. The buzzing made Torres step away from Belkor in fear.
"Why? Why Colonel Dray?" Torres asked distraught
"I thought I was the one who should lead the military division on Ryloth not Mors. You're a good man Torres. You staved off the bitterness I felt towards my superiors with your optimism and kindness towards your colleagues. However it wasn't enough to change my feelings or my course. I'm sorry. You don't deserve what's about to happen to you." Belkor said tears in his eyes
"What are you talking about?" Torres asked confused
Before Torres could react Belkor grabbed his own blaster and shot Torres in the chest three times. Torres was dead and Belkor screamed in a mixture of fury and despair tears running down his face. After a minute passed he started laughing maniacally perplexed by the green blood pouring out of Torres's chest. Belkor finally after minutes of crying and laughing answered the phone with an exuberance he hadn't felt for some time. An exuberance he last felt when the Separatists were defeated at the end of the Clone Wars.
"Hello Cham what can I do for you? I'm all ears now that my life is ruined thanks to you." Belkor replied with a chipper friendliness
"Belkor I understand you're in a high pressure situation but so am I. Your superior got the drop on both of us but there's one last trick up my sleeve that will allow us a way out. It's going to require your full cooperation." Cham explained trying to treat Belkor's unusual tone as normal
"No need to be so nervous Cham. Believe it or not I'm feeling great. Hey Captain Torres you're feeling great too right?" Belkor asked Torres's corpse
Torres predictably didn't reply and Belkor felt a twinge of uneasiness seeing the green blood on his chest. Cham didn't no what to make of any of this but shook his head in an attempt to not get distracted.
"Belkor listen. Let's focus. We have only minutes to act or else we are both dead. Now I need you to send in every single rescue airship that you've automatically deployed for the last several hours. You need to lie to them saying Mors is ordering a secret V Wing squadron to attack Vader and the Emperor. Mors may have caught on to your loyal officers within the main division of the military but not your loyal sky squadron officers like Captain Torres. You need to sell the lie that Mors is the traitor to them now before it's too late. If you can cause a chaotic dogfight in the sky amongst the Imperials. It will expose Vader and the Emperor allowing us the chance to kill them." Cham said
"No." Belkor replied firmly
"Belkor did you hear what I said? If you don't act now we'll both end up dead because of High Governor Mors." Cham replied irritated and panicked
"You don't get it Cham! You think you have everything figured out! I thought I had everything planned out but I was a fool! You think you can intimidate me like you did in that cave with your 2nd in command! But you're wrong! All I want is the satisfaction that that fat son of a witch Melian Mors is dead.
The only way that happens is if you give Captain America your comm link and broadcast its frequency. Mors will come after him in her personal V Wing thinking it's me in my airship. I'll turn off my comm link so she doesn't locate me. By the time Mors realizes I tricked her she'll be blown to pieces by my secret V Wing squadron. That's the only way I'll help you Cham so you can either accept it or leave it. Either way this is the last time we'll speak." Belkor said
Cham sighed not happy that Captain America would be away from the attack on Vader. He had no choice but to accept this proposal from Belkor so he replied, "Fine. This will be the last time we speak Belkor. I won't miss your newfound attachment to fatalist philosophy. But then again you probably are happy to no longer get communications from me."
Belkor smiled when Cham hung up. He destroyed his private comm link eager to see an amazing conclusion to the chaotic events of the past few days. It was like waiting for the conclusion to an exciting military thriller novel. From the comfort of his private rescue airship Belkor was going to witness the deaths of Vader and the Emperor along with his superior High Governor Mors. He took off in his airship towards the coordinates that Cham sent taking care to park his rescue airship in a valley behind the village that Vader and the Emperor were holed up in. He arrived just as his V Wings crashed into over a 100 rescue airships that faced attacks from High Governor Mors V wing airships. Creating chaotic explosions in the sky that he assumed overwhelmed Mors and interrupted her moment of triumph.
"Let's see what you and your Free Ryloth Movement and those former Avengers can do against Vader in the midst of this chaos I provided you with Cham." Belkor said aloud with a smile wishing he had some popcorn