The Force's Shepherds

Chapter 107

Windu

A sharp, shrill hum pierced Han's ears, and his eyes opened. Through his bleary vision, he noticed a red light blinking on and off on the control panel in front of him. He kept his head lying back, pressed against the leather of the pilot's chair as he stared at the blinking red light. The Falcon was telling him something was not working right… again.

He closed his eyes and let out a loud sigh. Reluctantly, he let his feet slide down off of the console and back down onto the floor. Once he opened his eyes, he cleared his throat and forced his stiff body to sit upright. One hand reached up and wiped at the sleep still lingering in his right eye.

What time is it? He glanced at the clock in the cockpit and grimaced, Way too early.

He smacked his dry lips together and shifted in his seat once again, trying his best to find a comfortable spot on the old, flattened leather cushion beneath him. He yawned and stared at the light blinking on the console once again.

"Damn it." He muttered.

He smacked the console hard with his right hand. The light stopped blinking. Han drew back in mild surprise.

"Huh…" He raised his brow, "That was easier than I-"

A yellow light started blinking in its place, causing a long scowl to fall on his face.

"Alright old girl, that's how we're going to be is it?" He spun his chair to face the multiple computer screens lining the cockpit wall. He studied the different readings, "What is going on with you now?"

Life supports were running fine. The shield generator hummed beautifully. No immediate repair notices flashed, which meant most of the vital systems were running perfectly normal. Well, as normal as the beautiful bucket of bolts could run. Fuel levels were not great, but there was enough fuel for them to make it to ... wherever the hell they needed to get to.

Han sighed as he tapped his finger against a gauge measuring the fuel in the Millennium Falcon. As he tapped it, the gauge dropped a little bit.

"Kriff." He hissed beneath his breath.

They would have to make port soon. A dangerous task now, since they failed to deliver Jabba's shipment of spice to the buyer on time. Han ran his hands through his brown hair and leaned back in his seat, eyes focused on the fuel gauge.

Jabba would be pissed, and the last thing anyone, criminal or honest fool alike, wanted to do was piss off Jabba the Hutt. The shipment Han was given to smuggle was a large one. Worth nearly ten thousand credits. And thanks to a couple of stowaways, a bad stop on Ord Mantell, and a pissed off slaver chasing them, that spice still resided in their assigned compartments. Unsold, undelivered, and out of circulation.

Han gulped as he glanced over his shoulder at the Falcon's main corridor. The spice sat in compartments hidden beneath the floor. A clever little smuggler's trick he picked up when he first broke into the business. It had served him well so far. Helped him make a decent living and avoid any local authorities.

Maybe I can hide myself in them until Jabba gives up.

Because of his failure, the Hutt would hunt him down. Han now had a debt to pay. A massive one at that.

All because of that idiot girl.

Footsteps padded softly down the corridor. Han frowned and glanced over his shoulder. An exasperated sigh left his lips and he spun around to face the emptiness of space.

Speak of the devil…

Kjelle shuffled into the cockpit. Her brown hair unkempt and dripping with sweat. Heavy bags sat under her eyes. Her entire body appeared hunched as she wrapped a thin blanket tighter around her body and sat down in the co-pilot's seat beside Han. Her weary brown eyes stared straight out at the massive expanse of stars twinkling beyond the confines of the Falcon's cockpit.

Han glanced over at her as he sat quietly in his own seat. This was new. Normally, whenever Kjelle came barging in here, it was to bellow something at him. The girl was abnormally loud, and not in a good way. Smugglers needed to be quiet, not attract attention. Very hard to do when you have a loud mouth, loud attitude, and a ridiculously loud set of armor.

What is that stuff even made of? Old fashioned iron? Han snorted to himself and shook his head, Does she think she lives in some sort of fairy tale?

A heavy breath sounded from Kjelle.

"Can't sleep either?" She asked, her voice strangely still and quiet.

Han glanced at her, "I was sleeping just fine." He nodded at the still blinking yellow light on the ship's console, "Then that started blinking."

Kjelle furrowed her brow a little bit, "Shouldn't you be worried-"

Han shook his head, "We're still breathing and still flying. As long as both of those things keep happening, we shouldn't be in any sort of trouble." He let out a sigh, "Unlike the past few days."

Kjelle frowned back, "What do you mean?"

Han rolled his gaze to her, "Are you that oblivious? First, I take you on as a favor. Kept you from ending up a slave to the Hutts, you're welcome by the way." Kjelle's frown deepened, "Then you pulled some ridiculous shit with gangsters and a slaver on Ord Mantell. A slaver that, by the way, caused me to miss my delivery."

"That slaver was trying to sell my friend." Kjelle snarled back, her voice still strangely quiet.

"I don't care if they were trying to sell your mother. You have put all of us at risk with that stunt."

"How?"

"How!?" Han leaned closer to her, nearly shaking in his seat as he felt a sudden flare of anger in him, "Gee, where do I start? We have a slaver that is tracking us down and trying to kill us. Which forced us to make an unscheduled stop to a planet under siege by the Empire. People that I am even less enthusiastic about running into than our slaver. And the cherry on top of all of that, we now have a half dead guy in the medical hold." Han huffed and sank further into his seat, "A bunch of bantha crap."

"So you're upset that we've helped others?"

Han gave her an incredulous look, "I don't give a damn about helping others, sweetheart." Kjelle's frown turned into a scowl, "The only thing I care about," He pointed a finger at his chest, "Is me, and my survival. A goal that is now at risk because we missed the drop."

"It can't be that bad." Kjelle muttered.

"The drop was for the most powerful gangster in the outer rim."

Kjelle gave him a confused look, "What's a gangster?"

Han's eyes widened. Frustration exploded in him. And he could do nothing now, except laugh.

"You really must be from the middle of nowhere to not know who Jabba the Hutt is." Han breathed between frustrated chuckles, "That guy makes our friendly slaver look nice. And now, because we missed the drop, I owe him a lot of money. And if I can't pay up…" Han trailed off as realization dawned on Kjelle.

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh." Han nodded, "So thank you, sweetheart. You turned my week completely upside down." He folded his arms, "I guess that is the other reason I'm not sleeping right now. I'm too busy trying to figure a way out of this mess you've gotten me into." He uttered a frustrated growl as the yellow light started blinking red again, "Damn it all!" He spun his chair to face the computers on the wall, "What the hell is… oh…" Han's shoulders fell, "kriff."

"What?" Kjelle asked.

"The hyperdrive is leaking." Han cursed again, "And if we stop anywhere, Jabba will hear about it. And so will our slaver. Then we are really in trouble. I don't want to meet a bounty hunter anytime soon." He noticed Kjelle pale quickly, "Oh, you know what a bounty hunter is?"

Kjelle nodded, "Heard of em in stories and stuff my mother used to tell me." She shifted in her seat. The blanket slipped down from her shoulders a little bit. Kjelle pulled it back up over her shivering body, "Damn it, it's cold in here."

"It's space, get used to it." Han commented. He frowned at the computer readouts again, "We've got no choice."

Kjelle sat quiet as Han started putting calculations into the Nav Computer. Her eyes followed his fingers as they danced over several buttons and controls. Various screens flashed different images and readouts, all of them confusing to her.

"What are you doing now?"

"Using what is left of our Hyperdrive to get to the nearest spaceport. Hopefully we can get it repaired there."

"And where is the nearest spaceport?"

"I'm trying to figure that out, give me a minute." Han growled as he kept his back turned to her. He rose from his seat and moved to the navigator's chair behind the co-pilot's seat. He studied a screen riddled with incomprehensible star charts, "Let's see…" He mumbled, "No, Nar Shadda is a bad idea." Kjelle furrowed her brow as he talked to himself, "We don't want to go anywhere near the core worlds. Hm…" His eyes lit up, "Hold on a moment. Is that?" He dashed back into the pilot's seat, "Son of bitch, it is him." He breathed as he started plugging in coordinates.

"Who?" Kjelle asked.

"And old friend. Real smooth talker. And one of the best con men I know. You'll like him."

Kjelle arched an eyebrow, "Why would I like a con man?"

Han kept working on the computers, "You're still talking to me, aren't you?"

Kjelle's cheeks flushed in mild embarrassment. She grit her teeth and tore her gaze away from Han. The smuggler put the final touches to the hyperdrive calculations then punched the accelerator.

The Falcon lurched, throwing Kjelle back into her seat. The stars surrounding the cockpit turned to bright streaks of light. A loud roar filled the ship, and the Falcon shot forward. Once the roar died away, Kjelle exhaled. In that moment, she realized she was holding onto the armrest of the co-pilot's chair for dear life. Her knuckles were white even when she let go.

Han exhaled and leaned back in his seat, placing his hands behind his head. A content smile on his lips.

"We may just get out of this situation." He breathed.

Kjelle pursed her lips, "How do you plan on doing that?"

"Well-" Han paused as he thought hard for a moment, "You see what I have in mind is-" He trailed off again, pressed his lips into a thin line, and huffed, "Just let me do my thing."

"You have no idea." Kjelle groaned as she massaged her forehead.

"Hey, I've been in much stickier situations than this." Han pointed out.

Kjelle gave him an incredulous look. Then, to Han's surprise, she started to giggle uncontrollably.

"What?"

Kjelle covered her mouth, "What kind of sticky situations?"

She threw her head back and laughed as his cheeks turned red. He opened and closed his mouth several times as he tried to come up with a response. In the end, he just turned his attention back to the various ship readouts on his left.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up." He grumbled.

"Oh," Kjelle chuckled more. But as she spoke, her laughed started to die in her throat, "It's um… it's been awhile since I've laughed like that. At something so stupid too. Honestly that was a joke someone like Morgan would make."

Han arched an eyebrow, "Morgan?"

He blinked in surprise as Kjelle's mirthful mood suddenly changed. Sadness washed over her face, replacing her bright grin with a look that bordered on sorrowful. The shine in her brown eyes faded as she glanced down at her lap. Her hands wrung together beneath the blanket covering her.

"A good friend of mine." Kjelle answered, voice quiet once again, "One of my good friends actually."
"You mean like lizard girl back there?" Han remarked as he kicked his feet up on the ship's console once again.

"You mean Nah." Kjelle breathed, "Yeah, Morgan and Nah are part of a pretty close group of friends I have."

Han furrowed his brow. Usually she berated him for not using the other girl's name. Told him it was rude and that he should treat her better than that. But this time, Kjelle simply corrected him.

He glanced at her some more. He could see Kjelle still shivering beneath her blanket. But he had a feeling that it wasn't just because it felt cold. The sadness he saw on her face made him believe there was more to her newfound quietness than he initially believed.

"Alright," He sighed, folding his hands in his lap, "What is going on?"

"Hm?"

Han nodded at her, "Something's eating at you. And don't deny it, I'm not stupid."

Kjelle exhaled. She fidgeted with her hands some more before finally answering.

"You're awake because you're worried about you and your ship." Kjelle breathed, "I'm awake because I relieved a horrible memory in my sleep." She glanced over at Han, "Han, the planet I am from… well… there is a massive war going on. One that is apocalyptic in scale."

Han fell deathly silent as she spoke.

"There were only a few of us left when another friend of mine, Lucina, opened the portal that was supposed to save us all." Kjelle gulped, "But that night… we lost the war that night. And when we jumped through that portal in a desperate attempt to escape, we were all separated from each other." A shuddering breath rattled from her lungs, "I guess I should say I'm scared. I mean, I've seen some serious shit for someone as young as I am. I've watched people be torn apart by monsters you could not even imagine in your worst nightmares, Han. I've fought in hopeless battles, just praying that somehow I'll survive and those I care about will survive with me. And through all of that crap, I had my friends by my side. Now…" Kjelle shook her head and looked out at the blue tunnel of hyperspace that surrounded the Millenium Falcon, "Nah may be here, but she was never the most sociable of us. I feel a little alone, and lost. The rest of my friends need me, and here I am on a ship in the middle of space. Naga, knows where my friends are." She tucked her knees up onto her chair, "And the monster that started the war is still out there, ready to finish the job."

Han eyed Kjelle as she fell into silence. This was a different side to her than what he was used to. Kjelle personified toughness. During the short time he had known her, he had learned that Kjelle was not one to back down from a challenge or a fight. She was always training herself to be better than anyone else in battle. Partially so she could declare herself as the strongest, but also to protect others. A notion that, in Han's experience, only managed to get someone in trouble.

But he could understand why she felt the need to help those that were helpless. If what she just told him was true, she came from a war torn world where acts of kindness like that were a rarity. Hell, he came from that kind of place. Not a war torn one, but one that resembled a war zone. The slums of Corellia were a living hell to most. Few ever managed to get out of them in one piece, much less survive for any long period of time. Maybe that was why he found himself suddenly in a chivalrous mood.

"I'm sure your friends are out there, sweetheart." He said, not adding the venom to the nickname he dubbed Kjelle with when they first met, "And I'm betting, wherever they are, they're looking for you too."

Kjelle swallowed hard, "That's an unexpectedly nice thing for you to say."

Han nodded his head back and forth, "Yeah well… I'm not all that bad, okay?"

Light footsteps rushed into the cockpit, abruptly ending their conversation.

"Kjelle!" Nah cried.

Kjelle and Han both spun in their seats to face the little Manakete. Her eyes were wide as she struggled to catch her breath.

"The dead guy is awake."

Why do I have to watch the half dead guy?

Hondo frowned, leaned back in his chair, and glanced over at the Korun man. He folded his hands behind his head and leaned back further, kicking his legs up on a crate filled with medical supplies. Medical supplies that were recently used on said Korun man still passed out on the medical table.

That has to be uncomfortable. Hondo thought as he observed the hard slab of metal the man slept on, But at least we gave him a pillow.

He shrugged to himself and reached for a spot beside his chair, on the floor, where he kept a bottle of brandy he found in the ship's pantry. Did Han and Chewie say he could have it? No, but they also did not say he couldn't. As far as the Wee'quay was concerned, as long as he abided by the specific rules given to him, he had free reign on the ship.

He took a long, slow sip from the bottle of brandy. A slight, squeamish feeling hit his gut as the burning liquid hit his palate. He grunted and wiped at his mouth before setting the bottle back in its spot.

"Humans and their strange taste." He muttered before glancing back at the Korun.

Hondo did not really pay much attention to the guy when Chewie, Kjelle, and Han brought him on board. He was more concerned with acquainting himself with the Falcon's systems. Call it the inner pirate in him, but he knew that this hunk of junk was much more valuable that it looked. If he could pinch it, then he would have one of the best pirate starships in the galaxy. Of course, that meant getting past Han, who he was slowly starting to like.

Even if he tries to act tough.

Then he'd have to get by Chewie. And well… there is a reason people say it is wise to never upset a Wookie. Hondo was not keen on the idea of angering the behemoth mountain of hair and muscle that was Han's partner in crime. Unless he had a blaster handy, the Wookie would take care of him rather easily.

Then there was Kjelle and her little lizard, dragon, friend Nah. And they were the main reason he still held off on any plans to try and take the Falcon for himself and start a new crew of space pirates. Mostly because he greatly enjoyed Kjelle's company, even if she probably did not enjoy his. And Nah, despite being a tad dry for his taste, showed remarkable intelligence for such a youthful person. He enjoyed having conversations with her regarding everything from favorite literature (it had been a while since he read a book, but he could still hold that conversation), to the number of times they have nearly been killed. Which was alarmingly high for someone as young as Nah.

Hondo hummed to himself and looked at the Korun.

Not as high as this guy.

The wounds on the Korun were, to put it simply, horrific. Long lines of blackened scars ran likes strands of spider silk over his face and upper body. His right arm was mechanical from the upper arm down. Judging by how crude the cybernetics were, Hondo had to guess it was a patchwork job, meant to only hold together long enough to get… whatever this guy wanted to do done. Then there were the obvious wounds from his long fall from the cliffs near Naboo's palace. Several broken bones, multiple abrasions and gashes from the jungle canopy he crashed through, bruises that turned his already torn up skin a myriad of different colors. Honestly, Hondo wondered how this guy was even alive after taking such an apparent beating.

One tough son of a bitch. Hondo thought to himself before sipping the brandy again, making a face, and setting it to the side. Why do I keep drinking that? Oh right, there is nothing else to drink on this ship. He huffed, That'll change when we make port.

Small footsteps moved towards the medical room. Hondo flicked his dark eyes over to the doorway, where little Nah stood, half awake. The green haired girl uttered a loud yawn and rubbed at one eye.

"You can fix that with more sleep." Hondo chuckled quietly as she trudged in and took a seat near the wounded Korun man.

She shook her head and placed a hand of the man's forehead.

"I must periodically check up on him. It is only the right thing to do."

Hondo snorted, "Why do you think I'm in here?"

She glanced at him, "You don't strike me as the kind of person that enjoys doing the right thing."

Hondo feigned a hurt expression, "My dear, you wound me. While I may be a pirate, I have always held a strict code of honor when I engage in my profession."

"Is that why you tried to drug and sell Kjelle?"

Her monotone question caught him off guard. Hondo cleared his throat.

"Well um…" Careful Hondo, this girl can turn into a massive lizard beast that can eat you. "We all make mistakes."

Nah narrowed her eyes at him, "Kjelle may trust you a little bit. But I certainly do not. Touch her again, and I will eat you."

Hondo swallowed then uttered a nervous laugh, "I do not doubt it." He quickly reached for the bottle and guzzled down a large gulp. A long gasp rushed from his lungs as he yanked it away from his lips.

I'm on a ship with a rookie smuggler, a teleporting girl, a lizard girl that can eat me, and a temperamental wookie. He massaged his right temple, This is almost as bad as that time I captured those two Jedi and Count Dooku.

Nah furrowed her brow. Her long ears twitched and she flicked her eyes back to the Korun Male. A worried look flashed over her face.

"What's wrong now?" Hondo asked.

Nah frowned, "I'm not-"

He moved in a flash. The Korun male surged from the medical table, knocking Nah over in the process. Before Hondo could even blink, the man had his hand wrapped around the Wee'quay's throat. Hondo wheezed as he was shoved hard up against the Falcon's wall. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nah quickly scamper away.

Oh sure… don't try to eat him. Hondo thought before stiffening as the man's hand tightened around his throat.

"Where am I?" The Korun snarled.

Hondo choked, "Can't… breathe…"

The pressure lessened just enough for him to talk. Hondo gasped for air.

"You know, if your victim can't talk, then you shouldn't try asking questions." Hondo coughed. He noticed the man's eyes narrow dangerously, "N-no need to be hostile my friend. All your questions will be answered and-"

"Hands off him!"

Kjelle barreled into the Korun, wrenching the man's hand away from his throat. The large girl pinned the man to the ground. Before she could get a firm grip, the Korun spun and flipped Kjelle over onto her stomach. The girl howled as he grabbed her arm and placed it into an arm bar.

"Where am I!?" The man roared.

A blaster primed. The Korun froze.

"Let her go." Han said calmly as he leveled his blaster pistol at the man.

Hondo smiled to himself. Nothing like a blaster to de-escalate the situation.

The Korun dropped Kjelle's arm. Kjelle groaned and rolled over onto her back as the beat up man slowly rose to his full height. Han kept his blaster pistol aimed at the man's head.

"How about we all calm down a little bit." Han said, keeping his voice cool and collected, "Nobody's gotta get hurt here."

"Too late." Kjelle grunted as she struggled to push herself up off of the ground, "I'm gonna feel that one for a few days."

The Korun glanced back at her. His dark eyes flicked over at Hondo, then to Han, then to the small Manakete hiding further back in the corridor.

"Pirates." The man scowled.

"Such a dirty word." Hondo folded his arms with a huff.

"You refer to yourself as that." Kjelle sighed.

"Well, it is accurate for me. But for such a beautiful human as yourself, it would be most incorrect." Hondo said with a grin. He glanced over at Han, "And he's far to stupid to be an effective pirate."

"Don't make me turn this blaster on you." Han growled.

Hondo let out a laugh and moved to get up, only for the Korun's stern gaze to keep him rooted in his seat.

"No one has answered my question." The Korun said.

"Well, judging by who has the blaster, I think I'm going to be asking the questions. Not you." Han pointed out.

The Korun glared at Han. Han's throat bobbed as the man's dark eyes narrowed at him.

He shot towards Han. Before the young smuggler could pull the trigger, the man wrenched the blaster free, pointed it at Han, then took several steps back.

"If we go by your logic," The man began, "then I can ask questions now."

Kjelle looked pale as she stared at the man. Han swallowed hard.

"How the hell did you-"

"I'm asking the questions now." The man growled, cutting off Han. He flicked the blaster over at Hondo, "You stay seated." Hondo did not budge. The blaster swiveled over to Kjelle, who was inching her way towards Han, "And you stay put."

Kjelle froze. The man took a deep breath.

"Where am I?"

Han raised his hands, "Look, just put the blaster down and we can talk like civilized people."

"Heh…" Hondo laughed, "Civilized."

Han glared at Hondo.

"What?" Hondo remarked, "It's a good joke."

"You're aboard the Millennium Falcon." Kjelle said, finally answering the Korun's question, "It's a… what is it called again?"

Han arched an eyebrow, "A spaceship."

"Yeah, that." Kjelle took a breath, "That's still weird to say, you know. Spaceship… I'm used to ships only sailing on water not the in the stars."

"Little off topic, sweetheart." Han breathed as he stayed still in the doorway, "But she's right, buddy." He told the Korun, "You're on my ship, the Millennium Falcon."

The Korun frowned, "Never heard of it."

Offense washed over Han's face. It was as if he completely forgot about the blaster pistol pointed at his heart.

"You've never heard of the Millennium Falcon?" The Korun's face remained unchanged as Han spoke. "This is the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs. How could you not-"

"I doubt he's the kind of man that keeps up on those sorts of things, Han." Hondo said quickly.

"To be fair, it's a pretty useless fact." Kjelle shrugged, "What even is a parsec?"

"It's a measure of-" Han shook his head, "Off topic again! Look, buddy," He nodded at the blaster pistol, "No one's gonna harm you. Just put the blaster down. We can have a nice, quiet chat."

The Korun's dark eyes studied Han. For a split second, Han's expression morphed into one of slight pain, confusion, then relaxation. All in the span of several seconds. Once he seemed calm, the man lowered the blaster.

"You aren't lying." He held up the blaster one more time, "But I'm keeping this. Just in case."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Han sighed a gave a slight shake of his head. As if he was trying to clear some sort of mental fog, "Eventually, I'll get it back." The Korun frowned as Han sagged into a chair beside Hondo. Han noticed the look on the man's face, "I'll ask nicely, don't worry. I've already got enough enemies trying to hurt me today, I don't need to add you to that list."

"Enemies?" Hondo remarked before remembering, "Oh kriff, Jabba's cargo."

"Yeah, exactly." Han exhaled.

The man frowned, "You're carrying cargo for Jabba the Hutt?"

Han snapped his gaze over to the Korun, "Yeah."

"Who wants to know?" Kjelle finished for Han.

The man flicked his gaze over to the still ready to fight Kjelle. The same strange expression Han had washed over Kjelle. Confusion, pain, then relaxed. That was followed by a stunned gasp.

"You… you…"

The man narrowed his eyes at her.

"Don't say it." He growled.

"You have the same powers as Mr. Kenobi!" Kjelle gasped.

The man stiffened. Hondo saw his face change from wary to alert and ready to fight for his life in an instant.

"What did you say?"

Kjelle glanced over at Nah, "Did you know?"

Nah gulped, "I suspected."

The Korun pointed the blaster at Kjelle. Kjelle's eyes widened.

"Whoa, whoa! No need for that!" Han surged to his feet only for an invisible force to slam him back down and hold him in his chair.

The Korun hovered his finger over the blaster's trigger as he stared at Kjelle, "What do you know of Kenobi?"

Kjelle gulped. Some sweat beaded on her forehead as she stared down the barrel of Han's blaster pistol.

"He's… he's the Master to a good friend of mine, Lucina. Teaching her all about the force and weird monk stuff." Kjelle hands shook at her sides as the blaster did not move, "He's been a protector for me and my friends. And quite frankly, I would love to find him because this whole space thing is a bit much for me."
The Korun kept the blaster focused on her, "You say Kenobi is teaching a friend of yours?"

Kjelle nodded.

"So he is a friend to you as well?"

Kjelle gulped, "Well, more like a distant, as entertaining as a plank of wood, uncle." She swallowed hard, "Why are you asking me this? Do you know Mr. Kenobi?"

The Korun snorted, "Know him?" The blaster slowly lowered, "I was… a colleague."

Kjelle sagged as the man let the blaster fall to his side. Hondo and Han both sagged in their seats as whatever had them pinned to their chairs relented. They both glanced at each other, unsure of what exactly was going on anymore.

"Did he come through a portal too?" Han hissed to Hondo.

"How should I know?" Hondo hissed back.

"Who are you?" Kjelle asked the Korun.

The man winced before slumping down onto the medical bench. He rolled the shoulder of his lost arm and glanced over at Kjelle again.

"Well…" He sighed, "I guess if any of you tell the Imperials who I am, I can easily just kill you." Hondo paled as the Korun spoke, "The name's Windu. That's all you need to know." He took a shaky breath, "Where are we in terms of proximity to Naboo?"

"Got the hell out there as soon as we scraped together some fuel." Han piped up, "I don't plan on messing around with the Empire. And they were crawling all over that planet. Good thing they weren't really focused on any small, non-Naboo ships leaving the planet."

"We got lucky." Hondo remarked.

Han nodded, "I know that."

"There is no such thing as luck." Windu breathed. He swallowed hard and flexed his one good hand. As if he was still fighting off intense pain, "Where are we going now?"

"Numidian Prime." Han answered.

Windu snorted, "Pirate scum hole."

"Our kind of place." Hondo smiled, trying to ease the tension in the room. He rose to his feet. Then froze, "Numidian Prime?" He spun around to Han, "When did this happen?"

"A few moments ago. I got a signal from an old friend that's still there." Han replied, "He should be able to help us. Might even buy Jabba's cargo from us. Probably not for the price Jabba wants, but getting something is better than nothing."

Hondo nodded, "Yeah, then we're in debt to that slug. That'll go well."

"You're welcome to get off my ship anytime." Han snarked back, "I'll even show you to the airlock."

"No no. I'm perfectly fine." Hondo smirked, "Besides, Jabba will have plenty of eyes on a place like Numidian Prime. So you will need someone as experienced as old Hondo in case you get into any close scrapes. Like that one back on Ord Mantell."

"You weren't there when things got hot." Kjelle deadpanned.

"Exactly!" Hondo pointed out, "And if I was, no one would have shot at you. Well… except for our vengeful slaver probably. But we can deal with him later. Especially now that we have some true muscle," he gestured to Windu, "on our team."

"I'm not on your team." Windu said, "As soon as this ship lands, I'm leaving."

"I'm fine with that arrangement." Han remarked, "Whoever you are, Windu, you and the Empire clearly don't like each other. The less heat on my ass when it comes to them the better."

Heavy footsteps shambled down the corridor. Hondo glanced over and saw Chewie nod and offer a small grunt in greeting to Nah. The wookie stooped down to avoid knocking his head on the doorway and entered the room. His dark, beady eyes glanced at all of his tense friends then over to the now awake Windu. A long groan came from the Wookie's throat.

Han hung his head, "I could have used you a lot earlier buddy." He got to his feet and patted the Wookie on the shoulder. The Wookie grunted, causing Han to pause on his way back to the cockpit, "No one would dare try to wake you up. And you know why."

Chewie barked at him.

"I sure as hell don't want my arms ripped off!" Han called back as he disappeared down the corridor.

Hondo uttered a nervous chuckle, "He has a point there, my furry friend." He slipped by Chewie and exited the medical room. Leaving Nah and Kjelle alone with Windu.

Nah inched her way closer to Windu. The Korun man hissed under his breath as he raised his gaze to look at her. Kjelle subtly moved to get between him and her.

"He won't hurt me." Nah breathed to Kjelle.

"How can you be so-"

"He's a friend of Master Kenobi's. He just said so." Nah answered.

Kjelle frowned, "Colleague is not the same as friend, Nah."

Nah's ears twitched, "I know that." She brushed past Kjelle and took a seat beside Windu. Her short legs dangled from the bench as she gave Windu a curious look, "What I want to know is how a spaceman knows Master Kenobi?"

Kjelle furrowed her brow.

Yeah… She looked into Windu's now weary eyes as the man sucked in a deep breath. Fighting off waves of pain from wounds she had trouble seeing. How do you know Master Kenobi?

Cody shuddered. A cold wave blasted into him as he strode through the brightly lit corridors of the Star Destroyer. The Star Destroyer he now commanded along with his commanding officer, Ragana. After his performance on Naboo, not only was his full rank and responsibilities completely reinstated, he was allowed to choose his station. The Emperor offered him a place at the Officer's Academy on Coruscant. Or perhaps a spot with an accomplished admiral in the Imperial Navy. Fighting to secure the fringes of the Empire.

In the end, Cody chose to remain where he was. He was not sure if that pleased the Emperor or not, but the man did not seem upset. And he was glad that his request was granted. Ragana proved to be a brilliant young mind. She had thoroughly impressed Cody on the battlefield with her steel nerves, quick mind, and sharp tactical understanding. It was a once in a lifetime commander to come across. And now, Cody had the privilege of serving under two such commanders in his life. Although, one was a long dead traitor now.

He shook his head, ridding his thoughts of General Kenobi. The Jedi General was long dead. And he could not compare Ragana to him. While they were both great tacticians, there was a ruthlessness to Ragana that Kenobi did not possess. If Cody were to compare Ragana to any Jedi General, she more closely aligned with General Skywalker, but she was much more composed and a little less reckless.

Then again, she did try to fight Mace Windu by herself.

He was still stunned by that bit of information. Jedi Master Mace Windu was alive and actively fomenting rebellion on major worlds. This was a startling revelation that deeply worried the old Clone Commander. Mace Windu had been one of the most powerful Jedi Masters in the Republic. The man hardly set foot on a battlefield in the Clone Wars, preferring instead to be more of a staff general leading the charge from Coruscant alongside Master Yoda. But whenever Master Windu did enter battle, the enemy never stood a chance.

And Ragana thought she could fight him. Foolish girl!

He had yet to speak to her since the battle on Naboo. In the aftermath, she had been whisked away by the Emperor for emergency surgery in order to save her severed hand. Thankfully, the procedure had been successful. But afterwards, once Ragana finished reporting to the Emperor, she returned to the ship, face pale and eyes blazing hot with hate. She did not bother going to bridge. Instead, according to the ship's computer, she immediately went to her quarters and locked herself in.

And that was where Cody was heading now. She was the commander of this ship. They needed direction. They needed a mission. He knew the Emperor gave her one during her report with him. Otherwise, they would not have just been sitting idle without any orders. They would be executing the admiralty's orders instead.

Another blast of cold, and Cody cursed. He bit his tongue and shook his head. After living on a ship most of his life, he should have been used to the cold of space already. But it never felt this icy before.

He finally reached Ragana's quarters. The cold didn't come in harsh blasts anymore. Instead, it was a continuous stream that made Cody shiver in his new, sleek officer's uniform.

He raised his hand to knock on Ragana's door, then hesitated. A primal fear bubbled up inside of him as the cold continued to pound against his body… and his mind. His instincts kicked in as he recognized this feeling.

The force. He thought as the cold crawled over his skin. The unfamiliar, incomprehensible power washed over him and caused him to shiver again. It felt like something he would feel in the presence of dark side users like Count Dooku or Asajj Ventress. Bad memories floated into his mind. Memories he quickly blocked out as his knuckles knocked against Ragana's door.

"Lady Ragana." Cody called, "It is-"

The door beeped and slowly slid open. Icy air slammed in Cody, taking his breath away. He swallowed hard, glanced up and down the empty corridor, then entered Ragana's dark room.

The door hissed shut behind him, enveloping Cody in darkness. He squinted as he tried to adjust his eyes to the shadows.

"Lady Ragana, are you alright?"

He took a step forward and grunted as he bumped into a table… floating in the air in front of him. One leg of the table was bent and twisted beyond repair. The durasteel tabletop had multiple dents. It looked crumpled, like a piece of paper.

Cody's eyes fully adjusted. His breath got stuck in his throat. All of the furniture in Ragana's quarters drifted aimlessly in the air. All of it was broken. Mangled beyond repair. Metal bars not attached to any furniture twirled slowly around his head. Shards of glass drifted near the window like a shattered mirror.

But he could still not see Ragana in the darkness.

Where are you?

A low hum hit his ears. Following that hum, voices. Hushed, sinister, dark voices that slipped into his mind and conjured horrific images inside of it. He squeezed his eyes shut. Images of the Clone Wars, the worst battles he participated in, rushed through his mind. Battles that caused animalistic feelings to slowly bubble to the surface. Anger, hatred, terror; his heart hammered in his chest as he lived those days over again, all of it culminating in the moment he blasted Obi Wan Kenobi from the walls of a sinkhole on Utapau.

A ragged gasp left his lungs. The voices suddenly stopped.

"Cody." A young girl's quiet voice whispered in the darkness.

His eyes snapped open. Now he saw her, Ragana, sitting still in the darkness near her shredded, mangled bed. She faced away from him. A simple black tank and shorts covered her small body. Her black hair was matted. Her skin glistened with sweat, and her shoulders rose and fell as heavy breaths rushed in and out of her lungs.

Cody swallowed hard, "L-Lady Ragana, I came to discuss our next course of action."

Her head tilted to the side ever so slightly. But just enough to unnerve Cody some more. Still, he quietly approached her. As he drew closer, he saw one of her holocrons gently drifting down to the ground.

"Yes… our next mission." Ragana drew in a deep breath, as if she was also trying to compose herself, "It is quite simple, Commander. We have a Jedi Master to track down."

Cody blinked, "Master Windu?"

"Yes." Ragana breathed.

Cody furrowed his brow. The cold ebbed away. The shattered furniture around him slowly fell to the floor. Not a single piece made a sound as it gently brushed down onto the carpeted floor.

"If that is our new mission, ma'am, I'll see that we get it done. But-" Cody took a breath, debating whether or not to keep going.

"But what, Commander?" Ragana asked, still not turning to face him. More sweat formed on her neck. A shudder ran through her body as she spoke.

"We do not know where he went. Scouts searched the jungles below the forest. We found evidence of a ship that had been nearby, but nothing else. It likely slipped by us while we were focused on the rebels on the surface." Cody took a breath, "We have no way of tracking him."

A low, sinister snicker came from Ragana. One that made Cody's hair stand on end.

"Oh Cody, you are wrong." She snickered some more, "We have a way of tracking him. Never underestimate the force, my friend. Mace Windu will unveil himself in time. And when he does…"

A red glow filled the room as a blood red lightsaber burst to life in Ragana's hands. A thrilled gasp left Ragana's lips. Cody swallowed hard as he looked at the hilt in her pale hands. Glimmers of gold and silver filled his vision. Master Windu's old lightsaber hilt was clenched tight in her fingers.

"... I will be ready."

And chapter! Another very fun chapter to write! We finally returned to the Falcon crew, with one new addition to their ranks. I wonder who signaled Han? I'm pretty sure we all know who, but it is fun to ask. Should make for some entertaining moments when the crew does land at their destination. As for Morgan and her new weapon, I love the idea that the new Star Wars Canon introduced when it comes to red lightsabers. How there are no red crystals and that a Sith must make a crystal bleed in order to make it red. I think that is actually really dark and really cool. So that is what she was up to in her room. And now, her descent into the darkness continues. How far will she go? That is the question.

Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed! Have a nice day!

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