(Translations located at bottom of chapter in order)
The small group trudged back up the long walk to the hangar bay, with the end of the rain the streets had gotten far more packed as the night life kicked into full swing.
Back at the hangar, the Kaminoan had just finished installing the new compressor. Sulahaan leaned against one of the deployment arms of the ramp, watching quietly. Reed and the Wookie stood near each other, the droid rolling around his feet as the wookie followed him, spinning in place.
"Well well yes? We're about done here no worry or troubles, Sooya'thin's parts are guaranteed, you have any issues you come flying back to me and we will get you patched better than any garage in this sector could!" His head bobbled back and forth as he talked. Sulahaan grunted, whistling over to Reed.
"Screw bucket, pay the man ssso the two of em can be off" he hissed, Reed rolled back over, a port opening and an arm holding a satchel of credits slid out.
Sooya'thin and the Wookiee accepted the satchel, stepping off the shuttle to leave the hangar. "Who were they?" Sabine asked Sulahaan curiously as the group entered.
"Mechanics apparently, Reed got them to install a new compressor." Sulahaan responded. Sabine chuckled and slid into a seat at the holo table.
"I guess if the droid isn't Chopper they can actually do errands without causing a mess in the town." Reed chirped happily and wheeled around in a quick circle.
Outside the shuttle, Giz stood with Lindmon inspecting the new compressor. Sooya'thin strode down the ramp, a smile on his face. "Yes! Good day and eve to you! That's her! You should be set and ready to fly to your hearts content."
Giz frowned, looking over the cluster of wires. "What is this pile of poodoo?" She sighed looking through everything. "Is this a Lambda compressor? This bird's nest wouldn't handle re-entry at all. And is this wire here spliced from the servo housing to the rotar complex..." she trailed off, staring at the build.
Sooya'thin smiled to himself as he saw the understanding coming across her face.
"This... this is genius! You've connected the primary motor housing to the main power of the ship to bypass the Lambda's innate current dampener! That's amazing!" The Cathar bounced up and down, digging through the pile of wires carefully to see exactly how the sequences were connected.
"You know your parts my new found friend yes indeed that is a Lambda Compressor! Smart girl you have working your ship my friend." He said, continuing down the ramp.
Ahsoka recognized the famed cloner species from the decades old clone wars. She bowed politely as Sooya'thin walked past, and he responded in kind.
"Now that the compressor is dealt with we don't have to worry about being trapped here if things go bad." She said reassuringly to Lindmon and Giz, "All we need now is to catch this Rodian. At the rate we're going that doesn't seem to be a problem."
"Hoho plotting and planning I see? Well well we will be right out of your way, if you ever have need, you know where to find us and we will always be happy to help." He walked past them and started leaving the hangar, his wookie in tow. "After all, it isn't often these days I get to work with a Jedi." He said with a wink towards Ahsoka before the pair disappeared around the corner.
Hours later, the group had set up the crates taken from the storage hold of the Saqorian Zephyr. They had left the rations and extra supplies strewn across the hold, but for this ploy to work, they needed the illusion of actually having the weapons. Giz and Lindmon had set the crates near the rear of a small alcove next to Jelok's Cantina, a notorious dive known for spice deals and deathstick distribution. The nightlife of Nar-Shadaa had taken over the streets, drunken brawls had already broken out several times since Giz and Lindmon arrived.
Sabine was perched on another building, several stories up overlooking the streets. Stacking sets of intersections whizzed past, threading through the buildings of the city. The bright headlights gave a rapid strobe effect on the glass panels of the tall spire like buildings. Sabine had set her helmet scanner to identify the distinctive features of Gripp Jippeek. When the Red Scar do show up, she would be able to tell if he is among the ones in the group.
Ahsoka had removed her white coat and was blending in to the crowd near Giz and Lindmon. If the Red Scar became suddenly aggressive, she would be able to intervene fairly quickly and give Lindmon and Giz a chance to escape.
Sitting across from the cantina, perched in a spot to see the approaching group, Lindmon patted Giz on the shoulder reassuringly, his other hand resting on the grip of his blaster. He reached up to his ear where a comm piece rested. "Alright, the drop is set in four minutes, we should be seeing the target shortly. Sabine, if Gripp is not in the group we pull out. We're not risking this going south for nothing. If he is, we will engage and distract, need you to secure the target and Giz, Ahsoka, and I will clear further obstacles, once you have him we make for the ship. Sulahaan has the engine spun and ready as soon as we make it aboard. We're all clear? On you for the que Sabine." He went back to scanning the crowd.
Tension built in the ensuing minutes, Sabine paced across the terrace on the upper levels clenching her knuckles nervously. The scanner in her helmet rapidly passing over dozens of alien faces a second, looking for the distinctive scar placement of Gripp Jippeek. "I copy Lieutenant, so far it's clear. I've got the closest lane of speeder traffic in my scanner to so i—" she cut off suddenly. The scanner shooting a sharp confirmation alarm in her helmet. "I've got him!"
"Heard, where is he? How many friends does he have?" Lindmon said, tapping Giz on the shoulder. She took a deep breath in and pulled her headdress over her head, after a moment her demeanor changed to that of the Cathar from Gordo's weapons. Ahsoka and Lindmon's eyes met across the street as she stood next to a stand hawking cooked womp rat. He nodded to her. The feeling of overbearing anxiety was more than just his own he thought, the whole area seemed charged and tense, which was at the same time a good and bad thing. His neck tingled uncomfortably. "Let us know when they reach position A. At that point give us a minute and then start." He checked his rifle for the fifth time in as many minutes, still fully charged.
"Hey L-T..." Giz said quietly, lindmon looked over at her, the anxiety eminating from her much stronger than he had anticipated.
"What's up Giz." He replied, seeing the fur on her face bristle.
"I um...will this work...?" She asked quietly. He put a hand on hers.
"I think so Giz..." he responded quietly. "Sabine report."
"I've got him, he's in a speeder coming in from the northeast lane." Sabine stopped for a moment examining the speeder Gripp was driving, the targeter locked and highlighting the scar located behind his ear. "Lieutenant. He's got three other guys with him." It wasn't too odd that he came with backup, gangsters were always wanting to make a show of force.
Sabine tracked the speeder as it pitched down, swooping wide as it came to the lower level of the market. Just behind Gripp's own speeder, following close behind was an additional speeder filled with more Red Scar gangsters. "Looks like he brought friends. Who wants to bet they forgot their weapons at home?" She said nervously, flipping up her range finder quickly.
"So we're looking at target plus what, seven?" Lindmon asked, doing calculations in his head. Do you have an extra smoke bomb on you or just the one?"
"Just the one, although I may be able to disable one with a dart if I get a shot in post." Sabine responded, her voice cracked long over the receiver. "Target and friends are moving towards position A, I say you have about a minute. We still on?" She asked nervously.
"We're on. Plan stands as normal, Sul, when target gets on board you get ready to go, if we're not there you're to depart, rotate back around, backup pickup spot is lower level market district, traffic lane. It's gonna be hot if we use that. Ahsoka, you ready? Any reservations or tips?" He said with a finality. Giz took a deep breath, readying herself.
"Reservations? You mean something like kidnapping a gangster and dragging him to certain death?" Ahsoka's sarcasm crackled over the short range communicator. "We're doing a risky operation, things can change unexpectedly. We have to trust our instincts and the Force if we want to get off this planet with our target."
"Lieutenant. If you haven't been trusting the Force now is the time." Sabine chattered from her terrace perch. "We don't get this guy now, I've got a world of hurt coming my way. Understand?"
Lindmon sighed, now Sabine was getting on his case too. "Understood. Target is coming into position, Sabine take your position." He watched as she jetpacked down back to street level and ducked into the nearby cantina.
Further up the road, the Red Scar and their motly crew of aliens marched up the street, people shifted to one side or the other as they approached, or were shoved out of the way. Gripp wrung his hands as they reached the meeting spot. He stopped and looked at his wrist device. This was the spot. Lindmon took a deep breath. "We're going in, stay frosty."
They approached the group of gangsters, standing just outside the entry way to the cantina, nobody seemed to pay them much mind outside of staying out of their way. Several of the gangsters leaned against the building and began talking to each other as the pair approached.
Gripp's eyes narrowed at the pair. "Doth uba bu bo cay bu dan?" He asked as they stopped, the rest of the members taking notice.
"Whao uba gee mah kanay hee Dobra." Giz responded. She stood just in front of Lindmon on the street as people passed them by.
Back inside the cantina, Sabine sat in a booth looking out into the street. She watched as the pair came into view and bit her lip, her wrist mounted servos whirred as a small metal wire began to untwine from inside them. She grabbed one end and wrapped it around her hand.
"Gordo sey jeejee doth manpanh bimhee cay wa Gokre, Jee cha phabajen ree koo um wata uba doth. An dauah bai dah." Gripp continued. "Jee gee bu phabeka whao uba gee bu dan."
Giz pointed over her shoulder into the alleyway where the crates were hidden, the corners of several visible from under the cloth covering them. "Tytung fwanna, chake che uba bai paknee ata. Bonee wagan Dobrawamma da doth." Giz said. The Rodian motioned to three of his companions and pointed at the crates. The three trudged over into the alley. Sabine made eye contact with Lindmon, who ran a hand through his hair. The signal. She stood from her booth and started walking out the front of the cantina.
As the three gangsters made their way past and into the alley, Sabine passed by the remaining. She bumped into Lindmon, reaching into his pocket before continuing past. Lindmon looked back at her, patting his pocket. "That fucking thief." He said, loud enough for Gripp to hear. The Rodian looked over his shoulder and snickered.
"Ye wanya bacaka mee pateessa doth tee ree nyowkee yabee." He said, the other gangsters chuckling in response. Lindmon reached back and pulled Sabine off her feet and in front of him. She landed on her back hard and leaped back up.
"What's your problem?!" She shouted at him as Lindmon rushed forward and pushed her hard with his rifle. The group of gangster lets out a laugh as she stumbled into the Rodian. He pushed her back off of him.
"Wa konbouaheon an wa ukaueth? Tee-tocky katka doth koucaue cheuba!" He laughed as she bounced from him back into Lindmon who planted a hard boot into her chest, throwing her back at the Rodian. As she made contact she wrapped the cord around his arms, tumbeling into him and onto the ground. Lindmon reached into his pocket where Sabine planted the smoke grenade. "haku du bu, yaee! Haku ne!" The other gangster reached for Sabine just as the others finished opening the first crate.
"Shits Empty!" One shouted as Sabine's jet pack flared into life, sliding the Rodian along the ground and through the legs of one of the gangsters. Lindmon pulled the grenade from his pocket and threw it to the ground where it spewed dark grey smoke. Several voices cried out from the passerbys as the sound of unholstering blasters passed through the fog. Lindmon grabbed Giz's arm and pulled her to the ground as the first several shots passed through, lighting the surrounding smoke and slamming into a nearby pedestrian who dropped to the ground.
"Hunter!!" One of the Red Scar gangsters cried out, alerting the other members. "A hunter is trying to bust Gripp!" The gangsters in the alley burst out, coughing and hacking from the smoke bomb. The several others that weren't caught in the smoke quickly unholstered their weapons and began raining fire into the smokescreen and at Sabine, who after clattering through the group was struggling to lift Gripp away from the area. Ahsoka burst from her hiding spot and intercepted several bolts hurtling towards Lindmon and Giz. Her sabers ignited with a "snap-hiss', slapping away the blaster bolts, spinning her sabers in a defensive swirling arc. "Stay behind me Lieutenant!" She yelled, twirling the white sabers in her hands and deflecting several more shots from the gangsters.The rain of blaster fire peppered the air around Sabine as she flew evasively side to side. Gripp scrabbled across the street, screaming and kicking for a foothold. The street cleared quickly as the blasterfire rung out, no passerbys wanting to catch a stray bullet.
Lindmon caught himself watching Ahsoka's defensive dance, red bolts ricocheting left and right, he pulled Giz up and they made a dash for a nearby alley they had decided on for the escape route. Giz unholstered her pair of DL-44s, firing off several volleys into the smoke as Ahsoka backed up along with them, continuing to block blaster fire from all directions. A shout rang out as her laser met home and one of the gangsters collapsed to the ground.
Giz continued running as Lindmon unslung his rifle, flipping a switch on the side. "Get cleat Ahsoka I only have one shot at this!" He shouted. The E-11 whirred loudly as it's battery overcharged. The muzzle glowed red and as Ahsoka passed around the corner he let off a shot, the laser blasted through the corner of the building, tearing a huge chunk from it as rubble rained down into the street behind them. The blaster hissed as it cooled down. "Only shot I have for a minute! Let's go!"
Gripp flailed and kicked as the grappling line wrapped around his hands lifted him off the ground. He called out to his allies, screaming for help, "Haku doth uba woy keepuna uen! Mo kaa!" The jetpacked bounty hunter lifted him high over the market district, dangling him above the low roofs of the shops and storefronts.
"I've got him!" Sabine shouted over the comm. Her jet pack thrusters picking up speed and altitude now that Gripp struggled helplessly in the air. "I'm taking him out of the area and fully restraining him. I'll meet you at the shuttle!"
From the ground, a large Red Scar Trandoshan stepped through the dissipating smoke screen. A large scar split his left eye, leaving his iris permanently torn. He looked down at his blaster rifle and cranked the clocking drive near the power pack, the rifle released a high-pitched whine in response. A deep rumble emanated from the Trandoshans throat as he hoisted the rifle, setting it into his shoulder, taking aim at the flying Mandalorian. Tssosk Zust had killed their kind before and knew just what countermeasures could cripple them. He was just glad that he could use Gordo's weapon modifications for something like this, he would get much honor if he was able to confirm the kill today.
Tssosk pulled the trigger, aimed just above the Mandalorians flight path, and the rifle screamed out a spike of white blue crackling energy. A perfect shot. He lowered his blaster and shouted to the other gangsters shooting into the alley that the other three escaped to. Commanding them to get back to the speeders, if they could use the advantage of speed against these hunters they could get Gripp and escape.
The bolt shattered against Sabine's armor, exploding in a shower of sparks and pulsating energy. "What!? What the hell!" She shouted as the HUD and targeting systems shut off. Leaving the inside of her helmet dark. "Lieutenant! I've been hit by something!...come in Crest!!" She yelled into the comm with no response, the signal dead. The jet pack coughed the last bit of thrust as the systems shut down from the ion pulse. Thirty feet. The wench in her gauntlet went slack as the grappling device shut off. What hit her, did they have an ion rifle? That's almost military grade weaponry, could they really have that? Twenty feet. "Flight control! Flight control!" Sabine shouted at the computer system. The ion trails had faded now, she should be getting power back any second. She reached back to the jet controls, operating it manually might be the only option, she depressed the small button inside her jet packs side panel. Nothing. Ten feet. "Oh shi-" Sabine slammed onto the roof of the market district store with a sickening clatter. She rolled across the roof before sliding to a stop, her right arm disconnected from the socket laying limp beside her.
Gripp had a much less aggressive fall as he was far below her being tethered away. He slipped his hands out of the now slack line and threw himself up. The jump down from the roof was to far for him to want to attempt but he saw the Red Scar gangsters loading into the speeders. He took off running, leaping across the market rooftops in a mad dash for escape. If he could just get to those speeders he might have a chance.
As the dust settled and the small group pulled itself from the alley way Sabine's message came in loud. Ahsoka breathed a sigh of relief and Giz bounced up and down as they approached the Zephyr. A moment later Lindmon noticed a creeping sensation down his neck and an uneasiness in his stomach.
"Somethings not right. Ahsoka, I think we have a problem." He raised his hand to his ear again, tapping on the comm unit. "Sabine, were at the shuttle and waiting on you." They stood motionless for a moment, silence. "Sabine come in, what's your ETA?" Again silence in the line. "Shit."
A perfect shot indeed, Tssosk thought to himself as he began to scale the wall of the building. Of the group of Red Scar gangsters present he was one of the most talented in regards to fighting, the leader if you will, of his little pack of rag tag aliens. He dug his three fingered claws and toes into the walls, lifting himself up with surprising speed. Hoisting his large reptilian body over the lip of the roof, he could see Gripp Jippeek scrambling across the rooftops. A man with little honor, though he had his uses, destined to run forever, but Tssosk was a greater form of being. He would please the Scorekeeper this day. The last time he killed a Mandalorian he grew to new heights in the eyes of his God. While not as venerable as killing a Wookie in single combat, strangling the life from a warrior such as them with his bare claws was almost as close as it could get. Tssosk saw his prey still sprawled out on the roof unmoving. Good, he had secured a vast advantage in this hunt. He licked his long fangs and hissed as he took his first steps towards greater glory.
Lindmon pointed to the ship, urging the others on board. "Sul get us airborne now! Reed, get a ping on Sabine's locator!" He shouted up the ramp as they clambered aboard. Seconds later the ship lifted off, ramp still open as Lindmon held on to the deployment leg. Reed chirped several times, plugging himself into a port in the cockpit.
"We have her sir! Moving to intersssscept!" Sul hissed. The shuttle pulled from the hangar and wheeled towards the market district where the slight signal was emanating.
"We're coming Sabine, if you read, we're on our way!" Lindmon said into the comm once more, storing the spent blaster and pulling another from the storage space near the ramp.
"Hey!"
Sabine snapped awake, she'd fallen asleep propping her head against her hand. She glanced around in alarm, startled at the setting she awoke in. Back aboard the Ghost, home, it's radiant overhead lights illuminating the table she was sitting at. The wide paint chipped walls separated the cargo hold and the crew quarters where she lived for years.
"Hey! What're you doing?" The voice called out.
Sabine gasped in shock and whipped her eyes towards the voice. There he was, just as she remembered before he left. Same jet black hair, bright blue eyes and goofy grin from all those years ago.
"Ezra..." Sabine said, stunned at the sight of her friend. "W-why am I here? I was just on..." Is this a dream? Am I delusional? She thought, still in awe of her sudden change of surroundings.
Ezra looked at her, perplexed at her confusion. "What's the matter?" He said, concerned about the state of surprise Sabine was showing.
"I...I fell." Sabine said, struggling to reconstruct her memory of the last few minutes. She moved her hand up to her head, touching it gently. Wet, and warm.
An image of her body sprawled out on the rooftop flashed in her mind. She heard the Lieutenant through the helmet that had been knocked off her head. Tipped over on it's side the comm chatter echoed in the helmet. "-f you read...on...way." Her limbs were splayed and twisted across the floor of the rooftop and her half lidded eyes barely showed convincing signs of life.
When she pulled her fingers back she found no blood, just the faint feeling of wetness. "I think I have a concussion." She said to Ezra plainly.
Ezra scoffs, "Well you've had plenty of those! I'm surprised there's still anything left in there." He said teasingly, poking Sabine in the forehead.
She punched him hard in the stomach and he doubled over, coughing and laughing. "Hey! Come on now!" Ezra chuckles.
"Are you calling me stupid?" Sabine said angrily, clenching her fist for another strike.
Ezra shook his head in denial, "If you wear that helmet all the time, how stupid could you be?" He laughed loudly again, and after a moment Sabine laughed along with him, giving in to his usual charades.
She smiled sadly after the laughter died down. It's a familiar scene, close to the way things used to be, but it's not a memory. Just a delusion she'd made up in her concussed state, a yearning for her old companion.
"Where are you?" Sabine pleaded, examining his body carefully as if he were a map that held a hidden clue. "I've been looking everywhere."
"I don't know..." Ezra responded, looking off to the side. His eyes locked on something far away. "Something is coming."
What did that mean? Sabine thought, trying to decipher his words. Something outside of her mind or on a greater scale like a Jedi premonition?
"You have to get up." Ezra commanded, reaching for her hand to lift her out of the bench.
Sabine rolled her eyes in annoyance, "I can't get up Ezra, I can't even feel my arm and my whole body hurts. The target probably got away already anyway. My one chance at getting a good lead on where you could be."
"So? Go and get him then." Ezra said, raising his eyebrow mockingly. "Don't stop until you do."
"It's not that easy anymore Ezra! When we were together we could make anything happen." Sabine complained, "But you're gone now and I don't k-"
"Hey now, don't tell me your giving up because of something like that." Ezra scolded, "Listen, were a team when we're together and we're a team when we're apart! If you can't stand then I'll be there to pick you up!" He clasped her hand in his and lifted her out of the bench.
His words sent a jolt of excitement surging through her body. The close bond they shared forcing her to focus, to break the hold of this unconsciousness. The walls of the Ghost tumbled away leaving nothing but a void in its place. Her dream like vision hurtling around her, the image of Ezra turning to dust and fading away.
"I'll definitely find you! I swear!" Sabine shouted into the darkness.
I know I can always count on you.
Tssosk roared in excitement, the loud war-cry from deep in his chest resonated across the whole Market District. This. This is what he wanted. This must be the reason the Scorekeeper valued their kind so highly. He licked his thick lips, wet and dripping with his saliva. Tssosk wanted to kill this Mandalorian women, consume her flesh and absorb whatever spirit drove her. Achieve the glory the Scorekeeper so clearly yearned for him to achieve. She stood before him now, her eyes lightless and hollow, her right arm hanging limp at her side, useless. From her left hand a dazzling emerald blade pulsed in the air, angled upwards in preparation for combat. The current of power disrupting the fog of Nar Shadaa, it's wisps flitting and dancing around the beam of light in spirals. Her face locked in the unflinching glare of a warrior.
I will let nothing stand in my way.
The wings of the Zephyr swiveled into a vertical position as the large shuttle shifted into the traffic lanes of the city. Speeders swerved around it to get out of the way as it lifted up over the roofs of the Market District. Lindmon and Ahsoka stood at the bottom of the ramp, holding on with white knuckles as it swept over the streets.
"This fog is not making this easy for us!" Lindmon shouted over passing wind, worry obvious on his face.
"Don't look with your eyes Lieutenant, use your feelings, focus, Sabine needs us and she needs you!" Ahsoka shouted, eyes closed.
Lindmon stared out into the passing fog.
You can do this Crest, trust your instincts, they've never proved you wrong before. He closed his eyes, the gentle tingle moving down from his neck once more. He was getting used to it, understanding what it meant.
Jump
He felt his legs moving before he could think to control them.
Lindmon landed just on the edge of the rooftop, tumbling his body forward to dissipate the force of the fall. He looked up to find Sabine and Tssosk engaged in their tense stand-off. An emerald blade thrumming protectively in front of Sabine.
Tssosk unsheathed a long durasteel blade from his side. A Doshan honor blade, forged from the rare Chalon ore, it was thicker and sharper than most other blades. "I am Tssosk Zhut!" He said as he dragged the blade across his palm, a simple ritual for the Scorekeeper. To draw her gaze to him in preparation for the fight. "I will be killing you hunter, for my glory and my God!" He snarled through thick wet fangs. Underarms, behind the knees, wrists, neck and now the face. All the points in which the Mandalorian armor was vulnerable, all the places he would sink his blade into.
Sabine drew slow ragged breaths, pushing the wisps of fog away from her mouth. "Flight...control." She struggled to speak. From the ground beside her, the helmet chimed in response to the command.
Tssosk glanced swiftly at the noise, remote activat-
In that instant she was behind him, a thick trail of smoke in her wake. He pivoted to answer her movement, but his right arm did not come with him. It separated from his shoulder and slapped to the ground. The force of his thundering blood ruptured the cauterized stump where his arm should be and thick blood oozed out in spurts. Tssosk fell to the ground howling in pain, scrabbling and kicking.
Her feet slide across the roof several feet before she came to a stop, her left hand still gripping the emerald saber. The thrust of her jet pack pushing her far past the target. Sabine slowly looked around the rooftop, her listless eyes passing over Lindmon. She stumbled forward, her right leg scraping and limping with each step.
Lindmon followed her gaze and saw their target, Gripp, leaping into the speeder of the Red Scar. A second speeder roared towards them from a distance, the remaining gangsters firing wildly inaccurate shots at Lindmon and Sabine. Shouting and yelling for the fallen Tssosk.
Lindmon pressed a finger to his ear. "I have her, target just hopped in a speeder and is heading north, focus there, Sabine and I will rendezvous once we're done here." The static over the comm was cut only briefly by "roger, on intercept."
Sabine shuddered foreword a couple more steps before falling to a knee, Lindmon rushed over next to her as the already hazey look in her eyes began to fade again. The saber deactivated, still clutched in her hand as behind them Tssosk roars angrily.
Trust in the force, let it be your guide.
Ahsoka's voice echoes through his mind.
You will fail them, and in so doing fail yourself.
The Black Skull's deformed face flashed across his mind. Lindmon shook his head, pulling the hilt from Sabine's hand as he lifted her up.
Sabine gripped tightly over Lindmon's hand containing the silver and black saber. Some of the lucidity returning to her eyes as she looked at him. "That..." her voice rasped, "Belongs...to me."
Tssosk twisted and flails on the ground behind them. His shouts fading until his mind succumbed to the shock and he lay on the rooftop, mind black with unconsciousness.
"Then get back on your feet and use it." Lindmon said, pushing the saber back into her hand. She lifted it up to her chest and held it there for a moment. "Your shoulder is screwed, you think you broke it?" Lindmon eyed the damage done to her, electrical burns streaked across her armor where the emp slammed into her before turning his attention to the approaching speeder.
"No, it's just dislocated." She responded slowly, still rattled and groggy. Sabine gripped her shoulder and pulled it back into place with a crunch. The pain sending shockwaves through her body, flooding her mind with sharp static. Careful movements confirmed that it still functioned, battered and bruised but not broken.
The Red Scar's second speeder rushed towards them, zooming several feet over the rooftops. Blaster bolts became more accurate as they came closer.
"I don't think we should stick around here to meet his friends" Lindmon said quickly, running for the edge of the building closest towards the street. "We may be able to lose them in the bustle, the rest of the crew is chasing the target." He glanced back towards Sabine who had stumbled over to her helmet and picked it up, placing it back over her head.
"I think they seem nice." Sabine said jokingly, her voice crackling over the comm system in Lindmon's earpiece. She ducked low, dodging several of the red bolts of energy plinking into the rooftop. "We can't get left behind or Gripp will get away! You think they'll let us borrow their speeder?" She said, running over to Lindmon and firing at the incoming speeder.
"Yea I'm sure if we asked nicely they would give us a ride." Lindmon turned around, aiming his own rifle at the oncoming speeder. After a moment he fired of a shot, clipping the front passenger in the shoulder. "Off by that much." He sighed while lining up another shot.
"I'm going up, try not to shoot me!" Sabine called to Lindmon as she rocketed off towards the incoming speeder. She fired her pistols rapidly into the speeder, aiming at the gangsters inside. All of her shots failed to hit flesh, instead stricking the hull of the speeder or missing completely.
She clicked her tongue in annoyance, her accuracy was normally perfect. Sabine strafed the speeder, forcing the howling Red Scar members to reposition in their seats to get a shot off at her. She depressed the activator on her vambrace and the thin flexsteel wire snapped out, snaking around one of the gangsters. The Red Scar thug was ripped from his seat as Sabine accelerated away. "You should've worn your seat belt!" She shouted down at him.
The thug kicked as screamed as she released the grappling line, the inner mechanism slicing the metal cord. He fell dozens of feet to the market floor, missing the rooftops that may have made the fall less fatal.
The speeder swooped around in response, the remaining two Red Scar members debating which target to attack first.
As the speeder swept back around Lindmon lined up another shot, aiming carefully at the driver. "Got you a rental Sabine, free of charge, just need to get the baggage out." He chimed in over the comms before taking his shot. The red beam zipped through the air, melting the back of the drivers head, the wound cauterized instantly as he slumped foreword.
"You got me a gift? That's nice Lieutenant." Sabine joked. She landed on top of the recently killed driver, jolting the speeder as it dipped low. Without a driver the repulser engines cut out and listed to the side. The last remaining thug fired his blaster pistol at Sabine. Two bolts catching her in the chest, slapping into her armor plating with a loud clacking noise. The impacts caused her to stumble over the dead body, nearly throwing her off the speeder. She turned both her pistols on the thug and unloaded a hail of fire into him, not allowing her reduced aim to keep her from hitting the target. The Red Scar thug convulsed as he was enveloped by a strobe of flashing red blaster bolts. Sabine dumpsed the smoking bodies out the side of the speeder. She gripped the controls and leveled out the repulser engines. "You're a good pilot right?" She asked Lindmon, pulling up the speeder to the edge of the roof. "Take a girl for a ride?"
"It would be my pleasure." He joked, jumping off the building and into the side seat as Sabine passed. "Please keep your hands, Arms, legs inside the vehicle at all times, and uh, hope you had a light lunch." He said as she jumped into the passenger seat and he slid behind the wheel. A moment later the engine of the speeder whirred loudly as the new pilot forced it to it's top speed.
Lindmon pushed the speeder to its limits in an attempt to catch up to the Zephyr and the escaping Gripp Jippeek. He juked and weaved the craft through traffic as the other drivers honked and yelled as he passed them by. Lindmon twisted the controls of the speeder hard to the right, curving the speeder around a sharp turn.
Sitting in the passengers seat next to him, Sabine shielded her eyes from the zooming vistas, cupping her hands around her face to block the nauseating view. She had taken her helmet off temporarily to wipe the small trickle of blood left on her head, the condition of her injury turning her skin pale and clammy.
The speeder swept past several others as it sped forward, the silhouette of the Zephyr coming into view. As they gained on the shuttle the figure of Ahsoka still standing on the ramp solidified. The speeder pulled up behind the ship and Lindmon turned to Sabine. "Get on there, you're messed up and need some attention."
"We haven't got him yet." Sabine said defiantly, "I can keep going for just a bit longer."
Off in the distance, further down the traffic lane, Gripp pushed his small speeder faster down the forest of buildings. He sweat heavily in panic, and his other two companions glanced nervously over their shoulders. This was more than they expected, a lone Hunter they could've dealt with but it seemed there was a whole team sent to capture him. Now the rest of his group was either dead or captured and he might be next.
But maybe there was still hope for him. This kind of assistance was meant only for emergencies, and Gripp didn't think there was any better time than now. He pulled out a small communicator from his breast pocket and desperately called for help. "Dobra dotkola vot! Banba wamma caueg bai yauma mi!"
"Sabine, it's an order, you look like a pile of bantha dung, you're white as a sheet. Giz can patch you up, leave it to us, we can get him, that's a promise." He sped up and got in close to the shuttle ramp.
Ahsoka looked down at the pair and Lindmon motioned for her to jump down.
"Leave it to us Sabine, you're no use to anybody in the state your in. "
"Look. I don't know why you think I'm just going to sit on the ship and wait for you to finish the mission." Sabine said angrily. She stood up quickly on the seat and slipped her helmet back on. "See? I look fine alright?"
She coughed once beneath her helmet and Lindmon watched her body go slack. At the speed he was pushing the vehicle she should have been thrown from the cabin the moment she lost consciousness. Instead her body lifted up gently and floated across the small gap between the Zephyr and speeder.
Ahsoka's hand guided her to the ramp of the ship, placing her down inside the shuttle. She then slapped the ramp control node and slipped out of the shuttle as it closed, landing beside Lindmon. "Punch it." Ahsoka said with fervor.
The speeder lurched right as Lindmon slammed on the controls, pushing around the shuttle. "Giz, Sabine's in the entry bay and needs immediate medical attention, Ahsoka and I are moving to intercept now."
"Yes sir on it!" Her voice came through the channel.
Lindmon swerved through the traffic, the whine of the engine loud over the whooshing air. "Thank you, she's stubborn as hell but I admire her tenacity. With that injury she should have been out way sooner."
"I agree. I don't think she would've stopped if her injuries weren't as severe as they were." Ahsoka said, sitting next to Lindmon as they blazed past the lines of traffic. The runaway speeder came closer and closer into view, Lindmon's adept piloting skills overcoming the gap Gripp attempted to make in his escape. "Do you know what happened Lieutenant?" She asked, concerned of how Sabine became so battered. Even from her distance on the shuttle it didn't take a Jedi to know that she had been badly damaged.
Lindmon shook his head. "I landed on the building and she had pulled out her lightsaber and took off the arm of a Trandoshan when I showed up, if I had to guess it was an energy weapon, her armor was covered in electrical burns and he shoulder was out of socket so I think she got shot down." As the stolen speeder encroached on Gripp's red flashes sped their way as Gripp's companions began shooting at them, the lasers flying past harmlessly.
"Her lightsaber? You think that's really the case?" Ahsoka said skeptically. Behind the speeder, sirens and flashing lights rung out from their current traffic lane. The two law enforcement vehicles flying towards Lindmon's speeder swerved around nearby vehicles. "It looks like we've got company!" Ahsoka looked over her shoulder at the two incoming speeders.
"I watched her take off his arm with it so yea I'm sure, things keep getting more and more interesting." The speeder swept left to dodge incoming fire. "How should we handle this?"
Ahsoka shook her head, standing up onto the speeder seat as she slapped away some of the blaster fire with her glowing white sabers. "You understand what I mean right Lieutenant? Or why I think it's strange she has one, after all you've learned about Jedi over the course of this mission?" She asked as she slung her blades around herself and Lindmon with effortless dexterity. Her tone seemed somewhat annoyed, or irritated. Lindmon found it strange coming from Ahsoka's normally calm demeanor, it was almost like she was complaining to him about the situation.
"She passed out for a moment and came to almost immediately when I took it from her hand, she's very connected to it but yea, it's odd." Lindmon swerved around several speeders as they gained slowely on the renegade speeder. The flashing lights of the police speeders keeping pace with them.
"It's odd because it's not her's Lieutenant." Ahsoka shouted over the wind. She deftly shifted her weight to stay upright during Lindmon's hairpin turns. The chase beginning to become more compact as Lindmon's speeder closed on the runaway vehicle, while the law enforcement speeders attempted to box him in slowly.
"Yea I wouldn't imagine she built it herself!" Lindmon shouted over the sound of deflecting blaster fire. Ahsoka's blades swept around her, a laser ricoching off her saber and into the police vehicle behind them, the blaster bolt bounced off the chassis, forcing to speeder to sweep out of the lane and force themselves back on track, slowing them down slightly.
"I think...it might be Ezra's." Ahsoka said solemnly. Her tone was low as if she didn't want it to be true. She continued to swing one of her sabers to meet the law enforcements blaster bolts as she locked the activator on her left hand saber. Ahsoka slung it through the air, the white saber tumbling over itself until it impaled the left repulser node of the speeder behind them. The speeder burped a plume of dark smoke and the stabilizer exploded, causing the ship to twist into a slow spiral. Ahsoka snatched her saber as she called it back to her hand, the law enforcement speeder tumbling out of sight.
The renegade speeder took a hard turn, slipping around the corner of a building. "Hang on tight!" Lindmon shouted, pushing their own speeder into the turn. As they cleared the building they were met with the headlights of another speeder, he slammed down on the controls, forcing the speeder into a tight corkscrew around the civilian vehicle. As the speeder reached its peak Ahsoka's grip failed on the slippery handles. Lindmon's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist as they finished the tumble and she falls back into the seat.
"Whew I need to get one of these." Lindmon said, smiling. It was one of the few times Ahsoka had seen him smile, his usual demeanor either serious or exasperated. The second police cruiser flew around the corner moments later, the vehicle taking the turn wide, sparks flew off the side as it slid along the side of the building next to it. Gripp's speeder suddenly dove, making a bee line for the undercities, Lindmon dropped his in turn. "Bad call Gripp." Lindmon said to himself, the speeder accelerating faster now with the assist from gravity. "We're going to come over top of them quickly when they even out, be ready to hop on them. The window for this is going to be slim."
Gripp pulled up and the speeder screamed as it made the adjustment, Lindmon pulled up only a moment after, slamming foreword, the two speeders now perfectly on top of each other. Lindmon pushed his forward, getting ahead by just enough as Ahsoka lept down from the speeder and into the back seat. The two gangsters in the backseat barely had time to shout as her lightsabers swept through their blasters, shattering the weapons, she delivered a quick hilt smash, knocking the two unconscious. She turned around to the Rodian who was only now realizing that she was in the speeder with him. Her lightsaber came to rest next to his shoulder, buzzing softly. "That's enough running Gripp." She said quietly.
Gripp slowly raised his hands, the threat of being bisected by a lightsaber to great even for him. The speeder warbled to a slow stop, drifting off the traffic lane and stalling next to a tall glass spire. Ahsoka lifted the target up by his red jacket and tossed him into the speeder that Lindmon pulled up next to her. "You move, or try to jump out and I'll make you wish you hadn't tried it." Ahsoka said as she stood over Gripp in the speeder, jabbing her white blade down at him.
As soon as the pair got in Lindmon slammed it into gear and rocketed forward, the second police vehicle coming back into range. "Sul, track our signal, we have the target and are moving now, local law doesn't like us right now, need to get rid of one more vehicle and we're ready for a sweep pickup."
Sulahaan's voice crackles over the comms. "Roger That sssir, you should know, Ssssabine isn't doing well."
Ahsoka looked down at Lindmon, worry strewn across her face. Lindmon nodded slowely.
"Ten-four, we will make this quick. Hold on Ahsoka, Gripp, if you don't want to fall forty stories to an untimely demise I suggest you do the same." Lindmon pushed down on the reverse, slowing the speeder down exponentialy with a hard jerk, causing the Rodian to slam his face into the seat In front of him, his head lulled to the side as the speeder rolled into a hard spin. the police vehicle rocketed past them and slowed down to turn. After the clean hairpin turn the repulsors flared, sending the speeder hurtling back towards the main byway. The police vehicle faded out of view as Lindmon took another hard turn, the Zephyr coming into view. The rear ramp has already opened and Reed sat inside the main entry way as the group approached. They pulled in behind the shuttle and Ahsoka waved her hand, beads of sweat forming on her brow as she lifted the Rodian out of his seat and into the back of the ship before jumping in behind him. Lindmon stood in his seat, prepping for his own dismount. He slammed the breaks hard and jumped, the force of the break throwing him into the back of the shuttle where he rolled to a stop unceremoniously against a wall.
Ahsoka took a moment to secure Gripp, tying his hands together with a small cord and placing him in the holo conference room. "Sul! We're all on board, get us out of the system before someone decides to bring starfighters at us!" She shouted to the cockpit urgently.
Giz sat next to Sabine as she lay on the floor in the common area, her head cushioned by some packs and hard plates from the cabinets. "Hey Lieutenant..." She said weakly as Lindmon raised himself up from the wall he had tumbled in to. Giz looked at Lindmon as he struggled to right himself and mouthed the words 'Med-facility'. He identified the urgency in her face, the damage Sabine endured seem to be beyond the realms of the med supplies they had brought with them. Even if they get to the hospital in time, it may take a week or more for recovery.
"Sul where's the nearest system with med tanks?" Lindmon shouted to the cockpit as he stumbled to his feet. The shuttle shifted hard, heading for orbit.
"If we're wanting to maintain her ssstatus Lothal is our best bet! About a day hyperssspace travel!" Sul shouted from the cockpit.
"Nothing closer? At this stage I don't care about the record!" Lindmon shouted, moving to Sabine's side. Her breathing ragged and skin pale.
"There's a medical fleet enroute" Sul responded, the ship breaking atmosphere.
"Get us there, we can worry about the drop once she's in a tank." Lindmon cried out. Reed chirpped several times, plugging himself into a hub.
"Coordinates plugged in, path set, let'ss hope thissss compressor works!" The shuttle shuddered for a moment before the tone for hyperspace sounded and after a moment the Zephyr lurched foreword before settling out. "We're in, eta sssix hours Lieutenant." Sul said from the cockpit.
As soon as they broke into hyperspace, Ahsoka rushed over to Sabine laying on the floor of the shuttle. She kneeled down near Sabine's head and looked at Lindmon. "I'm going to try and induce a healing trance." She said bluntly, "It's more useful on surface wounds and injuries like that, but it may keep her from getting worse for now."
Ahsoka breathed steadily for several minutes, focusing inwards on herself. Willing the force to move through every cell in her body, infusing her body with the warm energy. Lindmon could feel her presence condensing and the force flowing throughout her like a river moving into each limb. Ahsoka touched her fingertips gently to Sabine's temples and she gasped softly in response. The flow of energy pouring through her aching body like a salve. They stayed like that for several minutes until Lindmon realized that they may stay in the trance until they arrived at the medical fleet. Their breathing was slow, exhaling over the course of a few minutes before one of them began to inhale again.
The flight went uneventfully. Shortly after their departure Gripp was tied up and cuffed for extra measure, Reed placed on watch. He came to about forty-five minutes into the flight and continued to shout and bemoan his situation. He was soon there after transferred to the airlock to cut down on the noise. The shuttle hyperspace tone filled the space towards the end of the six hours as the shuttle lurched once more out of hyperspace.
Floating before them was a giant station, surrounded by republic ships. As they approached several X-wings flew out and moved in to escort positions. Lindmon sat in the co-pilot seat and radiod in their landing codes. "This is Lieutenant Lindmon Crest, shuttle T6-373. Requesting immediate medical assistance upon docking for an injured crew member, human female, severe concussion and multiple electrical burns."
"You're cleared to dock Lieutenant, bay 3, medical transport is enroute to meet you." Came the response. As he exited the cockpit and back into the common area Ahsoka and Giz were already transferring her to a gurney. Ahsoka leaned against a wall, visibly exhausted from her hours of focus. She hadn't stopped her healing until just moments prior. Giz stroked Sabine's hair tenderly, the worry passing from her in waves.
The shuttle settled down into the hangar and moments later as the ramp opened two Mon Calamari board and attach several transport nodes to the gurney, lifting Sabine off the floor. The pair exited the shuttle with Giz close on their heels. Ahsoka turned to follow but Lindmon placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Relax for abit, that can't have been easy on you. We won't be staying long, as soon as I have confirmation that she's stable we have to go do this job..."
She turned to him and nodded slowely, rubbing her temples tenderly before shuffling past him and into the crew quarters.
Lindmon walked down the ramp approached the deck operator, A slender Cathar.
"If we can get some supplies, a refresh of rations, the works." The Cathar nodded, motioning to several of his crew to get to work.
Giz followed the Mon Calamari technicians as they wheeled Sabine across the halls of the Republic station. They rushed the gurney into a lift and directed Giz into a separate waiting room, not wanting to contaminate the sterile environment of the bacta chamber. The med chamber was centered around a large glass tube, wide and tall enough to fit almost any size of intelligent creature. Trays of medical probes and monitors filled the room, but it was otherwise bare. The old ways of surgical operations replaced with the unique healing properties of bacta. Surgery still occurred but in rare form and never without the assistance of a droid, only procedures like open fractures, transplants and amputations required intervention.
The bulbous black fish eyes of the Mon Calamari technicians scanned over Sabine's body as they stripped her armor and dumped her weapons into a metal bin. Some patches of her under-suit peeled away sections of skin, the high temperature ion burst had melted the fabric. The thick purpling of most of her torso and right shoulder showed the trauma of her thirty foot drop after being blasted out of the sky. A medical droid swooped over as she lay on the table groaning, it's long spindly arms sweeping health scanners across her body.
From the viewing room Giz could see a thick blueish colored Mon Calamari step into the room. A white and tan vest pulled around his large stomach. "What's the injury report?" The Mon Cal asked the room.
"Doctor Lokbil." The medical droid replied. "The patient seems to have undergone severe trauma, a concussion and several minor bone fractures." The droid explained.
Dr. Lokbil looked over at the screen as the medical droid's data scrolled across. The bone structure readings seemed to be more dense than an average human females. He walked over to the bin and kicked it, shifting its contents around. "Increase the kavam dosage to sixty three percent, and induce the patient with a head injury apparatus for the concussion." He stepped away, allowing the droid to flawlessly execute the insertion of a long rubber tube into Sabine's nose and mouth. She should be able to handle a more extreme dosage, he thought as he stepped out of the room, letting the technicians and medical droid take control of the bacta mixture of the tank. He waited for a few minutes in the prep room, removing his gloves and drinking several long gulps of water. Dr. Lokbil continued to the patient's viewing room just as the viscous fluid of the bacta finished filling the tank around the patient.
A medical droid stepped into the viewing area with a small data pad. He handed it to Giz who didn't take her eyes off Sabine. "Initial findings for your records ma'am."
Giz held the datapad and stood there for several minutes before Lindmon's voice came over her comms.
"Giz, we are stocked and ready to move."
"She's in the tank, I have the record...we have to be back before she wakes up..."
"We will do our best, this should be quick and simple. We've already sent Teroch the data for the drop point, he's going to meet us in a system near Lothal. Return to the ship Giz, we will be back soon."
She looked into the chamber again, placing her hand on the glass. "On my way sir..." she turned and exited the room, passing through the long hallways back to the hangar.
The Saqorian Zephyr arrived at a small system of planets near the Lothal sector. Lindmon and his crew, minus Sabine, arrived above a small blue planet. Teroch instructed that they would be meeting aboard the Blood Raptor's cruiser for the drop off. The trip took over fifteen agonizing hours, during hyperspace the crew kept mostly silent. Ahsoka rested the entire trip, inducing a healing trance was very taxing on the body and even more so to transfer the effect to another person in distress.
"We've got a ship coming out of hyperssspace now sir." Sulahaan said to Lindmon. Just a moment later a large Interceptor-class frigate jumped into the area above the Zephyr. The heavily armored capital ship had been retrofitted with additional turbo-laser emplacements to compliment its hefty load of proton torpedo launchers. "Ship identifiesss as the Blood Raptor's Vanguard, this is our drop off."
"Hail them, let's get this done." Lindmon sighed, as the connection with the bridge of the interceptor went through. A gruff Trandoshan answered, the image of him raising in the center of the table. The huge reptilian was missing an eye, half his face carved vertically from the jaw. He growled as the image of Lindmon came up on his end.
"You're the ones that have our man?" The Trandoshan asked through the holotable. "Hurry up and dock, Kad has been waiting for this prize too long."
Sulahaan shifted the Zephyr in line with the Vanguard, a large docking port connecting with the side of the shuttle. It's airlocks hissed as the seal magnetized shut. The side port of the Zephyr slid open revealing the interior of the Vanguard, it's surfaces charred and rusted from age. Waiting by the door was a large and muscular Mandalorian. His armor distinct and battle scarred, colored deep green and lined with faded copper.
Lindmon met the Mandalorian at the hatch, Sulahaan beside him holding tight to the small Rodian, now trembeling in the Prime's large clawed hand. "Found something you were looking for." Lindmon said, motioning to Sul who shoved the Rodian towards the armored man.
The Mandalorian grabbed Gripp roughly, pushing him up against the bulkhead of the ship. He grabbed a small device and pressed it against the Rodian's finger. After a small blood sample was taken a green light flashed and a small confirmation beep chimed. "This is him alright, thanks for retrieving him. It pained me to hear that ad'ika was injured trying to get him." Old Teroch said genuinely. He turned the Rodian and shoved him into the waiting arms of a few Blood Raptor mercenaries.
Gripp struggled in their grasp, shouting at the faces of his new captors, "Kark uba kung! Dobra tee heceseh bai chateua!"
A different man in Mandalorian armor approached from the side, Kad Skyl, one of the senior operators of the Blood Raptors. He strode towards Gripp, his armor was an intimidating mix of red and black. The long red striping that cut through the black armor plates, similar to blood dripping from a carved beast.
"No...no you aren't going to die. Not soon at least." He said menacingly, Kal flicked out his knife from its sheath and dragged it across the Rodian's face. "You see, the Vanguard has a pretty sustainable bacta chamber here. So first I'm gonna beat you, until your little black eyes feel like they're about to pop. Then I'll get you all healed up, it might take a few days, a week at the most." Kal gripped the Rodian's shoulder hard, his fingers digging into the soft muscle. "Then I'm going to cut you, nice long cuts down your arms, your legs, everywhere. And again I'll make it all go away. And again. And again. And again." He repeated his voice rising in anger with each sentence until he was shouting, overcome with rage. "The only way you're going to die is when you choke on your own suffering!"
Old Teroch pulled out a small data chip from his pouch and handed it to Lindmon. He felt cold as he accepted it, painfully aware of the suffering he imparted on another creature. "Normally there'd be money for a job like this, but this was what we agreed upon for the contract." Teroch said to Lindmon. "When she wakes up tell her to come have a drink with Old Teroch again sometime."
(Huttese translations)
"Are you the one with the goods?"
"If you have my coin I am."
"Gordo said we were meeting up with a Cathar, I didn't believe him at first but here you are, and pretty too"
"I have the credits of you have the goods"
"All four, ready for you to take. Once I'm payed that is."
"Looks like your friend isn't very lucky today."
"A Mandalorian and a thief? Times must be hard for you."
"What in the, hey! What is this?"
"I am being hunted! Send the pay police to help me!"
"Fuck you skum! I am not afraid to die!"