Disclaimer: Disney owns Star Wars, not me. All the characters and places (except for my OC Analise) belong to them. General trigger warning is in effect.
"aaaa"-talking out loud. "aaaa" (bold and italics)-talking through a holo or com. 'aaaaa'-inner thoughts. "aaaaa"-talking through a Bond or talking during a Force Vision. aaaa-Force Vision. "aaaa" (bold)-talking in another language. ("aaa") (bold, italics, and parenthesis)-talking through a holo or com in another language.
AN: Winter is here! Well at least here in Michigan. We had another ice storm (which didn't knock out our power this time) and apparently there is more to come. Well I'm all ready for them as, by the time this chapter is published, I will have finished the RunDisney Star Wars Virtual Half-Marathon! Second year in a row:)
It's the final episode on Onderon!
The rebels allies in the shadows have been revealed! Ahsoka is now free to openly help her new and old friends. With King Dendup and the military now backing them up, it is time for the rebels to make their move. But the Separatists are ready too...
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~Disobedience is a demand for change~ Tipping Points, Clone Wars Season Five
Chapter Sixty-Seven: A New Generation
The market felt different.
Ahsoka kept the hood of her cloak up still as she passed quietly behnd the various stalls in Malgan Market. There were many more droids now in the market than there had been. On orders of General Kalani, the number of droids monitoring the market had increased and super battle droids had been thrown in for good measure.
But they didn't stop the people.
She could feel a lightness to them now. A new determination to actually fight instead of just ducking down to avoid notice. There were more smiles now even as conversations were kept hushed and dark glances were shot towards the droids. The teenager smirked to herself as she stepped out into the street. The droids weren't popular anymore.
A fambaa pulling a heavily loaded wagon went by her and Ahsoka dropped down to the ground. She carefully dropped a pack. The flap opened up and an image caster slipped out of the pack. As she crept away, using the wagon for cover. She could hear one of the droids. "Hey...My sensors are picking up an electromagnetic field."
Boy...were they in for a surprise.
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"Roger roger," B1-92 did a quick scan with his own sensors before using his blaster to gesture at an open pack on the ground. "The field is coming from the pack. I'll check it out." B1-92 didn't really want to check out a pack on the ground that was giving off some sort of reading, but when he looked back over at B1-90 who just waved a hand at him, he knew he had no choice.
So he bent down...
And squawked as a holo came to life. In his shock, his accidentally fired his blaster, the shot bouncing off a metal stand to the vendor's own shock and displeasure.
The people in the market stopped and stared up at the towering holo of the former King Dendup.
"My beloved people and fellow subjects," spoke the gentle and caring, yet firm voice that they all remembered. Some had been hearing it for as long as they could remember. "Today I appear before you not as the king I once was. Now I am nothing more than a humble servant of Onderon. Right now we are in the midst of a great and difficult struggle. These recent attacks have been used by the Confederacy to tighten their hold on our home."
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Malgan Market was almost completely still and quiet.
The animals were still shifting and conversing in their own way, children were still antsy and babbled. But the older children, the teenagers, the adults, and the droids were all silent and still as they listened to the echoing voice of Dendup.
"These Separatists have accused myself of being the leader of these so-called terrorists. That is nothing more than a bold faced lie that they have engineered so that they might further restrict your independence. These lies will also allow them to use deadly force against our people!"
Ahsoka listened too for a moment before turning and leaving the market. She had already heard bits and pieces of Dendup's speech at the headquarters. The King and Steela and Lux had all worked together to craft the perfect speech. One that would announce Dendup joining the rebels in working to toss Rash from the throne.
Reaching the right spot, Ahsoka began to climb up a wall.
The truth is simply that I had never met any of them until the day they came to free me. Now that I have spent time among them and talked to them, I see them as true sons and daughters of Onderon. They refuse to sit and allow our precious freedom to be take away from us by those beings who will sit there and conspire to steal it from us."
Lux was waiting for her on the roof with a ruping. Now that they were no longer based in the city, it was easier to fly in and out. Rupings flying through the air and landing on rooftops was such a common sight that no one thought twice about it. Not even the droids.
She took her friend's hand and allowed him to pull her up onto the ruping behind her. Ahsoka pushed back the hood of her cloak, enjoying the warm sunshine on her face, montrals, and lekku. Smiling at Lux she nodded. The young man let out a quiet whoop before tugging at the ruping's reins. The bird took off and the pair left the city behind.
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"Our destiny has always been tied to our beloved planet. Now our destiny has also been tied to them, these freedom-fighter. We must all come together and rise up to protect Onderon!"
His final words still ringing in the air, Dendup's holo vanished. It was then that B1-90 realized that they had been surrounded by the beings in the market. All of whom were now glaring openly at the droids. "Oh-uh. Hey, why are they all glaring at us...Hey!" A fruit had flown out of the crowd and smashed into B1-90's face.
He stepped towards the people only to hear a wet sputtering sound and turned. Someone had jammed another large fruit onto B1-92's head. "Blast them!" B1-92 obeyed the order. Still blinded by the fruit, he began to fire his gun. A couple shots hit B1-90 who went down with a surprised yelp. Another shot grazed off the backside of a massive creature. The creature roared and promptly swung his tail, sending B1-92 flying into a fruit stand.
The third droid was able to give a faint "On no" before the creature sat up him.
And the market was filled with cheers.
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The main group of the rebels and the leaders had retreated from the city. It had been the best way to keep Dendup safe and to prevent the old King from making good on his threat to join in the action. Instead of a house, they now sheltered in caves upon the Onderon highlands. They called their new base The Nest.
It was here they had taken the smallest bit of time to mourn Dono, planning to give her the hero's sendoff she deserved when they had won and Onderon was free. It was here that they now planned their next moves.
The army had been a big help, taking watches in turns with the rebels, chatting together like old friends.
Everything was coming together.
Everything they had ever hoped for.
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Steela and Saw were already there waiting for them on the watchtowers that also served a giant stands for the rupings. Steela was stroking the nose of her favorite mount as the Jedi and politician easily jumped down from their own.
"It's working!" Lux dashed up to Saw, fist raised in victory. "Everyone we saw is turning against the droids. They're rioting in the streets and attacking any patrols they come across!" Saw chuckled and clapped Lux on the shoulder. Their early and often arguments seemed to be a thing of the past.
"It's a beautiful thing Lux. A very beautiful thing."
"But we need to move the battle," Steela broke in, rubbing her face against her ruping's before joining the boys. "The battle should be taking place on the outskirts of the city. Not on the streets."
"Steela's right. There will less structures and less people that might get caught in the middle of it all."
"But that also means less clankers you two if we move away from Iziz. I still think our best bet is to take the fight down there and straight to Rash himself!" Saw pointed in the direction of the city.
"Stop and think Saw! All of us here want victory and a free Onderon. But we don't want it if the cost is innocent lives! Fighting door to door means that no way is safe." Saw flung his arms up a little, mouth opening and closing as he figured out what he could say to his little sister who also happened to be his leader.
"This...this is war Steela!"
"It is war," Dendup's soft voice interrupted the debate and the young people all turned to face the old king and his general. "But Steela is right Saw."
"And I agree," Ahsoka spoke up. It still felt different to her. This role she was playing as the sole adviser to the rebels. Even as Commander of the 501st Rex was there to help her and Analise too sometimes when Anakin couldn't be there. Here she was on her own to fill the role of her siblings. She missed Rex. She wished she had him there to support her. "The more droids that you can move from the city out here into the highlands, then the safer the people will be."
"My men and I await only your command my Lord," Tandin bowed his head to Dendup who smiled.
"Good Tandin, I do believe that we have a new contender for the leader of our forces." He turned to face Steela. The brave young woman who was risking everything. She was the perfect balance of warrior and politician. "You, Steela shall be the one to lead all of our forces including that of the royal army." He could feel Tandin's body stiffen in shock, but he knew that with time he would understand. They belonged to a past. Before them stood the future and they would need to be ready to take their place. "I declare that Steela Gerrera is now acting General!"
"You couldn't have picked a better choice my Lord."
"Yes...yes. It will be as you wish Sire."
Steela was totally still. She was now King Dendup's acting General? That had always been a dream of Saw's when they had been kids. She glanced at her older brother, worried that he would be angry. Only to see that Saw was happy, proud of what she had done. Of the role that she now played.
"Because of you and your rebels Steela, the faith I once had in myself was restored. Now I am putting that faith in you."
The weight was heavy upon her shoulders as did his hands, but Steela squared them and bowed her head. "Thank you for this honor Your Majesty. I promise that I won't let you down." Dendup nodded and stepped back. "Let's ride rebels!"
Ahsoka giggled as she watched Lux reach out to Steela, only for the young woman to seemingly ignore him. He covered it by running his hand through his hair, then whistling sharply for his ruping.
She paused before climbing onto her mount. She turned to watch the ruping land and for Saw to hold its head as Ahsoka climb onto the mount. Steela smiled to herself. She might never get another chance.
With purpose in her step she marched over to Lux, grabbed his face, and kissed him. Lux went still for a moment, before melting into it, reaching a hand to wrap lightly around Steela's neck. It lasted for just a minute, but it promised everything.
"That was just in case," Steela said as she lightly pushed him away.
"Should I be planning a double date?" The leader of the rebels was surprised when she looked up from the blushing young man to see the brightly smiling Togruta.
"A double date?"
"Yeah. You two with myself and Rex. Maybe once he's heard that Lux has been caught, he'll stop worrying that some fancy-pants politician is going to steal me away."
It took Steela a moment to place than name. Her eyebrows raised when she remembered the blonde Clone that had come with the Jedi and left with the Masters and Knight. He had always kept close to Ahsoka when he could, glowering at Lux sometimes.
"You mean...?" At Ahsoka's nod, she burst out laughing. For a moment she wasn't an acting general anymore and Ahsoka wasn't a Jedi Commander. They were just two teenage girls. "We are so going to sit down when all this over."
"Hold you to it!" Ahsoka said and waved as with a bright smile, Steela left and mounted her own ruping.
Lux, still blushing hauled himself up in front of Ahsoka. She smirked at her friend. Then punched him in the shoulder. He deserved it after all, forcing poor Steela to make the first move.
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The riots had reached Yolahn Square. Rash could see the pillars of black, choking smoke that belonged the droids and tank remains. Some of which were dangerously close to Unifar Temple. Far, far too close for his liking.
"We are loosing the trust of the people Kalani!" he nearly roared and slammed a fist down on the stone railing. "If we loose their trust in whole and the public turns against us, well I will admit that I fear what the outcome might be." Imprisonment for him, maybe banishment at best. The loss of his life at worst.
But to Kalani, the riots and the sharp increase of the hatred felt by the general public towards the Separatists meant little in the long run. Beings were like herd animals that followed the strongest shepherd and that would be the Separatists. "You have no cause to fear Your Majesty. Fear will bring them back to us."
Rash rose, his fist still clenched. "Maybe, but our first step should be to eliminate those traitors Dendup and Tandin along with Dendup's damn terrorists. If we take them out than the people won't be able to commit to their efforts at all!"
The king began to storm away, Kalani turning to watch him. "The former General Tandin is a weak fool," the metal general said with as much bite as he was programmed to allow in his voice. "Whatever army he has managed to put together will not be enough to stand up against the might and power of the Confederacy. If he does not stand a chance than neither does the terrorists."
"Excuse me General." One of the commando droids that now made up the vast majority of guard after Tandin left and took almost every single one with him as well as the army. "Our scouts have returned and they have located the main rebel forces. They have set up their camp in the mountains to the east of the city."
"That doesn't help us!" Kalani waved the commando back and followed the raging king into the throne room where he climbed the dais to the throne. Another plate of his favorite jogan fruits in hopes that they soothe his temper. "Unless you can tell me just how we can spare the troops that we need here in the city to deal with the riots!"
"You should not underestimate our means Your Majesty." Kalani could not understand how so many biologicals were so simply and miss what was so obvious. "By us crushing the rebel forces in the mountains then any remaining courage that the citizens have will be crushed as well. Once hope and courage are gone, order shall be restored."
Rash settled down onto his throne as Kalani turned back to face the balcony. A clear sign that he wanted to show him something. So he sat back and waited.
There was a purring sound of ship motor finely tuned. A large blue and sliver droid ship came into view. Rash slowly stood as three more HMP droid gunships flew up into view behind the first.
Kalani nodded to himself. These were the latest models and nothing that the rebels had in their arsenal, even with the aid of the Jedi, could bring them down. "Your target is the rebels camp. It lies in the east mountains. The army will follow to provide backup. There is to be no survivors. Now go!"
"By your command General." The gunships flew away.
At his throne, Rash rubbed his hands together before selecting a jogan to munch on in celebration.
The terrorists wouldn't stand a chance.
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They had gathered on the mesas. Some were atop them or the pillars of stone that reached for the sky. Others were at the base of the mesas. Some were atop beasts and others stood or knelt. All had weapons at the ready and their faces were turned towards Iziz.
They had been waiting for this.
And now it was on the way.
Steela and her ruping landed. The young woman's face was grim, but there was determination there too set like stone. Lux and Ahsoka rose to their feet as she approached them. "The droid army is nearly here. I need everyone to get ready. Send General Tandin the word."
It was now or never.
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Tandin lead the first wave. His stomach was in knots.
The overall Clone Wars had seemed such a far away conflict even though Onderon had sided with the Separatists. He had never once thought that he would be leading men and women into battle. He had thought maybe a few protests, some unrest. But nothing that wouldn't die away once the hotheads were taken care of and cooler heads had won the day.
He had been so wrong.
Now atop his dalgo Tandin was marching head-on into battle against the droid army. Even now he could see the marching mass of droids, the sun glinting off their dull metal casings. He could hear the stamp of their feet and humming roar of the tanks.
Tandin knew that the droid army outnumbered them.
But he also knew that they had something that the droids would never have.
The General's keen eye caught movement in the brush along the worn road. Rebels, freedom-fighters like himself that were hiding on the sides of the road. But the droids weren't paying attention to them. They were focused solely on him and his troops.
"Ready Steela."
"Copy that General..."
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"Begin your attack Saw!"
His blood was pumping and racing through his veins as he nudged his ruping into flight. Saw could the rush of wings as the others in his group followed his lead. As they flew over the troops on the ground, Saw wanted to whoop in excitement.
This was it!
This was the battle that would free Onderon and kick the Seppies off their planet!
He pulled his arm back...then tossed a grenade as hard as he could into the center of the marching droids. It exploded. Flames, dirt, smoke, and droids were sent flying through the air.
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As soon as the grenade hit the ground, battle had begun. Droids and rebels were exchanging blaster fire as more grenades rained down upon the metal army from above. Tandin let out a might battle cry and spurred his dalgo into the fray. The other fighters on dalgos followed. They used their steeds to rear up and then bring their font hooves down upon battle droids, crushing them into the dirt.
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Steela lay on her stomach, rifle pointed out over the edge of the mesa. She could hear the shots of the heavy-repeating blaster that was going off nearby. She was doing what she did best. Taking out commando droids one by one before they even had a chance to know what was happening.
She dared for a moment to lift her head and watch her brother. He and his men swooped low on their rupings, dropping grenades on the tanks and droid carriers. As they exploded, there was wild cheers from the others.
They could do this!
They could win and...
There was an explosion and rock showered down around her. Steela's head turned to her right to see the rock pillar where the blaster had been. The blaster was burnt and smoking. There was no sign of the rebel who had been firing it "No!" she cried out, rising to her feet. Ahsoka and Lux stayed crouched down, their eyes scanning the sky like hers.
"Where in the hells did that come from?"
"There! Droid gunships!" Ahsoka pointed out the ships flying fast towards them. Steela and Lux responded quickly. They fired with everything they had at the ships, but the shots bounced off like they were nothing.
"Blasted things got shields! Got any ideas Ahsoka?"
"Yeah...just one. We need to run now!"
Retreating hadn't been the idea Steela had been hoping for, but Ahsoka had fought in more battles than her. The trio raced for their rupings as the ships opened fire on them. Steela's ruping had already taken off, but flew nearby. The young woman leapt from the rock, praying, and letting out a quick sigh of relief when she was able to grab onto her ruping's leg.
Steela climbed up the leg and swung herself into the saddle. She waited to make sure that Lux and Ahsoka were on their ruping before she took off.
They needed a new plan.
And they needed it now!
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Saw turned his head to the side, using an arm to block the stones from his face and instead let them slice his arm. Then he glared at the droid gunships from the ledge where he had directed his ruping to perch.
It had been going so well. They had been winning and now this!
He watched the chaos around him. The gunships taking out those in the air which allowed the droids on the ground to march forward and slaughter the rebels in their path.
Well. He wasn't going to let that happen.
Saw grabbed a grenade and tugged on the reins of his mount. The pair flew to the nearest gunship and Saw threw his grenade at it...
It exploded harmlessly against the shield and the gunship turned its attention onto him.
Saw turned his ruping around, sending into a series of twists and turns, but the gunship was ready. His ruping let out a pained cry as it was shot and went tumbling to the ground. Saw grunted when his body hit, but was thankful he didn't have any broken bones.
"Saw!" He looked up to see Tandin racing to him on his dalgo, hand outstretched. Saw grabbed it and the General pulled Saw up behind him. He looked back once before refusing to.
There had to be something they could do.
They couldn't last much longer.
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"So I take this to mean that Dooku's full attention has fallen on the rebels."
This hadn't been the call Rex had been hoping for when they gotten word that Ahsoka needed to talk to them. His cyar'ika looked worried and kept glancing over her shoulders. He could hear the sound of blaster fire, of canons.
Of gunships.
"It's a full-scale war out here now Master! The rebels need all the help we can give them. Can you please talk to the Council?"
"At this point not even Master Windu would be so ready to offer aid. This is an internal affair for all intents and purposes which means that neither the Council nor the Republic will want to get involved."
Translation; Palpatine had been breathing down the Council's neck once he had learned about the Jedi sending help in the first place. They weren't going to do anything that might upset the cards they already had in play.
"We're taking fire right now from a new Separatist gunship. It's got a powerful ray shield. We can't get anything past that thing!"
The Clone Captain clenched his fists until a hand wrapped around one of them. He looked over to see Analise standing by his side just as Anakin stood by Obi-Wan's. Like him, neither twin was happy about this. They had promised to send help and were now backed into a corner.
"I am deep sorry Ahsoka, but the rebels will have to find another way. But you are not to stay on Onderon if their failure becomes a certainty. I want you to gather everyone you can and be ready for evacuation to Coruscant immediately. Do you understand Padawan Skywalker-Tano?"
Rex saw the wince in his little Commander's face before she nodded. "Yes Master Kenobi. I...I understand." The call was cut off and Anakin began to pace like a caged beast. Analise leaving Rex's side for her brother's.
"You know we need to help them Obi-Wan," Anakin growled.
"All we can do now is what we can to relocate any of the survivors."
"We need to do something before they loose their planet!"
"We can't..."
"Are you telling me that it honestly makes a difference now? Dooku and the Seppies already know we're involved there. The Chancellor's already made it clear that he knows." Which no one was happy about since Palpatine was making it clear that if the Jedi could not focus on Republic war efforts alone, then perhaps they need not be a part of the war any longer.
They needed to stay in the war.
"I don't disagree with you Anakin or you Moonbeam," Obi-Wan nodded to his wife who had reached and grabbed her twin's arm to keep him from pacing. "But you both also know that if we send in Republic gunships, that defeats the whole purpose of us going there in the first place. We are Jedi. We need to stay true to our intentions and learn our lessons from this." Anakin heaved a big sigh.
"What if we got another party involved? That way it wouldn't look like that we were the ones actually helping them." The twins shared a look which made Analise herself sigh and her brow furrow slightly.
"A third party? And who in the galaxy at this time is running around and just happens to have an extra batch of missiles that we can use?"
Analise spoke for the first time since Ahsoka's call had come through. "We need Hondo."
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"Did you reach them? Is the Republic going to send us some help or not?"
"No Steela...they're not going to send any help at all."
"Damit! What is it going to take for them to help us?"
"As long as Rash sits on the throne of Onderon, then the Republic can't and won't offer any help..."
"They're pulling back. Cover them!"
Ahsoka stood back and watched as Lux and Steela laid down cover fire. She had felt helpless that she couldn't provide any help to her friends.
And she hated it.
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"At this rate with the ways things are going, the clankers won't need reinforcements to take us out!"
"We need to retreat to The Nest and regroup!"
Bodies fell around them and the fire in Saw just burned hotter. Even as they rode away in retreat.
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Anakin smiled as he climbed out of his and saw his sister shaking her head as she pulled off her headset. She had borrowed Obi-Wan's Delta-7B Aethersprite so she could come alone though she disliked flying when she was the pilot. She threw her twin at dirty look at his chuckles then pointed over his shoulder. Hondo.
The pirate was watching them climb out of the fighters, arms crossed. AS they crossed the dusty ground to meet him, some of his crew kept their blasters level on them as massiffs growled and pulled at their chains.
Analise didn't blame the pirates for their less than warm welcome. The last time a Jedi had come to Florrum, Hondo's base had been pretty much destroyed.
"The Skywalker twins! My dear old friends!" There was no sign of anger in the old pirate himself. Hondo greeted them as cheerful as he had even when they were fighting. "The two of you came alone? Guess you finally want to trade up." He laughed at his own joke.
She could feel Anakin bristle beside her and Analise clamped down on his arm. This was just how Hondo was. "We've actually come to ask you for your services Hondo."
"Here on business? Well that's even better! I understand much about business."
"We're here because we need you to make a delivery for us," Anakin broke in before Hondo could get too carried away.
"Really? Really? Is that all I am to the Jedi now? Just a delivery boy?"
"We came because we know that if we need some arms sent somewhere fast and illegally, you're the man to go to."
"Me ship arms illegally?" Hondo gave a sharp gasp as he turned and started at the Jedi over his shoulders. They could see the greed and curiosity in his eyes even through his googles. "And tell me why a Jedi would need arms delivered illegally?"
Anakin huffed and crossed his arms. "Why don't we just pay you a handsome fee and you just deliver the missiles with no questions asked?"
It was tense for just a moment.
Then Hondo let out a loud laugh, his left hand reaching up and lightly smacking his Kowakian monkey-lizard Pilf which sent him tumbling off the pirate's shoulder. "So long as the pair of you don't pay me in creds, I am confident that I can accommodate your wishes my dear Jedi friends."
Analise let out the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding then turned to her brother. We did this. It will be up to Ahsoka and the rebels to do the rest.
Here's hoping they can hang on just a little while longer.
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Even though they had retreated, the droid army hadn't followed. Not even the gunships. They had done enough damage that the droids themselves had fallen back to wait for their own help. It had given the rebels a moment to breath, but the droids were coming and things were still tense.
"The highlands might slow the droids down, but the blasted gunships won't have a problem reaching us."
"So then we have to move."
Lux looked over at Ahsoka whose face appeared to be twisted in pain. He knew his friend and he knew that the rules that were keeping her from outright combat at their side were driving her a little bonkers. "Any word from your siblings or Master Kenobi?"
The Togrutan Padawan shook her head. "No word yet..." The rebels and Dendup frowned. The plan the Council had set was a good one. Get off of Onderon, get somewhere safe within the Republic, and maybe continue their work that way.
But it felt like running away. If they left Onderon, there was no telling what the Separatists would do. Nor did they believe the people would welcome them back with open arms after running and hiding.
"Well, we're not giving up!" Steela declared bluntly. "The Council has a plan for us to leave. Good. We'll use that as an absolute last resort, but I for one am not done fighting yet. So we are going to stagger the defenses we have coming to the camp. We are going secure the approach. Break into small teams and put all the training we got into good use." Steela's eyes blazed with an inner fire as she outlined the new plan.
"You really are the best leader here out of all of us." Pride was written all over Saw's face. "I have never been more prouder of you little sister."
"Yeah? Well I had the best teacher cause he was my big brother."
"Well duh," Saw replied with a smirk before jerking his head at Tandin. "Come on General." They made an odd paring, but it worked. Tandin and Saw both saw each other in the same light, as warriors and leaders. They respected each other despite their different paths. And now the two of them would work together to get everyone ready.
Lux turned back to Ahsoka who was chewing on her lip, eyes distant. He wondered if she was searching the future as it was said that some Jedi could do. Searching to see if there was a future where they won and freed Onderon. "Please Ahsoka. You're one of the best fighters I've ever seen. We need your help out there."
"Lux you know what my orders are. I'll do everything I can to protect you all. But you know that I just can't fight a war for you."
Steela saw the flash of pain that crossed Ahsoka's face as Lux glared at the Jedi and stomped away. Now that she had gotten to know the younger woman and understood her, she liked and even admired the Jedi. Lux's reaction wasn't right and it wasn't fair to Ahsoka. She was a warrior, a solider just like them and she had her orders. "Don't worry about Lux. We all know that if it wasn't for you Ahsoka, we wouldn't have made it this far."
Ahsoka sighed. "I just wish I was able to do more and..." She paused as the sound of a ship entered the room. She looked over to the doorway, into the sunlight and saw the ship passing over The Nest and coming down to land. "Look's like company's come to call. But who?"
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Who turned out to be Hondo and his pirates. Ahsoka couldn't believe it as she and Steela ran to the ship. "Nobody shoot!" Ahsoka shouted to the rebels as Hondo came down the stairs. Four of his crew were already on the ground, divided into pairs. Each pair was setting down a large crate.
The young adults halted when they reached the ship. Hondo smiled at them all, not at all afraid of the many guns pointed in his direction. Instead he lazily looked Steela up and down. "Well hello there," he said in what he thought was a smooth voice. "I am sure that you could become my new, favorite type of spice."
The rebel leader rolled her eyes at the man who, if he had been human, was probably old enough to be her father. "Maybe in your dreams."
"Watch your step pirate," Lux waved his pistol a little which made both Ahsoka and Steela roll their eyes slightly.
"Alright Hondo, what are you doing here?"
"Now really my dear child," the pirate said, clucking his tongue as though he was scolding the Padawan who was secretly his favorite of his Jedi. "You should be thanking me. After all I have come to bring you a gift from the Skywalker twins and Kenobi." He waved a hand and his men pulled the lid off one of the crates to reveal rocker launchers. Hondo smiled at the gasps and wide eyes. "These are the very latest from Sienar.
"You brought us rocket launchers?"
"Shoulder-fired ones at that. Very expensive of course for I can only give you the finest." Hondo rubbed his fingers together and Ahsoka huffed.
"And are they paid for?"
"Oh yes. It was a very handsome...Oh!" A blaster bolt flew past, just inches from Hondo's head to be joined by more. They turned to see commando droids running up on then. "Well would you just look at the time? Our work is done, time to go!"
But he was already being ignored as he and his men returned to the ship.
Steela gave a shrill whistle and her ruping answered. She ignored the dust and wind being kicked up as the pirate's ship as it took off. She raised her rifle and peered through the scope. Steela calmly took out one of the commando droids even as her heart raced. Her ruping grabbed the other two, lifting them high into the sky before letting them drop to the ground.
"Stang! The droids must have spotted Hondo's ship."
"Don't worry. They were just a patrol."
"In any case there's more where they came from." Lux knelt down by the container. He slung two launchers onto his back before passing two each to Steela and Ahsoka. "We need to get these down to the others."
"I sure hope these things work."
"Well we're about to find out."
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Saw cursed as nothing they did made it past the gunships' shields. He was running out of ideas and he was afraid that soon, they would be running out of men.
"Saw!"
"Steela! Lux!" He turned from battle as the three jogged up to him, weapons strapped across their bodies. Weapons that they started pulling off. "Look we've tried everything we can think of, but nothing's getting past those shields! We're just target practice to those scrap-heaps!"
"Well now it should be their turn to be targets." Saw eyed Lux as he and Ahsoka passed out their weapons. Steela pressed one into his hands and he stared at it in shock.
A shoulder-fired rocket launcher!
Steela smirked and patted her brother's shoulder. "Just a little gift from the Jedi." Saw stared at it for just a moment longer before he gave the same smirk as his sister. Then he turned and ran straight for the battle. "Wait! Saw!"
He ignored Steela's calls and dropped to a knee, launcher on his shoulder. He narrowed his eyes as he aimed his new weapon at a gunship. Saw took a breath, drew back on the trigger, and fired!
His body rocked back from the force of the shot. It flew through the air and slammed into one of the ship's wings, blowing past the shield. The droid gunship began to spin and then crashed into the ground.
Saw laughed and gazed at the rocker launcher in pure joy. "I love this thing!" He jogged back to Steela, Lux, and Ahsoka as the cheers of the rebels filled the air.
"So they work," Steela said with a smile. "So go ahead and distribute the rest of the launchers and take out those gunships!"
"Steela come in!" a frantic female voice came over Steela's com. "You need to get back to The Nest! They're here and after the King!"
"We need to go now!" Steela didn't wait for Lux or Ahsoka. She was on her ruping and in the air before they could blink. The Padawan shook her head.
"Steela really does lead by example."
"Yeah, but it won't do us any good if she charges in and gets herself killed," Lux pointed out as he and Ahsoka mounted their own ruping and took off after Steela.
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Her friends, her comrades were dying all around her. But Talia refused to flinch. Even as the gunship's fire ceased and she was the only one standing. Even as the commando droids jumped from the ship onto the walkway and marched up to her. Even then Talia kept yelling into her com.
"Come in! Steela come in! Where are you? Steela...ARGH!" Burning pain raced through her and her com clattered to the ground. Talia grunted as she fall to her knees, grabbing her shoulder where a blaster bolt had cut through.
"Tell us where the false king is," demanded one of the droids, his blaster pointed in her face.
Talia squeezed her arm tighter, glaring at the mass of metal and circuits. She wasn't afraid. If the cost of Onderon's death was her freedom, then so be it. She was not afraid to die for her beliefs.
"I will never tell you."
There was pain, a metallic voice giving the order to "Find the false king!", and then there was nothing.
Inside The Nest, Dendup pressed himself up against a wall, coughing from the dust being kicked up by the shots outside.
And he mourned all the sons and daughters of Onderon who were loosing their lives so that they could be free again.
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They had come too far, had lost too much to give up the battle now.
Steela braced herself for the kickback and fired. The rocket missed, but it got the gunship's attention on her and that was enough.
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"Come Sire, help has arrived!" At the urging of his guards, Dendup ran out of the cavern with them. He could make out Steela high in the air on her ruping, getting the gunship to chase her.
But the commandos were chasing them.
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Steela leapt from her ruping. She landed on of the awnings and bounced off that onto the ground. The gunship didn't notice and kept chasing her ruping. She turned as soon as her feet were on the ground, aimed the launched and fired. The gunship went down.
Steela smiled and turned. Her smile vanished as she saw the commandos chasing Dendup and his guards. The king was heading right for the edge of the cliff where he would have no place to go but down. She dropped the launcher and grabbed her rifle.
As she chased after the commandos she saw another ruping landing out of the corner of her eye. Steela heard the humming of a lightsaber and knew that Lux and Ahsoka had arrived. She knew that they would take care of the battle droids that were now swarming all over so she could focus on getting to Dendup. With ease she took out two of the commando droids, wincing as she past the body of one of the guards.
He was there. On the edge of the cliff. A commando droid baring down on him. His remaining guard doing his best, but unable to hold up. Steela took a deep breath and fired. The droid went down the same time as the guard.
Steela lowered her rifle and slowly went to Dendup. She bent down and he took her offered hand. They rose to their feet, her eyes scanning him.
"Are you okay Sire? Are you hurt?"
"No, no. I'm fine Steela. Thank you."
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"Fire!" Saw shouted as the two remaining gunships flew through the air. He watched as the missiles went flying, taking out of the ships. He smirked, shouldered his launcher, and peered through the scope. "That last one is all mine."
He fired and it hit. The gunship began to spin wildly as it raced through the air.
Saw pumped his fist in the air.
They had done it!
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Steela's eyes widened in horror as she looked out over Dendup's shoulder.
A smoking droid gunship was heading right for them!
"Watch out!" she screamed and shoved Dendup to the ground, covering him with her body. She could feel fire burning her skin, metal and stone cutting it as the ship just passed them by inches and slammed into the ground. Then she heard it. Over the explosion and flames she heard it.
The cracking, the breaking of rock.
Steela rose, dragging Dendup up with her the part of the cliff they were on began to break away. Without a single thought, she shoved him away from onto more solid ground just as the edge. Then she bent down and leapt from the broken edge just as it tumbled to the ground beneath her.
Her nails split and broke as she clawed at the rock for handholds. She did her best not to look down as her body sipped down the side of the cliff until her hands caught on a ledge. Steela dangled and prayed. Prayed that she could hang on until help arrived.
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"No! Saw look!"
Saw turned and his face fell in horror.
There was his sister hanging off the side of a cliff. Where the gunship he had shot down had gone.
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"Steela!" Lux slide down the cliff until he could go no further. He laid down on his stomach and reached down, desperately stretching as far as he could to reach her. She tried to let go, to reach back for him, but her grip wasn't strong enough to hang on with one hand. "Hang Steela! Don't let go!"
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"No!" Saw tossed his launcher away and ran to the cliff. "No! Steela!" No! They had won. They had won and Onderon was going to be free. Steela had to make it!
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Lux let out a yelp as he reached too far and slipped, tumbling over the side. Ahsoka reacted, reaching out with the Force and caught him. She lifted him and brought him back up, setting him down on the ground next to her. "I've got her Lux," she told her friend even as the Force began to tingle in warning.
Carefully Ahsoka inched her way down to where Lux had been, smiling a little at Steela. She reached out again with the Force, using all her strength. "Hang on Steela, I've got you!" Steela smiled as she was lifted by the Force. As she floated up through the air to her friend.
The Force was buzzing now, but the Padawan pushed it away to focus on her friend. Steela's hand was reaching out to Ahsoka's. She was so close, so close. Their fingertips were brushing now...
The Force screamed as a blaster bolt slammed into Ahsoka's right shoulder.
Then Steela...
Steela was screaming as Ahsoka's grip on her was lost. She was screaming and screaming as she fell to the ground. Lux stared in horror from where he lay before grabbing Steela's rifle, rolling over, and shooting the gunship that was finally still.
He turned back to Ahsoka, her shoulder black and smoking. She was in pain, unable to really move it. But she was moving, moving and ignoring the pain as she climbed to the edge and started to cry. She reached out over the cliff. Lux pushed himself to his feet and ran to Ahsoka's side. Then he too stared over the edge in horror. In pain. In loss.
On the ground below them was Steela's broken and still body.
Dendup rose and watched as the teens stared at each other. They looked so lost and in so much pain.
Lux let Steela's rifle fall to the ground before going to help Ahsoka. Tears on both their faces.
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"Those droid gunships you sent me have failed!" Rash raged on his throne. "You must send more reinforcements now!"
"Is that what you think now?" Dooku sneered. "What is your assessment of the situation General Kalani?"
"The rebels were able to get past our shields. They are using the highlands to provide cover. Their knowledge of the area allows them to use it against our forces. It will take some time Count Dooku to defeat them along with more resources."
"I have zero interest in fighting a prolonged war General. With every small victory their rebellion grows."
"Then we have lost."
Rash's head turned back and forth between droid and holo. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"You have new orders General Kalani. I want you salvage any remaining arms we might have and withdraw our army at once. You will bring them to Agamar. Onderon will be no real lost to us."
Rash stood, missing the nod that Dooku gave Kalani or the blaster that the droid was now aiming at him. "Hold on Count! What about..."
Rash never finished his question and he would never sit on the throne of Onderon again.
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Ahsoka had refused to see the medics until she had seen Steela's body. Lux had tried to force her, but she had just glared and threatened to climb down on her own. For his own health, he had stopped fighting.
Saw was there of course when their ruping landed. Some of the rebels stood around him in a protective circle as he held Steela's body tight on his lap. Lux ran to them, dropping to the ground.
"It was my fault Lux," Saw's voice was horse. "It was all my fault. I shot that blasted gunship down and it crashed into her postion."
"No Saw. What happened wasn't your fault." He looked up at Ahsoka to make sure that she knew it wasn't her fault too. He knew that she would be blaming herself, just as Saw was. The young politician stroked Steela's cheek. "Steela knew the risks just as we all did. She knew what this might cost us. We all knew just how much it would take for us to free Onderon."
Lux reached out for Ahsoka. Saw looked back to see her and nodded. She joined them, falling on her knees as Lux clasped her hand.
Yes.
This was the cost of freedom.
And Ahsoka was still learning how high it would be.
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The first state event of the newly freed Onderon was Steela's memorial service. Her funeral bier made of the finest metals had been placed at the top of the stairs for Unifar Temple and the restored King Dendup stood behind it. People filled the streets, many watching the viewscreens that had been set up.
The twins and Obi-Wan stood to one side as they watched the remaining rebel leaders march up the steps to pay their respects and be honored as heroes. Ahsoka was with them. Third in line after Saw and Lux.
Saw could barely stare at his sister's body where it rest beneath the white cloth. He gave Lux a watery smile when the younger male squeezed his shoulder in comfort. He walked off to the side.
Lux stared at the young woman he had loved. His heart was heavy knowing that their relationship would never get the chance to grow. But he would carry the memory of their time, the dream of what might have been forever.
Ahsoka took her turn as Lux followed Saw. She had not followed her orders and now Steela was dead. Her siblings and Obi-Wan knew that she blamed herself. Her shoulder and arm were wrapped tight, set in a sling as she refused treatment. She said that others needed it more.
They watched as she sniffed, forcing back her tears, and held her high as she joined Lux and Saw. The trio stood a few feet away from the older Jedi, almost huddling together.
This has been quiet the journey for our Star.
Yes. Despite her death, Steela's influence and spirit. will remain a powerful factor in their lives as they go forward.
She will be like that for all us.
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"I'm sorry for your loss Saw. I wish..." Saw glanced at Ahsoka.
"I know and thank you. But it's all over now. I want to leave it at that." Politican and Jedi watched as Saw walked off. His shoulders were low, his head down. Lux took his place next to Ahsoka, giving her a small smile.
"Steela would be glad to see this despite it all." He crossed his arms. "Onderon is free because of her sacrifice."
"But what is the true cost?" Ahsoka looked up at the sky before turning to Lux. "You once told me that too many lives get caught between the Republic and the Separatists." She shook her head.
"Yes...yes I did tell that to you once long ago. But..." she looked back to Lux. "But I don't believe in that anymore. Through you I've seen the heroics and selflessness of the Jedi. Because of that I believe now that the right side to be on is the Republic."
"What are you saying?"
"King Dendup has named me the new Senator of Onderon. I plan on following in my mother's footsteps and I will return Onderon to the Republic."
Ahsoka smiled. It wasn't a full smile, not yet. But it was still a smile.
And to Lux that was enough.
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"I want you to remember this day my brothers and sisters! For this is the day that Onderon was free once again!"
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When the cheers had quieted, the service and the celebration over, Ahsoka's resolve crumbled.
And in the warmth, love, and safety of her siblings arms she cried.
She cried because once again she had been reminded of the lesson she had learned too young and was forced to learn over and over again.
It was a lesson that Ahsoka wished she could forget.
A lesson she wasn't sure she was ready to accept.
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This chapter is dedicated to the people and animals of Australia:)
Translations
cyar'ika: darling, beloved, sweetheart