"This is from Cato Nemodia, we had just finished bringing an artist's entire collection to this rich snob there, and the sight of their cities…. I had a few hours to kill and the light was just right." Ulic-Nox was sitting next to Ahsoka on her starfighter showing her his sketchpad, she was looking at a drawing of a city suspended on a bridge between two large stone mountains. The drawing was made mostly in pin, with almost every detail captured from the point of view from the artist, Ulic. He had sketched the city's shadows from the sun with clouds shaded just right they blended in so well.
Ahsoka looked at the drawing and then at Ulic "These are really good." She said turning the page, the next drawing of both Ladon and Teeseven playing holochess. Together, there was some writing in the corner "Twenty second round of the Ladon v T7 holochess tournament, Ladon zero T7 twenty two?" Ahsoka said reading the note.
"Seems pointless to duel a droid?" Ahsoka asked Ulic-Nox, the blonde crossed his arms tilting his head back and forth a few times "Pointless to duel a trandoshan considering they can bite your head off."
Her attention went back to the drawing she turned it over to show a herd of Reeks, they were grazing on a grass field there three horned heads in the grass, there was even a calf five times smaller than the bull it was next to. There were clouds in the distance showing plateaus of sunshine. The page next to droids of different types. She turned the next two pages, both fully drawn to a scenic backdrop of a great forest, towering wroshyr tree poked out of the woods but the outline of the pages was vines and branches.
"Is this Kashyyyk?" She asked him, he nodded "Had to climb this crazy big tree, when I got to the top I-" "You climbed a wroshyr tree?" Ahsoka asked him.
He looked at her a blinked "... yeah, anyway when I got to the top there was this big bird- not big loca stoopa echuta massive ike bigger than
your gunships."
"Is there a drawing of it?" Ahsoka asked him "No it tried to eat, then it picked me up flew me over the forest in its talons before it dropped me." Ulic-Nox sighed shaking his head at the memory.
Ahsoka gave him a doubtful look before asking "Did you die?"
"Yes- but I lived." UIlic-Nox replied she turned the next page and it got her attention, there was a drawing of three people, a man and a woman with a little boy in front of them, and a baby held in the woman's arms. The man had thick locks of hair with a mustache wearing deep shaded garments of Republic fashion, with baggy sleeves. The woman next to him had both sides of her hair shaved, wearing a sleeveless tunic, she had thick muscular arms with bracelets around her wrists, the little boy had hair like the man but a face like the woman. Ahsoka looked over at Macross seeing the similarity. He was working on a loose valve that was steaming trying to tighten the bolt when it popped off with a loud ping.
"Look out!" Macross yelled as the bolt bounced off the floor of the hanger and underbelly of the Nightingale like a bullet before it zipped all the way toward the two kids sitting together. Without looking Ulic-Nox held up his gloved hand and caught it, he hadn't even noticed it until the pain of catching the stray metal bolt traveled into his hand and up his arm.
He dropped it waving his hand back and forth "Ow, that stings." he mumbled before he noticed Ahsoka was on the portrait page but was oblivious to her staring of his heightened reflex.
Ulic-Nox noticed her gaze a second later "Macross before that stupid beard." Ulic-Nox told her, he and Beatnik were still working on the ship and almost looked done as a group of clone troopers brought them another crate. Across from them Captain Rex had returned to the hanger his helmet on as other clones walking into the hanger.
"And these are… your parents?" She asked looking at them, she dragged her finger across them.
The boy reached for the book slowly "Yeah, the datafile that had there pictures was damaged beyond repair, so before the battery died I drew this, so I don't forget. Must sound stupid to a jeedai cheekai like you, kid drawing his mom and dad."
He closed the book and robbed the leather his eyes wandering over to her lightsaber. Ahsoka saw him looking at it and took it off her belt and offered it to him "Here."
"Grab him!" a set of clone gauntlets grabbed Ulic-Nox from behind pulling him off the crate "What are you doing, let him go." Ahsoka snapped. When Ladon saw the boy get grabbed the trandoshan opened its jaws and roared charging right at the clones. Rex came running up blasters drawn "Nobody move your all under arrest." he said shooting a stun blast at Ladon making him fall to his knees Hestia and Buur shot up from their spot and before the advoze could draw his two blasters they were surrounded by clones, Beatnik and Macross also found themselves looking down the sights of clone blasters.
Ahsoka looked at the clones in shock "Rex what is going on."
"Sorry for the sudden surprise Commander, but General Skywalker discovered they were smuggling weapons and all have bounties on there head." Rex said pointing his blaster at Ulic-Nox who was looking up at Ahsoka in terror.
Later, all six of them were in the cruisers brig all sharing separate cells, Ahsoka was with Rex standing outside Ulic-Nox's cell he was sitting alone on a bench hands clasped rubbing them. The elevator lift opened and out walked Anakin with artoo behind him at his heels when he walked into the brig.
"Good work Rex did they offer any resistance?" Anakin asked her.
"No sir, we secured their weapons and are examining the weapons about the ship as we speak." Captain Rex told him.
"Good work Captain, Obi-Wan will be joining us for the interrogation when our fleets join together." Anakin said before he turned his attention to Ahsoka, "Ahsoka good work keeping that boy distracted."
Ahsoka looked back into the cell at Ulic-Nox who looked back at her then looked away at the floor "I don't see why, he doesn't seem that dangerous."
Anakin looked into the cell "Looks can be deceiving Ahsoka, they all have bounties on their heads him especially."
"For what drawing?" She asked.
"Drawing?" Anakin asked "Nothing he showed me some book he has." Ahsoka said dismissing it, Anakin put his hands behind his back and started to walk down the brig hallway looking at each of their prisoners. She followed him taking a similar posture.
"Despite mostly fighting droids Snips, it's the duty of jedi to make sure criminals like these don't get off free, who knows what kind of damage they'd unleash if they delivered those weapons." Anakin said when he heard somebody chuckling.
The two Jedi looked over at the smugglers cell to see Macross up against the door "You find something funny smuggler?"
"I do Jeedai, man can't make an honest living in this galaxy?" Macross asked him.
"You're smuggling weapons, I hardly call that honest." Anakin told him.
Macross shook his head "Its called fair trade you echuta, I wouldn't expect a Jedi like you to understand that Skywalker."
"You know me? I guess my reputation precedes me" Anakin smiled and asked Macross walking up to the laser wall, Macross leaned up closer onto the cell doorway looking up at him "Sure, the slave who won his freedom became a Jedi Knight way beyond the appropriate age… and turned his back on his own people, CHUBA DOOMPA, DOPA-MASKEY KUNG!" Macross shouted hurling a huttese insult into Anakin's face.
Ahsoka's eyes got wide hearing the insult and looking to see how her master would react, but he held his temper "The force doesn't see people it sees everything and I see smuggler trying to justify breaking the law."
"And I see a republic lap dog who leads an army of slaves." Macross said turning around and sitting back down.
The jedi walked away from his cell his apprentice following him "Master are you okay?"
"Master?" Ahsoka asked again when he didn't answer "I'm fine." He said as she saw his leather gloves squeezed tight under his grip. They walked into the elevator and when it shut the door Ahsoka decided to press the issue.
"What did he mean by turning our backs?" She asked.
Anakin took a deep breath "The Separatists may use a droid army Ahsoka, but there are people who support the movement they aren't fight like we are so they don't know how cruel the droids and Dooku's thugs can be."
"So do you think these people are separatist sympathizers?" She asked.
"Maybe, how that Macross spoke it makes me think so we'll know more when Obi-Wan arrives." Anakin said.
Ahsoka could sense the unease in her master's voice "We should check out the droids data banks it may have clues to who hired them?"
"Droid, Rex didn't report a droid." Anakin said looking at her quickly
Anakin held up his wrist communicator "Captain Rex be on the lookout for a droid, we think it slipped away when you made the arrests."
Captain Rex was walking through the hallways with some of his men as he heard Anakin's orders heh ears the sound of wheels behind him and looked over to see Teeseven freeze when he and it made eye contact "Copy that sit would it be an Astro droid, older model with yellow markings?"
"That's it." Ahsoka said on the other end.
"I see it- hey you stop!" Rex yelled at Teeseven who scurried off in the other direction, Anakin bought the elevator to a stop on the same floor. They saw Teeseven speeding down another hallway when they left the lift and chased it.
"After it!" Anakin ordered, they sprinted up next to Rex.
The Jedi and clone chased the droids round a corner, they ran after it and froze when they saw Teeseven had stopped it had frozen in place looking right up at Obi-Wan Kenobi, recently arrived. Teeseven was looking up at his face, the droid appeared to be thinking its lights flashing on and off. "I see you all have been busy?" Obi-Wan said kneeling down in front of the droid "A T7 model, these haven't been used since the days of the old Republic?"
Teeseven beeped at Obi-Wan "Ven? I'm afraid you've confused me with another."
"Rex get a restraining bolt on this droid and take it to the brig." Anakin ordered walking up to his old mentor "This is one of the smugglers droid, we've arrested all of them and are overlooking their contraband."
Obi-Wan put his hands behind his back "Then let's begin this interrogation if the amount of ordinance is as you say we need to know who or what for, Ahsoka can you handle the droid?" Anakin asked.
"Sure thing, Teeseven do you want to go see Ulic-Nox?" She asked the droid, Teeseven turned its head around looking at her beeping.
"No not Ashara, Ahsoka." She said as she led it away back to the brig.
Obi-Wan scratched his beard hearing it call her by another name too "Strange, I've never known a droid to confuse sentients before?" He said curious next to Anakin "We'll interrogate them one at a time, let's start with the Captain."
Later, both Anakin and Obi-Wan were standing in the interrogation room in the brig, both of Macross's hands were in cuffs in front of them. Anakin was standing to the side as Obi-Wan sat down across from him.
"Where were the weapons going?" Obi-Wan asked him.
Macross looked at him blank faced then at Anakin "None of your business jedi."
"Then why were you smuggling them?" Obi-Wan asked "Because someone paid me to."
"With how you spoke to my friend before you met me, I sense that's a lie." Obi-Wan said back to him.
Macross glared at Anakin "I'm just a simple man trying to make his way in the universe." Macross said as he leaned back in his seat.
"Your crew has a strange history Captain, a bounty hunter returned from the dead, drop out doctor, possible the first jawa to be a mechanic instead of a salvager, a droid older than all of us put together, a mercenary with a record longer then our ship and a boy…." Obi-Wan said taking out Ulic-Nox's sketch book and started to turn through its pages.
Macross tensed up when he heard the word 'boy' "Who has the largest bounty in recent years, but no crimes or record to speak off you can see how this has captured our curiosity my friend." Obi-Wan said still turning through the drawings he stopped at the portrait of their family but moved on a few more. Then Obi-Wan froze at what he saw, it was a drawing of a Star compass, it was engraved with astromeridian etch lines, there was an open one to on the page showing the innards of the bezel design. Anakin walked over to see what had shaken Obi-Wan so much, When Anakin saw it he looked up at Macross his eyes like daggers.
"Explain this?" Anakin asked taking the book and throwing it on the table in front of Macross, he looked at it his face like stone but behind his vacant gaze the jedi could see worry.
"Kid draws a lot." Anakin looked at the compass and saw that there was a string attached to the drawing and then looked up at Macross's neck seeing the string. Pacing around the table he grabbed Macross who swore at him in huttese before Anakin pulled out the medallion around his neck to reveal the actual star compass made of solid gold.
He tore it off his neck "Talk, how did you get this compass what jedi did you steal this from?" Anakin demanded.
Macross had his head bowed and looking up in a glare "Didn't steal it from anyone and you have no right to take it jeedai."
"Liar." Anakin said retreating back "Bolla tah hell Jeedai, you come out here into our space like you own it, you Republic dogs think you own everything that compass and that book belongs to us and so does everything on my ship." Macross said up to him.
"Tell us where you were taking it, who hired you?" Obi-Wan asked again, Macross spat at the floor and said no more. Anakin and Obi-Wan gave each other looks before Anakin sighed "This is getting us nowhere, let's bring in the other crew."
After Macross was returned to their cell, Ladon was sitting across from the jedi "Where were you taking the weapons." Ladon said nothing he only looked at the desk in front of him.
His silence made Obi-Wan take out a datapad from the table, he pulled up a holographic image of a younger Ladon he was wearing a red hunters suit with fur on his collar holding a blaster rifle "Ladon the Lethal they called you, you were one of the most sought after Bounty Hunters in the galaxy, then you died yet here you are?" Obi-Wan asked him.
Ladon said nothing "You already have a record your faked death won't expunge them." Anakin said leaning on the wall arms crossed.
The trandoshan was still silent "Answer us trando?" Anakin asked again but still Ladon said nothing.
Obi-Wan looked over his shoulder at Anakin and shook his head "Bring in the woman."
After Ladon was taken out Hestia, was brought in "Where are you taking the weapons?"
Hestia didn't say anything either, she was quiet like a mouse looking at Obi-Wan, this made him raise an eyebrow as Anakin waited for him to speak "Do you know how long you go away for smuggling a payload this large?" Anakin asked her.
Her only answer was silence, "Bring in the advoze unless you speak Jawa Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked him, "No." Anakin said as he grabbed Hestia by the shoulder and pulled her to her feet she pulled away and walked herself out of the cell.
"Very odd for Smugglers to be so tight lip, honor amongst thieves?" Anakin
said as they watched her walk out being led by two clones back to the cell.
Obi-Wan was looking at the drawings in Ulic-Nox's book "Perhaps, but I sense more is at work here each we know their Captain is no friend to the Republic."
"Or jedi." Anakin added seeing her be put back in the cell "Perhaps this mercenary you've told me about will be easier to coherence with some compensation."
Outside the interrogation room, Ahsoka walked up to the cells as they took Buur out from the cell leading him down to Anakin and Obi-Wan. She watched them shove the hulking advoze into the interrogation cell and sat down across from Obi-Wan, "Ahsoka?"
She looked into the cell that belonged to Ulic-Nox to see the frightened boys face "Teeseven, where is he?"
The Padawan looked at the interrogation room to see both Masters preoccupied with Buurs interrogation to notice her "We've secured your droid, we're going to start scanning its memory banks." Ulic's tan face went white as a clone trooper armor he started to shake his head.
"Bad idea, bad da sa really bad idea." He said shaking his head "Teesevens memory bank is damaged, corrupted it's why he gets confused when he meets people you plug him into your ship your going to hurt him even more?" Ulic-Nox said his voice trembling. "It's a droid it can't feel pain?" She said shaking her head and trying to give him a comforting smile but he just backed away into his cell. Ahsoka walked away back towards the brig entrance leaving the crew alone, inside it the crew of the Nightingale were sitting in silence.
"Why are they doing this Macross?" Ulic-Nox asked sitting next to him.
Ladon and Hestia met his concerned gaze "Because the Jedi and the Republic forgot they are." Marcross said putting his hand on his shoulder.
"The Republic was- is supposed to be a symbol of freedom and justice in the galaxy, that the Jedi are peacekeepers who fight to defend life not take it or enslave it to do the same, there lost. They care more about profit about the rich and powerful keeping those things while we suffer out here." Macross said leaning back on the cell wall.
"And one day, somebody will make stand, somebody will say no more but before they can we have to be strong, you have to be strong." Macross told him squeezing his shoulder.
"Strong, why would I need to be-?" "Ulic you need to listen to me, you may need to do your thing." Macross told him pulling him close.
The boy's eyes filled with terror, he got up backing away from his brother "Nope, no way the last time I did that we…. you don't know what your asking!"
Macross got up about to talk him down "I do, I know it scares you but that Padawan said there going to plug into Teeseven, you remember when those Black Sun koochoos?"
The boy paced back and forth to the cell "That was different, you guys almost died I had to… I had to do something, but these are Jedi, big brother. The ones mom and dad told us we could always trust." Ulic-Nox said trying to reason with Macross, Macross stood up hands on his hips.
"Those aren't the same Jedi from the stories, these are Generals in the Republic Army, that little Padawan cheeka you were acting all sweet with is a trained killer." Macross hissed.
"So is Ladon and he makes us cookies." Ulic-Nox retorted pointing to Ladon who was hunched over in his seat, he held up his claws "I don't want any part of thisss."
Hestia crossed both her arms and legs "Ugh, can you two not have a philosophical argument while we're locked in a Republic brig."
"Oh I'm sorry is me being the only one with a plan ruining your prison sentence Doc?" Macross spun around asking her with a hand up, Hestia was about to say something back but Macross interrupted her "It's not, good, now shut up- Ulic we need to get the shipment to the drop off its beyond important."
Back in the interrogation room both Anakin and Obi-Wan were left with more questions than answers "So this Buur character is just hired muscle, only knows they were carrying weapons 'nothing out of the ordinary' smugglers I hate them." Anakin said pacing in the cell. Obi-Wan had been examining the drawing of Macross and Ulic-Nox's parents at some length.
"I think this boy will be more forthcoming, do you sense it?" Obi-Wan asked him.
"Sensed wha-..." Anakin asked when he felt Ulic-Nox coming toward them "... I do." Ulic-Nox was brought into the interrogation room both Jedi's eyes on him as he sat down.
Obi-Wan got up from his seat holding the drawing book "Young man I believe this is yours, fine work." Obi-Wan said handing him the book. Ulic took it "Th-thank you master jeedai- I mean jedi." He said correcting himself.
"Now I know this may come as a difficult request, but you need to tell us who hired your brothers crew and where you were taking the weapons?"
Ulic-Nox's face went blank, his right brow raised over his left and he opened his mouth with "Weapons?"
Elsewhere in the ship, inside communications relay station, Teeseven was forced to wear a restraining bolt on its head just aside its oculus lense. It was clamped down on a table with Captain Rex and some clones around it, one of them was holding a cord to plug into the droid but was having trouble when Ahsoka walked in. "Rex how's the information extraction coming?" she asked.
"Well…?" Rex said back to her, she noticed the clones were looking around the droid and all its ports "This droids so old all its ports are outdated, none of our equipment can download any of his data." the clone with the plug said dropping it.
Ahsoka walked up to the droid "Teeseven, how can we access your memory bank?" she asked.
The droid cocked its head before it asked her something "What it say?" Rex asked her.
Ahsoka rolled her eyes "Well it called me by somebody named Ashara again and wants to know why I haven't taken it to Ulic-Nox yet?"
"The boy?" Rex asked her.
"Yep, I'll let you go back to Ulic once you let us see your memory deal?" she asked the droid holding out her hand.
Rex leaned in by her lekku "Commander what are you doing?" Rex asked.
"This droids so old we need to negotiate with it." Ahsoka said before Teeseven extended it frontal arm and shook her hand beeping.
"Right… but it's still Ahsoka." she said before Teeseven opposed its other compartment an extended its own plug in which was a modern R7 units one, it jacked into the tables system.
Over next to the monitor the other clones were at "Data transfer beginning."
"Hmm guess there was nothing to worry about?" Ahsoka said as the droids system started to sync in with the ship's computer.
"Worry about what Commander?" Rex asked her.
Hands on her hips she shrugged "That boy said his memory bank was corrupted must have been lying to save his own skin."
Just then Teesevens lights went dark, followed by the entire room going out "What the-" Teesevens main oculus came on and the droid let out an astrodroid yell when all the lights came back on flashing, the computers started to burst and explode around them. Rex grabbed Ahsoka and pulled her close shielding her with his armor "Take cover."
"What's it doing?" Ahsoka asked crawling under the table with the clone captain. The clone by the monitor looked at the screen and saws the ships files being opened one after another "Its stealing all ships files-"
The monitor in front of the clone exploded by the walls and ceiling starting to erupt, this was going on everywhere across the ship even in the bridge where the Admiral and his staff were trying to figure out why ever light and bulb in the bridge was either blinking, off or exploding. The holographic table was also short circuiting between images of the message that Anakin and the Admiral had gotten from the Chancellor and Jedi Council, to a twi'lek dancing girl, cantina music and even images of Jedi and Republic troopers of old. All the way down in the brig the parts on the control console were erupting in small explosions with flashing lights.
"What's Going on?" Obi-Wan asked standing up, Ulic-Nox held his hands up from the desk.
"Uh oh." Ulic-Nox said looking at Anakin when all the laser doors on the cells opened up. The jedi looked out into the brig and heard two people yelling both Ladon and Buur came charging out of their cell toward the clone troops still stunned from the small explosions charging them. Ladon through the first clone into the wall and Buur grabbed the second snapping his neck before they picked up their blasters. Anakin and Obi-Wan unsheathed their lightsabers and ran out of the cell toward Macross and Hestia as they came out of the cell.
"NO!" Ulic-Nox screamed holding up his hands.
The jedi froze, literally both Anakin and Obi-Wan along with their lightsabers were frozen in place just outside the interrogation room. Ladon received the brigs warden of his restraints key and unlocked each of their cuffs, when they hit the floor Macross smiled holding his cuffs.
"Buur get our gear." He ordered "Sure thing." Buur grumbled walking out of the hallway to the evidence locker.
Macross meanwhile walked up to Anakin and Obi-Wan smiling as Ulic-Nox came out looking at his hand rubbing it.
"I believe this is mine." Macross said taking out the star compass from Anakins robes. Beatnik ran up to Obi-Wan and Anakin and kicked both men in the shins making them wince in pain but still unable to move "You'll never… hnnn escape." Obi-Wan stammered in his frozen spot.
Anakin and Obi-Wan were still frozen, each of the Jedi tried to struggle out of the trance but they couldn't move and inch "What-rrr did you—- do to us?" Anakin asked.
Macross didn't answer he only snickered as Buur came up behind them handing everyone their blaster belts. "A taste of your own medicine Republic stooge, made you feel helpless, trapped you like a wild animal..." When Macross got his blaster he took it out of the holster without putting his belt on pointing it toward Anakin "Waiting to be slaughtered."
"Big Brother." Ulic-Nox jumped in between him and Anakin.
"Get out of the way Ulic." Macross ordered, the older boys brown eyes burned with a bloody rage.
Ulic-Nox didn't move "We don't need to kill them!" Macross gritted his teeth eyes going from Anakin to Ulic-Nox, thinking on the question to or not to pull the trigger.
Buur rolled his dark black eyes "Move it brat." Buur reached for Ulic-Nox but Macross turned his sights on the mercenary "You touch him you die."
The merc held up each hand slowly and backed off growling out "...Sure thing boss."
Macross gazed back at Ulic-Nox "How long will they stay like this?" Macross asked, Ulic-Nox looked at Obi-Wan who was looking up his frozen shivering body trying to break free "I- I don't know, come on lets just go get Teeseven and get out of here."
Macross glared at the Jedi "We spared you jedi, he spared you remember that." He said before he turned around "Get any weapons we can find, Hestia, Buur, Beatnik go get the Nightingale ready, Ladon- Ulic with me." Macross told them as they walked away. Beatnik was handed Buurs clone blaster when he had both of his hand cannons, Ulic-Nox was about to follow them when he heard Obi-Wan.
"Wait!" Obi-Wan cried out, Ulic-Nox froze "Who- who taught you?"
Ulic turned around slowly "What?"
"Little brother come on." Macross yelled from the elevator that Ladon was forcefully opening, next to him Beatnik was rewiring the controls to work as the systems were still going haywire.
The boy faced the jedi clutching his book tight, "Taught me?"
"Don't- be coi-coi, you've been— trained." Anakin hissed.
Ulic-Nox just stared at them before he ran away back to the safety of his crew.
Anakin and Obi-Wan continued to struggle in the force induced freeze "Any bright ideas Anakin?"
"Whats with the- sarcasm master…?" Anakin asked him.
"You-you're the one who— arrested them?" Obi-Wan sassed back.
The rest of the ship was in no better shape, more then half the bridge panels had blown fuses and entire keyboards onto the floor, a quarter of the lights were out and the ship was starting to drift around the rest of the fleet. "What hit us?" Admiral Yuralen asked his nearest clone.
One of them with a scar on the right side of is head looked at him baffled "We're not sure Admiral, every system went down there only just now coming back online."
"Contact the rest of the fleet and get General Skywalker up here immediently, we need to know what's going on."
Down below them in the communications system where the epicenter of the attack had happened, the room was filled with smoke and darkness. Rex and Ahsoka came out from under the table "Guess that kid wasn't lying?" Rex said seeing the entire system had been totaled.
"Rex!" Ahsoka said loudly when she saw Teeseven was gone, "Little tiny bolted." Rex hissed when he picked up the restraining bolt that had been Teeseven off the floor.
Ahsoka raised her comlink "Master the smugglers droid it, it released some virus on the system what's your status?"
No answer came back for at least a minute "Master, Master Kenobi do you read?" Ahsoka asked unaware that both men were still frozen in places hearing her but unable to respond.
"Rex, I'm going down to the brig to make sure their okay get your men and find that droid." Ahsoka ordered him not wanting to waste any time, Rex nodded under his helmet visor "Yes commander."
The smugglers on the other hand had a head start, inside the hanger some clones were recovering from the surge just as the door opened, Buur and Beatnik burst through the doors with blasters ready shooting at any clones near them, Hestia brought up the rear holding a clone blaster covering their flanks she shot the door as it closed behind them "Beatnik did you and the Captain fix the engines?" She asked walking up to the ship.
Beatnik replied in jawa at her "Oh thats right… I DON'T UNDERSTAND JAWA!" She screamed at him.
Beatnik jumped out of is hat at her before it leaned forward holding a thumbs up "Ooooo kkkaaaay." It tried to say in basic
"Good enough, Buur get on the guns on the port, Beatnik take starboard." Hestia ordered him, Buur smiled a toothy grin with gold teeth "Finally I get to shoot something."
Elsewhere aboard the cruiser, Macross and Ladon were running forward through the hallways of the ship, Ulic-Nox was behind them looking left and right in terror before Macross grabbed Ulic and slammed him against the wall with Ladon and himself. "Shhh clones dead ahead." Macross said in a hushed voice trying to keep themselves hidden against the wall.
Ulic watched the clones rushing forward past the three of them "We got to get out of here fast, we get pinned down we're dead." Ladon told them checking down the other hallway to see a patrol of clones heading another way.
"Don't shoot unless they shoot first, once we find Teeseven we'll send a distress signal."
"A distress signal to who?" Ulic-Nox asked.
Macross sighed "Anyone who will listen."
The continued on after the coast was clear, running forward before taking a left and a right when out of nowhere Teeseven flew down a hallway tackling Ulic-Nox into the floor beeping happily. Ulic pushed him off the wind knocked out of him coughing "I- cough- cough missed you to partner." Ulic said rubbing the droids head.
"Enough time for reunions later, Teeseven open a system wide channel for broadcast."
"System wide, Macross we don't have time." Ladon said to him keeping an eye on the corridors.
"We don't…" Macross said in agreement, a small satellite popped out of teesevens head and started to rotate before it pinged for a clear signal, a red light next to Teesevens head came on showing it was recording.
Macross took a deep breath "To anyone who gets this message, I am Macross Shan, Captain of the Nightingale we were enroute on a routine shipment when our ship unknowingly flew into a battle with the Republic and Confedarcy. We had no intention of getting involved in the war but we were transporting weapons to local farmers in the outer rim who just wanted to defend their farms." Macross said, his broadcast was going out not just through the system but up to the bridge where Admiral Yuralen and his clones saw it.
"How are they broadcasting this, find out how?" The Admiral barked as Macross went on.
"We were detained for just trying to make some money and help some people too, but the Republic doesn't want anyone to have a blaster or weapons except them its how they make the rules how its always been. Right now we're trying to escape but if we don't I'm sending this message to set the record straight… for to long the Republic and Core worlds have dictated the destiny of the galaxy and the Outer Rims especially, now I don't know if the Confedarcy is any better but this war is going nowhere and people like us are suffering." Macross said into the camera.
Ulic-Nox and Ladon were looking down both hallways "Hurry up Macross." Ladon whispered to him.
"We are not criminals, we just want to be free to live our lives the Republic will say we're smugglers or terrorists for what we're trying to do, I leave that up to you the people to decide… thank you." Macross held up his blaster and dragged it across the air in front of his neck to signal Teeseven to cut the broadcast.
Ulic-Nox starred up at his brother rising slowly "Weapons, wer'e smuggling weapons?" Ulic-Nox asked him.
Macross didn't say anything "I didn't want you to be involved."
"Weapons, gaggalak mursto, you promised we'd stay out of this you said the war was stupid." Ulic almost screamed at his brother "It is stupid but we had to pick a side." Macross said back to him.
"A side, a side, whose side your wallets?" Ulic-Nox accused pointing a finger at him.
"It's not that sssimple." Ladon told him with a forked tongue, Ulic-Nox gapped at the trandoshan "Ladon you knew about this?" The boy asked.
Macross grabbed his little brother by the arm dragging him forward "We can talk about this later, but once we're out of here."
Ulic pushed him off walking on his own "Come on Teeseven."
Inside the hanger the rest of the crew was in a tight spot, the Nightingale's shields were up keeping them safe from clone blaster fire as Burr and Beatnik fended off the clones that surrounded them. Every time one squad or group would try to flank them from the engines, Hestia fired the engines to push them back behind safe cover.
"Hurry up Macross." Hestia said to herself in the captain's chair seeing the clones were starting to set up an E-Web turret.
Down in the brig, Ahsoka had managed to get out of the elevator shaft carving an opening out of the door. When she saw Obi-Wan and Anakin frozen she rushed toward them "Master what, what happened?" she asked confused.
"Th-the boy he fore us." Anakin tried to say "Li-like nothing I've- ever seen." Obi-Wan added, Ahsoka looked back in the interrogation room to see Ulic had left behind his sketchbook.
"Can you get us out of here…. snips?" Anakin asked her, she snapped back to attention trying to think "I-I'll try."
Ahsoka held up both her hands to each jedi and focused on them, she reached into the force at both Jedi and-
She collapsed onto the floor and when she looked up she saw both her Master and his Master were gone, she was on them bridge of a ship she didn't recognize. Starfighters and cruisers of models she couldn't even begin to identify were locked in epic combat outside the glass of the bridge, but in front of her she knew exactly what she saw. A group of black clad Sith warriors al holding red lightsabers she reached for own lightsaber to react when out from behind his ear sprung five jedi all wielding different colored lightsabers rush past her, two were blue, one green one purple and one yellow held by a woman in orange and brown robes.
The jedi engaged the Sith warriors at the end of the bridge fighting with grace and fury engaging them quickly. Ahsoka watched the woman with the yellow lightsaber flip over one Sith cutting him down before she engaged another who was guarding the last Sith who watched arms crossed behind them. She couldn't get a good look at his face, he appeared more shadow them man. That's when she new this was no mere Sith, this was a Sith Lord as he watched the woman with the yellow lightsaber activate the other end of it showing it to be double bladed and cut down her opposition.
Each other jedi finished off their own opponents and surrounded the Sith Lord he reached to his belt and Ahsoka saw him pull out a blade of fire twirling around ready for combat.
The jedi woman raised her hand pointing at him and said "You cannot win-"
"Ahsoka?"
She awoke to see the face of her Master looking at her, she had collapsed onto the floor back on the brig of their cruiser "Master, what where are the other jedi where's the Sith Lord?"
"Sith Lord?" Obi-Wan asked shocked.
Anakin helped her to her feet "On your feet Padawan, we need to catch those smugglers."
"Rex what's your status?" Anakin asked him.
Rex was on another level running after the escaped prisoners reunited with Teeseven "We're in pursuit of the prisoners, there heading to the hanger." Rex said with a squad of clones behind them shooting after the smugglers.
"Head down, head down!" Macross told Ulic Nox who had both hands over his head as he ran, Macross and Ladon fired over him and Teeseven back at the clones.
"Don't let them get to their ship, we'll try to cut them off." Anakin said walking toward the elevator. Ahsoka was still dazed from her vision rubbing her head "Ahsoka we'll need to talk later about this vision of yours." Obi-Wan said
Just then the Admiral rang "General Skywalker where in blazes have you been?" he said harshly out of Anakin's comlink.
"Long story Admiral, the smugglers-" "Are trying to escape we know one of them sent out a distress signal and it was heard." the Admiral said, Anakin stopped in his tracks and gave Obi-Wan a look of dread.
"Heard by who?" Anakin asked just as three Separatist dreadnoughts dropped out of hyperspace heading straight for them, "Oh just the usual, how are our systems coming along?" Admiral Yuralen asked the scar faced clone trooper.
"Systems are online Admiral."
Anakin groaned as he got into the elevator "It's never easy is it." Obi-Wan sighed when the doors closed around the three jedi.
"Admiral once we deal with the smugglers we'll join you in the battle." Anakin replied in his comlink.
"Understood General, happy hunting." Yuralen said while the fleet began to engage the new Separatist fleet.
Back with the fleeing smugglers, they started to feel the ship getting rocked by cannon fire from the enemy dreadnoughts. "What was that?" Ulic asked his brother almost losing his balance.
"Looks like the separatists heard us, probably want to avenge the fleet the lost which is perfect for us." Macross told him shooting back at Rex and his men.
"How, how in all the galaxy is getting caught in another battle good for us!" Ulic asked in a panic.
"We can slip out in the confusion, assuming Beatnik fixed the hyperdrive if he didn't we're-."
The ship was hit with another blast this time it did more than just damage the ship, it made everyone on the level they were on fall to the floor, parts of the walls exploded hitting everyone into a daze. The blast doors between the crew and the clones closed shut protecting Rex and his men from the blast but also cutting them off from their chase. Ulic-Nox collapsed on the floor coughing trying to get up, Ladon was able to pull himself to his feet and saw Teeseven was knocked over too next to him. Pulling the droid upright, Ladon looked over at Ulic-Nox and stumbled to him "On your feet…" Ladon looked around for Macross then saw him just as Ulic saw him, a large chunk of shrapnel had exploded from the wall and skewered Macross right in the chest, pinning him into the wall.
"BROTHER!" Ulic-Nox screamed running toward him, he fell down next to him Macross was already coughing up blood from his mouth and nose looking down at the metal poking out of him.
"Kark me- cough." Macross said blood spraying out of his collapsed lung "Ladon help me." Ulic-Nox started to try and pull the metal out, Macross scream in pain making the boy let go.
"No, no, no, no." Ulic-Nox chattered out shaking his head eyes starting to get watery in panic "Ulic listen to me, listen." Macross took his little brother by the collar and pulled him close blood dripping out from his lip.
Ulic looked at his brothers fading eyes "You-" he chucked up more blood "You have to go, you have to run finish the mission."
"Mission?" Ulic asked him, Macross reached into his robe and pulled out the gold star compass handing it to Ulic still covered in his own blood.
Macross coughed out blood again "I'm sorry I dragged you into this, didn't have a choice they'll hunt you for this… hunt you to the ends of the g-ack galaxy." Macross told him.
"Macross I don't understand." Ulic said as the blast doors behind them started to get spliced open, everyone turned to it before Macross coughed again.
"The force- the force is strong in our family little brother, strongest in you now follow the compass… find our legacy, Teeseven will help you." Macross said looking over at the droid who made sorrowful beeps.
Macross shook his head smiling, both eyes started to glaze over "Its okay Teeseven- cough"
Ulic-Nox couldn't hold back the tears falling down his cheeks "Ladon- get him out of here." Macross ordered as the clones were almost through the blast doors. Ladon rested his own blaster in Macross's hand before he grabbed Ulic.
"No- no, no we aren't leaving him." Ulic-Nox started to struggle but couldn't break free from the lizards strong arms.
"Go, go now." Macross said as he held both balsters to the blast doors the laser cutters starting to complete the full circle for breaching. "Brother, Brother!" Ulic-Nox screamed "You have to be strong Ulic!" Macross yelled as he diedm, Ladon draggin Ulic-Nox down the hallway toward the hanger.
"Find our Legacy, Finish the Mission!" Macross shouted as the blast doors breached open and the clones rushed in, Macross let out one final scream of rebellion opening fire just as Ladon pulled him around the corner "NOOO!" Ulic cried.
Ladon dragged Ulic down the final stretch to the hanger before he picked him up, Ulic patted Ladon with his hands crying as he was carried toward the hanger doors. When Ladon came out he saw the clones had abandoned their attempt at stopping the Nightingale from escaping as they were now preparing to get fighters out of the hanger and into combat. The blast that made them leave Macross behind had done more damage than they thought parts of the hanger were on fire and the wild blaster fire from the freighter had done more damage.
Buur saw the two of them coming from his cockpit "There coming, there coming." he echoed down the ship.
"Preparing to take off." Hestia said as she prepped the ship.
Ladon got onto the ramp with Ulic-Nox still crying "Get usss out of here!" Ladon screamed down the hallway.
Hestia pulled the ship off the floor when the jedi entered the hanger, "Blast it." Anakin snapped seeing it pull out of the shield wall with the other clone ships.
"Admiral the smugglers ship is escaping make sure it doesn't get away." Anakin told him.
"But master that will kill them." Ahsoka told him, "We can't let them get away." Anakin told her.
Obi-Wan interjected then "I agree with Ahsoka, there no good to us dead."
Seeing he was out voted Anakin held up his comlink "Belay that order."
Inside the Nightingale, Hestia flew the ship to the opposite side of the battle away from the Republic and Separatist ships "Damnit Macross I'm a doctor not a pilot where are you!" Hestia yelled out of the cockpit, while still in the ramp hallway. Ladon clutched a weeping Ulic-Nox close in his scaly arms.
"Let it out kid, let it out." Ladon whispered to him Teeseven rolled up into the cockpit next to Hestia making her already white offshoot face go even paler "Teeseven where's Macross?" she asked.
Teeseven plugged into the ship chartering a hyperspace route and answered her at the same time "... oh stars, you damn fool." Hestia said hearing him.
The Nightingale's hyperdrive engaged and jumped into the unknown without its Captain.