Chapter 10

Two days had passed by in agonizingly slow fashion since Azi's ship had been stolen. The Mantellian Loyalist Council, in concert with Republic Command, had decided to wait on launching the reclamation mission of Drelliad Island. Intelligence indicated that the island had been swarming with separatists the day after their victory in seizing it. And the brass believed giving them two days would see them settle into a rhythm before hopefully sending the third battalion back to the front.

So Azi had spent the first anxious day roaming the small fort town, which could be completed in just thirty minutes. On the second morning she heard commotion coming from the refugee area outside the fort's side entrance. Upon arriving she found the assembled refugees of the various races that lived on Ord Mantell working together to build an outer barricade and a makeshift roof over their small tent town.

Among them lifting bags and barking instructions was Corso Riggs…a shirtless Corso Riggs at that. The previous night in the cantina she had asked around about Corso and was pleased to find he was exactly who her first impression had told her he was; A brave and honest man who cared deeply for this planet and its people…and who apparently had great genes she thought watching his tanned muscles ripple under the weight of another sandbag. A moment later Azi had taken off her jacket and joined the spontaneous construction project, as it seemed to be the only option to kill time that didn't involve drinking before lunch.

They had worked until sundown. She had laughed, talked, and worked up a good sweat with Corso and many other refugees who just seemed happy to have something to take their mind off the war, and the homes, and loved ones they had lost. At the end of the day Azi was filled with that unmistakable pride that came from a job well done, and she and Corso, along with three refugees who didn't have small children to care for, had retired to the cantina, where they drank and danced until the early closing hour.

She had gotten a semi-drunken night's sleep but was up before the sunrise and donning the skin suit and armor she had received from Vidu's requisition man Arrol. She knew Corso was still in with the brass going over final mission objectives and wanted to be ready to go. She was left out of the planning but knew the overall objective was to bring down the surface to air batteries on Drelliad so she could get out of here and find that nerfherder who had her ship.

Clasping the chest piece to her right shoulder, she looked at the leg armor but thought better of it. Azi was not a warrior and she knew it. She was a great shot and crafty in a fight but if the plasma was flying heavy she would run to fight another day, and she needed her unencumbered speed to do that.

She pulled her tan pair of slacks over the skin suit and found her brown leather jacket fit pretty snug with the armor on. Next she strapped on her double holster and checked her jacket pocket for spare power packs. Just as she thought, she had left them on the ship.

Possibly reading her mind Corso walked in with two packs held out in his palm. "Here ya go Captain, In case you need 'em" he said with a smile that Azi couldn't help but admit was making him more handsome by the day.

She accepted them with a smile. "Thanks Corso, I feel naked without some backups" she added, toying with him a bit.

Corso's grin turned sheepish as he glanced at his boots. "What happened to the leggings?"

His shyness intrigued her. "Too cumbersome. Corso, how old are you?"

"Twenty...why?"

"Just curious, you look a bit older than that".

"How bout you?…I mean if it's ok…to ask I mean".

"Twenty-eight by Galactic Standard Cycle, but I like to go by Hutt time, so twenty-two" she said chuckling to herself at the power of suggestive words like naked over the mind of a young man of any humanoid species, probably non-humanoids too.

Command had seen fit to loan the infiltrators Captain Adavan and his Mantellian squad from the Krillo road battle, and despite the captain's rough exterior she was happy to have him. The plan was simple; knock out the air defense batteries and the Council would call in the cavalry.

Riding out of Fort Garnik the team had to walk through the refugee camp they had helped to build on either side of the side road leading out of the Fort just days before. It was now teeming with the misery of new arrivals; crying mothers and children sleeping in the dirt. The sight of it made Azi realize her complaints about the mission had been nothing more than a façade to keep her independent smuggler reputation intact. She had grown up in the lawless regions of the galaxy, and had seen at a young age how the Republic was spoken about in hush whispers, a force to be feared or escaped…always by criminals and slavers. In short, the object of her captors and owner's fear became the object of her affection, and she would do what she could, when she could, to see that it continued to be the scourge of evil and chaos.

Slicing through her thoughts, a Cathar women named Shaldira she had met before approached her bike. The woman's cat like eyes were awash in fear and urgency as she carried an emaciated and sickly looking youngling on her chest.

"Miss Azi? Please miss?" the refugee called out in the elongated accent natural to her species.

Azi slowed and turned her bike towards the middle of the tent encampment and the distressed couple, "yes? What's wrong?" Azi said in her normal voice and the woman gestured for her to lower it.

"Please...I can bring no attention from the militia but I need your help". Azi looked over her shoulder briefly before looking back and nodding for the woman to continue.

"This is my daughter Ruliya" she said with a forced smile. Azi introduced herself and went to touch the back of Ruliya when Shaldira stopped her.

"You mustn't miss; she is sick with Vrillex. It's why I sought you out".

Azi withdrew her hand too fast and she immediately regretted the implied revulsion. "Last night a convoy… a medical convoy, was ambushed by separatists and all the bacta and anti-virals on its way here was stolen, what's left is all being prioritized for the soldiers…or so we're told anyway".

"Yes I heard…the Militia Captain Geret told us an hour ago to be on the lookout when we got to Drelliad" Azi confirmed.

"I figured as much, but you have to know that if you give the medicine to the Captain…we" she took her right hand from Ruliya's bottom and patted her back "-will never see any of that medicine in time".

"They're not allocating any medicine for the refugees? Why take you in at all then?" She asked incredulous.

"Well yes, but we come last…you have to understand" she said nervously looking left and right "Ord Mantell is a human world, with a mostly human militia…and" she let the implication hang.

"I promise Shaldira, I'll do what I can". She placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Just then Ruliya let out a rib rattling cough, and Azi squeezed the woman's shoulder as she turned to leave.

Azi turned her bike back to the main road to catch the squad, thinking of a story to give if they inquired about her disappearance.

"Captain".

Azi's hands immediately fell to her hips before turning to see Corso Riggs straddling his speeder behind a large red boulder.

"Corso!" she cried out but was inwardly relieved it was him and not Adavan or another militiamen. "Were you watching me?" she asked still a little angry.

"I was" he flashed boyish smile, "and I like what I saw" he added as he rode by her and back on the road. Anger gave way to a flutter in her stomach and in spite of herself she smiled as Corso rode ahead.