On the Wings of Valkyrie

Chapter XXVI

Luna landed the Illusion in a hanger bay before she and Ahsoka walked out to pay the owner and pick the owner's mind to make sure that he was trustworthy enough to not sabotage the ship.

After she was satisfied, Luna and Ahsoka parted ways, cloaks on and hoods up, to see what kind of work they could find.

By the end of the day, Luna had found, to Ahsoka's astonishment, a job at yet another club.

"No," Ahsoka said. "You've worked at clubs for far too long. You need another job."

"Like running illegal spice shipments?" Luna asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That's not—"

"That's the only other thing either of us has found. Sure, I'll run illegal supplies, but not spice, most of it is outlawed for a reason."

Ahsoka massaged her head. "Imperials are in this area though, and I doubt it if they don't go to any clubs."

"That just gives us the chance to get information for the Rebellion."

"It also gives you a chance to be recognized."

"I find that very doubtful," Luna replied. "Very few Imperials that are alive have seen my face. Look, if you can find something else we can do, I'm all ears."

Ahsoka frowned before sighing: "Nothing that'll get us credits." Luna raised an eyebrow.

"I know that look, what's up?" Luna asked.

"It's nothing," Ahsoka told her, waving it off.

"Yes, it is, and it has something to do with the Rebellion, doesn't it? Come on, tell me." The Torgruta's shoulders slumped giving in.

"Supplies. They're running low on weapons, parts, fuel, everything. It's getting bad Luna, and it doesn't help that Emperor's Hands are showing up everywhere. I don't know how long the Rebellion will be able to go without substantial help."

Luna was silent for a moment, thinking over Ahsoka's words.

"Then we help." It was a statement. For a moment, Luna was no longer the free spirited girl that she usually was, and Ahsoka saw the well trained military leader underneath. "I can get information, we can hit shipments, and you can communicate with the Rebellion to drop it off. If Vader and Eclipse was enough to cause damage to the Alliance for the past few years, we are enough to do damage to the Empire."

"I don't want to drag you into something you don't want to do," Ahsoka said.

"You aren't. We are going to do this together."

"What about your master? He'll find you."

"No one knows what the Illusion looks like besides him. As long as no one that knows me sees me and only knows me by a code name, I'm in the clear. If the Rebellion needs substantial help, we can do that. There's no Imperial that can stand in our way if the two of us work together.... I may not want to become a part of the Rebellion, but there's no way in the Force's name that I'm going to watch it die out!" Luna growled. Her voice was hard and her eyes were colder than ice. For a moment, Ahsoka was frightened, having never seen this side of her friend before. Luna closed her eyes and took a deep breath, calming down. "Sorry.... It's just that, I've been hearing too much about the Rebellion falling. If that happens...." Luna sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"Hey, I didn't want to bring you into something that you didn't want to do, but if that's what you want to do, I can get us in," Ahsoka told her. "We can become our own cell, no one has to know who either of us actually are."

"That sounds perfect."

Ahsoka nodded: "Then all we need is a code name for our cell....and you."

"Just come up with some. It doesn't matter to me."

"You don't want to have any say in the name of our cell or your own code name? I can choose one, but you are running the risk of your master realizing it's you." Luna sighed, rubbing her head.

"Fine, we can come up with one together...." Luna said, thinking. "But, I think just Illusion would work for the cell."

"And yours?" Ahsoka prompted. Luna paused, thinking hard for a moment.

"Valkyrie," she finally said, locking eyes with her friend and again simply appearing like a different person—one who had been on the front lines, had the capabilities to make the split second decisions that could determine a battle's end—even as she felt the Force ripple as though this decision, these words, were changing the galaxy's fate. "I will be Valkyrie."