Chapter Five: Separated

High above the capital city of Sundari is an enormous Imperial Star Destroyer, hovering in space. The warship is larger than the other Destroyers among the Mandalorian blockade, and therefore is the Empire's headquarters in the sky.

The bridge of the Terminus is buzzing with activity, as officers dressed in leftover yet clean gray uniforms, each with their own correct rank patches, pass reports off to one another. The few stormtroopers stationed in the room guard the door, the only entrance or exit.

At the end of the bridge stands a figure, clad in a black uniform with small pieces of dark armor mixed in. A helmet with a 'T' shaped visor rests on his head, and his breathing is amplified through the speaker where his mouth is.

Some officers aboard the Terminus believe he's the dark twin of the late Darth Vader. Others avoid him, not bothering to have an opinion after they see how threatening he looks.

There he stands, hands behind his back, observing the planet below through the main viewport as the bridge works behind him.

His eyes are closed behind the helmet's visor, and his breaths are steady and slow.

"Lord Volyk."

Volyk had sensed the officer approach, and had purposefully ignored him. General Thane Matok had been a decorated commander in the war with the Rebel Alliance, but none of that mattered now. Volyk had stopped the General's bad habit of reminiscing of the war in only a week, many years ago.

"You summoned me, my lord?"

Volyk opens his eyes and looks at the giant ball below them.

"Something has happened … there are ripples in the Force."

Matok nods, glancing at the datapad in his hand. "Yes … one of the checkpoints in Sundari was attacked. Six stormtroopers confirmed dead. We're still searching for the one responsible."

"And?" Volyk surprisingly sounds patient.

"Central Command already released a call for the Mandalorians to assist in the search. Someone has taken the job, but hasn't turned up any results. Same as our men," Matok reports.

Volyk's helmet turns to the side. He was intrigued.

"Who attacked the checkpoint?"

"Here, sir." Matok passes the datapad to Volyk, who examines the picture one of the probe droids sent. The General continues talking. "We don't have a name yet. Somehow … she isn't in the records."

Volyk turns to face him. "What?"

Matok tugs at the collar of his uniform as sweat builds on his forehead. "She … may have gotten through the blockade."

Volyk remains silent for a moment before stepping toward the general.

"You guaranteed that no one would enter the system. Now she will find a way to alert the Republic!"

Matok flinches but does not back down.

"My lord, it is very possible that she isn't with the Republic. Other independent freighters have tried to make it through —"

"Find her. Now. If any Mandalorians get in the way, kill them. I want her alive," Volyk snaps. He glares beneath his helmet. "Do not disappoint me."

"Yes, sir."

— — —

It hadn't been until the Mandalorian had seemingly frozen in place that Depa realized how skinny he was. It looked as though he hadn't ate in days.

Maybe he hasn't …

The thought leaves her mind. She needs to escape, not stay and become some bounty hunter's prize.

The Mandalorian finally speaks after a long pause, and he sounds shocked. "Syndulla?"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Their gazes both turn toward the door, where someone had just knocked, hard.

"Open up in there!"

"Kriff … stormtroopers," Depa hears the Mandalorian say, and he cautiously moves toward the door. He looks back at her and points to the far side of the room, and motions for her to do something along the lines of, "Go over there and don't make a sound."

Depa only does half of what he wants her to, staying silent but close to the wall beside the door.

This is the only exit besides the window.

Her eyes widen, and she almost kicks herself for missing it. The window! Why didn't I just go back out that way before this guy came in?

"Open the door!"

"Whatever you say, buckethead …" The Mandalorian pulls the door open and kicks the first visible trooper, making him stumble back and fall off of the balcony.

Two more take his place, entering the room quickly. The Mandalorian grabs one soldier's blaster rifle by the barrel, and then shoves it into the Imperial's visor, causing a crack! sound.

Depa finds herself staring into the barrel of the second stormtrooper's rifle. "It's the girl!"

Gotta move!

Depa rolls out of the way instinctively, dodging a stun bolt before sprinting toward the open window in the back.

"Wait!"

She ignores the Mandalorian, who managed to free himself from the first trooper's grip, and dives. She flips and lands on the ground on her feet, immediately breaking into a run.

"There she is!"

Karabast! How many are there?! A stun bolt flies past her as she keeps running, passing across a street before entering the alleyways again.

If she could just lay low for a while, then maybe she could get a layout of the city from someone. There's got to be some place I can hide and get these blasted things off! The restraints were still secured to her wrists, and running made them feel tighter against her skin.

Depa spots a troop transport fly past up ahead, and she slides to a stop at the end of the alley. She looks around, hoping for something to help at all. Her gaze lands on a grate next to the wall, a slightly rusted piece of durasteel that was barely still secured to its brackets.

Better than nothing.

She rushes over and stomps on the grate, breaking it free and knocking it down to the sewer below. The clang sound echoes up through the hole in the ground, and she ignores it as she jumps down into the darkness below.

— — —

"You guys are really annoying sometimes," Caleb remarks, tapping one of the fallen stormtroopers with his boot. The other had landed awkwardly, the upper half of his body propped up against the wall. The third had cracked his neck after hitting the ground outside.

One look out of the back window showed him that the Twi'lek girl was gone. Not only that, but she had a two minute head start thanks to the stormtroopers that had tried to detain him.

I have to find her.

The only problem with that was the dozens of Imperials searching the city for her. He couldn't get half a block away before an Imperial patrol caught him, and the curfew was probably already in effect. He'd have to look for her in the morning.

Hopefully she'll be okay for awhile.


So I haven't updated in awhile, and sorry for that. A lot of stuff happened. I'll try to update sooner from now on, hopefully just right after I finish a chapter.