Chapter 6 – Thoughts
And now I'm back! From outer space ⁓
Oh yeah – it's the new chapter! Also, what do you know? This story has over 1000 views! And in a remarkable amount of time, too. I mean, it definitely hit 500 views before any of my other stories… I wonder why that is?
Bookshelf94: Hi! Thanks for the review – and I'm really glad you like this story! Just wait until this story really gets into gear. There's a lot more to come, and hopefully, it'll all be as good.
Also, May is getting nearer. Kenobi is finally coming. Oh boy, is it going to be something. Huh, this is one long chapter…
The General got back to his feet and not long after, a hologram of Count Dooku appeared before him.
"My lord, I have bad news," Grievous began.
Count Dooku's expression did not change save for the minute narrowing of his eyes. But he didn't interrupt; he only waited, his figure radiating nothing but disapproval and some amount of disdain.
"I arrived in the Yavin Sector too late," Grievous said, pausing a moment to cough. "The pirates had already destroyed the envoy's ship."
"… I see." Dooku responded, his voice even. "That is most unfortunate. And tell me, what became of these pirates?"
"They are dead. I saw to it myself." The General informed him.
"Hm, this news will not pacify the Zygerrians, Grievous," Dooku's eyes were steely. "I only hope these… events will not cause Separatist relations with the Zygerrians to deteriorate. I hope so, for your sake."
The hologram flickered out of existence and Grievous' eyes narrowed at the thinly-veiled threat Dooku had issued. For some reason, it bothered him even more than it would have at any other time. But Grievous still dismissed the threat because – like so many others he'd heard before it – it was hollow. A bluff that held no substance.
The Separatists had no one who could replace him.
Dooku had no one who could replace him.
Grievous seated himself once again, mulling over the latest developments. Why had he wanted to kill those Zygerrians so badly? What was it that had enraged him so? Was it Ronderu? And that name!
What was it about it about that name that tugged at so many unfamiliar, turbulent emotions within him?! What was it?
Grievous wished he could bury it all; bury it all and forget! He was General Grievous – Supreme Commander of the Droid Armies – he did not have time for feelings; for emotions. For – for whatever it was he felt towards Ronderu! Such things were for weaklings – not Grievous. Soon, though, he decided that what he needed now was a fight. A battlefront to distract him from this strange fogginess he felt in his mind. Grievous steepled his claw-like fingers before his faceplate, his eyes flicking towards a droid.
"Where is the nearest active battlefront?" He asked it.
"Uh, that would be Felucia, Sir." The droid responded, "Our forces are being pushed back by the Republic."
A feral growl sounded from behind Grievous' faceplate.
"Turn this ship around and take us to Felucia," he said aloud, "I'll deal with these Republic forces myself."
"Roger roger," went up from the droids working the navigation systems.
Grievous sat back, and waited.
Ronderu deeply disliked the Magnaguard droids.
They didn't seem to speak at all – at least, not in any language she understood – their glowing red 'eyes' unnerved her, and she was of the opinion that few things would be able to provoke a response from them.
Their pincer-like grip on her forearms didn't ease even as they manhandled her into a turbolift that took them deeper into the bowels of the Destroyer. They marched her down no fewer than five corridors and down two ramps before reaching the ship's brig. One of the Magnaguards let go of her arm and walked ahead, pausing as it opened a cell door before it, nodding to the one droid left holding her arm.
"Oh no you don't – " Ronderu struggled against its iron grip but to no avail and was roughly thrown into the cell.
She switched from Galactic Basic to Kaleesh as she cursed them
The droids didn't even react to that, and with the push of a button, the door slid shut with a whoosh. Ronderu sat against the far wall with an irritable huff. She had only been waiting a few minutes before she felt something warm and wet on her cheek. Lightly touching a finger to the area, she looked at the dark liquid staining it.
Great, she sighed. Now, she was bleeding.
"Just my luck," she muttered.
Drawing her right knee against herself as she tied to make herself comfortable against the cold metal wall behind her. The cell was a bare, simple affair. It measured about ten paces by seven, with the walls, ceiling and floor solid metal. There was no way for her to get out of the cell – no ventilation grille to pry off and escape through, no loose panels to pull off – nothing!
In other words, no way out other than the door.
Ronderu's ears flicked at the noise of a distant and low boom that sounded their entry into hyperspace. Idly, she wondered where they were headed to now; off to destroy other defenseless ships? Because as much as Ronderu despised all things related to slavery, she did not like that General Grievous had simply attacked the two ships. With a sigh, she leaned her head back against the wall and stared at the dull, uninspiring grey ceiling for a moment before she closed her eyes and lost herself to her thoughts.
The cell was still and quiet; a little pocket of calm with Ronderu in the middle of it that she was – in all honesty – grateful for. It gave her the opportunity to try and make sense of what had happened. Mentally, she ran through the events of the past few hours.
First, she had boarded the ship with the Zygerrian who had 'bought' her from the Huk so many years ago. She had been plotting during those years, plotting her escape. And her plans had almost come to fruition; she had been the model of a subservient, beaten and broken slave. She had played her part to perfection, convinced the Zygerrian (whose name she had never bothered learning) that she was no threat; that she was perfectly harmless.
So when he was travelling off-world, what better slave to take than one who would pose no trouble? And what better time for Ronderu to attempt to steal the controller for her collar? After all, they would be aboard a ship, in space and far away from anywhere and anyone who could help. She could kill him, steal an escape pod and leave the slavers far behind her. She might even have gone back to Kalee – fight off any Huk; if there were any to fight, that was. As she thought about her homeworld, she felt a pang of nostalgia for it.
Kalee…
How would it be had she returned? Would anything have changed? Would there be anyone there who remembered her? Or would they all have… forgotten…?
Ronderu almost smacked herself then. Of course there would be Kaleesh to remember her – warriors, civilians, liberated slaves… They would remember her; after all, the figure and name of Ronderu lij Kummar was not one that was easy to forget. But deep inside her, she knew there was only one Kaleesh's remembering that she really needed – that she wanted. She remembered his name, a wistful smile curling the corners of her mouth as she did. Yes; seeing him again was all she wanted.
Qymaen jai Sheelal.
Her comrade-in-arms, closest friend and soulmate. Just the mere thought of being reunited with him was the only thing that had stopped her from giving up years ago. Well, that and her own stubbornness, too. She remembered him as she had last seen him; mumuu bone mask obscuring his face but showing the tusks that stretched a little beyond his jaw, the confidence and resolve in his eyes, a Czerka rifle casually slung over one shoulder, his Lig knives hanging by his side as he pointed to a Huk settlement on the shores of the Jenuwaa Sea. The light-colored cloak he wore billowed in the stiff sea breeze, while his clawed toes left shallow imprints in the sand.
And then they had charged into battle, and they had fought.
But they'd been separated, leaving Ronderu to fight off a swarm of Huk all on her own. So she had killed them; killed and killed and killed some more. They hadn't stopped coming. Their sheer numbers had overwhelmed her, but then a nearby explosion had thrown them all bodily into the air. Ronderu barely remembered getting back to her feet and lurching back into the fray. She did remember, though, with startling clarity the Huk that had managed to stab her through her stomach with its dagger-like forelimbs.
The fact that she had survived her injuries was nothing short of a miracle.
…
Anyway, Ronderu thought, quickly changing the subject as she felt the lump in her throat.
Right – so she'd been presented with the perfect opportunity to steal the controller for her shock collar when the ship had been attacked. The Zygerrian had been in his cabin with her at the time, going over some holographic documents while she had stood ready with a drink for his lordship. The ship had shook as something had hit its shields and immediately afterwards, the guards posted outside his room had pounded on it, yelling at him that they were being boarded. So the natural course of action was for him to exit his cabin, snapping at Ronderu to follow. She only complied because the controller still hung from his belt.
They had made their way to the bridge, and while he approached the viewing ports to look out and be distracted as the captain informed him of the developments, Ronderu made her move. She had slowly, almost imperceptibly moved to stand beside the Zygerrian, her fingers unclipping the controller from his belt.
Unfortunately, though, she had been spotted by one of the other Zygerrians manning the bridge. He had shouted out, getting the attention of everyone else aboard the bridge, including Ronderu's owner. He had just begun to turn, but Ronderu was faster than he was, and in no time had seized him in a headlock.
"Drop your weapons or I break his neck!" She'd demanded in Basic.
"You're bluffing!" One of the Zygerrian guards had snarled, pointing a blaster her way.
"Pull that trigger," Ronderu growled, "I dare you."
The Zygerrians facing her glanced at one another shiftily, trying to decide whether or not to attack her and risk injuring their superior in the process. But then their ship shook, blaster-fire from their attackers striking the hull and making everyone stagger in the process. Ronderu took her chances and threw the Zygerrian she'd been holding at the others, knocking some of them over.
"Do not kill her!" He still managed to say.
Ronderu didn't know why he wanted her alive, but at that point, she didn't care.
Either she escaped now or died trying. There would be no going back to being a slave; never again.
Hi everyone, thanks for reading.
Sorry for the late update, it hasn't been easy to type during several hour-long power cuts, hence the delay. But on the upside, this is the longest chapter for this story (so far), so maybe the wait was worth it? *laughs nervously*
Weird, this chapter isn't even 2000 word long? I could've sworn it was longer...
So until next time, stay safe everyone.