Chapter 7
The duels in the gyms became more regular after the Rogues, 'Suns, and Vanguards got garrisoned on Kamar, and the betting continued. Eventually they started transmitting the fights up to the capitol ships in orbit. Even Requiem had joined in. One day as Anakin was watching Requiem and Jaina duel, alarms began started to ring and all pilots were being called to their ships.
Anakin ran to the hanger and climbed into his X-wing he did a quick pre-flight check as the techs finished loading his R2 and unplugging the fuel lines. The other pilots in the wing were doing the same.
"Okay Twins Suns, report in," ordered Jaina over the comm as they lifted off.
The 'Suns went down the list and moved into formation as they exited the atmosphere. Anakin checked his sensor readings and cursed. There was a fleet of five ImpStar Deuces.
"Lead, Nine. Orders?"
"Keep the snubfighters off of our capital ships," ordered Jaina.
"Twins Suns, this is Colonel Celchu. We're evacuating. There's too many Destroyers. Escort the transports and head to the coordinates we're sending you now."
"As ordered Colonel."
"You heard him Three Flight," said Anakin as he turned around towards where the transports were lifting off. "Break into wing pairs and cover the transports. Remember what I told you about TIEs. Starkiller out."
Anakin saw a wing of eyeballs and clutches swoop down over the base, spraying emerald death over the desert sky.
"Ten, you're leading."
"As ordered Nine."
Anakin's wingmate took the lead and went in after a flight of TIEs, blasting her lasers on dual fire mode. She hit one of the TIEs where the solar panel attached to the wing and sent it spinning off into the ground.
"Sithspawn! We've got four clutches on our backs!" cursed Ten.
Eleven and Twelve looped around onto the tri-fighters' tails, but by then, the four clutches had overpowered Ten's shields with a burst of laser fire.
Anakin felt his wingmate's final cry through the Force. He stretched out with his senses and began moving with the enemy pilots, sensing when they were going to fire and juking out of the way at the last second. Two of the tri-fighters had been vaped by Eleven and Twelve. He decelerated sharply and caused the clutches to shoot forward. They must have been rookies flying the things, since that was easily the oldest trick there was for evading starfighter pursuit. Anakin quickly let off a quad burst into one of the clutches, obliterating its top wing and sending it careening into the other clutch.
Jaina's voice came over the comm. "Suns, the transports are away. Head out to the coordinates Colonel Celchu sent you. See you at the rendezvous."
Anakin cleared Kamar's gravity well and pushed the hyperspace lever forward and checked where he was going. Myrkr. The home of the Shamed Ones.
***
On Borleias, Anakin waited on the landing pad. Tahiri was coming back from a mission. He scanned the skies for the YT-2400 freighter she was flying.
He found the disc-shaped freighter floating down on its repulsors from the east. He waited as the ship shut-down and the ramp extended. Tahiri marched down, wearing the garish orange flight suit that was worn by Rebellion pilots. A blaster hung low on her left hip and her lightsaber was on her right. She looked remarkably like the Tahiri he had seen in a vision on Yavin Four.
"Tahiri."
"Anakin."
Anakin strode towards her, his black Jedi robes flowing around him, almost making it look as if he was flying. "You've been avoiding me." He sounded hurt.
The only time Tahiri had heard him like this was right after Chewie died. "Well, I've kind of been afraid. You were dead for years. Were we supposed to pick up where we left off?"
"I was sort of hoping to."
"I've changed so much since you died. For a while, I was a real loner, shutting everyone out. I've moved on a little bit, you know?"
Anakin nodded and started to turn around.
"Wait. That doesn't mean we can't start over again." She grinned, for once looking like the old Tahiri. "My last boyfriend turned out to be a sociopath. After him, you ought to be a welcome change."
Anakin once again was reminded of all he had missed. He moved closer to Tahiri and said, "You have any cargo that needs unloading or anything?"
"Yes," she replied. "I've got a load of simulator packages to be delivered to the base. I figure you can help me move them." Anakin put his arm around her and together they headed for the ship's cargo bay.