Chapter 5
I.
"Attack!"
Kim glanced over her shoulder. Men clad in white armor burst out from behind thickets and trees. In their hands were long black rifles that fired blue laser bolts. Kim turned back to the cyborg who seemed unfazed, repelling the plasma back at the troopers with his energy swords. Maybe Wade's theory was right. Maybe this place is embroiled in a civil war and we've been caught in the middle of it. Maybe there is hope. Just then, the cyborg removed his claw off of Kim's arm, more interested in fighting the soldiers than her.
She quickly recoiled her arm cringing at the injury her forearm had been dealt. Blood flowed out of the wound so she quickly used her right hand to put pressure on it, trying to stem the flow of blood. With the cyborg's attention focused elsewhere, Kim assessed the situation. The droids who had been taking her friends were now too busy firing back at the soldiers, forming themselves upon the cyborg. The situation had changed and even if the soldiers weren't friendly, Kim knew now that she and others had a chance to slip away into the forest.
Kim secretly hoped the white-clad soldiers weren't the enemy. If they could help, then it would make the search for Ron so much easier. It gave her hope that maybe — maybe Ron was alive. With the cyborg and the robots distracted, she painstakingly got up, careful to watch her wound. Her legs were wobbly, still in pain from early when she had tried to kick the cyborg's immovable metal leg. She slowly staggered her way to Wade who was still trembling in shock holding his knees to his chest.
She grabbed Wade by the back of his shirt dragging him to his feet. They slowly straggled to Yori who still lay in a motionless lump at the foot of the tree she was thrown against. Wade looked to Kim for what to do next. Kim gave Wade a hard-nosed look, casting her eyes on the bad wound on her left forearm, blood still oozing out. Wade's eyes grew and he was about to shout before Rufus had scampered up his leg and smacked him with his tiny paws. Kim gave Wade a pleading look as she motioned toward the distracted cyborg and robots. He understood now. They needed to be quiet if they were going to make it out alive.
So Wade lowered himself and carefully cradled Yori over his shoulders so he could start walking her to where Kim directed. The problem was, Kim hadn't exactly made up her mind. Kim, now watching the shouting men, was hoping that they would help. For the first time in a long time, Kim wanted someone to rescue her. That's a lie Kim told herself. She wanted someone to rescue her back in Bueno Nacho headquarters too… and someone had.
"Kim—" Kim's ears perked up to Wade's strained voice. The sound of metal and gear clicking and sliding into place was deafening. She knew the sound because she had fought it off the last time. She slowly turned around, finding what she feared. A bulky silver robot, two of them, had extended their right arms aiming their deadly weapons at her and her friends. This was it. With her arm injured and bleeding profusely, there was nothing she could do. Yori was still knocked out. She glanced back. No one was coming, the cyborg was relentless effortlessly cutting down three troopers at once. This was it. They were either dead or worse. She closed her eyes waiting for the inevitable.
Whirring. Kim heard something hot cut through the air. It sounded like the cyborg's photon swords. Kim opened her eyes. The robots were now aiming elsewhere, up and behind her. Before she could turn the robots let out a burst of laser fire and an alien girl with tan skin and two-horned tails in place of hair sliced through them like butter. The alien, who was very human-like except for the light blue and white horned tails out of her head, was a young girl, younger than herself.
The alien young girl turned around and mouthed something to her but she couldn't hear. There was a deafening ringing in her ears she couldn't shake. Kim felt woozy and wobbly as her vision started to tremble.
"Kim!" Wade calling her name snapped her back. Wade reached out and pressed something against her temple. That hurt. Before Kim could react or say anything, Wade shouted again, "Kim!"
The young girl who had rescued her knelt down by her, "Kim! You need to go with your friend and get out of here! Get to the gunships."
Kim gave the young girl a perplexed look. She must be talking about some of the troopers in armor Kim looked behind her. The scene of the fight had changed. The cyborg was now fighting another warrior who was older. Their blade glowed a brilliant blue and they were clashing with the cyborg's own green and blue.
"You need to go now!" The young alien girl shouted through gritted teeth. She took a defensive stance in front of them and started to deflect laser bolts coming from the robots. Kim looked at her bleeding arm as she kept putting pressure above the wound. She looked back at the girl who looked back at Kim, "They can give you medical help on the gunship. But you have to get there, we'll hold them off," the girl assured.
Kim nodded and quickly her mind switched back into mission mode as she shook away the fear. She had a mission to complete. She needed to take all the energy and will she had left in her and save her friends. She took her right hand off her left off arm, letting the blood run freely. Using her right arm, Kim lifted Wade to his feet and pointed in the direction where the troopers had come from. Wade understood and hoisted Yori over his shoulders, her legs dragging behind him, and began to run.
Kim felt faint. Did that stupid metal talon hit an artery! Kim looked down at her left arm, blood now profusely spilling out. She noticed her super suit wasn't healing either. What did that oversized tin can do to me? She stumbled after Wade, her vision beginning to blur. I didn't know this is how it feels… to lose this much blood. She began to panic slowing down. She felt something run up her leg and to her arm. She felt a tight squeeze and a pinch. She fell to one knee. She was becoming faint as the floor began to bob and seesaw. She winced as she felt another pinch. She looked over, seeing Rufus finishing a makeshift tourniquet with a torn piece of cloth he must have ripped from Wade's mission clothes.
Kim glanced back at the wound as the blood began to slow again. She looked at Rufus astonished that Ron's other best friend would know a medical technique like that. Kim raised her right arm and gave Rufus a weak thumbs up forcing a smile. Rufus smiled back before scampering up her shoulder perching himself there. Kim forced herself to stand back up again starting to walk after Wade, who was getting farther ahead.
Kim struggled to catch up. Even though the bleeding had slowed again, she had lost enough blood to still feel woozy. Kim watched him glance back at her. He stopped as if he was going to wait. "Don't slow down!" Kim shouted. Shouting made the seesaw motion worse. But it was worth it as Wade kept his pace toward where the young warrior girl had pointed. Blue and red laser fire streaked past her in both directions. She could see the gunship the girl had mentioned. It looked vaguely familiar to a helicopter she had seen before. Wade was almost there.
An Explosion. It threw Kim and the others forward. Kim rolled to a stop next to the corpse of a lifeless trooper. Her ears rang. She heard distant voices and what sounded like freight trains roaring overhead. Kim looked up as hands and arms reached under her. Soldiers began dragging her toward the gunships.
She watched a rocket screech overhead slamming into another descending gunship. The soldiers helping Kim were thrown back from the shock-wave. Hot shards of metal fell from the sky, the burning aircraft crashing into the ground.
Kim rolled over finding Wade barely conscious. Rufus had rushed over and was smacking him to keep him awake. She couldn't find any sign of Yori. More rockets screeched overhead. The blue plasma and red lasers streaking past each other intensified as the cyborg and his robotic minions inched closer. All around the troopers were falling back. Kim reached out to the gunship as darkness started to descend over her vision.
"Oh no you don't!" A faint voice called out. Kim felt a strong hand pick her up, slinging her over their shoulder. Kim watched as the cyborg advanced, now pushing back both the older and younger alien warriors. Kim was amazed she was able to hold her own for as long as she did.
Whoever had carried her over to the gunship laid her up against the wall. She looked over to find Wade and Yori being taken care of in the same way, Rufus concerning himself with both of them. Her rescuer revealed himself. A fair middle-aged man with gentle blue eyes and dirty blond hair. His facial hair was prominent adding an essence of wisdom.
"Are you alright young one?" he asked.
"I think so?" Kim said rubbing her head trying to get up.
"Whoa there! You need some rest before you do anything else," he gently pushed her back down. She heard a thud. Glancing in the direction of the sound, she saw the young girl who had been fighting the cyborg hunched against the wall rubbing her head. Kim looked back out the doors. The older alien warrior who was still fighting the cyborg jumped when he should have ducked. Kim watched in horror as the cyborg's green sword clashed with the warrior's blue one, but the cyborg's own blue one cut through the warrior's shoulder and down through to his hip.
"Punch it, Master!" Kim looked at the screaming girl crawling into the gunship, Kim swore she could hear the hiccup of a cry. Kim turned to see the ship's sliding doors begin to close. Past them, the cyborg kicked the disembodied warrior to the side as it stalked toward them, deflecting a hail of blaster fire. Kim reeled as he stalked toward the rising ship, fear grasping her throat, his yellow eyes boring into hers. It was at that instant she knew she had seen him from somewhere. The ship zipped into the sky just before the cyborg could get there.
"Don't worry. He won't get to you now," the man comforted her. Kim relaxed. The others were safe and now so was she. Safe from the monstrous cyborg. Maybe there was hope. Perhaps Ron was safe. She saw Rufus climb up beside her, caressing her cheek with his tiny paws. She slowly drifted off to sleep.
II.
Ron's eyes flew open, awoken from the blaring sirens. We're already here? He lifted his head taking in his surroundings. Dementor was wide awake, while Beta and OM-2 were laboring over the controls. Beta turned back, "Strap yourselves in." Ron didn't waste any time, tightening the restraints on his seat.
Beta reached above him pulling a lever and the shuttle exited hyperspace. The sight before Ron was incredible, the warp being quickly replaced by space around Ord Canfre. The shuttle exited right beside the multi-layered bridge of a Confederate frigate. Blue and red plasma and flak streaked across the arena of space. Explosions replaced the distant stretch of peaceful stars. The once organized naval blockade that had protected Ord Canfre was broken. It was chaos.
"I leave for a day and the Republic breaks down the door. Chert!" Beta ranted.
Ron gazed out of the port-side window. It wasn't hard for him to discern foe from friend. The Republic cruisers didn't have the organic look the Confederate ships did; they were more geometric and rigid. The Republic had red markings and a different insignia than the blue, hexagonal one that Beta's fleet bore. He watched as each ship tried to gain an advantage over the other. Ships took shell for shell, laser for laser, blow for blow. The Republic didn't seem like they had as many ships, but they had still managed to break through.
The shuttle shook as they entered the maze of the battle. Ron braced himself for the ride. Beta looked back at Ron and Dementor, both of which had unsure faces. "Don't worry. I've been through worse."
"Look out!" OM-2 shouted. Beta quickly turned to see the burning hull of a destroyed Republic assault ship create a fiery wall in front of their small shuttle. They were on a collision course. Dementor and Ron screamed in horror.
Beta quickly pulled up just in time as the shuttle skimmed over the blazing frame. But Beta was only confronted with new problems. Two more ships straight above battling broadside. There was a small space between the two as they moved past each other, and Beta knew that it was hell in between.
"Go left!" Ron shouted.
"No, go right!" Dementor shrieked.
"Left!"
"Right!"
"Shut-up!" Beta bellowed. There was no time to do either. The Confederate shuttle wasn't a nimble starfighter. He had a hard enough time avoiding the first obstacle. "You're going to hate me for this..." Beta tightened his grip on the controls. Flak ripped through the space between the warring ships. "The shields better hold."
Ron tried to shut his eyes, but he couldn't as they got closer. He wanted to see what happened. Time seemed to slow as the shuttle burst through between the battling cruisers. Ron swore for an instant he could see the plasma flash by. Everything came back as the shuttle arched over the cruisers. They had made it through and now the shuttle was leveling out over the battle below.
"Watch out for point defense flak," OM-2 pointed at a Republic flotilla.
"I see them. You worry about tracking enemy fighters. I'll worry about their defenses," Beta replied, veering the ship to the left as lasers streamed past them.
Republic starfighters zipped by. "I told you! Watch out for those fighters!" Beta shouted. OM-2 didn't respond as Vulture and Tri-fighter droids followed in pursuit of the enemy.
"Already covered," OM-2 replied.
Beta turned to his commando, "Right. Where's the Vendal. That's the flagship of the Ord Canfre defense fleet is it not?"
"I'm trying to reach out, but our communications are being jammed," OM-2 responded.
"Look out!" Ron and Dementor shouted in unison. Beta quickly pointed the nose of the shuttle down as a smoldering Confederate destroyer came crashing down in front of them. He swerved left as hard as he could and rounded the destroyer as it crashed into a Republic ship.
Beta looked out of the corner of his visor at the titanic explosion. "Too close..." Beta sighed.
Dementor folded his arms, sarcasm pooling in his voice. "No, you zhink?"
"You want to fly?" Beta replied angrily taking his hands off the controls, throwing them in the air.
"I'd love to!" Dementor retorted.
"It was a rhetorical question!" Beta shook his fist at the scientist. Ron watched in bemusement wondering if the two could actually get along.
Maybe Dementor will still end up in a small cell, Ron mused. A flak shell exploded outside the ship bringing him out of it. Ron recoiled back into his seat, never imagining he would see anything like this when he stepped through the portal.
"The Vendal is directly ahead and we have enemy fighters inbound," OM-2 pressed a green button.
"Position?"
"Two Arcs on our ten," OM-2 turned a dial. "OM-4, I'm trying to raise comms with the fleet but we're being jammed. Hold off those Arcs."
"Use the other defense cannons manually from here," Beta veered right and up over a Confederate frigate passing in between its turtle-like hull. The shuttle rattled as the arc fighters pursued firing relentlessly. Beta tried to shake them loose weaving in and around the chaos of battle. Dodging Republic defense turrets and stray flak.
"Two more on our six."
"Excellent. Get the captain of the Vendal on so we can board and maybe if it isn't a burden—" Beta twisted in his seat, turning the ship to its limits trying to dodge the enemy in pursuit. "— maybe get a fighter escort."
"I'm still trying to get through," OM-2 said. Ron noticed the droid seemed aggravated. It was performing multiple tasks helping the other droid fend off the Republic pursuers.
"Well, do something. I need to know what's going on." The ship jeered as another torrent of lasers hit the shuttle's hull.
"You need to know vhat's going on!?" Dementor shouted angrily, quivering in his seat. "I'll tell you vhat is going on!" Dementor ranted.
"I'll start broadcasting our distress beacon," Ron watched OM-2 flip more switches and dials than he dared to count. The ship shook violently again, "Sir, our shields are down!"
"Great! Just what I needed to hear," Beta groaned as he twisted the shuttle, barreling over a Republic frigate. "Tell Four to take those Arcs out!"
Ron looked out into the battle that surrounded them. In the distance, he recognized a ship he had seen when they left the system earlier. It was the massive dreadnought that they had passed before jumping through the stars. Ron recognized the tapered, beak-like nose of the ship. It was the most distinguishable of all the Confederate ships. That must be the Vendal!
"Sir!" Ron shouted pointing out the window.
"What is it?" Beta shouted back trying to shake off the enemy.
"Isn't that the ship we're looking for!" Ron said pointing leaning out of his seat. Ron looked at Beta in earnest, he was hoping he was right.
"That would be the ship we're looking for. Landing there safely is another issue entirely." The ship shook and yawned as it continued to take punishment from the Republic starfighters. "At this rate, we'll be lucky if we crash onto the planet."
III.
"Captain! We've picked up a distress beacon coming from sector 614 and closing the distance," a pilot droid informed the captain of the Vendal. Unlike his compatriots in the rest of the fleet, he was not a Hapan. He was a native of Ord Canfre. After the system had seceded from the Republic, his family, friends, and a small circle of supporters including himself had all planned to rebel. Before they could though, they were found out, arrested, and imprisoned.
General Beta had a different idea for him. If he and his supporters swore their fealty to him, he would put them in positions that would ensure they would have a say in the security and politics of the planet. There were no contingencies, no side deals. For him, it was the position of captain of the Vendal. General Beta's generosity had swayed his loyalties from the Republic to the Separatists. As long as General Beta stayed, he would stay.
"Bring up the frequency. Figure out if it belongs to us or the enemy," the captain ordered the droid.
"Roger roger," the droid turned back to its duties. It tapped a screen to analyze the signal. The screen beeped and the droid turned back to the captain. "The signal is from one of our smaller ships. ID Aurek-354425. It's the general's shuttle sir. They're being pursued by enemy fighters."
"The general's shuttle!? Get me Admiral Norith on the line now! And send as many spare Vultures and Tri droids as you can to assist him!"
The ship shook and sparks flew around the bridge. "We have incoming sir! An enemy ship is bearing down on us!"
"Prepare for battle!" the captain shouted holding onto his seat. He watched as the enemy Venator attack cruiser bore down on his position. "Get me Admiral Norith on the double!"
"Our communications are still being jammed!"
"Then unjam them morons! Don't we have a Munificent C-3 in our fleet!? Get them to clear the signal!"
"Roger roger." The pilot droid shook its head in frustration.
IV.
Captain Myri Vaal angled her Hapan starfighter's nose toward the hangar section of a Venator that had stayed away from the main battle and to the rear. Its large hangar doors had begun to open, Republic fighters at the ready to deploy and help the battle ahead of them. She wouldn't let them. She squeezed down on the joystick's trigger, her Miy'til fighter's cannons letting out a volley of red laser fire. She watched, satisfied as the Venator's hangar doors continue to open as if to welcome the hail of destruction from her weapons.
She pulled up, maneuvering to avoid the explosions as they burst forth from inside the ship. She had caught a glimpse of two to three snub-fighters try to escape, only to be caught by her aim and destroyed. Captain Vaal rolled her fighter between the Venator's split command bridge wreaking as much havoc as she could before pulling up and away from the enemy attack cruiser.
She smiled chortling to herself, this is where she belonged flying amongst the stars. Her dash full of instruments pinged, someone was calling her. She veered her fighter right and back toward the main battle. She flipped a dial opening her comms channel.
Admiral Norith appeared. "I see you finally restored communications. What's the issue?" Vaal smirked weaving her ship through a formation of Republic starfighters, letting out bursts of cannon fire to cut through them.
"I have no time for your snark. General Beta is being pursued in sector 614 moving into sector 513. I need you and Grim Squadron to escort him to the flagship Vendal. This is a priority mission, do not fail us," Admiral Norith didn't stick around to chat, her hologram disappearing.
"As long as I get to do what I love, I don't care," Vaal looked out at her two o'clock. She saw a squadron of Tri-droid fighters form up on her. "At least she sent help. Dragon One and Dragon Two, follow me, we have a general to escort." Four Tri-fighters took to each of her flanks flying in a V-formation behind her.
She changed the channel on her comms to the frequency her squadron used. "Grim Squadron, break off from all current engagements and rendezvous in Sector 513. We have a priority mission. Escorting and defending General Beta's shuttle."
"This is Grim Three, copy that."
"Grim Five, forming on your formation."
Her squadron hailed her call. She pushed the joystick forward engaging her thrusters to the max. Captain Vaal smiled as an enemy squadron of Republic Arc fighters moved to engage them. "Time to take out some Republic dogs."
V.
"They've disengaged, sir," OM-2 announced baffled, they had done nothing to shake them loose and now they had just disengaged. Beta looked over at the scanner, and then back front. "I don't like it. It's not like we were shaking them off our tail." He steadied the shuttle and flew straight for the Vendal trying to ignore OM-2's comments. "We're only about forty kilo's out. Maybe they're withdrawing from the battle. I haven't seen any—"
"Brace for impact!" Everyone looked back to the small aisle between the seats and the back rooms, where OM-4 now lay on the ground. The door to the rear turret sealed shut as did all the others to the back rooms.
"Why did you shut all the…" the ship lurched and shook violently. The metal interior of the ship creaked and squalled. Suddenly everything stopped and an eerie silence descended over the crew. Nothing made a sound. Nothing. Beta knew that was bad.
"What in the world was that?" Ron asked, dazed from his head hitting the back of his seat too hard. Ron watched as the lights and controls inside began to flicker, and then shut off completely. Beta turned to OM-2.
OM-2 tried to tamper with the controls but nothing happened. "We've lost all power, sir."
"What's happening?" Ron looked terrified at the sight before him. The view of the Vendal and its unique structure was replaced by the Ord Canfre's green surface. Ron felt his stomach sink as the shuttle began to fall toward the planet.
Dementor looked over at Ron, eyes bulging out, "Ve're going down!" Dementor squeezed his helmet like he could pull the hair out from underneath. "Vhat do you think is happening?" Dementor shouted.
OM-4 paid no attention, getting up and magnetizing his feet to the floor. "They're looping back around to finish us off. Both of the back turrets are out, not that they're any use to us now."
OM-4's mechanized vocabulator ran cold down Beta's spine. It's not what he had wanted to hear. He jerked on the stick and flipped switch's above him trying to gain control back over the shuttle. "Forward any reserve power to steering!" Beta shouted at OM-2.
"I can't, all the systems have been fried," OM-2 yelled back.
The surface of Ord Canfre had been replaced by a Confederate ship cruising below. The ship began to spin no matter how hard he tried, Beta couldn't gain control over the ship's gears. "Make sure you're all strapped down tight," he shouted tightening his own restraints. "Prepare for crash!"
"What!?" Ron yelled.
"Doesn't this piece of junk have a backup engine or something!?" Dementor shouted looking around the cabin.
Beta ignored Dementor. "Four! Release all cargo from the bay!"
"Hold on!" OM-4 replied.
"What do you mean hold on!?" Beta shouted back.
Ron turned his head, looking at the commando droid kneeling down, finagling with a strange port near some exposed wiring. A strange extension had come out of his wider metal finger, probing and twisting in the port. OM-4 then used its other hand to take pronged wires from an area under its torso and connect it to another port. Ron watched as the lights in the cabin slowly flickered back on. He couldn't believe it, the commando droid had done it. OM-4 restored power back to the ship.
"Converging all power to steering and engines. Our shields are toast. It's all you," OM-2 looked back at General Beta. Ron knew that droids really couldn't show emotion, at least when their voices and faces were as stoic as battle droids. But OM-2's vocabulator had changed pitch and the hint of worry was in its voice as if it was its own person.
Beta pulled the ship out of its steep dive avoiding a collision with the friendly cruiser.
"I'm going to shut down. You'll have about four or five minutes of flight time before my power is draineeeee—" with its last words, Ron watched the commando droid OM-4 slump down, its head hung as it deactivated.
"Thanks friend. That means I'll have to set a straight flight path toward the Vendal. Hopefully, we can get some kind of cover soon or we're going to be space scrap," Beta said. Ron gulped not comforted by his words in the least. Ron knew exactly what they were talking about. The Republic starfighters would soon be back in pursuit and with them, they would be sitting ducks flying in a straight line.
"They've come back around!" OM-2 alerted, the scanner beeping wildly. Ron edged out over his seat to see the control panel. His eyes glued to the electronic image of Republic fighters lining up behind them for another attack.
"I've lined up the ship with the Vendal's hangar bay. Given the trajectory and thirty kilometers left to go, we should reach it in three minutes. As long as we don't get shot down that is," Beta said pushing a handle forward. "OM-2 put all power into the thrusters and ignite the emergency thrusters on my mark."
Ron looked back at OM-2, who for a droid, seemed confused. "Are you crazy? We can't crash land at that speed!"
"You have another idea for getting out of range of those Arc's?" Beta snapped back.
"Even with the emergency thrusters, you won't outrun them!" OM-2 yelled back.
The scanner monitoring the Arc-170 starfighters behind them began to beep rapidly and a red light began to flash next to the monitor. "Um… guys?" Ron asked looking at Dementor warily. The deranged professor had the same look.
"So you'd rather get shot down!" Beta pushed the handle that controlled the thrusters.
"I'd rather be able to land in one piece."
"Guys!" Ron and Dementor shouted in union. At this point, the tension ate away at Ron as he nervously bit his fingers.
"What!?" Beta and OM-2 looked back at both of them.
"Vhat? They're going to shoot us down morons!" Dementor's balled fists trembling in anger and fear.
VVT VVT VVT
Lasers streaked by as the Republic snub-fighters began to focus their aim grazing the hull's surface.
"One more hit and we're toast!" OM-2 turned back to the controls.
"No. You think!" Dementor bellowed, enraged that his life was on the line.
Ron watched as the shuttle zipped through the battlefield. As the Confederate dreadnought Vendal grew closer, time passed slower. He could make out the large hangar bay they were supposed to land in. Yet OM-2's concern about crashing at breakneck speed worried him. More lasers streaked by them as the enemy fire closed in.
"Huh!?" Ron stopped biting his nails. A silver flash in the distance in front of the Vendal caught his eye. Did the ship fire a turbolaser at them? No. It was focused on a Republic attack cruiser that seemed to be fleeing. Ron questioned what he had just seen. There was another silver flash, this time brighter and glittering. It wasn't fading, instead, becoming a constant shimmer.
"What's that!?" Ron pointed out. Before anyone could react, the silver object zipped toward them spinning releasing a stream of red laser fire that streaked past them. The sleek silver, almost U-shaped fighter zipped by the shuttle, followed by what Ron assumed were a different kind of droid fighters. The lasers stopped streaking by them and the shuttle stopped shaking. Ron wanted to ask if it was over but he didn't want to be overly optimistic either. A voice from the control panel answered his question.
"Sir! Captain Vaal of Grim Squadron reporting. Sorry we're late but we're here to escort you and whatever is left of your ship to the Vendal."
Beta removed his hand from the throttle lever. "I can't say I'm angry even though you're cutting it way too short. I assume you were having too much fun getting your hands dirty for the first time."
"Uh, I don't know what you mean sir. Defending the fleet and engaging the enemy directly is part of Grim Squadron's mission. We were merely carrying out our duties as a front line unit while waiting for your arrival," the captain sounded nervous to Ron. "Anyways, those three Arc's seemed like stragglers that seemed bent on getting a kill."
"What do you mean?" OM-2 asked.
"The Republic is fleeing the system as we speak. I don't think any stray Republic fighters are gonna make their way to bother you with us as escorts… not that you'll need us much longer," Captain Vaal said over the comms.
Beta looked over to OM-2 who seemed to pay no mind to the information that Captain Vaal provided. "Clean landing?" OM-2 questioned.
Beta sighed, "As clean of a landing as we can get! Lower engine output and deploy drag drapes. Everyone better be strapped in tight!"
Ron snapped out of the conversation and realized the Vendal was now looming in front of them, its large hangar bay fast approaching. Ron grabbed onto the edge of his seat as the shuttle zipped into the hanger. Beta concentrated all of his will into the Force bending the steel of the wings. With the bend, the shuttle took a sharp turn down slamming into the floor and screeching to halt at the foot of a large troop transport.
Ron shook his head dizzy from the sudden impact on the sleek metal floors of the Vendal's hangar bay. He fumbled his hands with the straps trying to find the lock. Instead, he retracted his arms towards his body as an enraged Dementor, who had already unfastened his restraints walked by.
"That is zhe last time I ever fly with you as our pilot!" Dementor shook his fist.
"Two… do you have your blaster on hand?" Beta watched as outside firefighter droids rushed in to douse any fires that might have started.
"Yes, sir..?" Beta turned back to Dementor, OM-4 was still deactivated and connected to the control panel it had wired itself to. Ron was watching Dementor rant incessantly. "Set it to stun..." Beta laid back in his chair taking in a deep breath.
"Set to stun, sir..."
"I'm going to kill him if I do it. Knock him out..."
"Vhat!" Dementor shouted back. "Are you cra—"
The sound of the stun blast echoed throughout the cabin. Ron watched Dementor crumble to the floor unconscious.
"Finally some peace. OM-2, get them to a secure place." Beta sighed leaning back in his chair. It had been a long day. "I feel like today was important and I'm forgetting something," Beta mused to himself, not quite acknowledging that he had stood up an important obligation.