Author's Note:
So I'm sure many of you heard about the news Monday... Stan Lee has passed on at 95 years old. ;(
Just want to say how much of an absolute legend he is, and that this news is so sad for everyone, especially since we knew it was coming. He lived a wonderful life, and managed to grow into one of the most popular and inspiring people in the world, despite growing up poor in the Great Depression! Set an absolute ly wonderful example for so many people, and such a nice guy.
R.I.P. Stan Lee, you will never be forgotten. My prayers go out to his loved ones.
Previously, on A Jedi in Exile...
"I never met you during the battle sir, I was with General Kenobi's strike force. My name is Boil."
They suddenly widened their eyes at me in surprise, and the woman gasped, bringing a hand to her mouth, much to my confusion.
"Boil, of the 212th Legion? The one that helped retake the city of Nabat?" Cham questions.
"Uhh, yes?" I ask, slightly confused.
"Wait, do you guys know each other?" Ezra asks me.
"I don't know..." I trail off warily.
"Boil? Sei nerra?" the woman suddenly says softly.
I widened my eyes upon hearing her voice, and the words said, looking at her. She slowly approaches, staring at me with wonder and happiness, and I slowly realize who this was, causing me to widen my eyes in disbelief as well.
She's... so much older!
"Numa?" I whispered quietly, stunned.
"Nerra! Do garei tarhan Do fic dey dan rao!" she exclaims happily, throwing her arms around me in a tight hug. I quickly return it, stunned and in a state of disbelief, but happy to see her.
"Ok, does everyone seem to know each other except us?" Ezra mutters.
"Small galaxy," Zeb grunts sarcastically.
"Quiet you two," Kanan scolds them.
I pay their conversation no mind, and the two of us eventually pull away, smiling at each other. "I... I can't believe it," I say quietly.
"I thought you might've been dead," she says softly.
I scoff lightly. "And look how old it made you," I remark.
"Like you're one to talk," she replies fondly.
Boil POV...
I was still stunned at seeing Numa here, and apparently kicking Imperial helmets if I have to say. She certainly became quite the fierce woman, and I take notice of some small piece of art on her shirt, as well as a familiar symbol.
"Is that a... tooka doll? And the symbol for Ghost Company on your shirt?" I ask her in surprise.
"Yeah, it is. It pays homage to you, and Waxer," she says happily, smiling up at me.
I faltered for a brief moment, remembering the fate of Waxer. How he died on Umbara because of the traitorous actions of Pong Krell...
"So, I can see you too have caught up again," Cham thankfully interrupts.
"I didn't know that you knew Numa," Hera comments, raising a curious eyebrow at me.
"Well, it was something I don't talk about too much," Numa admits, answering in reply.
"That is true," Cham says with a small smile, a genuine one, much to my surprise. I guess he knows the full story about me and Numa then. "I suppose introductions are in order for the rest. These are two of my finest warriors, Numa and Gobi."
Numa and Gobi both nod to the rebel group with a small, and the nod back as well, returning the smile.
"Well, we should get to the briefing. There's a lot to do," Hera says after a few moments, turning around.
She walks back through the ship towards the command center, and I watch her go with a small frown, sensing there's some tension between her and Cham. You don't need to be a Jedi to see it, and judging by the way Cham narrows his eyes a little with his own frown, it's definitely visible. Eventually, we all file in line after her, headed for the command center, thought Numa sticks close to me, which I don't mind at all.
"Maybe we could catch up with the time Boil?" she suggests.
I grin down at her. "Well in that case, might I say that you seem to have grown into a wonderful warrior, if Cham's word is anything to go by."
She blushes shyly at me. "Thanks. And you seem to have grown old in your retirement," she teases.
"I may be old, but I still pack a punch," I remind her. "Besides, retirement is overrated. I don't recommend it."
She giggles in response, and the sound makes my heart soar, along with a hint of nostalgia and longing. Is this how Commander Shan felt when finding Ahsoka again after the war, or when meeting Rylla again? That giggle still sounds so much like the young twi'lek girl me and Waxer found on the streets of that ruined city. That young, scared little girl so innocent about life...
"Oh really? Didn't seem so tough when I bit your finger," she replies.
I gape at her in bewilderment. "Wha- really? I'm still gonna get you back for that!" I stutter.
"Ah, she got you there my friend. She's a tough one," Gobi says behind me with a teasing grin on his aged face.
Cham and even some of the Ghost crew manage amused smiles on their faces, and I let out a groan.
"Don't make me regret reuniting with you kid," I mutter to Numa, who only smiles back at me.
Jedi Temple Island; Ahch-To
Jarik POV...
I still had questions that needed answers.
Despite Ahsoka's advice... well, ordering really, to allow myself a rest from all of these difficult things and stop blaming myself for Thrawn's escape, I still had more to look into. I wasn't planning on doing too much but, with all of the evil that we're learning exists beyond just the Empire, I have to know who I need to prepare to face. Should I focus on the Empire first? Or the Yuuzhan Vong, and any other beings existing beyond the galaxy. Or what about Snoke?
Leaving the Jedi Village in the middle of the day, I head down towards the well of the dark side, where the kyber caves were.
Perhaps I could find answers there.
Boil POV...
"The Empire has a light carrier in orbit over Ryloth they use to bomb the Twi'lek rebels," Hera explains, zooming in on the hologram. "The ship's well defended but we can get aboard using the stolen bomber while the squad is still away. One team secures the hanger, the other storms the bridge. Then we jump out before they figure out what hit them."
From where I stood beside Numa, I could see that Cham was obviously disappointed, shaking his head.
"No, this monstrosity has rained destruction and death on the citizens of Ryloth!" he says firmly, glaring at the hologram. "It is not enough that it simply disappears. My people need to see it fall from the sky in flames, as a symbol as our strength."
I glance at Hera, seeing how irritated she was, arms crossed with a frown on her face.
"So, I recommend a change in plans. Using my bomber, schematics, and timetables, we can destroy the carrier when it's most vulnerable," Cham declares.
"I'm not so sure that's a good idea," I say cautiously, causing him to send me a small glare. "If the carrier was destroyed, then Imperial protocol would just have them send another, and with a larger force."
The disappointed look Numa sends me has me grimace a little bit, but I still stand by my word, knowing that's true with the Empire.
"Besides, if you could've destroyed it, you would've done so already," Hera says with a glare at Cham. "You need us, and we need the carrier!"
"We need each other," Kanan adds. "Cham's intel, Hera's plan. This works, we all win."
Numa, Cham, and Gobi all share quick looks with each other, before Cham gives a brief nod with his head, causing me to raise an eyebrow at them warily. He then stands up to full height and crosses his arms.
"Very well. With Jedi and a former liberator of Ryloth on our side, how can we fail?" he agrees, although with some sarcasm.
I'm not buying it, and they're up to something no doubt. Considering how passionate Cham was about destroying it, there's no way he would've decided to change his idea so quickly. Judging by the look on Hera's face, she thought the same.
After the briefing, we were all getting ourselves ready for the upcoming missions. Hera, Chopper and Ezra were off somewhere else in the ship, and Cham soon followed them. Ezra later came back, so I assumed they were having a private conversation back there. Since everyone was really minding their own business, I decided to take the opportunity to talk to Numa more, and she felt the same, having approached me.
"So nerra, what have you been up to these last few years?" she asks me.
"Well all things considered, not much actually," I admit with a shrug. "For quite some time, I and several of my brothers who took out our control chips were living on Seelos, spending our retirement in a tank."
"A tank?" she asks in amusement, shaking her head. "You know, that's actually not that hard to see you living in a tank."
"Yeah, I like big weapons," I say sarcastically, causing her to giggle. "What about you?"
"Well unlike you, I've actually been involved in the action," she teases, and I roll my eyes. "After you and Waxer helped to save me, you both really inspired me a lot. I wanted to become a lot like you."
"Considering Cham's high praise of you, I can see that for certain," I reply with a nod.
"I've helped a lot in trying to fight back against the Empire. It's difficult, but I'm hoping we can make a difference for Ryloth," she says with a sigh. "Having that carrier fall from orbit in flames would inspire so many of my people to do the same."
I look at her sympathetically. "I understand. But then the Empire would only send another, and very likely even a Star Destroyer. There would also be more troops on the surface, and it would only get a lot tougher for you guys down there," I reason.
"I suppose," she admits grudgingly.
"Come on, lighten up! There'll be other chances!" I reassure her with a grin.
She smiles back at me, before an expression of curiosity comes over her. "Where's Waxer? I'm guessing he's still on Seelos with the rest of your brothers?"
I stiffen anxiously, knowing this question would come and dreading it. Painful memories shoot through me of all the time I spent with my lost brother, dead for a completely unnecessary reason. She takes notice of my behavior and starts to develop an anxious and worried expression.
"Boil?" she asks uneasily.
I close my eyes as the memories flash by, before sadly sadly. "Waxer, is... Later during the war, we were stationed on Umbara with our legion, and several others including the 501st," I say, eyes darkening. "General Krell had requested assistance, saying that Umbaran's had stolen our armor, and had ambushed the men. So Commander Shan led a platoon along with me and Waxer to aid them."
Numa's eyes slowly widen anxious in dread, fearing and slowly coming to the realization of what I was going to say.
"We eventually figured out that Krell lied, pitting our own brothers against each other. But by then... it was too late," I says sorrowfully, old feelings of grief brushing forwards again. "Waxer didn't make it."
Numa gasps quietly in horror, bringing a hand to her mouth as tears well in her eyes due to her grief. She then envelops me in a tight, desperate hug, crying into my shoulder, and I return the embrace.
"Do ohk cei si'jovi'asi!" she sobs. "Ish mtan go fic solsan, eti ohk go huhsi! Qato, ea qato Waxer?"
I gently pat her shoulder in an attempt to be comforting, having had years to get over my grief, though it was still hard. Especially to see Numa just now learning about his death, decades later.
"I know, I know," I say softly.
After our conversation, everyone was ready for the mission, so we all piled into the TIE Bomber, now simply waiting as the ships took off to transport us into Lothal. The thud of hyperspace soon sounded, which meant we were underway. I was sitting beside Numa, and she was leaning against my shoulder, still seeking comfort in the loss of Boil.
"Master Windu spoke highly of your heroics at the battle of Lessu," Kanan tells Cham, breaking the silence.
"Ah," Cham recalls with a smile. "Mace Windu hmm? Outnumbered a hundred to on! We charged across Lessu's energy bridge to certain doom. We would not be stopped! They named that attack in songs: The Hammer of Ryloth!" he exclaims proudly.
The door to the bomber cockpit then slams shut, and I stifle an amused laugh, guessing that Hera was irritated.
"Well now, don't forget about the battle I took part in," I add in confidently. "I'd say our odds were even worse than yours."
"Oh, is that so?" Cham challenges.
"You know, I have to agree with Boil on this one," Numa says with a smile. "We had to face off against gutkurrs!"
"Ah, I remember you telling me about that," Cham recalls.
Kanan gets up and then heads to the cockpit, opening the door and glancing back at Cham with a smile. "General Syndulla, I could listen to your stories all day!" he says.
"And I could tell them all day!" Cham replies enthusiastically, before the door was slammed shut the moment Kanan was through.
"Uh, what's a gutkurr?" Ezra asks.
"They were large carnivores, and are absolutely horrible," I recalls with a shudder. "It'll be too soon if I see another one of those things again."
"A pair of them once came after me and Boil back during the Clone War. Fortunately I knew a way of escape," Numa adds.
"You guys knew each other back during the Clone Wars?" Sabine asks.
"Yeah. She was five at the time," I told them.
"Gutkurrs usually leave the people alone, feasting more commonly in the wild or on injured can-cell's," Cham says with a frown. "The droids must have starved them to use as weapons."
"Yeah, killed a lot of good men too with that," I add with some bitterness.
There was some silence as we waited through most of the journey in hyperspace, when ship then gave a brief lurch. That was followed up by the sound of our bomber detaching from the the main shuttle used to ferry us, so I could only assume we're here.
"Everybody get reader. We're here now," Sabine advises.
"I'll head to the cockpit," Cham says, getting up.
After he enters the cockpit, Gobi sits down where Cham used to sit, and the plan soon went into affect. Laser fire sounded outside of the ship, as well as Kanan's voice while he contacted the Imperial cruiser to impersonate a bomber pilot. For some time, worry and anxiety wracked through our heads over whether of not the plan would be successful, or if we might crash and get blown up. The ship shook violently as a blaster shot slammed into the back, causing us to jerk from the effect.
"I thought they were supposed to play the part, not actually shoot us!" Ezra exclaimed in bewilderment.
"It has too look good!" I tell him. "Believe me, I've been through worse with plans like these!"
"Everybody hang on!" Hera yelled from the cockpit.
"I hate it when she says that!" Zeb says in dread.
We all brace ourselves for any hard crashes, and then the ship slams into the carrier's hanger, jarring us violently. A few of us were slammed against the walls or onto the ground, although Numa managed to keep her seat. I was thrown to the ground with a pained groan, keeping my head covered with my arms in case anything else could happen. Thankfully, the screeching and crashing soon ended as the bomber came to a full stop.
Groaning, I slowly raised my head, blinking my eyes a little bit at the deep red warning lights. Nearby, Sabine does the same, before noticing something in front of her, and widens her eyes.
"Explosives?" she mutters in confusion.
I look up in surprise, bewilderment and hurt upon seeing Numa and Gobi standing above the group, blasters raised.
"Sorry my friends," she says.
"What?!" Ezra exclaims.
"Traitors!" Sabine accuses angrily.
"No, wait!" Zeb shouts.
Gobi and Numa then pull the trigger, firing them with stun blasts that knock them unconscious.
"What?! Numa, what are you doing?!" I demand angrily, feeling betrayed. She looks at me apologetically.
"I'm sorry Boil," she says. "Kay Do sohsa dey sei fonol jemae," she whispers.
"No, wait!" I cry out.
She aims her blaster at me and shuts her eyes tightly, firing the blue stun blast.
Numa POV...
I open my eyes to look at Boil, who was unconscious on the ground beside the others. Doing this to him hurts me so much, and probably hurts him even more. He was betrayed by that Krell during the war, and it led to, Waxer...
Gobi lays a hand on my shoulder and gives me a sympathetic expression, and I look back at him. I blink back the small welling of tears about Boil and hurting him in this way, and try to smile back at him in gratitude. Boil may feel hurt now, but I would never, ever betray or want to hurt him in any other way for the rest of my life. I just need to help my people too, and despite his concerns, I'm sure this plan will help them.
Cham then enters the room, noting the unconscious forms of the group, and nods his head in satisfaction.
"Good work you two," he praises. "Do you have the charges?"
"Yes, they're right here," I tell him, holding up the bag, although a little glumly.
Cham glances at Boil, and then me. "I know it's tough Numa, but you're doing the right thing for Ryloth. If he truly cares about you, then he will understand as well," he says softly.
"Boil does care," I reply in upset. "Eti aan huhsi ji jihsi canka ish ohk talcekan, ish talkan jei nerra."
He gives me a sympathetic look as well. "Do ohk si'jovi'asi ar ayy cea. Kay ish ohk distombe," he tells me. "Now, let's make our people proud!"
*:*:*
Me and Gobi sneak around the side of the TIE Bomber, using the smoke from the damage to our advantage. We watch as the stormtroopers approach the ship with their blasters, and wait for Cham to start his attack.
"Pilot!" one of the troopers calls.
Cham then jumps down from the top of the ship and into the smoke, causing the stormtroopers to raise their weapons at him.
"Drop your weapon! Hands up!" the trooper demands.
Cham then chucks the bag of detonators at the trooper, causing him to groan in pained surprise, before he dashes forwards, knocking him out with a punch. The officer attempts to fight back, but Cham counters his strike and then backhands him harshly in the face, knocking him and his cap to the ground. The rest of the stormtroopers all raise their blasters at Cham, ready to fire.
"Freeze! Don't move!" one of the troopers says.
Seeing the chance, I jump out and grab onto one of the stormtrooper's heads, using the momentum to swing myself forwards and kick the next one away. Gobi comes out behind me and takes down the one I swung off of, and then shoots the last trooper. Satisfied, the three of us group up and start heading for our assigned positions, Cham handing Gobi the explosives bag.
"Set your charges on the munitions racks. I'm going for the engine room," he says firmly.
Boil POV...
I groaned, shaking my head and slowly pulling myself into a sitting position, rubbing my head. I blinked in confusion, noticing the deep red lights, partially wrecked room, and the rest of the group pulling themselves up with groans as well. What happened?
The memory came back to me in a flash, and I widened my eyes in horror and disbelief, remembering that Numa stunned me, after the others were stunned. For a moment, all I could feel was just a sense of betrayal and hurt, shocked that she would do such a thing. But at the same time, Ryloth really has gotten the bad end of many things over the last few decades, and she just wants to free her people.
"W-what happened" Zeb asks with a groan.
"Our friends, just betrayed us!" Sabine exclaims angrily.
"Yeah," Ezra adds with a groan. "Boil, I thought you were friends with them!"
I groan irritably, and with a sad sigh, still a little hurt. "She's just doing what she thinks is right..." I say quietly.
"Oh really? Seems like stunning and leaving us in this broken bomber is such a good thing to do," Zeb growls sarcastically.
"We... we have to stop them. Maybe I can reason with Numa," I suggest, hoping that I could.
With that being said, we all stood up and moved to the cockpit, where Hera had just roused a groaning Kanan.
"Uh Hera, our 'friends,' have bags full of detonators," Ezra announces, rubbing his head.
"Enough to blow up this whole carrier!" Sabine adds. "We're scrubbing the mission right?"
However, Hera stands back up fully with a determined and fierce look. "No, we're finishing it! We'll stop my father, then we'll take the ship!"
She slams a button on the control console, opening the hatch at the top of the TIE, and then climbs out.
"We'll take the bridge. Zeb, you, Sabine and Boil check the munitions rack for those detonators!" Kanan orders, climbing up after her, soon followed by Ezra.
"They blow those up, and this whole ship will go too. Everyone on Ryloth will be able to see that fireball," Sabine says, climbing up next.
"That's the whole point, to inspire their people," I reply climbing, following after her.
Sabine led me and Zeb in the direction of the munitions rack, where several large fuel cans and proton bombs were stacked up in huge quantities. Despite the situation, I managed an approving look at the choice. You wanted to blow up a cruiser, that is the perfect place to set it off. I then noticed Numa walking cautiously through the bombs, causing my heart to lurch briefly in hurt, and we stopped by a support beam.
"There's Numa," Sabine whispers. "Get down!"
"I could stun her from here," Zeb suggests, pulling out his bo-rifle, and taking aim. Seeing this, I angrily shoved his rifle back down with a brief glare, which he fiercely returned. "Hey!"
"You are not shooting Numa!" I say fiercely.
"She shot us first!" he retorts.
"Thanks for telling me, I really appreciate it," I retort sarcastically.
"Quiet down!" Sabine hisses. "Look Zeb, if you hit one proton bomb, and you'll touch off the whole magazine!"
"I wasn't planning to miss- ah!" Zeb exclaims, a red laser bolt impacting against the surface nearby, and we all flinch in response, seeking cover. "You should've let me shoot!" he complains.
"Numa, wait!" I call out.
"Boil?" her voice replies. "Please, stay out of this!"
"There's another way to solve this!" I try to reason.
"...But not for Ryloth," she replies with sincere regret, and I close my eyes for a moment with a sorrowful sigh.
"Oh, this is getting us nowhere," Zeb mutters irritably.
The large hanger door at the other side of the room then opened up, allowing a squad of stormtroopers to storm into the hanger, opening fire. Numa and gobi quickly fired back at them, and I pulled out my gun, shooting blue bolts at the troopers.
"See? There's something you can do!" Sabine points out.
"That'll do," Zeb replies in satisfaction, firing his bo-rifle.
With the arrival of Stormtroopers, all five of us took a momentary truce, which proved that we were still on the same side, to take out the troopers. I fired my blaster, striking down two of the stormtroopers, although there were still plenty more. Then a laser blast hit me in my shoulder armor, and I let out a cry of surprised pain, ducking back into cover.
"Boil!" Sabine says in alarm.
She quickly shoots her pistols at the hanger door controls, allowing them to close quickly. A few more troopers were taken out before the door closed, cutting them off, and also coincidentally trapping a mouse droid inside, which moved around sporadically.
"Are you alright?" she asks me in concern.
"Yeah I'm fine," I reassure her. "Worst it'll do is bruise."
"Heh, at least your armor isn't total crap like those bucketheads," Zeb remarks.
"That's because we, didn't wear junk armor. And, we're actually tough," I say with a small grin.
Zeb chuckles in amusement, and then we look back over to see Numa and Gobi still watching us warily from behind the munitions, although I could see a small hint of concern in Numa's eyes before it went away. I sighed sadly, at a loss of what to do. If Waxer was here the whole situation would probably be over. He was the nicer and more reasonable one after all.
"We don't have time for a standoff!" Zeb says irritably. "Got any ideas?"
"Talking won't work, unless everybody isn't worried about shooting the other," I tell them, before adding to myself quietly: "If only Waxer were here..."
"Who?" Sabine asks.
"Never mind," I say quickly. "So what's the plan? Cham might finish his part soon, considering he's not here."
Sabine was looking around, before turning to face us. "Well I've got an idea. But first, catch me that droid!"
She points over to the side, and we follow the direction to see the trapped mouse droid still rolling around, giving out light squeaks of what seems to be nervousness or confusion. Oh boy.
*:*:*
Catching that mouse droid was an absolute real pain, as it was always fast and small enough to evade us, while letting out high pitched beeps of alarm. Sabine, as well as Numa and Gobi were also watching us, the latter two in confusion and bewilderment at what we were doing. Eventually, we managed to catch it, and gave it to Sabine so that she could start messing with it. While she was though, the captain's voice came over the loud speakers throughout the whole ship.
"The fire in hanger bay three is out of control. Abandon ship. Get to the escape pods!" he orders.
"What?" Zeb asks in confusion.
"Guess the other team pulled it off," I remark with a grin.
"Makes our job easier," Sabine adds.
"I really mean it. This is the captain," he adds.
"Must be Ezra doing it then," I comment.
"Abandon ship! the fire is out of control!"
After the announcement, Sabine was close to finishing with her touches on the droid when Kanan contacted Zeb.
"The bridge is secure. What's your status?" he asks.
"Oh the usual, but Sabine has a plan of sorts," he replies.
"Yeah, sort of a great plan!" Sabine says proudly.
She presses a few final buttons before setting the droid on the ground. Activating her arms controller, she starts to direct the mouse droid out in the direction of the munitions, while we watch. Numa and Gobi start trying to fire at the droid, but it swiftly evades and dodges their fire under Sabine's control. Then, it ducks in between them slamming against one of the munitions crates. Moments later, a purple electrical shockwave shoots out, hitting the two and causing them to collapse with groans of pain.
The three of us rush over to see them moving slightly, struggling to pick themselves up after whatever kind of blast Sabine used against them.
"Wow, Sabine's plan actually worked," Zeb calls in.
"Hey, don't sound so surprised," Sabine remarks.
"But there's no sign of Cham," he reports grimly.
"Find him!" Kanan says urgently.
I crouch down beside Numa, and she looks up at me, guilt and regret in her gaze.
"I'm sorry nerra," she apologizes.
I lay a hand on her shoulder, helping her to sit up. "I understand Numa. You have nothing to apologize for."
She gives me a small smile of gratitude, and Sabine comes over with binders, merely as a precaution. Zeb was already doing the same thing with Gobi.
"Sorry about doing this," Sabine says.
Numa shrugs in response, letting herself be cuffed. "It's only fair. We did shoot you first," she says.
"Huh," Sabine says in amusement, looking up at me. "I can see why you like her," she remarks.
I roll my eyes in response, when Numa's comlink goes off.
"Gobi, Numa, proceed with our plans," he says confidently.
"Apologies General Syndulla, but we have been captured," Numa replies.
"Cham, we don't have time for this. Imperial reinforcements will be coming," Kanan warns.
"Destroy this ship, and the Empire will just send another. But if we take it, we can use it to fight them," Hera adds.
"You haven't been here to see what the Empire has done to our world. They plunder our wealth and sell our people into slavery! This ship must burn, for all Ryloth to see!" Cham declares fiercely.
I share a sympathetic look with Numa, who is also looking really sad and upset at the reminder. Everyone in the galaxy knows that twi'lek's make for good slaves, especially the females, because of their beauty and complexion. And back during the battle for Ryloth in the Clone Wars, I saw just how cruel people could people to the twi'lek's, especially Numa's people. The idea of her being sold into slavery is horrific and unthinkable for me to imagine.
Togruta's were no different in that regard, which I saw first hand on Kiros. The only difference is that Togruta's are not as widely populated as twi'lek's are, and so are not as popular to have amongst crime empires like the Hutts, or the Zygerrians. It's this reason that Commander Tano was never as affected by the idea whenever I've interacted with her, which in a way connects with Jarik's feelings on the matter as well. But she knows first-hand what it feels like to see her people in slavery.
I'm sure that she and Jarik, would give everything they have to help Numa, Cham, and their people in their freedom from slavery, not just on Ryloth, but across the entire galaxy.
"I want freedom from the Empire as badly as you, but this battle can't be won on Ryloth alone. During the Clone War, you didn't just fight for a village, you rallied everyone to liberate the entire planet," Hera says in response. "You inspired me. The Rebellion is no different. But either you couldn't see that or you didn't believe in me. And that's why I left."
"She's right. We have the ship. We just have to buy her enough time to get us out of here," Ezra adds.
There was silence on their end, when Gobi and Numa share a glance, determination coming to their eyes. Numa also looks at me, and I smile down at her, seeing that same fire in her eyes.
"I'm with you Hera," Gobi says, standing to his feet.
"I, am also with you," Numa adds, doing the same.
Immediately, I take off the binders from her hands, and Zeb does the same with Gobi. Me and Numa share a smile with each other, and then moments later, we receive Cham's answer.
"I guess you have you chance, to prove me wrong," he says quietly.
"Everyone, get to the turrets!" Hera orders moments later.
"We're on our way Hera!" Sabine replies.
"Great, I finally get the chance to compete with and beat you in something!" Numa tells me with a grin.
"Oh really? You think you can take on a war veteran?" I retort teasingly.
The five of us rush off to the turrets so that we can fight back against the quickly approaching Imperials from the light cruiser. I hop into my turret, and swing it around in front of the cruiser to see several TIE Fighters, and an Imperial shuttle approaching quickly.
Focus all fire on that shuttle. We can't let them retake the ship!" Hera warns us through the comlink.
"Five targets inbound!" Kanan says, shooting down one.
"I'm on them!" Sabine adds.
I swivel my turret around to shoot at the TIE Fighters, which were returning their own volley's at the carrier. Letting off a few laser blasts, I managed to take out another fighter, which exploded in white fire.
"They got past me!" Numa exclaims over the coms.
"I see 'em!" Ezra replies
"I thought you said you were going to beat me Numa?" I tease her.
"Oh that's still very much an option!" she retorts, causing me to snicker in amusement.
"Kanan, the shuttle!" Hera exclaims.
"I know, I know!" he replies fiercely.
I help try to focus fire on the Imperial shuttle, which now has a much more trouble trying to approach with the lack of TIE Fighters. The combined fire, followed by a few final shots from Kanan's turret I finally enough to bring it down, allowing Ryloth's gravity to send it plummeting to the surface.
"We did it!" Ezra cheers.
In front of us however, I see that the TIE Bombers are now approaching our position, much to my alarm.
"Blast it all," I muttered, having heard just how deadly those things can be.
"We're not in the clear yet," Hera warns us, having seen the same thing.
The leading two bombers then unleash their first volley, sending two scream blue proton torpedoes straight for the bridge.
"Incoming torpedoes!" Kanan yells in warning, firing his turret at them.
"Taking evasive action!" Hera replies.
The ship lurches as she slowly moves the cruiser out of harms way of the torpedoes, and I attempt to fire at them, trying to blow them up.
"Two targets at 3.9!" Sabine reports. She manages to take out one but misses the other. "Ugh! Missed one!"
"Numa, headed for your position!" I call out warningly.
"I've got it!" she replies firmly, swiveling her turret around. Moments later, the second proton torpedo explodes, curtesy of a shot from Numa.
"Great shot Numa!" I congratulate her.
"Thanks Boil! Although, me shooting a torpedo is more impressive then you shooting a fighter don't you think?" she teases.
I groan in exasperation, rolling my eyes. "Keep focused rookie," I retort.
"Aye aye sir!" she replies humorously.
The carrier then shakes violently as two of the bombers staring dropping their payload along the ship, and I had to steady myself with a few grunts of exertion.
"That didn't sound good!" I exclaim in concern.
"Lousy Imps!" Zeb grumbles.
I swing my turret around in the direction of those bombers and open fire, attempting to bring them down. To my annoyance they were starting to prove a hassle, strafing around the cruiser too quickly for me to get a clear shot. Fortunately, several laser blasts from the others managed to take them out, although two more were flying straight for the bridge, unleashing their torpedoes.
"Bridge, you have incoming!" I yell in warning.
"Ezra!" Hera exclaims in alarm.
"Yeah, yeah!" he replies, firing his turret at the torpedoes.
He manages to take out one of the torpedoes, but the last one soars closer to the bridge, and I watch with wide eyes, worried that it'll impact. Thankfully, Kanan manages to take out the last one, but it explodes way to close to the bridge. Moments later, the carrier starts tilting violently to the side, making me almost lose my grip on the seat, and I struggle to keep myself upright.
"Lost our stabilizer!" Hera yells in alarm.
"This is why I prefer battles on the ground!" I exclaim irritably to myself.
"I can see why!" Numa replies.
The ship continues to plummet until we were almost vertical, however much to my relief it soon starts to slowly rise back up into the proper position. I let out a sigh, glad I no longer had to worry about falling out of my seat. The relief is short lived, as I can now see that the light-cruiser is now bearing down on us, determined to not let us escape.
"So, what's the plan now?" I questioned.
"Don't worry, Ezra has one," Hera says over the com.
"Seriously? What's the kid thought of now?" Zeb asks warily.
"I think I have an idea!" Sabine says, before her line was cut off.
I was skeptical, but allowed myself to wait for the plan to play out. Soon enough however, a TIE Bomber was pushed out of the hanger bay, and started to drift int he direction of the light cruiser. Watching, I then saw one of the turrets swing around, and with one well placed shot, the bomber exploded right next to the light cruiser's hull. The ship started to collapse down into Ryloth's gravity, blowing up in a massive fireball.
"He did it!" Numa cheers happily.
"Well, guess Ryloth will see that fireball after all," I remark with a small grin.
Moments later, our carrier started to move away from Ryloth, soon launching into hyperspace. We won.
Much later, we had rejoined Phoenix squadron with the carrier in tow, and were able to add it to our slowly growing fleet. Our group was standing in the hanger, where Cham's group was ready to leave. Numa and Gobi were standing by his side, small smiles on their faces.
"I'm getting reports from all over Ryloth. Our people are rallying against the Empire. Every hour, more join our ranks," Cham says happily.
"Glad to hear it, sir," Kanan replies with a small incline of his head.
"Daughter, may we speak?" Cham asks Hera, who nods.
They move away to talk in private, while the rest of the group starts to separate. However, I head over to Numa, and Gobi leaves us, seeing that we wanted a more private conversation.
"You've certainly grown into a formidable fighter," I comment proudly.
"All thanks to you," she replies with a smile.
"Me?" I ask in confusion. "I haven't seen you in years."
"You and Waxer inspired me back on Ryloth, all those years ago," she says. "I've always wanted to fight to see the freedom of my people, and you showed me what I could eventually become in order to do so, nerra."
I take in her words with a surprised, but proud and happy nod.
"Well... glad I could be of service," I say, not sure how to reply, but then as an afterthought, I pull off the pieces of my armor covering my left arm, much to her confusion.
"Boil? What are you doing?" she asks me.
"I'm giving you my armor pieces," I tell her.
"What? But it's your armor," she says in protest.
"If you want to be a warrior, then I insists you wear my armor. There isn't anything better," I tell her, holding the pieces in my hands.
She considers, reluctant to do so before nodding, and I help her to fasten the armor pieces onto her left arm. Once we're done, It take a good look at her, allowing a fond smile to come to my face.
"Now you look like a soldier," I remark proudly.
Tears starts to form in her eyes, and then envelops me in a tight hug, and I return the embrace just as tightly.
"Arni'soyacho, nerra," she says softly into my shoulder.
Jedi Temple Island; Ahch-To
Jarik POV...
I looked down into the hole of the dark side, the cold, ocean breeze whipping around me. The black seaweed and kelp crinkled under my feet, showing the deadness of it. As if it wasn't already prevalent with the harsh look of the rocks, ocean waves, and cold, dark air.
I closed my eyes for a moment, and saw a flash of a memory... or future event... shown to me through the Force.
A young girl, maybe her early twenties stood at the foot of the hole, peering in warily.
She feels familiar.
Then she slips, and falls into the hole with a startled scream, splashing against the water below.
I reopen my eyes and look down the hole with a frown, thinking about the flash of that vision, wondering about the girl. She felt familiar, and I'd almost think of her as Satele, but at the same time, I know it's not her.
Maybe I meet her in the future?
I haven't thought much of this cave, and considering Mara's experience inside it, there's obviously much it can reveal. I know I promised Ahsoka I would stop worrying myself in things so much, yet this has my interest, and with all the evil in the universe, I need to know more.
Knowledge is never complete, no one knows anything. The Jedi of old didn't understand this, and forbade any knowledge of the dark side. To much of it can be dangerous that is true, but to defeat your enemy, you have to understand them.
That's why me and Ahsoka are different, and why I am what the Jedi should've been.
Taking a deep breath to steel my nerves, I close and then reopen my eyes, and jump down into the cave.
This was a tough, but at the same time fun chapter to write. Something that I'm really curious about is how did Numa come across Boil's armor in the show? because you can see her wearing it on her left arm. That'd be an interesting story to cover.
Boil, Waxer and Numa are such underrated characters, considering how much people loved them in the 'Innocents of Ryloth' episode. You never really see too much of Boil or Waxer afterwards, aside from their brief scene on Geonosis, Waxer's death on Umbara, and Boil's brief cameo scene on 'Kidnapped.' too bad they never got too much screen time, since they were like the 212th counterparts of Fives and Echo.
Also... what's Jarik thinking about?
Translation:
Boil? Sei nerra? - Boil? My brother?
Nerra! Do garei tarhan Do fic dey dan rao! - I never thought I'd see you again!
Do ohk cei si'jovi'asi! - I'm so sorry!
Ish mtan go fic solsan, eti ohk go huhsi! Qato, ea qato Waxer? - He shouldn't have died, it isn't fair! Why, oh why Waxer?
Kay Do sohsa dey sei fonol jemae. - But I must see my people freed.
Eti aan huhsi ji jihsi canka ish ohk talcekan, ish talkan jei nerra. - It's just the last time he was betrayed, he lost his brother.
Do ohk si'jovi'asi ar ayy cea. Kay ish ohk distombe. - I'm sorry to hear that. But he is strong.
Arni'soyacho, nerra. - Thank you brother.
