Darker the Night (A Star Wars Rebels AU)

Chapter Eighteen

Caleb raced towards the ship's hangar, his cloak flapping behind him. He'd overslept- a rarity, for him- and upon reaching the bridge, had learned that the blockade above Ryloth was broken. He'd felt a flash of pride for Ahsoka's success, and then one of the clones on the bridge had informed him that all three ships were leaving Ryloth's orbit to make planetfall, and Generals Windu and Kenobi were already on their way to the hangar. He'd taken off at a full run, boots pounding on the metal corridor floor. He hoped Master Windu wouldn't be too displeased by his tardiness.

He slowed to a walk when he reached the noisy hangar full of clones prepping the ships and themselves for departure. The two Masters were involved in a discussion as they walked toward one of the gunships, and they barely acknowledged his arrival.

"The first trick will be getting our troops on the ground," Master Kenobi said, as he stepped aboard his gunship. Commander Cody and some of the other soldiers of Ghost Company were already on board.

"If you take the city of Nabat first, we'll have our landing zone."

Master Kenobi gave Master Windu a nod of agreement. "Well, it's time to meet the natives," he said, and the gunship doors slid closed.

Master Windu turned to look at Caleb. "We'll follow his progress on the bridge," he said, heading back towards the corridor Caleb had just come from. Caleb followed, falling into step beside him. After several abnormally lengthy minutes of walking in silence, Master Windu asked, "What do you know about Ryloth?"

"Three moons, deserts, jungles, and some very dangerous creatures. The Twi'leks have never really been free- the planet has been crawling with Hutts, slave traders and spice smugglers for centuries. The Separatists are just the latest in a long line of exploiters," Caleb said. He'd learned a bit about the planet in his studies, but he'd also done some extracurricular research, and it didn't hurt that his best friend was a Twi'lek who spoke fluent Ryl and could understand a bit of the Lekku language.

Master Windu nodded. "And what do you know about Cham Syndulla?"

They stepped onto the lift, and Master Windu pressed the appropriate button to deliver them to the bridge. Caleb cleared his throat. "Well, I don't know much beyond the fact that he was Orn Free Taa's political rival- he lost the election, and Taa became Ryloth's representative in the Senate. He's known to be...sort of a loose cannon."

"What do you know about him on a personal level?" Master Windu asked, his tone cool and professional. The lift beeped and the door slid open, revealing the bustle of the ship's bridge.

"Again, not very much. He has a wife and two children, one of whom is the Republic Navy pilot Hera Syndulla. Their clan is from the Tann province." He followed Master Windu to the central hub.

"Did his daughter tell you anything about him that might be useful in this situation?"

Caleb blinked, caught slightly off-guard by the question. "Only that he's devoted to his people, and a skilled warrior."

Master Windu nodded. "Well, I-"

There was a loud boom. The ship shook, rocked by the nearby blast of what could only be a proton cannon. Outside the transparisteel viewports, the sky all around the ship began to light up with fireballs. Their sister transport on their port side took a direct hit to the repulsors and immediately began to list to one side.

"General! The enemy fire is penetrating our shields," one of the clone troopers called.

"Get me Kenobi," Master Windu growled. The comms officer did as instructed- a second later, Master Kenobi appeared as a holo on the console in front of them. "Kenobi, we can't risk landing the larger transports until you take down those guns."