Inheritance

Chapter 5: Flames

I circle the palace, seeing it nearly fully engulfed by flames. I grit my teeth, not seeing a way to get to the hangar, and gently setting the Yaim down in the sand, and getting out of my seat as fast as I can. I hurry to the cargo bay, grab my rifle, sling it across my back, and mount the speeder. I start it, opening the ramp, and starting out of the ship.
"Jule!" Din calls out after me as I speed across the sand to the Palace.
I grit my teeth.
'Please, please, please, please...' I repeat in my head as I draw close and closer to the stifling heat of the flames licking at the stones, leaving black marks behind.
I skid to a stop, watching people hurrying out of the hangar, coughing from the smoke. I quickly dismount the speeder and rush toward the people, catching Fennec as she stumbles forward.
"Jule?" She coughs.
"Where's Hawke?" I ask.
"He and Boba are still inside..." she pants, sitting down on a rock, "...they're stuck in the throne room...some men from Mos Eisley, I think, started a fight, saying Hawke betrayed them..."
I raise my eyebrows, my heart plummeting. "Zanddec..." I mutter, rushing into the building.
"Wait, Jule!" Fennec calls after me, but I keep running.
I grit my teeth, raising the neck of my shirt over my face to try and filter the smoke, racing through the palace to get to the throne room.
All I can hear is the roar of the flames, and occasional beams cracking and breaking in the distance.
I skid to a stop when I reach the throne room, shielding my face from the flames, looking around, but not seeing anyone. "HAWKE?!" I shout over the roar of the flames, "HAWKE, BOBA, WHERE ARE YOU?!"
"Jule!" Boba's voice rings out, then coughs a little, "Jule, we're over here!"
I squint against the smoke, and make my way toward his voice. I find him standing in a corner, holding Hawke up to stand.
Hawke's head is hanging forward like he's barely awake, a massive scorch mark on his armor that I immediately recognize as blaster marks.
My mouth goes dry. I approach and help Boba hold him up. "Son of a Sith..." I mutter.
"Language..." Hawke's strained voice struggles to leave his helmet.
I chuckle softly, but find tears rising in my eyes. "We need to get you guys out of here..." I mutter.
Boba nods a little. "Where did you get in?" He asks.
"The kitchens," I say, "from the Hangar. I think we can still get back through there..."
He nods. "Lead us," he says, then turns slightly toward Hawke, "Think you can walk?"
"I'm...going to have...to try..." he says.
The pain in his voice makes panic start to claw at my chest and throat.
I grit my teeth, and nod, staring to lead them back through the palace.
As we make our way through, we have to double back or take new routes, as the fire had overtaken some halls I had gone through on the way there.
By the time we're in the hangar, I'm starting to feel light headed from the smoke.
"Jule!" Fennec calls out as we approach the partially open Hangar door. She ducks under, and helps Boba bring Hawke out of the Hangar as I hold the door open.
As soon as they're outside, Hawke collapses to the sand, falling out of Boba and Fennec's grip.
"Hawke!" I yelp, kneeling next to him. I grab his hand, and place one hand on his shoulder. Tears well up in my eyes and leak down my cheeks, landing with soft puff noises in the sand.
He takes shallow, ragged breaths. With the hand that's not holding mine, he slowly reaches up to his helmet.
I watch, a little scared. "W-wait..." I mutter, "what are you doing...?"
"I...I want...my daughter...to see my face...before...I'm gone..." he mutters, slowly, shakily, lifting his helmet up and off of his face, letting it fall to the sand with a soft thud.
His face is etched with lines of age and experience, his hair steel gray with streaks of white. His pale green-blue eyes look up at me, welling with tears, but also full of pain and exhaustion. His hand raises to my face, and a faint, proud smile flickers across his face. "My...little...warrior..." he whispers.
I grab his hand, and lean my head toward it. "Don't say this, Dad..." I mutter, "...please...you'll be fine..."
He shakes his head a little. "It's my time, Jule..." he mutters, eyes starting to go dull, looking up at the sky, stars and embers reflecting in them, "...I've been traveling these stars for so long...seen many things...done many things...I've had a good long life..." he looks at me again, "and you were the best part of it..."
I sniff a little, rubbing his glove on my face. "I don't want to lose you..." I say, sobbing a little "...I can't...Hawke...father...please..."
"...my name...my name is Ethin...Ethin Whyfar..." he lowers his hand to place over my heart, "...I...pass...the title...the story...of Hawke...to you...Jule Whyfar...my daughter...my legacy...my armor is now yours...may it...serve you...well..."
I watch him, disbelief washing over me. "Wait...wait..." I whimper, watching as he goes still, "...Hawke? Hawke! No! No, please! Please, come back!" I shake him, sobbing. "Dad! Please! Don't leave me! Don't leave me, please!" I lean forward, my arms and head against his chest, sobbing.
"We need to go," Fennec says.
"Leave her," Boba says, sternly, "let her...let her say goodbye..."
Someone kneels next to me, and gently rests their hand on my shoulder.
I look up to see Boba, holding his helmet, kneeling in the sand next to me. I take a deep shaking breath, and shift myself so I lean onto Boba's knee.
He rests his hand on my head. "I'm so sorry, Jule..." he mutters, "...he's with our ancestors now..."
I take a deep, shaking breath, and let go. I sob and sob until I can't sob any more, until I feel like I may puke, exhausting myself.
Boba gently picks me up, letting me hug him.
Kneeling in the sand, sobbing into Boba's chest, I slip into a strange kind of sleep.
•••
Sitting a fair bit away from the others gathered to pay their respects to Hawke, I stare off into the distance, looking at the horizon.
With my eyes, I trace the shapes of the Dune Sea in the distance.
I grit my teeth, flicking a pebble that is on the wall near me, watching it fall into the sand below. I gently adjust the dark, pink-red, almost black flight suit I'm wearing, my new base for my armor.
"Why aren't you with the others?" Din asks me.
I shake my head a little, not looking up at him.
He nods. "Are you alright?" He asks, carefully.
I glare up at him. "I just lost my father, what do you think?" I spit.
He leans back a little.
I sigh, feeling bad for being so rude to him. "I...I'm sorry..." I mutter, looking away, rubbing my eyes, "I just..."
"I understand," he says, "you're grieving,"
I grit my teeth and nod.
"Boba has his armor set aside," he says, "said, when you want...we can go to Navarro to have it refitted. I know a Forgemaster there, I'm sure she'd be happy to help,"
I shrug a little.
He sighs. "There's nothing we could have done, Jule," he says, "it's not our fault,"
I scoff. "I should have been here..." I mutter, tears welling up in my eyes.
"There's no telling whether or not you would have made a difference," he says, "You could have been killed too if you were here,"
I grit my teeth, tears flowing down my face. "You don't get it..." I mutter, "it is my fault. The guys who came here? They were looking for me. They were sent by...Him," I look at Din.
He seems amazed. "Wait..." he mutters, "by the man who has your mother?"
I nod. I take a deep breath, gritting my teeth. "When I was...twelve, maybe thirteen," I say, "while I was living with the Tuskens...a Mandalorian arrived at our camp, looking for me,"
He stares at me.
"You were Hawke's target..." Boba says, standing nearby, "...but...he took you under his wing instead..."
I nod. "It's my fault..." I mutter.
Boba shakes his head. "No," he says, "it's not your fault, Jule,"
I sigh, looking away from him. "I've lost my entire family..." I mutter, "...everyone who's ever meant anything to me...and someone needs to pay for it..." I stand up from the ledge. I look at Din. "Let's go get my armor," I say, "so I can make Zanddec regret he ever met me,"
Din looks at Boba, who looks concerned.
They both nod a little.
"Before that, Jule..." Boba says to me, "I...would like to talk to you,"
I turn to him, crossing my arms. "What?" I ask.
He sighs, and looks at Din.
Din nods a little, and backs away from us.
Boba takes a step closer to me. "Walk with me," he says, starting along the wall.
I nod, following him.
"I lost my father as well," he says, "when I was young. He was killed by a Jedi...and I saw the whole thing,"
I look at him. I furrow my eyebrows. "What did you do?" I ask.
He sighs softly, and gestures to himself. "Became a bounty hunter," he says, "followed in Jango Fett's footsteps. I won't lie to you, revenge crossed my mind many times, but when I heard that the Jedi who had killed my father was killed...I wasn't as relieved as I thought I would be. I...it's hard to describe the feeling it was, but..." he sighs. "I'm not sure what I'm trying to tell you Jule," he says, "I just...wanted you to know that, no matter how it feels, no matter how alone you think you are...there is always someone who you can talk to, something else you can do. Revenge...revenge can destroy a person, eat away at them from the inside,"
I grit my teeth. "I thank you for your sympathy, Boba," I say stiffly, "but this is something I need to do. Not just for me. For all the little girls born at his establishment who have never known anything other than his iron fist. I promised my mother, when I get big and strong, I will go back and free them. So that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to free all of the slaves in that establishment,"
He nods a little. "Just...keep that as your goal," he says, "Revenge and anger like that can turn people into monsters..."
I nod. "Din is waiting for me," I say, "I'll send a transmission when I get to Navarro, so you know we got there safe,"
He nods. "Thank you," he says. He turns toward me, and gently grabs my shoulders.
I face toward him, and look up at him, a little confused.
He bends down a little and gently rests his forehead on mine. "You are not alone..." he mutters.
I pause, my heart aching a little. I smile softly. "Thank you..." I mutter.
He takes a step back and nods.
•••
Din sits in the passenger seat in the cockpit of the Yaim as I fiddle with the console.
We're drifting in space, on our way to Navarro.
"You have the hyperdrive installed, right?" He asks.
I nod. "Just...got to finagle some things to get it right..." I mutter, "she's an old biddy, needs some persuading sometimes..."
He nods a little. "I think you'll like Navarro," he says, "it's a volcanic planet,"
I nod a little, and smile when I see the indicator light for hyperdrive turn on. "I'm ready to jump now," I say, flipping some switches, and grabbing the sliding lever for hyper drive. I glance over my shoulder at Din.
He looks at me, holding Grogu on his lap. He secures the harness around them.
Grogu laughs a little, reaching his little hands toward me.
I smile. "Hold onto your butts," I say, pulling the slider. My chest tightens the way it does when we jump into hyperspace, a feeling that hasn't happened in a long while.
When we leave hyperspace, a gray planet greets us, half illuminated.
I raise an eyebrow. "Kind of depressing looking..." I mutter, checking my indicators and charts, "...but, it's Navarro,"
"Like I said," Din says, "it's a volcanic planet,"
I nod a little. "I'm going to need directions to where you need me to go now," I say.
He stands up and stands next to me, leaning down a little. "That way..." he says, pointing to my right.
I nod, feeling myself blush a little with him so close. "Rodger that..." I mutter, following his directions to the Mandalorian colony.