Chapter 16: Come Fly with me and my Purrgill
Two hours of silence passed. all seemed well until the ship was forced to leave light speed to make a course correction. It was standard procedure, done hundreds of times by Anakin himself. Only this time when he pulled out of hyperspace he found a separatist armada lying in wait. "Oh" muttered Anakin staring at the ships. "Not good. Obi-Wan!"
The common room was right behind the cockpit so Obi-Wan responded at once. Unfortunately, the separatists were also fast. A single beam hit the bottom of the ship causing the whole thing to rock and alarms blared.
Obi-Wan threw himself into the copilot seat. "Get us out of here Anakin."
"I can't they shot the engine. Communications."
"No, I can't reach anybody they are blocking the signal!"
Ezra came in next followed by everybody else. It soon became jam with people all wanting to know what was going on and what was being done about it.
Finally, Dooku's voice came over the noise. "It would appear that Grievous got my message."
Anakin and everybody turned to look at him. The clones had brought him with them into the cockpit but besides that, they had forgotten about him. Dooku smiled triumphantly at them as he rubbed his wrists where the cuff had been placed. Anakin felt his blood become cold. "How long have you been free."
Dooku smiled even brighter. "Since we first got on this ship. With all the laser blasts it wasn't hard to get my hands free. Of course, I didn't escape right then, and there, if I did then the best outcome will be me being trapped on that force forsaken planet, but more than likely I would've just been recaptured by you two. Instead, I lie and wait, and got a message to general grievous when nobody was looking. Now the tables have turned. I started off as your prisoner and now you guys are my prisoners. Including you boy. My master will be very interested in what you can do."
Anakin jumped to his feet and the clones followed suit. "they may be here," he said, "but you're still our prisoner."
Dooku stared at him, "how much do you want to bet."
Ezra let out a long sighed as he settled in his seat. All eyes turned towards him. Ezra looked over to Dooku. "Did you hear my story at all. I told you I have escaped from many people before including sith. I know how to do it and I know that there is nothing more dangerous than a sith that's corner so I came up with my own backup plan. Your not the only one who can call for reinforcements."
"What," Dooku demanded.
Ezra acted nonchalantly. "If you don't believe me check the scopes yourself they will be 12 parsecs behind the moon of Cloris, not far from here."
Dooku stared at him for a few minutes. Finally, he moved over to Obi-Wan's navigation control. Without prompting Obi-Wan got up to allow him access axis to the console. sure enough, after a few types on the keyboard, a group of red dots appeared except their size was small like- "intercept flyers," snorted Dooku, "I brought an armada and you're trying to threaten me with intercepters. I mean at least you plan something, I will give you that, but compared to my ships it's nothing."
Ezra smiled, "oh if they were republic or separatist ships I would agree with you as well. But the new order isn't tied down to the republic like the old order. We travel all across the galaxy some parts known and some unknown and being Jedi we have a knack for making friends with the capability to build things that not even the republic or the separatist can even dream of."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, these interceptors have a particular skill. Not only they can absorb blaster fire but they actually use it as energy. So the more you shoot them the stronger they become."
Dooku glared at him, "you're bluffing," he challenged.
"If you don't believe me go ahead," Ezra shrugged his shoulders as he leaned back in his chair, completely at ease. "Fire at them you have to coordinates and you have entire separatist armada. Fire, they probably would like the extra energy. Oh, but don't get a little too shocked if they blast some back at you. There's a limit to how much energy they want to take."
Dooku glared at the boy, but immediately got into contact with the headship and gave the orders to fire on the blinking lights. The air in the cockpit became thick with tension as the group just stared at the computer screen watching the interceptor lights and the missile ones that were soaring towards them. when the two lights met the interceptor lights continue to flash as the missiles vanish completely from the screen. It didn't seem like the missiles even slowed them down.
Dooku glared at the boy some more. "Perhaps they are impressive weapons he admitted, but they are just a handful of ships, my armada can handle them."
"Well yeah," interjected Ezra they could but at what cause. I mean your armada could be turned into slowly moving junk, and for what? Two Jedi, a handful of clones, me. I think it will be better if you and your armada just left. Now. Before they arrive. I mean your master wouldn't be happy if you destroy his entire collection of ships now can he."
Dooku glared at him. "Very well you won this round but-"
"Oh here comes the dramatics," whined Ezra interrupting Dooku's speech in an even more dramatic tone then Dooku's. "What is it with you guys in your dramatic speeches 'you haven't seen the last of me.' Galen is just like that, what with his lighting hands. I think you guys have an actual class that covers this. Just go, shoo." Ezra shook his hands at Dooku, "go, no one needs to listen to your big speech, we all know 'the next time we see you you're going to come after us' blah blah, 'you're going to get your revenge' blah blah. No reason to spell it out."
Dooku contacted general grievous for a pickup and once off the separatist ships jumped to hyperspace to avoid the interceptors.
"Anakin sighed well that's a relief do you think your friends can give us a lift to the nearest terminal…"
"Oh yeah," muttered Ezra clearly thinking about something else. "I just need to go find some chain."
"What."
" Chain I need to find a long piece of metal-like rope to make a lasso." Ezra jumped to his feet and left the cockpit. Anakin and Obi-Wan exchange looks before following him out. They found Ezra in the cargo bay opening a humongous spool of a chain.
"Wouldn't it be easier," asked Obi-Wan, "to use port dockers or some sort of connecting cables, I mean this seems a little bit primitive technology."
"It doesn't seem like technology at all," muttered Anakin.
"You're right it would be much easier with those tools if they were a ship, but you see I sort of lied about the identity of my friends," admitted Ezra. "They are not ships."
"What are they," asked Obi-Wan.
"Come see for yourself. They should be arriving any minute now. Ezra finished setting up the spool and lead the two back to the cockpit. They were just starting to look out the window the shirt when what felt like a humongous blast rocked the ship. Appearing out of hyperspace was a group of giant squid-like animals, an entire pod of them.
"What are those," asked Anakin.
Obi-Wan smiled as he looked at the creatures, "really Anakin, I know you don't care for the living side of the force, but I would think with your love of all things fast you would have heard about the purrgil."
"The what?"
"The purrgil, they are beings that travel through space. They're capable of hyperspace all by themselves," explained Ezra. "I've always seemed to have a strong connection to animals, when I sense that Dooku got free I reached out with the force and I came into contact with this pod. They just so happen to be traveling along our route and they were willing to drop in and pick us up."
"Wait," said Obi-Wan, "when you talked Dooku into firing on those ships you were actually firing on is living beings.
"You were what," interrupted Anakin.
"That's true, but these beings feed off the energy. Weapon blast or the same fuel we use on our ships, they need to eat a lot of it. It's what gives them the energy to fly through hyperspace. Believe it or not but Dooku's weapons use the same sort of energy that these beings eat. In fact, I was counting on him to the fire. I promise this pod some extra food, and Dooku was kind enough to deliver it."
" I would never hurt them. I fell in love with the purrgil when I was very young. I could just watch them all day. There's just something about them, it's like they've traveled all over the galaxy and seen it all."
"Yes agreed Obi-Wan with the same expression as Ezra. I saw a pod too when I was a padawan. My master had similar words as well. He said that they lived for hundreds of years so not only have they seen so much of the galaxy but also so much of time."
"It's a reminder," added Ezra. "that despite all the pain and sorrow in the galaxy there is also happiness and hope."
The ride to the station was a little bit bumpier then what anyone was comfortable with. Surprisingly being dragged by a rope through hyperspace wasn't the smoothest way to travel. Still, the pod dropped them off in the solar system, the closest the whales could get to a base, before vanishing into hyperspace again.
The rescue vehicles were more than capable of dragging the ship the rest of the way into the landing pad. There they finally touchdown after what felt like a crazy coaster ride. Another ship was also landing at the same time as them, a Mandarin one. They came out of their ship at the same time as Anakin and the others. It was the duchess Satine along with a very colorful Mandalore in armor. Without saying so much as a goodbye Ezra left the Jedi and went over to the Mandalorian.
"Sabine!"
The Mandalorian looked at him. "Ezra, so what did you do that was so important you had to strand me on Mandalore."
"I didn't strand you on Mandalore I stranded you on the moon. Ten times worse." Ezra hugged Sabine. "Its good to see you."
"Good to see you too. Where-is that the ghost? What did you do to it."
"Not my fault Anakin was driving at the time."
"You let someone else drive the ghost. Hera is going to kill you and before you beg me not to tell her let me remind you that chopper will rat you out faster than the millennium falcon. Where's Luke maybe he can fix it."
"I don't know I came in at the same time as you."
"Yes you did," shouted a blond boy who was being followed by Galen, Alina, and Corran. Anakin realized that he had to be the famous grandmaster that the group had spoken of. The leader hugged the two members before staring at the ghost. Anakin looked away before their eyes met. He wasn't sure how he would feel interacting with the real chosen one.
"I think I could fix it," said the boy. "But what in the world happen, and how did you get here."
"Oh you won't believe it, we ran into purrgils who-" Ezra began to account the story completely ignoring the two Jedi that he had traveled with. It was almost unbelievable.
"Can you believe this," demanded Anakin to Obi-Wan "he walked off and start a conversation without saying goodbye. Kind of rude don't you agree master- master?" When Anakin turned to see Obi-Wan's face he found nothing but empty space. A brief search led to him discovering that Obi-Wan had wandered off to talk to the duchess, well more like argue with her.
Anakin walked over to the two. "Sometimes people use the word pacifist to disguise cowardliness," spat Obi-Wan.
"Remind me again what did Jedi used to call themselves? Peacekeepers of course now you go by general."
"Sometimes to keep the peace you have to fight."
"And if someone doesn't agree with your peace then what. You would force them at sword point."
"It seems that despite all these years you are still a foolish girl."
"Well, you change and not for the better. Your beard is the ugliest thing in the world. You look like a homeless man."
Anakin snorted, how could he not. Both heads turn to look at him, Obi-Wan gave him a stern look. "I'm going to contact the council and let them in on our adventure. Goodbye, duchess." He gave a short bow and walked off.
"Oh yes walk off. Just like you always do when I am winning the argument," she shouted back before turning on her heels and storming to her ship.
Anakin just stood there as he absorbed what just happen. If he didn't know any better he would think those two were exes. Now, this was good gossip and great ammo to use against Obi-Wan later. He let out a snort as he turned around to follow Obi-Wan.
When he did he jumped back immediately. A young woman had sneaked up behind him when he was distracted by the two lovebirds. Anakin knew she was a woman by her figure, she worn a white leather outfit, similar to Galen's only the tunic was longer and there were strange symbols on her clothes. Her head was cover by a peasant hood with ear flaps that went past her shoulders and a white scarf covered her mouth and nose so all he could see was her eyes. But the eyes were enough. They seemed to pierce him where he stood and Anakin had a strange sensation like she saw every dark shadow, every hidden shame he had. And she was judging him for it.
"Leia." The eyes broke away from his as she turned to Luke. "There you are," called Luke "we were just talking about you. What have you been up to." The woman walked past Anakin to join her friends. As she past Anakin caught the scent of sun and sand. Reminding him of his home. Also, the symbols brought back memories of Tatooine they meant something.
It began to fill his head, of sitting around a fire in the slave's quarters listening to stories told by the older generation. The most famous story was a legend of the nexus given a human form. A warrior who would free slaves and in time would lead the slaves in revolt.
Her name was Leia.
Anakin looked at the girl in awe. Could she be real?