Abie was frozen in place. She recognized Rhodes the second he turned the corner into the last hall as he was spotted by one of the half-dozen cameras she had set up. Frisk was standing over her, still frustrated that some newcomer got to take point on his mission.
Abie tried to remain calm, a million thoughts racing through her head. Rhodes was about to walk right into a trap... her trap. There was nothing she could do without arousing suspicion. Abie moved her head slightly to the right to see her reflection in BO-Z's photoreceptor. The droid seemed to recognize Rhodes as well and was waiting for Abie to do something.
Rhodes was at the door of the room they had expected their target to be. He had no idea that she was across the palace at this point. Abie held her breath as Rhodes entered the room, her screen switching to a different camera feed.
Knowing she had to do something Abie swiveled her chair around to face Frisk. "We should take them alive. I am sure Gran-we would like to punish them himself."
Frisk stroked his scaly chin with two of his claws. "I suppose you are right, but if things get messy, I won't hesitate to rip them apart myself."
Not the ideal response she was hoping for, but Abie figured it had to do as she swiveled her chair back to the screens and reached for her commlink. "Take them alive, Aye. Set your blasters to stun."
She had spoken up just in time as the Triplets already had Rhodes and his crew at blaster point. Abie never received an answer from the bounty hunter but heard him relay the order to the others. Good, they will stay alive while I think of something, she thought, her eyes trained on the camera feed.
Just as she thought it was over, she saw Rhodes spring into action. Her heart began pounding in her chest as she watched the fight. On one hand, she wanted Rhodes and his people to win and escape. On the other hand, she wished they had just surrendered.
"There goes Cee," Frisk commented as Lena made short work of her opponent. "Can't see them winning this."
"These guys are good," Abie replied, trying to hide her slight smile.
"Not good enough," Frisk grunted. "The Triplets will soften them up for Dwig, Verm, and Sho-fi."
Before Abie could think of anything, Frisk was walking out of the small security room with the two Rodians and Mandalorian in tow.
"Stay here and 'supervise' us," Frisk said with clear disdain for her position of leadership.
Abie wasn't able to say anything before they were out the door. The second the door closed, Abie flipped down her goggles and began tapping at the computer. "BO-Z, I need you to find out where they are keeping the girl. If Rhodes is here to 'kidnap' her, he must have a good reason. I will access the palace schematics to figure out where Rhodes will be sent assuming he is captured alive."
BO-Z went to work, plugging one of its claws into the computer console. Abie skimmed through file after file while still keeping an eye on the security monitor.
By now she could see Frisk in the doorway with Verm and Dwig hiding behind his tall frame.
"I want them alive!" Abie reminded the rest of the team once the Rodians opened fire.
Abie couldn't watch, instead turning back to the files as she searched for the palace schematics. "Any progress, BO-Z?" Abie asked, keeping her eyes trained on the screen in front of her.
The little probe droid let out a flurry of beeps before unplugging from the computer. "What do you mean she isn't here? Frisk said he just moved her across the palace. That sneaky lizard," Abie groaned as she got back to work.
She tried to push this slight setback out of her mind, although she had no clue how she would get Rhodes out of this. Abie shook her head and focused on the screen.
Gotcha, she thought as she scanned the screen, now filled with the palace floorplans.
"Hey, Goggles, we got them. Alive as promised." Frisk's voice startled Abie as she glanced back to the security screens.
Lena and their third person, who she realized was a clone, lay in a heap seeming to be generally unharmed. Rhodes, on the other hand, was laying against the wall with a gash across his forehead.
"Take them to the dungeon on floor sub2. We can bring them before Gran-we in the morning."
Frisk let out a loud grunt over the comm channel. "Weren't you watching the fight? The Triplets are all knocked out. Verm and Dwig aren't doing much better. Just because you made the plan, doesn't excuse you from manual labor."
Abie sighed and looked at her droid. "C'mon BO-Z, we better not keep them waiting." Abie fixed her goggles back on her forehead while BO-Z fixed himself onto her back.
Abie took a deep breath as she headed for the door. She briskly walked down the hall to see Frisk in the doorway, tapping his clawed foot against the hardwood floors. "How did you know where the dungeon was, newcomer? What are you up to?"
Abie quickly realized that she had messed up by being specific. There was no reason for her to know that. Abie began to stutter, trying to think of a lie. "I accessed the palace schematics so that I could keep all escape routes covered."
"And how did you manage that?" Frisk retorted with a snarl.
Abie shifted uncomfortably under the gaze of the Transdoshan. "Maybe I am just smarter than you," Abie shot back.
Before Frisk could say a word, Abie brushed past him and into the room. The sight was worse than what the security cameras showed. Eight bodies were strewn around the room, each with varying degrees of injury. Out of Rhodes' crew, he was the worst with his head wound still bleeding. Sho-fi, the Mandalorian, was leaning against the wardrobe, waiting for the next order.
"I can carry the girl, Mando Girl can take the tall, skinny one, and Frisk should take the clone." Abie had to keep concentrated to act like she didn't know two of the bodies lying on the ground. It was hard enough not to say their names, let alone avoid staring at Rhodes' injured head.
To her surprise, Frisk obeyed the order with a slight grunt. He swung the clone over his shoulder while Sho-fi grabbed hold of Rhodes' ankle. Abie picked up the sleeping Lena, careful not to hurt her anymore. She couldn't help but feel bad, watching Rhodes get dragged down the hall. She wanted to say something but couldn't take any risks. Rhodes would just have to hold out until she could do something.
Frisk led the way, not fully believing that Abie knew where to go. They eventually made their way to a spiral staircase taking them two floors down underground.
Floor sub2 was smaller, not matching the same expansiveness as the rest of the palace. This floor was solely dedicated to the dungeon. A chill went down Abie's spine as she looked at the rusty bars on the half-dozen cells that lined the walls. They were all devoid of life, aside from the occasional scurry of a rodent, startled by the sudden flash of light as Frisk switched on the power.
"Throw them in separate cells," Frisk hissed while pressing some buttons on the wall. Three doors slid open with an eerie creak. Frisk propped Timber up next to the skeleton of some sort of alien species that Abie couldn't recognize. Rhodes was simply dragged into his cell while Abie gently laid Lena on the cell's small cot.
Abie and Sho-fi both stared at Frisk, unsure what to do next. Frisk relished the opportunity to take charge. "Since our 'leader' doesn't know what to do, I can finish the mission."
Abie rolled her eyes, but ultimately did not care. She had other things on her mind.
Frisk waited for Abie to say something, attempting to bait some sort of conflict. Once he saw he would get none, he continued. "We will take hour-long shifts guarding the prisoners. I don't want to take any risks with this job. Like many of you, I would like to work again in this system. Since this was Goggles' plan, she can take the first shift."
"Fine by me," Abie muttered, trying to seem annoyed although she was happy to get the first shift. The sooner she could talk to Rhodes, the better. "I can even try to interrogate them," she continued.
As she said this, she pressed a button on her wrist and BO-Z detached from her back, taking her words as his cue to appear menacing. The droid pinched its claws together while Frisk rolled his eyes. "Whatever, just put that thing away. And don't open those doors. These three are dangerous, especially the tall one. Whoever they are, they have combat training."
Abie nodded her head, full well knowing she would ignore that. She was, however, impressed that Frisk wasn't underestimating Rhodes and his crew, even if he had no idea just how powerful they really were.
Satisfied with his work, Frisk turned to leave, making for the staircase. The Mandalorian followed him, still not saying a word. Abie found it curious that the woman had yet to speak but figured they had a good reason. Abie waited a few minutes to ensure that Frisk and Sho-fi were truly gone.
Once she was sure they were alone, she went to work. "BO-Z, wake up Lena. Be gentle if you can."
The small droid let out a few beeps of acknowledgment before hovering through a gap in the bars. BO-Z approached the sleeping Lena, reaching out one of his claws. The droid sent a small shock to her arm, jolting her awake.
Lena quickly sat up, taking a swipe at BO-Z. The droid seemed to expect this as it quickly exited the cell before Lena could catch him. "You rotten little droid. You get back here!" Lena yelled as she reached through the bars at BO-Z.
"Cool it, Lena," Abie called from the other end of the room. Lena quickly looked over to see the familiar face.
"Where are we? What did you do?" Lena seethed.
Abie ignored her question as she walked over to Rhodes' cell. "I will explain later, we need to wake Rhodes. I think he is still alive. BO-Z, see what you can do."
Lena finally noticed Rhodes lying face down in the cell next to her. His bleeding had mostly stopped but it still didn't look good. BO-Z approached the body and performed the same shock that he had done on Lena. Rhodes' body twitched before he let out a groan. He gingerly stumbled to his feet and over to the bars of the cell and glanced at Abie. He gave her a wave before looking over to Lena. His eyes went wide as his head snapped back to Abie. He tipped his head to the side, squinting at his longtime friend. "Abie? What are you doing here?"
Abie grinned before saying, "Hiya, Rhodes. I came to Pantora to find you and may or may not have been hired as part of a crew of bounty hunters to protect Gran-we's fiancé. I take it you are the villainous troublemakers trying to kidnap her?"
Rhodes rolled his eyes as he rubbed the bump on his head. "You mean the fiancé that was brought here against her will after she was kidnapped from an outlying village. We are here to rescue her."
"That makes more sense. This Gran-we guy just seems like the crime lord type. Who is the clone?"
Rhodes glanced over to see Timber, still unconscious, lying next to a skeleton. "I served with him during the war. Captain Timber was the one who brought us along on this job."
Abie cocked her head to the side. "Is this one of the clones that supposedly turned on the Jedi and executed them?"
Rhodes subtly nodded his head before replying, "One in the same. But let's just say, we reached an understanding."
Satisfied with his answers, Abie motioned to BO-Z who performed the same waking maneuver that he had done on the others.
Timber's eyes snapped open to see the face of a skeleton staring back at him. "What the—" Timber yelped as he jumped backwards. The clone scrambled to the other side of the cell before he looked up to see three people in the room staring at him. "Friend or foe?" Timber asked in Rhodes' direction once he realized he didn't recognize Abie.
"Friend... for the most part," Rhodes started. "She was the mastermind behind the ruse we just fell for, although she didn't know it was us she was catching."
Timber scoffed before struggling to his feet. He stumbled over to the cot and took a seat. "Still a foe if you ask me. Anyone from these parts knows how terrible Gran-we is."
"I am from Onderon," Abie shot back.
"Cool it you two," Rhodes cut in. "Regardless of what happened, we are all on the same side now."
Lena was watching the discussion from her cell. She was trying to remain quiet, but her impatience was getting the better of her. "If you all are quite done with your conversation, Abie needs to let us out already."
Abie shrugged before looking at the control panel. "I could let you all out and we could probably escape but if you want to escape with the girl you came to rescue, it may be wise to wait."
"And why would we do that?" Lena hissed, her eyes shooting daggers at Abie.
"The girl you are after isn't even in the palace right now. She should be here tomorrow though. It just so happens that you three will be brought before Gran-we tomorrow morning. If we plan your escape then, it will give BO-Z and I time to locate the girl."
"Are you crazy, this plan is already shot!" Timber interjected.
Abie ignored him and instead looked at Rhodes who was quietly watching. "We go with Abie's plan. It's our best bet to get out of here with the girl. Abie, you need to find Hunter. Last he was in the motor pool but if my warning got through or if he noticed we fell out of communication, he could be anywhere. He has our lightsabers. If we get into a pinch, we may just need him."
Abie nodded before sporting a confused face. "Lightsabers? Plural?"
Lena was now grinning as if waiting for this moment. "I am a Jedi too!"
"She is being trained to become a Jedi," Rhodes corrected. "But she has yet to master control of her emotions or learn discipline." Lena's face soured as she went back to her cot to sit in silence. "With that business aside, why come here, Abie? I can't think you are already asking me to join the rebellion again so soon."
Abie sighed while activating BO-Z. "Go find Hunter, but don't draw attention to yourself." The droid gave a few beeps of acknowledgment before hovering up the staircase.
Abie then turned to Rhodes who was still waiting for an answer to his question. "Unfortunately, I am asking again. As you know we were defeated on Onderon. Because of this, we moved our operation to another planet suffering under Imperial rule. It happens to be the home world of one of my officers. This time, I fear that we need you for more than your ability to fight. We need what you stand for... we need the Jedi."
A frown had grown across Rhodes' face. "Abie, you know I can't reveal myself and I certainly can't put Lena at risk. The Empire thinks I am dead, and she doesn't exist. I think it best to keep it that way. Besides, I survived one war. I don't think I'm ready for another."
All of this was weighing on Abie. She didn't want to ask him again, let alone ask him to reveal himself. But what choice did she have? She also had to tell him about what she learned on Teth. She remained silent for a few seconds, contemplating how to phrase her words. "Rhodes, they know about you."
Rhodes glanced at Lena who now had a somber look on her face. "How? Everyone who knows is either a friend or dead."
Abie shook her head. "Evidently not. Somehow the Empire found out because Rose and Skye got a visit from them asking about you. They didn't want to say anything, but Rose had no choice. It looks like they already knew."
"That changes things," Rhodes muttered. "I don't blame them for talking. Rose's people have been through enough. We can talk more after we get out of here."
Abie nodded, figuring that was the best she would get out of Rhodes. "Very well. For now, you all need to wait in your cells. At some point one of the other bounty hunters will come and take a shift of guard duty. In the morning, I will likely be there to bring you before Gran-we. I don't think he has enough firepower to take all four of us down so we should be able to make our move then. In the meantime, I will try to locate the girl and find Hunter. We should keep talking to a minimum until then, just in case one of the bounty hunters comes back early."
Rhodes nodded and took a seat on the cot. "Sounds like a plan."
Lena was still frustrated at being stuck in her cell. It wasn't the first time she had been imprisoned and probably wouldn't be the last. She was pretty sure she could get out of this cell if she really wanted to. "I can't just sit here. Can't we just get out and find her ourselves?"
Before Abie could respond Timber spoke up. "Lena, I know it is difficult to blindly follow a plan like this but with discipline comes trust in your commanders. I can't even count the crazy plans I have been a part of that have been concocted by Commander Rhodes and General Dew."
Lena scoffed while crossing her arms. "They aren't my commanders... but I get the point." After saying this, she laid down on the cot and stared at the ceiling.
Content with the exchange, Rhodes chose not to say anything else. Despite their growing anxiety, the crew sat patiently until Abie was eventually replaced by one of the Rodians that Rhodes had knocked out. Eventually, everyone had fallen asleep.