Having just lifted the ship into the air, Ahsoka sat in the pilot's seat, turning it around slowly to face upwards in the direction of space. It groans and shudders slightly in protest, still fairly damaged but otherwise stays in the air. The ship is heavily damaged for sure, but thanks to our efforts it will be able to hold together, and once we get back we'll be able to fully repair it with help from Bail and actual, proper tools.
"Oh thank the Force it works just fine," I say in relief.
"Still sounds like junk though," Mara says with a grimace, listening to all the shuddering sounds coming from the ship.
As long as it doesn't break in the middle of flying, we'll be just fine," Ahsoka says reassuringly. R5 beeps loudly, making it very clear to us how much he wants to be out of here, and that he's still upset at how much damage is left on the ship.
"Relax R5, we'll fix it up when we get back," I tell him. He demands to know how we will get back if we don't know where Ahch-To is even located.
"One thing at a time buddy," I remind him.
Below us, the village of Berk gets smaller and smaller as we leave the planet, the island eventually being a simple speck in the middle of a large expanse of blue. Several other specks, probably other islands miles away are just visible, the sky clear of clouds today.
"That looks so cool," Mara says in awe.
"And now the hard part," Ahsoka mutters.
"R5, is there any way to indicate the trajectory in which we came from?" I ask him. He replies, saying that he isn't sure since the navigation computer was damaged in the crash, but goes to try anyways. Plugging into the astromech port, he beeps to us that there are broken coordinates of the accidental jump in the computer, which he could possibly fit together if lucky.
"Do what you can R5," Ahsoka says.
Free of the planet's atmosphere now, the ship starts to cruise along a little more smoothly, no longer affected by Ahch-To's pull of gravity and atmosphere, although still shakes from the damage.
Eventually, R5 tells us that he's reviewed the galaxy maps in our ships navicomputer, and managed to put together a small jump to Lwhekk, another planet in the Unknown Regions, and this planet's location is known. However it's still risky as to whether or not our ship would hit anything midjump, since the calculations aren't completely precise.
"Good enough for me. Also, do you have Ahch-To's position mapped out?" I ask him.
He grumbles back in reply, not wanting to answer.
"R5..." Mara pleads with him.
Muttering quiet beeps to himself, he says that he'll be able to map out its location into our navigation harts once we return to known space, which will allow us to return later when we're ready.
"Great job, now let's get out of here R5," he told him, and he all to happily complied, activating the hyperdrive. The stars around us blurred into long streaks, and our ship entered lightspeed, the starry landscape transforming into the blue smoky clouds that accompanies every hyperspace jump.
Pulling off my Jedi cloak that I usually wore to reveal the simple shirt and pants underneath, I sighed to myself, exhausted but relieved. We were still traveling through hyperspace, and our communications weren't available to contact anyone yet since we still didn't know where we were exactly, but I was happy. We finally weren't going to be stranded anymore, even though Ahch-To was a cool planet. Besides, we would be coming back at some point to live there. Mara was currently doing her own thing in her room, most likely trying to lift some things with the Force, while R5 busied himself with checking out the ship to make sure it was in 'perfect' order.
"Last time I was stranded on another planet, it wasn't this easy to get back," Ahsoka remarks, standing by the doorway.
"Yeah, but you didn't have the difficulty of being in Unknown space that time. Maridun was a known planet," I said.
"True, but the Separatists had invaded, making it dangerous for us. We had it easier this time, with no outside threats. And we found the first Jedi Temple," she points out, taking off the usual silvery-tan colored armor she wore.
"True enough," I said in agreement, plopping myself down on the side of the bed. She moves over and sits down in the middle of the bed behind me, leaning up against my side.
"You know, you seem to worry too much," she says.
I look at her incredulously with a raised eyebrow. "Me worried? I'd say I'm the last person to seem worried about stuff lately, besides the usual 'Empire' part."
She rubs my shoulders soothingly. "Well yeah, there is that part that everyone thinks about," she says in agreement. "But while you may not realize it, I can still sense it though our bond. You're worried about a number of things. Mara's safety, our future, Snoke, and your own dark side," she points out. "What happens if the Rebellion fails, or if any of us die."
With a small start I realize she's right. My biggest worries that I've ignored are about my dark side, and the fear of anyone I care about dying. I know I defeated my dark side earlier, but there's still that lingering sense of worry.
"What if I'm right to worry?" I ask her. "I dont really want anything bad to happen."
"We'll be able to deal with it," she reassures me. "No matter what happens. I have no doubt that you'll stay away from the dark side."
I smile at her. She always seem to have something to say to help reassure me that things will be fine. I little bit later, we're both lying down in the bed, although Ahsoka positions herself so that she's more laying on top of me, seated in my lap then the actual bed. I wrap my arms around her as she makes herself comfortable, absentmindedly stroking one of her lekku as we drift off to sleep.
After a tough, suspenseful trip through hyperspace, thanks to R5's updates and calculations we finally arrived in the Lwhekk system, back in known space. Upon arrival I immediately attempted to use the communications channel to see if it was working. It sputtered at first, and I had to try different frequencies and improve the range, but eventually we managed to get the communications up and working again.
"Yes!" Mara cheered, and Ahsoka smiled.
"We're finally back in contact," she said in relief.
"Now we just have to hope that Bail hasn't gone crazy by now," I remark, inputting the code in order to open up a secret channel to him. We waited on standby for a couple minutes for him to answer, but this was normal.
"What's taking so long?" Mara asks.
"Senator Organa is a busy man, having to deal with supporting the Rebellion while also keeping his cover within the Imperial Senate," Ahsoka tells her.
"That, and we're probably on one of the furthest planets possible from where he is. Lwhekk is... pretty far out there," I add in.
The comm channel beeps, and a hologram of Senator Organa replies, looking passive and very much a politician. He doesn't react to our presence yet, since it'll only appear to him as a cloaked figure with a voice scrambler. However he knows this is a rebel transmission, so he'll have taken steps to keep it secret
"This is Senator Organa. How may I assist you?" he asks in a business-like manner.
"This is Fulcrum, code phrase 'Hawk.'" I say in reply, using our identification code, which tells him who we are.
As expected, he widens his eyes in a mixture of shock and relief, quickly glancing around to make sure he's alone before replying. "A-Fulcrum? You're alive?!" he whispers quietly, catching himself from saying our names just in time.
"Yes," I tell him, being careful not to give away indications of it being one or more person to stay secretive.
"How? When you didn't return from the mission, I feared the worst! I'm glad to know I was wrong," he says in obvious relief.
"The hyperdrive was hit when jumping to lightspeed, accidentally sending aiming for the Unknown Regions. Managed to find the way back just now," I reported.
"Oh thank goodness. Do you wish to meet up soon?" he questions.
I glance over to Ahsoka, who shrugs. "How about meeting sector 5," I suggest.
"I'll be there as soon as time allows," he promises.
With the location and meeting set up, we bid each other a quick farewell before I close the transmission, leaning back in the copilot's seat with a relieved sigh. "Glad that was taken care of."
"I thought it was funny when he had that shocked look on his face," Mara comments in amusement.
"Well, when you go missing all of a sudden with no trace, people tend to get worried, then shocked and happy if you turn back up," I remark.
"I can attest to that." Ahsoka says in agreement. "Now let's get going to Polis Massa."
Some time later after spending about an hour in hyperspace, we emerged in Polis Massa, coming to a landing in the base's hanger. As soon as we touched down, the Knight Hawk shuddered violently with a few very loud and unpleasant sounds, and I could tell something on the ship was broken, maybe even an outer piece falling off, still suffering from damage. R5 squealed angrily at the noise while the rest of us glanced at each other sheepishly.
"At least it happened after, we landed," I said with a wry grin.
"Could you imagine what could've happened if it broke in hyperspace?!" Mara asks with wide eyes.
R5 beeps up indignantly and irritably at her, complaining about all the damage the ship has suffered.
"No, and I don't want to," Ahsoka says, and I nod in agreement before sighing in annoyance.
"Hey, shock-bucket!" I exclaim to R5, getting his immediate attention. "I get you're upset at the condition our ship is in, but can you please not scream about it so much? Thank you!" I tell him sternly.
He beeps lowly and angrily at me before ramming into my leg, scurrying off as I cringe unpleasantly at the small bit of pain. "I swear..." I mutter to myself.
Mara snickers in amusement while Ahsoka rolls her eyes, standing up from the pilot's seat and heading out. "Alright, we better not keep Senator Organa waiting," she says, grabbing her cloak from off the wall. I pull my hood over my head, handing Mara a small cowl to cover her head as well as we head for the ship's exit. We may be in friendly territory, but hiding our identities is still important. As far as the Empire knows, Ahsoka is dead, and Vader is always going to be constantly on the hunt for me or Obi-Wan. None of us also want to risk the chance that there might be a possibility of the Emperor figuring out where Mara is if she's seen publicly for any possible spies lurking about. Her red hair is a major clue as to who she really is.
Lowering the ramp of the ship, it shutters before the hydraulics fail, sending it crashing into the ground violently. I let out a disappointed sigh, following Ahsoka out of the ship while holding Mara's hand. A technician nearby approaches us, eyeing the ship with a critical and disbelieving eye.
"We're here to see the Senator. Also, try and see if you can repair the ship in the meantime," Ahsoka says, holding out a small ID card that has the high level code clearance. He takes it, scanning it to make sure it is real befoe handing it back with a nod.
"Very well ma'am, we'll do what we can," he promises.
"Thank you," she replies.
Glancing back up the ramp to see R5, I narrow my eyes at him. "No messing with any of the workers while they're doing their job," I remind him. He beeps lowly in a 'whatever' fashion before disappearing back inside of the ship, and the three of us continue on our way.
Heading through the hallways, it takes us a few minutes before we reach Bail's office, opening the door without permission. Ahsoka has always done this ever since we found her. Probably a habit she picked up while hiding on her own for a year. Inside the office in a side room, Bail looks up from his desk in surprise before relaxing upon noticing who we are.
"Oh, it's you. Breaking into my office again I see?" he questions.
"Old habits die hard," Ahsoka comments, and we all pull back our hoods.
"I'm inclined to agree," he says before standing up from his chair. "I'm so glad to see all three of you safe. When I heard that you stayed behind to hold off an Imperial fleet and never returned, I feared the worst."
"Almost, but luckily it didn't happen," I said, recalling my flight through space after the bridge was destroyed.
"Did something happen?" Bail asks.
We all glance at each other before shrugging. "I... don't think you'd really believe it if we told you," I replied.
Mara snorts in laughter. "No kidding."
Bail raises an eyebrow at us but doesn't comment any further, sitting back down in his desk and gesturing to the chairs before it. "Please sit. I'm sure there is plenty to talk about."
We accept the invitation and sit down, pulling up another chair for Mara to hop into, her feet dangling just off the floor as she leans her head on the desk. It's moments like this when I remember just how young Mara is. She's still only eight, yet she's alright such a smart girl, and a fierce fighter.
"Did the Munificent cruiser and the rest of them make it back safely?" I ask him.
"Yes, they exited into friendly space. I must admit I wasn't expecting to add a Separatist warship to our fleet at any point," he admits.
"It was a good find, and Hypori was full of droid bases back in the war. If it wasn't for the Empire we would have two." Ahsoka says.
"Even so, one warship is a big help to us." Bail says, and Ahsoka nods in agreement.
"So, what happened to you after Hypori?" he qeustions curiously.
"During the escape, we used the other Munificent as a distraction, however they spotted us and managed to hit our hyperdrive as we were making the jump. That knocked us off course and sent us to a random location in the galaxy." I informed him.
"The amount of time that you were gone means you had to have been stranded on another planet though, correct?" he deduces.
"Yeah. In fact, it was an undiscovered planet in the Unknown Regions that we crashed on, so we had no way of communicating," I said.
"The Unknown Regions?" Bail says in surprise. "How did you manage to find a way back?"
"Luckily the ship wasn't too damaged, although it took some time since we didn't have anything for repairs other than what was already on our ship." Ahsoka says.
"That must be quite lucky," he remarks. "Although from what I know, Jedi do not believe in luck?" he asks for confirmation.
"Some of them don't, but to be honest, saying that nothing at all is ever a stroke of luck is kind of silly in my opinion," I comment. "The Force works in mysterious ways, but that doesn't mean every tiny thing, like a random gambling game between criminals for example, has to be influenced by it."
"Fair point," Bail says.
Mara sighs, a little bored with us retelling what happened to us and I lightly kick her foot underneath the table, raising an eye at her. She glances at me before laying her head on her arms, otherwise ignoring me. Yup, still a young, albeit intelligent girl.
"We, do have a request however," I tell him, and he puts his chin on his hands thoughtfully.
"What kind of request?" he asks.
"After our ship is fully repaired, Jarik, Mara and I have decided to continue our work as Fulcrum while living on that planet," she says.
Bail eyes us in confusion. "What brought you to this decision? Is there something important there?" he asks.
Having agreed not to tell anyone about Ahch-To, we won't say what we really found. "There is, but it'll have to remain a secret, even from you I'm afraid," I tell him. "If the Emperor managed to learn of what we found... it won't be good."
He sighs in disappointment but nods his head. "I understand what you mean Jarik. But why go live there? How would you continue to work as Fulcrum if you can't get in contact?" he questions.
"Considering how hidden it is from the rest of the galaxy, it's the perfect place for us to go into hiding." Ahsoka says. "We aren't giving up on the Rebellion of course, and will return to known space when necessary," she reassures him.
"And since we know where it is, there is a way for me to make communication possible. If I can get the proper frequencies based on the planet's positioning compared to the galaxy, and apply a much stronger dish to our ship, then we'll be able to continue our work for Fulcrum like normal," I add in, explaining the idea. "That, and it'll also give us a safe place to train Mara."
"Oh yeah, that I'm eager for!" Mara perks up excitedly before slumping back down.
"Hmmm," he says thoughtfully, considering the suggestion. "How big of a dish would you need in order to get the signal required from all the way out there?" he asks.
Both he and Ahsoka look to me for my input, and I frown thoughtfully, considering how far out Ahch-To was. Based on the what the navicomputer told us for our hyperspace travel, Lwhekk was further out into the Unknown Regions than Ahch-To was, which seems ridiculous but it's true. So in that case we'd need a pretty good rectenna to get this done...
"We'd need an 'ANq-51 sensor array computer' to get a proper signal range," I decided.
Both of them widen their eyes in surprise and slight worry, small frowns on their faces. "Sensors that powerful are... very hard to come by. Even with my resources," Bail says in concern.
"Well, I guess we'd better find one. I'm sure the Empire has plenty on hand." Ahsoka says.
Coming to a decision, Bail nods his head. "Very well. If you are able to get yourselves that sensor, then you are free to live on that planet," he says.
"Thank you Bail," I say gratefully.
Yeah... I guess you guys can guess what they're next mission is going to be huh? Oh this is gonna be good. :)
Also more Jarisoka moments! So adorable, and fun to write, even though I don't consider myself a good writer of dialogue by far. TO be honest I keep impressing myself with how much crap I'm able to think up for dialogue that actually makes sense and sounds realistic. It's a pain.
Also quick note: I haven't abandoned my side stories, I just put more attention into the main storyline than those, but I'll get to updating the Avatar crossover and Transformers crossover as soon as possible! :D
