Chapter 17

Vico was a well off planet with many resources and bustling market. For a planet on the outer rim, it was doing well for itself and as such was a good place to leave Dyna. The Twi'Lek girl in question was not very happy to hear this. She was pouting and had her arms crossed rather crossly while Buck tried to explain to her the importance of her staying on the planet.

"Look, it's a safe place for you and after we make the prison break we'll fetch you." Buck assured her.

Dyna folded her arms and partly looked away while pouting. "But I don't wanna stay on this stinking planet!"

"Dyna, we don't want you in danger." Buck tried to reason.

"Ever since I've been with you guys I've been in danger and now that we're in the final stretch, you want me on the bench?" Dyna complained.

"Is that a sports metaphor? When did you learn sprots metaphors?" Buck asked with mirth in his voice and a smile on his face but it only made Dyna seemingly more angry. Buck sighed and was thankful at the timely arrival of Zack and Kisto, who were pushing two hovering boxes, one short and the other longer. "Oh, you're back!" Buck said to Zack specifically. "Please talk to her." Buck said gesturing to Dyna. "We'll see each other again." Buck said giving her an awkward, playful jab to the shoulder before helping Kisto with the box.

"What's wrong?" Zack asked standing in Buck's place.

"I want to go with you guys!" Dyna said.

"Are you crazy?" Zack said. "We can't take you with us. Didn't Buck tell you its going to be dangerous?"

"That's all you guys ever say!" Dyna said. "Wasn't I there when you we got on the Star Destroyer to save Ru'... Ru'... Buck's friend?"

"You were b..."

"Wasn't I useful?" Dyna asked.

"You were but that was because they were expecting us and we needed you there." Zack said. "This time they'll have no idea that were coming, so you won't be needed."

"Geez, thanks for telling me I'm useless." Dyna said.

"You know that's not what I meant." Zack said with an annoyed tone. "You'll be okay. Kisto tells me that the people he is leaving you with are good friends of his."

Dyna sighed. "Fine."

Zack patted her head. "We'll see you later kid."

A few minutes later, Dyna watched as Diversity with Lona's Room attached to it take off for the prison planet Ekadi.

/

"It feels weird going on a big mission without my ship." Kisto said while at the controls of the Diversity.

"It feels strange to be going in a mission with you." Zack said.

Kisto smiled at this. "Well get used to it."

"We're approaching the planet." Buck said.

"Alright then, prepare to cloak the ship's signal." Kisto said, prompting Buck to leave his seat and go to the storage room of the ship.

In the storage room there were the boxes they had brought with them. The contents of the box were a gift from some of Kisto's contacts. Buck pressed a button and the box came apart. In the box was a cylindrical machine. Buck pressed a few buttons on the side of the machine and it blinked to life. "The scrambler is on," Buck said to his communicator.

"Okay, now boys let me do the talking." Kisto said as he brought the ship closer to the planet's atmosphere.

"Unknown ship, you are entering restricted airspace. Identify yourself." A formal voice said from the communicator.

"Ekadi Central Control, this is supply ship EEZ-3." Kisto said. "We request access to the planet to deliver supplies."

The man who had been communicating with Kisto looked at his commanding officer, The Warden of the Ekadi prison. "Scan the ship and check if it's on schedule," The Ward said.

"Supply Ship EEZ-3, standby for scanning." The man said as the ship was being scanned.

Everyone on the Diversity was on edge as the scan took place. Time passed painfully slowly while they waited to see if they would be shot down or welcomed. Zack looked nervously at Kisto who gave him a cocky smile to mask his own anxiety.

Buck sat alone i the storage room next to the signal cloaker. The cylindrical machine was not only meant for hiding their own signal but also broadcast a false signal that was identical to the supply ship they were pretending to be.

"You have been cleared EEZ-3." The operator said.

Everyone on the ship breathed a sigh of relief. Kisto entered the atmosphere of the planet and once he was past the planetary defences, he began flying off course and away from Ekadi prison facility. "Now to find a landing spot that will be well concealed." Kisto said looking at the land below with his keen eyes.

The planet Ekadi had a red tinted rocky outcrop with a reddish atmosphere to match. The imposing Ekadi prison facility was the only mark of life or anything man made. The structure had a high electrified wall that acted as the border for the sprawling building that towered above everything except for the numerous red rocky mountains of the planet.

Kisto was looking for a spot to land the ship where patrolling ships could not spot it by eye. This was a task made difficult as most of the land was uneven with protruding mountain sized structures, making landing ships hard.

"Kisto, don't move us to far away from the prison facility!" Buck said when he noted that they were still flying away from their target.

"I can't help it." Kisto said. "This place is really awful for landing ships and considering I have extra baggage in the form of another ship I'm lugging around."

"I still say we should just go directly to the facility and take our chances." Zack said sinking deeper into his chair when he saw the hike they would have to make to get back close to the prison.

"Yeah that makes sense." Kisto said sarcastically. "Let's just enter the prison facility hanger and when they ask us why our ship is so small for a supply ship, we can say: that's because we're supplying rebels!" Kisto looked around. "There, I found a spot!" Kisto exclaimed.

Buck and Zack looked down at the small opening on the land below.

"Uhm... isn't that a bit too small?" Buck asked just as Kisto was landing the ship. The ship scraped the sides of the raised rocky terrain causing Buck to uncharacteristically swear beneath his breath.

The ship finally touched down, eliciting a sigh of relief from both Zack and Buck. "You guys should doubt me less. I'm probably the best pilot you've ever had in your company," Kisto boasted.

"Whatever, let's just arm up and get moving." Zack said.

/

Buck put on his Stromtrooper armour, completed with te white helmet which was already collecting bumps and scratches from its long time use. He took the standard Stormtrooper rifle that he always carried with him but this time added to his arsenal with a pistol and a vibro blade Along with this he took a backpack that had the rest of their weaponry, which included smoke, shock and explosive grenades. Kisto took two twin pistols that he placed in two holsters strapped to his thighs. The Twi'Lek took a backpack with more equipment, that he suspected they would need for the hike and breaking in. Zack took only his trusty lightsaber and supplies for the trip, also in a backpack.

They all met up at the ship entrance. Zack looked confused at the long rectangular box at the door. This was one of the boxes that Kisto had them load.

"Alright, we're all ready." Buck said.

"Yeah we are." Zack said. "But I have a question. If the plan is for us to break into the prison and break prisoners out and then have the ship come fetch us so that we can make our timely escape, whose going to fly the ship to fetch us at the prison?"

"That's what this is for," Kisto said walking to the long box. He pressed a button and the box opened up violently like a flower. Inside there was a bipedal blue and partially rusted droid.

"Oh finally, I-I-I-I I am out." The droid said twitching.

"He's a pilot droid that will fetch us when we give him the signal." Kist said.

"N-N-N-N-Nice to meet meet youuuu." The droid said extending its arm in a friendly handshake.

"This thing doesn't look like it can walk, let alone pilot a ship." Buck commented.

"Nah, ol' Sparky will do the job just fine!" Kisto said patting the droid in a friendly manner, which caused its head to drop off its shoulder and rolled onto floor.

"O-O-O-O-Oh dearrrrr." The droid said as it began chasing its head.

"Nice to see you spared no expense." Zack said not bothering to hide the disgust in his voice.

Sparky was able to retreave its head and screw it back onto its mechanical shoulders. "Sparky close the door after us." Kisto said before opening the ship door, which dropped out as a ramp.

Zack was the first out and stopped when he realised that the ramp led to nothing. He inched closer to look over the edge and saw a steep drop to the rocky ground below. "You landed this thing on the edge huh?" Zack said. "You guys be careful." He said as he walked to the side of the ramp and exited there, followed by Buck and Zack.

They walked on the narrow walkway where on one side was the sheer drop below. They got to a plane where it was wide enough for them to walk more comfortably and there was no cliff drop on either side. Ahead they saw the looming shadow of the Ekadi prison facility which they began walking for.

/

The trek was difficult for the three rebels. They would sometimes have to climb up, rocky inclines, with sharp rocks growing up from them. To compound on the difficulty, strong continuous winds would sometimes pick up. After an hour of walking, they realised that they would not be able to reach the prison facility in the time they had hoped, however they kept on. They eventually reached a fairly gentle and smooth landscape, allowing them to walk comfortably.

Buck stopped and knelt down on the ground, inspecting a maroon, leafy plant. He gently passed his finger through the small plant's three leaves.

"Is there something wrong?" Zack said, noting Buck's stop.

"I was just admiring this plant." Buck said looking up at Zack. Zack's face was reflected in the visors of his Stormtrooper helmet. "It's amazing that there would be naturally occurring life on this planet. Gives a whole new meaning to life as we don't know it."

"You'd be surprised how much life there is in the galaxy." Zack said looking around the mostly barren red planet. "My masters once told me that if the universe was barren of life, then the force would have no where to flow through. Even here, on this supposedly 'dead' planet, I can feel the Force. There is life here."

Buck smiled behind his visor and caressed the little plant.

"Hey, what are..." Kisot spat out, "...you two doing?" He finished before spitting out again.

"Nothing," Buck and Zack said simultaneously.

"Can we please get moving!" Kisto said before spitting out a few more times.

"Why do you keep doing that?" Zack said passing him by which caused the Twi'Lek to also resume walking.

"The last gust of wind blew dust into my mouth!" Kisto said.

"Maybe you should walk with your mouth closed." Buck said.

"Easy for you to say Mr. Stormtrooper helmet," Kisto sneered.

Zack stopped when he felt an eerie feeling through the Force. He looked behind him at the multiple rock structures , that were forming something of a maze wall around them.

"What's wrong?" Kisto asked, which caused Buck to stop.

"Ever had the feeling that your being... watched?" Zack said.

"Are you getting that feeling?" Buck asked curiously.

Zack stopped for a moment as he looked around suspiciously before sighing. "Never mind." They began walking on to their destination. As they walked a pair of hidden red eyes followed their progress, waiting for its opportunity.