I'LL SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE

As much as the rebels would like to have more time to hang out with the northerners, the droid army is on its way. It's time to make some preparations and for a few friends to say their goodbyes for the battle.

...

"General Tandin?"

Tandin turns around to see the newcomers to the cave. "Lord Blackwell, Dalla. How can I -oof!"

In the blink of an eye Marlon crushes him in a bear hug. Tandin goes stiff as a board, not knowing what to do with the sudden contact. He looks at Dalla over Marlon's shoulder and she shrugs.

"Thank you," Marlon says. "General, I can't say this enough. Thank you."

"I was glad to," Tandin says awkwardly.

"Glad to doesn't cover it. You saved my daughter," Marlon releases him. "Anything you want, it's yours. Just name it."

Tandin takes a step back, still ruffled from the sudden hug. "My lord, there's no need. I did what I did to help my kin when they needed me."

"And you were going to lay down your life to do it." Marlon lowers his voice. "General, after my wife died, Dalla and her brothers...they're my whole universe. If something had happened to them I don't know what I would have done. You didn't just save Dalla, you saved me. Please, let me give you something for my appreciation."

Tandin sputters and Dalla breaks in with a smile. "General, if you don't accept it we'll just make a transfer into your account."

"You're merciless." He bows his head. "I don't deserve it, but I accept your generosity. Thank you, Lord Blackwell."

"Thank you." For a minute it looks like Marlon's going to hug him again but he merely claps Tandin on the back. "Have you any idea of what you'd like?"

"May I have a while to think on it?"

"Aye. Just don't think of putting it off forever." He winks. "Remember, just name it and it's yours."

"I will," Tandin sighs. "I should go to check on my men."

"As should we," Marlon shakes his head. "Sometimes I don't know whether our men are more interested in fighting the Separatists, or each other."

"And I need to talk to Steela," Dalla says. All of them figured out that Steela works best with the lordlings her own age.

"Go and do that. Salt gods know we're not going anywhere without her."

They split up and Dalla heads toward the cave they've unofficially dubbed command central. Ten to one Steela's there trying to figure out what to do with the navy and the Beast Riders, maybe with Lux and Ahsoka and maybe not. Saw's almost certainly with the beasts or the soldiers.

Steela turns from the holotable when she hears her coming. "So, did Tandin take the dough?"

"Only as an alternative to finding a sudden, large deposit in his account. Where are Lux and Ahsoka?"

Steela brightens at Lux's name. "I sent them back into the city to deliver a message. They should be back soon with that and a status update."

"Great. And Saw's outside I assume?"

"Yeah. Why do you ask? Hoping to get in a few more good lines before the battle begins?"

"Of course I am. You think I'm going to let him get the last word?"

"I don't know if I want to hear the end of that. I almost had to censor you two."

"Oh, you did not," Dalla scoffs. "Come on Steela, it was just banter."

"Oh, yeah I did. What was that, all the stuff about your handsome husband and his handsome biceps?"

"Whatever Saw meant when he informed me he was sleeping on the left side of the bed."

"Dalla. You sure you two aren't married?"

"Stop it," Dalla playfully smacks Steela on the arm.

"It's not me you'd have to worry about! It's Hutch. He'll relay that kitchen story quick as anything."

"And then Saw and I will light him up." She comes up to the holotable. "Jokes aside, what are we looking at here?"

"We might be able to draw the droid army out of the city, but that's not going to take care of the Rash bannermen. I seriously doubt we can take them down diplomatically."

"So we have to siege the city."

"Yeah, we have to siege the city. That's probably going to be a job for the navy, considering you can access the city via the river."

"Walls are going to be a complication. We'll have to breach a gate if we're going to get inside. Are all his bannermen holed up in the city?"

"Well they're definitely not in the jungle and I can't think of anywhere else. Do you have the bodies to do that?"

"Aye, since we have the entire navy. We can take their bannermen if you handle the droid army."

A weight seems to fall from Steela's shoulders. "That's just what I needed to hear."

Footsteps echo in the mouth of the cave and Saw enters, looking downright shaken. "Who spit in your dad's cereal?" he asks Dalla. "I'm just sitting around, minding my own business when he pops up behind me and says 'Listen to me, young man. If anything happens to my daughter I have a blaster rifle and there's a lot of water between here and Blackhold. I don't think anyone would find you.'"

Steela bursts out laughing.

"It's not funny, Steela!"

"After what you two were saying last night I'm shocked he didn't blast you right then and there!" She laughs. "You guys are dead. Dead!"

"Wait, 'you guys'? Why am I dead?" Dalla asks.

Steela places a hand on her shoulder. "Because if you do anything to him, I'm going to kill you."

Dalla throws up her hands. "I feel so loved right now. Great in-laws I've got."

"Hey, I'm better than your original option."

"Ain't that the truth. And as for you, my loving husband, why are you not defending your wife?"

"Me?" Saw points to himself. "I don't want to get killed by my sister, that's why."

They laugh and Saw gestures to the mouth. "Scouts spotted Lux and Ahsoka on their way back. Hero says they look pretty happy."

"We should see what they're so happy about," Steela says.

"Maybe it's Rash's immediate surrender," Saw jokes.

Dalla elbows him. "If it is I might actually marry you, Saw."

"Didn't we just go over this? We're already married, as long as your dad doesn't kill me."

Steela melodramatically sticks her fingers in her ears. "You two are impossible!" she yells as she walks ahead of them.

"We try to be!"

"That's why we make such a great couple!" As soon as Steela gets a good distance away Dalla whispers to Saw: "You know she's going to get her revenge as soon as Lux gets back?"

"Yeah, I do. Gods help us. And that's why I'm gonna go block the lovebirds." He runs ahead and overtakes Steela to go stand with Tandin and Marlon.

Lux and Ahsoka's ruping circles over the Nest once before coming to a rest. Lux slides off its back followed by Ahsoka and announces "The people are turning against the droids! There's rioting in the streets now."

"That's a beautiful thing," Saw grins and claps him on the back.

Steela approaches from her position near Princess. "We need to keep the fighting to the outskirts of the city."

Lux nods agreement. "Fewer structures, and people."

"But fewer clankers. Their main force is in Iziz," Saw argues. "We should join the fight down there and take it straight to King Rash."

"We all want victory, but not at the cost of innocent lives!" Steela protests. "If we fight door to door, no one is safe."

Saw waves his hands in frustration. "This is war, Steela! You're sending the northern navy in there anyway."

"And we won't harm anyone who bends the knee." Marlon announces, making space for Dalla to stand beside him. "We're enough to take the city, and fewer fighters means fewer chances for someone to forsake honor once the battle's over."

"And we can't afford to have any rogues after Rash's almost-smear campaign." Steela glares at him. "We got out of that one by the skin of our teeth; we're not going to get that lucky again."

"She's right," Dendup says, approaching with his bodyguards.

"I agree." Ahsoka enters their circle. "The more you draw the droids from the city to the Highlands, the safer the people will be."

Marlon directs his attention to Dalla. "Smear campaign. Explain."

She and Steela look at each other and wince.

"I don't see him," she says.

"I think it should be fine to tell him."

Marlon crosses his arms. "Dalla, what did you do?" he demands.

"When Steela and I found out the Bralykburns were breaking the embargo, we spied on them," Dalla admits. "We saw fighting men on deck, figured out they were going to try and impersonate us to give us a bad name. So Steela commed him -" she glosses over the part most likely to get her in trouble. "And I had to intervene for a second and we worked together but basically, we ended up roasting Hugo Bralykburn."

Silence.

"You did what?" Dendup gapes.

"I'm pretty sure he's still afraid of us," Steela admits. "I caught him trying to call one of my girls a whore and asked him if there was a problem. He almost jumped out of his skin."

"You roasted Hugo Bralykburn," Marlon echoes.

"Steela did all the work. I was just the cheerleader." Please Father, don't kill me.

Dendup stops it before Marlon can muster another word. "That's...incredible."

Tandin bows his head in an attempt to change the subject. "My men await your command, my lord."

"I believe there's a new contender," Dendup says and turns his gaze to Steela. "You will lead our forces, including the royal army. Steela is now the commanding general!"

Steela freezes, the mirror image of herself when Dalla called her the Lady of House Gerrera.

"A great choice," Ahsoka says, a little uncomfortable. As much as she trusts Steela, Dalla has to admit she sort of is too.

Lux is starstruck. Dalla bets she could throw him in the river and he'd still come up smiling.

Tandin just nods, hiding just how unhappy he must be at essentially being fired in front of everyone. If anyone doesn't deserve that, he doesn't. "As you wish, my lord."

Dendup goes back to Steela. "You and your rebels renewed my faith in myself. Now I'm putting my faith in you."

"Thank you, your Majesty," Steela says with a barely level voice. She takes a half second to compose herself and then calls out "Let's ride!"

Lux takes a step forward like he wants to say something, but he misses Steela entirely. He covers by running his hand through his hair and then whistling to his ruping.

Marlon takes a step away from the reptavian when it hisses at him and Dalla. "Some things never change over thousands of years," he mutters.

"We found the best way to get your people on board is to just run for it," Saw says in an obvious attempt to get on Marlon's good side. Marlon just glares at him.

"It won't be for very long, Lord Marlon," Steela says and turns from her work saddling Princess. "Just a quick circle around and we'll send Dalla off once we're done. Princess and I didn't kill her last time."

Marlon seems to relax immensely. "I'll prepare the navy," he says and takes his leave.

Dalla readies herself to run. "Are you ready to go?"

Steela has her eyes, twinkling with an idea, focused on something else. "Hold on a second, Dalla," she says and strides over to Lux and Ahsoka's ruping.

She waits until Ahsoka's boosted herself up and into the saddle, and then without warning grabs Lux's head and kisses him.

His shock still hasn't faded when she pulls back and whispers "Just in case."

Before he can react at all, Steela grabs Dalla's hand and yanks her onto Princess.

Dalla smiles at her . "Congratulations, General Gerrera."

"I have too many titles," Steela mumbles and spurs Princess to take off. "First it's Lady, now it's General."

"C'mon, they sort of go together: General Steela Bonteri, the Lady of -."

Steela punches her in the shoulder. "Lady Gerrera, my brother has officially corrupted you."

Dalla rubs her chin in mock deep thought. "You know, the way politics and inheritance law stack up he might have to take my name."

"Sawyer Drokko Blackwell! Try running that by him, sister. His face will be priceless."

"In all seriousness, I'm happy for you." She pats Steela on the back. "If any of us deserve to kiss someone we love, it's you."

"Seize the day," Steela agrees and looks down. "Look, I think your uncle's found a new love too."

Below them, Jamos is stroking a dalgos' snout with no protests from the beast.

"See?" He taunts a few of the others. "The southern beastie likes me!"

"You must be feeding it sucrose," Ephraim Harkon accuses.

"I resent that," Jamos fires back and hoists himself into the saddle. "See, no sucrose. The beastie - hey!" The dalgos' nostrils flare, immediately sensing that Jamos doesn't know what he's doing, and tries to buck him off.

Ephraim doubles over laughing and Jamos slides off just in time. "Beastie, we were friends!" he cries.

Ephraim points and laughs. "No, it was your wife who was its friend. Nice scarf you have wrapped around your arm there. Is that Shara's?"

Steela turns to Dalla and at the same time they say "Should have kept the fruit shirt!"

Suddenly the hair stands up on the back of their necks and Dalla can almost hear Dono hissing under no circumstances are you to wear that monstrosity into her ear.

It's burnt to a crisp, Ghost of Dono, she thinks.

Steela directs Princess to the ground and they come down near the riverbank where the northerners are loading the boats

"You're all ready to siege the city," she comments, sliding out of the saddle.

"We've had plenty of practice," Dalla follows her out of the saddle and immediately puts some distance between herself and Princess. "Sailing is a good chunk of water-based siege, and between house squabbles and the Bralykburns we got good at the other chunk too."

Ahsoka and Lux jog up to them, Saw close on their heels.

"You all have enough supplies: blaster batteries, ammunition for cannons?" the Jedi asks.

Dalla nods. "I don't recall my father saying anything different and he did mention having weapons. Anyway I think most of the fighting is going to be close-quarters if you manage to draw out the droid army."

"Which we will." Lux says. "We have the king and the Beast Riders; Rash will be spread too thin if he keeps droids in Iziz and he knows it. He'll send the droids after us because King Dendup's a higher-value target. After what happened on the steps, Dalla isn't worth much to him."

"Marrying a terrorist's traitor widow would be political suicide," she agrees.

"But unless the gods suddenly struck you sterile then you're still worth something. Stay sharp."

"I will. Thanks, guys." She glances over to the rowboat beached on the riverbank. "I guess this is goodbye for now."

"I guess it is." Saw holds out his arms with a teasing grin. "It may be bad luck to kiss a sailor, but I think it's good luck to hug one."

"Giving them more gossip fodder, are we?" She opens her arms in kind and hugs him. "Good luck, Saw. And I'm sorry for your poor luck before."

"I got a wife out of the deal. We can call it even," he jokes. "But seriously, I hope this gets us some good luck. Be safe."

"You too."

Lux sighs and copies Saw's gesture. "And I'm the one who's bailing you two out of the gossip holos. Again."

"Aye, again," she agrees and hugs him. "And thank you for all of it. Good luck, Lux."

"My luck got me through Carlaac. I don't see any reason for it to run out now."

"It better not." Ahsoka shakes her head. "If your luck runs out we're all sunk."

Dalla rolls her eyes at the comment. "We would have all been sunk if it wasn't for you, Ahsoka. Thanks for getting involved."

"My master and I can never stay otherwise for long." She winks. "Solid advice is but a comm away."

"And I'll be in contact, whether it's with you or Steela. Probably both of you, considering - where's Steela?" Out of everyone, she wants to say goodbye to Steela the most.

"Right here."

Steela's pulled the rowboat knee-deep into the water.

"Someone has to row this thing back to shore for the others, and it might as well be me," she says and prepares to step into the boat. "Anyway, you always said you'd get me in one of these."

Dalla lunges forward. "Steela, don't put your foot there!"

Too late. The boat slips out from under Steela's feet and she drops into the water, barely catching herself on her arm and plunging her side and shoulder under. Immediately she gets back to her feet and tries to wipe off the water droplets.

Dalla wades in after her and holds the rowboat for her to get in. "Looks like rowboats hate you."

"Something's gotta give." Steela settles into the boat. "Alright, provided I don't capsize us let's head out."

…

"Are you sure you'll be alright rowing back alone?" Dalla asks.

"It's not that far and I'm pretty strong. I wrestle dalgos."

Aunt Shara did manage to row herself all the way from Iziz to Blackhold, so Dalla doesn't doubt it. "That's a lot harder than rowing."

"It helps when the beasts like you," she admits. "It's definitely not as hard as wrangling people."

"You're a wizard at managing people." She pauses between strokes. "You're one of the best leaders I've ever seen. And I see a lot."

"Thank you." Dalla's rowed three more times before Steela speaks again, in almost a whisper. "It's different, being a leader and being a Lady. The first one you just have to think about you and yours, the second you need to consider everyone else. I've only been doing a Lady's work for a few days and still, it's overwhelming. Sometimes I'm not sure I can do it."

Dalla stops rowing. They're so close to her ship the crew's probably staring at her in confusion, but she needs privacy for just a minute longer.

"You can do it," she asserts. "I believe in you, King Dendup believes in you, and you have been in Lady Boot Camp from the second you talked Saw into letting me join you. You got everyone here to follow you. You got Hugo Bralykburn to kneel. You saved a king! You are going to be a great Lady. You already are. Now's your time to go show everyone."

Steela beams. "Well, I had a very good role model."

"I taught you nothing," Dalla scoffs.

"You taught me Lords and Ladies are more than banners and fancy words. You're brave, Dalla. And you hold onto your honor. There's no one else I'd rather have mint me a Lady on the comm."

"And there's no one else I'd rather mint a Lady on the comm." She resumes rowing and pulls up beside Maiden's Heel. Never in her life has she been happier to see her ship.

One of the sailors looks over the rail to get a better look at the rowboat. "Captain's on the port side!" She shouts over her shoulder.

"Don't bother winching us; just drop the rope ladder!" Dalla shouts back.

"Aye, Captain!"

"So this is goodbye," Steela says, the side of her mouth threatening to twitch. "I'd hug you, but I would get you all wet."

"Get me wet." Dalla hugs her tight.

"Give 'em hell." Steela squeezes her back. After Dono and Miranda and the close call at the execution, neither one really wants to let the other go.

"I will," Dalla pulls back. "And you're going to show them that you are a drexl. And drexls are going to rule the world once more."

"Maybe they will." The rope ladder smacking against the side of the ship interrupts her. "Maybe the deep will help wash away the ruins of what came before."

"It will," Dalla promises. "On my honor, it will."

They hug one last time and then Dalla hoists herself into the ladder and climbs to the top. When she reaches the rail two of her crewmen offer their arms to swing her over the rail and on deck.

"Captain," her first mate says, a smile on his face. "It's good to see you again. We were worried about you for a bit."

"Jus' for a bit," the deckhand assures her.

"I'm glad it was short-lived too," she nods to the first mate. "Thank you for sailing her down, One-Eye."

One-Eye nods his acceptance and Dalla turns her attention back over the rail to Steela in the rowboat. "Do you have it?"

"I'm good now!" Steela assures her and rows a strong, steady stroke to prove it. "I'll see you on the other side!"

"I'll buy you a drink when we do!"

Steela rows a few more times, her hands too busy to wave goodbye. Dalla turns back to her crew.

"Set sails once the rowboats clear out," she orders. "We're going to Iziz."

…

You may remember a midshipman who lost an eye during Hugo's pirate attack in Gen 1. One-Eye is indeed the same person from that chapter.