Chapter 75
AN: I hope everyone enjoys. Please read and review everyone!
Hyperspace flew by in streaks of white light. Each streak represented a star, and some stars had planets that moved in orbit around them. Ari always found it amazing, to think of all the worlds and systems in the universe. She wanted to go to as many as possible and see all that could be seen. First though, they had to defeat the Empire. That was the most important goal of all.
While Ari used to enjoy looking at the stars, after awhile, hyperspace did not seem exciting at all. She found herself getting bored easily, and for a moment wished she had brought her journal. She had left most of her things back at the rendezvous point. She was only bringing the essentials, plus one item she was able to slip into her pocket. Since she was very interested in listening to more of Siri's teachings, she brought the holodisk and a small palm sized holoplayer that could be clipped to her belt. She took both things out and started the disk from where she had ended it before. The sound of the Jedi's voice, while it held some happiness, the sad undertone was there as well. Her voice was calming though, and hearing about the Jedi seemed to help Ari touch the Force. She felt more confident in her abilities, and while she knew she had a long way to go, for the first time she was certain that she could become a Jedi Knight.
After an hour of listening to the recording, which Ari was almost done listening to, she put it away, disk going back into her pocket and the player sliding back onto her belt. She wanted to train, even if it was a small enclosed space, she knew what she wanted to practice. She dug through her survival bag and took out two ration bars. Siri and Taylor had taught her how to lift things using the Force. It was something she had been struggling with, but she was getting better. Not only could she practice in the fighter, but it would help pass the time. Sometimes it seemed as if the Force could control time, making hours seem like minutes, or it could slow it down, making seconds feel as if they were minutes. Siri had told her that the Force worked in mysterious ways, and that it could not be controlled, but that Jedi could use it if they accepted it. A lot of the teachings were new to Ari, and she found her mind sometimes too full of things to be able to let the Force guide her.
She shook her head. Not this time. She was going to put aside her worries and concerns so that her mind would be clear. She would open up to the Force and do the simple task of lifting the ration bars. She had seen the other Jedi lift larger things, including a table. They made it look easy, and Ari had been certain she could do it, until she tried. She had managed to lift a pillow though, as well as a few other small items. Siri had insisted that size did not matter, and once Ari had a little more experience, she could lift other things that were heavier.
Taking a few deep breaths and slowly letting them out, she slowly reached out for the Force. Sensing it around her, she could feel everything around her. They were not connected to her like living beings, but they felt like extensions of her. She willed the rations in her hands to rise up, floating as if they were lighter than air. She could feel them lift from her hands and once she was sure they would stay, she slowly opened her eyes.
They were floating just mere inches from her open palmed hands, but that was enough for her. She managed to contain her excitement though, and she kept the rations in midair. She didn't know how much time had passed, but it must have been longer than it seemed, because a beeping came through the cockpit, jarring her from her peaceful meditative state. The rations fell, one into her lap and the other onto the floor of the fighter and she was unable to reach it.
Sighing, she counted down with the numbers on the instrument panel and pulled back into real space.
The clouds were colored orange from the gases in the atmosphere, since Cloud City was known as a mining colony, according to the information Taylor had offered. Ari thought it looked like a sunrise or a sunset, and that it must constantly look like that. She doubted she would be able to enjoy the view from city though, since most likely she would be busy.
While she was piloting, with some help from R4, she attempted to reach under her seat to get her lost ration back. Who knew the next time she would be able to eat. The rations might be all she had left. Mid reach, she froze, forgetting the ration, as the city among the clouds appeared.
Cloud City was one of the most beautiful places she had ever been. The sky was tinted with an orange glow, with traces of red and pink scattered among it. The sun looked to be setting, causing the sky to seem even more colorful. It was breathtaking. More so than her vision had shown her. It was the right place though. She just knew it. Not only from how it looked, but also from something that she sensed. Something familiar and another thing that was dark. It caused a shiver to run up and down her spine.
The large city loomed in front of her. From where she had exited space, it looked like a small top, something a child would play with. As she got closer, she saw buildings take shape, and the vastness of the city struck her. It was larger than Anchorhead, and possibly even larger than Mos Eisley.
The lights on the buildings and around the city were blue, creating a sharp contrast between the natural beauty of the place and the floating city. She wondered for a moment if there was security, since she had not yet been asked for a clearance code, or even hailed by anyone from the city.
However, Ari's thoughts were brought to a quick end R4 squealed. The translation appeared on the monitor and Ari had to read it twice to make sure she had read it correctly. "I thought no one knew the kind of ship bounty hunters used..." she trailed off. What was she saying? If R4 somehow knew that the ship blasting off was that of a bounty hunter, she would trust the droid.
As Ari came closer, she saw some familiar figures the platform, shooting at the bounty hunter's ship. She saw Chewie with something on his back, and Leia was shooting at the ship rapidly.
That was all she needed to see before she turned the ship hard. She was not just going to land. She had a feeling that the bounty hunter had something that they needed. She had fought in the Battle of Yavin and the Battle of Hoth. She was not about to stop fighting just because this was against a bounty hunter and not the Empire.
R4 gave a few worried beeps and Ari just nodded. "Yes, we are going to fight." With that, she let out a volley of blaster fire as the ship and it was immediately returned. Her shields were hit and the Y-wing shook violently, R4 giving a shrill cry of shock.
"Hold on, R4!" she shouted as she turned sharply to the left to swing around and attack the ship again. She got a few more shots at the ship before it had also turned. This time she was ready and corkscrewed away, piloting sporadically. She took a few more shots, able to get the ship to fly back toward the platform it had taken off from. Then it flew up sharply and came at her, blasting, hitting the Y-Wing.
An alarm started to sound and she looked at her controls. Her shields were almost gone and she had taken a hard hit in the port side engine. She knew she only had one thing left to do. Make an emergency landing or be ready to become one with the Force. She attempted to engage the landing cycle, but the results were less than satisfactory since the ship's power was so low, it didn't allow the cycle to run completely. She would have to make a crash landing. Her gaze fell on the landing platform that the bounty hunter's ship had just taken off from. It was the large and close. Two things she would need.
"Hold on, R4!" she screamed as she pulled back to break the ship as much as possible as she hit the platform. The screeching of metal was deafening and sparks flew as the hull of the fighter scraped along the platform. Black smoke rose up from the engine as it gave out. The alarm continued throughout the ordeal and Ari struggled in vain to steer the sluggish fighter. If they fell off the platform, that would be the end.
The slide across the platform ended as the ship hit the wall with such a force that her head hit the side of the ship. Even with the helmet on, her head rang and the safety restraint kept her in place. She groaned as she started to take off the helmet, rubbing the side of her head. Tender, but it wasn't too bad. In fact, she had to consider herself lucky.
Undoing the restraints, Ari managed to get the cockpit open. She dropped the helmet to the ground and managed to get off the Rebellion's orange flightsuit. It would be easier to move without it. She would also blend in more. "R4, can you get down?" she asked the droid as she leapt to the ground, landing in a crouch. The droid beeped an affirmative and managed to glide down the wing of the fighter that was not destroyed.
While R4 was doing this, Ari was looking the ship over. Half of it was crushed by the wall, and from the smoke she saw, she was certain the ship would not be able to fly without major repairs. Repairs she didn't have the time, tools or experience to make.
She knew the damaged fighter might draw some unwanted attention, so as soon as R4 was on the ground; she started for the opened door, where some of the smoke was starting to slip in. She also noted the alarm inside the fighter was still sounding, weaker, but still making noise
Slipping into the building, she had to blink to let her eyes get accustomed to the brightness. The lights were normal, but the walls, ceiling and floor were white. Even the light that came in, which was orange, did not change the interior. It was inviting in a way, but also seemed informal, reminding Ari for the medical bay for a moment.
She shook her head and started down the hallway and stopped short at what she saw coming around the corner. Two Imperial stormtroopers. She pulled back, pressing herself against one of the few shadowed areas, holding up a finger to her lips to urge R4 to be quiet as well. They seemed to be on a mission, and if that was a case, they might overlook her. She was thankful she had left the flightsuit and helmet in the fighter and that she had left in the fighter. She was also happy that she left her other things back with the other Rebels. It would not be easy to carry a bagful of things with her.
She let out a sigh of relief as the troopers continued to march by, and she guessed it was to investigate the crash that had occurred. She had to get out of the area as quickly as possible. "Come on, R4, I saw Leia and Chewie earlier," she whispered and started down another hallway. She was not certain which way they had gone, but she was not going to give up her search. While she did this, thoughts ran through her mind. Why was the Empire there? Why would they have such an interest in the mining? What were Leia and Chewie doing there? And where was Luke? Worry for her best friend overtook her. How could she find him in a place like this? She came across some Cloud City citizens and felt slightly better that she blended in. At least she knew that she wouldn't stand out to any Imperial stormtroopers.
Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard a click as an announcement came over the public address system that reached every speaker in the city. "Attention! This is Lando Calrissian. The Empire has taken control of the city. I advise everyone to leave before more Imperial troops arrive."
Ari frowned as the other humans gasped and then all started to go separate ways. Clearly, she did not have as much time as she had thought. She had to find the others and get out as soon as possible.