Chapter 9.
The Stormtrooper fired, his blaster bolt whistling up to where the Twi'Lek Salaman hung. Salaman seemed to sense its coming, though, and let go with one of his head-tentacles. His head dropped and the burning bolt of energy whizzed over his skull into the body of the walker, where he had ripped away the armoured hatch. Salaman looked up, his eyes widened; he quickly breathed another Twi'leki expletive, and let go with his remaining Lekku. He dropped away from the ensuing explosion. The walker was critically damaged, for its driver could no longer control its motion. Salaman managed to catch hold of one of the metal legs as he fell, and to swing himself clear. The ATST, meanwhile, lumbered out of control into the wreckage of the other one, lying in front of it, and toppled forward, its face smashing into the docking bay floor.
One down. But still two more Imperial walkers were stomping forward, their blaster cannons spraying the docking bay deck before them with deadly fire, augmented by volleys of blaster-rifle fire from the ranks of Stormtroopers following.
'Don't retreat, go forward!' Audron waved his cutlass at his men, and his blaster at his enemies. 'With me, if you are not cowards! I smell the treasure! It's beautiful!'
He charged, boldly, running right under one of the ATSTs, towards the advancing stormtrooper ranks. He seemed crazed, he seemed possessed. 'Ha haha ha! I'm the Great pirate Audron! You can't stop me! Give me my treasure you ba…'
Their blaster fire tore into him in a single volley, from close range, catching him mid bound, demolishing his middle, and throwing him back, onto to deck- to lie atop the splattering of gore that the same fire had sprayed from his back. Through the searing pain Audron realised that he was a dead man, or would be in a moment. He realised something else besides- something more important…
The stormtroopers advanced unopposed, for most of the pirates were running for cover. They imperial forces parted around the two toppled ATSTs, and marched on, bent on retaking the docking bay. Drake crouched, hidden in the wreckage, unseen by the stormtroopers that surged around. Asla crouched beside him, close enough that they could feel one another's hearts beating. He caught her eye…
'Wait,' he whispered… 'Wait…' The stomping of the imperial troops boots on the deck seemed like drums beating all around them.
'Now!' They both sprang up and crawled over the barrier that the leg of the first fallen ATST had formed. They huddled down again, and their hearts managed one more loud beat, almost beating as one.
Then the thermal detonator, which Drake had planted on the other side of he, toppled walker's leg ignited, and a blast of fire and smoke enveloped the surrounding imperial troopers, unleashing chaos, death and destruction.
Meanwhile another pirate fighter soared through the portal and arched across the internal space of the docking bay. It immediately engaged the lead ATST, which was too slow to return fire, and which was soon reduced to smoking debris. The fighter swung around to engage the other ATST, but it was already in the walker's sights. The ATST shot away the fighter's starboard wing. It was a mortal blow, fatal also for its deliverer. The disabled fighter hurtled forward, smashing into the ATST. Both of the vehicles of war tumbled together into a conflagration. Even more reeking black smoke filled the docking bay.
Drake and Asla, meanwhile, staggered away from the scene of destruction left by the detonator. They stood back to back, firing at everything in an imperial uniform that stumbled out of the smoke.
'Oh!' she said. 'Oh dear.'
Drake knew Asla hated this, he could feel it, and he felt bad for bringing her anywhere near such a dreadful scene. She had courage, he knew, but not cruelty, not coldness, and he knew she was suffering for every enemy the situation forced her to kill.
At the same time, though, Drake could taste triumph; the pirates had regained the initiative. The blast had killed or maimed many of the Imperial reinforcements, and disorientated the rest. They were no-longer capable of coherent resistance, and soon they succumbed.
All of a sudden there seemed to be no more enemy. Drake realised that he was standing in a vast space like a cargo hold, filled with many containers of all sizes. Disregarding the pain in his wounded leg, he lumbered over to one of the lesser containers and shot away it's fastenings with his blaster. He wrenched it open, and fabulous jewels, surely several tonnes of them, dazzled his eyes. And this was just one of hundreds of containers.
'They can't all be like this…'
At that there came the sound of laboured breathing. Salaman and another crewman were carrying Captain Audron through. He was still alive, somehow, but barely. His feet dragged on the deck, leaving smears of blood behind him. He had only moments left.
'Captain!' Asla ran to meet them, but stopped in her tracks, seeing how badly Audron was injured. Her purple eyes shone and sparkled, lovelier than any jewels, as they filled with tears.
'Asla… my dear… don't… fret. Nothing can… save… me now. I... just want to… see… my treasure, ere I… die.'
'It's here.' Drake gestured towards the container filled with precious stones, and all the other containers behind, promising yet richer spoils.
'No,' Audron said, reaching out feebly to touch Asla's cheek. 'It's… here.' Asla put her fingers over her captain's. Audron gasped his last. Salaman laid him down.
