Art and Archaeology Chapter 4

THIS IS CHAPTER 4 of an ongoing story. You can read the full story at http://archiveofourown.org/works/13198722/chapters/30191943

Sabine strolled into the comms center of the Rebel base on Hoth. It had been two days and two nights since her "adventure" with Aphra on Naboo, and she couldn't get it out of her thoughts. She had finally let her guard down and admitted to herself that yes, she was incredibly fond of that annoying rogue, and Aphra had let her guard down too, and for just a few tantalizing moments they had been able to share something special, a connection that Sabine had never felt with another person.

For the first time in a long time, Sabine was happy.

As she entered the comms room, Leia and Hera were standing near the array of consoles. "Sabine, right on time," Leia said. "Your contact got in touch with the Fulcrum network again. They're in the Raioballo sector, near Dantooine."

Sabine took a deep breath. She'd been thinking about this moment for a while, even more so in the last two days, and it was time to take the leap. "Actually, General Organa, I was hoping we could discuss my contact."

Leia looked up from the consoles, while Hera continued her work. "What would you like to discuss?"

"Well... my contact has provided us with a lot of valuable intelligence. She's a smuggler and mercenary of sorts and she's attracted a lot of negative attention from the Empire. I fear things are going to get bad for her very soon. With your permission I'd like..." Sabine paused and considered her words. "I'd like to bring her to the base and have her join our cause."

Leia and Hera exchanged looks. "You have a good sense of people, Sabine," Hera said. "So I'm sure if you trust this person, we can make room for them."

"I agree," added Leia. "Just tell us her name and we can have intelligence run a quick background check."

Sabine exhaled, one big weight off her chest. "Sure. It's Chelli, C-h-e-l-l-i, Aphra, A-p-h--"

Leia jerked her head up from the console. "Wait, what did you say?"

"Aphra, it's--"

"As in Doctor Aphra?"

Sabine suddenly felt nerves come over her again. "Y-yeah, but I don't know if she's even really a doc--"

Leia stood up from the console. "Doctor Aphra is your contact? That conniving, two-faced slimeball?"

Sabine's cheeks grew hot with anger. What right did Leia have to say that about her?

"Do you know who that woman is?" Leia snapped. "Aphra worked for Darth Vader. I don't mean the Empire, I mean she personally worked as Vader's lap dog. She tried to kill me and Han, she almost abducted Luke -- twice! -- she's completely and utterly untrustworthy and dangerous. I should have let her rot in Sunspot Prison, but my sympathies got the better of me."

Sabine was shell-shocked. Looking for sympathy, she turned her eyes to Hera, but her old friend was shaking her head with a grave expression.

"I've met Aphra, Sabine. She's selfish and credit-hungry and will stab you in the back at the first opportunity."

"But she's had opportunity!" Sabine stuttered. "She's had the chance to hurt me and she didn't take it!"

"Only because you have some use to her," Leia said. "She's had some kind of falling-out with Vader. If she gives him our base, she gets back in his good graces."

Sabine felt the anger overflowing inside her. "With all due respect, general, you have no idea what you're talking about." And then the next words just tumbled out of her mouth. "Aphra cares about me. She would never hurt me."

Leia and Hera were silent for a few awkward seconds. When Leia spoke, it was with that motherly tone Sabine found so annoying, as if Leia wasn't two years younger than her. "Sabine, do you remember Sana Starros?" Sana was a smuggler and acquaintance of Han who occasionally worked with the Rebellion. "Why don't you ask her what her thoughts are on Aphra and how much she cares about people?"

Sabine shook her head. "I don't want to hear this. I don't have to hear it. I'm a grown woman and you already said you trusted my judgment. I'm going to talk to Aphra."

She expected Leia and Hera to stop her, or court martial her, or something, but instead they just watched as she stormed out of the room towards the hangar.

Sabine's X-Wing approached the Ark Angel, drifting near Dantooine. She put on her protective gear and once again made the trip through space to the ship, boarding through the ramp.

Aphra was there to greet her, that devilish grin on her face. "I wasn't sure you'd show up! I thought maybe I'd rub off on you and be a bad influence. You know, turn you into a hit-it-and-quit-it kind of girl."

Sabine gave an exaggerated eye-roll. "What'd you bring me out here for this time?"

Aphra led her to the cockpit. "You look totally stressed. What's on your mind, sweetheart?" Aphra had been calling her sweetheart since that first meeting in the bar, but it took on a different meaning now -- or at least, Sabine hoped it did.

"I had this long argument with my leadership. It's a long story and... you don't want to hear it."

Aphra guided Sabine into the passenger seat and had her sit down. "I actually do want to hear all about it, and I'm being serious. But..." She leaned in close, standing behind the chair, her mouth brushing up against Sabine's ear. "...first, I believe we should pick up where we left off?"

Sabine shifted and found herself looking right into Aphra's brown eyes. "Why don't you relax here for a minute and when I get back..." Aphra gave her a wink and then sauntered out of the cockpit, leaving Sabine alone with her (very dirty) thoughts.

The truth was that Sabine was a nervous wreck even without the argument she'd just had with Leia and Hera. She had never, well, done anything like this before -- not counting being on the receiving end of Aphra's lovely tongue on Naboo -- and she was terrified she'd do something wrong. As she sat there stewing in her own anxiety, she couldn't help but play around with the computer on the Ark Angel's console. As she looked through the different files and datacards, one phrase caught her attention almost immediately:

SHEATHIPEDE CUSTOM TRACKER

The Sheathipede was a model of Neimoidian shuttle; the Phantom II aboard the Ghost was such a model, and Sabine had taken it down to Nar Shaddaa, where she first met Aphra. Her curiosity getting the better of her, Sabine selected the tracker and a series of planetary names and galactic coordinates appeared. Feeling a wave of nausea suddenly overwhelm her, Sabine saw the first two items listed:

Nar Shaddaa and Hoth.

Sabine felt herself go numb, and she barely heard Aphra as she returned to the cockpit. "Now, my lovely, why don't we go somewhere a bit more comfort--"

"Did you track my ship on Nar Shaddaa?" Sabine slowly turned to look at her.

Aphra laughed. "What?"

Sabine looked back at the console. She now noticed another item, labeled INCOM T-65B CUSTOM TRACKER, and she clicked it. Sure enough, two items appeared: Naboo and Hoth.

"You... bugged my X-Wing too," Sabine whispered. "You wanted to make sure you knew exactly where the base was."

Aphra waited a few seconds to respond, clearly thinking over her explanation. "This isn't exactly what it looks like" was the best she could offer.

Sabine turned back to Aphra, her brain spinning, words falling out of her mouth. "You tracked me back to the base, on Hoth... you needed to be sure..." The full weight of the realization dawned on her. "If the Empire caught you... you needed something to barter with..."

Aphra spoke slowly. "That's not... it wasn't, or rather, I didn't--"

"Tell me to my face," Sabine growled. "Tell me to my face that wasn't what you were doing."

Aphra looked at her eyes, but only for a moment, before the guilt washed over her and she stared at the floor instead. "If Vader got me... the things he'd do to me, you don't--"

"Oh, this is your old friend Darth Vader we're talking about?" The anger was on the verge of exploding out of her. "Yeah, I had a chat with Leia and Hera. You remember them, don't you? You forgot to mention that to me."

Aphra shook her head. "Sabine, please--"

"Tell me to my face that you weren't going to sell out my friends."

Aphra just stared at her, and it looked like tears were forming in her eyes, but Sabine's eyes were watering too and she refused to let that compromise her. "If I got caught... yeah. Yeah, I would have sold them out."

Sabine jumped up from the chair, and Aphra recoiled a step. Sabine was aware that, decked out in her Mandalorian armor, Aphra stood little chance in a fight. "Sabine, I would never do anything to hurt you--"

"Do you expect me to believe that? I trusted you, and you... that tracker on my X-Wing, did you plant that before or after we..." Sabine was trying not to cry, and strike an intimidating figure instead, but it wasn't working.

For a long time, neither of them spoke. Then Sabine did. "I should bring you back to the base in chains. You know too much. But... I won't. I want you to stay the hell away from the Rebel Alliance. Don't contact us."

Sabine stormed past Aphra towards the cargo bay, putting her protective gear back on. Aphra was just standing there in complete silence.

"And if the Empire ever shows up at Hoth, you better swear on whatever higher power you believe in that they kill me before I get to you."

NOTES:
(I know this chapter is a real downer, but don't worry! The story is only just getting started and things will get a lot brighter from here!)