Poppy irritably walked towards Branch's ship, as he thanked the Wookies in Shyriiwook for their hospitality. Branch waited until Poppy hopped onto his ship, then climbed inside after, waving the Wookies off as he took off, and prepared hyperdrive, towards Ajan Kloss.
"So, why are we going to Ajan Kloss again?" Poppy checked.
Branch stared at her, then sighed. "I didn't want to get eaten by the Bergens so going to Ajan Kloss is the safest way to get there. The Bergens don't have good pilots these days so they usually just circle the front half of Coruscant. If we can get to Ajan Kloss, then we can get inside Coruscant, a guaranteed entry," he explained.
"Why Ajan Kloss?" Poppy asked again.
Branch sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes. "It's the closest planet, your Highness," Branch replied.
They stayed quiet until Branch pulled his ship out of hyperdrive. "Okay, your Highness, now since we've made it to Ajan Kloss, the next step is to find a safe way to get to Coruscant without the spotlights seeing us come in."
"Spotlights?" Poppy asked.
"Yes, there's spotlights," Branch replied.
"How do you know this?" Poppy asked.
"I've been in and out of this system many times before, but I haven't actually landed on Coruscant since-" he stopped.
"Since what?" Poppy asked.
"It's nothing," Branch replied. "Let's get a better look through my scanners."
Branch pushed a button on his dashboard and waited before a small, red light began lightly beeping at him. "There we go!" he cheered. Poppy watched in awe as the screen on the dashboard lit up, a green line creating a circular motion around the scanner. It picked up a group of large green dots, but nothing else out of the ordinary.
"We have a few asteroids here," Branch replied. "But they're all so close together, we have to go through it. But I can't risk shooting the asteroids and getting the attention of the Bergens."
"What do we do?" Poppy asked.
"I'm not quite sure," Branch replied.
"I can show you the way," came a deep voice through Branch's transmitter.
"Who said that?" Branch asked, lowering a microphone piece on his ear.
There was a low rumble. "It. Was." There was a rather long pause. "Hello? Come in!" Branch cried.
"Uh, B-B-Branch?" Poppy said, tapping Branch's arm.
"What?" he asked, irritated. She pointed up. Branch looked at his scanner and saw a large, red dot on it, right above them. "Oh my-hang on!"
The large ship, which isn't above them, but rather, behind them, opened a section of the ship and scooped up Branch's T.I.E. Fighter.
The door closed and Branch's ship fell, thankfully, not too far. Poppy fell over in the back, while Branch kept his footing. "Your Highness," he said, "stay behind me."
Branch opened the door to his ship, then looked around each corner. He signaled Poppy to follow him out the ship, then hopped out, Poppy following closely after. "What's happening?" she whispered.
"We've been taken on board someone's ship," Branch whispered. "They're most likely foes, so keep close to me." Branch pulled the lightsaber out of his hair, and held it at his side, the blade inside the hilt. Branch snuck around the ship, glancing down every hall, and, when seeing no one, continued along the halls.
"Why don't we just get out of here?" Poppy asked.
"We have to get the doors open," Branch replied, quietly. "To do that, we have to get to the control room. That's where the guy in charge of the ship usually hides out. You know nothing, don't you?"
"I said I never got out much!" Poppy replied.
Branch pulled Poppy against a wall and glanced down the hallway. There are two people in the hallway, each with red cloaks covering their heads. Branch couldn't see much of them, but the second one, he saw has blue hands. The feet were a little hard to see but they appeared to be flat, or it was just the angle he's standing in.
One turned his direction and began walking down the hall. Branch slinked against the wall again and pushed Poppy along. He stopped a little further down the hall than he was standing. "Stay here," he whispered to Poppy, putting his hands up reassuringly. "I'll check ahead."
He creeped along the wall again, and looked around the corner once more. The red robes person stopped walking down the hall, but is standing right next to him, around the corner. Branch slid back against the wall and held his breath. He closed his eyes tightly. One more step. One more step and he'll have to resort to other measures.
Branch pulled his lightsaber hilt up closer to his face. He inhaled deeply. He glanced around the corner again. The person started proceeding down the hallway again, closer to them.
Branch went back behind the wall. Please don't come any closer, Branch thought.
Unfortunately, they did approach him. Branch turned on the blade of his lightsaber, then pointed it at the person in red. He grabbed their arm and put the blade at their face. "Who are you?" he asked.
The person didn't answer. Branch removed the hood of the guard. It's a cloud. "A cloud?" Poppy asked. "Aw! How cute!"
"No! Not cute!" Branch replied. "Tell me who your captain is!"
The cloud shook her head. "Why not? Is it some sort of directive?" Branch asked, pulling the cloud in closer. "I can easily change it."
The cloud lady made muffled sounds, but never once opened her mouth. "Don't make me do this," Branch said, pushing the lightsaber closer to her face.
"I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO TALK! I've taken a vow of silence!" she gasped and covered her mouth with her other, free hand.
"What?" Branch asked, turning off the blade. She shrank and vanished, disappearing before Poppy and Branch. "A-a vow of silence?" Branch asked. "Oh, come on!"
"Where'd she go?" Poppy asked.
"Who cares," Branch said. "These guys aren't even threats."
He stuffed the lightsaber back into his hair and walked into the open hallway. "Branch! What are you doing?" Poppy asked.
"Getting us to the captain," Branch said. "These guys aren't even threats." Branch walked down the hall and up a flight of stairs, without a cloud noticing him.
"Wow, these guys are REALLY bad guards," Poppy said, running to catch up with Branch.
"Mhm," Branch said. The door for the control deck opened and inside sat a chair, surrounded by tables, and a possible cloud sitting in the center. "It. Was," the voice continued. "Me." The chair turned to reveal a cloud wearing the red cloak with a red hat, showing his leadership. He also has on a pair of white and orange socks. He has a badge as well.
"You?" Branch asked. He scoffed. "Oh sure, you take us onto your ship, have us join a faulty stealth mission, and then reveal that your entire crew is made of clouds who can't EVEN TALK!" Branch threw his arms in the air. "What was the point?"
"You could've just walked up here on your own," the cloud said. "You scared of Janessa."
"Oh, geez. Let's get out of here, your Highness," Branch said, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"No, no, we'll listen to what the cloud has to say," Poppy stated.
Branch inhaled deeply, then sighed. "Fine," he said gravely.
"Thank you," the cloud said. "Let's start over. Hi there. The name's Cloud Guy. Mind if I ask why you're in our system?"
"'YOUR system?'" Branch asked.
"Ah, shh, shh, shh!" Poppy said, putting her finger on Branch's lips. "Shush." Branch rolled his eyes and grumbled.
"We're going to Coruscant to-" Poppy started.
"Oh, I was just joking!" Cloud Guy said, laughing. "I was watching you the whole time. I know how to get through those asteroids. And I'll gladly tell you..." he paused for dramatic effect, "for a high-five."
"Ooh! Ooh! I'll do it!" Poppy cheered. "I love high-fives!"
"Oh, I know you will," Cloud Guy said. "But will he?" He pointed at Branch. "Besides, every other path path leads to certain death!" The last bit echoed, which made Branch examine the room.
Branch pulled Poppy aside and turned around. "A high-five? Really?" Branch asked. "What's this guy's problem?"
"Oh, relax, Branch!" Poppy said, smiling. "It's just a high-five! The others lead to certain death. Get perspective!"
"But I don't trust him," Branch replied, glancing back at him. "I mean, who wears socks with no shoes?"
"Branch!" Poppy cried.
"Okay, fine!" Branch replied, darkly. "But just this once."
They both turned back around. "Just one high-five?" Branch asked.
"So easy," Cloud Guy said.
Branch growled, then threw his hand at Cloud Guy's, only for him to pull his hand down, before they made contact. "Too slow!" Cloud Guys laughed.
"Too slow?" Branch asked, growing infuriated.
Poppy chuckled. "Classic," she muttered, before Branch stared at her. She quickly corrected her behavior. "Okay, how about we let it slide with a fist bump?" Cloud Guy said.
Branch stared at Cloud Guy for a moment before complying and giving him his fist. Cloud Guy, however, thought it'd be funny to play another prank on him. He started doing different movements for his hands, quickly, so Branch didn't move his hand, and explaining each one.
"And...gear shift!" He grabbed Branch's fist and started pulling it in different directions, clicking and mimicking driving sounds. Branch pulled his hand away quickly. "Okay, okay," Cloud Guy said once he and Poppy were finished laughing, 'how about a hug?"
Branch quickly pulled his lightsaber out and turned it on. He began chasing Cloud Guy through the halls of his ship, threatening him. "I'm going to tear your little cloud arms off your little cloud body and high-five your face with them!" he yelled.
"Branch!" Poppy cried, chasing him. "Branch! Stop!"
Cloud Guy eventually ran himself into a corner. He pat the wall a couple of times, hoping it'll do something, then turned quickly to see Branch coming after him, and Poppy chasing him. Branch grabbed Cloud Guy's cloak and pulled him closer, pointing the lightsaber at him. "Now, I don't want to kill you," Branch said, "so I'll need you to cooperate and stop playing games. Tell me how to get through this asteroid field!"
"Okay! Okay! Just get that sword away from me!" Cloud Guy cried.
"You'll cooperate?" Branch checked.
"Yes! Yes! Please put me down!" Branch put Cloud Guy down and turned off his lightsaber. He stuck it in his hair.
Cloud Guy gripped the wall, and panted, catching his breath. "Look what you've done to him, Branch!" Poppy complained. "You've terrorized him!"
"He's going to help us now instead of playing his stupid games," Branch replied. "You're welcome."
Poppy huffed at him, then put her hands on her hips. "It's not nice to scare people, Branch!"
Once Cloud Guy recovered, he brought them to their war room, where there is a large holographic field of asteroids. "Okay, here is your asteroid field," he said.
"Yeah, we've already handled that part," Branch replied. Poppy shot him a look. "Well, there's a small opening here." Cloud Guy pointed to a small gap between a group of asteroids. One that travelled all the way through to the empty space on the other side. "That's your path out."
"What if the asteroids close up?" Poppy asked.
"Then you die!" Cloud Guy said, echoing again. "Good luck!" He walked off and back down the hall again.
"Through the asteroid field we go then!" Branch said.
"Branch!" Poppy cried, grabbing his wrist. "It's too dangerous!"
"What happened to queen-I-don't-care-what-happens-I-just-need-to-save-my-friends?" Branch asked sarcastically.
"Well, I..." Poppy tried.
"Come on, your Highness, let's go," Branch said.