Chapter 10 – Spark of Hope
Jarren was nauseous; he could barely see what lay in-front of him. This wasn't space that he had been falling into; this was some sort of ultra-modern room. He groaned in pain, he hadn't been dreaming, he still didn't have an arm.
He jumped, had he awoken? The room was filled with medical droids as he tilted his head to see Hope and what looked like a figure the shape of Nightshadow, but no cloak.
"Hope?" he groaned, "Where am I?"
The two figures turned around. Nightshadow was different; she didn't wear her thick black cloak. Jarren didn't look into darkness, he looked into almost mechanical looking blue eyes. A thin strip of skin was clear but the rest of her body was covered in shiny metal.
"Jarren?" she asked, "What happened?"
"Foxy, uh…" Jarren murmured still perplexed by the entire situation, "My arm, space."
Hope ran forwards holding Jarren and embracing him kissing him as Jarren's face lit up but then fell with sadness.
"I'm so sorry," Jarren told Hope realising Verdian's death.
"There's nothing we could've done," Hope replied sighing, "At least we're in safe hands now."
"Well, I've currently only got one hand to keep you safe so you'll have to keep up your guard," Jarren joked as a medical droid began working on his new metallic arm.
"You went through a lot," Nightshadow told him, "If I hadn't of found you, you'd be dead in space, like I once was."
"Who are you really?" he asked flinching as the droid tested the feeling on his arm.
"Nightshadow Skye, leader of the Shadow Force,"she replied, "You're on my flagship, The Eternity."
Jarren flexed his new arm as he looked at Hope as she smiled back.
"I'll see you later," Nightshadow replied leaving the room.
A comlink suddenly beeped as Jarren used his new arm to sit up and press it.
"Hey kid, you haven't met me, I'm Kas Hattq, rebel spy," Hattq told him, "Me and Uiw are going to locate the Imperial fleet and draw a distraction whilst you two train."
"Nice to meet you and thanks," Jarren replied through the comlink as he stood up off the bed and looked towards Hope who stood by the window.
"Good luck sir," Uiw said through the comlink before it turned off as Jarren chuckled putting it down and walking towards Hope.
The Firefly raced from the Eternity and past another ship towards what could be visible of the known galaxy. The ship that once belonged to Verdian Jondi fled into hyperspace away from the giant fleet which lay behind it.
Hundreds of capital ships lined space, more than the Rebellion had ever had. Not just Shadow Forces but rebel cruisers joined together to form their alliance to finally conquer the Empire and destroy the tyrannical Emperor Foxy altogether.
R12 beeped behind Jarren and Hope as he turned around patting the droid as it expressed its happiness to see him. Jarren rested his hand over Hope's shoulder again as hyperspace consumed the fleet and space fled away.
The real war had finally begun.