Chapter 8
Radd swung the Terrapin around.
"What are you doing?" exclaimed Kenma.
"What does it look like, I'm going back for him!"
"Radd!" Kenma put a firm hand on his student's shoulder. "It's too late! He's dead! Don't you know what happens in a vacuum? Your head explodes!"
"No it doesn't!" Radd bellowed at him. Kenma would have taken offence were not Radd's distress so obvious. Instead he looked to Taelan in surprise.
"It doesn't?" he asked. Taelan shook her head.
"It really doesn't."
"Get us close," Radd ordered, leaping up. "Flip the shields to allow incoming objects. I'm going to pull him in. Taelan, come on."
Down in the docking bay Andor had flown out of, Radd watched nervously for his friend to come into view. It took only a matter of seconds, but the urgency of the situation made it feel longer. He shut his eyes, extended his arm, and reached out through the Force, feeling for Andor. It was not difficult. The intense region of fear, pain, and confusion was unmistakable. And there was something else he felt. It was… a thought? Yes, he was actually picking up a thought! "They've killed me! These karking bucketheads've killed me! If I could get my hands on them, afterwards they wouldn't be able to tell their backsides from their-" Yes, that was Andor C'Thrux. There could be no mistake. Radd drew him in, pulled him towards the ship. Andor's limp form passed through the shield, and stopped spinning in the presence of the artificial gravity. Radd lowered him gently to the floor. He and Taelan ran over.
"... gonna… make 'em sorry… breakfast…" Andor murmured before blacking out. Taelan hooked one of her arms under each of his and tried to lift him, but the abnormally large Whiphid was awkwardly tall and heavy even for her.
"Unnf! Little help?" Taelan gasped. Radd lifted Andor's legs, and together the two were able to carry him up the stairs. Taelan had to reach back with her foot to push open the door when they came to the sick bay. It was a small room, equipped with the bare necessities. Radd sighed in irritation when he saw that the bed was not wide enough. Fortunately, even with his hands full he was able to use the Force to pull out an extendable section, intended for just such occasions. They both panted heavily when they had finally manoeuvred Andor onto it.
"See what you can do," Radd told Taelan. "I have to get back to the mission."
"I understand." For once, Radd did not question the truth of that statement. Although she had no formal training, when called upon to act as a physician, she knew what she was doing. He acknowledged the irony that he would be fine with her operating on people if necessary, but the ship? Never.
Radd had just returned to his seat in the cockpit when the general contacted them again.
"Mr. Carkadian, what is going on? Your movements have been erratic, and we register one of our ships destroyed! Do you still think the plan can succeed?"
"I think everything's going pretty well, ma'am. I owe you a bomber, though. Andor C'Thrux took out most of the turbolaser turrets, which were a little stronger than I bargained for. He was hit by a TIE fighter and had to eject, but we've retrieved him and he's being tended to."
"That is a relief to hear. Carry on, then, before they can send down their mining equipment. And when you find out more, please update me on Mr. C'Thrux's status."
"Will do, ma'am." Radd approached the opening of the Quasar's hangar bay. He rolled the Terrapin upside-down and activated the magnetic clamps, sticking them to the massive ship's hull. "Okay fellas, this is your stop."
"Good luck, Radd," Flash said.
"May the Force be with you," Radd replied. The two X-Wings disembarked, turning sharply upwards after a few seconds and disappearing into the belly of the Quasar. Radd waited a few seconds, wondering whether he ought to leave or stay put until they returned. Suddenly, he heard Yibthub's voice from the comm panel.
"We're surrounded! We must surrender! They knew we were com-" The transmission cut off.
"Blast!" Radd yelled. "General, we've got a problem. It was a trap. They've captured the other two pilots. They're alive as far as I can tell. That's all three down."
"How is Mr. C'Thrux's condition?"
"Taelan!" Radd called. She came running. "How's your patient doing?"
"He'll recover. But he has depressurization sickness, and he can't see or taste. His vision should be back by the end of the day. He might not taste anything for a few days."
"That's troubling news," Dano Randan said. "I suppose it wouldn't do to have him flying even if he had a ship. Mr. Carkadian, I guess you'll have to return to base so we can send some more fighter craft and pilots with you."
"All due respect, general, I don't think there's time enough for that. We'll have to take matters into our own hands."
"If you think you can get aboard, you know what to do. I must caution against this course of action, however. If you are cornered or ambushed, you will likely not be shown the same mercy. As a Jedi, you would likely be shot on sight."
"Duly noted." He ended the transmission.
"You're probably right about not having enough time and all," Kenma said to him, "but might I ask just how you're thinking of getting in there?"
"Well, I think I might need to do some fancy flying."
"What exactly are you saying?"
"You wouldn't like it if I told you."
"I don't like it that you aren't telling me."
"Do you see where you used the TIE fighter to take out that turbolaser turret? A shield's sealed the breach."
"Lad… tell me you're not thinking what I think you're thinking."
"Uh… what are you thinking?"
"That you're about to do something reckless."
"Then you know there's no talking me out of it. Do you think the engines are still a weak point on something that big?"
Kenma sighed in resignation. "I don't know. Probably."
Radd walked back to sick bay. Andor was sitting up. He and Taelan were chatting.
"It's me," Radd said, remembering Andor probably couldn't see him yet.
"I take it 'me,' as in 'you,' means Radd kriffing Carkadian? 'It's me' doesn't help a whole lot when I'm blinder than a karking Miraluka! Oh, and get this. I actually forgot my lucky hat today. I guess I'm just tougher than I thought."
"Actually, my middle name's Hejeg, but that's not the worst guess I've ever heard," Radd said with a smile. "Now, I have bad news, good news, and more bad news. The bad news is, Flash and Yibthub were ambushed as soon as they boarded. The good news is, they're alive and we're going to try to rescue them."
"What's the other bad news?"
"Brace yourself. Literally. We're going to be making an improvised entrance."
"I… don't know what that's a euphemism for. Or if I want to know."
"You probably don't. What were you two talking about, anyway?"
"Taelan was just telling me she's never met another Lyrak."
"Really? She's never mentioned that to me."
Taelan shrugged. "I guess we never got on the subject."
"Anyway… brace yourselves. Just… stay here and try not to get hit with any flying objects."
Radd returned to the cockpit. He turned to Kenma and opened his mouth to speak.
"Brace myself," the older man said, "I know. Don't you think you should warn Gheri?"
"Nah."
Radd detached the Terrapin from the Quasar, went far past the titanic ship, then turned around to face its rear. The engines burned like the fires of Mustafar… and Radd sped straight at one.
