Sorry this is so late, I was distracted with the idea for Scar Tissue which I finally finished the first chapter and I was kinda too excited to work on this. Anyway enjoy the chapter ahead.
After having slapped some sense into her husband Ahsoka lead everyone to the Redshifter, Alex had an extreme fanboy reaction to seeing the old ship. Weirdly the fanboying was mostly just poking around the exterior, spending an extraordinary amount of time examining the placement of the engines. He and Ahsoka had long since mastered the art of misdirection, both Booster and Mirax dismissing Alex as a pompous headed idiot. They both just left him to stare at the engines, oddly not concerned that he was examining the engines to their ship. This would certainly be a mistake as Alex covertly tampered with the engines, placing remote activated detonators over several critical operating sections of the engines. While he did this Ahsoka followed Booster to the cockpit ready to input the coordinates to Lehon encoded with a virus that would delete all traces of the coordinates the moment the Redshifter made a jump away from Lehon. Including the fuel logs and navi-comp, Mirax left her father and Ahsoka to show Ryoo and the two Wookiees to their quarters for the duration of their trip to Lehon.
The entire set up only took about ten minutes, Ahsoka plugging in a programming spike to load the coordinates as well as the virus. While Booster wasn't happy with the arrangement he did begrudgingly accept it. He was however left unaware that Alex was planting explosives on his ship, or that they were rigged to explode if they didn't receive a signal from the fleet orbiting Lehon. Once the charges exploded, if they did go off, they would trigger a distress signal that would be relayed of Rebel frequencies, calling for help from the nearest Rebel Cell. Though that would be risk as not all the Rebels were particularly helpful, particularly Saw Gerrera and his Partisan extremists. Once the coordinates had finally completed uploading Ahsoka left the freighter in something of a hurry, not particularly trusting of Alex's focus. It often drifted from the task at hand and he would end up doing something either particularly dumb and unrelated or simply wonder off.
"Alex!" Ahsoka called out almost too loudly. It was unnecessary too as she knew exactly where Alex was, their bond always alerting her to his location if he was in close proximity. In this case he was standing on the far side of the Redshifter, leaning against a landing station.
"How did it look in there?" Alex asked with a small smirk. In his right hand he held a holo-projector, displaying the Redshifter in all it's glory.
"Better then I thought it would. We can discuss further on the Shuttle." Ahsoka said jerking her head in the direction of their shuttle. Alex nodded as Ahsoka spun around and started walking back to the ship.
Alex pushed himself off the station and walked off, trailing behind Ahsoka. His eyes wondering over Ahsoka's body, he never really got tired of looking at her even after all the years that had passed. It was one of the few things that everyone seemed to notice immediately about them. Alex always seemed to be admiring his wife, not that everyone was aware that the two were even married. The fact that not everyone knew about their marriage had lead to one or two awkward situations, all of which had ended with Ahsoka kicking their asses. Alex had found the entire situation rather amusing as he had been present at each occasion. Though those occasions had only happened when men hit on Ahsoka, for some reason Ahsoka just didn't notice when women hit on her. Apparently it just didn't occur to her that they were doing something of the sort. It took Alex and Ahsoka only about twenty minutes return to the shuttle.
"I'll warm up the engines, you can take a shower." Alex said with an almost mocking tone and a strange grin.
"How about you go get a shower and I get the ship in the air." Ahsoka said as a rebuttal, teasing Alex with a wink.
"Oh come on." Alex said in a winey voice, "I wanted to fly."
"Well you can, flyboy, when you don't smell." Ahsoka said as they stepped onto the ramp leading into the shuttle.
"I don't…" Alex started as he sniffed his armpit, "Wait, I get what you mean." Alex said wincing, "Though how it got so bad I don't understand."
"I don't particularly care, just go shower." Ahsoka said dismissively waving Alex in the direction of the sonic.
"On it." Alex said grinning, he swaggered off to the back of the shuttle.
Ahsoka swiftly made her way to the cockpit and slipped elegantly into the pilot's seat. It took her only a few moments to get the engines humming. Alex dropped into the cockpit behind her and slipped into the co-pilots seat beside her. Ahsoka leaned over sniffed Alex, "That's far better, how you managed to avoid getting properly clean this morning I don't understand."
"With great skill." Alex said with a mischievous smirk.
"Riiiiight." Ahsoka rolled her eyes at Alex, "Lets get out of here shall we?"
Alex nodded, following Ahsoka's lead the two Rebels piloted the stolen Imperial shuttle off the surface of Takodana. The moment they broke the gravitational pull of the planet Alex dropped back and simply watched Ahsoka work, mulling over an idea. After about ten minutes he finally spoke up, "I think we should warn Booster of the charges we placed on his ship."
"Why? If he know he may just have them removed before they leave the planet defeating the purpose completely as well as abandoning the job completely." Ahsoka pointed out.
"Indeed, we would have to wait until they were in hyperspace. Even then there would be no guarantee they wouldn't just land and have them removed, however I did place a timer on the charges that would start as soon as they started the engines." Alex said, with a suspiciously innocent voice.
"You did what?" Ahsoka snapped at Alex.
"We can't remote activate them, not from Jedha. I believed it was the best insurance policy, particularly since he is transporting family." Alex said his voice slipping a bit into a fiercely defensive tone.
"Crippling the Redshifter isn't the best choice in that case." Ahsoka shot back.
"It's motivation to go exactly where we want them to go. I refuse to let anyone go to Lehon without some form of back up plan." Alex said frowning.
"I understand that, however we can't sabotage everyone who comes to us." Ahsoka countered, "We have to believe that everyone that comes to us needs help."
"I know, but you don't believe it. You know as well as I do, the Imperials are far too good at buying off people or threatening them." Alex replied. He leaned back in his chair, "I never found someone in our current Galaxy who can't be bought off."
"I can't." Ahsoka said softly.
"You're different, we were Jedi. The Galaxy needed the Jedi more then it could imagine and now they are dead. Perhaps the Galaxy deserves what it got for destroying us." Alex said, starting to rant, going off to a completely different topic.
Ahsoka sighed and held up a hand, effectively silencing Alex, "It wasn't the fault of the people of the Galaxy, Palpatine had the senate wrapped around his finger. With the exception of a negligible few, including Padmé." Ahsoka gave Alex a pointed look, "I trust you haven't forgotten that your mother and home world are the core reasons Palpatine was able to take power as he did."
"That was uncalled for, mom was only fourteen. She was as taken in by Palpatine as the rest of the Galaxy, both you and I were taken in by his kindly old man act. He played the us like fools." Alex snapped.
Ahsoka rolled her eyes in exasperation, "We were kids, we barely knew anything outside the order. You knew your mother at least. You were assigned to protect her almost as many times as I was, at least you knew her."
Alex stopped for a second and contemplated the flow of conversation. With a confused look he asked, "How did we end up at my mother?"
"The same way we always do, you still haven't deal with that loss." Ahsoka said, her voice far softer and kinder then before, "You ran that day, abandoning everyone. I know you were in pain, but you seem to have lost site of the other people in your life."
Picking up on the undercurrent of hurt in Ahsoka's voice Alex sighed and answered, "I know, but you wouldn't understand fully the bond I had with my mother." Alex carefully watched Ahsoka's expression, hoping he had chosen his words carefully enough. Luckily she appeared to be trying to understand and not lash out at him.
"She was my mother too. I needed you, the kids needed you." Ahsoka replied, frowning, "We needed you, Anakin closed us off before vanishing. Luke and Leia threw themselves completely into their training, working themselves almost to death."
"Leia? She always hated training, doing anything that required standing or sitting still drove her mad. She always ran off to explore outside the base." Alex said strangely wistfully, "I remember tracking her down so many times when they were young."
"I remember that well, she always hid in that cave halfway down that cliff just outside the base." Ahsoka said with a small smile creeping over her face, "And we would join her exploring the caves, finding those relics from the Rakata."
"That was always interesting, didn't we find that sword that was still strangely sharp." Alex said smiling, hoping Ahsoka wouldn't shift the conversation back to Padmé's death. He felt he would never truly be ready to talk about it, not with the way it happened.
Thankfully for Alex, Ahsoka chose to drop the subject, "Do you even know how exactly we're going to find Saw?"
"That one I can answer. He's in the badlands, hiding among the ruins of the temples left from Jedi." Alex stated leaning forwards in he chair, as he did he pulled up a list of codes the shuttle had loaded in its data banks, "The Imperials are paranoid, but far dumber then I expected. They are still using code algorithms set up during the Clone Wars. Any Jedi familiar with the codes could easily deduce the next sets of codes."
"Why would we need the codes at all?" Ahsoka asked as she eased the shuttle into hyperspace.
"The Imperials had started mining the Kyber off Jedha, they've been sacking the temple in Jedha city. The Guardians of the Whils got thrown out, barely able to put up a fight." Alex said sadly, "I barely got out last time."
Ahsoka raised an eyebrow, "Why do you want to go there then?"
"I need to see if there is anything left. I want to find out if we can plant Kyber on Lehon." Alex said with a small grin, "It would be amazing if the kids could find their first Kyber's there from what we could bring for them."
"Alex, slow down. You're planning for something that might never happen, Obi-Wan and I decided to teach the kids only the basics of using in the Force. Help them maintain control, and cloak their presences. I want them to choose this path for themselves." Ahsoka said standing and opening the door to the passenger section of the shuttle, "I'm going to get some rest, what little I can. You probably should to."
Alex shook his head, "I'll be fine, you go ahead. I need to work out the codes for our arrival."
"We could always use the same trick we used to get onto Kashyyyk." Ahsoka said cautiously.
"Absolutely kriffing not, it was a extreme risk in the Peregrine. Trying that in this thing would certainly get us killed." Alex exclaimed emphatically.
Ahsoka held up her hands in defeat, "Then I guess I'll leave you to it."
Alex watched Ahsoka walk out the cockpit before spinning back around to the console, taking a deep breath Alex drew on the Force heavily allowing it to guide him. At the same time he let his mind wonder, as he did it slipped back to his vision. What the kriffing hells were they doing on Kamino? The last time any Jedi had set foot on that planet had been in the last few days of the Clone wars. Shaak Ti left just before order 66 was given, having been recalled following the destruction of Geonosis. The Jedi had started to piece together the plot against them, the war had spread them thinly. So many had died fighting in the war many Younglings had been taken as Padawans far younger then the Jedi had truly been comfortable with, Alex himself was a prime example taken to be Mace Windu's Padawan at only the age of eleven. Alex felt, even to the current day, he had been far too young to fight in a war and harbored a resentment towards his Master for bringing him into the war so young. From what Alex had heard, Anakin had ranted about it for months to Obi-Wan. He hated the idea of his beloved son being forced into battle, this had lead to him often choosing to join Mace and Alex inhale whichever campaign they ended up fighting, including the destruction of Geonosis.
The memories poured into Alex's mind, every battle he had fought alongside his father and master. As well as the first time he met Ahsoka after being taken as a Padawan, however he chose not to focus on the memories allowing them to pass as images though his mind. Each one distant and alive as the last, as he meditated in the past his hands swept over the keys and the codes. Though this was more to give his hands something to do, a means of moving meditation.
Across the Galaxy back on Takodana Quinlan Voss sat across from Hondo Ohnaka. Strangely enough he missed Alex and Ahsoka by only a few seconds, "You saw them?"
"You know that isn't free information my friend." Hondo said before taking a swig from his drink.
Quinlan threw a set of credit chits to the Weequay, "Where did you see them and did you hear where they were going?"
"Lehon. Though I have to admit, my friend, I have no idea where that actually is." Hondo said with a shrug, "However there is someone who may have a way there for you."
"Who?" Quinlan asked, grabbing Hondo by his coat and pulling him up over the table.
"Woah there. No need for violence, the smuggler you're looking for is Booster Terrik. He should be around the bar somewhere, he usually has a Corellian brandy before he leaves." Hondo said, pulling himself free of Quinlan's grasp, "His ship is called the Redshifter."
"Thank you." Quinlan said starting to walk away. He paused for a second then tossed a credit chip at Hondo's head, nailing him between the eyes, "Next time don't tell me in such a roundabout way."
Quinlan sprinted through the cantina searching for Maz, Hondo had only given him a name for the ship. It wouldn't help to search the registries, from the way Hondo had phrased it it sounded like there wasn't much time. This smuggler was likely just about to leave, this time Quinlan could feel the Force egging him on. Quinlan was defiantly on Lehon, wherever that was and this was the way to find her. Last time he had felt this call from the Force he had ignored it and Asajj had ended up dead. He wasn't going to let this lead go, no matter what Tholme and T'ra said. The patience both had cautioned wasn't going to bring Quian back, or free her from the people who had taken her. Quinlan skipped over taking to Maz in split second decision and sprinted out the castle and through the forest. Following a careful nudge from the Force Quinlan found a freighter of a design he'd only seen in the Jedi archives.
"Got ya." He muttered to himself, taking a moment to collect himself. Taking a deep breath Quinlan focused on a technique taught to him by Tholme years ago when he was still a Padawan, a technique that allowed a Force user to go unseen or noticed by others. Not quite invisibility, he'd still show up on camera's but it was one that would make people's eyes simply move over him or past him. Using this trick he hurried up the raising ramp of the Redshifter.
Alex jolted awake in his seat having dosed off in the midst of meditation, a commonplace with all the Skywalker children when it came to calm meditation. Luke was only able to find his inner peace to some extent. Both Alex and Leia couldn't sit still or focus their minds in that way, not without simply falling asleep anyway. Alex spun his seat to the side and stretched out his legs as far as possible. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes Alex spun back to the controls, two of which were blinking to indicate a shortage of fuel.
"Ahsoka!" Alex called over his shoulder, "I think we may have a problem."
Moments later Ahsoka appeared in the door way, holding the frame above her head, "And what would that be?"
"Fuel, we're still a few parsecs out from Jedha. If we're lucky we should make it on the fuel reserves we have, but I'm not sure Saw would be particularly happy we gave him an empty shuttle." Alex said scanning over the instruments.
"He'll be happy to have something to blow up in the Imperials faces." Ahsoka said firmly, "You said you had vision of Jedha, so we're going to see Saw about the Erso girl while we're there."
"Erso? Where do I know that name from?" Alex asked scratching his neck..
"We helped Saw get them off Coruscant." Ahsoka gently reminded Alex.
"Huh… So that's what their names were. Remember I was just the pilot on that mission, you and Saw were the ones who actually talked to them." Alex said trying to stretch out his neck, "I swear that was the trip where we conceived Ana."
Ahsoka narrowed her eyes at Alex, "That might actually explain why you can't remember them beyond pulling them off Coruscant."
"That aside, which Erso were you talking about?"
"Jyn, the daughter. I heard rumors she's been running around with Saw and his Partisans and there has been no sign of her parents. I want to find out what happened myself." Ahsoka said slipping into the seat next to Alex.
"And you're only telling me that now?" Alex asked incredulously, "When did you see these reports?"
"Back on Takodana, while you slept."
"Again, why are you only telling me this now and not before we left?" Alex asked getting frustrated.
"It didn't seem all that important."
Alex leaned back and considered for a minute, "Still it would have been nice to know you agreed to come to Jedha purely to check up on Jyn Erso."
"In my defense you never asked. You just assumed I had the same reasoning as you, I'm not a slave to you Alex. I'm not always going to do something with you for the same reasons as you." Ahsoka said checking the navi-com, "We'll arrive above Jedha in about five minutes, I hope you got enough rest this isn't going to be particularly fun."
"That's harsh to Saw, he's always been hospitable to me." Alex said running over a quick systems check.
"You and helped him commit so many acts of terrorism. I'm honestly surprised the Alliance hasn't blacklisted you."
"Honestly I am too. Most of what we did was indefensible." The Navi-com beeped pulling Alex's attention back to the controls, "We're there." Alex said pulling back on the hyperspace controls. The shuttle smoothly slipped out of hyperspace the blue fading back into the black of space, Jedha looming ahead in it's brown glory. Hanging over the planet like grey bats were a pair of Imperial Star Destroyers, below them a convoy of shuttles moved between the planets and Destroyers.
"What the hell are they mining?" Ahsoka asked leaning forwards in her seat.
"If I were to guess, I'd say the Kyber Crystals from the temple. I got my first kyber there, I remember the temple being decorated the most fantastic crystals I've ever seen." Alex said, absent mindedly stroking his lightsaber.
"I never got a chance to see Jedha, my group was taken to Illum." Ahsoka said as the shuttle moved rapidly towards the Star Destroyers.
"Adjust course, Saw's base will be out in the badlands." Alex said pulling the controls of the shuttle to redirect the shuttle away from the Star Destroyer, "Hopefully they won't notice us."
"Too late." Ahsoka said as the comm buzzed, "Answer it."
"This is shuttle Gallo, requesting landing in Jedha city. We are low on fuel and were redirected from Glee Anselm." Alex said calmly, shooting Ahsoka an irritated glare. Ahsoka just suck her tongue out in retaliation.
"Acknowledged shuttle Gallo. Please transmit your clearance codes." The Imperial voice replied.
"Transmitting now." Alex said, transmitting one of the codes he had created earlier, hoping it was viable enough to allow them access to land.
"Clearance granted for refueling in Jedha city. Proceed on your current course."
"Acknowledged control." Alex replied flicking a switch to offline the com, "Honestly that shouldn't have worked. Anyway it looks like we're going to see the temple first after all, provided we don't have to fight off a welcoming committee."
"You know we will, landing this bucket of bolts." Ahsoka said leaning back and going over a few switches just behind her head, "Go to the back, see if you can't find a disguise that isn't destroyed."
"These are just common Imperials, I think we could just convince them we aren't a threat or to just leave us alone." Alex said standing up anyway.
"There are still security camera's, this would help us avoid too much unwanted attention." Ahsoka pointed out without looking away from the controls. Alex nodded and slipped through the door and into the back of the shuttle. Alex rummaged through several of the lockers on board, and was able to find half an officer's uniform and a Stormtrooper's helmet.
Returning to the cockpit Alex slipped back into the co-pilot's seat, "There wasn't anything useful."
Ahsoka shot Alex a sidelong look, "By that you mean?"
"A helmet, a hat and a Officers coat. Honestly this is the worst haul we've ever made stealing one of these things. I don't think the last idiot who owned this thing is going anywhere, not in the army anyway." Alex said looking out to watch the approach to Jedha city. The city on it's mesa stood out against the flat of the desert, "Head for the local spaceport, going off the traffic moving out the Imperial port looks dicy."
The look this statement earned Alex from Ahsoka could have withered flowers, "You don't say." Ahsoka brought the shuttle in to land in the run down rather busy spaceport. The shuttle was brought down among a dozen other ships of varying makes.
"Looks like you worried about nothing." Alex said getting up and swiftly exiting the cockpit with Ahsoka close behind him.
"You think no-one will notice the Imperial shuttle in the middle of this throng?" Ahsoka asked pulling a long cloak on to cover her lightsabers.
Alex shrugged and pulled on the Imperial Officer's coat over his jacket, "It's out of fuel or close enough that stealing it at this point it would be pointless."
"That's feeble reasoning, you said you wanted to trade this to Saw to get a better ship to get us off this rock." Ahsoka said opening the door, dropping the ramp and excessive amount of steam was released as the ramp dropped.
Alex blinked, "Why do they always release so much kriffing steam?"
"Ask the manufacturers." Ahsoka said striding down the ramp and out into Jedha city, Alex close on her heels.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the progression of this story. Anyway have a fantastic day and may the Force be with you.