Rancor Slam
Part 3
Kir led his squadron, Red Squadron, out of atmosphere. They flew between and a little behind the Tierfon Yellow Aces and Black Moon Squadrons. The Twin Suns were at point, ahead and between the Aces and Black Moon Squad. The Millennium Falcon was behind The Reds, using the StarFighters as a screen.
Kir felt dread trying to weave its way into his stomach. He tried to ignore it but it kept coming back. He finally had to reach out to Cas. She was at the edge of the system, waiting to escort Wedge and Tycho out. She would probably know something, he hoped.
She felt it too, the dread. The not knowing growing in her digestive tract. He felt his fingers moving with out his orders. He looked at his screen. There was a picture of the Lusankya on his screen.
They hadn't been told something.
Why was the Lusankya in such disrepair?
Wedge has a plan. She told him. We have to wait to see what it is.
The Reds flew up the Lusankya's stern and got on station at different points around the great ship's engines.
Not even Five minutes later, they engaged.
Kir swooped and dived after skips of all shapes and sizes and was pleased to see Syn and Nii on either side of him, keeping in tight formation.
They were suddenly half the way to the large world ship. Three Quarters. 500 klicks off.
Master Skywalker and Knight Jade-Skywalker were taking point. Everything was going well. The Reds had lost no pilots so far, that was great.
"Reds, Help! A Skip's on my tail!" It was Syc.
Kir felt his heart sink. He completed his loop and saw. Syc had gotten separated from Nyc and Zat, some how, and had half a squad of skips was on her tail, going after easy pickings.
He saw Nyc and Zat going at insane speeds, straight through the dogfights, using the Force to guide them back to their lost member. Not even stopping to fire at even the most beautiful targets.
But they wouldn't get there in time. No one could, not even a torpedo could help her now.
Kir felt Syc, she knew no one could help her. That it was helpless. But she wouldn't give up. Because, she knew:
If she didn't make it, neither would the skips.
Kir glared. No, this could not happen. He threw all the power he could to thrust.
"Glancer." He spoke to his astromech. "Mark those six behind Red Seven as Priority Targets 1 through 6 and send it to all the Reds." They might take that one Padawan, but the others would make them pay.
It wasn't revenge, well, not really. It was self-preservation.
You don't kill one Jedi with out the other -more powerful- Jedi tracking you down. It was that simple. It was how the Dagobah Academy stayed alive during the hard times.
By watching out for each other, and taking out any threats. That was why he was so surprised when the Councils had waited to long to let Cas and the others act.
All the Reds were converging on Syc and the six skips after her all from different angles.
Some came almost as recklessly as Nyc and Zat. Others more carefully, taking shots as the came available, protecting other pilots from Syc's fate.
He felt a scream in the Force as balls of lava converged on one lonely X-Wing.
He felt shock and horror as the Padawan died.
He felt the realization, like a weight settling in his chest. The realization that just because they hadn't lost anyone yet didn't mean they couldn't loose anyone.
And toward the edge of the system, the edge of his perception, he felt Cas collapse.
Cas opened her eyes to see her Master Shaper above her.
What had happened? she asked herself. Alright.
Check list time.
She remembered getting the feeling off Kir that something bad was going to happen. Check.
She remembered going to the back to care for the Younglings once whatever-it-was happened. Check.
She remembered whatever-it-was happening and hitting her like a ton of bricks. Check.
Now she was waking up with a Yuuzahn Vong looking down at her, tears in his eyes. The Younglings were all crying loudly. Quwil was calling back to her, wanting to know what was wrong.
She could think of only one thing. One of the Reds died.
First things first. She reached out to the Padawans with her. She comforted them, held them in the Force. Then quietly sent them into soft healing trances. It would help them mourn the passing of a friend, help their mental states. It would aid them in establishing a base of memories that could help keep them from confusion and cloudiness later in life...
She then reached out to Space, feeling for her people. She ignored the bright spots in the Force she couldn't recognize and touched the ones she knew.
Kir was the brightest spot to her, because she knew him best. Then her Guardsmen, because they were familiar and highly trained in the ways of the Force. Next she felt Syn, then Nii, Zat and last Nyc.
The more highly trained of her Apprentices.
Where was Syc? Why couldn't she feel Syc?
Syc was gone. Eternally one with the Force.
Just like in her vision. But no vision could prepare one for the loss of a child, a Youngling, a beloved Padawan… It was just one more reason for these Yuuzahn Vong had to die.
Kir rolled and dove one more time.
He was above all his command for a moment. The Reds were sticking together more, now. Watching each other's backs better, after the death of Padawan Syc.
They were buzzing around what used to be the great Lusankya as it plunged into the heart of the lead Yuuzahn Vong worldship.
"Leader, this is Two" It was Syn. "We have a new blip. A Y-Wing escaping the Lusankya."
Kir smiled, tight-lipped. "Well, lets go pick us up a Ship Commander, shall we?"
Kir fired at a skip lining up on the Y-Wing as they fell into formation behind it. The skip exploded. "This is Red Leader. Want to fly in formation Red Thirteen?"
"Gladly." The older Ship Commander said. You didn't need the Force to understand his feeling of relief.
"Good. Let's go."
Cas and Quwil maneuvered over the tumbling X-Wing. They grabbed it with the tractor beam and the Shameless shook. They pulled the supposed 'Black Moon Eleven' out of the Planet's gravity.
Cas opened the Port air lock and guided the Pilot in while Quwil slaved, then coupled the X-Wing to the Shameless's belly. She picked up the man and carried him to her cabin. She started pulling him out of his Flight Suit.
Once she pulled off his helmet she knew exactly who it was. She tucked blankets around the man and went to the wall-comm. "Quwil, ask Rogue Squadron to report we've retrieved General Wedge Antilles…"