Archie Ilaiah's Star Wars Quests: Book I: Vengeful Entity

Chapter 5: Race You To The Surface

Jedi Knight Archie Ilaiah

We watch other ships get hijacked, and I cringe as I watch a Maul-member kick a person off and send them in a ball of fire from their jetpack.

"What are you waiting for?" yells Bo-Katan. "Get out of there!"

She puts her helmet on and she and her men jump out with their jetpacks on, heading for the surface. Rex turns to us, worried.

"Sorry," He says. "I didn't think to bring you a jetpack."

I examine the sky. We're close enough. I just need to clear the air of these damn Death Watch guys. I look back at him.

"Don't need one." I smirk at Ahsoka.

"Race you to the surface!" And the girl just jumps out of the ship. I follow her. I can hear Rex cackling as we ignite our lightsabers. Ahsoka does a somersault while doing so. She slices the back of a Mando's jetpack, sending them flying away as we land on the surface of a ship. One tries to land behind her, but I raise them with the Force, impaling them with my weapon.

It feels so good to use my real one again.

Ahsoka goes to save a trooper stuck in a burning ship. I land on a warship that's plummeting down, steadying myself. As it's about to crash, I leap off just as Ahsoka stands up. Two explosions happen as I spin like a torpedo and land, stabbing a member of Maul's army. Death Watch fires at us. I push forward as Ahsoka moves backwards. Bo-Katan, Max, and our help land with their jetpacks and start attacking.

"Beat you." Ahsoka jeers.

"Some things never change." Rex shrugs. We run off into battle.

---

I stand with Ahsoka, Rex, and a few other clones on the balcony. Rex and Ahsoka observe Mandalore.

"Well," I breathe in the already war-polluted air. "This is it. If we capture Maul, this will all be over."

"If he is here, it will be," Rex shrugs. "If Maul isn't, this all will be for nothing and will work in his favor."

Bo-Katan and her allies land to meet with us. She observes for a while.

"I'll go to the throne room to capture Almec. We'll meet back up to interrogate him. You must find Maul."

She and the Mandalorians fly away just as a transmission comes to Rex.

"Commander," says Trooper Vaughn. "We think we've found something in the undercity. Meet us down there."

"I'm on my way!" Ahsoka alerts. I look at them and we make our way over to the undercity.

---

When we reach the opening, we take the yellow elevator down. Vaughn and the Ahsoka-Troopers are waiting for us in front of a tunnel-like opening. Clone Trooper Ezo waves at me. He's always been a good friend of ours. We're close especially since he's in the 501st and he's also close with Pako. It makes everything better.

"Good to see you, General Ilaiah." He salutes.

"At ease." I smile. "It'll be even better once we're out of this together, Ezo."

"I concur."

"So," Rex begins. "What's the status, Vaughn? What's this?"

"Sir, we think that this is some sort of sewer system. We followed Death Watch and Gar Saxon, but stopped here."

"Archie and the rest of us can wait out here." Rex says. "If you need a hand, just tap in."

"May the Force be with you." I bow to Ahsoka before she and Vaughn's company make their way inside the dark sewers.