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Rating: General, Spice Level: None
Characters/Tags: Original Character, Master and Apprentice Relationships, Original Female Character, Original Jedi Character, Ahsoka Tano, Huyang
Read Chapter 28 here.
Apprentices
Kendra leaned back on the stairs leading up to the shuttle. She sat on the ground and stared up at the underside of the damaged wing. This wasn’t her preferred spot for meditating or healing, but Huyang had insisted she get out of the ship.
“I do not need your help,” Huyang had said. “You need to heal as much as possible, so if we are attacked again, you can defend me.”
“I can do that inside,” she protested. “While helping.”
“You can better protect us outside as you’ll see them coming.”
“I have the Force, Huyang.”
“And eyeballs,” he huffed. “Use them as well.”
She’d relented and tried to center herself outside in the eerie silence of the planet. It was named Peridea and apparently existed somewhere in the old Jedi archives. They’d thought it was a myth, though.
It was no myth. Not only did it exist, it held many life forms, at least some of which were very humanoid in appearance. And others, like the Noti. They worked on their pods a few hundred feet away, preparing to depart for their next nomadic movement. They seemed genuinely happy Ezra’s friends had shown up, and had dumped water and food in front of Kendra in case she needed it.
Kendra sat up again and flexed her leg some. It still hurt like the Tarnox had run into it, but her meditation let her manage. The surplus pain killing patch from the war she’d thrown on it helped quite a bit, though she wasn’t sure the “completely numb” feeling would be appropriate for peace time missions. She could even limp around, careful not to put too much weight on that leg. She’d need to balance movement and rest while healing to make sure it went as smoothly as possible.
Ahsoka, Ezra, and Sabine had been gone for around four hours. It would take a few more hours to reach the enemy’s location. She didn’t know how long attacking it would take.
Or if it would work, but she forced herself not to think about that. The other three would surely find some way to prevent Morgan’s ship from transporting Thrawn back to their home galaxy. She ignored the probability they’d be stuck here, too.
“Kendra,” Huyang said over the comms. “I am about to test the aft stabilizer. It should be right over you. Tell me what you see.”
“Copy,” she replied.
The equipment above her hummed to life. A few sparks flew, but stopped after a few seconds. It didn’t seem to impact the operation, as the stabilizer moved. It stuttered at first and then slid along its normal path. As it neared its final position, a loud squeal broke the quiet of the planet.
“Did you hear that?” she asked.
“I think everyone did. I will retract them.”
The stabilizer above started the return path but began with the loud squealing noise again before settling down and locking in its first position. At least there were no sparks on the trip.
“It works,” she said, “but is grating on something. I can take a look.”
“That would require a ladder, and you on that ladder. That seems like a terrible idea.”
“Being stuck on this planet seems like a more terrible idea.” Kendra hauled herself into a standing position. “You go back to work; I’ll check out the stabilizer.”
“Do you know what you’re looking for?”
“No. But maybe it’ll be something obvious.”
She took a few tentative steps around on the ground and then headed up the ramp to get a ladder. Her hip wasn’t as bad as it could have been, though she was sore everywhere else and a headache had started. She grabbed some water as well as the ladder, using the Force to help her balance the weight.
Kendra set the ladder and opened the comms. “Heading up, don’t close it on me.”
After Huyang agreed, she stuck her head inside the stabilizer area. She had absolutely no idea what was happening in the small space, but there was a track it looked like something slid. And the outside had been pressed in by the earlier impact, just barely. Enough for a squeal. She explained the situation to Huyang.
“Try to bend it out,” he said. “But not too much. If it is too loose, it could come free in flight.”
“That sounds worse than the squealing.”
“Indeed. Gather the 8b-683 lubricant from my workshop and apply that to the track when you are finished.”
Slowly, methodically, she got off the ladder, got some tools, got the lubricant and completed the task. It took more than an hour, but on testing, it no longer squealed. It also didn’t fall off.
She returned the ladder and the tools and stood outside to admire her work. “Look at me, fixing a ship.”
“You may be one of this galaxy’s finest mechanics,” Huyang said.
“Very funny.”
“I believe we are close to being ready,” he said. “Stand back while I power up and let me know if you see anything concerning.”
Kendra limped away from the ship as it came to life, with just a few sputters before settling into its usual rhythmic hum. One engine remained off, but they expected that. There were no sparks, no squeals, and nothing exploded.
She smiled, but something alerted her to a disturbance. Kendra turned. Baylan’s apprentice, who Sabine had identified as a woman named Shin, approached. She did not look like she was coming to surrender her weapon.
Kendra thought about their positioning while Shin marched forward with aggression. Kendra was between her and the ship. And the ship was between them and the Noti. She heard them scurrying far behind her as they spotted Shin. Kendra thought of who she was defending as she prepared.
“If it looks good,” Huyang said, “I just have a few more things to do before we can take off.”
“Looks fine, Huyang.” Kendra sounded calmer than she felt. “Might want to hurry though. We have company. Retract the stairs, please.”
“Copy.” If Huyang was concerned, he didn’t sound like it.
Shin stormed toward Kendra and ignited her lightsaber. “I want the ship.”
“Sorry, it isn’t available right now.” Kendra moved to a position between Shin and the stairs as they tucked back into the ship. She pulled her own lightsaber from her hip and ignited it as well. “You can surrender your weapon, and I can take you prisoner until Ahsoka returns.”
“She isn’t returning.” Shin stopped about fifteen feet in front of Kendra. “She is assaulting Thrawn’s position and will die in the attempt. Give me your weapon and the ship and I may let you join me.”
“What makes you think I’d believe you?” Kendra planted herself more firmly as she stalled for time. Huyang needed the time to prepare the ship, and Kendra needed the time to prepare herself. She remained focused on Shin but her mind sought the Force. All she could do was hope her half-numb, screaming-in-pain hip didn’t fall out from underneath her.
“You don’t have to,” Shin said. “You can die here, for all I care. Or be stuck, like your Jedi friend.”
“You need me to help with the ship,” Kendra offered. She didn’t plan on doing that, but doubted Shin cared. She heard one of the systems come on-line behind her. “It is older than either of us.”
“I do not need you or your droid.” Shin rotated to Kendra’s right, eying the shuttle.
Something else started up in the ship behind her, though coughed a few times. Kendra stalled. “Where is your master?”
Shin continued to angle toward the ship, moving closer by a few feet. “That is none of your concern.”
Kendra didn’t need the Force to sense the wave of hurt Shin created on the answer. “Did you kill him?”
“No.” Shin’s focus darted between the ship and Kendra as her eyes narrowed. “You’re stalling.”
“Maybe.” Kendra changed her stance slightly, so the ship taking off wouldn’t throw her to the ground. “That would be an impressive feat. So I guess he’s just wandering around here somewhere then?”
“You should have died on Seatos,” Shin said. “I do not know why he spared you.”
The ship’s thrusters kicked in and it slowly started to hover. Shin darted towards it.
Kendra stayed put. “And I don’t know why he left you.”
Shin’s attention swung entirely to Kendra and she jumped forward, propelled by the Force and anger.
Kendra thought she would have been able to anticipate the attack even without the Force or her Jedi abilities. The other apprentice was reckless. She stepped out of the way of Shin as she landed, still keeping herself between the other woman and the ship.
Shin recovered quickly and spun to resume the attack. Kendra fell into her defensive posture, ducking and parrying Shin’s wild attacks. The entire idea of Kendra’s form was wait for the enemy to make a mistake, and Shin was making them constantly.
Kendra could not take advantage of the mistakes, however, as it would mean moving more quickly than she trusted her hip. Instead, she continued to block Shin from getting to the shuttle. And it was working. She was too afraid and too angry to fight well. Or maybe she never fought well but overwhelmed people with her aggression.
“Time to board.” Huyang’s voice came over the comms.
“Going to need a minute,” Kendra said between strikes. She started to slowly back toward the now-hovering shuttle.
The relentless attacks continued, even as Shin’s breathing grew erratic and the blows softened from fatigue. Finally, she stopped and took a few steps back. “You can’t keep me from boarding the shuttle without staying here yourself.”
Her opponent was correct. As exhausted and afraid as Shin was, Kendra was in no position to move quickly to the shuttle while keeping Shin away.
“You’ll have to kill me first.” Shin rotated to the left, a smile forming. “And you won’t do that unless I attack you. Jedi are so predictable.”
Kendra had an idea and hoped her hip would hold. “If the Jedi Order doesn’t exist,” she took several steps forward and raised her weapon, “then I cannot be a Jedi.”
Shin stepped forward in response, lightsaber raised to block Kendra’s attack.
The attack never came. Instead, Kendra used the same trick Baylan had used on her, but pushed Shin with the Force. The other apprentice was too tired and too focused on violence and had lost her balance with the Force, making it a simple thing. She flew backwards at least 30 feet, landing on her back and sliding even farther.
Kendra glanced toward the Noti, but they were well on their way from the area. Shin would not be able to catch them. “Now, Huyang,” Kendra called.
Huyang angled the hovering craft and moved toward Kendra. With a burst of pain in her hip and one more call to the Force, she jumped to the top of the wing she’d repaired earlier. She fell to her knees but didn’t slide off. The ship lurched up and away from Shin.
“I think I need to sit down,” she said into the comms.
“I think you should come inside.” Huyang angled the craft the other way, giving her a downhill slope to navigate to an open door. “It is time to find the others.”
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