AN: This chapter is long, but I couldn't cut it into two parts. But hopefully this makes up for the lack of updates so far! I've finally figured out the rest of the path, so I'm working on getting this done. This chapter is dedicated to NarnianHobbit for making my heart feel all warm and fuzzy with their comments. <3
"Get out of there!" Cassian yelled over comms.
Talia quickly ducked behind one of the consoles. The TIE shot into the room, causing bolts to crash into the wall. Cinders of fire and the stark smell of burnt ozone rushed her senses. The TIE arced upwards in order to circle back a minute or two later. That was the time she had to take action. She pushed the button on her comms device. "The Empire cannot get into this lab. It'll destroy lives."
Cassian's panicked voice boomed over the device's speaker, "What are you doing?"
"I have a backup plan!" Talia hopped over the table and quickly dove over. She moved to another spot, one much closer to the storage safe's door and opened it. The door shot open, revealing all of the technology. The TIE took its time in coming back around, the high pitched screeching pierced the air. It wasted no time when it aimed and fired. Talia ran across the scorched lab, trying to step over growing fires and debris. The blaster fire shot the storage area, causing some devices to blow up. Talia threw herself behind a desk and ducked. Debris flew out of the safe, and the whole building shook. More items fell off and came crashing down right onto Talia's arm. She cried out, but didn't hear it. All she felt was white hot pain jolting up her arm. All of the explosions and blaster fire had caused her hearing to hear just a sharp noise. Her comms unit lit up like crazy. Cass must have been losing his mind trying to contact her, but there wasn't time.
Talia managed to squeeze through between a desk and some debris. She coughed and looked through the gaping whole in the window. The TIE kept circling back for more. She picked up the small device General Lerga had given her and pushed a few buttons. Turrets came out of the walls on either side of the safe room and aimed at the window. Droid reprogramming at its finest. Talia smirked to herself. When the TIE got close, the turrets fired, giving her cover until she could get close enough to throw the thermal detonators.
Ting!
The thermals stuck to the TIE. When it got too close, the pilot immediately pulled upwards. With a large boom, the whole building shook beneath Talia's feet. She steadied herself and darted for the stairs. As she rushed down, her skin burned as if it were on fire. A cry escaped her lips, but she managed to push forward without a second thought. She had to get to Cassian and Kaytoo.
Armed forces forged their way into the other tower. Talia's heart dropped and she pushed her way through the edge of the battlefield. The earth rumbled below her, and her hearing came back with every step. She pushed the button on her comms device and spoke into it, "Cassian? Can you hear me?" When nothing came through, she looked down at it to see it lighting up in response. The speaker had been damaged. She shoved it in her pocket and focused on getting to the tower. She needed to help them.
The crushing pain in her legs threatened to take her down, yet she pushed forward with more determination. The battlefield was hot. So hot that Talia could barely feel the coolness of her sweat. Bombs detonated nearby and blaster shots were fired. She dodged all of it and dove for cover. The smoke and ash jogged her memories of when she was thrown across the battlefield a year ago. That felt so long ago. The fear trembled her bones and put her into shock. Now? Now all she feared was that she wasn't going to make it to Cassian and Kay-Tuesso in time.
Not too far from the building were a few soldiers trying to avoid the oncoming fire. Talia rushed up to them and called out, "There's a squad of plastic boys infiltrating the tower!" She pointed to the last of the troopers going into the tower. The soldiers nodded and followed suit to ambush them from behind.
Talia attempted to steady her breathing as she led the soldiers to the building. What would Cassian do? She held her blaster close to her and pushed through the entrance. A few bucket heads had stayed behind to guard.
Wrong move.
Talia and the others fired immediately, hitting the troopers multiple times. With a loud thud, they collapsed onto the ground. She snatched up one of their E-11 blaster rifles and continued onward. If Cassian and Kaytoo got overwhelmed in there...
No. She couldn't think about that now.
After navigating the way through the winding halls up towards higher floors, they finally came across the room the rebels were in. Stormtroopers filled the hall, trying to figure out how to push in. Some laid down cover fire while they discussed it.
"We should just throw some thermals in there and call it a day."
"And blow this half of the floor up? No way."
"Guys. Come on. Let's just push in. They're outnumbered."
"Not anymore," Talia whispered to herself. She motioned to one of the other soldiers, who held some thermal detonators on his belt. He threw some into the hall, causing confusion and a lot of screaming to occur. Talia stepped into view and shot both blasters, aiming for the troopers as best she could. With never dual wielding before, it was proving quite difficult.
Storm troopers dropped like flies as more and more of the soldiers shot at them. It wasn't until they heard loud marching footsteps behind them that they pushed in further into the hall. More stormtroopers were coming, and if they didn't push soon, they would be sandwiched between the two. Talia continued firing until she was able to get into the room.
Cassian spotted her quickly and a sigh of relief left his lips. He and Talia ran to one another and examined each other for blaster wounds. "Are you hurt?" They asked simultaneously.
Before a reply could be uttered, a thermal detonator rolled into the room.
Kaytoo tackled both of them just before it went off. "C-Cass-ian?" He whizzed and whirred for a moment, until the light in his eyes faded to black.
Talia yelped at the immense weight now bearing down on her burned flesh. She worked with Cassian to push Kaytoo off of them and forced herself to sit up. She immediately grabbed the tool set out of her boot and examined the powered down droid. If they were going to resort to throwing in thermals, it was only a matter of time before they rushed in thinking they had the upper hand.
The bruises and swelling of Talia's injured arm became more visible as she stretched over Kaytoo. Cassian grabbed the E-11 blaster as worry filled his eyes. "Are you okay to be doing that?" He reached down to touch his abdomen lightly and grimaced, but averted his actions just as quick.
"Focus on the new troopers. We don't have time." It was nice that he was worrying about her, but right now, they had to worry about getting the hell out of dodge. She ushered him to pay attention to the door and grimaced from the pain of moving. The more she slowed down, the more the pain flared up.
Cassian shot repeatedly, the bolts going through the open space and into the hall. Some troopers would duck their heads in and shoot when they thought the coast was clear, and end up getting nailed in the skull by Cassian. Shouting from the Gimmellian rebels echoed through the hall, and the stormtroopers turned their attention to them. General Lerga glanced over at Cassian, while both of them watched the door intensely.
In a frantic burst, Talia's hands fumbled with the wiring in Kaytoo's chest. Fragments of metal had forced itself through his side and the back of his head. He had fully protected them from the blast. "Come on, come on..." There was no way they could lug him back to the ship. He'd be too heavy, especially in the middle of a battle. Something sparked in his chest and Talia recoiled quickly.
"If you can't re-"
Talia cut Cassian off, "I can do this. He saved us. I'm going to save him."
Some stormtroopers stormed in, catching Cassian's attention. He reverted his focus back to fighting them off. The fight was dying down and both sides of rebels had started to corner the stormtroopers.
A big shot shook the tower, causing things to crash down. Cassian and Talia swayed in their spots. Outside the window, an AT-AT inched its way closer. If it was preparing to fire again, any blast from that close a proximity would most likely be deadly. Cassian looked back at Talia to make sure she was okay. "How much longer?"
This is too much... Stress melted Talia's mind; her body tensed up. No matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't focus on breathing, moving, or simply being in the moment. "I need...I need to breathe."
A hand placed itself on her shoulder. When she looked, nothing was there. An immense amount of heat began to warm her shoulder, like fireworks that got too close. A small smile spread across her face as the warmth traveled through her system. It replaced the negative emotions with just...warmth. It calmed her, much like sitting in front of a campfire and being content with life. Talia whispered under her breath, "Hello, Zara."
It wasn't much. And though she couldn't use the force physically, at least she could use it the tiniest bit. Knowing her daughter was there in this tragic time felt more than just comforting. It felt...magical. And it made Talia want to cry from pure joy.
Talia's mind snapped back into place. Her hands started to get back to work rewiring. "How many more troopers are there?"
"Finishing them off now." Cassian moved closer to the door to investigate. He slowly took a peek out into the hall and quickly shot to the left. Well, there would have been a shot if the cartridge had any ammo left. He dropped the big blaster and went for his own, firing as fast as he could at the oncoming stormtrooper. A scream echoed through the hall, and all that was left was silence. "Once he's up and running, we have to get out of here."
Pinching some wires together and taping them never seemed so dire. Talia used to do this all the time on Kuat. Repair droids and send them on their way. But now? Now this was terrifying. They had grown quite close to Kay-Tuesso, and the agonizing thought of leaving him behind for the Imperials to secure him made her stomach flop. "He should be okay." She put his chest panel into place and restarted his system.
Kay-Tuesso whirred on, his white eyes blinking as they lit up. He struggled to get up, his right arm failing him completely. It had been damaged from the blast. Kaytoo looked up at Cassian and Talia when he remembered what happened. He observed, "You are in one piece. Good."
"Worried about us?" Cassian managed to smile.
"Always." Kaytoo stood up with Talia's help and balanced himself. A loud noise flared up in his chest. He glanced down at it, chose to ignore it, and replied, "You two are never safe."
Cassian turned his attention back to the hall and watched as Gimmellian soldiers passed by. They headed down back to the battlefield. Everything was all clear. General Lerga followed suit, but not before thanking them for their help.
"I know where there's a medic tent set up." Cassian raised his hand out to Talia. Without hesitation, she took it. They hurriedly got out of the tower and headed for the medic tent. Grabbing a few supplies was all they needed. Enough to scrape by, at least until they got back to Dantooine. These Gimmellians still had a whole war to go.
Once there, Talia took initiative and bandaged Cassian's abdomen. It still bled from the shrapnel of the grenade. It wasn't too severe, but the thought did trickle down in Talia's mind of some pieces being lodged in his system. They switched places, and she allowed Cassian to gently put her arm in a makeshift sling. She questioned quietly, "Did you find any information?"
Cassian shook his head. He glanced around to make sure no one else was eavesdropping. The soldiers here were in agony over their wounds and lost limbs. Their cries and groans would cover up their conversation for the most part. "No. She's vanished. Kay managed to get the Imperial documents, though."
Kaytoo joined in, "She's possibly dead or being tortured."
"Kay..." Cassian and Talia said simultaneously.
As if he were a very sarcastic teen, he retorted, "Fine. I apologize. She is healthy and alive. I'm going back to the ship to repair myself."
"We'll meet you there." Cassian examined the burns on the back of Talia's neck. Her shirt burned at the top and the deformed skin extended down her back. Fighting that TIE really did some damage. "You need to see a doctor." He looked around. The few doctors there on duty were tending to the severely wounded. Disturbing them felt like a crime.
"So do you." Talia got down off of the seat. The moment her boots hit the ground, her tired muscles screamed for rest. The aches settled in deep in her joints. Now that the battle was over, the heated parts of her skin took over her thoughts. Fire. It felt like she was still on fire or close enough for the flames to brush up against her skin. What she wanted more than anything was to collapse on the ground and sleep. Unfortunately, she couldn't do that. "Someone around here has to know one that doesn't have their hands full."
The rebel spies walked until they reached the village nearby. The population there was thin and silent for the most part. They were minding their own business. No music. Hardly any talking. Some people were helping disperse some food. Kids weren't running around and sat around in circles. The warriors stood guard, making sure the peace ensued. The walls of buildings had been charred from past bombings and crates of supplies were scattered around. It wasn't until they got to the market area that the population thickened, and groups of people talked and bartered. After asking multiple people, the duo was forced to keep going. No one could give them an answer on where the Queen was or where a doctor was located.
Perhaps it was their fear of strangers. Maybe not fear, but rather mistrust. After all, Imperials were constantly attacking them.
Someone bumped into Cassian, yet kept going on their way. Cassian felt around in his jacket and brought out a piece of paper. Written on it was an address. He peered around the crowd, but the person was already gone. He scrunched up his eyebrows, debating on whether or not to follow this new lead. "Let's go home. We'll find nothing here."
"Let's go to the address."
Cassian looked at her incredulously. Did he hear that right? "The last time I went on a random lead, I was ambushed and my ship got stolen. What if this is a trap?"
"These are our allies. Let's have a little hope, shall we?" Talia pulled him down the walkway and started checking all the addresses. "Plus, there's two of us this time. If there is an ambush waiting for us, I'm sure we'll think of something. We always do." She chuckled softly to lighten up the situation.
All Cassian could do was sigh. It wasn't a sigh out of utter defeat, yet one rather of agreement. No matter how much he wanted to rest, if this lead was real and he didn't follow it, Draven would have his head. Cassian wrapped his arm around Talia's waist as they supported each other while walking.
After a few minutes, they arrived at a doctor's shop closing up. The last patient walked out the door. Before the door could close, Cassian caught it and walked inside. If it were an ambush, at least he'd be attacked first.
To his surprise, it was an actual doctor's shop.
A muscular woman swept the ground. She glanced up and didn't say anything. The shop itself was dark, only lit by candle light and a few lanterns.A few cots were scattered around, and curtains hung up high on the ceiling in between. Soft music played from somewhere in the room. The overwhelming aroma of blood and cleaning supplies mixed together, causing both Cassian and Talia to grimace. Talia watched as Cassian's eyes searched around, taking note of all the exits and furniture in the area.
Another woman came out from another room. Human, long dark hair and bright eyes. She wasn't alien at all, not like Talia expected. She almost imagined she'd look like General Lerga. More or less humanoid, but different. So many of their kind were on the battlefield. Yet there were none in the village that they spotted. Was it really so different on this planet from the rest of them? The woman approached them and observed, "You two are wounded."
Cassian looked over the whole situation. The possibilities of how many people were in the back room. The exits. How they'd fight. Talia could see the gears in his head turn, and when he didn't speak, she said, "We were looking for someone to help. I tried to treat his injury earlier, but I wanted a second opinion. Someone pointed us here."
It was obvious, but it wasn't a lie. At least the odds seemed in their favor. If only Kaytoo was there to actually tell them the probabilities.
The woman waved them over to the other room. "Come."
Cassian grabbed Talia's wrist lightly to indicate to wait a moment. He glanced at her before he walked ahead. His hand twitched as he kept it close to his holstered blaster.
When they got into the room, it was brighter. The duo squinted for a moment before their eyes adjusted. The woman watched them, and noticed how tense Cassian became. She inspected him, taking in all his little actions and the way he stayed just in front of Talia. "News spreads quickly here. Rebels haven't shown themselves into our battle before."
"What else have they said?" Cassian asked. His eyes landed on the woman after taking in his surroundings.
"You're searching for our Queen."
Talia stepped forward and set her left hand on Cassian's shoulder. "Do you have any idea what happened to her?"
The woman cocked her head and questioned, "Why are you so interested?"
"She's very important to the Rebellion. We want to make sure she is safe," Cassian declared.
The lady nearly smiled, but bit her lip instead. She didn't seem to think about how she would respond. She just did, "You would think the Rebellion would have more important matters at hand than look into something so tiny as this."
Time to butter her up. Maybe make her more open to the idea about giving them information. Cassian motioned to their injured selves. "We care about our allies, especially when they inspire others to do what's right. It's part of the reason why we helped out in today's battle."
Cared about the ones who wouldn't betray them, anyway.
"Is fighting a war and laying down your life the right thing to do?"
There was no hesitation in Talia's reply, "In this galaxy? Without a doubt. We need to take down the Empire before we have to explain to our little ones why they have to live in fear for their lives as well."
The lady pondered for a moment, taking Talia in. Looking her over. Wondering, and coming to a conclusion, on who both of them could be. "Did General Draven send you?" She motioned one of them over, and Cassian went first. He sat down on a cot in front of her and waited.
Cassian glanced at Talia, who knew exactly what he was thinking. The lady they were talking to was the Queen of Ord Gimmel. He wasted no time and spoke up, "Yes. None of our leaders have heard from you, and with it being confirmed of your disappearance, we had to look into it."
Bad memories seemed to crop up in the Queen's head and she snarled, "That man has a cold heart and a taste for blood. I'm not surprised he would try again to gain favor for our technology."
Did she know Draven that well? From what Talia had seen, it was nearly accurate. Draven had standards and morals that were thrown out into the vacuum of space. The thought stuck to Talia's mind, repeating over and over. What else was Draven capable of? Why would the Queen of this planet say that? Talia forced herself to attempt to steady the situation, "We're all rebels here. We have the same goal."
"This war is more than taking down one ruler. It's about holding our own. Proving ourselves worthy of independence. Showing the galaxy that we're more than some small planet with only technology to give. Revealing who we Gimmellians are." The Queen looked at Cassian's wound closely. She opened it and peered in, making sure there were no shards of metal.
"Why go into hiding then?" Cassian questioned. The Queen put some herbs together in a bowl and set it aflame. He watched as she came closer with the mixture, the tiniest hint of fear crossed his dark eyes. The Queen smeared some of it onto his wound, and immediately a sizzling sound occurred. Cassian bit his tongue hard; the affected area reddened from the burning intensity.
The Queen thought for a long moment. Her hands worked pulling some cloth out and pouring a mysterious liquid onto it. She put it against his skin and binded the wraps around it to hold it in place. She hummed shortly, then replied, "What I have come to learn in my time is that loyal followers will do anything to secure their future when their leader is in jeopardy. It happened with my grandmother during her reign. They won against those tyrants. Now, I have my own tyrants needing removal."
She waved Talia over for examination. Cassian watched as Talia approached her and sat down on the cot. "When will you reappear to the public?"
"The time will come when they lose motivation. I'll show my face then. It will reignite the fire." After some examination and some medicinal searching, the Queen started to rub an oil on Talia's burns. The injured rebel winced and hissed a bit, but the pain subsided quickly. The Queen continued, "I'd rather lead them into battle, but the Empire has many forces."
"If you need anything, let the Rebellion know," Talia responded kindly.
There wasn't much supplies or people on standby they could just send anywhere in the galaxy, but the Rebellion would make due. Just enough to maintain their relationship with her. Cassian agreed, "We will do what we can."
"Keep Draven out of our business. Our technology is off limits. If I need anything else, I will contact one of the leaders directly." The Queen softened, her features melting into a small smile. There was a hint of respect that twinkled in her eye. "Thank you for your concern. It's been so long since someone has checked up on us."
Talia smiled. Missions were never this rewarding. It felt really good to be thanked. "Our pleasure, your Majesty."
The Queen shook Talia's hand and handed her some special oil to put on her burns. Talia bowed in an attempt to be respectful and followed Cassian out the door. At least they could go back to the base knowing the Queen was okay.