Note: Please pay attention to where the double quote marks, a person saying something, and the single quote marks, a person thinking something, are. Thank you.
Other than Colonel Gerrard, Captain Acham and Risè the pretty Twi'lek, all named characters are the property of Disney and/or LucasFilm.
—•—
Thank you, Kenny Baker.
—•—
"Go With Me."
"Stay With Me."
Chapter 7
—•—
From the previous chapter:
There were so many enemy fighters that it seemed the entire contingent of the Star Destroyer had been released to go after our heroes—and this was, in turn, confirmed by Kallus, still in cuffs. The Relentless as well was moving in for backup. It was apparent what the intention then was for all aboard the two ships, one with a very valuable addition. Capture was not the intention. Only one thing was the aim of the Empire—
Death to all in the cold of space.
—•—
"Sabine! Light it up!" yelled Hera, turned around in the pilot's chair as she tossed Sabine the detonator for the bombs she left on the Star Destroyer and then turned back to driving the big ship.
"Right on it, Captain!" returned Sabine, who then caught the device and twirled it around her fingers nonchalantly. "General Gerrera. Will you do the honors?" she asked as she tossed it yet again to the General.
"My pleasure," he said as he caught it. Saw then pressed the button with a grin. Nothing happened. He pressed it again. Nothing happened. He was looking worried, but Sabine was smiling at him. So was Hera. He pressed it again. Nothing happened.
Sabine reached over to the device. "Safe—ty pin," she said as she pulled out the small metal pin.
"I knew that," returned the General. "I was just testing you," he said as he pushed the small, red button. Instantly, the Relentless exploded with a large fireball in the keel, amidships.
"Good going," said Kallus, still in cuffs, "That put a stop to their TIEs lifting off."
"Their?" said Saw with a raised eyebrow.
"Come on guys. We'll have bandits on us like bugs on poop on Felucia in a nanosecond. Get to the guns!" yelled Commodore Bonteri to the soldiers. Lux also noticed that Ahsoka had a look like she didn't like Lux saying what he did. She knew what Felucia was like. "Get the smuggler out! He knows the ship. Get him to help!"
"We are definitely outgunned," said Kanan.
"What's the placement?" asked General Gerrera
"One topside. Two astern. Two athwart the cockpit," informed Hera.
"That's it?! Only five guns on a monster like this?" asked a credulous General Gerrera.
"I have one more gun in back and one more gun in front," said Vizago as he rushed in.
"Come to help us?" asked the Commodore.
"I just don't want to die with the likes of you," returned the smuggler. "The shields are top grade. She's a fast ship but we won't find a hole for hyperspace in a mess like this."
"Then let's make one!" shouted Zeb.
"There's got to be more! I'm not going to give up like this." said the Commodore.
"That's all I got!" Vizago shouted back.
There was a pause. But then, suddenly, a light came to the Commodore's eyes. "Wait a minute," he said with hand on Kanan's arm. They then looked at each other.
"The T-7s!" They said in unison.
"Vizago, where are the T-7s? Did you get rid of them?" shout-questioned Kanan.
"No way. No one wants those hot rocks. Couldn't sell a one," returned Vizago.
"Great!" entered Commodore Bonteri. "Kanan, you take the 12th Zabracks and Vizago and get those disruptors. I suppose you don't have any spacesuits Vizago?"
"Just one for me."
"Typical," said Sabine.
"No matter. Kanan, get those guns. I'll get the Jakusaa here for the suits. Go!"
Kanan and Vizago then left on a fast run with several of the Zabrack Marines to get the ion disruptor rifles. The moment they left, Lux called to the Zatt Jakkusa.
"Jakkusa! Dock here pronto and get me some spacesuits."
"Yes sir."
"Any for my Marines?"
"Several sir."
"Good. Get over here. Dock and give me what you can. Then get your backsides back out there and stay there using your guns. We'll get you some grunts to man them."
"Yes sir!" came the reply. Soon, before Kanan, the Marines, and Vizago got back, the Zatt Jakkusa docked with the Broken Horn.
"What's going on?!" shouted the Commodore. "Give me a sitrep!"
"The TIEs will be on us in thirty seconds."
"Jakkusa! Let's hurry it up! Who's spotting here?!" commanded the Commodore.
"We have Ezra port side."
"Who's got the starboard side!?"
"I can help!" said Kallus.
There was a pause.
"I can do it!" said Rex.
"No, Rex, you're too good on a gun. We need you there," ordered Hera.
"Twenty seconds to contact range!" shouted Ezra
"No choice! We need a naval man. Kallus. Do you know spotting?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Take the starboard side."
"Let's go people!" shouted Ezra. "We got a trey of nickels coming in hot port side!"
"What's their make?"
"Centurions all of them!"
"Great!"
"Then the Empire will have less of them after this!" countered the ever-optimistic Zeb.
"Jakkusa where are you!?"
"Docking now sir!"
Exactly then, Kanan and Vizago with the Marines came back from getting the ion disruptors.
"How many?! How many?!" hurry-questioned the Commodore. At that very moment the sound of the Jakkusa docking came through. It was a very tense ten seconds while the air lock was secured.
"First wave coming in!"
"Fire up the shields! Rapid fire! Rapid fire! Give me some time." ordered the Commodore.
Sabine, Rex, Kanan, and Zeb started a barrage of fire towards the approaching Ties. They were doing their best. But even then, Zeb felt in his gut that this would be his last stand. Too bad. He so wanted to have more of Susie's great cooking. The three groups of five TIEs came in hot, pounding the ship with direct hits. The smuggler's ship was soon rocking from all the hits it was taking.
"What's the matter with you people?! Taking a walk in the park?!" shouted Saw, "Hit them TIEs and hit 'em hard!"
"On it!" shouted Rex.
"Yes, sir!" shouted Zeb.
"I got ya!" shouted Ahsoka. She then took the empty gun on the starboard bow. Lux felt a sense of security in hearing her voice in all the shouting.
"Our six is vulnerable!" shouted General Gerrera.
The first wave of the trey of nickels screamed abeam the ship across the keel while another trey of nickels were hitting the ship topside from the same direction.
'These guys are good,' said Lux to himself of the enemy; 'Want 'em on my team,' as the hits from the second wave rocked the ship.
Suddenly the rancorous voice of Vizago entered the picture, "If you people demolish my ship, you're buying me a new one!" shouted the smuggler.
"Not if we're dead!" returned the Commodore.
"It's a deal!"
All around them, Ahsoka, Rex, Saw, Gerrard, Zeb, and Kanan on the guns were giving it their all.
"Rapid fire! Rapid fire!"
"Jakkusa, pass over the suits."
"Sabine! Check six!"
"On it!" Sabine replied. "I have tone." Then there was a short burst of fire from the aft gun Sabine was manning. "Dust another deuce!"
"Good shooting."
"Thanks."
"Colonel Gerrard, assign some men to the Jakkusa," ordered General Gerrera.
"Yes Sir!" This the colonel then did as he assigned four of his Zoaves to man the open guns on the corvette. Almost as soon as those men disappeared, the Zatt Jakkusa released itself from the Broken Horn, both ships shaking from the hits they were taking. As this was happening, the five Marines for which there were Zabrack-space suits were getting into them.
"How many times can you fire these things," Lux asked, examining the rifles.
"Too many," replied Zeb, who was just near them manning the gun topside.
"That will be enough, hopefully," replied the Commodre. Then the Marines in their suits with helmets already attached came up to the commodore.
"We got a deuce of quadins coming in port bow at 7 o'clock! Coming in fangs out like a Togru—" Ahsoka then looked over to Ezra, "Like a Lothcat!"
"Colonel Gerrard. That's your gun," shouted Saw.
"Yes, sir!" The Zoave Colonel did his best to aim at the in-coming fast TIEs. "I can't get angle on them! They're too low for this gun!"
"Hera! Roll the ship aport, twenty degrees!" Shouted the Commodore.
"Yes sir! Rolling aport—now!"
"Steady everyone!" The eight TIEs then did a very slick maneuver and suddenly angled up and fired at the keel of the Broken Hand. The ship was shaking from all the hits yet again so much that there was some sparkling from suddenly shorted-out wiring.
"Chopper! Get on it! Now!" shouted Hera from here captain's chair, "And no—"
"©¥πÆŒß∆‰Ø!"
"—backtalk," Hera finished frustratingly.
"Bonteri!" Visago shook a fist angrily at the Commodore.
Lux chose to ignore him, turning to the five Zabrack Marines that had come up to him just before the last set of hits from the eight TIE fighters:
"Take a T-7 and go through the airlock and get behind a container port and starboard amidships. Get behind a container and fire at will. These rifles have a kick, so be careful. But they will lose charge. When that happens—"
Just then, the ship was rocked back and forth from the hits it was taking. The Devoranian shook his fist aggressively again at the Commodore. He was properly ignored.
"—We will get another to you. Signal through the suit comms if you need a new one. We'll get it to you. You three go port side, you two go starboard. I'll get you another gun out there real soon to help. Now go! We've got more TIEs on us than—"
Ahsoka raised an eye marking, he noticed;
"Than fur on a Wookie. Let's go!"
"Yes sir!" shouted the Zabrack Marines in unison, knowing that more than likely, with the lack of protection, they were going to their deaths. But, they knew that's what they signed up for. They weren't going to let the commodore down if it were to be the last thing they would do in this life.
"Hera, get my men connected on the comms with the spotters."
"Yes sir! Right on it!"
"What should I do?" shouted Vizago.
"Other than get lost? Resupply my men with the ion disruptor rifles. Can you do that?"
"If it'll keep me alive, yeah."
"Great. Get to it. All right men, go!"
Outside in space, much more than a hoard of TIEs were converging on the two ships.
"I see two sets of TIEs coming in from the right side," shouted Kallus. No one understood what he meant.
Ezra then rushed over to next to Kallus and shouted out; "We got a deuce of quadins coming in hot 2 o'clock hard starboard!" He then rushed back to his station port-side.
"That's just what I said!" said Kallus.
"We need more detail", said the Commodore. "Give us the position like on an old clock, 12 o'clock is straight up, and 6 o'clock is straight down, 3 o'clock is straight starboard, and 9 o'clock is hard aport," the commodore told the former agent.
"Understood."
"Any of 'em got heaters?" asked General Gerrera.
"Not that I can see," returned Ezra, who then said 'missiles' to Kallus; who then reported there were none with missiles on his side as well.
"Get the music ready anyways, Captain," added the General.
"Psst, Ezra," Kallus said to get Ezra's attention, "'Music'?"
"Jamming signals," the boy informed him.
"Oh."
Just then, Lux then started to get into a suit. "What's it like out there?" he asked as he put his arms through the suit and pulled it up to his neck.
"It's a mess," said Ezra. "We got nickels and quadins all over the place, frazing us abeam."
Kallus shouted in, "We got three sets— I mean a trey of deuces strafing from starboard-bow 1 o'clock high."
"Ahsoka; that's your gun!"
"On it!" Ahsoka returned. The crew around her could hear some bursts from Ahsoka's gun. "Got 'em down to a trey!"
"Good shooting!" said Lux in her direction.
"Lux, Lux, what are you doing?" shouted Ahsoka from her gun with a surprised face after she turned to look at him when he praised her.
"I'm going out there. We need as many guns as we can get out there."
"But—"
"No Ahsoka; I'll go. If you want to help me, keep on manning that gun. Captain Syndulla. I give you command!" Commodore Bonteri said as he tossed the command scepter to Hera. "Sorry I couldn't hand it to you."
"Thank you, sir!" said Hera in the split second she took to turn around and catch the scepter.
"I'll be right next to you," Lux said back to Ahsoka as he pulled up the suit to his neck. She was still looking at him. "Please Ahsoka," he pleaded just as he put on his helmet.
He then went out into the rage outside. As he did so, he passed one of his men in the center of the loading ramp, who then looked at him with surprise.
"Give 'em what for!" shouted Lux to the man who had stopped for a short second. "Fire at will! Rapid fire!" ordered Commodore Bonteri. After requisitioning a good spot, he started shooting from the starboard side, towards the bow, close to Ahsoka.
"Spotters! Where's my info!" shouted a marine from the port side.
"Commodore! you have three centurions on your starboard bow at three o'clock!"
"Don't say his name, Kallus! We may be monitored," said Ahsoka from her seat.
This way and that way, a multitude of the enemy were harassing the rebels and fighters. Those TIEs that made it past the ship immediately returned to put more hits on the group.
Back and forth they came, as the Commodore said, like the flies on poop on Felucia, the better metaphor since these TIEs resembled nothing but flies to the crew now. Everyone was too busy to notice, except maybe Kallus, that fewer were coming in for a second run than came in on the first wave. Much fewer. The Ghost crew was excellent, shooting at the TIEs like there was no tomorrow. Only a practiced eye, like Kallus himself, Captain Syndulla, and certainly Commodore Bonteri, could see that. No wonder he had so much trouble with them on Lothal, he smiled.
As the battle raged, all in the Broken Horn are shaken and shattered with hits.
"Commodore Bonteri, I hope you have enough credits to replace my ship!" Vizago shouted through the comm to the commodore outside the ship, though everyone could hear—including the Imperials.
"Don't worry about it," was the response.
"I said don't say his name!" shouted Ahsoka again from her gun.
With the ion disruptor guns added to the gun placement already on Broken Horn, added to the guns from the Zatt Jakkusa, they were a formidable pair. Pass by pass, the number of the TIEs were reduced dramatically. Those on the Broken Horn were starting to become subconsciously optimistic.
After a time, they were starting to make a dent in all the numbers of TIEs. They got lucky in the damage on the Relentless as it couldn't launch any more TIEs after them. But the closer it got the better the chance it would have to train its big guns on the two small ships.
Unknown to the rebel group, they had been monitored. Soon, as Ahsoka feared, the TIEs that were left were starting to converge where the Commodore was stationed. There were everywhere hits around him, but he put out of commission a fair number of TIEs with his powerful rifle. But be that as it may, it was only a matter of time before a growl like it came through the teeth emanated over the comm link with Lux.
"Lux, what happened?!" worried Ahsoka. She was trying to look out the window to see what happened but the angle was such that she couldn't see him.
"I got hit. Don't worry. Its just a scratch. Keep up the fire!"
That they did so that the TIEs were reduced enough to where they could be held at bay by the gunners. But actually, they were trying to prevent the Horn and the Jakkusa from escaping while the Relentless snuck upon them—which it would do soon with devastating results.
"Skipper, your men are running out of air and we are less busy here," said Hera over the comms. "We can make a hole easy enough now."
With Vizago's help, the remaining Marines were inside the ship, gasping for air. The smuggler was helping them with oxygen.
"Skipper we need you back here! Pronto!"
"Understood. I'm coming back." Then suddenly, "What the—"
"Whats the matter?!"
"I'm stuck!"
Oh no, worried Ahsoka. The Marines that came back were out of air. 'What should I do?' She realized that there was only one option. "Skipper, try to get yourself free. You'll have assistance soon." With saying that, Ahsoka rushed out in a flash of blue and white montrals and a flurry of Togruta beauty.
"How?! No! Hera GO!"
"Skipper. No organic other than a purgill can survive hyperspace. Last time I looked, you weren't a purgill! Hold on!"
A short distance away, Ahsoka soon found what she was looking for; the smuggler's spacesuit she noticed before they got to the Relentless when she was looking over the ship. The helmet was at least a little more spacious due to the Devaronians horns. In a trice, she got into the suit. She then rushed to the starboard side entrance and in front of everyone there, she put the helmet on. It was a very tight fit, what with her lekku and montrals, but she had done something similar as Fulcrum so she was used to it. Her lekku were wrapped around her face and her montrals were at an unusual angle, but she was safe from the vacuum of space. "Cover me!" she shouted through the helmets speaker, and with a swift step and opening of the airlock, she closed the inner door, waited for the exchange of air and vacuum, and then opened the outer door, leaving it open for a quick escape. She moved along the side of the container ramp. She could see where whatever gun could be firing from that side was. Lux was firing, holding the rifle up awkwardly with his left arm and aiming with his right.
"Lux!" she shouted, albeit muffled by her lekku wrapped around her mouth. "We are ready for hyperspace."
"Ahsoka what?" Then, "Look out! Get under cover." Ahsoka could hear the wail of a TIE fighter getting closer and closer. Ahsoka hid behind a container. Lux hit it and the debris hit the Broken Horn, along with a sickening, dull thud.
"Nice shot," said Ahsoka.
"Yeah, I'm ambidex- ambidex-"
"Ambidextrous?" Ahsoka finished for him. Lux just nodded.
"Ahsoka, what are you doing here?"
"I'm here to get you out." She came closer to him. "Oh Lux, that's more than a scratch."
To her amazement, Lux started chuckling.
"What's so funny?"
"You. I can barely see your face; and your montrals—he he."
"I'm here to rescue you."
"Sorry Ahsoka. I think the pain is making me delirious.
"Well, maybe I can help with that."
"I don't see how. I think my shoulder strap is—. Ow ow ow ow ow, I'm cured Ahsoka, I'm cured," Lux cried as Ahsoka was getting him free; maybe a little roughly, almost like a love tap.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure. I'm sure. No more delirium."
"All right. You're free so let's get ourselves back in the ship."
"All right. Let's hurry." Soon the pair were in the airlock between the inner part of the ship and the hull. When the air equalized, Ahsoka took off her helmet, her lekku bouncing down to where they had always been and her montrals springing up to their original position. Lux looked on amazed. The beauty of this Togruta woman, he thought to himself. Then he was a little sad. Meanwhile, Ahsoka helped the injured Commodore off with his helmet. Still in their space suits they entered the cabin.
Just as Lux and Ahsoka are in the cockpit, the Relentless started moving in and shooting. Some hit the smuggler's ship and the Jakkusa was taking hits as well.
"They've got a tractor beam!" Shouted Kallus.
All this while, Lux slumped down against the bulkhead. Ahsoka was steaming mad at him.
"What were you trying to do? What were you trying to prove?"
"I'm just trying to be brave," was all Lux could return.
"I don't want you brave. I want you alive." Then there was a pause as Ahsoka seemed to search for something to say. "Lux, you have countless people counting on you. You cannot risk your life in such a way. That's what others do."
"I'm too important?"
"Yes." With that simple answer, Lux got himself up with a little help from Ahsoka and Kanan. He then looked around.
"What happened to my Marines?" said the Commodore as he looked at the Lance Corporal and another who remained—only two. "Is this all? Where are the rest of my Marines?"
"They didn't make it sir," said the Lance Corporal.
Lux was quite stunned, but he knew he had no moment to grieve. "Hera, what's going on?" he quickly asked.
"We got a hole for hyperspace! Let's get through it now before it closes."
"Captain Syndulla, permission to contact the Zatt Jakkusa," the Commodore, who hadn't yet retaken charge, asked.
"Granted."
"Zatt! Get ready for hyperspace!"
"Yes sir," came the reply.
Suddenly, a holoimage forced itself into the cockpit. It was Admiral Konstantine. The image didn't say anything but looked around for something, or someone. When it found what, or who, it was looking for, it growled viciously.
"You and your rebel friends will die now traitor! Lieutenant! Fire at will!"
"Yes sir," came the unseen reply.
The Commodore, holding himself up with his good hand, could see a ways off the starboard flank the corvette turning towards the coordinates Hera gave them for hyperspace. "Hurry it up Jakuusa!"
"Get ready!" shouted Hera.
Just then, a brilliant orange flash permeated through out the cockpit and the ship rocked back a bit.
"What happened?!"
"A!" sighed Ahsoka as if in pain.
Those that could, looked to where the Jakkusa was supposed to have been, only to see a large fireball and flashing debris. It had gotten a hit from one of the Relentless's big guns. Everyone, everyone was stunned, but the ever-able General Gerrera was able to get an order.
"Search for life forms! Now!"
A second later.
"Nothing sir!"
"Lets get out of here before we're next," said Hera. Suddenly, the Broken Hand entered hyperspace. They were lucky to have gotten off just as the same gun that got the corvette fired at them, only to get empty space in the trail of the Broken Hand entering hyperspace.
Lux was devastated at what happened to his crew; as was Saw at the loss of his men. They were good men, all of them. The Commander of the Bonteri Fleet knew them all, all of them who died today. Those on the Ghost were looking at him, leveled by the destruction, barely holding himself up with his one good arm. Saw, as well, was distraught, but was helping his friend. 'He always seems to take these deaths to heart too much,' Saw thought. Even Vizago knew when to shut up.
Hera had taken the command specter and was about to give it back to the Commodore, but he didn't want it back just then.
Commodore Bonteri suddenly raised himself up with a growl that foretold of something bad. He then stomped towards Kallus. In a second he grabbed the ex-Imperial by the neck and pushed him hard up against the bulkhead. Kallus had never been afraid for his life, but he was now.
"Kallus," the Commdore growled, "A lot of good men died just now, getting you out of there. Good men with wives and girlfriends and dreams. You better be worth it for what it cost just now. You hear me?"
Ahsoka and Saw had come up to the pair and Ahsoka placed two hands pleadingly on his right arm, the one with the hand grabbing Kallus's throat hard.
"Let me tell you. If you are fooling us, Imperial, if you are fooling us, I will hunt down to the end of time to the gates of hell if I have to. And when I find you, I will make you suffer. Do you hear me?"
Kallus's head was so strongly held by the Commodre's hand that he couldn't move to nod 'Yes.' Quickly, just then, Lux let go of Kallus and rushed out of the room towards the aft of the ship. Hera just then came up with the scepter in her hand, hoping to give it back to the commodore.
"You're still in command, Captain Syndulla," said Saw quietly, "At least for a little while more."
Those two then turned towards the cockpit, but Ahsoka followed after Lux. 'He must be feeling pretty lonely right about now,' she thought to herself. She then turned quickly back to the smuggler to ask for a medkit. Once he told her, she went to get it.
After removing the spacesuit and finding the medkit, Ahsoka came to the door of the room where Lux was. Before she opened the door with the button, she suddenly stopped, with her hand suspended in mid-air. She could feel the sadness coming from the room. She then bent her head down and turned with her back to the wall, just to the side of the door, and leaned up against it, feeling the grief emanating from the room. She didn't like using the Force with Lux for anything—the last time she did was when he was about fall trying to save Steela—much less to see what he was feeling or where he was. She felt it was an intrusion and that he was always honest enough with her that she didn't need to. But now, she couldn't but help to feel what he felt. After a short amount of time, she got the courage up to open the door. It seemed long enough now.
When she entered the room, there wasn't a light on at all, except for the small multi-hued lights, like a rainbow of fire-flies, here and there, some blinking, that were always present in some way, and the soft, blue hue of hyperspace. This seemed to be Vizago's office. She could see Lux, now out of the spacesuit, leaning on the edge of a desk or a table, she couldn't tell which, looking out into hyperspace.
She knew that sometimes, when a man felt sad or worried deeply, he would sit in a dark room alone, thinking his thoughts, trying to get over the sadness or the worry. Maybe that is what they did instead of crying sometimes. She knew her master, with what was going on during the Clone Wars (and from what she found out later), would sometimes do that. Women seemed to not understand it, as she didn't, but she accepted it.
So she entered quietly and put the medkit down on the opposite edge of the table Lux was sitting on. She turned on a small light next to her. She still couldn't see much of Lux but for his silhouette against the lambent blue of hyperspace.
She said quietly, "I see you still like to look out onto hyperspace. You said it always soothed you." She could then hear some sound of clothing moving, as if he was looking towards her and then back out into hyperspace.
"It doesn't help as much as it used to," he said just as quietly. Then there was a pause. "Is it worth it Ahsoka?"
"Is what worth it?"
"All this fighting. All this dying. I sometimes think all I do is send men and women out to their deaths." Then there was a short deep breath. "How did you deal with it Ahsoka? Back in the time when you fought for the Republic."
Ahsoka paused a bit from taking things out of the medkit. "I don't know. Most of the time I was only doing what I was told to do. But there was one thing that kept me going—that was to help those I was fighting with. That kept me from quitting in the midst of battle. I could never have done that and leave them hanging." She then moved some things she had taken out of the medkit, but seemed deep in thought. "And you know, I think the others were doing the same for their brothers, helping them out, protecting them, fighting with them. Anakin used to say that what kept him going was his duty to his team and his promise to the Republic. He knew he had people counting on him and he didn't want to let them down, I think. So that was what kept him going, kept him in the fight; even taking greater risks to keep those he loved safe. And—to tell the truth—I think he loved all his soldiers as if they were his own brothers."
Lux had turned to look at Ahsoka while she was saying all this. When she finished, he had a smile on his face. "That's it exactly. Thank you for saying that, Ahsoka. It's like what brought Aktay from Kiros to the fleet. You remember him; the one who almost conked you?"
"Yeah, I remember him," smiled Ahsoka.
"He said that he would never forget how one time in the dead of night, with his wife asleep next to him, suddenly hearing the sound of boots coming down the hallway of the complex. 'Closer and closer they came,' he told me. His wife awoke and was immediately scared. The boots came closer and he was sure they were coming for him; but he didn't know why. Finally, they smashed in through the door next to his and he could hear the screaming of the people being taken away by the Imperials and the shouting, and that they were under arrest for sedition against the Empire. He told me he knew just then that he and his wife didn't have a life, but were in a prison. That is when he found me and asked to be a part of the fleet. Susie too was fleeing Imperial harassment. Thank you, Ahsoka for reminding me why I'm here; that I can't let them down. I just felt—"
"—a little weak?"
"I suppose."
"Speaking of which, let's say we try to tape up your shoulder. We still have some time before we get to the Plo Koon." She then turned on more lighting so she could see what she was doing.
"OK, Ahsoka." Lux then, with Ahsoka's assistance, started to take off his jacket and tunic and finally his undershirt.
"Wow, Lux," Ahsoka exclaimed; but in her mind: 'He's really kept himself in shape.'
Lux was looking away over his right shoulder as if he didn't want to see where he got hit. "Yeah. I guess the wound looks pretty bad."
'That's not a body. That's a work of art. Oh. Wound? What wound? Oh right. That woun-' "Ugh."
"'Wow,' then 'Ugh?' Just where were you looking Ahsoka?" Lux said with a smile straight at her, teasingly. Ahsoka was soon escaping into the medkit, looking for things.
"Oh, no— no place."
"Umm mm. You've already taken what you need from the medkit," he chuckled slightly.
"Not quite." Ahsoka searched a bit more inside the kit. "Ah!" she let out suddenly.
"What happened?"
"Oh darn! I chipped a nail. I just did them too," Ahsoka said, examining the damage.
Lux chuckled a little on hearing that. "That's what I've always admired about you, Ahsoka, that you always took the time to take care of yourself."
"Oh," then, after sending a smile to Lux, "Well, I'll fix it later. You've taken care of yourself too Lux. Kept yourself fit. Just like I remember."
"Thank you, Ahsoka. You've done very well for yourself as well," he replied. Ahsoka turned her head and smiled at him and then turned back to the kit.
"Ahsoka. You've—, you've—."
"I know. Rex told me himself. That I, 'got old,'" she said sardonically, mimicking his clone voice.
'Not how beautiful you've become? Not that you are the most beautiful woman in the galaxy?' But before he could put his thoughts into words, Ahsoka interrupted his trepidations.
"I don't remember the tattoo around your arm, though," meaning his upper right arm, bringing him out of his ruminations.
"Oh," he replied, concealing a thousand thoughts, a thousand unsaid things in that one, simple phoneme. "Yeah," he recovered. "It's a design just like my mother's. It's a tradition of the House Bonteri. My father had one like it too."
Ahsoka turned around looking at Lux, looking over his body. "I don't remember these either," she said, placing a finger on a scar on the crown of his shoulder of the same arm as the tattoo and then delicately on his upper left chest.
"I got these when we were boarded over Umbara. I was fortunately wearing armor at the time, or we would not be having this conversation now." Then a pause as Lux became more serious and sad. "Risè bandaged them."
Ahsoka turned towards the task at hand. She had brought the supplies close to her and Lux.
"Ahsoka," Lux said softly, "I—"
"Lux not now. I need to concentrate. It's been a while since I've done this."
"All right," he returned quietly. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, a buzzing came over the comm link, as it always seems to happen in this galaxy, interrupting the two in a quiet moment together; the first they've had in a long time.
"Commodore, we are in contact with the Plo Koon. We have ETA in ten minutes," reported Hera.
"Thank you Captain. I'll be there shortly. Please tell Captain Acham securely that we will arrive in Covert-ops Bay One. We need to get Kallus sequestered and debriefed before he is seen. We will contact Commandant Sato and Senator Organa on a secure line once we arrive."
"And get you to a sickbay," Ahsoka entered. Hera could hear her in the transmission.
"Roger, roger on that, Master Tano," Hera said jocularly.
Lux smiled at that and then said, "Bonteri out," just as Ahsoka finished. There was much more he wanted to say, and perhaps much more she wanted to hear. But the business at hand was much too important to not devote all grey matter on the subject. Afterwards, Lux draped his jacket over him and closed it as much as he could over the sling while Ahsoka was repacking the medkit. Then, together, they went to return to the cockpit. Along the way, they passed Kallus and Lux stopped in front of him. When he did that, tKallus stood from the seat he was on, guarded by the Lance Corporal. The Commodore looked at the former Imperial Agent.
"Agent Kallus, mm, if you're, if you're willing to accept an apology, I would like to—"
"I understand sir," returned the agent, keeping the Commodore from saying too much after that pause in his speech. "Thank you, sir." Ahsoka was looking on with a smile. "It was the Empire that did that to you. Together we can pay them back for what they did."
"All right, Kallus, all right. We will," the commodore smiled. He was about to leave, but then he turned back to Kallus. "Ah. By the way, do you have a first name?"
Now it was Kallus's turn to smile. "I'll have to think of one, now that you mention it." On hearing that, the Commodore smiled and patted the former Agent on the upper left arm and then turned back towards the cockpit, Ahsoka by his side. Kallus looked longingly after them. 'I wonder if I can find that happiness, that warmth,' he thought to himself. 'I'm in cuffs, but I have never felt so good, so—free.'
When Lux got back to the cockpit, Hera passed him the command sceptre, which he took. Soon, they were in sight of the Plo Koon, which had just exited hyperspace at the coordinates exactly as Captain Acham informed them. After a time, the Broken Horn entered the landing bay that was in a hidden area of the ship. Captain Acham was alone and when he saw his commander exit the ship with his left arm in a sling, in what he could tell was a makeshift, but good, field dressing, he went up to him, saluted, and passed command of the flagship back to Commodore Bonteri. When Kallus exited, the Twi'lek couldn't help but snarl at the former Imperial Agent still in cuffs.
"I see you have a prisoner," Achan said acidly.
"Possibly. Or possibly a defector. That is what he is claiming."
"Do you believe him?"
"Until he gives me cause not to, I will. He knows what will happen to him if he is fooling us," the Commodore said while glancing towards the defector/prisoner.
"Good. I'll help," smiled Acham.
"We will keep this secret for now. General Gerrera and I alone will go to the detention chamber. When we leave, shut off all cameras on the way leading there. You should stay here and make sure the smuggler doesn't do anything funny. Call some Marines to guard him until we can let him go. There's also a crate marked for us. Get some men to get it no matter how much the Devaronian screams and yells. We put him back in his own brig. Rex and the two Marines left are watching him."
"Yes, sir." He then looked around at all assembled there. "Is this all?" His commander only nodded significantly. "And the Zatt Jakkusa?" Now the Commodore could only shake his head. A great sadness then an almost greater anger came over Acham, as he said vituperatively to Kallus, "You better be worth it—"
"Captain. You have your orders. Follow them." There was a slight pause. "What about the traitress?" he then asked bitterly.
Captain Acham relaxed and brought himself back to his duty. "We have certain parts of the ship isolated; where we know she is not, but she knows the ship well. She hides very well."
"She does know the ship well. She often took it upon herself to go all over to 'get to know the ship better' as she put it. Well, we have Masters Tano and Jarrus to help us if needed if they would like to."
"I'll help, Commodore," said Kanan.
"Me as well," said Ahsoka almost at the same time.
"Very well. I didn't want to speak for you."
"We're OK with it," said Ahsoka.
"Well, then, carry on." Kanan and Ahsoka smiled at him then.
Acham then looked at Ezra. "And him sir?"
"He'll be all right. He helped us back there. He'll go with us. Captain Syndulla," the Commodore continued as he turned towards Hera, "Take your crew and Master Tano to find the traitress. Captain Acham will fill you in with info on the search so far. I think the Jedi can help you out there. General Gerrera, lets escort our new 'friend' to the detention center. Ezra, you're with us. Captain Acham; stay here until reinforcements and the palette movers arrive. Make sure that ship doesn't leave until I give the OK."
"Yes sir," the Twi'lek captain saluted.
"Let's move out," he said to all assembled.
—•—
Thank you for reading this.
Often I thought the actions and the constructs in this chapter were above my ability to elucidate. But I just did my best.
I might have been too OOC with Saw not knowing about a detonator. I just played that from the time with the tank on Onderon during Season Five.
You might see I am putting ideas from my Oasis into this story, such as Lux having problems with big words (he can't pronounce Thrawn's original name), and the terms during the dogfight. A deuce is two, a trey is three, a quadin (from the pod racer, Ben Quadinaros) is four, and a nickel is five TIEs together as a single group or their grouping. I think you see from how many times I used the last two how bad it was for our heroes. Lux explains the positioning vertically as in an airplane and horizontal positioning as for ships. (I really enjoy using those old sailing terms like 'athwart' and 'amidships.') Ezra as well explains some terms while helping Kallus.
Speaking of which, how did you like the dogfight? After looking closely at the information of the Broken Horn I could get, the pre-release Visual Guide (which lists Kallus's ship as the Lawgiver) and Wookiepedia, I saw that they couldn't do all the maneuvering like there could be in the Ghost. As it was, I kept adding dogfights in-between what else is going on to get across that everything going on was extremely hectic, like it usually is during a battle.
I hope you noticed that Lux's apology to Kallus was not motivated by Ahsoka or Kanan, but was spontaneous and came from the heart.
Take care and I'll update as soon as I can. Perhaps finally I can get to what I am going to do with that crate of the Tevarki whiskey. I think you may enjoy it.
johnt
PS. Just curious, do you think Lux had too much of a presence here?
PPS. If you could, could you please let me know what you think about Ahsoka's, "That's not a body. That's a work of art." comment? Do you think it is inappropriate or too out of character for her in this story? I am having some reservations about the comment.
