Chapter 6
DISCLAIMER: I hate this.
Kat strode into the meeting room on Home One, boots clunking with each stride and lightsabers brushing each hip. Seefor followed behind her silently.
She was back into her Jedi gear of the brown canvas military… thing… her light brown combat pants and darker, heavy boots. Her forest green jacket was back on with the hood down. At the neck there was a thick piece of green fabric to place over her mouth when the weather was cold or she wanted to hide her identity a bit. She adjusted her gauntlets as she stood next to the Captain Solo.
Her only physical difference was the red marks that had made their way to her neck.
"Well, well, well, you're dressed up all fancy now." Han mused. "A Jedi Knight now, eh, Snowball? How long exactly was I in carbonite?"
Kat pretended to study Han carefully. "Well… long enough to earn a grey hair."
Kat and Han walked amongst the crowd of soldiers and pilots. "Hey!" Han ran a hand through his hair.
Kat laughed to herself as they approached Lando.
"Well, look at you, a general, huh?" Han appeared to be musing over everybody's new high ranks.
"Oh, well, someone must have told them about my little manoeuvre at the battle of Taanab." Lando smirked.
"Well, don't look at me, pal. I just said you were a fair pilot. I didn't know they were lookin' for somebody to lead this crazy attack."
"I'm surprised they didn't ask you to do it.
"Well, who says they didn't. But I ain't crazy. You're the respectable one, remember?"
"Since it's such a crazy idea, I'm surprised that Kat didn't take up to the job herself."
Kat frowned at Lando. "Hey, I may be a madwoman but…"
"But what?"
She pointed her finger at him and frowned even more, trying to think up something clever. "Get me back on this."
Kat sat down next to Han, who had sat down next to Leia just as the buzzer rang signally everyone for their attention.
Mon Mothma stepped forward and silence fell over the room.
"The Emperor has made a critical error and the time for our attack has come." She said simply.
"Awww, yeah." Kat smiled to herself.
There was a hushed stir around the room as Mon Mothma turned on a holographic model of the Death Star, the Endor moon and the protecting deflector shield in the center of the room.
"The data brought to us by the Bothan spies pinpoints the exact location of the Emperor's new battle station…"
Ohhh. I forgot about that.
"… We also know that the weapon systems of this Death Star are not yet operational. With the Imperial Fleet spread throughout the galaxy in a vain effort to engage us, it is relatively unprotected. But most important of all, we've learned that the Emperor himself is personally overseeing the final stages of the construction of this Death Star."
A louder hustle echoed around the room. Han glanced at Leia and Chewbacca growled in amazement.
"Oh dear," Kat leaned towards Han. Seefor bumped into Kat's leg. "This'll be too good of an opportunity for us."
"Many Bothans died to bring us this information." Mon Mothma went grim, and Kat hung her head low. "Admiral Ackbar, please."
The Mon Calimari stepped forward and pointed to the hologram of the Death Star's force field and the Moon of Endor.
"You can see here the Death Star orbiting the forest Moon of Endor. Although the weaponsystems on this Death Star are not yet operational, the Death Star does have a strong defence mechanism. It is protected by an energy shield, which is generated from the nearby forest Moon of Endor. The shield must be deactivated if any attack is to be attempted. Once the shield is down, our cruisers will create a perimeter, while the fighters fly into the superstructure and attempt to knock out the main reactor."
Kat had briefly remembered reading something like that murmers went around the room.
"General Calrissian has volunteered to lead the fighter attack." Admiral Ackbar concluded.
Han and Kat both turned to Lando.
"Good luck." Han said respectively.
Lando nodded his thanks.
"You're gonna need it." Han relaxed back in his seat.
"Try not to die." Kat warned. "Nearly happened to me. Not a pleasant experience being in a med centre for a week."
"Oh, I won't." Lando smiled cheekily.
"General Madine." Admiral Ackbar invited a blonde haired man to the front.
"We have stolen a small Imperial shuttle." Madine began to explain the second part of the attack. "Disguised as a cargo ship, and using a secret Imperial code, a strike team will land on the moon and deactivate the shield generator."
This time, there was a great mumble in the room.
"Sounds dangerous." Threepio concluded.
Leia turned to Han. "I wonder who they found to pull that off."
"General Solo, Lieutenant-Commander Dravvaadas, is your strike team assembled?"
Leia was startled, looking up between Han and Kat.
"Uh, our team's ready. We don't have a command crew for the shuttle…" Han turned to Kat. "Well… just us two at the moment."
Kat chuckled, remembering how the two got pulled aside by Ackbar and how surprised they both had been when Kat volunteered to lead the attack with Han.
Chewbacca raised his hairy paw and volunteered. Han glanced up at him.
"Well, it's gonna be rough, pal. I didn't want to speak for you."
Chewie howled in desperation.
Han smirked. "That's one."
"General," Leia grabbed Han's arm. "count me in."
"I'm with you, too!"
Kat frowned as she glared up at Luke as he glided into the room. "Somebody tell him off for being late!" she whined. "I always get the shivat for being late! Tell him he's late!"
Luke approached the new command crew. Leia was the first to move and embrace him.
Kat could feel it. Something's off with him…
"What is it?" she questioned.
"Ask me again sometime." was all that Luke replied.
Han, Chewie, Lando and Kat crowded around Luke as the assembly broke up.
"Luke."
"Hi, Han... Chewie."
Kat frowned at Luke. "Luke." She attempted to sound as grumpy as possible.
"Kat." Luke mimicked in a high pitched voice.
Artoo beeped a singsong observation and Seefor agreed.
"'Exciting' is hardly the word I'd use." Threepio exclaimed as the gang disbanded. Han went along with Leia and Chewie, lord knows where the droids then went off to and Lando was probably off in his quarters with a glass of Corellian whisky.
Which left Kat and Luke alone together.
Again.
There was silence between the two as they made their way to an observation deck.
"Sorry." Luke was the first to speak.
"About what?"
"That." He pointed to her neck. "I didn't realise they'd put something like that on you. Does it hurt?"
Kat tilted her neck back and forth. "Not too much." She shrugged. "Tingly."
Luke's mouth twitched as he came closer to her. "Can I?"
"It's fine."
"Oh shush and let me feel terrible." He said as pulled the jacket slightly away from her neck with his hands to get a better look.
Ever so gently his fingertips brushed over the top of the red marks that had been electrocuted into her neck.
Guilt, pain, slight anxiety and overthinking… Kat felt from the innards of Luke's thoughts. "What's going on in that big brain of yours?" she asked.
Luke's breath was shaky as his hand then trailed down her arm to her hand. "I was on Dagobah," he glared at the floor. "It's Yoda. He's…"
Kat grabbed his chin and gently forced him to look back up. "He's what?"
"… He died."
Kat's eyebrows raised. "… oh." There was stillness for a brief moment before Kat found herself embracing Luke around the waist.
"It was peaceful." Kat felt Luke's voice softly vibrate through his chest as he placed his hands on the small of her back. "He was just about nine hundred. He was happy."
Kat nodded. "That's good then, I guess. But I liked Yoda, I thought he was pretty cool."
"You're allowed to miss him."
There was another moment of peaceful silence. Kat could sense the courage that Luke was still trying to build up.
He's afraid.
Kat leaned back a bit and brought her hands up to cup his face. "Luke, you can tell me what's troubling you."
"I've completed all of my training."
"Well, yay then?" Kat tried to smile, though the grim look upon Luke's face was telling another story. "… there's a 'but' coming up, isn't there?"
He bit his lip. Oh damn. "but I have to confront Vader again."
"Oh."
"This will be hard for you to hear, but whenever I leave to face him, I need you to do something for me in case I don't make it back."
Kat's blood pumped harder, a lump formed in her throat. She struggled to breathe as her anxiety kicked in. "Don't you dare say something like that." She finally managed to get out. "Don't you dare talk about not coming back-"
Luke gently placed a finger to her lip to silence her. "The last thing I need is you making this more difficult for me than it already is." he warned.
You idiot! Kat scolded herself. Let him do this! You went to the Emperor and didn't even tell him! You could have died and left him in a worse situation. Listen to your own morals!
"If I don't come back, I need you to look out for Leia."
Kat frowned in confusion. "Leia?"
"Yes, because… well… can you feel it? Just standing next to her, or her sudden realisations?"
Kat dwelled on Leia's past unusual behaviour. Knowing where Luke was at Bespin… Being able to sense her feelings…
"Force sensitive." Kat came to her conclusion. Of course, Kat had stumbled on that thought before, but decided to stay on more relevant tasks.
Luke nodded. "I need you to train her in the ways of the Force if I don't make it back."
"But-"
"No 'buts'. Just for once follow the instructions. Do it for me?" he gently placed his forehead against hers. "I need you to remain sane for only that. Stay wild, otherwise."
Kat closed her eyes and her lips trembled. Her throat throbbed and if she made any attempt to talk, she'd explode and her tears would escape.
"Hey, look at me Kat, hey…" he whispered as a hand moved up to stroke a tear away from her cheek. "Don't cry. I need you happy. I will do my best to come back. I wanna see you be brave, ok?"
Kat nodded and sniffled. The one time he says he may die, and I lose it.
Luke moved through the few inches between and closed the gap between their lips. Kat lost it for a second time, leaning up and replying the kiss back as hard and passionately as she could.
Luke's eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
"Mmfm… Ka-… Not here… mm… people… walking past… maybe… also… don't know… when I… actually go… mmm… Kat?"
She was completely ignoring his words now, if anything trying to silence him. Luke just accepted it eventually.
As they both became breathless, Kat pulled away as she tried to regain oxygen to her lungs. Luke just kept staring at her wide eyed again.
"Woah," he breathed out.
Kat frowned and placed a hand to his cheek, stroking it lightly. "You need to shave."
Luke moved his hand to stroke his chin as he continued to breathe heavily.
"You just give me the kiss of my life," he creased his forehead. "and you tell me to shave?"
"Take him."
"Are you sure? Isn't he your 'life-long companion'?"
"Exactly." Kat pointed a finger at Wedge. "Seefor may try to insult you, but he's the best co-pilot in an X-Wing there is."
The orange astromech beeped happily.
Wedge seemed reluctant.
"By the Maker, take him!"
"Alright, alright!" Wedge put his hands up defensively.
"Just make sure to bring him back in one piece."
"That is a 'yes sir', Lieutenant-Commander."
Kat shook her head and smirked as Wedge and Seefor walked off to one of the X-Wings. She slowly stared walking to the stolen Imperial shuttle were Luke, Han and Chewie were already working on getting the ship fired up in the cockpit.
Luke was working on a back control panel and Han was in the pilot's seat. Chewie, in the seat next to him, was trying to figure out all the Imperial controls.
Luke warmly smiled at Kat as she sat down in a seat near him.
"You got her warmed?" asked Han.
"Yeah, she's comin' up." Luke replied.
Chewie whined in his Shyriiwook language.
"No, I don't think the Empire had Wookiees in mind when they designed her, Chewie."
Kat giggled.
Leia came in from the hold and took her seat near Kat.
Chewie barked and hit some of the switches. Han's glance has stuck on his beloved wife out the window, and Leia nudged him gently, slightly startling him.
"Hey, are you awake?"
Han swallowed. "Yeah, I just got a funny feeling. Like I'm not gonna see her again."
Chewie, hearing this, stopped his activity and looked longingly out at the Falcon, too. Leia put a hand on Han's shoulder.
"Come on, General, let's move."
"Hey," Luke placed a hand to Kat's shoulder. "you ok?"
Kat gave him her best smile and nodded.
"Braveheart, Kat. Braveheart."
"Ok, before we take off, if hands start wanderin' to unnecessary places, just remember there's an air-lock right around that corner." Han warned. "Right. Chewie, let's see what this piece of junk can do. Ready, everybody?"
"All set." Luke blushed.
"Here we go again." Threepio said from behind.
"Definitely not." Kat said.
"All right, hang on."
And soon enough, the stolen Imperial shuttle with a Rebellion strike team zoomed off into space, and the gang were on their way.
They shuttle came out of lightspeed into a busy Imperial Fleet. Kat almost gaped at how many Star Destroyers there were.
Han looked back at Luke, Leia and Kat as Chewie flipped several switches.
"If they don't go for this, we're gonna have to get outta here pretty quick, Chewie." He turned back to the wookiee, who howled in agreement.
"We have you on our screen now. Please identify." A controller spoke over the intercom.
"Shuttle Tydirium requesting deactivation of the deflector shield."
"Shuttle Tydirium, transmit the clearance code for shield passage."
"Transmission commencing."
Kat sucked a breath in.
"Now we find out if that code is worth the price we paid." Leia commented.
"It'll work. It'll work." Han poorly reassured.
Chewie whined nervously. Luke stared at the huge super Star Destroyer that loomed before them.
"Vader's on that ship."
Kat picked up on it too. That cold, icy feeling she got as a shiver ran down her back. She had felt it when they were on the first Death Star, except not like this. She felt threatened by his presence.
Remaining quiet, Kat placed a hand to Luke's thigh as she kept looking out the front window.
"Now don't get jittery, Luke." Han was probably getting a bit jittery himself, and turned to Chewie. "There are a lot of command ships. Keep your distance though, Chewie, but don't look like you're trying to keep your distance.
Chewie howled.
"I don't know! Fly casual..."
Kat got the feelings of guilt and instability from the man sitting next to her. "I'm endangering the mission. I shouldn't have come."
"It's your imagination, kid." Han said, making Kat hit a hand to her face. "Come on. Let's keep a little optimism here."
Chewie barked his worries as the super Star Destroyer grew larger out the window.
"Shuttle Tydirium, what is your cargo and destination?"
"Parts and technical crew for the forest moon."
There was a moment of still, suspenseful silence.
"They're not goin' for it, Chewie." Han became pessimistic.
And right on cue, the commlink crackled. "Shuttle Tydirium, deactivation of the shield will commence immediately. Follow your present course."
The only one who didn't breathe out a sigh of relief was Luke. Kat's hand moved to his shoulder.
"Ok! I told you it was gonna work! No problem." Han cheered.
"Luke," Kat whispered, as she got her other hand and held his. "Be brave."
Luke glanced at Kat's newfound encouraging expression. He sighed and let his head fall back.
Like mother, like daughter.
My chapters keep getting longer and longer and longer...
- yoda-is-cool.