Abie's eyes were closed but she certainly wasn't sleeping. Her mind was a frenzy of activity, replaying the last half hour over and over again.
It was the most difficult aspect of being in command. It was the way that Abie took losses to heart that made her into such a compassionate and thoughtful leader.
"Coming out of hyperspace," a voice behind her said. Abie opened her eyes to see the vast expanse of empty space. To her right and left she could see the Iron Stump and the Tonus who had arrived just before the Insurgent. With a wave of her right hand, Oster was standing next to her command chair. "Oster, have we tallied the losses yet?"
The Bothan pulled out a data pad and began scrolling through a list. "When it comes to personnel, we lost eight with another thirteen injured. Pretty good, all things considered."
Abie groaned and slumped in her chair. "Eight lives too many."
Oster moved around to the front of Abie's command chair. "Lady Edge, the Empire ambushed us, and we were prepared thanks to you. Those we lost, sacrificed themselves so that the rest of us could live to fight another day."
"Speaking of the rest of us," Abie said as she leaned forward in her chair. In the viewport she could see a small freighter pop out of hyperspace. "They made it!" Abie jumped from her seat and patted Oster on the shoulder. "Get me a list of equipment we had to leave behind. I am going to speak to Twitch and Rhodes."
The Bothan acknowledged the order as Abie swiftly walked out of the bridge. It wasn't long before she was standing at one of the main airlocks on the outside of the Insurgent. Just when she was beginning to think she walked to the wrong airlock, she heard the outside mechanisms latching onto the smaller ship. Abie waited impatiently until the airlock door slid open.
Kasdeya was the first to step out of the Kestrel. She wore a somber expression on her face as she walked past Abie and staggered down the hallway. Abie was confused but she still sported a beaming expression. Twitch was next to step into the hallway followed by Lena whose eyes were fixated on the ground. Abie's excited smile quickly ran from her face as she saw the girl.
"What is she doing here?" Abie shouted. Twitch went to respond but was immediately cut off by his seething sister. "No! Not from you. I know this is Rhodes' fault and he is going to answer for it. Where is he?"
Twitch took a deep breath before responding. "He's gone."
Abie threw her arms in the air. "Did that fool go off and play hero and get himself captured? I told him—"
"No, Abie. He's gone," Twitch cut in while putting his hands on her shoulders.
Abie's angry expression quickly faded into a blank face. As fast as her anger faded, it returned with more intensity than before. By now, a few more rebels had gathered around to see what was going on. "Throw her out the airlock!" Abie finally shrieked, pointing at Lena.
Twitch was quick to step in front of the pair of rebels who went to comply with what Abie had said. "Wait!" he said, putting one hand toward the rebels and another toward Lena. "Rhodes sacrificed himself so that she could live. We shouldn't be so quick to pass judgment."
Abie took a few steps forward until her finger was poking his chest. "Everyone knows you have a soft spot for this girl. You are hardly the one who should decide her fate."
Before Twitch could respond, Hunter began to push his way past Twitch and Lena. The astromech made his way to the center of the hallway while emitting a flurry of beeps and whistles.
"A message from Rhodes?" Abie asked as she stared at the droid.
"Maybe we should listen to that first," Twitch added.
Abie sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine. But we are putting Lena in shackles. Xisuma, Davant, bind her and bring her to the bridge. And someone go find Governor Kerrim. She will want to hear this."
Abie stormed off before anyone could say any more. Xisuma and Davant looked at each other before approaching Lena. Without looking up, Lena held out her arms and allowed the two men to fasten a pair of stun cuffs on her wrists. Twitch stuck close to her while the group made their way toward the bridge with Hunter leading the way.
The bridge was silent when they arrived. Abie was pacing around the room mouthing words to herself. She snapped out of it when Hunter rolled into the room with a few low tones. Abie waved her hand and two more soldiers armed with blaster rifles took hold of Lena's arms. She offered no resistance, letting the two soldiers take her to a seat in the corner of the room.
"You don't have to..." Twitch began to say before giving up and finding a spot next to one of the men guarding Lena. A few more minutes of silence passed before Kasdeya was ushered into the room.
"Ok, Hunter," Abie started. "Play the message."
The astromech issued a few beeps before rolling to the center of the room. He activated his holoprojector and played the message.
The Imperial Star Destroyers Kaali and Allegiant sat suspended in space, still immobile from the ion blasts. While the battle had long since ended, the tension was only rising on the bridge of the Kaali. While engineers worked to restore power to the disabled Star Destroyers, the bridge of the Kaali was uncharacteristically silent.
Governor Henning was standing at the beginning of the command walkway that ran between the two crew pits before wrapping back around along the forward viewports. Supervisor Aga stood directly in front of the viewport, staring out into space where he could see multiple Imperial ships returning from the moon of Mercuris.
Since the Star Destroyer was struck by multiple ion blasts from the moon's surface, he hadn't turned around. The rest of the bridge crew had asked for directions, but Aga simply dismissed them with a wave of the hand. Afterall, without power, there wasn't much anyone could do. They were essentially trapped on the bridge until the turbolifts came back online.
As the returning Imperial ships passed beneath the Kaali, headed for the hangar, Aga turned around with a sigh. He made eye contact with McCart who was grinning ear to ear.
"The Admiral will not be happy when she returns," he chuckled while crossing his arms. McCart was relishing this moment.
Right after Leneh had left for the moon, the two began to argue over who was to lead the blockade. McCart eventually bowed out once the Inquisitor transmitted her warning. Before the rebel ships even appeared on the cruiser's scanners, the Kaali and Allegiant were being bombarded from two streams of ion blasts.
Realistically, there was nothing the disgruntled Supervisor could have done. But that wasn't something that McCart was concerned about. It just meant he didn't go down for letting them escape. He waited in anticipation as Aga stared daggers at him.
"You know full well that there was nothing we could have done there," the Supervisor finally said. "The Admiral will have to deal with the fact that the rebels outsmarted us. She shouldn't have even let a single ship off the surface."
A few seconds after saying this, the computer consoles and holoprojectors on the bridge powered up. Both men couldn't help but shudder because not too long after, they heard the whir of the turbolift rising toward the bridge. Aga walked up next to McCart who had turned around and both men anxiously watched the door.
Shortly thereafter, the turbolift door slid open. The scowl on Leneh's face was instantly apparent as she briskly walked onto the bridge with her arms folded behind her back under her cape. She stopped in front of the two men and raised an eyebrow. "I understand the Rebels have escaped?"
Supervisor Aga took a step forward but avoided eye contact. "Yes, they did," he started sheepishly. "The cruisers were rendered useless by a surface to space ion attack. We..." The man's words trailed off as he finally looked at the Admiral. "You know what, no. This is not my fault. You pushed, in my opinion, a flawed plan. You insisted on using ground forces to overrun the base and let every single rebel ship escape the surface. And you knew about the ion cannons and failed to take them into account. Mistakes like these are why I was sent by Coruscant."
Leneh hadn't budged since the Supervisor had started talking. She just took in his speech without so much as a flinch. "Are you quite finished?" she asked once he had stopped to take a breath. Despite asking a question, she did not allow Aga to answer. "In your ignorance, you fail to see the true objective of this operation. It is not enough to simply kill all of the rebels on a remote moon. If we did that, word of their defeat would do us little in controlling insurgency across the galaxy. The ultimate defeat of the rebels must be on a grander stage so that the galaxy can witness the true strength of the Empire. The goal of today was not to defeat the rebels themselves, but to deal a major blow to their morale. My mission was a success. The Jedi Charles Rhodes is dead."
As Leneh finished her sentence, she unfolded her arms and brought them in front of her. She raised her right hand in the air and showed the silver and green lightsaber hilt to the rest of the bridge.
Supervisor Aga was not impressed. He only appeared to get angrier the longer the Admiral spoke. "I have had enough of your grandstanding!" he shouted. "This game of yours is taking too long and you will inevitably make a mistake. You should have finished the rebels today."
"Tread lightly Supervisor. I still outrank you."
"Technically... you do. But as a practical matter, the ISB carries more weight with Coruscant than our ranks suggest. It is you who should be cautious. One misstep and this whole scheme of yours could come crashing down."
Leneh stood like a statue, glaring down at the shorter man. She took a step back and opened her shoulders, clearing a line to the exit. The Supervisor got the hint and left with a smirk. McCart was quick to follow, not wanting to be in the obviously annoyed Admiral's crosshairs.
Once Leneh heard the turbolift doors close, she moved to the front of the bridge. With a loud voice and confident tone, she ordered, "Helm! Return us to Serenno. It is there that this conflict comes to an end." The crew did as commanded, and the Star Destroyer was soon underway.
Ever since Twitch scooped Lena up from the snow-covered surface of Mercuris, she had yet to look up. The words of Leneh and Rhodes replayed over and over in her head. She couldn't bring herself to look at anyone.
Now, she sat in a chair, staring at the floor of the Insurgent's bridge. She was frozen in place until she heard the voice of Charles Rhodes. Her head snapped up so fast that the guard next to her jumped. Now she could see a holographic version of Rhodes standing in the middle of the room.
The first part of the message was just Rhodes giving Hunter instructions on how to play the message, a part that Hunter wasn't supposed to record. After another minute of Hunter and Rhodes arguing over the necessity of the message, Rhodes began his real speech.
"Colleagues, friends, and family." Hunter could be heard with a flurry of beeps in the background. "No, you don't need your own category. You count as family," Rhodes replied to the droid before recomposing himself. "If you are hearing this, then my vision has come true, and you all deserve an explanation. So, I will start by saying that I am sorry. This is not the outcome I wanted, but it was what I had to do. Despite the events of today, I know Cloud Squadron will prevail and someday, the galaxy will be free again. Abie, I want to thank you for convincing me to come to Serenno. It has been an honor to fight beside you and Cloud Squadron."
Abie looked at the floor, trying to hide the faint smile on her face. Hunter turned slightly until the hologram was facing the corner of the room.
"Twitch, over these past months, you have been one of my biggest supporters, closest of allies, and best of friends. Your dedication to the people you care about will take you far."
Twitch nodded and balled up his organic fist. Next, Hunter rolled toward the other side of the room where Kasdeya was sitting amongst a few Cloud Squadron Soldiers. The hologram of Rhodes now sported a beaming smile. It looked as if Rhodes was staring straight at Kasdeya. The woman stood up and made her way until she was face to face with the holographic Rhodes.
"My dearest Kas. Not finding you after the war is my life's biggest regret but getting to see you again is my life's greatest joy. Remember, my heart will go with you, always."
As he finished his sentence, Rhodes wiped a tear from his eye and held his hand up in front of his chest. Kasdeya too was in tears as she stared at the hologram. She raised her hand until it overlapped with Rhodes'.
Hunter waited a few seconds before rolling to his next spot. "And Lena. Perhaps I owe you the biggest apology of them all."
As soon as she heard her name, Lena stood up from her chair and walked toward the hologram. One of the guards went to stop her but was held back by Twitch. She moved just in front of the hologram and stopped.
"I failed you as a master and as a friend," Rhodes continued. "I want you to know that I don't blame you for anything that has happened. I never have. Whether or not you were meant to become a Jedi, I do not know. Regardless of that, I still trust you and I hope the rest of Cloud Squadron can too. Now, it is up to you on how you want to live your life. The Kestrel is yours. Treat it well. As for Hunter, he comes with the ship so good luck taking care of him."
The hologram became distorted for a second amidst the sounds of Hunter beeping in the audio. Rhodes reappeared, this time holding onto his knee. "Fine, I'll say it. Lena, Hunter wants you to know that he will be the one taking care of you."
Lena tried to fight the tug at the corner of her mouth but couldn't help but allow a faint smile. She looked down at Hunter who let out a few happy beeps before letting Rhodes continue. "I guess the main point of this message is to say farewell. I will miss you all. Good luck on the fight ahead, and may the Force be with you, always."
With that, Hunter shut down the holorecording. The room was silent for a few seconds, no one sure what to say.
Finally, it was Abie that was the first to speak up. "Go," she said softly while walking toward Lena. She reached down and unfasted her restraints allowing them to fall to the ground. Lena looked up with a confused expression. "If Rhodes is still willing to trust you, so am I. I will allow you to leave."
Lena looked around the room at the faces staring at her. She still hadn't spoken since coming aboard the Insurgent. Now, it felt like she had to say something. Her eyes eventually fell upon a somber looking Twitch who had moved next to the exit.
Lena took a deep breath and turned back to Abie. "Despite what Rhodes said, I am still guilty of so much. If you are still willing to trust me, I think I can help you complete your mission."
Abie shook her head and sighed. "I don't know if I can do that in good conscience. Besides, we still don't know how to beat that weapon and the refinery is nearing 24-hour production. Our attack window has closed."
"I know how to beat that weapon," Lena replied. "As you probably know already, the AT-ST is plated with sacandium armor but that is not what makes it strong. The Grand Admiral and her scientists have developed a form of long-range ray shield projected from her Star Destroyer that makes the weapon impervious to energized attacks."
Abie was conflicted. If what Lena was saying was true, it would help them destroy the weapon. On the other hand, Abie wasn't ready to trust her, despite what she may have said earlier. The cunning Cloud Squadron leader began to pace back and forth with a hand on her chin.
She eventually came to a stop and shook her head. "While I do believe you, I don't think I can allow you to stay."
Before Lena could respond, Twitch cut in. "I know I am probably not the best authority on this, but I think we should hear Lena out because I trust her."
"If Charles trusted her, I trust her too," Kasdeya added, standing to her feet.
Another couple voices soon expressed similar feelings. Abie sighed and closed her eyes. "Fine. Out of respect for Rhodes, I will allow you to stay and offer input on the plan."
Lena nodded while looking at her feet. "I only hope that I can make up for the harm I caused. As for the plan, I think I have a way around the Empire's blockade and schedule change. I just need a few days to make preparations."
"Do what you have to do," Abie reluctantly replied as if already regretting the decision.
Lena quickly turned to leave the room with Hunter following close behind. As she reached the door, Twitch began walking with her stride for stride. "If you are here to offer help, I have to do this on my own," she said in a somewhat annoyed tone.
"I just want to show you something back in the Kestrel," he replied with a smile.
Lena rolled her eyes but chose not to protest. She led Twitch and Hunter back through the corridors of the Insurgent until they reached the airlock that the Kestrel was docked to.
Lena was first into the ship. She immediately felt uncomfortable in the small cargo hold of Rhodes' ship. The last few hours had been so overwhelming that it was difficult to process that the ship was now hers.
While Lena was frozen in place, Twitch slid by her and went deeper into the cargo hold while gesturing Lena to follow. She followed him a few steps back before they were both standing in front of one of the cots that was folded into the wall. Twitch pulled down the cot to reveal Lena's lightsaber resting on a neatly, folded pile of her old clothes.
"We always knew you'd come back," Twitch started. "Rhodes never lost faith in you."
Lena's eyes were fixated on the gray and red hilt. She slowly picked up the saber and ran her fingers over the bottom of the hilt where her name was inscribed. She looked back up at Twitch and smiled. "Thank you, Twitch."
As she said this, Lena hugged the man. A few seconds later the two broke apart and stood awkwardly in the cargo hold. The tension was eventually broken when Hunter let out a low warble.
"Time to go," Lena muttered while looking at the droid.
"I guess so," Twitch said while scratching the back of his head. "Good luck, Lena. I hope to see you soon."
After saying this, Twitch exited the Kestrel and the door slid closed behind him. Lena changed into her old clothes and tossed her Imperial outfit in a crate. She sighed and made her way to the cockpit. As strange as it felt, she slipped into the pilot's chair and fired up the engines.
"Alright, Hunter, we have a few stops to make. Set a course for Teth."
The droid obeyed the command without hesitation. It wasn't long beforethe Violet Kestrel had jumped into hyperspace.