Blast you Overrider - you're messing my plot up.
Skyblade regained consciousness and could hear the chatter of Levo troopers around him. A sharp pain throbbed on the back of his head, and his joints were aching from the results of a heavy stunner blast. He opened his eyes and found that he was lying on the floor in the middle of a room with metal walls and a thick door with an advanced security system. Five guards were stairing at him with grim looks.
"Welcome to our interrogation room, agent Skyblade. The Levo government sends its kindest regards."
"Kind indeed," Skyblade replied as he felt the dried blood that matted the back of his head. "Tell me, why have you brought me here?"
"Our communications experts intercepted your radio transmission with a buddy of yours, who we assume is also another agent working for the Rebellion. What was his codename, Firefox or something?"
The guard's expression turned to a smile as he witnessed the shock on your face.
Skyblade knew he had been caught, but didn't care to share anything extra as far as his identity was concerned.
"May I ask why the Levo military has forced me into custody? From my knowledge, Levo and the Rebellion are still under a peace agreement... should High Command find out about this, it could mean trouble."
"Not to worry," the guard responded, "They won't find out. That's why we're making sure you don't leave this place."
Skyblade again was surprised by what he was hearing, and took a moment to run through his thoughts.
"Has Levo formed any trade or alliance agreements with the Confederation?"
The lead interrogator, a tall major, was slow in responding.
"Our agreements with the Confederation are no more extensive then that with the Rebellion. Levo is independent, and you're simply here to cause us trouble."
A sudden thought hit Skyblade, and he shot his question out as soon as it came.
"Let me ask," Skyblade said, "how your communications experts were able to track my channel? Rebel comm units are some of the most advanced known to mankind, and we know that only the Confederation has managed to successfully crack a fraction of our RIB frequencies."
The look on the guard's face froze as he listened to Skyblade.
"The only way you could have managed to intercept my message is through contact with the Confederation. Tell me, have your friends from the core worlds given you information to assist you in war efforts against the Rebellion?"
The guards around Skyblade began to raise themselves from their seats and an expression of alarm was seen on every face. Skyblade knew he had found an important piece of evidence.
"Your act of hostility against a member of the RIB is now completely clear. You're aiding the Confederation, and nothing-"
Skyblade was cut off when he was again shot with a stunner. As he slumped to the floor, the guards began to bind him with wires and placed him in a metal coffin-like box for transfer.
"He knows what's going on," the major said to his men. "He must be taken to Outpost 16 for interrogation with the higher authorities. Call in a top-security patrol team and have my request executed immediately."
Soon the locked metal block which contained Skyblade was placed in a Levo hover military vehicle and began to speed off for Outpost 16 - the highest security prison on Levo. An escort of 100 troops on speeder bikes and land cruisers escorted the craft, and soon the fifteen-minute trip was complete.
Skyblade again awoke in a small cell, but this time he was alone. He could hear the steady pace of military guards as they patrolled the halls of the 23rd-century fortress...
"What about Firefox?" Skyblade thought to himself. "He gave up his position during our radio transmission. They have probably caught him also."
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Joseph Payne - (url="http://"mailto: joseph.payne@tmgmedia.net ")mailto: joseph.payne@tmgmedia.net (/url) joseph.payne@tmgmedia.net