Survival, Dark Times

[hk47fan]

Sora

"Sir," came the voice of one of the pilots in the Red Squad "Captain Antillies and the Falcon have been hit and are out of missiles, they can't do anything about the Core and are on their way out. The Killer is the only chance we have left."

I sighed, hope was getting thin "Copy that." I said simply and looked to Jaskia

I continued to pilot the Killer and announced "We're coming up on the Core." as I saw it just up ahead through this clear passage, and saw the Falcon and other Rebel fighters zoom past us the other way

"Okay, whats your plan?" I asked Jaskia

Anakin

"We're heading down to the Hangar Bays." I said to my son and Scout "Once there, my docking bay won't be there. With all the chaos going on all over the station, we won't encounter any problems."

I breathed heavily, even though I was in better shape than Scout, I wasn't at my full capacity either. I had lost my mechanical hand, and after that intense duel with Luke and then throwing the Emperor down the reactor core, I was exhausted. But I could make it through this, I had to. For Scout and Luke's sake.

The elevator came to a sudden stop, and the doors zoomed open. I saw Stormtroopers, Imperial Pilots, and Officers running everywhere in a panic. "Lets go," I said as I took Scout's hand to help her along

Luke was already ahead of us, and soon enough we were off into the hallway.

[Abby]

Jaskia frowned and typed in a command too fast for even Nait to see. "We're going to crash the Killer into the core," she said simply. "Sorry, Sora."

"Crash the... Jaskia, are you crazy?" Nait asked.

"A bit," she admitted. "But it feels like the right course of action. You guys better get into the escape pods."

"The pods only hold two people..." Nait muttered. As understanding hit him, he gripped her shoulders and forced her to look at him. "You are not sacrificing yourself."

"Do you want this thing destroyed or not?" Jaskia asked harshly. "We are the only working ship that can blow this thing to pieces. The Falcon was the other. All the Y-Wings in Gray team are retreating. An X-Wing can't take this out. And I won't ask my Ghosts to do something I wouldn't do myself. So escape pods, now."

Nait shook his head. "I'm not leave. Sora, are you going to let her do this?"

"Let me?" Jaskia echoed.

"You're not going to die--"

"You're right, I won't. No time to explain. So just get into the kriffing pod!"

--

Scout opened her eyes long enough to see the sleek Imperial shuttle standing ready in front of them as they entered her savior's personal hanger bay. She bowed her head, a grimace written all over her features. She could feel Anakin's arms suddenly drop, and Luke was suddenly there, helping her up the ramp while Anakin went into the cockpit to type in the hanger bay codes.

"Do you think he's really changed?" Luke asked in a monotone.

"Killing the Emperor broke the last barriers," Scout muttered. "I'll tell you later..."

Luke seemed to understand, and lay her down in the small hallway space as he closed the ramp. He stepped over her body to help his father, and Scout was left to her own thoughts.

[hk47fan]

Sora

I looked in shock at Jaskia. I shouldn't be surprised, but I was. This...this...I couldn't let her do it. This was a woman I had known for almost twenty years, one of the first people who helped me when I decided to go against the Empire. She was one of my best friends...I couldn't let her die.

But...I couldn't let the mission go to waste, either. After all we have been through.

There has to be another way. But the Killer doesn't have a very good autopilot function, it once did, but that has faded over the years.

Normally, I'd also be upset about losing my ship that I had modified to fit my specifications, the one I had used since before the Clone Wars. But I was too distracted by the fact that Jaskia would die if she did this.

"Jaskia, this is insane. How do you know you won't die?" I asked, and sighed

I could see the determination on her face, and its not like I could just pick her up and forcefully get her out of here with us. There was no stopping her.

I sighed once again and looked away. "Fine," I said in an emotionless tone "Just make sure you make it out alive. I trust you, Jaskia. And...trust me it hurts me to say this but...this has to be done."

"Lets go, Nait." I said as I got up, and looked back at Jaskia one last time

This could be the last time I see that face.

I managed to give a light smile at her, just incase she didn't make it out.

With that I turned, and headed to the pod, hoping Nait was behind me.

[Abby]

Jaskia waited for them to eject before she stalled the ship. Her two escorts, battered but alive, stalled next to her and waited. She sent them a quick 'trust me' message through the comm and jogged back to the communications room and typed up an override command on the computer. The computer responded, thank the Force. She typed in one more command as soon as she was sure Nait and Sora had made it to the surface area.

The communications room also doubled as a shielded cockpit. One of the screens could flicker to life and act like a cockpit window. The controls doubled as a soloist driver. Jaskia prided herself on figuring out this little trick. Obviously Sora had forgotten. The ship could split apart at the middle and be controlled remotely from the comm unit. Jaskia planned to crash that part into the reactor and drive away safely.

If it worked.

She disconnected the ship from the cockpit and cabin, guiding it was barely trembling hands. As it crashed into the reactor, Jaskia felt a part of herself be awed by the fierce explosion. Once, a long time ago she wanted to see the Killer explode, just for fun. She got her wish. The explosion was blue, an unusual color for something that big, and seemed to extend outwards. The sound wave made her half of the ship shudder.

The reactor folded in on itself, and Jaskia realized she had to leave now. She twisted the ship around and put full speed to the remaining engines. The Ghosts followed her lead, and soon they were flying out as fast as the could, the fiery explosion close behind them.

[hk47fan]

Sora

I could hear the explosion of the core all the way from another passage, and sighed. "She's gone," I said with sadness in my voice

I continued forward with the other ships, as the explosion would gain on us quickly. I raised an eyebrow when I saw a ship that was behind us, and it looked like half of the Killer.

Of course! How could I be so stupid!

"Jaskia's alive!" I exclaimed "There was one other hidden function on the Killer I forgot about: The Communications Center could be de-attached from the rest of the ship and be controlled from the cockpit. She must have used the Center to destroy the Core."

I continued on with a grin on my face, and after turning in several more passages, I could see the exit just ahead.

"Here we go..." I said and accellerated, and then the pod, rest of the fighters, and the Killer zoomed out of the Death Star just as it finally exploded

Naos

I looked up as we all saw the massive Death Star explode. Well, its over. I thought They're all dead...including Scout.

"The circle went boom!" Erin exclaimed, and I groaned

[Abby]

Shaak Ti glanced up at the Death Star and smiled for the first time in days. She let out a laugh. She glanced at Erin, and shook her head. "Yes, the circle did go boom," she said. She felt no sadness. The job was done.

The Rebels won.

--

The shuttle flew out of the hanger just as the explosion reached the floor. Luke grit his teeth and avoided the flying debris as best he could. He heard a noise from behind him, and he twisted his head to glance quickly at Scout, who had stood and was holding on to the wall for support. The blood trickling from her mouth contrasted highly with her paler-than-death skin. "We... did it," she whispered. She smiled warmly at Luke. "The code is... Haspir Beranni." He looked at her blankly, not understanding. "To contact the fleet."

He nodded and typed in the frequency. "Admiral Ackbar, this is Luke Skywalker on board the Imperial shuttle number XY-403. Requesting permission to board Home One."

"Permission denied, Skywalker. Regroup on Endor at the specified coordinates."

"I've got Tian on this ship, Admiral," Luke said darkly. "She's wounded."

"We'll send a medical team to accompany you to Endor. Home One out."

Luke glanced back at Scout, but she had pulled her disappearing act once more, and he couldn't see her.

[hk47fan]

Naos

It was about an hour later. Sora, Nait, and Jaskia had arrived and told us of how the Death Star was destroyed. We all briefly talked about Scout and Luke for a moment and discussed ceremony plans for both of them. They'd be here, probably tomorrow or so. For now they all had gone to help celebrate, and the celebration was just beginning.

But, I wasn't in the mood. I had just lost Scout..how could I celebrate?

I turned my head from the log I was sitting on when I heard someone coming, and my eyes widened to see Luke. "Luke!" I said in shock "You're alive!"

[Abby]

Luke smiled grimly. "Thanks to Scout," he said. He beckoned somewhere behind him. "We landed in a small clearing back there. And... well, you'll see for yourself. A med team's already treating her, but we need to put her somewhere stable." His face took on a haggard expression. "She's dying. My father is with her now. The med team is terrified. We need another Jedi. They trust me for now, but they're bound to bolt for it soon."

Naos did not move. Luke grew impatient. "Call Nait and Jaskia, too. They deserve to see this."

[hk47fan]

Naos

"She's...alive?! She lived?!" I said in shock and a hint of happiness could be heard in my voice "I can't believe it...we all thought she died!"

I quickly turned and darted through the crowd to where Nait, Jaskia, Padme, Sora, Leia, Han, R2, Threepio, and Erin all stood "Luke lived through the attack!" I said breathlessly "And so did Scout. And Vader. Luke said that a medical is treating Scout now, and she's dying.

"What?" Sora said with a gasp

"I told you she was just asleep." Erin said with a snort

[Abby]

Jaskia finally lost it. She threw out a hand, and Erin fell back onto a crowd of angry Ewoks, her momentum spinning her into a backwards roll to where she lay there, stunned and breathless. "The ability to speak does not make you intelligent," she growled.

Luke watched the display with a hint of amusement, but now was not the time. "We have to get her up to a stable room in the trees so the medics can treat her," he said hurriedly. "She's already blacked out, and they... they don't think she'll make it."

Jaskia nodded. "Then lead the way," she said grimly.

[hk47fan]

Erin

"What was that for?" I yelled as they all walked away, but I got no response "At least I am not named after some Juice!"

I was about to get up and try to follow them, but a little teddy bear grabbed my hand and I said "What do you want?"

The teddy bear slowly then kissed my hand, and I instantly ripped it away and said "Hmph! Sorry, but my heart belongs to...okay I don't know yet but I don't want to make Niat think I am taken."

I was about to follow the others, but I noticed that when dumb ole Juicekia pushed me it caused me to break another nail. "Oh no, I need a manicure!" I yelled and ran off

Naos

We followed Luke all the way into the forest, and after a mile or two, we were able to arrive at where the medical team and Scout were.

I looked down at her...it was true, she was barely alive. I frowned as a few tears welled up in my eyes and walked over to Scout, and clutched her hand "I thought you were dead." I whispered "Please don't die on me now...try to survive..."

Sora

I sighed as I looked at Scout. She couldn't die now, not after all of this.

However for now I decided to let the medical team do their job and Naos have his time with her, so I looked to Luke and asked "Is your father on our side or is he a prisoner?"

[Abby]

"He's on our side," Luke replied. "He helped Scout kill the Emperor." Luke fell silent after that. He watched with a detached sight as Jaskia chewed out the medical team for not doing their job right, and helped load his former Master on a medical litter. Scout was barely breathing now, her eyes closed and face completely white. The medical team had wiped the blood away from her lips and covered her in a blanket to prevent any outside matter from getting into her wound. Luke noticed Jaskia lift up the blanket to peer at the wound, probably under some false assumption that maybe she could heal it. He noticed her shoulders tense up, and she dropped the blanket.

Nait took the head of the litter and lifted with Naos, keeping a protective guard around his sister. Luke noticed the Nait's hands were shaking slightly. He seemed cool and composed, but Luke knew better. If it had been Leia on that stretcher... Luke didn't even want to think that.

The medical teams walked around the litter to put a mask over Scout's face, connected to a small oxygen tank that had brought with them. As they walked back to the Ewok city in the trees and climbed up the winding staircases, the team continued to check Scout's heartrate and breathing, injecting her with who-know's-what and pressing cool compressed against her wound under the blanket to slow down the bleeding.

Luke walked next to his father, and kept glancing at him. Padmé was on the other side of the litter, hand resting against her blaster rifle. Jaskia walked right next to Anakin, and made no move to hide the fact that her large, double-bladed lightsaber was clutched tightly in her fist.

Ewoks chattered excitedly and started surrounding Anakin as they approached the hut with all the Ewoks injured in the fight. One brave little one tried to knock on Anakin's armor to see if he was like Threepio. Luke had taken his father's lightsaber and had given it to Jaskia, just as a precaution. Strangely, he could very well imagine Vader and the smoking bodies of Ewoks surrounding him.

Luke shuddered.

[hk47fan]

Anakin

I kept staring at Scout, and only glanced at everyone else only a few times. She was about to die, and I couldn't let that happen. She deserved to live most of all. She just saved me, saved my son, saved this whole Galaxy. But there was nothing I could do now, is there? Palpatine had never kept his promise to me to teach me how to keep people alive after Padme "died".

But somehow, part of me felt like I could feel Scout's pain. Physically. But...how? Unless the Force Bond is still somehow intact and has surfaced since my redemption...

Wait...the Bond...yes...that will work....I can save her...

"I know how to keep her alive." I announced suddenly

[Abby]

Luke glanced at his father with more than a little apprehension. Nait and Naos glared daggers at the former Dark Lord as they set Scout down on the floor of the hut. The three doctors glanced at each other, at Anakin, then down at Scout. The female doctor spoke up first. "She's going to die soon. I'm sorry, but we can do nothing. The wound pierced a lung and part of her spinal cord. The shock isn't what's killing her, but the type of weapon used to make such a wound gave off a synthetic poison in the ozone, probably specially made, and it's shutting down her body functions. Blood is draining into her lungs, her heart's giving out... I'm sorry, but this is an impossible task, even for a Jedi."

"Palpatine had poison in his lightsaber?" Nait cursed under his breath. He knelt down at his sister's side. "She won't wake up, will she?"

"The next stage in the development is... well, her brain will start to shut itself down. From what I know of Jedi, sir, she's trying to prolong the rest of her life. Shutting herself down quickly, right now. It explains the shallow breathing. I believe you call it a healing trance."

"But the trance won't work, will it?" Jaskia asked. "It's something Palpatine knew when he created the lightsaber."

The doctor nodded. Padmé glanced at Anakin. "What do you propose?" she asked coldly.

[hk47fan]

Anakin

"The Force Bond I formed with Scout from the Clone Wars is still intact. I can feel some of her pain and have been able to ever since Palpatine died. I am wounded, but I am able to transfer my remaining energy to her, and it will give her the strength to live and her condition stay a bit stable. However, again I am wounded, so it will not heal her all the way." I explained

"It is the least I can do for her, and you all. I am sorry for my past actions...I want to make up for those now."