Chapter 4
Solstice Winters got into the swing of things in no time. Like the prison camps from the galactic civil war, it was typical. Wake up at the crack of dawn and stand out in the cold for roll call, scatter around for a couple of hours or do whatever chore they assigned to you, eat a pathetic excuse they called lunch, mingle with the others, eat an even worse excuse they called supper, stand in the cold for evening roll call, go to bed, wash, rinse and repeat. From what she felt through the Force, every man in the prison camp, both prisoners and guards, were surprised to see her stand at attention and stare straight ahead during roll call.
Most of the time, Solstice stayed in her barracks, away from the men that catcalled her. She would meditate in the middle of her barracks until the guards would come looking for her. That was the only thing that was different from the Separatists war camps. The Separatists were hard labor camps where the death toll was a hundred prisoners a day and they wanted the prisoners where the guards could see them. Here, however, the prisoners were not under fed (even if the food was slightly inedible) and not overworked at all. They had freedom in this camp, even though it was little.
Hogan and his men were still persistent in their question as well as Commandant Klink. They would either stop by before bedtime or they would corner her in the courtyard. Depending on the time of day of course. The only one who didn't constantly try and ask her questions were Andrew, though he preferred to be called Carter. He was the only one who tried to get to know her without having any ulterior motives.
They would take long walks around the compound when the sun was out and the days were warm. Unfortunately, those days were few and far between now that winter was draping its arms over the country. Carter was nice enough to lend Solstice one of his jackets. Though she was grateful for it, the jacket did little to beat back the cold. So, she stayed indoors, by the stove that kept her barracks warm.
Her search for her starfighter was starting to slow even before it began with the coming winter. Even though she needed to get in contact with the rebellion and get off this planet, deep in her soul she knew that even if she found it there wouldn't be any way of it using it since the winter and the snow would rust it completely. And there was no way she could fix it with the minimum amount of supplies she had.
Solstice paced around in her barracks, bored out of her mind. The snow had come early, and blizzard was raging outside. All the men, both guards and prisoners, were stuck inside. The bounty hunter sighed as she drew the curtains closed. She needed to watch the holocron, to replay that one little video that recorded by the one of the few Council members that survived the massacre.
She sat on the ground in a meditative position. The holocron rested on the shabby desk but the bounty hunter called it over using the force. The cube floated over to her. She traced the golden diamonds on the sides of the holographic chronicle. This was the only thing that Solstice was able to get out once the massacre started. She had run all the way through the temple, warning others of the attack. Eventually she ended up in the library, where she was cornered until Madame Jocasta helped her and the holocron escape.
Slowly Solstice opened up to the force and the holocron opened up. The corners slowly detached from the cube. Blue light filled the barracks until the holographic image of Master Kenobi was showing. Solstice still had her eyes closed when he started to speak.
"This is Master Obi Wan Kenobi. I regret to report that both our Jedi Order and the Republic have fallen with the dark shadow of the Empire rising to take their place. This message is a warning and a reminder for any surviving Jedi. Trust in The Force. Do not return to the Temple…that time has passed. And our future is uncertain. We will each be challenged. Our trust. Our faith. Our friendships. But we must persevere. And in time, a new hope will emerge. May the Force be with you, always."
The message ended and the light died down. Ever since the massacre and ever since she decided to become a bounty hunter, Solstice had taken a vow to repress her force sensitivity, so that she could forget her friends and all that happened. But now…. the former Padawan of the Jedi Order saw the errors of her way. All she did was mock their memory.
A knock at the door prompted her to dash the tears away and stuff the holocron underneath the pillow. She dusted off her pants, making her way to the door as she did. Solstice decided to peek through the curtains just in case it was one of those men that desperately craved the touch of a woman. She sighed in relief when she saw Carter standing in the snow.
"Carter?" she asked when she opened the door. The blonde-haired man smiled goofily as Solstice gestured for him to enter. "Come in, come in! It's too cold to be outside."
"Thanks a lot." The young man entered gratefully. He stomped his feet on the mat to clear it of the snow, dusting off the snow on his shoulders. The boy glanced around the barracks as if hoping to spot someone or something.
"You came here for something?" Solstice asked, flopping on her rickety bed.
"Uh I was just making sure that you were alright," he stuttered.
"I have a roof over my head, and although it is meager, I have warm food in my belly." Solstice sighed. "It's more than I had in fifteen years, believe me."
"What happened fifteen years ago?" Carter asked. Then he hurriedly added, "If you don't mind talking about it."
Solstice sighed sadly again and allowed herself a dry smile. God it's been so long since she truly smiled. "It's fine Carter. It's just that I've had a hard time trusting people. Just something I learned the hard way since becoming a bounty hunter. Too many people can hurt you if they can get you to trust them."
"It's been hard for you huh?" Carter asked. Solstice nodded.
"Fifteen years of being on the run, watching the people you love die, and trying not to stay in place too long…. it can be rather hard on your soul."
"So…what happened?" Carter pressed gently. This time, Solstice couldn't keep the tears from falling. She quickly wiped them away before returning her attention to the native sitting on her bed.
"Ever since I could remember," she started slowly, "I had been a part of this organization that has kept the peace for thousands of years. But, all of that, even the legacy that it had built for itself, vanished one night in a puff of smoke. About fifteen years ago, this order was fighting a civil war. We were nearing the end of it when…." Solstice's lip quivered and tears continued to fall as she pushed through the sadness, "One night, the one person that we put most of our faith in, the one person we put up on a pedestal…. He took the army that was fighting by our side and slaughtered most of my people. I was only ten years old, and I barely escaped.
"Oh, it must've been hard."
"It was. Every year, on the anniversary of the massacre, I drink myself into a daze. It's very hard to stay sober on a day like that. Once you see something like that…it messes you up."
Carter was nodding silently, like he knew what she was talking about. The bounty hunter figured that since there was war going on, the young man saw many of his friends and brothers in arm fall. Just like she did.
"How did you become a bounty hunter?"
Solstice chuckled drily. "I wasn't going to beg on the streets. I just took the least dangerous job that I could find. Although being a person that is high on the most wanted list is the only thing that I don't like." Carter was silent, but Solstice knew what he was thinking, "Go ahead and ask Carter. These questions don't bother me, I assure you. In fact, it feels good since I've bottled up inside me for so long."
"Okay," Carter chuckled as he thought about a question. "Uh, how about…. how did you get your name 'White Eagle'?"
"That's an easy one," Solstice fell back on the bed. "My squadron was called the White Eagles. I had to kill most of them when they betrayed me but I never forgot them. They were more than just soldiers to me. They were, family; the brothers I never had."
Carter fell on his back next to Solstice and stared up at the ceiling. The snow was continuing to fall hard. The fire in her stove was starting to die down, leaving a chill in the barracks. Solstice shivered, her filthy flight suit doing nothing to keep it out, even though it had been designed to keep out the chill of the cold. She curled up next to Carter, since he was the only piece of warmth other than the blankets and both were lying on top of them.
The blonde hair soldier froze when the woman they had rescued several days ago curled up against him. She placed her head on his chest, just over his heart as if she was listening to his heartbeat. Andrew didn't want to move; since this was the calmest he had ever seen Solstice. She was sleeping peacefully, her face so serene someone could've mistaken her for a sleeping angel.
Slowly as possible, Carter moved off the bed and made his way to the secret entrance. He stopped halfway before turning to look at the sleeping figure. The young American softly draped a blanket over her before leaving the barracks via the secret tunnel. He left it open just a crack so that she could find it.
Solstice woke up an hour later feeling really cold. She made to snuggle up closer to Carter, but only found an empty bed. One the first jobs she had taken that she hadn't told Carter about was being an escort. It was a year after that; she switched her career to bounty hunter. Every morning after a job, she would wake up in an empty bed. Alone. It nearly killed Solstice doing that just to make a living, so she decided to switch.
Waking up alone kind of hurt a little bit. But as Solstice realized, it was almost time for roll call and Klink would punish the young man if he was caught in her barracks. But how would he get past the guards posted at the door? Solstice shivered as she looked around the room. It was too cold. There weren't any cracks in the floor, no holes in the ceiling, all the windows and the door were closed tightly, the fire, despite dying, was still blazing hot.
So where was that chill coming from?
That's when Solstice spotted the opened floorboard. It was only opened a crack, which was hard to see if you knew what to look for. Solstice placed her hand over the crack. Her eyes narrowed, then widened in shock when she felt a rush of cold, chilly air. She dug her nails underneath the crack before lifting it up.
It looked like a shaft that led down into the darkness. There was a ladder that looked brand new, leading down. Solstice stood, grabbing her light saber before igniting it and lowering it down. The tunnel was deeper than the bounty hunter could see. From the looks of everything, the walls were smooth and compacted. It looked freshly dug out.
Solstice took the chance and hopped down into the darkness. Her light saber gave her most of the light. There were two choices she could take. One was go down the tunnel to see where it leads, taking a chance. Or she could go back up to the barracks and wait for roll call, which, if her internal clock was correct, should be in about two hours. Her curiosity was pulling her down the tunnel. That's when she heard the voices.
She took off, not thinking twice about her decision. She ran until she saw the soft glow of an electric light bulb. Solstice switched her saber off and clicked it on her belt. The bounty hunter saw the outlines of several of the men from around the camp, such as Colonel Hogan, Corporal Newkirk, Sergeant Kinchloe, and Carter. She stopped at the line where the shadows met the light. And waited.
"So what additional information do we have on Solstice?" Hogan asked.
"Well, she was a part of this order that was massacred fifteen years ago. She fought in a war but she was only ten years at the time."
"What kind of bloody order is this if it makes children fight in war?" Newkirk demanded, taking a huff of the cigarette.
"An order that I was loyal to since it was the only thing I've only ever known," Solstice decided to speak up. She could take the other planets talking bad about the order, but not these people. Not when they didn't know what was done to the children during the massacre, and how the government betrayed it. The bounty hunter shot Carter a look of betrayal. How could she be so blind? How could the one person she trusted in this hellhole betray her like that, telling the things that she said in confidence to his boss? Carter, wisely, looked rather guilty.
"So, this is your little secret huh? An espionage campaign right in the heart of your enemy's territory." She took a breath. "I'll admit that is ingenious. I don't think that even Master Kenobi could've thought about that."
"How'd you get down here?" Hogan asked.
"With all due respect, playing dumb won't work Colonel. It doesn't suit you. I've been at this manipulation and deceptive game since I was ten. And I've been on the run for fifteen years, having to use the lessons I learned in war as a criminal. Nothing will fool me."
Hogan sighed, Solstice's hard gaze putting him on edge. Never had the American Colonel met someone so…intense before. "We planted the tunnel because we wanted to incorporate you into our little operation, at least we can get you home."
"Okay. But why the secrecy?"
"We wanted to make sure that you weren't working for the Germans." Kinchloe answered.
Solstice rubbed her face in tired frustration. She didn't want to get involved in either the rebellion or this little espionage campaign. The bounty hunter lost too many friends who worked as spies for the Grand Army for the Republic. Did she really want to help these primitive natives? But did she really want to turn a blind eye, like she had been doing for the past fifteen years?
"Okay." She finally relented. "Okay. I will help you with your little…. spy network. However, I have one condition."
"What is it?" Carter asked. Solstice shot him a glare but answered.
"I want my ship, so that I can contact my friends. If I can't contact them and order a pick up, then I will work on my ship until I can get it up and running. Until then I will help you and do what you want, thought I have limits."
"And what are they?" Hogan asked. Solstice waited a moment, eyeing the man closely before speaking.
"I will not take part in assassinations or anything like that. No exceptions because that is a messy business. All I will do is grab any information you need. Anything past that…. it's a no go."
Hogan nodded in thought. His brown eyes flicked to his teammates. They all looked at him expectantly. The American Colonel jerked his head to the side, calling a meeting silently. Solstice waited outside the circle, examining the primitive radio with interest.
"What do you guys think?" He whispered.
"I say it's worth the risk." Kinchloe put in. "She has the advantage of getting information that we won't."
"And she did offer up her services." Newkirk pointed out. "I 'd say it's pretty fair that we help her get out of here."
Hogan sighed. It seemed that the majority were up for it but he would have to wait for Lebeau. However, something told the brown eyed soldier knew the French cook would say yes. So, it was unanimous. Straightening, Hogan and his men turned simultaneously towards Solstice, who seemed to fix a circuit board that Kinchloe was working on before this meeting. It seemed her fingers flew over the wires with such expertise Hogan wondered silently. Even though Carter got some information about the girl's past, it wasn't as detailed as Hogan wanted.
"Okay, you have a deal." He announced, startling the girl. "Newkirk will take you to where your ship is being stored. We'll go over protocol and safety measures when you get back."
The enigmatic woman nodded and followed the British corporal deeper into the tunnels. Newkirk and Solstice didn't say a word as they walked deeper into the maze of tunnels they had built over the few years they had been here. The cockney soldier glanced over at the guest with a raised eyebrow when he spotted her taking everything in as if prepping for an escape route. The brown-haired man decided to strike up a conversation.
"Nice weather eh?" The effects were almost instantaneous. Her blue eyes snapped forward and her posture tensed almost as if expecting to be ambushed.
"I just want to find my ship Corporal." She said. "Besides it wasn't my choice being here."
"Well neither did we." Newkirk pointed out.
The woman stopped dead in her tracks staring at him with a shocked expression. "Oh please." She gestured to the dirt walls. "You have a massive espionage operation. And I'm willing to bet my entire fortune that you have smuggled allies and enemies out of the country and camp. You might not be here by choice but you have a choice to stay."
She continued to walk before Newkirk started to follow her. His mind was distracted by the words she said. He was so distracted he didn't notice that they had reached the underground hangar where they kept all the stolen panzer tanks, automobiles and planes for missions. Out of all them, Solstice's plane stood out against all the 'primitive' modes of transportation. Well in Solstice's opinion.
"Hello baby! Mama's missed ya!" the bounty hunter greeted the plane. She kissed the grey and pink wing before hopping on the wing and making her way towards the glass bubble. Solstice opened it up and sat down in the cockpit. Her hands started to fly over the controls, starting the ship up if the hum of the engine was anything to go by. A few minutes later there was a sputtering noise and the entire thing shut down. Solstice grunted, slamming her fist against the console.
"I can't believe that this stupid thing won't work," she muttered as she stood, and made her way out of the cockpit. She rolled underneath one of the wings, fiddling with something.
"What's the verdict doc?" Newkirk asked when she rolled out.
"The engine is irreparable. The same thing could be said for the hyper drive. There is also a problem with the landing gear. I guess I should've listened to Bonga's instructions not to use them."
"So, now what?"
"Now I guess that I need to try and contact the fleet." Solstice answered, wiping the grease off her hands. "The only problem is that the ceiling will block out any signals. Which means that I'll have to do it out of the camp."
"I don't think the Colonel'll like that."
The bounty hunter turned towards the British Corporal with a dull expression. "Well no offense to Colonel Hogan but I technically outrank him. And besides, I don't take orders from a native."
-Line break-
Location: Inner Core
Planet: Alderaan
Year: 18 BBY
Bonga sat in the office of Senator Bail Organa, waiting as patiently as he could for the esteemed senator of the Imperial Senate. The Calamari didn't realize that one of the members of the Imperial Senate was part of the rebellion. Of course, he was even more surprised when he found out that White Eagle was a part of the rebellion as well. It hurt to know that his longtime friend was a part of something that was trying to bring down the Galactic Empire. But after what happened at his mechanic shop back on Garrel…. he was having second thoughts about his so called 'protectors.' At least now his eyes were opened to the truth about all the atrocities committed by the government for many years.
Murders, genocide, and massacres…the list went on and on, and it got worse.
Bonga stood when the door opened and Senator Organa walked in. The senator was dressed in a nice blue sweater, blue pants and black boots. He gestured for Bonga to be seated as he shut the door behind him and locked it. The Calamari mechanic fiddled with his fins as the Senator sat down just across from him.
"Don't look so nervous son." Bail smiled good-naturedly. Bonga forced himself to relax as he kept his eyes down.
"What's going to happen to me?" He whispered in fear. Word reached him that his shop had been burned to the ground and he was branded as a rebel. Bongo was officially a wanted man.
"Well that's up to you." Senator Organa steepled his fingers as he continued. "The way I see it you have two options. One of your options is that my many associates in the more…. darker side of the law can help you get fake ID so you can disappear."
"And the other?" Bonga asked when the Senator paused.
"The other option is you can join the rebellion." Bongo realized why the senator paused. Never in his life had Bonga dreamed of joining any rebellion. He was simply content with running his little mechanics shop but now that was gone he might've not had a choice.
"Join the Rebellion?" He repeated just to make sure that he heard the senator right.
"Yes." Bail confirmed. "We are in desperate need of mechanics and from what White Eagle has told us you are quite handy with a wrench."
That caught the Calamari off guard. "She spoke about me?"
"Oh yes. Practically spoke the ear off anyone who would listen to her about you. I've heard that you could fix anything no matter how old it was."
Bonga blushed. All those years, he had no idea that his bounty hunter friend spoke so highly of him. It warmed his heart to know that she had trusted him, since she didn't trust anyone. Bonga weighed his options but in all honesty, saw only one true choice. Living his life on the run, always looking over his shoulder for storm troopers or such like that didn't seem like living. It just sounded like surviving. The only way to truly live now was to destroy the Empire.
"I-" the words stuck to Bonga's throat. The Calamari swallowed his pride before speaking with a nonwavering voice. "I would like to be a part of your rebellion."
Senator Organa's eyes lit up happily. "I'm glad to hear that." He reached over and pressed an intercom button. "Fulcrum you can come on in."
The door behind the Senator swooshed open and a grown Togrutan female walked in. She wore grey robes with two hilts on her belt. Her brilliant blue eyes sparkled happily when she spotted Bonga sitting in his seat, tense. The Togruta's grey lips twisted into a happy smile before she flashed her teeth. Not in a menacing way but in a happy, joyful way. Bonga knew that smile. He'd seen it on White Eagle plenty of times before she went out and drunk herself into a haze every Empire Day. The tight smile that said that while she was happy on the outside, something was seriously bothering her on the inside.
"Bonga Liferit?" The woman asked. To be respectful, Bonga stood and held out his hand for a shake, but the woman just shook her head, her lekku moving side to side. "It's fine."
"Who are you?"
"My name is Ahsoka Tano." The Togruta-Ahsoka- introduced. "I am one of the many leaders of the Rebellion. However, for security's sake, you may call me Fulcrum."
Bonga nodded nervously. He remained standing until Fulcrum sat down, which is when he sat down. The three of them sat there in the room in silence, their eyes switching from each other.
"So, do I sign a waiver or something?"
Fulcrum chuckled at his little joke. "Now we test your skills with the wrench. If you'll follow me, please."
Bonga stood and closely followed the Togruta, nodding his head in the direction of the Senator, who still sat. He didn't even acknowledge the Calamari. The senator was staring at something in the distance, as if he was having a flash back, one that wasn't a good memory.
Bonga and Fulcrum continued to walk until they arrived in a hanger, where men in flight suits were running around different ships, refueling them. There was a group of three humans, a Twi'lek, and a Lasat stood around an old VCX-100 light fighter, staring at him and Fulcrum. Bonga avoided their gaze and forced himself to stare forward. The two aliens were approaching a very old starship that looked like it was falling apart at the seams. They stopped, Fulcrum crossing her arms and kicking out her hip.
"Your task is to make this ship operable." Fulcrum ordered.
Bonga cocked an eyebrow at the disaster of the ship. "This ship?"
Fulcrum nodded in confirmation. "This ship."
Bonga took a deep breathe before grabbing a wrench. First step was to check what was operable and what was not.
Fulcrum watched him the entire time, a smile slowly growing across her face. It took about two hours for Bonga to get the ship's engine, which was completely rusted, to work again and another three for him to get the fuel line repaired. When the ship was running, and it was safe to fly, Bonga hopped down next to Fulcrum, wiping the sweat and engine grease off his face. He waited for her verdict nervously, vaguely wondering what would happen to him if they didn't allow him into the rebellion.
Finally, after a few tense moments, Fulcrum spoke, "Very good." She held out a hand for a shake. When he clasped her hand, she said reverently, "Welcome to the Rebel Alliance."
Two hours later, the Calamari was moving into his new quarters aboard the command ship that belonged to the Phoenix Squadron. What little belongings he had, he stored in there before moving towards the cafeteria. It had been a while since he had something to eat, and he was curious about what type of food the Rebellion had. Many of the older soldiers were giving him weird looks as the passed him by but Bonga was too deep in his thoughts to notice. He was still thinking about White Eagle, hoping against hope that she was okay. As far as the Rebellion was concerned, she was still alive since her ship was still transmitting a signal. But since she hadn't tried to transmit an SOS or made contact, the rebellion wasn't going to try and attempt a rescue until she did.
When the Calamari entered the cafeteria, he was…. underwhelmed truthfully. There weren't a lot of food options, so he went with the mush that he had seen served at many Imperial bases. Most of the tables were empty but Bonga decided to sit in the far corner, where he could see most of the cafeteria. He was halfway done with his meal when the group from the hanger walked in. Well, the brown-haired man and the blue haired boy walked in anyway. The boy quickly made his way towards the "buffet" while the man was more reserved in his walk. They, unfortunately, decided to sit next to Bonga, who felt very uncomfortable with them.
"You the new guy?" the boy asked. Bonga spotted, for the second time that day, a hilt on his belt, as well as on the human adult's belt. Like with Fulcrum and White Eagle. But Bonga nodded silently.
"Cool!" The boy exclaimed. The man, thankfully, saw how the boy's energy was making the mechanic uncomfortable and placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.
"I'm Kanan. Kanan Jarrus." The brown-haired male introduced as he sat down.
"Bonga," the Calamari said.
"The name's Ezra Bridger," the blue haired boy added.
"So, you knew White Eagle huh?" Kanan asked. Bonga nodded as he blinked to keep the tears from falling. "She didn't want to get involved in the rebellion."
"Can we not talk about her in the past tense?" Bonga pleaded.
"Sorry," Kanan apologized.
A question bubbled in Bonga's mind as silence took the place of conversation. Finally, he worked up the nerve to ask the two humans, "So are you guys like…. Jedi or something?"
"Kind of." Ezra answered bashfully. "Why?"
"He wants to go and find White Eagle," Kanan answered. He looked up with those startling aquamarine eyes and Bonga tensed. He was planning on grabbing a ship and finding his friend.
"Don't worry. We're planning on trying to find her as well." Kanan said when he saw Bonga tense. "Would you like to come?"
"What does Senator Organa and Fulcrum say about this?" The two Jedi looked at each other with a rather mischievous gleam in their eyes.
"Nothing really," The boy answered, slyly.
Bonga didn't even hesitate. "I'm in."
