Nervously tapping her foot with her arms crossed against her torso, Teebasha watched the technicians installing trackers on every starship they could find in hangar six. Her teeth were chewing her bottom lip as she focused primarily on one of the technicians approaching her Interceptor. The sight was unbearable; the only person to whom she had given the right to change or add parts in her beloved shuttle was Natelo'or. Helplessly seeing someone altering her control panel was so painful she had to look away once in a while. Or, she would turn to her awfully silent mentor, standing next to her with his hands in his back.
As soon as the meeting with the Supreme Leader had ended, Ben had dashed out of the room to command all the officers and technicians in the many hangars to track every ship that belonged to the First Order. Then, he had contacted every base and every other Star Destroyer to ask them to do the same. Now, every pilot would be spied on by the computers and machines of Snoke's servants.
Although he did not appear quite upset by the whole situation, Ben actually turned out to be as worried as Teebasha. He was watching the scene as well, speechless, fully aware of the danger it could be for both of them and the Resistance. His quiescent self he had to show within the First Order was almost too difficult to keep; never had he been that glad to be so feared by officers and lieutenants that they did not even dare glance at him and notice his trembling hands.
However, it turned out that obeying Snoke's orders could have a positive impact on the alliance with the Resistance: by getting in touch with the other bases and ships of the organisation, he had taken the initiative to save the coordinates of each of them on a memory device to use them against Snoke. Henceforth, the Resistance nearly had all its chances to wipe out the First Order. This power was now between his hands.
Observing a certain lack of reaction coming from him, Teebasha grunted and stormed out of the control room. Immediately noticing her departure, Ben followed her, taking large and heavy steps until both reached her room. Once inside, Teebasha locked the door and turned to Ben with a ferocious glance.
"What are we going to do, now?" she snapped although involuntarily. "They're tracking my Interceptor now, I can't go to D'Qar anymore! And I'm pretty sure he's tracking your shuttle as well, even if you have the permission to land on the station."
"Teebasha, let's not lose our temper," he replied calmly, which took her aback. Besides, hearing such a thing coming from Kylo Ren – the most choleric man she had ever met – sounded quite ironic.
"Let's not lose our temper?" she repeated with growing rage. "They're tampering with my Jedi Interceptor without my consent! We can't meet with the Resistance anymore. How can you be so calm about it all?"
Ben sighed and raised both of his hands to take off his mask. The snout-like front emitted a brief and low whistle as it jutted out of the helmet. He pushed upwards to make the whole slip against his cheeks, barely dishevelling his shiny black mane. His dark eyes were now staring into hers instead of the expressionless black glass through which he could see when wearing the mask. Under the poor light of the room, his impressive scar seemed thicker.
"We don't have to worry about our alliance. Yes, we are in greater danger now, and we'll have to take more precautions. But it enabled me to get the precise location of every base we own. I saved them all on this device," he said while showing her a sort of flash drive, smaller than a finger. "I need you to find a way to send those coordinates to the Resistance."
Teebasha stared in awe at the memory device, whose dark colour reflected the light shining upon it. She remained speechless for a short moment, until she shook her head and broke the silence.
"You… You managed to get all this information!" she gasped. "I must find a way to avoid the First Order's trackers and –"
A sudden beep emanated from the other side of the room, interrupting her. Both turned their heads to the source of that noise and noticed R2 in a corner, freshly turned on. The corners of Teebasha's mouth rose as a sudden thought crossed her mind. She walked up to her droid and knelt down beside him.
"I think I have an idea."
"What is it?" Ben asked curiously.
"You told Snoke that I couldn't help with the sabotage since I was away to get a piece of my control panel repaired, remember?"
"Yes."
"Thank you for saying that to him, by the way," she paused with a thankful grin and an almost loving expression. "Anyway, this gave me an idea. The Supreme Leader didn't really seemed bothered by the idea that I could leave the Finalizer on my own. We could use that to our advantage. I could short-circuit R2 and ask for your permission to leave for Ryloth to get him repaired. No-one aboard this ship can know how to repair such an old droid, especially since Natelo'or added many options and parts that can only be found on Ryloth. I could go there to meet Natelo'or, my ship will be tracked, and they'll know I'm there. But I could use one of Natelo'or's spare shuttles to go to D'Qar and give them the information and tell them how close we are to this war."
Ben's puzzled expression faded instantly. His jaw dropped lightly, and his gaze moved from Teebasha to R2. The droid protested, but his owner rested a gentle hand on his head to calm him.
"You are a genius," Ben exclaimed.
"I'm not comfortable with using my comlink here to contact them. I don't want to use R2 either, they would intercept the signal and spy on our conversation. I'd be arrested in an hour."
"That's right. We can't take that risk."
Teebasha nodded her head then turned to her robotic friend, running her fingers up and down his head in a soothing gesture. She gave him a joyless grin.
"R2, I need to short-circuit you. This is important. You know I wouldn't do it otherwise."
The droid kept protesting. She tried to calm him as much as she could, but he seemed to entirely disapprove of the idea. Although he guessed how dangerous it could be for them to travel to D'Qar, the idea of being short-circuited sounded too unpleasant for him.
"Let me short-circuit you, R2, I'm begging you," Teebasha pleaded. "If I don't do that, I'm going to get killed, as well as all our friends. Even R2-D2 and BB-8."
R2 let out a low beep and turned his back to her. The small door in his back opened, and Teebasha smiled, patting her droid's head.
"Thank you."
She took a deep breath and fiddled with the wires in sight. In less than ten seconds, the droid chirped loudly before being reduced to silence. The blue and red lights near his main lens were turned off, and Ben understood that Teebasha had managed to short-circuit him. She closed the door of the metallic body and stood up.
"Master, I need to go to Ryloth."
With a smirk, Ben nodded and put his mask on again. They both lifted the droid up, carrying him along the corridors leading to hangar six. Every so often they would stop and catch their breath; R2 was not as light as a feather, quite the reverse. But sooner than they expected, they entered the control room, catching the eyes of the present officers.
Behind the central computer stood a tall man in his uniform, his lips firmly sealed. His cold grey eyes scanned the room once in a while to make sure that his subordinates were actually busy guarding the hangar instead of being busy doing something else. From the medals on his uniform, Ben recognised him in an instant: that man was Lieutenant Oamuys, a dedicated follower of the Supreme Leader and one of the most ruthless lieutenants the organisation had. He was the kind of man who would make wild animals flee on his way, and who could kill with a single stare.
"Snoke must fear something," Ben whispered to his apprentice. "He never sends Lieutenant Oamuys for nothing."
"Is it good for us?"
"Could be. Or couldn't. I'm not quite sure."
Ben took a deep breath and went up to Oamuys as Kylo Ren, standing upright and looking upset. Oamuys glared at him from the corner of his eyes with a disgruntled air. The Lieutenant had never had a good opinion about the Commander, and every time he had been given the opportunity, he had complained about him and his methods he found too soft and too childish at times. He probably was the only man in the First Order who did not fear him one bit. Yet, they both shared one thing in common: both were immensely feared by the soldiers and other officers and lieutenants of the organisation. The only difference was that Oamuys was the only one to be hated in addition.
"Ren," Lieutenant Oamuys grouched.
"Lieutenant Oamuys, I'm giving my permission for my apprentice to leave aboard her Eta-2 Actis-class Interceptor. She needs to leave for Ryloth in order to get her droid repaired."
"There are plenty of droids who could do that instead," he replied haughtily while examining Teebasha and her inactive droid.
"The defective parts inside my droid are typical of Ryloth. That's the only place where I can get them repaired," she replied defiantly. "I've never heard of any foreign droids capable of fixing such parts, let alone humans."
"I still think that our technicians are highly qualified for this job, Miss."
Ben let out a loud grunt and grabbed Oamuys by the shirt, lifting him so his feet would leave the ground. His icy mask stopped a few inches from the older man's face. For the first time since they had known each other, Oamuys seemed to fear him, as his cheeks had turned paler than they already were. General Hux would have looked tanned in comparison.
"Are you questioning my authority, Lieutenant?" Ben scolded, clutching the fabric of his uniform more firmly.
"For me to do that, you would require to have some kind of authority," the wrinkled lieutenant grunted defiantly. "Be careful, Ren. You're nowhere near powerful."
Under his stuffy helmet, Ben's face twisted in anger. He abruptly let go of Oamuys' uniform and his right hand rose in front of him. The veins in the lieutenant's neck jutted out unexpectedly as he gasped for hair, his cheekbones turning red. Teebasha witnessed the scene helplessly; she had not expected that level of wrath the two men felt towards each other. Although Lieutenant Oamuys was exactly the kind of person she could never like, she understood that Ben had crossed a line. They did not need to make a scene; this kind of behaviour could put them both at risk. If Ben started to rebel too much against members of the First Order, their opposition could quickly be unveiled.
As the old man's face turned blue and Ben did not seem to be about to let go of him, Teebasha dropped R2 on the floor and lifted her hand, her palm facing Ben.
"ENOUGH!" she yelled, catching the attention of all the people in the room.
Ben's arm abruptly lowered and his entire body tensed up. Some officers and guards in the room gasped, taken aback by the fact that someone without a status within the First Order had dared confront Kylo Ren. As for Oamuys, he fell on his knees and struggled to catch his breath; at least he was free from Ben's force choke. He looked up and noticed the fire burning in Teebasha's eyes as she stared resentfully at her mentor, keeping her hand up.
"Master, you don't want to make a scene, do you?" she said through gritted teeth.
"Let me go! Teebasha, you'd better let me go!"
"Not before you calm down and ask Lieutenant Oamuys to let me take my ship more nicely."
Ben clenched his fists but gave in; he understood by himself that he had crossed a line he had to be careful not to cross. If he wanted their whole operation to be effective, he had to be as discreet as possible. Nearly killing a lieutenant would not benefit him in any way – except on an emotional level, perhaps.
Sensing that he had started to relax, Teebasha lowered her arm and Ben could finally move his limbs again. He turned to Oamuys, who had stood up in the meantime, his face still red from the lack of air. He yelled at his officers to focus on their work before facing his computer again.
"Eta-2 Actis-class Interceptor, it is?" he snapped shakily.
"Precisely."
"Where is your destination?"
"Ryloth," Teebasha answered, nudging Ben in the ribs to stand ahead of him. "It's an Outer Rim territory. Ryloth system."
"Thank you."
Oamuys entered the coordinates in his system, remaining silent for a couple of seconds. Then, he turned to Teebasha, pretending that Ben did not exist.
"You should know that from now onwards, your ship will be tracked. That is why we need your destination. There was an important attack against the First Order. For more safety, and to ensure that the attack was not internal, our technicians have equipped all the starships with trackers. If you remove or hack the tracker, we will know immediately. Understood?"
"Yes, Lieutenant."
She nodded her head and picked R2 up again. Ben helped her and both went up to her Interceptor; once they reached it, they settled R2 in his socket, whereas he would be useless during the flight. As Ben approached Teebasha to wish her good luck and to share some tender gesture with her, Teebasha turned her back to him instead, and without a single word, climbed inside her shuttle. In less than a minute, she was gone to outer space.
After calculating her hyperspace jump, she leant back against her seat with a sigh. She could not understand how all this had happened. In such a short time, Ben's behaviour towards her, or even towards other members of the First Order had drastically changed. He was not the monster he had been when she met him at first, but deep inside, she could feel that the light inside him had slightly died. How could this even be possible? She knew that love belonged to the light, but there, it was pulling him towards the Dark side. Even worse, he was the one pulling himself down. He had refused to find other options to live with her, and every time she found herself near him, she could sense the inner battle going on in his heart.
She had believed that by helping him return to his family and rebel against the First Order, she could ease the strong emotional pain that he had had to deal with. It was as though her efforts were pointless; the pain lingered, even if it was not as strong as it used to be. Either his heart was constantly grieving, or he had not revealed everything to her.
It was terrible for her to realise that Ben's anguish was still burning him from the inside, whereas she had done everything she could to ease it. It was only then that she realised that she had spent all this time within the First Order trying to be his human plaster. She had focused on the war against the First Order, and she was dedicated to that cause; yet the main person that had been on her mind had been Ben. All along, it was him.
Before she even realised it, it was time for her to leave hyperspace. After pushing buttons and a lever on her panel, the Interceptor slowed down, and the stars surrounding it appeared under their normal form again, instead of stellar strings. Right in front of her appeared Ryloth, all silent and brownish. Teebasha approached it with a nostalgic smile as she remembered the first time she had come to this planet, with a newly freed Natelo'or behind her.
The Interceptor landed on the Rylothian ground a few minutes later, welcomed by spirals of sand underneath it. She silenced the ion engines and jumped out of her spaceship. It was at this moment that she noticed the green Twi'lek running up to her.
"Teebasha!" Natelo'or called her in disbelief before pulling her into a tight embrace. "I was afraid that you would never come back! A long time has passed since you last came. I had feared that something had happened to you."
"Don't worry, Natelo'or, the First Order can't get me, even if I live with them."
Natelo'or broke their embrace and gazed at her with the friendliest smile she had been given since she had agreed to become Ben's apprentice. The Twi'lek then peeked above her shoulder and frowned.
"What happened to R2?"
"The First Order put a tracker in my ship. I sabotaged their new superweapon. For safety, they started to track every single ship they found at the bases or in the hangars of Star Destroyers. I can't go to the Resistance base as easily as I could. Short-circuiting R2 was the only thing I found to come here and leave for the Ileenium system afterwards."
"Let's take R2 out of here. I'm going to fix him. And maybe I should change one of his parts. I had another droid coming for repairs that had the same part. It damaged it quite badly, I don't want this to happen to your droid."
"Thank you, Natelo'or. I'm sorry I have to ask you all these things every time I come."
"I told you when you freed me that I would do everything for you. It was my debt at first, now it's a pleasure, because it is for my friend."
Teebasha smiled and both of them proceeded to take R2 out of the dorsal socket of the spaceship. They put him down and Natelo'or brought him to his house. Teebasha looked all around her like she did the last time she had come there, glad to find herself someplace familiar. Some things had been added here and there, and she smiled as she understood it was the gifts he had given to his family thanks to the money she had let him earn for Vonar Horle's head.
While Natelo'or was taking out all the tools he would need to fix R2, Teebasha rested a hand on his shoulder.
"Natelo'or, do you have a spare ship that doesn't require an astromech droid that I could borrow to go to the Ileenium system?"
"I'm afraid I don't. I had to sell mine a month ago, but anyway I don't think it had the capacity to even travel across the Outer Rim."
"Crap. Do you know where I can find one?"
The Twi'lek sighed and stood upright, his golden necklace patting his chest as he moved. He turned to her with a light frown and pointed at the ceiling.
"I know someone on Ryloth who may have what you're looking for. However, I can't get in touch with her to let her know you're searching for a ship. Anyway, I'm pretty sure you'll be able to find her at that cantina in Leb'Reen. That's where she spends most of her time."
"Leb'Reen," she repeated pensively. "Isn't it that city a few kilometres south from Kala'uun?"
"Precisely. I advise you not to take your Interceptor to Leb'Reen, though. That place is full of thieves. Besides, your tracker will send all the information to the First Order, and if you're seen there speaking to someone suspicious, they'll be informed immediately. And they'll know you've been cheating, because this cantina is inside a spaceport."
"How can I get there?"
"Let's find you a disguise. Then, I'll give you my speeder."
Teebasha nodded and followed Natelo'or to his bedroom. They faced a tall wooden wardrobe, from which he took a few clothes belonging to his wife, Genna. He gently pressed the clothes against Teebasha's figure, checking if they would fit.
"Genna and you must be the same size. I'll give you something to cover your head. That could be useful if First Order members are there."
Teebasha nodded again and went to the next room to remove her dark and dull First Order uniform. She neatly folded it and put it down on a chest of drawers near her before putting on the dress the Twi'lek had given her. As her fingers brushed the soft fabric of the piece of clothing, Genna's sweet and soothing scent emanated from it, taking hold of her nose like a caress. She smiled as she imagined Genna wearing this dress; since she had returned from her mission before hunting Vonar Horle, she had not seen her a single time, not even their daughter.
Genna was a wonderful woman, and Teebasha had always admired the way she was so polite and patient with everyone she would meet. She had the ability to adapt to anyone, which was something Teebasha envied. Had she not been herself, the former bounty hunter would have wished to be Genna more than anyone else.
She exited the room and met Natelo'or in the corridor. The latter handed her a pale pink veil with brown head jewels. He helped her put it on and afterwards, patted her shoulder.
"I hope this is going to be comfortable. I know you're not used to dresses and head accessories."
"Oh, I still have that blade hidden in my hair," she chuckled. "Now it's time for me to go."
While on their way to Natelo'or's personal hangar, the Twi'lek started to ask her questions about her new life as double agent for the First Order and the Resistance, and the secret operation.
"You told me you sabotaged the superweapon," he began, "weren't you afraid of getting caught?"
"Of course I was. But thanks to R2's scans, I made my way freely on the station. The First Order has been deeply weakened by the battle on Starkiller base, even if it doesn't look like that. Their security isn't as effective as it used to be."
"What's your role with the Resistance?"
"I'm a double agent. I work for both of them, but I'm all for the Resistance. Snoke is a cold-blooded monster, a hideous creature that wants to crush everything that stands in his way. I know he's strong, but I don't know to what extent. We have to be extremely careful in everything we do."
Natelo'or nodded his head slowly as he heard about the danger she was in. Obviously, he was not pleased with this idea; he could not bear it if anything happened to her.
"I'm worried about you, Teebasha," he intoned tremulously. "Genna is, too. If anything was to happen to you, if you were killed… we couldn't live with it."
"Natelo'or, muchi, nothing will happen to me, I promise."
"Why do you have to go to D'Qar right now?" he asked with a frown, wrapping his arms around himself. "Why do you have to go there right when they start tracking your ship?"
"Ben saved the coordinates of every base and ship that could back up the First Order during a battle. I must give them to the Resistance. If we weaken the Order more than it already is, then we multiply our chances to win this war and bring democracy back to the galaxy. That's all I wish."
"I miss our democracy…"
As they faced Natelo'or's hangar, they opened the heavy doors. Teebasha stayed outside and heard engines roar inside, as the Twi'lek came out with his old brownish speeder. After a brief embrace, Teebasha looked at Natelo'or.
"Who is that person I must meet in Leb'Reen?"
"Her name is Xylas Rato. She's a smuggler from Metellos."
"A smuggler?" she repeated, visibly amused. "Since when are you friends with smugglers?"
"I befriended a bounty hunter, anything can happen!" he replied with a chuckle. "She trades spaceships at several spaceports, especially Leb'Reen. She comes here often when her ships are damaged or need to be improved. We've talked a lot."
"How can I recognise her?"
"Just ask the barman. He'll know."
"Alright. Thank you again, Natelo'or. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Just go, and be safe."
Teebasha wrapped her arms around him and hopped on the speeder. She turned the engines on, and left as fast as lightning, the pink veil floating behind her. She followed the route leading to Leb'Reen, bypassing traders and scavenger villages. Ruins of ancient machines of the Empire stood in the sand, completely deserted, even by scavengers who had already taken everything they could sell. Figures wrapped in grey garments turned to her as she dashed across the landscape.
Sooner than she expected, she read a high sign indicating the entrance of Leb'Reen. Using her holomap, she found the way to the spaceport; less than five minutes later, she turned off the speeder and jumped off of it. She entered the gigantic door of the spaceport, which was full of travellers. Aliens, droids and humans came and went inside the modern building, chirping or chatting about thousands of topics. Teebasha bypassed a line of people queuing in front of a desk, behind which a droid sold tickets for public transport inside the Outer Rim territories.
She crossed the main hall, adjusting the veil on her head so that the few Stormtroopers in the area would not recognise her. "What even are they doing here?" she wondered. "Ryloth is a neutral planet and can't be a threat to the Order."
Noticing a group of travellers heading to a perpendicular corridor, chatting joyfully and laughing, she decided to follow them. She soon realised it was a great idea; as soon as she turned to that corridor, she heard the catchy music played by an alien orchestra inside the cantina.
The cantina in Leb'Reen was not the most impressive she had ever seen. Since it was located inside the spaceport, there were far less bounty hunters or smugglers dawdling there. On Ord Mantell, she knew there were more dangerous cantinas here and there. The one she had been to in order to find information about Vonar Horle was probably the less dangerous one on Ord Mantell, although plenty of smugglers always gathered there.
The room was lit by purple and pink neon lights, safely attached to dark blue walls. Tables and seats were scattered across the lively place. A Bith orchestra played catchy tunes on a small stage on the right, surrounded by female dancers of different races. The large counter lined with stools could be find on the left side of the entrance. Teebasha noticed the whole collection of local and foreign drinks proudly displayed on shelves behind the two barmen talking with customers and serving them.
Teebasha went up to the counter and stood between two free stools. One of the two barmen, a truculent orange Twi'lek with protruding teeth, turned to her with a cha'kin – a small towel – in his left hand.
"Kassurra zelada," he greeted absent-mindedly. "T'ssolok or yurp?"
"Give me one T'ssolok, narsu," she answered more politely.
With the help of a cha'shaku, the Twi'lek served Teebasha the traditional Twi'lek liquor she had ordered. Meanwhile, the young woman peeked all around her, careful to hide her face with the veil nonetheless, trying to see someone who could correspond to the image she had of Xylas Rato.
The barman pushed the glass of T'ssolok towards her, and she caught it skilfully between her fingers.
"Arni'soyacho," she thanked him in Twi'leki. "Listen, I'm looking for someone who comes here often. I've heard she's a faithful customer of yours. Does the name Xylas Rato sound familiar to you?"
"Xylas Rato?" the barman repeated with a defiant stare. Obviously he knew Rato, and this woman was tracked by either bounty hunters or other rats in the galaxy. "Qato?"
"I need a ship to travel in the Outer Rim territories. But I can't use public flights."
"Koa," the Twi'lek replied almost aggressively.
Teebasha smirked and grabbed him by the wrist. As soon as the palm of her hand touched his colourful skin, the barman's muscles relaxed. What a great feeling it was to finally be able to do mind tricks again on people who were not trained to use them!
"You're going to tell me where I can find Xylas Rato. Right now."
"Circoo," he replied while pointing at a remote table on the other side of the room. "Ash is circoo."
"Arni'soyacho. How much do I owe you for the T'ssolok?"
"Sooua'irr wupiupi."
She took out her small purse from her pocket and took fifty-three wupiupi. She put the coins in the barman's hand and picked up her glass before crossing the room, under the puzzled look of the Twi'lek.
Sitting at the table, turning her back to the former bounty hunter, Xylas Rato was twirling a rusty coin on the table, tapping the fingers of her other hand on the thick canon of her blaster. Her brown skin glowed under the purple neon on her right, and the dreadlocks in her hair almost seemed thicker than they already were. Her worn out grey shirt could barely cover the impressive scar that crossed her collar bones.
Teebasha approached the woman, careful not to spill her T'ssolok, and stood beside her, waiting for the smuggler's invitation to sit down.
"Xylas Rato?" she spoke loud enough to cover the hubbub filling the cantina.
Xylas cocked an eyebrow without looking away from her spinning coin. She took a deep breath, visibly annoyed that someone dared interrupt her break.
"Depends on who's asking."
"My name is Teebasha Varn."
"Oh, you're that bounty hunter everyone talks about," the smuggler sneered, still avoiding eye contact. "Everyone thinks you're dead."
"Fortunately for me, I am not. I only quit the activity."
"If you quit, as you say, then why are you looking for a smuggler?"
Teebasha sighed and sat in front of the woman, putting her drink down on the table first. For the first time, she shared a glance with Xylas. Her bright yellowish eyes contrasted with the colours of the place; they appeared so bright that she could look like a creature patiently waiting in its cave to attack its prey. A tiny scar compared to this on her chest marked her right cheekbone, and from its colour, Teebasha could tell it was still fresh. From the look on her face and her cold demeanour, it was puzzling to know why Natelo'or could befriend such a person.
After sipping her Twi'leki liquor, Teebasha removed the veil from her head, freeing her hair and the upper part of her face.
"I need a ship. A good friend of mine told me you owned a few."
"A good friend?" Xylas repeated, tilting her head. "Many people told me about their friends. It never ended well."
"You may know Natelo'or Riva, from the outskirts of Kala'uun."
"Oh! The Twi'lek!" she exclaimed in slightly happier and warmer tone. "He's a good man. A very gifted one."
Teebasha smiled widely at the thought of her best friend – and perhaps only real friend. She cleared her throat and looked up at the smuggler again.
"Indeed. I really need a ship to travel across the Outer Rim. However I don't have my astromech droid with me. Do you have a shuttle available?"
"Of course, I do," Xylas smirked. "But it won't be free. Even if you're Natelo'or's good friend."
"Obviously. I wouldn't leave without paying you. What kind of ship do you own that corresponds to what I need?"
Xylas took a deep breath, and as she was about to speak, a man hurriedly came up to her and sat down beside her, pushing her a little further on the leather seat. The smuggler grunted and shifted a bit further to her right, rolling her eyes.
The man, who looked slightly younger than Xylas, was smiling broadly as he let out a sigh of relief as the softness of the seat welcomed his painful thighs. He leant back and ran his hand against the back of his neck. His square face was framed by a mass of chestnut brown dreadlocks, held up by a linen headband. One of the dreadlocks was stroking his jawline, its tip tickling the horizontal scars on his neck.
After a long moment of silence, he eventually noticed Teebasha's presence.
"Oh, I'm sorry," he chuckled, reaching out for her hand. "I'm Tylan Riggs, Xylas' Mantellian associate."
"Nice to meet you," she grinned as she shook his hand. By the way he spoke and moved, she immediately recognised the typical Mantellian demeanour. "I'm Teebasha Varn."
"Oh," Tylan paused, visibly puzzled, before turning to his associate. "Is she the..?"
"Not anymore, apparently," Xylas nearly interrupted him. "She needs a shuttle to travel the Outer Rim. Without an astromech droid. What do we have?"
"I've just taken delivery of a Nar Shaddaan ship. It bears lightspeed, and you don't need a docking ring for the jump into hyperspace. No compressor on the hyperdrive, I've removed it."
"Sounds perfect to me," Teebasha nodded. "I'm warning you: I'm not buying a ship. I'm only… let's say… renting it. I have a ship of my own, but my idiot of an employer installed a tracker on the system. And my R2 unit is currently being repaired in Kala'uun."
"Well, that's a first," Tylan cocked his eyebrows. "But that isn't a problem, I guess, what do you say, captain?"
Xylas squinted her eyes as she stared defiantly at Teebasha. Her fingers had stopped tapping the canon of her blaster, and noticing that gesture, Tylan gulped.
"Why did your employer put a tracker in your ship?" she asked. "Did you tamper with the ships?"
"No. I'm not going to tamper with any ship. My employer fears rivalry."
"Are you careful with the starships when you fly? Have you ever had any accident?"
"Never. I am a gifted pilot. I've flown ships since my childhood. I'm already quite careful with my own belongings, so when it belongs to someone else, I take even more precautions."
Xylas watched her take a few gulps of her T'ssolok. The smuggler shared a look with her associate and nodded so lightly it was hardly visible. Tylan smiled at Teebasha and winked.
"Well, let's have this first," Xylas gave in. "But you'd better give us our ship back without a single scratch. Understood?"
"Xylas, the ship is already damaged. Friendly reminder: it belonged to a stupid Hutt," the Mantellian replied seriously. "Obviously there'll be scratches, Varn can't do miracles."
"I understand your worries," Teebasha grinned reassuringly. "I vow not to do anything to your ship. Actually, I'll return it today. It's no big deal."
"Fine. Let's agree on a price, then."
Xylas scratched her chin as she pondered over a price. She had always issued prices for ships made to be bought by travellers; renting one for merely a day was a situation she had never been confronted to. After a long while, she took a deep breath.
"Nine hundred wupiupi."
"Quite expensive for a worn out Nar Shaddaan starship," Teebasha sneered. "Nar Shaddaan shuttles aren't big, and it's just enough for the trip I'm going to make. Besides, I won't be gone for long. Seven hundred."
"Seven hundred already sounds too expensive to me," Tylan naturally said, earning an abrupt nudge in the ribs from Xylas.
"Eight hundred," the female smuggler insisted.
"Seven hundred and fifty."
Xylas and Tylan shared another look; the Mantellian nodded frankly, making his associate sigh.
"Deal."
Teebasha shook their hands, but neither of them stood up to head to the hangar. They all finished their drinks – hurriedly or not – and stayed there for a while. Tylan crossed his arms on the table and leant closer to the former bounty hunter with squinted eyes.
"Let me guess where you're from," he said excitedly.
"Oh, come on, Riggs, not that game again!" Xylas groaned and crossed her arms.
"Stop protesting! It's a funny thing, it's interesting to know where our customers come from! Anyway… I'd say that you're from… Ord Mantell."
"Riggs, you always say Ord Mantell."
"But this time it has borne fruit, it seems," Teebasha laughed. "I am Mantellian. But I live in Ryloth now."
"HA! Told you!" Tylan exclaimed. "Where are you from, precisely?"
"Ord Mantell City."
"Oh! My ancestors were farmers, thousands of years ago. But then, one became a smuggler – a famous one on top of that – and most of our family members are smugglers as well."
"I knew that your name sounded familiar. Your ancestor is Corso Riggs, right?"
"You know him!"
In such a short time, Teebasha felt some kind of affection towards Tylan Riggs. Perhaps it was only the fact they both originated from the same planet. She had heard about his forebear plenty of times. While spying on smugglers in order to decide of the right time to put the instructions on the notices into action, she had heard them ranting about Corso Riggs, the farm boy who had changed paths to become a renowned smuggler after his encounter with another smuggler, at the time when Ord Mantell was torn apart between the Old Republic and the Separatists. Corso Riggs was devoted to the Republic, and had helped his associate to carry medicines and other items to the forces of the Republic. Somehow, both of them had taken on a share of the Republic's victory.
Finally, the three of them stood up from their seats and left their empty glasses on the table. They exited the cantina and crossed the spaceport without uttering a word. They reached the hangar where the two smugglers kept the ships destined to be sold. Teebasha – who had readjusted the veil on her head and face – peeked all around her, curious to see the shuttles coming from everywhere in the galaxy. She passed by Geonosian fighters, Corellian freighters, Ylesian ships, and Cato Neimoidian fighters. Then, at the back of the hangar, they found the Nar Shaddaan ship that Teebasha was supposed to take.
After a quick check-up of the starship, Xylas and Tylan approached the young woman. Fortunately, Xylas seemed to be in a better mood than before. Teebasha took out the small purse hanging at her belt next to her lightsaber, which she hid carefully, and took out the money she owed the smugglers.
"Here's your due. Thank you for your trust."
"Thank you for your trust, Captain!" Tylan replied joyfully. "Hope I'll get to meet you on Ord Mantell one day."
"I hope I'll be able to go back to Ord Mantell one of these days," she replied with a bit of melancholy in her voice. She knew that if she was to be killed during the upcoming war, she would never see Ord Mantell again. She could not see it even before the war.
"You don't have to bring the shuttle back here," Xylas said, patting the starship. "You can directly fly back to Natelo'or's hangar. I must repair that thing, and I'm supposed to go back there tomorrow."
"I will leave it to him, then."
"Well, I don't think I need to tell you anything else. Goodbye, Varn."
"Goodbye, Rato, Riggs. It was a pleasure to meet you."
Teebasha shook hands with both of them and hurriedly entered the shuttle. While the platform shut itself, she settled on the pilot's seat, ripping the veil from her head and tossing it on the co-pilot seat. She stared at that seat for a few seconds, picturing Ben sitting next to her on their trips to bases or the Ileenium system. At that moment, when fear gained her progressively at the thought that the end could be near for her, she wanted him to be near her. She did not want to respond to his invitation, and she knew her opinion would not change; however, she oddly felt safe when she was with him. As he frightened nearly everyone, almost nobody would dare attack her or them.
Heaving a sigh, trying to focus on piloting, she left the spaceport of Leb'Reen and quickly jumped into lightspeed. Soon enough, she was flying above the green landscapes of D'Qar. When she landed, she noticed a dark silhouette wearing the recognisable leather jacket of the Resistance running up to her spaceship. She quickly recognised Finn as his figure became clearer; as she looked lower, she saw the heavy weapon he was holding against him, ready to shoot.
Teebasha quickly exited the ship; as she walked down the ramp with her hands raised above her head, Finn stopped in his tracks and a smile appeared on his face instead of his defiant frown.
"Oh, it's you."
"Hello, Finn! It's good to see you."
"It's good to see you too, even if we saw each other not too long ago," he chuckled. "Sorry about the weapon, by the way. When I saw the unknown ship coming, I had to take my precautions."
"I understand," Teebasha replied sympathetically as she pulled him into a brief embrace. "I couldn't take my ship or the Upsilon this time. The First Order has started to track every ship."
"Really?" Finn replied with a quizzical look.
Teebasha nodded slowly, and Finn lowered his weapon, holding it against his leg.
"Maybe you'd like to meet General Organa," he said eventually, breaking the brief silence. "But she went away. We had to take her to another base for safety reasons."
"Don't worry, I can meet Master Skywalker as well."
Without further ado, the young man spun on his heels and headed towards the base itself, followed closely by the double agent. He peeped at her a few times from the corner of his eye, as though he wanted to ask her something without daring to ask.
"Um… I heard the sabotage has been a success," he said tremulously.
"Indeed. The First Order has already reacted, which is why I'm here."
"If Skywalker allows me to stay, I'd love to hear about it."
Teebasha nodded, patting Finn on the shoulder. A few moments later, they found Luke standing on the side of the corridor, chatting with Rey and Poe. When Poe turned his head as he noticed their presence, he smiled at the both of them. Teebasha ran up to him, and the pilot wrapped his arms around her.
"Thank whoever's made us," she intoned. "I was afraid you would get killed. Master Luke told me that your ship was shot by a Stormtrooper and that you were heading home."
"I'm fine," Poe reassured her with a pat in the back. "I was lucky to have my squadron with me. They destroyed the canon before my X-Wing would get too damaged. Our pilots have really improved themselves."
"I'm glad to hear that," she nodded as she pulled away from him. "I know we've met not so long ago."
"Yesterday, actually," Rey laughed. "We're glad to see you here every time you come."
"The feeling is mutual, Rey."
Rey stepped aside to let Luke approach Teebasha slowly. The old Jedi Master smiled at her, but soon his smile turned into a frown of concern. As they stared at each other for a brief time, she understood that he had sensed the inner battle she was facing. From the look in his eyes, she guessed that he knew all about Ben's intentions. Trusting this man with her life, she did not even close the access to her mind; Luke could be of great help to solve this issue.
"I've been worrying about you since you ended our conversation hurriedly," the Jedi said in low-pitched voice. "What happened?"
"Ben asked a Stormtrooper to get me for a meeting with Snoke, Master. As soon as the Supreme Leader heard – or felt – about the sabotage, he summoned us. And I came as soon as I could to bring some news. I didn't want to use my comlink."
"Tell us more."
Teebasha opened her small purse and took out the memory device, which Ben had given her before she left the Finalizer. She held it in front of her, drawing the attention of her new three friends and the Jedi.
"Snoke fears mutiny since the sabotage. He ordered the technicians to put trackers in all the ships, including mine, which is why I had to come with a Nar Shaddaan shuttle. Ben had to get in touch with the representatives of all the bases of the First Order and he discreetly saved all the locations on this flash-drive. He asked me to give them to you for the attacks."
"Brilliant!" Finn and Rey exclaimed simultaneously.
"What a great initiative coming from him," Poe smiled as he took the flash-drive Teebasha handed him. "Thank him for me."
"I will. But there is something else you need to know. Snoke threatened General Hux as he realised that the security on the station wasn't effective. He allowed Ben to go there to keep an eye on the General. He told us to report abnormalities as soon as possible. However, if we report one, Snoke will come to supervise the construction himself."
Silence settled in the corridor. Their faces darkened, except for Rey's. She glanced at everyone and shook her head.
"Isn't it amazing?" she frowned with a grin. "That means we'll soon get rid of the First Order! It's going to be hard, but we can do it. I can feel it."
"We shouldn't hurry too much though," Teebasha intervened. "Of course, we must make Snoke come, but we should take our time. Make sure that the squadrons are ready, and that your soldiers are well-equipped. Snoke doesn't trust Hux anymore, but if we immediately point at a breach, he will suspect something."
"I agree with Teebasha," Poe said. "I will organise a meeting with my pilots, and I will let you know when we're ready."
"That would be great. I believe we'll need one last meeting before the battle, to discuss the strategies at least."
"I think General Organa has this all planned," Luke nodded. "We have decided to hide her somewhere for now, just in case. But she will lead this meeting."
Everyone nodded and after quick embraces and goodbyes, Teebasha ran back to the Nar Shaddaan shuttle and flew back to Kala'uun, where she left it at Natelo'or's. R2 returned to her, and together, they flew back to the Finalizer.