Chapter 7
Rex arrived in the cockpit to find the pilot still puzzled about what could have stopped their flight. And still trying to contain his raging hard-on behind his groin armor.
"I've checked all of our systems, and it wasn't an internal error. I think by these readings that something pulled us out of hyperspace," he reported to Rex.
"Is that even possible?" Rex asked.
"I wouldn't have thought so, sir."
The sudden flash of incoming laser fire shut out all other concerns. "Get us out of here!" Rex ordered, strapping into the co-pilot's seat. "Commander," he barked into the comm. "We're under attack. Secure yourself in your quarters."
Ahsoka jumped up and exchanged her sleeping clothes for something more adapted to combat. She attached her lightsabers to her belt and then remembered that Rex had told her to stay in her quarters. Hey, she thought, who's in charge here? And she ran out of her room toward the cockpit.
When she arrived, it was in time to see that they were maneuvering around a small group of enemy fighters. The vulture droids were all over them. "Watch out!" she called and pointed to one at two o'clock.
"We're outgunned, Commander," the pilot informed her as he tried to avoid more blasts to the hull of the shuttle. "And we can't enter hyperspace anymore. They've somehow disabled our hyperdrives. It must be how they brought us out of it in the first place."
"You should strap in, Commander," Rex reminded her. Ahsoka complied by sitting down and fastening the seatbelt in the navigator's chair. She turned to the console and punched up their location. They were about three-quarters of the way to their rendezvous point with the Resolute. She had never heard of any Seppies in this sector. This must be a new movement of their troops.
"Rex, what are our options?" she asked him.
"We've already sent out a distress call, but we can't repel this many fighters for long. We'll have to put down on a planet and hope to slip by the clankers on the surface." Rex's expression said he didn't like the idea of running even if it was to preserve his commanding officer's life.
"All right. Find a good spot, and let's make for it," Ahsoka ordered.
Another laser blast compromised the hull and set the cargo bay on fire. Fire suppression and deflector shields took care of the problem, but the shuttle seemed to be limping through space after the hit. They were more likely to crash onto a planet than to land on one now.
The atmosphere loomed up toward them, singing the hull again. Soon they could see vast forests dotted with crystal clear lakes. Not an ideal setting for landing; but if they managed to land, they'd at least have cover. The pilot fought the controls to bring them in at a reasonable pace. He's no Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka thought, but he's doing well despite that handicap.
They skimmed to top of the trees and did manage to find a clearing big enough to land the shuttle. The pilot set them down with a heavy thunk, and all three of them let out a breath of relief to still be in one piece and on solid land. Then they were all in motion, gathering emergency supplies and heading down the boarding ramp into the forest. Both Clones were fully armed and armored. Ahsoka carried food and medical supply staples in her backpack.
"Let's move to the west," Ahsoka ordered. She had noticed during their descent that the trees were thickest in that direction toward foothills and large mountains. The smoking carcass of their shuttle would be easy to find. They had to get as far away from it as they could and find the best cover if the Seppies followed them. She struck out into the trees first, the pilot bringing up the rear.
"Any idea where we are, Commander?" Rex asked after a few minutes of silent running.
"None, Captain," she replied. "I only had time to determine our distance from Resolute and check on the distress signal to make sure it wasn't being jammed. But, don't worry, Rex, I'm sure my Master will come for us soon." Despite her words, she didn't sound all that sure. "Let's just keep moving," she ordered.
They trooped through the forest for several hours, looping and doubling back to mask their trail. They only stopped when they couldn't see the line of smoke from the shuttle anymore and dusk had settled in. They made a small camp and ate some rations. Ahsoka snuck a quick look at Rex now that he had removed his helmet. He was frowning at his food; that meant he had something to say.
"Captain?" she prompted.
"It doesn't make sense, Commander. Why would they try to intercept a small shuttle? We aren't exactly a prime military target," Rex looked at her with his steely eyes.
"I don't know. But they did. Maybe it was an accident. They might have just been trying out some new weapon, and we happened to be caught in it. Lucky us," she finished.
"Yes, maybe," he repeated, not sounding convinced at all. He continued to look at her with his battlefield eyes. But then he blinked and shifted.
"We should get some rest, Commander," he advised.
"I agree. I'll take first watch, Captain. You can relieve me in three hours," she ordered. The clones bundled up for some needed rest. Ahsoka was feeling the strain on her still-healing body. Maybe if she hadn't been showing off for Rex earlier in the day, she'd be in better shape. But she thought she could make it for another couple of hours. She could meditate and still be hyperaware in case the droids showed up.
Unfortunately, her healing body had other ideas. Ahsoka fell asleep just after her troopers did.
