Wearing her goggles and the rebreather Jori free-falls for a moment, as she looks up between her feet the shuttle explodes. She looks back down finally spotting the outpost emerging through the clouds. Closing the distance rapidly, a part of her begins to panic as she realizes she may have underestimated her vector. Although seemingly impossible she reaches out with the Force attempting to pull herself closer to the station. Realizing the attempt is useless she reaches down to her belt grabbing the ascension cable all the while knowing that even it may not save her at the speed she's falling.
Suddenly Jori gets a wild idea, yet one that just might work. As the station draws closer and closer she fires the cable guiding the grapple with the Force. It latches onto one of the antenna arrays at the top and Jori immediately begins retracting the device, essentially pulling herself closer, and more importantly over, the outpost. With seconds left to spare she gives a last Force assisted yank on the cable, her last ditch effort, and comes to a Force assisted landing yet at a reckless speed on the outermost wing of the station. Coming in so hot, she rolls on the landing tumbling end over end along the top of the outpost, finally coming to rest utterly exhausted.
She groans unmoving for a few moments and says, "I wouldn't want to do that again."
She rises reluctantly and disengages the grapple, retracting the cable as she hooks it back onto her belt. She removes the rebreather and heads for the nearest access hatch. Once inside she stealthily begins to make her way to the central power grid as she sends another coded signal via her tracking beacon.
Zaniel had begun to fear the worst when suddenly they get another ping off her homing beacon!
"That's her!" Zaniel exclaims.'
"It sure is." Allard replies ignoring his delight as he confirms the code. "Let's move out!" he says to the pilot.
"Copy that, Sabre squadron the op is a go!" transmits the pilot to the fighter group.
Back on the station Jori successfully disables the power to the antenna array and the outer defenses, however as expected it draws attention to her presence. She contacts Zaphael as she attempts to flee down another corridor when a repair crew flanked by two Stormtroopers spots her! She wastes no time in igniting her lightsaber and taking them down.
"Zaph, are you reading me?"
Just outside of the planet Zaphael receives her hail just as the rest of the squadron and the rebel Sentinel shuttle drop out of lightspeed ahead of them.
"I copy you Jori, what's your status?"
"Power to the antennae array and the defensive batteries has been knocked out, although I don't know for how long." Jori says deflecting a blast back into a security officer.
"Copy that, we're moving in." Zaphael replies as he switches back to the squadron's frequency. "Okay boys you know the situation, repeater cannons only on the station defensive batteries and antennae array. They're long range communications are down so let's make sure it stays that way. Flight two will cover the shuttle, flights three and four will hit the station while my group covers you from the TIE contingent."
With her cover blown Jori heads straight for the intelligence archive as alarms begin to blare through the station. Hoping to prevent the Empire from purging the data they've collected, or transmitting it off world, before she can access it Jori augments her speed with the Force as she finds two troopers guarding the doors. She opens the doors leaving two white armored corpses in her wake as the officers inside notice her entrance.
"Blast her!" the senior officer on duty orders as he reaches for his computer terminal.
Jori pushes outwards hard with the Force blowing everyone inside across the room. Relieved that the senior officer was unsuccessful in destroying or delivering the intel off the station Jori turns her attention to neutralizing the targets in the room.
At the same time at the communications post the Imperials begin receiving a staticky transmission from the Sentinel shuttle. Having expected their supply ship in momentarily the officers grant it entry as they hear the pilots report they are being pursued by Rebel fighters! Emergency klaxons begin wailing as the station commander orders all gunnery crews to man defensive batteries.
"We can't sir, power to the defensive batteries are offline!" reports one of the subordinates.
"We have a saboteur! Order all Stormtroopers to begin sweeping the station."
"Sir look!"
The commander walks over to the station where another of his subordinates is directing his attention. There he spots a mysteriously clad female human wielding a lightsaber against some of his men!
"A Jedi!"
"Sir, she's in the intelligence archive!"
"Get some Stormtrooper squads to blitz that post! Stop the Jedi at all costs and scramble our TIE fighter contingent below!"
"Yes sir!"
Back in the upper atmosphere Arker directs Zaphael's attention to the scanner. After checking the location of the blips he banks to the left and looks down below the station to see several TIEs ascending through the fog.
"We got incoming boys!"
"I see 'em." States Tosch over the comm.
"Zaniel I think they might know I'm here." Jori says sarcastically through her comlink. "I've secured the intel station but I'm not sure for how long." She says using one of the Imp blasters to take out the security cams in the room.
"We're on our way, docking now!" Zaniel says switching to his personal comlink from the shuttle's receiver.
Zaniel stands from his seat, double checking his blaster rifle and other effects as Allard preps his team.
"Remember boys, they may still be on to us so be ready!"
The doors open and while there's no apparent trap set for them there are several Stormtroopers on duty at the docking port. The strike team blazes through taking them out instantly and gaining attention of more Imperials inside.
"Killer, plug in to the nearest terminal and find Jori!" Zaniel says as he follows the team in, picking off a Stormtrooper.
Meanwhile Jori checks the corridor leading into the archive chamber and notices a squad of Stormtroopers approaching! Realizing that there is only one way in and out of the archive she knows she'll have to face them; she steps out into the corridor reigniting her lightsaber. Suddenly she spots two more squads reinforcing the first!
"Uh, Zaniel." She says into her comlink. "I might need some help up here."
"Copy that. Killer, find her." Zaniel says firing on three Stormtroopers that were trying to flank him from an adjacent corridor.
Killer whistles informing him that the outpost has been alerted to the presence of a Jedi on the station and that several squads have been dispatched to take back the archive.
"Can you do anything to help her?"
The droid informs him he can seal off several blast doors but it will only slow them down.
"Do it and show me the quickest route to her position." As the droid warbles an acknowledgement Zaniel informs Allard that their objective is in danger.
"We can't pull the whole team to reinforce the Jedi, we have to protect our way out of here." Allard replies firing.
"Tell me something I don't know, just give me some of your guys to go after her!" Zaniel exclaims.
"Copy that." Allard replies. "Rance, Mor'yk, Wheelyr, go with Brath."
"Killer, I need that route." Zaniel says just as the droid displays a holo. "Let's go."
"Surrender Jedi!" one of the Stormtrooper says.
"You sure you want to do this boys?" Jori says hoping to scare them off.
While more than capable to take on a squad of Stormtroopers Jori couldn't help remembering that these were likely some of the very same clones that took down the Jedi during the Purge. Even the Separatists had figured out during the war that sheer numbers was the key to taking down a Jedi.
"Last chance!" says the same trooper.
In defiance Jori pushes out with the Force knocking many of them across the corridor. The second and third squads open fire as she charges in, deflecting shots where necessary. As Jori cuts down Stormtroopers left and right, periodically using a Force push, she notices out of her peripheral vision several more squads approaching. She opens herself fully to the Force, twirling her blade at high speed as if displaying a dance of yellow light. Continuing to deflect and redirect the barrage of blaster fire she notices several Stormtroopers from the new squads bypassing her completely in an attempt to retake the archive.
Oh no you don't!
Jori backflips out of the current fray and somersaults towards the archive cleaving off white armored appendages left and right, even slicing one clean in half. As she lands back on her feet she continues blocking the incoming blaster fire.
Meanwhile Zaniel and his backup follow Killer's route to the archive.
"How can you be sure this path won't run is into those Stormtroopers?" he asks the droid.
Killer stops, displaying the holo once again although this time he highlights the location of the outpost barracks in comparison to their present route.
"Maintenance corridor, got it." Zaniel says as he directs the droid to continue leading the way.
A few levels up, the Stormtroopers receive further reinforcements which finally force Jori to fall back into the archive chamber. With them charging ever closer she finally withdraws and closes the blast doors, sealing them shut.
"Where are you when I need you Zaniel." She says aloud. "Wanted to look after me huh."
Suddenly she hears and feels an explosion through the blast doors as it rattles the entire level! She's about to open the doors when she feels another, then another a moment later.
Having reached the archive level a few moments earlier Killer lead Zaniel and the other Rebels to a flanking position on the Stormtroopers. Still heavily outnumbered he decided to take them by surprise by chucking a few thermal detonators down the corridor. As the last explosion rips through another squad of Stormtroopers they move in taking down several more while they are still dazed and confused.
Having heard the blaster fire cease to strike the blast doors Jori finally opens them cautiously and finds the troopers' attention now directed behind them. Jori makes her move rushing back into the forward squad and Force pushing them back.
Around the corridor Zaniel spots several Stormtroopers flying into the wall; he turns and stops Wheelyr from tossing their last detonator just in time.
"Wait, you might hit the Jedi."
With Jori cutting through Stormtroopers at the front Zaniel and the others soon make quick work of the remaining squads. When the last trooper goes down Zaniel walks around the corner just as Jori is deactivating her lightsaber.
"Miss me?" he asks.
"A little bit, actually." Jori replies sarcastically yet thankful for the assistance. "Leave your friends here to secure the hall, Killer get in there and plug in!" she says pointing over her shoulder to the archive.
Killer whistles in response as Jori and Zaniel follow him in. While the droid plugs in Jori takes a seat at one of the terminals to access the Imperial network. At the same time Zaniel contacts Allard on his comlink informing him that they are initiating the data scan.
"Copy that, there's still quite a few Stormtroopers down here putting up a fight." Replies Allard. "But the shuttle is still secure, keep us updated on your ETA!"
"Understood, Brath out." Zaniel says switching frequencies. "Zaph, what's your status?"
"There were a lot more TIEs at that airbase than expected but we're hanging in there." Replies his brother from the upper atmosphere. "We've also noticed several escape craft launching from other sections of the station."
"You've gotta shoot them down brother, we can't let anyone get away to report the situation. Otherwise we could find ourselves with some serious company very quickly."
"Got it. You guys about ready to pull out?"
"Not yet but we're close." Replies Zaniel.
Suddenly Zaphael notices one section of the outpost exploding from within! "Sithspawn!"
Zaniel doesn't have to bother asking as they feel the station shift in position.
"Zaniel you guys need to get outta there ASAP! I think the Imps are trying to bring the station down with you in it!"
"Copy that, Allard did you read that."
"Affirmative."
"You gotta sweep the station and stop the Imps from bringing this whole place down." Suggests Zaniel.
"Too dangerous and there's no time, we gotta pull out now."
"Wait one. Jori how much longer?"
Killer whistles a report just as Jori says, "He just completed the scan, he's got everything the Imps had on your squadron movements."
"Then let's get outta here you can sift through the data for whatever you need later?"
"No I can't, I need realtime access to the Imperial network." Replies Jori.
"The Imps could bring this place down any minute, Allard is pulling out!"
"Tell your men to get back to the shuttle."
"What?" Zaniel says unsure what's going through her mind.
"If the Imps are bringing the station down then they've pulled out." Jori says. "Sgt. Allard, your men are on their way back to the shuttle. Pull out and prepare to pick us up on the top of the station."
Getting an acknowledgement in return from Allard Jori looks at Zaniel with a hurried expression. He steps out into the corridor and orders Rance and the others to get back to the shuttle on the double.
"Okay what now?"
"There's a maintenance corridor just around the corridor."
"Yeah I know Killer led us here through it." Replies Zaniel.
"Good, there's a turbolift that will take you to the top of the station, wait for me there."
"No way, I'm not leaving you."
"Killer, get him moving." Jori says never once taking her eyes off the screen,
"What?" before Zaniel object further Killer disconnects from the terminal and extends an appendage from within his left compartment and delivers a quick shock to him. "Ow, hey!" Killer shocks him again as he finally gets the picture. "Alright I'm going."
Jori continues to scroll through the Imperial network having accessed former Republic records, even some public Jedi records, looking for information on kyber crystals. She feels the station shudder again violently as she continues with her task. Finally she finds what she's been looking for, with several planets listed she plugs in a drive from her datapad copying the information on each planet.
"We're pulling out, the station will go down with the next explosion." Allard says over the comm.
The moment the file transfer is complete Jori pockets the drive and uses the Force to augment her run to the maintenance hatch finding Zaniel and Killer waiting for her.
"Hold on to me!"
"What!?" Zaniel says confused as she grabs onto him around the torso.
With the turbolift on one of the lower levels Jori pushes open the doors with the Force then uses it to leap up the shaft. She reaches near the top grabbing onto the side of the shaft and instructs Zaniel to blast open the doors. With one arm around her, he aims his rifle with the other and blasts through the doors. Jori leaps once again clearing both of them through as Killer follows from below, deploying his rocket boosters from his feet.
"Allard, we're almost to the roof." Zaniel reports as he and Jori get to their feet.
"This way." Jori says leading him and Killer back through the way she entered.
Back outside Zaphael gets word that the Sentinel is pulling out, with the station going down he pulls flights two and three off their original assignment to focus on the TIEs. He breaks off to help cover the shuttle as he pulls a few of his wingmen onto the detail to assist.
"Tosch stay focused on the TIEs around the shuttle."
"Copy Zaph." Replies Tosch.
"Republic Revival give me an update." says Zaphael.
Waiting in the next system where the Sentinel launched from, another of the Rebel corvettes, the Revival has been scanning the area for incoming or escaping Imperial ships. They receive Lt. Brath's hail and report back that no Imperial vessels have arrived in the system.
Realizing they might just pull this mission off yet without a hitch Zaphael smiles as he blows apart a TIE that was targeting the Sentinel. As he makes another pass over the station he spots two figures and an astromech emerging.
"Sentinel, be aware we have two friendlies on the top of the station." Reports Zaphael.
"Yeah that would be your brother with the Jedi." Allard reports back over the comm.
"Somehow I'm not surprised." Zaphael says without transmitting back.
With Sabre's and TIEs locked in battle overheard Jori and Zaniel reach the edge of the station just as they see the shuttle ascending into view.
"What now?" asks Zaniel.
The shuttle faces them, still ascending, just as the ramp opens to admit them. Suddenly another explosion goes off, they both stumble as the station suddenly begins to drop!
"Grab onto Killer quick!" Jori orders.
Zaniel slings his rifle over his back and does as instructed as Killer fires his boosters flying them up to the mouth of the shuttle. Jori summons all her strength and Force jumps up right behind them grabbing the edge of the ramp just as Killer lands above her with Zaniel.
"Jori!" Zaniel exclaims as he lets go of the droid. He looks to Allard and says, "Tell them to bring up the ramp."
Allard relays the order to the pilots, as the ramp begins to come up Jori pulls herself over sliding down into the cargo hold, right into Zaniel's arms.
"We're all aboard, let's get outta here!" Orders Allard.
Drained once again Jori is pulled to her feet as Zaniel takes her hands in his.
"Thank you." She says exhaling a long relieving breath.
"You scare me sometimes." He says looking into her eyes.
"It's nice that you worry."
"Someone should, that was too close."
"I'm fine, besides we got what we needed. Both of us."
Realizing she's still holding his hands Jori finds herself feeling a bit awkward and yet somehow comfortable; she steps back and walks around him to take a seat.
Unsure what to say next, if anything, Zaniel is stifled as Allard instructs everyone to strap in.
"We've still got TIEs out there, we're not out of danger yet."
"Sabre squadron we're pulling out." Orders Zaphael as he leads the shuttle back into space. "Tosch wrap things up and get outta there."
"Copy that, the station is still falling but we're gonna make sure there's nothing left."
Tosch and a few of his wingmen follow the listening post as it continues to drop, they target it and fire a spread of torpedoes which decimate what repulsor power is left.
"Pull up cloud cover is getting too thick down here." Tosch orders.
As the remaining Sabre's extract from the area Tosch's astromech transmits a visual of the station on his cabin display. While it soon disappears beneath the fog after a few moments he sees the fireball from the resulting explosion as it apparently crashes into the surface!
"Now that's a beautiful sight." Says Tosch.
The squadron regroups as Zaphael's droid, Arker, transmits jumps coordinates throughout the flight group.
Inside the shuttle Jori is handed a canteen of water as several more are passed around.
"Thank you." She says to the rebel as she retrieves the drive from her pocket and gives it to Killer. "Hang on to this for me okay."
The droid whistles acknowledging her as she sees Zaniel walk over. He takes a seat next to her as he exhales slowly.
"So . . . . you got what you needed." he asks rhetorically before taking a drink of water.
"I think so, I'll have to research it some before we leave. So you won't be rid of me just yet." She says with a smile.
Zaniel hesitates for a moment then says, "I don't want to be rid of you at all. I like you Jori, we work well together. I think you should stick around."
While he meant what he said Zaniel wasn't ready to straight up admit how he felt about her, not just yet. Maybe it was because he knew she'd reject him, not for any personal reasons but because he knew she was a Jedi.
"You're a good friend Zaniel and under other circumstances, I'd like that but you know I can't stay."
At least she didn't completely shut him down, Zaniel took it as a glimpse of hope. However it made him feel more guilty than before about having R9 slicing into her ship's computer. But there'd be time later to consider what to do with that information, that is if his astromech was even able to attain anything.
"I know and I appreciate that." Zaniel says looking to her face to face. "Who knows, maybe I'll see you again someday." Sensing she's about to object otherwise he adds, "Hey you came out of exile once before, who's to say you won't do it again at some point."
Jori simply smiles and says. "I suppose you're right."
A moment later the shuttle jumps to lightspeed, along with the squadron, heading back to Wroona.
