Hello my loyal readers, new and old. I'm finally back, and I apologize for not posting this sooner. Life getting in the way of life as always. But I am back, bringing you the long-awaited final chapter of the story you have all come to love. That's right, all good things must come to an end, as does this story. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
A million million stars sprinkled the blackness of space as they had for eons. A lifeless gas planet drifted through the silent void, and nearby, a lonely white light, a proximity marker on a hyperspace beacon, strobed away slowly. Suddenly, there was a slight tremor, a wavering of spacetime that appeared as a small shockwave in the emptiness of space. The Huntsman popped into being, dropping out of hyperspace and settling into a course that took it past the gas giant. Inside the cockpit, Drakken unbuckled himself from the co-pilot's seat and stood.
"Think we're clear?" He asked.
"I've jumped to two systems, back again, and did a couple microjumps just to be sure." Ekks replied. "We're running dark too, Boss, with no transponder, and the cloaking activated." He shook his head. "Don't worry. Those Imps would have to be hyperspace ghosts to track us."
"How about evil magic space wizards?" Drakken offered. When the Corellian shot him a confused look, he said, "Nevermind. I'm going to the back."
"Alright. I'm good here."
"Keep her on course for Tatooine." He stated. Ekks gave him a thumbs-up. Glitch rolled into the cockpit, and Tharcourt gave the droid a pat on the head. Glitch beeped happily in reply as the man walked out of the bridge of the small shuttle. Drakken entered the passenger bay to find Freya checking on the bacta tank containing Meeka. She had changed out of her Imperial uniform, and was now wearing only her gray skirt, a black, long-sleeved thermal shirt, and her knee-high sandals. A holstered blaster swung at her right side. He walked over and put his arms around her from behind.
"Mm." She hummed at the sensation. "Wonderin' when ye'd come out yer hole, love." He kissed her cheek.
"Wanted to make sure we were out of harms way." He said. Drakken bobbed his head toward the tank. "She going to be alright?"
"Aye. A day or so, she'll be fightin' fit and sittin' pretty" Thorne answered. He nodded.
"Best news I've heard all evening. You uh…you look great, by the way…I feel kinda overdressed." She turned and gave him a once-over before shaking her head.
"Ugh. I admit it…I'm gonna miss seein' you in that uniform." She sighed. Freya took the front of his green-grey tunic in her hands and tugged gently. "Just a measely ol' scrap o' fabric though. All it is. It's not the man."
"No…never was, I guess." Drakken muttered. Freya leaned in and kissed his lips.
"Then go take it off." She commanded. "It reminds me too much a' things I wanna put aside. Ye best go put ye on somethin' what looks more like wot ye really are." Drakken cocked his head.
"Wh…what am I?" He asked. She gave him a little smile.
"Mmmm…Me scoundrel…me gunslingin', day-savin'...charmin' highwayman." She winked.
"All that, huh?" He scoffed. "Think I was always just a guy."
"Och. Yer my guy, Drakken. Dunnae ye forget it." She shot back playfully.
"I think I'm gonna hurl." Gallen teased. He was met by a pack of gauze impacting his face. The marksman picked the packet up and gave Thorne an incredulous look. Drakken cast him a smirk as he walked toward the small bunkroom.
"I was just kidding…" Reeso whined. Freya snickered.
"Och, I know." She said. Gallen laughed, then he grew silent and his expression drooped. Thorne noticed it and frowned. "Wot is it?"
"Think I'm gonna miss all this…" He said. "You guys, the laughs...the team. We've uh…we've had some good times."
"Aye…that we 'ave, lad." Freya whispered.
"Glad to have had the opportunity, Thorne." Rix added. "Thanks for leadin' us in the right direction." He gave a rare half-smile. "Not many junior C.O.'s are good at that."
"Well...I dunnae think I was e'er much of an officer…" She replied.
"And thank the stars for that." Felian stated.
"Where you lot think yer gonna go now?" Freya asked. Gallen shrugged.
"Figure I'll hang around with Ekks a bit, see what kind of far-out meanness I can get into. I wanna blow around the galaxy a while, you know, ma'am? Just…" He held out a hand, palm-down and glided it forward. "…blow."
"Well, I know what I'm going to do." Felian declared. "I'm gonna find me a nice place to settle down, and some rich tourists that think they can hunt." He picked up his E-11 and turned the weapon over in his hands. "Think I'm going to go back to hunting wildlife. It's a more honest living."
"Try Saleucami." Gallen offered. "Wanna hunt something...real big, nasty fauna man, and the farmers there would dig it if you could turn a few of them into somebody's dinner." Rix nodded his head.
"Alright. I'll keep that in mind." The former scout trooper said. He looked back to Freya. "What are you and Tharcourt going to do now?" She sat down on the bench.
"Well…first, we're gonna make sure poor Lago gets back t' his family on Tatooine." She said sadly, motioning to the covered body of the fallen man. "Better than most troopers e'er got."
"Yeah." Gallen sighed.
"We might as well lay low there a while, methinks. We figure on gettin' a wee ship though…" She continued, and she smiled a little. "Aye…think that's wot I'm looking forward tae th' most, lads. Us getting' a right pretty lil' ship an goin' off t'gether."
"Going to get into bounty hunting?" Gallen asked. He grinned. "I heard you two talking about it."
"May just, Gallen." Freya answered. She waggled a finger at him. "So ye'd best be mindin' yer P's ad Q's, lest ye tern aboot an' see me standin' there." The three of them shared a laugh, and Thorne shook her head. "Guess this be our last ride t'gether then, eh lads?" Rix nodded lightly.
"Looks like, ma'am…" Gallen sighed. Freya's green eyes slowly moved about the interior of the shuttle for a few moments. The memories...
"I remember me first." She commented, and then closed her eyes as she felt tears begin to rise. "Gallen?"
"Yes ma'am?"
"Ye got a song fer us, mate?"
"Yeah…" He replied in a soft voice. "…I got just the one, ma'am." He flipped through the selection of tunes on his device, and touched the screen. A light riff began to play over the speakers.
"This better?" Drakken announced, exiting the back. Freya's eyes opened and as soon as she saw him, she felt worlds better. He'd donned his long black coat over his gray duty shirt, and his steel-fronted knee boots over a pair of black cargo pants. The colorful scarf he had bought on their holiday together was draped loosely about his neck, and a pair of twin SE14r blasters hung low on his legs.
I, I'm a one-way motorway
I'm a road that drives away, follows you back home
I, I'm a streetlight shinin'
I'm a white light blindin' bright, burnin' off and on…Ohh oh
"Love…" She spoke, and a smile broke across her face as Tharcourt moved into the passenger bay.
"What?" Drakken asked softly. Freya snorted, and stood, embracing the always oblivious man. They looked into each other's' eyes. The song played on.
It's times like these you learn to live again
It's times like these you give and give again
It's times like these you learn to love again
It's times like these time and time again
"I love you." Freya said. Drakken put his arms around her and smiled.
"I love you too, Freya." He returned.
"Hey Boss…" Ekks called, emerging from the cockpit. He stopped dead seeing the two embracing and after a moment, he laughed. "Sorry, heheh. Just lettin' you know, we're coming up on Tatooine."
"Good." Drakken stated. "I'm about ready to start going where I please and telling myself what to do for a change."
"Except when I do the commandin', c'mmander." Thorne grinned. Drakken smirked.
"Well then, where to, my dear?" He asked. She kissed him on the lips.
"To th' stars."
I, I'm a new day risin'
I'm a brand new sky that hangs, the stars upon tonight
I, I'm a little divided
Do I stay or run away, leave it all behind…Ohh oh
"Good doin' business with you, Felian." Ekks remarked with a nod. Rix chuckled. The two men were thinking the same thing. No two soldiers could have been more different from one another. Yet, they had become brothers...like everyone else in Delta-7. It had been a crazy ride for sure.
"You're a gentleman thief, Ekks…no matter what anybody else says about you." Felian stated. The Corellian nodded again, and turned back into the cockpit, preparing to land the shuttle at their destination.
It's times like these you learn to live again
It's times like these you give and give again
It's times like these you learn to love again
It's times like these time and time again
Drakken and Freya entwined their fingers and sat together on the bench. Freya still remembered the first time she'd sat here, beside him…her first mission with the team. It all seemed so long ago, so far away. Raliss, Drakken's wild conspiracy to save her, when she got bloodied and beaten on her first outing with Delta-7, all the meals and the talks she shared with the man she now knew she'd be with forever and a day. What a ride it had been. To imagine, just a few short years ago, she was a naïve, starry-eyed girl from Breoh'Lar, dreaming of what lay outside of her world's atmosphere. Now here she was. Freya felt older, wiser. She squeezed Drakken's hand, and realized that she was about to do what she'd always dreamed of doing, with a guy she never could have dreamed of.
Drakken's thoughts were on his past. Garos, his parents, the war. Joining the Empire, and all of the terrible things he'd seen…and all of the people and places he'd never forget. All of the friends. It was all so bittersweet. He exhaled a deep breath. Maybe he wasn't too old to be starting over. Maybe he'd been waiting for this life all along, and all it took was the right people to guide him to where he needed to be. He thought of that strange mystic woman, and her words. Then he glanced over at the amazing red-haired woman beside him. Whatever he and Freya were to find, they were going to find it together. Together. That thought gave him hope.
And It's times like these you learn to live again
It's times like these you give and give again
It's times like these you learn to love again
It's times like these…time and time again
So...all of you a little teary-eyed? I'll give you a minute to breathe. There. What a story, huh? And what an account of these characters. In the grand scheme of the Star Wars universe, these people have actually done and mean very little. Yet, they mean so much to one another, and to us. And did they make the right choice? I know some of you are questioning that right now. But in truth...was there ever a right choice? Or did they all do what they had to to survive in a galaxy of corruption, war, death and danger?
And I know some of you are saddened that this is the end. But I have good news, for every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end. For those of you who want more of Drakken and Freya, there is a new hope. There is an epilogue to this story coming soon, a post-credit scene to allude to what may come in the sequel to this fic. That's right...there is another...fan...fiction. As you may well guess, the follow up to this story will center around what certain...ex Imperials are doing, and the...stuff they're getting into. Oh, and there will be the return of a minor character from this story as well. So wipe those eyes and get ready for the post-credit scene!