Chapter 11
Klink wasn't really happy about the fight happening in the middle of his compound. Solstice and Sully stood in front of him. The man next to her had his head bowed in submission, but Solstice stared at the willowy man before her. If she played her cards right, then she could convince Klink that the man beside her started the fight and she was just defending herself.
Now if only Hogan would come, she thought as Klink continued his rant.
"Disgraceful conduct!" He shouted. Solstice blinked as he waved his riding crop in the air. "I thought that prisoners of war would hold themselves into a higher standard of behaving that having fights in the courtyard!"
"But Kommadant Klink-" Sully started.
"SILENCE!" The Kommadant interrupted. Solstice winced as a bunch of spit found itself on her face. She wiped it off and waited for Klink to stop yelling. "You two will be confined to sixty days in the cooler."
That's when Hogan decided to make his appearance. "Kommadant, I protest to the punishment!"
Klink flinched, as the Colonel came in suddenly, before he managed to regain his composer a little bit. But the angry expression soon returned as did his rant. "HOGAN GET OUT OF HERE!"
"But Kommadant, I can tell you that you're wrongly punishing Solstice! She didn't start this!"
"Oh really?" Klink's face scrunched up as if he smelled something disgusting. "And what happened?"
"I was minding my own business," Solstice stated before Hogan could formulate a reply. "Then, this barbarian attacked me. And if you ask anyone in the compound, they'll tell you that I didn't start it. I only finished it."
Klink scowled as he examined the two prisoners in front of him. His eyes lingered on Solstice for a moment longer before flicking over to Sully. "Very well. Sully McCarter, you will spend thirty days in the cooler. Solstice, you and Hogan are free to go."
The brunette smirked as she and Hogan made their way out of the office as quickly as they could. It was slowly approaching roll call, which meant in a mere couple of hours, the mission would begin. As the two made their way towards the barracks, they spotted Doctor Serth speaking with General Burkhalter. The large general sneered at them as they made their way to their place among the prisoners. Doctor Serth gave Solstice a barely noticeable smile before bidding the Gestapo General a goodnight, turning towards his private barracks.
As the General entered his automobile, Solstice suddenly thought of something. "How are we going to get to the plant?"
"Kanan told me you could convince one of the guards to let you borrow one of the automobiles." Hogan whispered back. Solstice nodded back. Her eyes went over to where three automobiles were parked, each heavily guarded by guards.
"We may have to ambush one outside of camp." She informed the Colonel. "If we take one here, we may be in trouble."
"Okay. Meet in the tunnel as soon as possible."
Solstice nodded as she walked over to where she was supposed to stand for roll call. There was nothing tenser than minutes before a high-risk mission took place. Fifteen years ago, when she was still a Padawan, Solstice would meditate in her quarters to calm and focus her mind on the coming mission. She would also prepare herself for the casualties that would no doubt happen during the battle. But now, standing in at attention while she went over all the possibilities that could or could not happen during this rescue mission. It didn't help calm her mind. In fact, it did the opposite. She felt herself start too worry.
A little girl's life was at stake. An alliance with the greatest mind in the galaxy was at stake. Everything the Rebellion had worked for up to this moment was at stake. There were just too many variables to take in account. As roll call continued, Solstice felt her panic reach its peak. That is, until a calming presence wrapped around her.
Be still, my young apprentice. Her brow furrowed as she could've sworn she heard her Master whisper in her ear. Focusing on what might not happen is not the way to think. You must concentrate all your energies to getting yourself and your friends to safety.
"DIIIIIIISSSSSSMMMMMIIIIIIIISSSSSEEEEEDDDDDDD!" Solstice snapped herself out of her trance at Klink's orders. She quickly disappeared into her barracks, her heart pounding hard against her ribcage. Even though time was of the essence, the bounty hunter hesitated at the drop down.
Master, please watch over us. She prayed.
I am always with you, Solstice.
This time, there was no doubt that she heard him speak to her. She didn't know how that was possible but it helped calm her heart and focus her mind. A small smile was on her face as she switched off the lights using the Force before leaping down in the dark tunnel, closing the hatch as she fell. As quickly as she could, Solstice made her way to her ship, grabbing the explosive paint. She grabbed several different colors (red, black, purple, blue, white and orange) before making her way to where she was meeting the rest of the attack team.
When she arrived, Kanan, Newkirk and Carter were all dressed up in their disguises. Kanan and Newkirk wore the uniforms of sergeants, while Carter wore a uniform of a Corporal. When Hogan saw her, he handed her the uniform of a general.
"Do you really think that the Germans will believe a woman is a Gestapo General?" Solstice asked as she pulled the uniform over her stealth robes.
"Well, if you're convincin' enough they might." Newkirk stated as he sucked on a cigarette. "An' believe me, you are well convincin', my dear."
Solstice placed a hand over her heart in mock sincerity. "Aw, thank you! That means the world to me!"
"Hey, do you have the exploding paint?" Carter asked. His eyes were lit up like a Wookie cub on Life Day. Solstice laid the canisters on the table for them to look over.
"Choose your colors boys." She ordered lightly. While they did that, Hogan handed her a primitive blaster. She gave it a look over, spinning the barrel before giving it a flip and sliding it into the visible holster. The bounty hunter made sure her lightsaber and her blaster were hidden before tying her hair back. She turned around and saw Carter holding three of the canisters. The colored stripes on it were red, white and blue. The blond man rolled the canisters towards her, which she then examined with a cocked eyebrow.
"Any specific reason for these colors?" Solstice asked as she pulled out a bag and stuffed the canisters into it.
"Gonna give the Germans a taste of the ol' red, white and blue." Hogan answered.
"I don't know about this, Eagle." Kanan muttered as he clumsily adjusted his uniform coat. Solstice sighed as she walked over and helped him straighten his coat.
"Just remember, you're a sergeant. You do as I tell you to. Don't talk either, because I'm not sure if you have the German accent down."
"Again, I still don't know about this." The brunet man repeated. Solstice felt his anxiety through the Force, as it was overwhelming. So, she sent a wave of calm through the Force. It apparently worked as the man's panic ebbed away and he took a deep breath.
"Don't worry." She assured him before turning to the others. "We'll be fine if we just follow the plan."
"Alrigh', let's get goin'." Newkirk said as he, Carter and Kanan strolled towards the end of the tunnel. Solstice hesitated before turning to Hogan. Worry shone clear in the Colonel's eyes. The brunette Jedi met the man's eyes, her aquamarine eyes glinting.
"I will bring them home, Hogan." She promised. "Even if I have to sacrifice myself, then I will. You will get your men back."
All Hogan said was, "Be sure that they do."
Solstice watched as he disappeared down the opposite side of the tunnel. She took a deep breath before she quickly followed the men. They waited several miles outside of camp before ambushing a transport truck, ironically heading in the direction they were going in. Solstice and Kanan wiped their memories with the Force, so that when they woke up or found, then they wouldn't be able to rat them out. As Solstice took her place in the passenger seat, while Carter drove, she once again prayed for her master to watch over them on the mission and prayed to whatever deity she could think of to help them.
When the factory came into view, Solstice drew herself up. She wrapped herself in an air of command and authority. Kanan's panic and anxiety came back ten-fold when they were waved down by the guards.
"Papers?" He asked. Thankfully, Solstice had a mind to snatch the papers from the people that they ambushed. Carter handed them to the guard, who looked them over before waving them through. The bounty hunter sighed heavily through her nose as she kept her eyes forward and kept her face neutral. Carter drove through the compound, parking right outside the factory. Everyone piled out of the truck, Kanan and Newkirk bringing up the rear as Carter helped Solstice out.
The supposed person in charge came up to them, giving a typical German salute. The group saluted back, the tense moment getting even tenser.
"Forgive us, but we weren't expecting you, General Kaller." The man stated, directing it at Carter. Solstice cleared her throat.
"Haven't you heard of a surprise inspection, Colonel?" she asked. It was at that moment that Solstice saw the blood drain from the man's face when his steely eyes flickered over to her and examined her garb. He tried to stutter an apology but was cut off when Solstice held up her hand. "Save your weak apologizes for someone who cares. I have very little time to do this, so let's get on with it."
"Of course." He gestured for them to follow into the factory. "Is there anything specific you wish to see?"
"Yes." Solstice clipped. "I heard that Doctor Kandar Serth's daughter is here. I was sent here to ask her some questions about her father's loyalty to the Fuhrer."
"Ah." The man wasn't at all surprised at Solstice's demands. But she pushed all her anger down as far as she could as she pulled up the stony, emotionless personality that made her White Eagle. "If I may ask, how does a beautiful woman like you become a Gestapo General?"
"Knowing the right people." Solstice stated with an air of aloofness. "And being extraordinary. The Fuhrer wanted to use me to throw men off balance. I have to say, he is a clever man."
"He is indeed." The Colonel agreed, though Solstice could feel through the Force that this man didn't exactly believe that. The group continued to walk through the factory, the colonel taking all the twists and turns he could probably think of. Solstice felt a bit of déjà vu, her mind going to the time she rescued the little Twi'lek at the beginning of this adventure. Much like what was left of the Zygerian slave guild, this man was purposefully leading her and her group through a maze to through them off in case they turned out be enemies. But, like the Zygerian Slave Guild, all it did was help the bounty hunter get a better layout of the place.
After what seemed like an eternity, the group arrived at a small room. Two guards were posted outside, each looking very intimidating.
"May I ask why you have two soldiers guarding a simple child?" Solstice asked.
"Because the child is a crafty little devil." The Colonel admitted. "She has already tried to escape three times. Each time, she has gotten closer and closer to success. If it wasn't for the strict orders that no harm came to her, she would've been shot already."
Solstice pretended to look surprise, but in her mind, the bounty hunter was feeling admiration for the little child. Only nine years old, and she was able to almost escape three times. Those orders were the only thing that was keeping her alive in this place.
The bounty hunter blinked, the sound of the German Colonel unlocking the door pulling her out of her thoughts. Inside, the room was nothing more than a bed pushed up against the wall, a desk and a chair. But, littering the ground and the surface of the desk, were bright pictures, most of which depicted a happy family. In the far corner of the room, sat a little girl. She looked like her father, with the same black hair, same black eyes and same facial structure. The little girl wore a frilly pink dress that was covered in dirt. Her scared eyes burrowed into Solstice's soul.
Focus, she ordered herself. Turning to the prisoners of war in disguise, she ordered, "Stand by the door. Colonel, you are dismissed."
"Heil Hitler!" He saluted. Solstice gave a half-hearted salute back before the man left. Once the door was shut, Kanan all but collapsed, sweat glittering on his forehead clearly. Newkirk and Carter seemed very collected as they examined the room.
Suddenly, the little girl spoke up. "You're not with the Germans, are you?"
Solstice, her heart melting, knelt down and placed a gentle hand on the girl's knee. "No, sweetie. We're not."
She cocked her head. "Are you with the Empire?"
"No, Tammara. We're with the Rebellion."
"How do you know my name?" The little girl asked. Solstice saw that the girl goes on the defensive.
"Don't worry. We've come to save you. Your dad sent us."
"Is he okay?"
"He's fine." Kanan answered. His aquamarine eyes glittered as he examined the walls. "We need to get going if this plan is going to succeed."
Solstice nodded as she stood, the little girl standing as well. The bounty hunter turned to the other three. "Okay. Let's go."
The bounty hunter clutched the girl's hand as she exited the room. To her surprise, the guards were gone, allowing them to easily move through the compound, though they were as stealthy as they could. While going through the plant, they came to where all the factory workers were. Solstice spotted a boiler that could create quite the pretty explosion. She jerked her head silently to the others, who all nodded in agreement. As she was struggling to come up with a plan, a whistle blew, signifying a break. The five of them ducked into a spare room and waited until all the workers to leave before sneaking inside.
"Whoa." Solstice heard Carter mutter as he picked up a blaster. It was very poorly cobbled together, but it was a blaster.
"We definitely need to destroy this place." Newkirk declared as he examined the stockpile.
"These…. they're not very well made." Solstice noticed as she ran her hand over it. With the Force, the bounty hunter could see the entire inner workings of the weapon. None of the wiring were wired correctly, but there were a few things that were correct. Kanan glanced over at her, when he felt the Force being used. "But…. there's enough correct that they can use it effectively."
"So, this is the room that needs to go." Kanan theorized as he pulled out the few charges given. "I'll start putting these bad boys down."
"Carter and Newkirk, how about you guys get started on your art project?" Solstice suggested, while tossing the three cans over to them. Carter caught two while Newkirk caught one and together, the two started to get to work on the painting. Solstice glanced around, piling all the blasters she could together in a pile. Tammara watched all of this quietly. Her black eyes darted around, zeroing on Solstice the longest.
"Everyone good?" Solstice asked as she finished piling the blasters together.
"Finished." Kanan announced.
"All good here!" Newkirk informed as he tossed the paint back to him. Solstice examined the artwork. It was a flag, red and white stripes, blue border, and white stars. It was pretty artfully done. It could've passed for Sabine's artwork. The bounty hunter quickly pulled out a spare can, a bright orange color that Sabine usually used. With quick strokes, Solstice painted the Starbird of the Jedi and Rebellion next to the flag. She examined the portrait before turning to Kanan, who had a knowing smile on his face. Solstice just shrugged as she grabbed Tammara and the group dashed out of the room. They made it all the way to the automobile before they were stopped.
"Where are you going with the prisoner?" The colonel from before asked.
"We were never here." Kanan stated with authority. He waved a hand over the man's face. The group watched as the colonel go glassy-eyed.
"You were never here." He repeated in a monotone voice.
"You will forget that you saw us."
"I will forget that I saw you."
"Now, go back to your post."
The colonel suddenly turned on his heels and walked off into the compound. Newkirk and Carter breathed a sigh of relief as they all piled into the car. Solstice took the driver's seat and they rode in relative silence before stopping halfway between the camp and the compound.
"Why are we stoppin'?" Newkirk demanded. He glanced at his watch. "We only go' a half hour before roll call."
"And we're twenty miles from camp!" Carter added.
"Well excuse me for having a little fun." Solstice shot back. "I thought you guys wanted to see the destruction of the compound."
"But it's so far!" Carter pointed out.
"Oh, trust me. With all of the explosives and the amount of paint we used, you'll be able to see it from here." Solstice took a few minutes to make sure the devices were synced up with her wrist control. Everyone waited with baited breath as her finger slowly drifted towards the button. "Be prepared, in three, two, ONE!"
Her finger pressed down on the button. There was a moment of silence, which had Solstice thinking something went wrong, before an explosion rocked the night. It was so bright, it almost seemed like the sun was rising. But instead of a warm ball of fire, only a giant mushroom cloud explosion rose off the horizon. The five of them braced for the shockwave that nearly pushed them back and toppled the truck. The explosion was so beautiful, the destruction so complete it drew a tear from Solstice's eye. Glancing over she saw that Carter had his hand over his heart as the smoke took on a red, white and blue color. As the three colors faded, the smoke turned briefly orange and took the shape of a Phoenix rising from the smoke.
"Alright, let's get hopping." Solstice ordered as she and the others reentered the truck. Newkirk drove this time, as he knew all the ends and outs of the backroads that went straight to camp. But that didn't mean he would go slow. The RAF pilot put petal to the metal, barreling through the trees and bushes. Solstice was with Carter and Kanan in the back, and all three of them had to hold onto something for dear life. The bounty hunter's stomach wasn't happy with all the bumps, sharp turns and jerky stops but she managed to not throw up in the back of the truck. Kanan wasn't doing much better than her but Carter seemed to have a relaxed smile on his face. He was even humming a tune that Solstice recognized as the 'Battle Hymn of the Republic' from the music nights at Stalag 13.
After another thirty minutes, the truck came to a complete stop. The three in the back hopped out of the truck quickly, tossing their weapons and over coats into the back. Sweat had coated the inside of her uniform, which was unfortunate as a cold breeze blew by, inciting a wince and a groan. With much difficulty, the bounty hunter tossed the heavy overcoat over her shoulder. Looking around, Solstice noticed they were only three miles from camp, two and a half from the hidden tunnel. She glanced at her chronometer and noted that they only had fifteen minutes before roll call.
"Come here, Tammara." Solstice ordered. Unceremoniously, she picked the young girl up and draped her over her shoulder. When the others sent her strange looks, the bounty hunter pointed out, "It's quicker! Come on, you three! Move like a Loth Wolf is after you!"
That seemed to spur the men forward. Solstice and Kanan poured on the speed with the Force. Some deity was looking out for them. That or their luck was still running well.
They managed to make it back to the camp with minutes to spare. Solstice quickly ordered Tammara to stay in the tunnels before dashing back up to her quarters. She just managed to slide underneath her covers and slightly level out her breathing before the guard burst in, ordering that she get up for roll call. The bounty hunter was extremely exhausted, the adrenaline from the mission fading. Though there weren't any close calls in this one (not counting the timeliness), Solstice felt that one wrong move on her part, and the whole thing would've collapsed.
Let's get through today, she chanted to herself. After roll call, you can take a nap. Just get through a couple of hours of that. You can do it.
Unlike all the other times, Solstice allowed her composure to match that of the others: slumped. Several times during roll call, she found herself dozing on her feet, something she mastered when she was still a Padawan. She only managed to wake up when Klink finished his spiel. Apparently, the news about the destruction of the factory swept through the German ranks pretty quickly, considering it was only mere minutes after the fact. It was probably because the explosion was so bright and so noticeable. Hogan gave her a quirked eyebrow when the Kommadant said something about a red, white and blue tinted smoke. She shrugged subtly at the Colonel, before returning her attention to the Kommadant.
"And I assure you, these men responsible for this will be found and held responsible! DISSSIMMMISSED!" Klink turned sharply on his heels, heading back towards his barracks. Solstice hung her head for a moment before straightening and making her way towards Barracks Two. Only, she took a couple of steps before Ezra slammed her with a hug.
"That was AWESOME!" the boy declared.
"You saw the explosion?" Solstice asked.
"Saw it?" The blue-haired boy chuckled. "I saw it, heard it. Heck, I FELT it. The shockwave nearly blew Barracks Two down."
"Well, that's what happens when you use a massive amount of explosive paint and explosives." Solstice ruffled his hair. She sighed as she made her way towards Hogan's barracks. The brown-haired Colonel was already waiting for her already, leaning up against the barracks. He straightened up when he noticed the bounty hunter and young rebel walking towards him. He patted the woman on the back.
"Congratulations, Solstice!" He said.
"Thanks." Solstice coughed.
"I need you to come with for a moment. Ezra, you too."
Solstice cocked an eyebrow. "What for?" She noticed that the boy beside her was trying to hide a smile. "What's going on?"
"Just close your eyes." Ezra ordered. The two males had taken up position at either side of the door, blocking her from entering. Solstice glanced at the two before sighing. She complied, her eyes closing shut. Almost immediately, the brunette woman heard the boy snicker. "Don't peek."
Hogan (or she assumed it was Hogan) gently grabbed her wrist and directed her forward. Solstice tried to make out what was going on in Barracks Two. Except, she couldn't. It was very quiet. There was some shuffling and Solstice heard something that sounded like snickering.
"What's going on?" She repeated.
"Just keep your eyes closed, Sol." Carter's voice could be heard to her left. "You can open in three, two, one!"
She popped her eyes open quickly. For some reason, the former bounty hunter was expecting an attack, or something along those lines. Not the entirety of Barracks Two covered with makeshift streamers and confetti. A sign was strung between the two rows of barracks, and on the table, there was a pretty big cake with 'twenty-six' written on it in pink icing. There were a couple of candles that were lit. Solstice felt her heart melt at the effort as the men started to sing 'Happy Birthday'. The men were out of tune and very off-beat, but it was the thought that counted. Besides, it's been a while since she spent her birthday with living beings. Usually, she spent her birthdays in the bar with several glasses of Corellian Whiskey.
"Guys!" she explained as Kinchloe placed a makeshift party hat on her head. She wiped a tear that seemed to fall. "You guys didn't have to do this."
"We know." Ezra answered as he scooped up a small bit of icing with his finger, despite the fact that Lebeau was trying to smack him away.
"Rex told us that your birthday was today and, well, we just wanted to show you some gratification for helping us with the mission." Hogan stated. Suddenly, Solstice felt turned off by the cake, her stomach doing an uneasy roll. She figured it was the guilt, considering that she had been rude to the former Captain of the 501st. Her face for a moment, but before anyone could notice, she wiped it off her face and smiled brightly.
"Uh, I'm gonna go and put on something a little less smelly. I'll be right back." The brunette lied. There was no hesitating when she exited the barracks. When the door closed behind her, Solstice scanned the compound for Rex, who was sitting on a crate, whittling a piece of wood. There was a slight hesitance in her actions but Solstice managed to move her feet forward until she was in front of the old soldier.
"Hey." She greeted quiet. Rex glanced up, his hard-amber eyes softening at the sight of her. "I, uh, just wanted to thank you for organizing the party."
Rex smiled softly. "No problem."
"And, I'm sorry for how I treated you these past few days." Tears were forming in her eyes. "I guess I wasn't as over the massacre as I thought I was."
The old clone placed his things down, before standing up and embracing her in a hug. Solstice was shocked at first and tensed…. but eventually melted into the hug. When they broke a part, Solstice felt that she finally made reconciliation with her past.
"Now come on, let's go and eat that cake."
"Yeah, before Ezra eats up all of it."
The two of them chuckled as they made their way towards Barracks Two.
-Line Break-
Sabine Wren sighed as she examined the case file put together on Bonga Liferift. This guy was such a good agent for the Empire, even if the Mandelorian hated to admit it. As it would have it, Bonga had been seen in several dozen systems over the course of the few years that the Empire had been in power. He had several different aliases that he used over the course of the years, and different jobs he's used to get close to those involved with the rebellion. Sabine remembered a time when she and the Crew found out that Gall Trayvis was also a traitor to the Rebellion, using the façade of a senator in exile to lure rebels and insurgents into a trap.
Bonga Liferift, however, was a whole other story. He actually brutally killed those insurgents and rebels that were unfortunate enough to encounter the Mon Calamari. Sabine winced at the pictures of those who were found dead. Most of the bodies found were unidentifiable. The cops couldn't even identify what species the person was. And three of her teammates and an ally (if you use the term loosely) of the Rebellion were trapped on a planet with no way to contact the Ghost crew if they needed help.
Hera was driving herself up the wall with worry, but Sabine had managed to keep her from flying off on a half-baked plan. The high-brass also did the same, giving them mission after mission in order to keep them from flying off and doing something stupid. Right now, they were shipping a bunch of Porgs to Vizago on Lothal. They were annoyingly cute but still annoying. It took the Mandelorian all that she had to not shove them into the cold void of space.
"Hey Sabine," Zeb's voice cut through her thought. "Hera wants you to help her herd the Porgs into their cages. We're coming out of hyperspace."
"Okay." Sabine placed the datapad on the desk before leaving her room. She sent a quick prayer to whatever deity would listen that Ezra, Kanan, Rex and White Eagle would get out okay.