Beyond - Legends Following the Thread

PS: The Song they sing is actually based on an old Russian Army piece:

 

Elena and Tobin to the rescue. More exciting action coming

 

Indeed, hope you enjoy it.


Twelve

Ulrika kicked in the expensive wooden door, the screams of the just blinded pirates echoing through her ears as she entered the room. Quickly fireing her blaster at her confused enemies. Kinga was on one side of her and Ilona on the other and together the three of them quickly filled the room with a web of fire. While they provided supression Duran and her Squad took down the enemies with prescise shoots and well aimed slavos. It didn´t even take long enough for Darek and Cari who formed their rear to enter the fighting.

So far none of the enemies inside the fortress had given them any serious troubles. The suprise was still on their side but Ulrika knew it was only a matter of time before they would encounter a more serious resistance than these few. She threw a quick glance at Anela and the other three captives, they had armed themselves with the weapons of some of the dead pirates and now also wore bits of their armor over the skimpy dresses Sarne had forced them in. They had assured Ulrika that nothing worse had happened, at least until they had been rescued, but Ulrika already knew that Sarne would die for what he had done to them, and the others... for a moment she saw the faces of Slata and Lana in front of her, as well as that of the kids and all those of Hilda´s crew who had already died in this battle. But she quickly fought the images down again, she couldn´t allow herself to loose her control, not here, not while the battle was still rageing, the mourning would come, like it always did, afterwards...

"How far?" She asked Anela and the others as the room was secure.

"Not too far." Anela assured her commander, "but there is a fortified position between the dungeons and where we are."

"Any way of crimcumventing it?" Ilona asked, whiping some sweat from her forehead, takeing time to move her now longer hair from her eye´s. "Really should have continued keeping it short." She muttered.

Ulrika allowed herself a laugh at that, since her childhood she had kept her hair short, had never been intrested in the braids or the ellaborate hairstyles like other girls. But then she quickly got serious again as Janice shook her head.

"Maybe there are other ways, but we don´t know them. And looking for them would cost too much time now." The young soldier explained.

"Time that Ryna doesn´t have," Mikaela added. "If she is even alive, I´m sure that motherless bastard ordered for his captives to be killed already." She glanced at the door towards the dungeons. Ulrika saw her determination to head there now, but they couldn´t just go in there blindly.

"There are at least two dozen soldiers down the hall," Darek said, his eyes closed.

"And you know that for sure?" Duran asked him, her voice dripping with barely hidden hatred. "Or are you just trying to trick us into not going there? I wonder where you learned those fancy tricks."

The old man let out a sigh, "my past is mine and mine alone. But rest assured that I have no intent of hindering you on this mission. I want to help."

"A Sith wanting to help us," Duran mocked. "What is next? A wookie being a good looser?"

Hilda stepped forth, the rage over her lost squad clearly visible on her face, "You seem to know a those people. Weren´t you imperials their little lapdogs?"

Duran still kept her blaster in her hand but now slammed it against the young warriors stomach. "Never compare us to those bastards little girl, you know nothing of our struggles."

The subject was clearly getting touchy and Ulrika knew how she had to act. Stepping forth she fired two shots into the ceiling of the room. "Shut it! All of you!" She gave her words a few seconds to sink in, then she continued. "We are in this together and Saren´s laughter will be our only reward if we start tearing each other appart. I honestly have no reason to trust anyone in this room but my own squadmates. And yet I do, because I believe that we are all have a common goal. So let us focus on that rather than bicker like school girls." She made another pause.

Duran glared at her but then she muttered, "whatever..."

Hilda averted her eyes as to not look into Ulrika´s face, while Darek tried to give her a thankfull look.

Ulrika stepped next to the door ahead, "there are probably too many for us to quickly take down. Darek, Cari, you take the front." The old man´s lightsaber and the shark woman´s heavy armor and thick skin would hopefully protect them from the worst. "Duran, me and Kinga will follow your squad in afterwards, the other keep our rear."

She saw how the other nodded, then Cari stepped forth "you owe me a hazard bonus for this when we are done."

Then she threw herself against the door, breaking it out of its frame and grabbing hold of it. Using it as a collosal shield she charged at the pirates awaiting them.

The enemies had taken shelter behind a barricade ferocrete toped by barbed wire. Thankfully at least Ulrika stopped now heavy weapons at their positions, that would have reduced the door to timbers in seconds. Instead the heavy Wrooshyr wood took most of the damage in the first few seconds before the massive bounty hunter reached their lines. Darked followed her, deflecting shoots as good as he could.

Ulrika heard one of Duran´s soldiers scream as they advanced behind them, fireing their weapons. But these pirates weren´t blinded and so able to dodge most of the hits from their fortified positions.
The colonel knew that using Xenia´s pheromones here could have helped them, but after how much the last time using them had impacted the young woman she had decided not to ask her of doing it again.

Cari had reached the barricade, throwing down the door as a makeshift ramp over the brabed wire she charged across it, her claws blazing. Darek followed her, then Ulrika and Kinga. For a moment the four of them stood alone amongst the pirates. Back to back their weapons raised.

The moment ended as quick as it had begun, as more fire turned towards them, other pirates drew short range weapons and charged them. All order of battle was lost, Ulrika shoot two humans only to loose her blaster against a large Trandosian, whose claws managed to open the wounds in her already damaged face and add a few new cuts before Ulrika´s combat knive found his stomach. Even now the collosal reptile was deadly as he tried to bite her with his rows of sharpened teeth. They found her arm and bit deeply into the white stormtrooper armor, causing a horrible screaching sound until the pirate finally died, the bracer still trapped in his mouth. Cursing Ulrika could off the sleeve with her knive to get free.

As she looked around she saw Darek having taken a step back as he deflected further blasterfire from them. Cari was tearing enemies appart with her claws and sheer strengh, while Kinga wrestled with a huge, scar covered Barabel, her mechanical arm giving her the strengh to fight the monster on equal footing.

A blaster bolt hit Ulrika below her still armored shoulder. The armor took the worst of it but she still felt the pain. Turning around she saw another human approach her, raising his weapon for a headshot, though he was never able to fire, as a knive pierced his skull a second later. Turning around Ulrika saw Ilona standing atop the barricade, already drawing the next knive from her pockets. The two former rivals exchanged a quick nod, the Ulrika turned around and plunged her sword into the troat of the Barabel Kinga was still struggling with.

The fight was over a few seconds later. Three of Duran´s soldiers had been killed, as had been Mikaela. Cari had broken off three of her claws, spotted several blaster wounds alongside her arms and a particularly nasty across her face. Like Ulrika herself Hilda had suffered a hit, in her case into the stomach, she now stood barely upright as she Xenia gave her a quick bacta patch. The young captain cursed the whole time, her already anger filled mind now clearly having boiled over.

Ulrika felt how a tear for Mikaela run down her cheek as she approached her body, gently takeing her off the ground and pulling her further.

"At least she died free," Anela said, slowly.

"There is no better end," Ulrika agreed as she closed her friends eyes. "But we need to head on, she wouldn´t allow us wasting time, not with Ryna still in danger.

Duran left her soldiers behind to serve as their rearguard than she and the others moved through the next door, helping the wounded as good as they could. But Ulrika felt that they were too late the pirates had surely already...

"Don´t shoot!" A voice called over to them as they entered the long corridor from which the cells where located.

Ulrika didn´t lower her weapon, nor slowed down as she quickly moved through it. Then she saw them. Two humans, a man and a woman, wearing the same uniforms as Sarne´s officers above, a mockery of the imperial officer garb. But these two where far younger, teenagers at best. Both of them had their hands raised in a gesture of surrender, but looking at them Ulrika noticed something else, the pitch black hair, the brown eyes...

"Please, we don´t want this." The woman yelled. "We surrender."

"Stay where you are, keep your hands were I can see them," Ulrika wasn´t in the mood to play games, especially not with their enemies kids, for that they surely were. Both resembling their father too strong for there to be any doubt.

Both teens obliged and Ulrika saw how they were shakeing. "Your friend is alive," the boy said, quickly. "We had orders to kill her, as well as the other prisoners, but we didn´t do it."

Ulrika slowly lowered her weapon, "you mean Ryna?"

The girl nodded, "think that is her name. The medicine she got as made her a bit more stable, but she is still very weak." She nodded her head to the door next to her. "She is in there."

"Who are you?" Ilona shouted at them. "And how are you related to Keran Sarne?"

"He is our father," the girl said. "In a sense that he took our mothers from their homes after killing their loved ones."

"And yet you fight for him?" Xenia asked pointing at their uniforms.

"Its not that we had much of a choice. We have been his tools our entire lives." The boy said, his voice trembling. "But now that you are here we surrender to you. Please, put on trial if you want. But we just want to live. Just want a life."

"Get to your knees, hands behind your back," Ulrika ordered, then gave Cari a sign to secure their two teenage captives.

Then she made her way inside the cell, Ryna was indeed still here. Lying on a simple bunk bed.

"Boss, I knew you would come. I told them you would," she muttered, a smile appearing on her face. "Mikeala wouldn´t believe it, but I knew it for sure. Can´t wait to collect on our bet..." she continued to mutter deliriously.

Xenia quickly entered the room, first helping the ashen Hilda onto the other bed than giving a quick check on Ryna. "She will make it." she told Ulrika after a tense moment.

Stepping back outside again Ulrika froze as she heard a blaster shoot. She saw how one of their captives, the cuffed girl sank to the floor screaming a blaster bolts hole in his shoulder.

"You monsters!" Her brother yelled, breathing heavily. "You are all monsters!"

Ilona stood in front of them wrestling with Duran over the her blaster. Ulrika quickly stepped in front of the teens to protect them from any further harm. "Have you lost your mind?" She yelled at the Imperial.

"I could ask your friend the same," the bald woman replied as she rammed her elbow into Ilona's face, causing her to let go of the blaster. "She suddenly attacked me."

Kinga stepped next to Ulrika blocking Duran´s way of shooting. At the edge of her sight Ulrika saw how Darek knelt down the next to the still screaming young woman. She assumed that only Ilona's quick action had prevented her from getting a deadly headshot instead.

"What are you doing?" Ulrika asked, her blood boiling.

"Dispensing the Regents Justice," Duran said, firmly. "These two are a traitors spawn, by the laws of..."

"The laws of a dead Empire? Is that enough to kill helpless captives?" Ilona shoot at her.

"The sins of the father are..."

"...not the sins of the child." A blaster slammed against the back of Duran's head, sending her pummeling to the ground. "We Eriaduans know that lesson better than most." Katia said firmly as she stepped over the felled Imperial kicking her blaster away.

"Are you mad?" Duran yelled at them. "You will pay for..."

"Yeah yeah, heard that a billion times by now," Ulrika said as she set her blaster to stun and fired a shot right at the downed womans screaming face.

"So much for keeping the alliance together?" Cari asked with a teeth filled grin as she and Ulrika quickly tied and gagged the unconscious Liutenant. "You know that this is going to get us in trouble. Might be safer to kill her and make up a story."

"It would," Ulrika said, biting her lip. "But as I said I do not kill helpless captives. Lock her in one of these cells, we can deal with the fallout of this once the battle is over."

Then she turned around to the kids, Ilona had gotten one of Xenia´s bacta patches and now carefully applied it to the girls wounded shoulder.

"Thanks," her brother muttered. "There are others like us, mostly the sons and daughters of Keran and his traitors, many of us who don't want this. They can help you."

"Then contact them," Ulrika said turning back around to them after quickly checking her comlink. "And do it quickly. My better half has just arrived here, and she brought some friends along for the party."

 

more intense actions and rescues

 

That as well.


Thirteen

Elena dodged the fire of the oncoming walker. She had seen its kind before, during the Vong War where the Imperials had deployed the AT-STs as well. And from her experience of fighting them then she knew that their greatest weakness was their legs.

She shared a quick glance with Jola next to her, "I need an explosive."

The young soldiers eyes widened, "you are intending?"

"Indeed," Elena nodded.

With a nervous expression Jola handed Elena the grenade.

Elena gave her a quick nod, then she turned to her soldiers who covered behind the shuttle, taking as much protection from it than they could, "cover me!"

Then she ran forward, hearing the blaster shoots echoing through the dark night, praying that they would at least keep the pirates behind the walker from firing at her. She heard how the walker turned around to her, the screeching of its decades old engines. Making a roll to the side just barely saved her from the first salvo. Quickly getting to her feet again she continued her run. The closer she got the greater the danger became. Dodging another salvo at the next second Elena realized that she was grinning. The adrenalin pumping through her veins, the danger of the almost hits, she rarely felt so alive than during moments like this. As she reached the walker she drew her rope launcher, firing it at the upper right leg of the walker.

Cursing the Stars as it didn't stuck Elena sprinted in-between the walkers legs, then turned around and took aim again, she had to make this shot count as the pirates in her bag now slowly began to leave their cover again. This time the rope stuck and Elena was pulled up, planting the detonator at the right knee of the walker she disabled the launcher and made another roll on the ground to soften her impact. Her armor took the worst of it but she knew that her knees would remind her of this little stunt for at least a week. Then she activated the detonator. For a moment the walker looked almost comical as it stumbled through the courtyard, before breaking down and crashing onto the earth.

Next step, take down the drivers, there are better soldiers than you who got shot by a pilot just after their downed his war machine. Elena reminded herself as she sprinted towards the upper hatch of the fallen walker, pulling her carbine from her back. She heard her squad mates approach, to join her in the newly created cover. As the hatch still didn't open Elena waited until they reached her, than she stepped next to it and pulled it open herself, than shivered. Inside lay the corpses of two bloodied humans, clearly having died as the walker collapsed.

"And that is why the pilots of an AT ST should always wear their helmet."

A voice behind her made Elena turn around. Captain Laric slowly approached her, moving through the battlefield as if he was just taking a stroll though his eyes behind the dark visor of his helmet carefully scanned every inch of the yard surrounding them.

Elena wasn't sure how to approach him, they weren't part of the same military, yet allies. She wouldn't call him a friend but she trusted him. So she decided to extend her hand to him. "Captain."

"Lieutenant," Laric gripped her wrist for a moment and Elena returned the gesture, while giving him a nod.

"How is the situation?" She then asked.

"We took down the anti air guns, though weren't able to prevent them from launching a number of their TIEs." Laric quickly reported.

Elena threw a glance to the Sky above and wondered if a battle like this had been seen in the galaxy before. Some of the Liberation Front's X-Wings Wings and Vulture Droids had engaged the pirates collection of TIE fighters and Headhunters, joined by several Eriaduan Valkyires and Erlkings.

"It was enough," Elena assured him, "we could land as could the others."

"Others?"

She couldn't see it behind his helmet but Elena could imagine Laric raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Elena said, and gestured to a group of soldiers approaching them.

Corvey Adrimetrum stepped next to them. There was clear disgust on her face and she hesitate for a moment before giving them a quick salute, "Major Corvey Adrimetrum, Southwest Liberation Front."

Laric returned the gesture, "Victor Laric, Imperial Army."

"What is our next step?" Corvey turned to Elena, clearly looking to her for guidance, even if Laric was the highest ranking officer amongst them.

"Where is Ulrika?" Elena asked, first wanting to clarify that.

Laric gestured to the main building above and Elena saw a broken panorama window. "She took the direct way inside."

Elena couldn't help but allow herself a smile, "always headfirst through the wall, sounds like her."

"There may be a Sith in there," Laric continued. "Though according to Colonel Grau he is on our side."

Elena needed a few seconds to process this. Did you even now convince a Sith to ally with us Ulrika? What is next? A legion of Vong Warriors?

"You have truly gathered a number of strange bedfellows I have to say," Corvey said. "My suggestion for our next target would be the slave pens, we need to secure the innocent before the pirates might decide to slaughter them."

Laric stepped a bit closer to them, "I disagree our primary objective should be the secondary hangar. We need to prevent the pirates from getting reinforcements or escaping from here."

Elena considered this for a moment, she knew that from a tactical standpoint Laric was absolutely right, but at the same time her heart agreed more with Corvey. She looked around the courtyard, the fighting here was almost over, she had lost two soldiers and had two more wounded, but the others were still ready to fight, so she could potentially split her force. Though before she could determine what to do Dilara, Tobin and their half of the squad approached them, leading a few handcuffed captives with them, though what surprised that they also had two children with them, a boy and a girl, siblings from the looks of it. Both spotted several burn wounds across their faces and skin, though not too nasty ones.

"Lieutenant," Dilara gave her a quick salute, then gestured at the kids. "We found these two crouching the shadows of the courtyard, they claim they know Ulrika."

"They were on the flagship when I met the Colonel," Laric said giving the kids a stern look. "But I have no idea how they were brought down here into a battle zone."

Scanning the surroundings, Elena took of her helmet for a second and knelt down next to them for a moment. Both of them where crying and shaking with fear. But talking to them, Elena could gather that they had been slaves until Ulrika and Ilona had freed them. They had then snuck onboard their ship to search for their parents, only to survive its destruction by sneaking out again after landing.
Breathing slower again Elena ordered them, the captives and some of the wounded soldiers back onto their shuttle, to evacuate them from the combat zone. "Liz will have a look at them on our ship." She added as they watched the shuttle disappear into the night. Liz had insisted on accompanying them to the surface, but being a civilian Elena had been unwilling to allow her down here, especially when Corvey had brought in several medics from the Front. Instead Liz had been tasked with staying on the ship above and prepare the medical bay for the certainly large number of wounded after the battle.

Then Elena returned her mind to the fight at hand, "Dilara, you will take your half of the squad and help Major Adrimetrum secure the slave pens, keep the medics with you and do what you can for them." Then she turned to Laric, "we will secure the secondary hangar." Then she turned to Tobin, "you take a dozen of our soldiers and secure the courtyard, just in case any stragglers cause trouble."
The battle was turning more and more in their favor Elena realized as they moved through the interior of the fortress, pirates were fleeing their positions and in some rooms they even found several who had apparently turned upon each other in their attempts to escape.

"We are too late," Laric said as they entered the hangar, barely any ships were left inside of it, and as Elena looked outside she saw the glow of escaping pirate ships on the dark horizon.

"Not all of them," Elena pointed towards a group of beings in the despoiled Imperial clothing of Sarne's men. Raising her blaster at them she shouted, "Surrender now!"

The group spun around, some reaching for their weapons, and Elena had almost pulled the trigger before she recognized them. "Don't fire!" she yelled as she moved towards them.

Ulrika was smiling as she, her hands mockingly raised in surrender approached her girlfriend. For a moment both of them ignored the battle surrounding them and embraced. "There you are," Ulrika said, still grinning.

"There I am," Elena replied, but then she stepped back and gave Ulrika a salute. "Tobin has the courtyard is secured, Dilara and our new friends are on their way to protect the slaves. And we rescued some kids you might know."

"They are alive?" Ilona stepped forth.

Elena gave her a nod, "they snuck out before the ship exploded, Liz awaits them on the flagship."

Ulrika let out a deep breath of relief while Ilona made the sign of the goddess sword over her chest.

A grin appeared on Ulrika's face, "then I guess everything is under control." She gestured at the people behind her, "well, this is Darek, who is totally not a Sith Lord, even if the pirates now seem to believe that."

The old man behind her just shook annoyed shook his head.

"And those pirates?" Elena asked.

"They are on our side, most of them are pretty young, seeking to escape the shadow of their parents." Ulrika explained.

"Where is lieutenant Duran?" Laric asked, having taken down his helmet. "I can't contact her."

Ulrika threw a quick glance around, for Elena a clear sign she had made some trouble again but she hoped Laric wouldn't recognize it. "She is okay, just a little tied up with some of our most important prisoners right now. The prison is in the deepest part of the fortress, so I assume it might block your com."

This time Laric's eyebrow raised for everyone visible, "well I assume you two did only what was reasonable then."

"We did," Ulrika said firmly. "Which brings me to him..." She made a gesture back to the other pirates and Elena saw that someone was there.

A man, a human, in a officer uniform, on the ground, blasters pointed at him.

"Sarne," Laric pressed through his teeth as they approached the warlord.

Keran Sarne was clutching his left knee as he looked up to them.

"He claims his own mercenaries betrayed him as they made their escape." Ulrika said with a smug grin.

"He wouldn't have been the first that happened to," for a moment Elena was reminded of the Tof Slaver and what she and her squad had done to him.

"So the entire group of you is here to gloat?" Sarne looked up to them. "Isn't that a bit cruel for the heroes of justice you are supposed to be?"

Laric stepped forth, "Captain Keran Sarne, for high treason against the Empire, acts of murder, collaboration with pirates..."

"...yeah, yeah, and I probably didn't wear my uniform correct either," Sarne mocked him. "Do you even realize what a colossal joke you are? Running around pretending that the Empire still exists?"

Pretending that you are a hero doing his duty, not an insane mass murderer? I wonder who of us has truly more blood on the hands."

Laric´s face gave away nothing as he calmly replied, "as long as there is one man still following his duty the empire will live on."

Sarne began to laugh again, "you are all the same, Imperials, Rebels, Eriaduans. You tell yourself that you are fighting for the greater good, but in the end you live short, empty lives. With no one to thank you."

"Honestly, I could get a good bounty on this one," Cari said. "But if he continues to talk like this I´m okay with taking the dead prize instead."

Sarne looked up to her, "you think I am a monster? I´m just honest with myself, and you know what? I had everything I wanted, and was happy with that, for every decades you crawled through the mud hoping to achieve something, I lived like a king, had every luxury I wanted, every woman I wanted. Every single one of my desires was catered by..."

Several blaster shoots rang through the hangar, and Sarne broke down, hit in both his chest and head, the remnant of his last mocking smile still on his face. Several of them kept firing even after life had clearly left the warlord.

"Well, that settles that," Ulrika said after it was over. She turned to Cari, "you can have his corpse for your contractors. Unless you have an interest in it, captain?"

But Laric shook his head, "no, the regents justice has been delivered. That is all that counts. Just a shame we will never know whom exactly to thank for ridding the galaxy of this traitor."

Elena had been amongst those who had pulled the trigger, and if asked she would have claimed she had been the first, but so would Anela, Katia, Ulrika and maybe even Laric himself.

 

good riddance of one pirate. And nice to see all working together in again great action

 

Yeah, the gang is back together... for now.



Epilogue

"This is my wife Kat, say hello to her," Liz told the kids with a patient smile. In the last week, since the battle and before their return to Curean she had taken care of them both physically treating their wounds as well as mentally, talking to them. Both had been terrified from their experiences during the battle and only now slowly started to open up again.

"Hello Kat," Saskia said shyly.

"Hello," her brother muttered.

Kat knelt down in front of them and laid a hand on each other their shoulders. "Liz already told me you would be coming. I'm happy to finally meet you."

"Do you know where our parents are?" Tobias asked after a moment.

Liz heart sank, after the battle she had entertained the insane hope for a while that the kids parents would be found amongst Sarne's freed slaves, but of course that wasn't the case. Their parents, if they were even still alive, could be anywhere.

"I sadly do not, but we will continue looking for them." Kat reassured them. The only lead they had was Xora, now imprisoned on Eriadu itself, her daughter had been the slaver who had sold Tobias and Saskia, but it was a weak link at best. Then she exchanged a view with Liz and asked, "would you like living with me and Liz until we have found them?"

Liz had suggested that two days ago. Both she and Kat had discussed having children before and maybe taking care of these two for a while would be a good preparation for that.

The kids exchanged a look. "We would live here? In this castle?" Saskia asked, some excitement in her voice.

Liz smiled and lovingly patted her head for a moment, "of course, you would be our little princess, and your brother a prince if he wants to."

Tobias though was chewing on his lip, "I would rather go with aunt Ilona and aunt Ulrika to look for our parents."

Liz looked at him seriously, "I know you want that, but would you leave your sister behind here? You are the older brother, you need to be there for her."

Tobias lowered his eyes. Liz knew he blamed himself for the burns his sister had suffered by convincing her sneak onto the shuttle. "I know, but Ilona and Ulrika can come visit us?"

"They will," Kat reassured them. "Ilona is my best friend, and Ulrika, well I have a lot of stories to tell about our adventures with her."


Elena and Ulrika sat on the floor of the hall next to the fire, while Hilda knelt in-between them, slowly placing pieces of paper into the flames while uttering the name written down on it. It nearly a dozen, the names of her crewmembers who died when the shuttle was destroyed. Tears were running over her face and she shouldn't be forgotten."

"I know," Hilda said quietly after she had burned the final piece. Then she shook her head, "I'm sure they would be proud to know we liberated hundreds of slaves during the battle. That we honored their sacrifice."

For a moment the three women looked into the flames together. Elena knew that many of the dead where some of the slaves Ulrika had helped to free five years ago. Remembering something she had read in a book a long time ago she said, "they died free, there is no better end."

Hilda nodded, "thanks to you and your help all those years ago." she gave Ulrika a thankful look.

"I barely did anything," Ulrika said. "You guys freed yourself."

"Just wish I knew what do with myself now..." Hilda muttered after a while.

Ulrika gave her a grin, "you could come with me. Join my squad."

Elena starred at her friend, this was... unorthodox to say the least. "Can... can we do that?"

Hilda's eyes went from one to the other, but she kept silent.

The blonde colonel nodded, "we can. The ORSF allows outsiders to join, on trial, if they prove their support for the cause. Which you did, when you returned the Vigilance to us, from the... 'terrorists' who stole it five years ago."

While there were still tears drying in her eyes Hilda couldn't help but smile.

"And you know of this rule because?" Elena asked.

Ulrika threw a glance across the room to Ilona and Tobin. "Because Ilona used it during the Second Galactic Civil War to allow Marie into her Squad. She told me about it and suggested it. That is, if you agree."

In response Hilda wrapped her arms around Ulrika, "thanks, I do agree. I will fight on to honor the fallen and to spare others from their fate."

Ulrika returned the hug for a moment, than the two moved back again. "Now that, that's settled there remain a few formalities. You need to sign a dozen sheets, swear an oath of complete obedience to me... and we need to get you tattooed."

Hilda grinned, "right you all have one of those. Haven't you?"

"We do," Elena said, turning her head a bit so Hilda could see the tattoo on her neck.

While Ulrika's slightly cropped tank top gave away parts of her tattoo on the right side of her midriff above her navel. "Any idea where you want yours?"

Without even blinking Hilda showed them her right forearm and the scar on it. "Here, its where my transmitter was located. Cut it out myself five years ago, first step into my new life, now it might be the same again."

"So you are comparing tattoos and scars without including me?" The three women looked up and saw Cari standing above them. The Karkarodon gave them a grin showing her many teeth. The new scars on her face where healing slowly again, the many tattoos on her muscular arms almost shining in the light of the fire.

"I thought you were collecting a bounty?" Elena asked, eyeing the bounty hunter suspiciously, the way Ulrika occasionally looked at and talked about her made her... jealous and she worried to have yet another 'other love' of Ulrika in front of her.

"I did," the large woman said before sitting down next to them, "dead he was less valuable than alive, but alongside the pay I got from you girls it was enough."

"Yeah, keeping him alive would have been useful," Elena admitted. "He was one of the Iron Alliances best leaders, probably knew many things that could have been valuable." She made a pause, "not that I regret what happened... Let's just hope his kids will be similarly valuable." The two teenagers had been brought to Eriadu for questioning. Depending on the value of their testimonies they would either be granted full political asylum or at least given a fair trial. It wasn't ideal but it was something.

Ulrika leaned forward a bit and gave Cari a smile, "did you think about my offer?"

Slowly Cari nodded her large head, "I did, and that's why I returned."


"And Ulrika actually did that?" Xenia couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah and everyone saw it. Yet she kept cool and acted as if she was wearing her best dress uniform, gave a salute, turned around and left as if nothing had happened." Anela said laughing as well.

Katia took another sip from her drink. "There are many stories like that."

Xenia leaned forth for a moment on her armchair, "then why did she never get dismissed?"

Twisting her mechanical fingers Kinga answered, "she came close to many times. But in the end she is just too capable, if there are troubles High Command know that they can rely on her. And they know that, despite all the trouble she causes sometimes, she is as loyal and dedicated as any of them."

"Plus she is a war hero," Katia added. "Her and Elena's spy work during the Vong War saved countless lives and got them quite the reputation. Hard to fire someone like that."

Xenia smiled as she continued listening to their stories. The last few days, the battle had made the barriers between her and the squad disappear and now she felt at home with Ulrika´s senior officers. It was the camaraderie her father had told her about, the camaraderie that had allowed him and the rest of Tobin´s squad to survive in the darkness of Coruscant.


"So that Sith disappeared?" Tobin asked his wife as they sat together at the edge of the main hall.

"I doubt he was actually a Sith, not even a dark Jedi," Ilona said, chewing on her lip. "At least not anymore. I sent Adalia a message but I doubt even the Jedi know who he really is. He seemed genuinely upset at what Sarne was doing and determined to repay his debt."

"Maybe just another lost soul amongst millions of others." Tobin leaned back in his armchair, "I'm sure it's not the last time we have seen him."

"No," Ilona shook her head, "but he seems to be on our side, so that might be a good thing." For a moment silence fell between them, then she asked. "Did you ever think we would get to this point?"

Tobin chewed at the tip of his pipe for a moment, "I spent so many years trying to convince high command to make a move against the Iron Alliance. Guess in a way we have to thank Garth for this, without him we wouldn't have gotten here."

"It's different than I imagined it to be," Ilona added. "I'm no longer a soldier, and instead of the Galactic Alliance its Imperials and Rebels who stand at our side. Feels at times like I'm reading a history book. But I guess least of all I would have assumed that it is Ulrika of all people who is leading us."

"Is she leading us?" Tobin asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ilona shrugged, "she more than anyone else at least. She is the one the Imperials and Hilda's crew trust. She slew the first Warlord and lead the squad to take down the second. She has become a symbol whether she wants it or not."

"Are you still upset at her?" her husband continued.

"No," Ilona laughed. "I mean I wouldn't mind putting some itching powder in her clothes later tonight, but in all seriousness, I'm just glad to have my old friend back. Wish we had been more accepting of each other back in..." She stopped as someone entered the room. Then she instantly jumped to her feet, as did everyone else, save the two kids, who looked around confused.


Flanked by two soldiers Admiral Edwyn Caer, Commander of the ORSF and Protector of the Seswenna Sector entered the room. His angular face stoic, his piercing blue eyes below his short black hair scanning the room.

"Sir," Ilona gave him a salute, forgetting for a moment that she wasn't in the military anymore.

The other soldiers in the room followed her example, clearly shocked to see their commanding officer at this informal gathering.

Caer returned the salute, then he said, "Colonel Grau, Brigadier General Malek, a word in private if I may."

Tobin gave Ilona an excusing look as he and Ulrika followed the Admiral outside.


They walked for a while before entering one of the balconies of the tower, Caer's soldiers stayed outside while he turned around to his two officers.

The Admiral gave Ulrika stern look, "you have a tendency to cause me trouble, you know that."

"I do, Sir" Ulrika admitted. She knew Caer and despite disagreeing with him on many things she respected him enough to be open and honest with him.

"When you let those slaves steal an Eriaduan ship five years ago there were several people wanting to see you court martialed. They argued that even being a war hero shouldn´t protect you from being accused as a traitor."

"With all respect Sir..." Tobin started but Caer raised a hand.

"I know you want to protect her Malek, might even try to take the blame onto yourself.... But the point is, while the public eventually came to believe that Colonel Grau had been 'stolen' her ID cards, I knew better, just as you do. Yet I still decided not to step in, in parts to prevent the embarrassment for our government to grow even further, but also because I had visited the gala myself many times and knew why you acted this way." The Admiral made a pause, while Ulrika allowed herself the thought that this wouldn't end in a total disaster.

"I sympathized with you, and I respect you." Caer took a deep breath. "Which is why I am offering you this chance... The Imperial Government has approached us. They demand justice for your 'attack against an allied officer'. You are to stand trial at their capital world."

Ulrika let out her breath, she knew this was going to happen. After the battle she personally freed Duran from her cell. The Imperial had just glared at her hatefully while Laric had determined that it was for the regent to decide a proper response to her actions. Now it seems that response had arrived.

"My offer is that you leave the military," Caer said, slowly. "We will grant you an honorable discharge in all but name and telegraph the Imperials that you have been punished internally."

"Because the alternative would be breaking our alliance with them?" Ulrika asked, beginning to understand the Admirals dilemma.

"That is what they threaten," Caer confirmed. "And as much as I dislike it, we need to keep this alliance if we want to stand a chance at victory. If the Imperials turn their back its only a matter of time before our other allies will do the same."

Ulrika thought about this for a moment, she had been a soldier all her adult life. There was no one waiting for her, nothing to satisfy her restless soul in the comfortable life of a discharged veteran. But the worst thing was that accepting this offer would mean leaving behind Elena, Kinga, Xenia, Hilda and all the others. But the alternative meant destroying everything they had achieved in the last weeks. She knew she had no choice.

Taking a deep breath she said, "well I choose the third option. I will face this trial."

Caer's face remained as stoic as always and he remained silent.

Ulrika stepped forth, "I once made a big mistake." For a moment her glance met Tobin's cybernetic eye. "And I ran away, refusing to face the consequences or even try to apologize. I won't do so again. I will stand trial, and defend my case. If this regent decides to punish me I will accept it. But I won't run away nor put myself above our cause."

For the first time a small smile appeared on Caer's face, "spoken like a true Eriaduan."

"I told you she has the potential in her." Tobin said.

Ulrika spun around and saw a smile on his face as well. They have tested you... she realized. But why?

"You two discussed this before?" She asked.

Caer nodded, for a moment he looked at them. Two of the most decorated and reliable officers of their generation. Different as they were, Tobin in his immaculate dress uniform next to Ulrika in her simple casual grab. "This might be my last campaign. My retirement is near similar with other senior officers. It's your generation that will have to step into our footsteps in the not too distant future."

Ulrika just stared at him, disbelieving. Me, a higher officer? A member of High Command? This thought had never even crossed her mind. She knows she was too much of a troublemaker to get even close to those positions.

"Keep this for yourself for now," Caer told her. "Just know that we have taken notice." He made a pause. "We still have some time before that trial is to begin, time you should use to prepare and when it happens Ambassador Malek will accompany you to ensure that things will go fair. Is your second ready to take command over the squad while you are away?"

Ulrika still shivered a bit at these prospects, but she knew she could rely on Elena. "Elena is more than ready, she won't disappoint you, Sir."

Caer nodded slowly. "Then that's settled, I will authorize her promotion to the rank of Colonel tonight. And then..."

Kat entered the balcony and gave the Admiral a quick salute, "Sir, sorry to interrupt, but you've got a message. High Command says its urgent."

Caer let out a deep sigh, "not a single quiet evening in my position. Well then, who send this message?"

Kat swallowed hard, as she handed him a datapad. "The Order of the Jedi Knights."

 

a great wrap up but hinting at a sequel. What is the message?