Chapter X
Callan found Shila outside trying to keep her distance from the Stormtroopers inside the control center. He immediately led her to platform D-8 where the freighter awaited them, the pilot didn't get a chance to ask what they were doing on his ship before Shila stunned him and locked him away in the cell blocks. While Shila dealt with the pilot, Callan launched the ship off the platform and towards Tunka City.
Shila sits in the copilots seat next to Callan and takes out her comlink. "Ashla, we have the ship. We're heading to your pick up point now."
The comlink crackles as Ashla replies, "Got it, I'll be there."
Shila puts the comlink away before taking a breath, relieved the plan thus far has worked. However she also knows better than to fall for such illusion, in the back of her head she knows that anything that can go wrong will go wrong. She ;looks to Callan and asks him how his part of the plan went and when it's expected that the Empire will know what they did.
"I stunned the officers, by the time they come to we will be off Thakwaa. If we use the freighter to get back, we can use a new code to get past the fleet."
Shila brushes a strand of hair back behind her ear, "I only hope Ashla's friend will make all of this worth it. Honestly though, Love, isn't it a little risky to put our faith in someone we hardly know?"
Callan thinks to himself, remembering Ashla's secret as a Jedi.
"I trust her with the same kind of faith I haven't had in a long time."
Ahsoka's A-wing sits outside the cave in the plains while she rummages through the cave for the items she hid away. She finds her pack filled with rations before she slings it over her shoulder by one strap. She moves over to a rock resting not far from the entrance of the cave, she pushes it aside to find the hole she dug out beneath it. Sitting at the bottom of the hole are her two lightsabers. She clips them to her sides and shrouds them with her cloak and side bag. With all her gear collected, she moves outside of the cave and waits beside her fighter for Shila and Callan.
Suddenly Ahsoka hears the hum of an Imperial freighter behind her. She turns around and looks over Tunka City to see Shila and Callan's stollen ship approaching. The Gozanti-class freighter swoops down over Ahsoka's fighter and the loading elevator deploys. Ahsoka would connect her fighter to the freighters TIE docking clamp, but she would be unable to access the ship. Her A-wing doesn't have the exact same docking clamps as a TIE fighter.
Ahsoka gets in her fighter and cautiously moves it onto the elevator platform.
"I'll go help Ashla." Callan says leaving the pilots chair.
Shila notices the comlink flashing with a transmission from the Star Destroyer over Tunka City airfield. "Freighter 3966, why have you grounded?"
Shila quickly tries to think of an excuse.
"Freighter 3966, your response is mandatory."
"Yes! This is Freighter 3966, the landing gears hydraulics have faltered. We are running a full diagnostic of the ships functions and will be up in the air shortly."
"We will send a mechanical crew to assist."
"Uh, negative, sir. We will not be needing a mech crew, the situation is under control."
The comlink goes quiet.
"Very well Freighter 3966. You have ten minutes to return to course or else we will send a mech crew - and a search party."
"Understood, sir. Freighter 3966 out."
Shila shuts off the transmission and hurries to the cargo bay to alert Callan and Ashla.
The elevator raises with Ashla's fighter. Callan stands at the elevator control panel to man the lift, the fighter just barely fits in the cargo bay. Ahsoka opens the hatch and jumps out to stand beside Callan and Shila who comes running out the elevator.
"We gotta get going, the Empire's threatened to send a search party."
Ahsoka nods, "Right, launch the freighter."
The three hurry to the freighters bridge to pull away from the plains. Callan sits back in the pilot's seat with Shila in the copilots, while Ahsoka acts as the navigator. Callan takes the yolk and moves the freighter around with its nose pointed upward as Shila powers up the thrusters.
Once the freighter exits Thakwaa's orbit, they are intercepted by the Imperial fleets capitol ship alongside another Star Destroyer, two TIE fighters fly up to the freighters sides as escorts. Shila inserts the holodisk to the computers data decoder and prepares to transmit the clearance code.
"Let's hope this works." Callan says, "No turning back now."
On the bridge of the Chimaera, Thrawn stands aside the Grand Inquisitor and Seventh Sister as they watch out the the viewport to see the freighter approaching the bow. The bridge at full productivity and attention with the presence of the Grand Admiral. Beneath the catwalk, air traffic control officials scan the incoming freighter.
Thrawn squints his red eyes at the freighter, "Traffic control, what's the status of that freighter?"
One of the officials looks up at the catwalk towards Thrawn, "That's Freighter 3966, Grand Admiral. It's scheduled to return to Coruscant after deploying a squadron of TIE fighters at a shipping port on the planet's surface."
"Does it have the proper clearance code?"
The official sends a transmission to the freighter, "Freighter 3966, this is the Chimaera of the Imperial Seventh Fleet. You are required to transmit the clearance code to gain passage."
The coms sputter, "Seventh Fleet, this is Freighter 3966, transmitting clearance code now."
The code appears on the screen.
"The code is authorized, Grand Admiral."
"Let them pass." the Grand Inquisitor says, "If that ship is carrying our fugitives, then it's most likely they will be back with friends."
Thrawn understands what the Inquisitor implies, "They will return with the rest of their rebellion and give us the opportunity to destroy them all at once. Yes, let them pass."
The official nods. "Freighter 3966, you are clear to jump to hyperspace."
The comlink speaks back, "Affirmative Seventh Fleet, putting in hyperspace coordinates now."
Thrawn watches as the TIE fighters break off the ship as it moves into position before jumping to hyperspace.
The stollen freighter drops out of hyperspace in the Fakir Sector. Ahsoka turns her chair to face Callan and Shila.
"That worked. I can't believe it worked!" Callan says surprised.
Shila reaches under the control panel and pulls out some wiring. "We're going to have to use a different code to get back on Thakwaa. But for now, we won't have to worry about the Imp's tracking us." Shila grabs two yellow wires and yanks down on them, disconnecting the transmitter from the freighters tracking device.
"Now it's time to execute phase two of the plan." Ahsoka says, "And for this, you're going to have to trust me now more than ever."
Shila stops, still under the control panel, and looks at Ashla with a solemn look.
"I'm going to need the holodisk."
Shila gets out from under the panel and rises to her feet. "So you can take it to your friend, leave us out here in a stollen Imperial freighter without the clearance codes to get back to Thakwaa were Cassian, Ondar, and Zallar have no way off world."
Ahsoka can understand Shilas distrust, her argument is reasonable.
If Ahsoka really wasn't someone to be trusted.
"You have my word, Shila. I will return."
Ahsoka looks at Callan for help.
"We are outmatched on Thakwaa, Shila." Callan argues, "If Ashla can get more help, we may have chance at fighting the Empire and get out with our lives."
Shila still doesn't take her eyes of Ahsoka.
Callan continues, "Besides Shila, the codes have been downloaded onto the freighters databank. We can still get past the fleet if she doesn't come back."
Shila doesn't like the risk, but she knows how desperate they are on Thakwaa. The Empire could find the others any minute and they wouldn't stand a chance.
Shila sighs, "Alright. But how will we know when your coming back?"
"You still have that comlink I gave you right?" Ahsoka points at Shila's utility belt.
Shila nods.
"After I see my friend, I will contact you."
Shila doesn't say or do anything but nod.
Callan ejects the holdisk and hands it to Ahsoka. Ahsoka puts it in the bag at her side, she accidently reveals one of her lightsabers to which she covers back up immediately. Shila notices Ashla's quick move, but says nothing.
"Then it's settled." Ahsoka says trying to get Shila's attention back, "I'll leave in my ship and contact you on my return. Trust me, I will come back."
Ahsoka leaves the bridge and moves down to the cargo bay to her ship. With the holodisk at her side, she'll set course for Alderaan, there is much she has to talk about with Bail.