Chapter 5
Change in a trooper
Okay. Time for the newest chapter. But first, on to the reviews.
SaurusRock625: Well, I wanted to give Lincoln a rare crystal for his saber.
1049: Soon.
OmegaDelta: You'll just have to wait and see.
sshoah4: At least two more are.
Gamelover41592: Lynn, not really. It just sometimes ends up that way with NSL AUs. Lori, yes.
And now... Let's kick it up!
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Back on Earth, at the grounds of Royal Woods High, Luna sat a table while strumming a melancholic tune on her guitar, letting out regular sighs as she did so. Just then, a blonde girl with a blue streak dyed in her hair, clad in a white bullseye tshirt, a blue jean jacket, ripped burgundy pants, and black boots approached the rocker and sat down next to her.
"Hey, Lunes." The girl said.
"Hey, Sam." Luna answered back, finding at least some comfort in the company of her girlfriend.
"Still no word from your brother?" Sam asked, being able to tell the answer from Luna's disposition.
"Not a one. We've looked everywhere. But it's like Linc has disappeared in to thin air." Luna said while gripping her guitar so hard in her sorrow and rage, she she risked breaking it until she felt Sam's arms wrap around her.
"You'll find him, Luna. I know you will." Sam whispered in to Luna's ear as the rocker leaned back in to her embrace. "Hey. Isn't that your sister?" Sam asked as Luna looked up to see Lucy pushing several boxes with a hand truck.
"What's she up too?" Luna asked, noting how with the exception of school, Lucy would barely leave the attic. Curious as to what would have caused this to change, Luna stood up as she and Sam began to what they believed to be secretly follow the gothic Loud.
The two continued to follow Lucy for a half hour until finally, coming to the entrance to a cave.
"Um. Are you sure it's safe to follow her in there?" Sam asked. Of coarse Luna was well aware of the reason why she did.
"It's cool, Sam. I know that caves really freak you out." Luna said with an understanding tone. "I'll call you later. I just want to see what my sis is up to." She said before entering the cave.
Upon reaching a large chamber in the cave, Luna saw something that defied her belief. Lucy was standing in the center of the chamber with what seemed to be a ghost standing next to her as she closed her eyes and lifted some of Lynn's old exercise gear out of the boxes with her mind.
"You are doing well." The ghost said to her as she moved each spot in to the beat position given the size of the chamber of the cave.
"Thank you, Master Qui Gon." Lucy said while looking up at the ghost.
"You should preform some physical exercises." Qui Gon said before looking past Lucy and over to Luna. "You should speak with her as well." He said as Lucy nodded before turning to face Luna as Qui Gon faded.
"What the hell is going on?" Luna asked as her gothic sister approached her.
"It's a bit of a story. But the important part... is that Lincoln needs my help." Lucy said as Luna's eyes widened.
"Tell me everything." Luna said without a moment as Lucy grabbed two of the boxes and began to tell the story of of how she had begun following their brother down the path to becoming a Jedi.
(With Lincoln)
Lincoln was moving through a series of storage crates.
"Spector 2 to Spector 6. What's your status?" Hera asked over the coms.
"Spector 7 and I are above the hauler. Fulcrum's intel was right on the credits. The weapons in here could give some serious help to the cause." Lincoln said.
"Alright. Try to obtain the cargo without any fuss." Hera instructed.
"Will do. Spector 6 out." Lincoln said as he cut communications.
(On the Ghost)
"I don't like this. Me or Kanan should have gone with them." Sabine said with a nervous tone.
"It's okay. I get nervous when I'm not with Kanan on a job." Hera said as Sabine's face began to burn red.
"Wh-what are you talking about?" Sabine asked, trying to deny what the Twi'Lek was insinuating.
"Sabine, I'm not blind. I see how look at Lincoln and how much time you spend with him." Hera said with a kind smile, gaining a sigh from the Mandalorian girl.
"That obvious, huh?" Sabine asked.
"About as obvious as his attraction to you." Hera said with a smirk.
"Wait. You think he's in to me?" Sabine asked. But her excitement at the prospect quickly faded when she remembered something. "It doesn't matter. Jedi aren't aloud to love." She said.
"And yet, I'm with Kanan and according to him, a lot of Jedi dissagreed with that rule." Hera pointed out. "Look. My advice, go for it. You never know what tomorrow brings. So be happy while you can." He said as a thoughtful look cane to Sabine's face.
(Back with Lincoln)
The young Jedi covertly moved to the Imperial cargo freighter and reached out with the Force to make sure no one was on board. He then waited for the Stormtroopers to begin walking away before he slipped around the corner and in to the ship. However, as he got in, one of the Troopers looked up before turning around and walking to the ship.
"Alright, Sixer. Time to see if those flight lessons from Hera have payed off." Lincoln said as he started the ship and began to take off. "Alright, now let's..." He began only to notice the trooper that had followed him on the security cam. "Punch in the Hyperspace coordinates, I'll handle our stowaway." He said before unclipping his Lightsaber from the inside of his jacket and began walking back in to the cargo hold.
Upon entering the hold, Lincoln was quickly fired upon by the Stormtrooper, only for him to quickly deflect the blast, back to the trooper, knocking his gun out of his hand. The trooper responded by throwing down a smoke grenade before Lincoln took out his blaster shot where the gun had landed only to be tackled from behind by the trooper and drop both his weapons.
Once Lincoln was down, the trooper pulled out a large cylindrical pistol. Lincoln responded, by kicking the pistol from the troopers hand before kicking up on to his feet, knocking the trooper's helmet off in the process, to show the face of a bearded black haired man in his early twenties. The trooper then rolled to his feet as he and Lincoln both exchanged several punches and kicks before suddenly being caught off balance by a shaking of the ship.
"What are they doing? I told them to use a tractor beam." The trooper said as a squad of TIE Fighters shot at the ship.
"Sixer, get us out of here!" Lincoln called as the ship prepared to jump. However, just as it did, one of the TIEs got off a lucky shot and hit the ship's engine, the hit caused another shake that threw both Lincoln and the trooper in to a wall, knocking them out.
(Back on the Ghost)
"Beep dwoop deet." Sixer said over the coms.
"What do you mean, you're losing control?" Sabine asked in a panic.
"Boop beep beep!" Sixer explained.
"You won't be able to make it back here with a busted engine. Drop out of Hyperspace before..." Hera was saying before a loud boom was heard. "Sixer? Sixer!" She exclaimed before the com cut off. "Chopper, scan the rout they were taking and find every possible world they could have possibly crashed on! Sabine, get Kanan!" She said as Sabine ran out of the cockpit.
"Kanan!" Sabine called as she slammed her fist on the door of Kanan's room before the Jedi opened it. "The cargo ship Lincoln stole got shot down and we lost contact with him and Sixer!" She said in a panic before Kanan put his hand on her shoulder.
"It's okay. I can sense he's still alive. We'll find him." Kanan reassured the Mandalorian girl before the two of them went back to the cockpit.
(Back with Lincoln)
"Beeoop? Beeoop?" Sixer asked as Lincoln woke up to see the droid floating above him.
"Yeah. Yeah. I'm okay, pal." Lincoln said before patting Sixer on the top. He then looked to see that they were at an angle, the ship was in half and their was a lava flow coming from a nearby mountain.
"Oh kriff." Lincoln said as he got up and called the weapons to him and readied to leave before looking over to the unconscious trooper and feeling something through the Force. Just then, the ship began to turn and Lincoln started running while calling upon the Force to pick up the trooper and four of the crates in he had come for before throwing them out and jumping out himself as the ship fell in to the lava below. "That was close." He said before walking to the crates
"Stop right there. The trooper said from behind the young Jedi.
"How do you plan on making me stop without this." Lincoln said as he held up the trooper's sidearm.
"My Briar Pistol! Give it back!" The trooper demanded as Lincoln heard something.
"Move!" Lincoln called as he pushed the trooper back with the Force as the ground beneath him exploded as a large Scorpion-like creature came up from the ground. In response, Lincoln quickly forward with his Lightsaber and jumped up to cut off the creature's tail and stab it in the head. "Get up. More are coming." He said as he helped the trooper to his feet as seven more Scorpions rose up and Lincoln held up the Briar Pistol. "Promise not to shoot me?" He asked as the trooper nodded and took the gun before the two stood back to back.
Lincoln rand forward while twirling his DH-23 in his hand, shooting one of the creatures in the head, before sliding under a second one, quickly deactivating his saber, igniting it in the creature's heart, and deactivating it again only to reactivate it and slice a third creature's head clean off. He then looked back to see that the Stormtrooper had already downed once of the creatures and kicked off of a rock wall to shoot another in the head before another rose up on its back legs only for him to shoot with a charged blast only for another one to tackle him to the ground. Lincoln then picked the creature up with the Force and pulled it toward him before cutting it vertically in half.
As the fight concluded, Lincoln ran over to the trooper to see him holding his side. "Here. Let me see." He said as he looked at where the trooper was hit to see a hole in his armor. "Hold on a second." He said before running to a crate and pulling out one of the med kits inside.
"You were stealing medical supplies?" The trooper asked, having assumed it was weapons that Lincoln was taking.
"Also food and clothes. The Empire displaces a lot of people. They can't always get what they need." Lincoln explained as he took off the upper parts of the trooper's armor and put on a Bacta patch.
"Yeah. They do." The trooper said before Noticing the weapon Lincoln had set down. "A Lightsaber? Are you a Jedi?" He asked.
"I hope to be. Yes. Is that a problem?" Lincoln asked, knowing the lies told by the Empire about the Jedi made most people distrust them.
"No. My father told me what really happened. How the Jedi were betrayed by the Empire and set up for a crime they didn't commit. That's the story I beleave." The trooper said with a nod to Lincoln.
"What's your name?" Lincoln asked.
"It's Kyle. Kyle Katarn." The trooper said as Lincoln got up and went to another crate.
"Well, Kyle. My name's Lincoln Loud." Lincoln introduced himself before throwing a light beige shirt to Kyle. "Come on. We need get moving before more of those Sher Kar come. Next time they might not just be adolescents." Said as he helped Kyle up and activated the antigrav on the crates.
"Here. Let me push a couple." Kyle offered.
"Are you sure?" Lincoln asked in concern for the man's injury.
"I should be good enough to push some weightless crates." Kyle said with a smile as the two of them began walking.
"So..." Lincoln began after two had been walking for a good distance. "You seem like a good enough guy. Why join the Empire?" He asked.
"Well, my story's actually a pretty common one. I grew up poor always wanted to get out and see the galaxy. So I decided to enlist in the Navy and leave once I had enough credits to buy my own ship." Kyle explained. "Thankfully, I only ended up security details and never had to do any of the jobs that forced me to do anything I dissagreed with." He said.
"Maybe. But with how the Empire is, you have to assume it's only a matter of time before your forced in to a place you don't want to go to." Lincoln said.
"Hmm. You sound like this smuggler I met a few weeks back." Kyle said. "She was doing pretty much the same thing as you. Taking meds to some people who had been suffering from a plague. I ended up helper escape and making sure the footage and inventory for that day disappeared. She offered me a place with her. Honestly, I wanted to say yes. But it felt like something was telling I still had one thing to do before I did." He said.
'That sounds like the Force was guiding him.' Lincoln thought as they two of them reached the top of the ridge they were climbing and saw a small station.
"That looks like an Imperial station." Kyle said.
"Then you'll have to go in the front door and see if you can get us a shuttle. I'll sneak in above so I can knock out the crew if they won't give us one." Lincoln said.
"You seem really quick to trust me not to turn you in." Kyle notes.
"You could have shot me when I brought you the med kit or at any point during the climb. Plus... I sense something about you, Kyle. I know I can trust you." Lincoln said before he connected his crates to Kyle's as they split up, Kyle walking on the path to the station and Lincoln making his way to break in to the vents.
As Kyle approached the door to put in his Imperial code, three auto guns came out of the walls.
"Who are you? What do you want?" A voice asked over the intercom as Kyle put his hands up.
"Wait! I'm a Stormtrooper! My ship crashed and I need assistance." Kyle said.
"Where's your squad?" The man over the intercom asked.
"All dead." Kyle lied.
"Put in your code." The man said as Kyle followed the instruction and the door opened.
"As Kyle entered the building, expecting to see a small team of scientists and some troopers, he instead saw a bald man with a burned face, and cybernetics over the left side of his body who was looking at a computer terminal.
"Welcome, trooper. I am dr Velcos." The man introduced himself.
"Let's cut to the chase, doc. I need your shuttle." Kyle said.
"I'm afraid I don't have a shuttle. One only comes every three months with supplies and inspections of my weapons." Velcos said.
"Oh. What kind of weapons do you make?" Kyle asked.
"Well, sad to say until recently, my weapons have been less than successful. But that will all chance with this." Velcos said as he raised a table from the ground to show a large bulky black rifle. He then pressed a button to show another of the Sher Kar before he motioned for Kyle to pick up the rifle.
Kyle hesitantly picked up the weapon and pointed it at the Sher Kar before pulling the trigger and watching in hidden horror and disgust as the creature began to scream in pain as it was slowly liquified.
"By the Force." Lincoln whispered from the vents as he saw the horrific site. He then slowly began to open the vent cover before quietly dropping down only for he and Sixer to be caught in a Ray Shield.
"Scavenger scum." Velcos said in assumption. "Taspir is filled with them." He said before looking over to Kyle. "Just as well. I've been wanting to try this out on a sentient for some time." He said as he took the rifle and took aim at Lincoln. However, just as his finger touched the trigger, a loud 'NO' was heard before Velcos was thrown in to a wall by Kyle, much to his own shock, Force pushing him and causing him to hit the controls for the Ray Shield as he did, freeing Lincoln and Sixer. Velcos then dove for the rifle only to be shot in the head by Sixer.
"Kyle." Lincoln said as he ran up to the shocked man. "Kyle. Look a me. I saw what you did and I understand that you're shocked. But we have to focus. We can't let the Empire find these guns. We have to wipe these computers and and destroy the rifles." He said, gaining a nod from Kyle.
"Dleet beep beep." Sixer said.
"A ship?" Lincoln asked as he ran up to the console to see the ship that Lucy had described in her vision. "Looks like a prototype the Empire doesn't know about. Just like the guns. It's equipped with a cloaking device, above the line sensors, and state of the art weapons including... oh hell yes!" He exclaimed.
"What is it?" Kyle asked.
"Three birds with one stone. We can take this place and the guns out and get out of here all at once. Let's go!" Lincoln said before he led Kyle and Sixer to the hanger. "It's beautiful." Lincoln said as he looked at the ship before Sixer nudged him and he nodded and they loaded the crates in to the ship and took off before turning around and hovering while taking aim at the three supports keeping the station up. Just then the front two parts of the ship began to spark up as a double zigzag pattern of lighting began to form before a large electrical blast blasted through the shields and the supports, causing the lab to fall in to the lava.
"What. The. Hell was that?" Kyle asked.
"The Galaxy at large doesn't have a name for it. But my people theorized about it for years. We call it a 'Tesla Canon.' Lincoln said with a smile at having taken away this piece of the Empire's shadow which also gave him an idea for the name of his new ship.
(On the Ghost)
The Ghost had just come out of Hyperspace just above Taspir, the crew growing ever more concerned about Lincoln after four previous attempts at finding him.
"Okay, time to go." Sabine said as she and Kanan said ready in the Phantom."
"Hold on, Sabine. I'm picking up a ship on the radar. We shouldn't separate until they leave." Hera said, getting an audible groan from the Mandalorian. Just then, a beep came over the main com from the other ship which Hera then answers.
"Rogue Shadow to Ghost. You here me?" Lincoln asked over the coms as Sabine practically tackled the com button on the Phantom.
"Lincoln! You're okay!" Sabine exclaimed as tears of joy filled her eyes.
"Good to here you too Sabine. Now, let's get the supplies I managed to save to the refugee camp." Lincoln said.
"Undestood. We'll see you there." Hera said before both ships jumped to Hyperspace.
A couple hours later, the Rouge Shadow and the Ghost both landed near the camp as Sabine ran out of the Ghost like a Munich out of Hell and almost knocked Lincoln over as she grabbed on to him as he and Kyle stepped out.
"Lincoln, are you alright?" Kanan asked as he walked up to the Padawan who was still locked in Sabine's embrace.
"I'm fine. But I only managed to get four crates." Lincoln said.
"That's fine. Your safety is more important to us than the mission." Hera said as she walked up next to Kanan.
"Come on. We'lol unload what we can and you can tell us what happened.
A short time later, Lincoln had finished everyone what happened and he, Sabine, Kanan, and Hera were standing with Kyle at one of the landing platforms.
"We really don't mind, Kyle. You can come with us." Hera offered.
"Thanks, Hera. But I'm being told to go home. To follow my own path." Kyle said.
"Kyle's right. If the Force is telling him to walk his own path. We can't stop him." Kanan said.
"Well, either way. If you ever need our help, don't hesitate to call." Lincoln said as he offered his hand.
"Same to you, Lincoln." Kyle said as the two of them shared a forearm grab and a may the Force be with you before the the group parted from Kyle before a thin ship with two large engines on the back flew over them and over to where Kyle was.
"So, Lincoln. Are you planning on keeping the Rouge Shadow?" Hera asked.
"I've named it. It's mine, I'm keeping it." Lincoln said, gaining smiles and eye rolls from the other three.
"I don't suppose you need a copilot." Sabine said in a clear offer.
"Won't say no to it. But I like the outer paint job." Lincoln said.
"Fine. But I'm going ham on the interior." Sabine said as they separated from Hera and Kanan and went to their new ship for some rest. "Lincoln." She said to get his attention. "When that cargo ship went down, I was really worried." She said.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry about me." Lincoln said.
"It wasn't just about you. I was worried... that I wouldn't ever get to tell you." Sabine said.
"Tell me what?" Lincoln asked.
Sabine decided that the best corse of action for her was the Mandalorian way. Action over word. She then grabbed Lincoln by the jacket and pulled him in to a passionate kiss. At first, Lincoln was surprised by the action. But inevitably and quickly, Lincoln closed his and embraced Sabine and returned and deepened the kiss as the moonlight illuminated them.
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Well there you go guys. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next time as Lincoln's second test approaches, new enemies are made known and one is revealed to be a friend from the past until then, I wish you all a merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, kickass Kwanza, and a joyous Life Day. Until next time and as always... Keep on keeping on.