DESTINY - CHAPTER 13
Ahsoka watched the star lines blur and shorten, then snap into individual pinpoints of light as the freighter dropped out of hyperspace. She peered anxiously over Jin's shoulder at Axalon's glistening blue and green surface. Her fists gripped the back of his pilot's seat so tight, her fingers blanched from lack of blood.
"Commander," Bandrix said from the com and nav station, "I'm scanning another ship on our landing field. An Aurore-class freighter."
"Pirates," Jin hissed. "Or slavers."
Ahsoka fought the fear welling inside her. After their disastrous mission where she'd had to kill a pirate, she had a pretty good idea of who their visitors might be.
"Bandrix," she said, "what's the compliment of an Aurore-class freighter?"
Bandrix keyed a query into the computer. A moment later he said, "Minimum two, maximum ten."
"Okay, I can work with those numbers," Ahsoka said. "Scan their hyperdrive emissions and temperature. How long have they been here?"
"Working," Bandrix said as he hunched over the input controls and readouts. A moment later he said, "Emissions and temperature are still high. They landed no more than an hour ago."
"Jin," Ahsoka said, turning back to the Weequay, "we need to go in quiet. Anti-grav repulsors only. No thrusters."
"That will take longer," Jin said. "I'll have to flatten our trajectory to reduce our velocity."
"Understood," Ahsoka said. "Right now, we need stealth and surprise over speed. Take us in low from the south so we don't pass over the camp.
"Will do," Jin replied.
"Kip," Ahsoka said, "get Trax and Michael. Gear-up. Full kits. Weapons hot. Break-out kits for Bandrix, Jin and I and have them ready in the cargo hold."
"Yes Commander," Kip said, then turned and slid down the ladder from the cockpit to the gangway below.
Ten minutes later the VCX-100 glided silently to a halt, hovering over the landing field. There was no activity on the field and although the Aurore's cargo ramp was open, no one was in sight.
"Look," Jin said, pointing through the cockpit's canopy to a spot above the tree line.
Ahsoka saw a column of smoke rising above the location of the camp's center. "Set us down," she said.
As soon as the freighter's landing pads met the surface, Jin, Bandrix and Ahsoka scrambled down the ladder, ran the length of the gangway and climbed through the cargo hold hatch. They each donned a kinetic vest, as well as a blaster belt and holster with extra charge packs. Ahsoka checked her blaster as Kip opened the external access hatch.
"Michael, you and Trax secure the perimeter of the landing field," Ahsoka said. "I don't want anyone in the tree line taking pot-shots at us."
"Yes, Commander," Michael said.
Ahsoka gave him a nod. Michael, a human, and Trax, a Bothan, were both experienced and good fighters. She knew they'd cover their backs.
"Jin, you and Kip clear the ship. Bandrix and I will stay outside and cover you."
"Consider it done," Jin said.
"Remember," Ahsoka said. "Keep it quiet. Blasters on stun." She paused, then said, "But if you don't have a choice …"
At her hesitation Bandrix said, "we know, Commander."
Ahsoka nodded her appreciation that Bandrix had implied what she couldn't say.
"Alright," she said. "Let's go."
They dropped through the hatch to the ground. Michael and Trax sped off in different directions, heading toward the tree line to traverse the edge of the field.
Jin and Kip moved cautiously up the Aurore's cargo rap.
"Commander," Bandrix said quietly. "Over here."
Ahsoka walked over to the cargo ramp and looked behind it where Bandrix pointed. A Falleen male and female lay unconscious, their wrists and ankles cuffed together in a bizarre configuration that would immobilize them if they woke.
"Black Sun Syndicate pirates," Ahsoka said, her worst fears confirmed.
"Yes, but what happened to these two?" Bandrix said.
Ahsoka scanned the muddy ground where the freighter's thrusters had melted the snow and charred the dirt upon landing. She pointed at two furrows in the mud that led from the ramp to the unconscious pirates. "They must have been ambushed, then dragged behind the ramp," she said.
The sound of boots descending the ramp pulled her attention to Jin and Kip.
"Ship's empty," Kip said. "But the hold's full of cages. These are definitely slave raiders."
Jin peered around the edge of the ramp and saw the pirates on the ground. He let out a chuckle. "You don't see that every day."
Kip followed Jin's gaze. "Looks like a bunch of the clan were able to kick some pirate shebs. At least we've got some help," he said.
"Shebs?" Ahsoka asked.
Kip smiled. "It's Mando'a for butt, backside, ass-"
"Got it," Ahsoka said, rolling her eyes.
She crouched down on her haunches, her predator's eyes examining the minute details embedded in the muddy ground. Then she walked several paces away from the ship, to where the tracks crossed from the mud onto the snow, confirming her suspicions.
"Not a group." Ahsoka said. "Just one person."
"How can you tell?" Kip asked.
Ahsoka pointed at the tracks. "One set of the same footprints, coming and going."
The light flashed on Ahsoka's wrist com and she brought it up to her mouth. "Report," she said.
"It's Michael, Commander. Everything's clear."
"Copy," Ahsoka replied. "You and Trax circle wide along the east side, then enter the camp from the north. Work your way toward the communications hut. Evacuate anyone you find. Send them north along the stream bed to the caves. If you encounter any hostiles, stay hidden and do not engage. We'll be coming in from the south."
"Understood," Michael said.
Ahsoka started following the tracks. "Move out," she said.
They moved quietly through the forest, Ahsoka's predatory senses on high alert. After several minutes they came to a split in the tracks. To the west the tracks were coming toward the juncture. To the north the tracks moved away toward the camp.
"They came from the west," she said. "Went to the landing field. Took out the pirates. Double backed to this point. Then they headed deeper into the camp."
The other three nodded in agreement.
Ahsoka pointed at the approaching footprints. "Jin, you and Kip follow the west track. See if you can find its origin. Bandrix and I will follow the track leading into the camp."
"Be careful, Commander," Jin said.
"You too," Ahsoka replied.
Ahsoka continued in the lead until she and Bandrix reached a group of huts on the outskirts of the camp. Rounding the side of one hut she saw signs of a struggle in the snow. Then she pulled up short and stared at the two unconscious pirates cuffed around the base of a tree.
Bandrix came up beside her and let out a low scoff. "These must be the most inept pirates in the Outer Rim," he said.
Inept? Maybe. But Ahsoka was beginning to suspect a different reason for the pirates' bad day.
The flashing of her wrist com caught her attention. "Report," she said softly.
"Commander," came Jin's voice, "the tracks originate at the storage building. There are two unconscious pirates here as well. Trussed up even worse than the two at the ship."
Bandrix leaned close to Ahsoka and spoke softly into the com unit. "Is the clone dead?" he asked.
"The clone's not here," Jin responded. "And there's something else."
"What?" Bandrix said.
"The restraining collar was lying on the floor," Jin said. "Best I can figure is that somehow it came off during a fight with the pirates."
"Understood," Ahsoka said. "Make your way toward the center of camp. Stay hidden and don't engage. Find a spot, dig in and wait for my instructions."
"Copy that," Jin said.
Bandrix gave Ahsoka an incredulous look. "The clone did all of this?" he said.
Ahsoka struggled not to smile. "Maybe," she said.
Of course Rex had done this. No one in the camp had this type of combat skill. What Rex had done made even her and Bandrix's abilities pale by comparision, and they were the best fighters in the clan.
"There's no one moving about the camp, so this has to be a slave raid," Bandrix said. "Slavers will force everyone into a confined area. Then they'll load them into cages and repulsor-lift the cages back to their ship. They're mostly likely staging out of the clearing at the camp's center."
"Then let's keep moving," Ahsoka said.
They followed the winding path of footprints for another hundred meters, slowly spiraling closer to the center of the camp. The acrid smell of smoke continued to grow stronger, burning Ahsoka's throat.
"We should be able to see the central clearing by now. Wait, what's that?" Bandrix said, pointing toward a small hut about ten meters in front of them.
Ahsoka peered ahead at the small, white pile behind the hut. They crept forward, keeping the hut between them and the clearing, until they were close enough to identify the pile's contents.
Bandrix glanced at Ahsoka. "The clone's armor," he said.
Ahsoka nodded.
Rex's armor. All of his armor. Stacked in a neat pile. He'd taken it off — intentionally. But why?
The feeling of dread she'd pushed down earlier began to rise again.
"Listen," Bandrix whispered.
The sound of a deep Falleen voice floated to them through the air. It was loud and angry, but Ahsoka couldn't make out the words.
"Over here," Bandrix said, gesturing for Ahsoka to follow him around the hut. He crouched down behind a pile of firewood and pointed through the trees. She bent down beside him.
From this vantage point she had a clear view through the thinning trees of the camp's central clearing. The shimmering silver of a shield dome covered the area where the Falleen slavers held the entire population of the clan.
Shock hammered into Ahsoka, stealing the air from her lungs. Then rage began to boil upward, threatening to erupt from her like molten rock. She took a breath and struggled to push the anger back down. She needed a clear head if they were going to rescue the clan.
Ahsoka took in the situation before her, gathering data, calculating alternatives and struggling to come up with a plan to break through the shield, all while fighting to stay calm. She would get her people out. Then she would bring the pirates to their knees. She unholstered her blaster and begin to rise.
Bandrix grabbed her arm, pulling her back behind the wood pile. "Wait," he said, and pointed.
Ahsoka followed his gaze and froze, her rage bursting into a petrifying fear.
Clan members had all crowded up against one end of the clearing. At the other end where Bandrix was pointing, four huge Falleen pirates with shock wands surrounded a single unarmed figure dressed in black.
Rex.
The light on Ahsoka's wrist com tugged her attention away from the clearing.
"Commander, do you have eyes on the center of camp?" Jin asked.
"Affirmative," Ahsoka replied.
"What do we do?"
Ahsoka had no idea how to answer Jin. Rex was in danger because of her. Because she'd locked him up like an animal. She looked at Bandrix, her eyes pleading for an answer, a solution, some way to fix this nightmarish situation that she'd caused.
Bandrix keyed his wrist com. "Hold your position, Jin," he said. "Michael, do you copy?"
"Micheal, here," came the voice over Bandrix's com.
"What's your location?" Bandrix asked.
"We're hold up behind the communications hut," Michael said. "It's been destroyed. Some type of explosion. That's the source of the smoke."
"Make your way to the camp center. Then dig in and stay hidden. Wait for our signal," Bandrix directed.
"What's going on?" Michael asked.
"You'll know when you get there," Bandrix said.
Ahsoka glared at Bandrix. "We can't just sit here. We need to do something," she growled.
"And we will," Bandrix said. "But right now we need to wait. We can't do anything with the shield up."
"It's four against one," Ahsoka said, fear pounding inside her.
"We don't know what's going on. The clone dropped his armor, probably so he could get captured. He wanted inside. He's got a plan. We need to wait for him to make his move."
Ahsoka took a breath and nodded. She shoved down her fear, locking it away. She needed to stay focused until this was over.
Turning back toward the clearing her body jerked in surprise as all hell broke loose.
As if by magic a shock wand appeared in each of Rex's hands sparking and hissing like angry snakes. Ahsoka stared in disbelief as he dropped into some type of fighting stance, wands ready.
The four Falleen had encircled him, each wielding a shock wand like a club. They'd hesitated when Rex had produced his weapons. But now one of them seemed to have overcome his surprise. He charged at Rex.
Ahsoka gasped as Rex feinted a step to one side, then pivoted to the opposite. The pirate's momentum committed him in one direction and Rex parried the pirate's wand aside with one of his, jamming his second wand into the pirate's gut. The pirate dropped to his knees and Rex snapped a vicious kick to his head. The pirate went slack, toppling onto his face.
The attack and defense had taken only seconds. Ahsoka had never seen anyone move that fast with such power and control, with so little effort.
The three remaining pirates seemed to have learned from the other's mistake. They were circling Rex slowly, taking their time, planning their assault.
Ahsoka risked a glance at the throng of clan members crowded together several rows deep. Near the front she saw her closest friends and advisors. Manami, Reesa, Waunado and Dian'thy with his arm around T'annon who was clutching at his side. She would get them out. All of them. Bandrix was right. Rex was a soldier and had a plan. They needed to wait and be ready to help when the time came.
Movement caught her eye and she snapped her head back to Rex and the pirates. The three Falleen rushed Rex simultaneously, attacking him on three fronts. They swung their shock wands with an incredible force provided by their large, powerful bodies.
Rex moved like a dancer. Dodging and ducking, blocking strikes and parrying blows from all three pirates at once. Each of his wands seemed to have a mind of its own, acting independently of the other to parry a thrust from one attacker while blocking a strike from another. They sizzled and snapped as they slashed through the air, defending against a blow in one second, then flashing forward in an offensive strike the Falleen were barely able to deflect. Rex whirled and spun, striking not only with his wands but with his legs and elbows if the pirates were foolish enough to come that close.
Ahsoka watched, unable to speak, unable to move. Rex's body moved with an effortless grace. His weapons flowed with deadly precision. He was powerful and devastating and beautiful all at once. He was fighting almost like a Jedi.
A realization hit her. Rex wasn't fighting almost like a Jedi. He was fighting exactly like a Jedi.
Ahsoka had been taught the skills of lightsaber combat by some of the most talented Jedi masters of the Order. She had excelled in that part of her training, her instructors describing her as exceptionally gifted. Rex fought with his stun wands exactly as she had been trained to fight with two lightsabers.
Someone had trained Rex in Jar'Kai. There was no doubt in her mind.
Not only was he trained, he was obviously a master of the art. For a Jedi to train a nonForce user in any form of lightsaber combat was unheard of. To have received such training would have been a high honor. And with that realization, she knew the Falleen wouldn't stand a chance against him in a fair fight.
But this fight was anything but fair.
Ahsoka refocused on the battle in the clearing. Rex continued to repel his opponents' onslaught, but she could tell he was tiring. The Falleen were a huge species with strength and endurance. And despite Rex's obvious skills, he was getting worn down.
Rex dodged as one pirate charged, blocking a strike with one wand and landing a knockout blow with the other. But another pirate had sent a wild blow that had slipped past Rex's guard and glanced across his side.
Ahsoka sucked in a breath as Rex staggered back, in obvious pain. He'd been hit on his weak side, where his ribs had been cracked.
The same pirate took another wild swing, hoping to repeat his performance. Rex was expecting it. Executing a perfect cross block with both wands, Rex kicked out connecting with the pirate's sternum, knocking him on his back. Rex swooped in, bringing both wands down on the pirate's stomach. The Falleen shook wildly for a moment and then fell still.
Rex hobbled back a step and faced off with the last pirate, his wands raised, a savage expression on his face. The Falleen backed away quickly, obviously disillusioned about his chances without his friends, now that he'd seen what Rex could do.
The pirate dropped his wand and drew his blaster.
"That oaf will kill more than the clone if he cuts loose in there," Bandrix hissed.
Panic gripped Ahsoka in a stranglehold. Everything had gone to hell in the blink of an eye. Her friends were in the line of fire and Rex was in mortal danger. She had to move. She had to act. Now.
Ahsoka jumped to her feet.
"No," Bandrix yelled, grabbing her wrist.
Ahsoka jerked free, rounded the wood pile and sprinted full-out toward the clearing. She had no idea what to do, but she had to get to him.
As Ahsoka ran through the trees she caught movement in her peripheral vision. Her panic spiked, sending a piercing shock through her entire body.
T'annon was running across the clearing. Running toward Rex. She was screaming, her terrified voice ringing painfully in Ahsoka's montrals. She watched in horror as the pirate raised his blaster.
T'annon was closing the distance, her intent clear. She would put herself between Rex and the pirate. Just as she'd put herself between Rex and Ahsoka. To protect him.
A bolt of energy erupted from the blaster's muzzle, the flash tinting the shimmering silver of the shield dome a pale red. But Rex was already moving. The bolt hit the ground where he'd stood a second before, spraying snow into the air.
Rex sprinted toward T'annon.
The pirate tracked him with his blaster trying to line up another shot.
At the last instant before he would have crashed into T'annon, Rex dropped his shock wands. He side-stepped, reached out and scooped T'annon up with both arms. He pressed her against his chest, skidding to a halt. He pivoted T'annon away from the pirate's blaster, his back fully exposed.
The pirate sent another blaster bolt flying. This time his aim was true. The bolt seared a hole in the back of Rex's left calf. His leg collapsed, bringing him to his knees. Still, he kept is back to the pirate, clutching T'annon tightly.
Ahsoka raced forward. The fear she'd been trying to push down burst inside her, igniting like a lightsaber. This couldn't be happening. It was her job to keep them safe. Her job to protect then. She couldn't fail them. Not, T'annon. Not, Rex.
Another flash of red exploded from the pirate's blaster. Rex jerked as the bolt drilled a hole through his left shoulder. He swayed unsteadily as he struggled to stay upright and keep his body between T'annon and the pirate.
The Falleen steadied himself for a kill shot.
Terror and fear coalesced like a blackhole inside Ahsoka. A pinpoint of rage swelled in her chest, so powerful she could no longer contain it. A primal scream tore from her throat.
Without conscious thought Ahsoka jerked both hands up in front of her. Raw power surged from one hand to envelop the shield generator, crushing it until it imploded into a heap of sparking wires and twisted metal. The shield dome began to dissolve.
The power from her other hand wrapped around the huge Falleen's neck. It squeezed the breath out of him, lifting him several meters off the ground. He dropped his blaster, his hands clutching at his throat as his feet kicked frantically in the air.
Ahsoka flicked her hand to the side. The crack of the Falleen's breaking neck pierced the air. She flicked her hand in the opposite direction and the Falleen flew across the clearing. He crashed into a tree trunk and dropped bonelessly to the ground. Dead.
Bandrix ran past her, shouting into his wrist com. "Get everyone out of here. Secure the perimeter."
People began to move, coming to their senses.
Ahsoka's body shook violently. She struggled to breathe. Her legs were like rubber and she fought to remain upright. But she willed them to move. Faster and faster until she was running again.
She pushed against the throng of clan members that surrounded Rex and T'annon. When she broke through and saw T'annon in Dian'thy's arms, alive and unharmed, tears of joy burst from her eyes.
Then her gazed tracked to the ground. Rex lay collapsed on his stomach. The fabric of his blacks smoldered around the blaster wounds to his leg and shoulder.
No, no, no!
Ahsoka rushed to Rex's side, crashing to her knees. Tears blurred her vision, flooding down her face.
No. Please don't die. Not now.
She placed her fingers on his neck and felt a pulse. The surge of relief that shot through her threatened to overwhelm her exhausted body.
Ahsoka felt someone kneel on the ground beside her and place a hand on her shoulder.
"We're secure, Commander," Bandrix said.
Ahsoka turned toward Bandrix. Her gaze hazy, her mind still clouded by everything that had just happened.
"We'll take care of him," Bandrix said. He turned and spoke to someone in the crowd. "Bring a stretcher and find the doctor. Carry him back to the storage building. We'll tend to his injuries."
Ahsoka shook her head. "No," she said. "Take him to my hut. Treat him there. I'll watch over him."
"Are you sure, Commander?" Bandrix asked.
Ahsoka nodded, not willing to risk speaking again for fear she'd start sobbing.
"You heard the commander," Bandrix said.
He stood and gently lifted Ahsoka to her feet.
"It's over," Bandrix whispered. "Everyone is safe. You can rest now."