Mitka and the rest of her squad stood at attention while the grand chancellor lamented her not bringing in General Rackton alive, wishing she could ransom him off back to the Empire. Mitka was biting her tongue so hard she tasted blood. She desperately wanted to know when this idiot had been put in power, and why she didn't remember voting. Mitka marched Havoc out of the opulent room having accepted the hollow medals of honor, she could feel her blood boiling, she really hated politicians.
General Garza dismissed them, Mitka waited until her squad was gone, Aric hung back waiting just outside the door.
"Yes Major? Anything else?" Her tough CO asked her.
"Actually General, I have a lead on a major imperial target." Mitka cut straight to the chase, it was how Garza operated.
The general closed the door, her lips set in a grim line. "Who's the target?" She asked in her clipped and stern voice.
"Darth Kozilek, the Emperor's Wrath." Mitka brought up the holo image of her biological mother. "I have her estates location."
"That location is on Drummond Kaas, Major. How did you expect to take out this target?" Mitka knew that tone, she was being shut down. Garza either didn't know about Var Suthra's potential strike, or, more likely, she was choosing to keep Havoc in the dark. Then there's the possibility that the bounty hunter was wrong. Someone was lying to her, though after her eighteen months in Havoc squad, she was more inclined to distrust the senate and command then a mercenary, even if that mercenary did kidnap her fiancé.
Mitka was going nowhere with her commanding officer. "Sir, just doing my part, if ever we do decide to invade Drummund Kaas…" Idiot.
"I'll pass the intel on to the proper Jedi authorities, was there anything else Major?" Garza's voice had taken on a decidedly condescending tone.
"No sir." Mitka replied through grit teeth and burning ears. Idiot, idiot, idiot. Mitka saluted smartly and left the room.
Aric fell in step beside her, keeping silent until they cleared the senate tower. He knew just by looking at her that Garza wasn't playing ball.
"I take it we're on our own for this project?" He's met with a short nod, and frowning lips.
"Yeah." She sighed, which meant that her squad wouldn't be getting their marching orders from Garza, which would raise certain alarms for at least two in her squad. "Dorne and Yuun are out. Vik is in, and I think 4X would jump at the chance at tearing up as much of Drummund Kaas as he can." Jaxo would be in she thought to herself sadly.
"Balkar" Aric said. He saw the surprise in Mitka's eyes that he even suggested the SIS agent. "He's a cocky sob, but he's had our backs right from the start, and he's no fan of Garza. Just think about it, I think he could help us." Mitka nodded slowly, Aric was right. She just wasn't sure if he was a fan of hers anymore. Balkar and Jaxo had been close, intimatly close, Mitka had given the order that had killed her. She wasn't sure if Jonas had forgiven her yet, or if he even could.
"First things first, let's get to that meeting, there's not even a guarantee there will be a strike or that our target will even be on the planet. There are a lot of unknowns here, I'll feel a lot better after talking to mom and seeing who this employer of hers is. I've never known her to work for anyone but herself." Mitka says exasperated, she hated the unknown.
They passed by a flower vendor on the way to the taxi hub, Aric stopped to buy her a sunflower, the bright yellow petals matching her eyes. They walked hand in hand in their dress uniforms, Mitka holding the large yellow flower.
"There's a little chapel around the corner, with a nice old Jedi. Let's get married." He grabs her hand and pulls her close.
"My father would kill us!" Mitka replies, but she considers the idea.
"Didn't you tell me your parents eloped? You're mom marrying them on the bridge of her ship? Why shouldn't we? I mean unless you want the big wedding and the white dress." He laughs when Mitka makes a face.
In the end they decided to wait, Mitka arguing that her mother could marry them, and it would make her dad happy. They rented a small but comfortable Corellian corvette and loaded what few belongings they have into their temporary new home. Mitka puts her sunflower in a tall glass full of water, deciding it makes the ship homey. They striped out of their uniforms, out of their ranks and protocol, Mitka put away her doubts and misgivings about what was to come and simply enjoyed being able to be alone, utterly alone with the man she loved. She remembered the last time it had just been the two of them, it seemed so long ago, and she had been so intimidated by the hardened and angry soldier by her side. The soldier she was supposed to command, her only squad mate. She was sitting on his lap now as he taxied out of the Corucanti atmosphere, the hardened and angry soldier smiled and laughed quite a bit she had learned. When they broke orbit, and he had plotted the Hyperspace jump he picked her up and brought her to the tiny Captains quarters, the bed the only piece of furniture, it was all they needed.
