Chapter 16: A Narrow Tower
-.-.-.-
"I am one with the Force. The Force is with me." —Chirrut Îmwe
"At some point, morality must be wedded to action, or else it's no more than mere…vanity." —Mon Mothma
-.-.-.-
Golden colored whisper birds flittered about in a synchronous melody as they soared over the dense jungle of Yavin IV. They flew against a beautiful backdrop of warmly colored clouds prominent and dignified in their hold of the skies, reflecting the amethyst and coral tones of sunset. It was a majestic sight that captivated the attention of Corporal Osleo Prennert, who stood watch in his cylindrical overlook. He was at his post, stationed high above the purple-barked Massassi trees and bioluminescent orchids that encompassed the rainforests of this vibrant moon. He enraptured himself in his musings, wondering if perhaps the flock of blue headed birds were in search of their evening meal as they ebbed and flowed over the flora down below.
Osleo dared a peek downward at the vast jungle. He was a little more comfortable with his height in the sky as time with his duty went on, but his grip on the railing tightened just as it had on his first tour of duty when he beheld a subtle sway of the narrow tower. A soft breeze rustled the Massassi trees, creating rolling waves of emerald covered branches that revealed sparkles of the bioluminescent orchids underneath while they swayed. Small pyramid structures poked out of the emerald cascade beyond, strong and confident in their time-honored and ancient hidden wisdom. The purple colored bark of the similarly ancient trees warred for recognition against dense climbing ferns that clutched onto them, seeking the aura of the same brilliant sky above them. The beautiful sight stretched on to the horizon as far as Osleo's eyes could perceive, and the serenity it offered him certainly outweighed his fear of the dangerous height of his station.
Both flora and fauna worked together despite their fight for the sky's attention, not only in shielding small prey from the whisper birds soaring above them, but also in helping to conceal the growing Rebel base hidden amidst the dense jungle and Great Pyramid that rose above it.
Corporal Osleo Prennert had one of the most important duties of the base. He was a sentry posted high above, a sentinel-on-watch, whose duty was to warn of impending dangers and also to be a guide for those seeking the promise of refuge and protection.
Toward a promise of hope.
Three trill beeps sounded from his commlink at his belt, startling him from his musings. He quickly snapped the commlink from its cradle and cleared his throat before keying the device.
"Corporal Osleo Prennert," he said.
"Corporal Prennert, General Draven speaking." The general's voice was more direct and gruff than usual, and the General was already known for his blunt no-nonsense attitude. "A modified VCX-100 light freighter is in route to base, coming in on combat vectors, designated Ghost. You should be able to pick it up on your scanner already. Verify."
Osleo blanched at the prospect of having missed an in-bound ship. But nothing was on schedule to be arriving right now…
"Aye sir, verifying."
Osleo took a deep breath and activated his sensor scope. He brought his scanner forward into a targeting position and began sweeping the skies along the usual combat vectors.
Three mellow tones indicated a target-lock, and there she was in the scope, the beautiful Ghost flying toward base. Detailed information from the ship started streaming into the device as the transponder began to communicate with Osleo's scanner. Readouts of fuel, speed, altitude and heading streamed across his scope's heads-up-display. Osleo keyed his commlink again.
"Verified, General. Positive identification received and transmitting vectors for landing."
"Thank you Corporal Prennert. Guide Captain Syndulla into base, she's without her astromech," General Davits Draven said with a sigh.
"Aye, sir, acknowledged," Osleo responded. He switched frequencies on his commlink. "Captain Syndulla? Corporal Osleo Prennert, sentinel-on-watch, do you copy?"
"Good copy, Corporal," Hera responded over crackly comm. "It's good to hear your voice."
General Draven tossed his commlink headpiece onto the console in front of him with another heavy sigh. He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. The technician sitting stationed before him at the console was tense as he could feel the stressful irritation of the General and leader of Alliance Intelligence.
The control sector of the Rebel base was dimly illuminated with the green glow of galaxy maps and flashing data of critical intel rotating in shifting priority on various terminals throughout the operations center. To an outside eye, the room would appear to be full of chaotic noise and shifting lights, but the scene bespoke of ordered efficiency to those trained to move along to its shifting current.
"Something amiss, General?"
General Draven released his nose and looked over his shoulder to find Senator Mon Mothma, regal in demeanor and expression. Her eyes were kind, and they smiled softly underneath her measured authority. She wore her typical white tunic with embellished silver necklace and matching white leggings for easier movement throughout base. It had become a busy day for those in command.
"No Senator," Draven said, shaking his head and putting hands on his waist. "Had to wake up our sentinel-on-watch again. I think the air up there is too thin."
Mon Mothma chuckled softly. "The Corporal is still adjusting, I'm sure he'll become a fine example of the role of base sentinel."
"You put a lot of faith in people."
"Perhaps," Mon Mothma responded with an inquisitive hum. "Sometimes faith is all we can have, General."
General Draven huffed and faced her with a respectful challenge. "What if that were an incoming Tie Fighter? Our sentinels-on-watch would be the first line of defense in that situation, and it's their job to alert us, not the other way 'round."
"We must have faith that when that time comes, we'll be ready," Mon Mothma said nodding her head with a small smirk.
General Draven eyed her with a pragmatic stare and eventually acquiesced with a somewhat sarcastic hum of affirmation. He stepped over to a terminal, Mon Mothma following closely, and returned his hands to his waist after bringing up a live data-feed of the Ghost coming in to land. "Forgive me if I have a talk with Corporal Prennert after his shift is done."
Mon Mothma eyed her General and head of Alliance Intelligence with the fond gaze of a proud leader. While Draven didn't necessarily share in her quickness to hope for the good in others, it's precisely his pragmatism and attention to facts that made him perhaps the best at his job. The rebellion needed people like him, but that wouldn't stop her from trying to make him see the sun every now and then.
Mon Mothma turned her attention to the terminal, reflecting in a green aura the data readouts of the Ghost's approach. "How long until Captain Syndulla lands?"
"Minutes."
"I suppose I'll make my way to greet her then. Thank you, General." Mon Mothma moved to turn and make her way out of the operations center.
"You know I don't like this, Senator," Draven said, his voice grim. Mon Mothma paused and faced him. At the glint in his eyes, she rose her chin and softly clasped her hands in front of her. "Had I been consulted, I wouldn't have approved such a mission."
Mon Mothma rose her eyebrows slightly but remained silent. Draven quickly glanced around the operations center, making sure they were out of earshot of other personnel and took another deep breath. His eyes were steely as he considered his next words.
"Some of our best people are sent to infiltrate a Star Destroyer," Draven said quietly. "And not just any Star Destroyer the Empire has to offer, the Devastator. In dashed hopes of exfiltrating a fallen Grand Admiral who's surely under high guard and who may or may not be alive in the first place if the accusations against him are even true. I understand the strategic benefit but that's only if a successful recovery occurs, if he chooses to cooperate and if we choose to trust his information in the first place. He's too much of an unknown. The risks don't outweigh the benefits."
Mon Mothma pursed her lips and considered her General a moment. She kept her voice hushed but assuring. "Our rebellion will benefit from this, General. The datachip recovered by Captain Syndulla alone could greatly propel our efforts to free the galaxy of the Empire's tyranny."
"I wish I would've been given the chance to analyze it before sending some of our best people into that kind of danger."
"If we waited, we would have missed the only opportunity to recover him."
It was as if they were afraid to say Thrawn's name out loud. General Draven knew that arguing with Senator Mon Mothma at this point of the operation was pointless. He looked to the side and resigned with a sigh.
"My best slicer is preparing his equipment as we speak," Draven said, his voice returning to normal volume. "If there's data to recover, he'll be able to access it."
Mon Mothma nodded as she somewhat relaxed from her stiffness. A smile returned to her eyes. "I have faith that the Force is with us, General Draven."
Draven's eyes narrowed, and Mon Mothma smiled as she turned and made her way out of the operations center. A bright halo of light engulfed her lithe form as doors whooshed open, revealing a bustling hangar bay that stretched out to a bright tarmac illuminated outside by an amethyst sunset.
-.-.-.-
Senator Mon Mothma was met on the tarmac outside the Great Pyramid with a beautiful coral and amethyst colored sunset and golden whisper birds flying majestically overhead. No wonder Corporal Prennert was distracted, she thought. It was a sight worth beholding on this cool evening on Yavin IV.
The Ghost touched down smoothly on the tarmac with steam rising from various vents around the hull once it settled. Droids and mechanics rushed to the ship and attached hoses to begin the refueling process. The engines whined as they spun down from power, creating a reverberating hum that could be felt deep in the chest for those nearby. It was a strong ship.
The ramp hissed, spurting out more pressurized steam, and it began to lower to the ground as Mon Mothma continued her approach. Zeb walked down the ramp, surrounded by a group of engineers recently rescued as a result of Saw Gerrera's clandestine and reckless mission. The Lasat assisted some of them as the group appeared disoriented and malnourished. Others were in awe of the majestic Great Pyramid that housed the majority of the Rebel base.
"Garazeb Orrelios," Mon Mothma said, coming to a stop at the foot of the ramp. "Welcome back to base. How do you fare?"
Zeb looked down to Mon Mothma as he guided a woman down the ramp. He was still a bit intimidated by Mon Mothma's presence and smiled timidly.
"As soon as these people get a hot meal, I think we'll all be fine," Zeb said. Mon Mothma eyed the group with a concerned gaze. "These are the engineers we rescued. They've offered their expertise to our cause."
"Indeed?" Mon Mothma asked.
"That is correct Senator," one engineer said. "The Empire valued our skills, but we all agree that they'd be better served in assisting your rebellion."
"We are honored to have you." Mon Mothma scanned the group again with almost motherly eyes. She saw tired souls in need of rest. "I will have each of you escorted to the medical bay to be looked over, and a hot meal will be prepared in the meantime."
"Senator!"
Mon Mothma looked up to find Hera bounding down from the top of the ramp. Hera quickly but carefully pushed her way through the group, and the engineers were glad to accommodate her a path. Hera breathed heavily, trying to catch her breath from racing down through the Ghost from the cockpit.
"Captain Syndulla," Mon Mothma said, as Hera stopped before her.
Hera held up the datachip, her emerald eyes wide. Nerves made her hand tremble in the cool evening air. "Here it is," she said wistfully.
Mon Mothma flinched at finally seeing the device in-person. She paused there, eyeing the transparent electronic datachip. Just as Hera had hesitated earlier about the dangers of such a device while on the Ghost at the sight of the Imperial icon etched into the corner, Mon Mothma seared her gaze upon that same emblem. This was really happening.
She took a deep breath, glanced to Hera's determined gaze and pursed her lips, as she gently took the device. Her fingers were careful, afraid to put too much pressure on the fragile looking datachip. She held it before her another moment considering the implications of the information contained within its electronic infrastructure. Could this be the evidence they needed to convince the Senate of the Emperor's treachery and tyranny and recruit more to their cause?
"Hopefully our people can recover the data despite the corruption," Hera said, breaking Mon Mothma out of the stream of her thoughts.
"Thank you, Captain, you've done well," Mon Mothma said with a warm smile. She saw the worry in Hera's otherwise hopeful eyes and put a hand on her shoulder. "The Force is with them."
"I know," Hera said with a thin smile. "I need to be back in space as soon as possible."
"The refueling process has already begun," Mon Mothma said nodding to the technicians tending to the Ghost. "As soon as you're able, you're clear to depart."
"Thank you, Senator. You ready Zeb?"
"As ready as I can be, I guess," Zeb replied his voice echoing from the metallic confines of the cargo bay.
"Bring them home Hera," Mon Mothma replied. Hera turned to face her, her eyes alight with nervous excitement. "All of them. We'll need him to verify the data, especially if we fail to recover the information."
Hera knew she was talking about Thrawn. Her heart pattered with anxiety at the prospect of having a Grand Admiral of the Empire on base. But if the claims of his loyalties were true…
Hera nodded with hesitation and glanced down before earnestly catching Mon Mothma's eye again. "Please, at least watch his message. He's very earnest, and… different. There's something more out there that has him worried."
Something more than the Empire? Mon Mothma's blood went cold.
"I will make sure command sees it, you have my word," Mon Mothma said grimly. "And I've recalled Senator Bail Organa from Coruscant. He should be here upon your return." She nodded and squeezed Hera's shoulder in finality. "We all eagerly await your return. May the Force be with you."
Hera offered a small smile as she began to back up toward the Ghost's ramp. "And with you Senator."
Hera glanced up at the Great Pyramid, sweeping her eyes over it and taking in its ancient grandeur again before walking up the Ghost's ramp. This was the hardest part of command, watching those to whom you gave orders depart into danger. The worry, the guilt… the fear… Mon Mothma clutched the datachip as she watched Hera disappear along with Zeb into the cargo-hold of the Ghost.
Corporal Osleo Prennert watched with pride from his narrow sentry tower as the Ghost took off and flew toward the boundaries of dusk upon the horizon. Small twinkling stars had begun to emerge, and soon the Ghost became an indiscernible sparkle among them. A spectre disappearing into the falling night.
-.-.-.-
Smoke and flame enveloped the ISD Devastator's hangar bay. It was pure chaos, and those tendrils of chaos reached for the Rebels' Imperial Shuttle as it was suspended and held hostage by Lord Vader.
But the pressure released. Kanan and Kallus fell from the wall to the floor as the shuttle lurched free of the invisible hold.
They were free.
"We're free!" Sabine exclaimed as her hands danced over the controls.
"Punch it!" Rex yelled from the copilot seat.
Sabine whipped the throttle forward and the shuttle lunged through the forcefield and into the starry depths of space. The Devastator's hull was uncomfortably close as Sabine weaved the heavy craft around sensors and turret emplacements, and everyone inside held on.
The sight displayed through the viewport offered a great sense of speed and inertia. Were the situation not so dire, Rex would have considered it a fun and exhilarating experience from the copilot seat. Kallus carefully crawled along the shuttle's metallic floor toward Thrawn and Ezra as the shuttle shifted and lurched to Sabine's evasive input. The metallic floor offered a smooth obstacle as Kallus slid with almost every movement of the shuttle.
"Hold on!" Sabine yelled, and she whipped the shuttle to port side as ion pulses pounded nearby. Kallus and Kanan groaned as they tried to clutch onto a railing or jump-seat. The Imperials were waking up to their escape attempt. "Chop!? I need jump vectors! How's it coming!?"
"Bwrrh arrh bwahh ah," Chopper warbled quickly from the dataport at the rear of the shuttle.
"Okay!" Sabine pushed down on the controls and flew the creaky shuttle underneath an elongated antenna.
Kallus made it to Thrawn's side and steadied himself on the floor next to the mechanical ventilator despite the rolling maneuvers of the shuttle. Ezra felt Kallus' heart drop as he read the data on the machine. Kallus fumbled for an injector and glanced at Ezra with wide blue eyes before settling on Thrawn's lax face.
"Thrawn, I need you to open your eyes for me," Kallus said as he filled the injector device with an opaque liquid.
Rex controlled his breathing and punched in jump coordinates on the console before him. "Jump vectors set, Sabine!" Rex confirmed.
The shuttle lurched as a pulse bounced off the shuttle's shield, throwing Kanan back down to the floor. Kallus dropped the injector and groaned as he tumbled to the side. Ezra desperately clung himself and Thrawn steady on the repulsorlift.
"Get us out of here Sabine!" Ezra yelled.
More ion pulses chased after the shuttle, and they finally broke away from the Star Destroyer's hull, into empty space. But a trill warning began to sound and red flashing lights erupted on Sabine's heads-up-display.
The Devastator launched two torpedoes after them. There was no time to evade… They had to jump.
"This is gonna be close!" Sabine said. She yelled as she pushed the hyperdrive throttle forward and flashy pseudomotion erupted around the shuttle as stars began to shift. Approaching torpedoes nearly had their target and were hungry for the object of their destruction. But the stars relented, and the Devastator's torpedoes found empty space where the shuttle once stood. The shuttle escaped.
-.-.-.-
"We need to cancel the other jumps," Kallus said as he swept the metallic floor for the medical injector now that the shuttle was steady in hyperspace. It had rolled away in the chaos.
"What?" Rex asked, swiveling toward Kallus in his copilot chair.
Kanan sat on the floor with his forehead in his hands. He must have fallen pretty hard. Ezra made his way to his master and knelt in front of him, placing a hand on in his shoulder to steady him. "Kanan? You okay?"
Kanan offered a thin smile. "Yeah kid, I'm okay."
There it is. Kallus clutched the injector and slid back to Thrawn's side. He gently shifted Thrawn's head to the side and pressed the injector to the crook of his neck and jaw. The opaque liquid inserted into Thrawn's system with a mellow hiss amidst the steady rhythm of his breathing tube.
"We need to go straight to the rendezvous," Kallus said, his voice insistent. He pressed two fingers against the injection site to stop the little bit of blood that would otherwise trickle down.
"The jumps are meant to prevent the Empire from finding us though," Sabine said.
"I need more equipment to stabilize him," Kallus countered looking up at Sabine. "I can't do that here any more than I already have."
Rex looked knowingly at Sabine and nodded. "It'll be safe to contact Hera soon. We can tell her to expect us earlier then."
Sabine glanced to Thrawn and nodded reluctantly.
Swirlings in the Force— A child's giggles—
Ezra began to hear a faint song. The melody mirrored that of kyber crystals singing, but the tune was different, almost a humming lullaby accented with twinkling's of the Force.
"Whoa," Ezra muttered. The song came from Thrawn's direction, and Ezra felt oddly drawn to it. Like it was calling to him. "Do you hear that Kanan?"
"I sense… something," Kanan said. "I don't know what."
Swirlings in the Force— A rolling crescendo of peace— Tranquility—
A path filled with a comforting lullaby—
"Ezra?" Kanan asked, shifting to get up. He was concerned with Ezra's transfixed stare and slow advance toward Thrawn. "What do you hear?"
Sound of the natural space around him didn't reach Ezra anymore. All he could perceive, the only thing he gave his attention to, was that undeniable song. The Force called to him. And Ezra wanted to answer.
Ezra reached the top of Thrawn's unconscious form and slowly reached for his forehead. "Thrawn?" Ezra asked wistfully.
Upon touching his forehead, Ezra took in a harsh hiss and flinched as his vision flashed white. His eyes immediately rolled back. Ezra's knees buckled, but Kallus quickly caught him. Indiscernible whispers enveloped Kanan's perception as he felt Ezra lose consciousness, and Kanan rushed to them as Kallus lowered Ezra to the ground.
"Ezra?!" Kanan prompted, as his voice hitched.
Sabine's heart dropped, and she was more determined than ever to go straight to the rendezvous point to meet with the Ghost. "Chop give me the coordinates to meet Hera!"
Nervous warbles.
"Ezra can you hear me?!" Kanan continued, tapping Ezra's cheek.
But Ezra was unable to hear his master. His eyes fluttered underneath his eyelids as if he were dreaming, but he was otherwise peaceful in apparent sleep.
In the Force though, Ezra was in an entirely different place. He was meant to be a witness and was offered a glimpse of a new journey. A journey upon which he was not alone.
-.-.-.-
"I walk alone, beside myself
Nowhere to go
My flesh and bone
This part of me
The seeds I've sewn"
- Flesh and Bone by Black Math