The Legion’s Foil

"What do you think AyCee? The pirates can risk the Star Destroyer as they fly off. But we can certainly shield ourselves first from the expected barrage before getting Thorsh away safely." Hss'kas moved around the consoles with some familiarity, but deferred to AC-D3 for the proper workings of the shield generators.

Knibbec lets out a yodel of triumph! "I love the sight of stormtroopers high-tailing it out of here! I have a good feeling about the success of this mission, Plok!"

Imperceptible from this massive distance, a second squadron of TIE Fighter’s are disgorged from the massive Star Destroyer. Even now, they zip across the space to assault the desolate moon base…

AC-D3 saunters up to the damaged machinery and begins his analysis of the the shield generators. "I got this one, Hss'kss." The Jedi might understand the force, but the droid understood power.

Alas, he is unable to find a working solution. The generators are too far gone!

"We'd better get to the ship... these aren't the generators we're looking for."

"There's one more place we can try, to keep the TIE fighters off our backs, and perhaps even drive off the Star Destroyer. The command room. I found the troopers dead, but the various systems should still be functional." Hss'kas was of course referring to the room whose door he had opened, the one right next to the hangar where the booby-trapped droid originated from. The Jedi nodded to AC-D3 when the power droid could not get the shield generators to work again, and then led the way back towards the hangar in order to reach the command room.

Plok joins in Knibbec’s yodeling, not quite sure what he’s saying as he glides the very light repulsion tank towards their ship. He barks out more gibberish as they make their break.

*Jawa yodeling, then — Yeah! Me too! Now let’s get outa here! I’m taking this sled with us, I think it’ll fit in the hold!

C4PQ, Knibbec, and Plok all race for the ship, lowering the ramp and throwing themselves aboard. At the same moment, you see Redd, Glarc and an injured ZS-24 do the same. They don’t hold their blasters on you in that moment. You suspect it’s a race for who can get out of hanger first, and maybe slip the notice of the Imperials in favor of easier pickings.

A task made more difficult by AC-D3 and Hss’kas trying and failing to get the shields up. They enter into the hanger, just as C4PQ ties and secures Ado Thorsh into her chair.

Hss’kas, for his part, makes for the old burned out command center. Plok and Knibbec has just come through that way, and left Stormtroopers in their wake…

The Jedi frantically searches for an operational anti-aircraft system!

"Go go!" Hss'kas urged the others on to get to their ship. He ducked into the command centre, almost certain that he saw some kind of defensive system to repel aggressors, apart from merely the shield generators. If there were, they could be used to hold the TIE squadron at bay, or even drive them off!

One panel caught his attention as he dashed in, the one he missed earlier because there were dead troopers slumped over the panel, the controls for turreted autocannons! The Jedi punched the coordinates quickly to aim the guns and hoped for the best, and re-used the fallen bodies to hold the firing buttons in place.

Then with the speed of the Force, he flew out of the room towards their ship!

C4PQ moves with methodical precision, dragging Ado Thorsh toward one of the passenger chairs. He isn’t gentle, but he isn’t cruel either—just efficient.

He produces a length of synth-cord from a compartment in his chassis, looping it around her wrists and securing them tightly behind the chair. Another coil wraps around her torso, pinning her firmly to the seat. The droid tugs at the bindings, testing their strength. Satisfied, he steps back and tilts his head.

"Comfortable? No? Good." His voice carries no malice, but there’s no mistaking the underlying satisfaction in his tone. "I imagine the Rebel Alliance will have quite a few questions for you. I do hope you’ll be… cooperative."

He turns on his heel without waiting for a response—she’s still unconscious, after all. There’s still a battle to win, and a ship to get off the ground.

Tense moments pass! The crew of the Meridian Astra stall and stall, waiting for Hss’kas to re-emerge. The pirates board their ship, without so much as a goodbye. You watch as the ramp is pulled up, and then the engines spring to life.

The thing lifts off, hovering for a moment in the hanger, before whooshing off and out of the shield barrier you had stabilized earlier to return atmosphere to the Imperial base.

The TIE fighters are still too far to intercept the escaping pirates, but they are approaching fast. More moments pass, and the small squadron is growing larger and larger the longer Hss’kas fiddles with the machine. You’re sure that they will be on you soon; surrounding your small ship.


Just when your thoughts begin to weigh up whether you should leave the Jedi behind to secure the Imperial Scientist, heavy blaster fire begins to pour down onto the TIE fighter squadron. From somewhere on the periphery of the base, Hss’Kas has pumped life back into the base defenses, and they are turning their weapons on to the approaching craft.

Several of the TIE Fighters burst into shrapnel, while the remaining two peel off and keep their distance.

Hss’kas returns to the ship, and the ramp closes behind him. Just as the Jedi boards the ship, and final preparations are made, you lift off. C4PQ notices a yanking against the restraints he had placed on Ado Thorsh…

"You fools will pay dearly for this!" comes the bitter words of the bound Imperial.

FIN

The moon was still something worth investigating, but Hss'kas had run out of time and opportunity to fully explore the facility, for the Empire had arrived to reclaim what was theirs. It was dangerous technology, one with far reaching consequences, if the Empire were to be able to move entire planets across the galaxy. For now, the Rebels had a slight advantage; in capturing Ado Thorsh, they could stymie the advance of this research. Whether or not they could themselves put this knowledge to good use was something else to explore for a later time.

The Jedi would travel with his ragtag team back to base, but after that he would have to disappear again until required by the Alliance. The Imperials now know where he was last sighted, and Tragen Foul would surely pick up his scent again. These were still dark times for the Order, what was left of it ...

C4PQ sat in silence, his photoreceptors dimming slightly as he processed the events that had just unfolded. The Meridian Astra hummed beneath his feet, its engines carrying them away from the Imperial base, from the chaos they had narrowly escaped. He cast a final glance at Ado Thorsh, still bound to her chair, her eyes burning with fury.

He knew the Rebellion would want answers—secrets pried from her mind to halt whatever dark ambitions the Empire had been chasing on that forsaken moon. But for C4PQ, the mission had been more than just another act of defiance against the Empire.

For all his meticulous planning, for all the calculations running through his circuits, nothing had prepared him for the split-second choices that had defined their survival. AC-D3 had nearly been lost. Hss’kas had taken risks no Jedi should have. And C4PQ himself had fired a weapon in anger—a deviation from his protocol that he would archive but never analyze too deeply.

There was no time for self-reflection. He had data to compile, mission reports to dictate, and a prisoner to monitor. The Rebellion would move forward, with or without Ado. But for now, he would play his part, ever the dutiful droid, ever the unseen piece in a game that stretched across the stars.

For now, that would have to be enough.

Knibbec is cheerfully stunned silent. "We...survived?" He looks at the others. His facial expression is unreadable for obvious reasons but his joy is easy to read in his body language. He draws both blaster pistols and pretend pew pews into the air. After several moments he twirls the blasters and puts one back in his holster, the other in his leather jacket pocket. "So, what adventure awaits us next?"

Polishing the exterior of his new ride, rubbing out blaster scorch marks and various stains left by its previous owner, Plok ignores the jabbering Imperial. He gives AC-D3 a begrudging wassup lift of his chin when the droid trundles by, then the little bounty hunter says something chirpy and warbly to the celebrating Jawa.

*You know, if you get tired of carrying two blasters, I still need one. A blaster I mean. You have two, but I — I don’t have any. It’s just that if we get into a scrap again it might be nice if we’re all armed and dangerous. For the Rebellion! And any bounties we collect along the way!

Seriously. I’m okay with the one you prefer less!

Knibbec nods. He hands over the Imperial's blaster. It was probably tainted anyway, not that he'd mention that to Plok. "Yeah, here you go. Although you owe me another blaster whenever we find one."

AC-D3 hunkers down on the deck of the Meridian Astra at PQ's feet. He gets his friend to help him begin repairing the blaster holes in his armor, handing him the odd spanner. "Another one we pulled out of the shitter, PQ!"

AC-D3 was pretty annoyed at how under-powered the whole unit was. He addresses the team. "We got sent in here with box cutters and steak knives! We need to change things around here. Arm up. Not just blasters. Missile pods, turbo laser cannons, jet packs, you name it. Maybe get one of those AT-STs. Armed to the tits!"

After all, life was all about power.