RISE AGAIN ─ star wars

III. An Unexpected Reunion

Chapter Three
Leera

Three years ago, I was doing an assignment on Onderon. I was tasked with killing a freedom fighter named Steela Gerrera, but I wasn't the only one after the bounty on her head. Aylin Quinn, another bounty hunter, was after her as well. At first we are at odds, but killing Gerrera proved to be harder than either of us had thought. We decided to team up, and we split the bounty after we successfully killed Gerrera. After that, we decided to become partners...then we became more than that. We dated for a year, doing missions together and traveling the galaxy in the ship Moff Gideon just stole from me. It was great for a while, until it wasn't. We started fighting more and more, then after a very heated and aggressive argument, we broke up. I haven't seen her since, and I never thought I would again.

Certainly not today, and here of all places.

"Leera? What the hell are you doing here?" She asks, looking just as shocked as I am.

"I could ask the same of you."

"Who is this?" The Mandalorian in the middle asks, taking off their helmet, the one on the left follows suit.

"This is Leera Ambar...she's an old friend of mine. Leera, this is Bo Katan Kryze and Raymen Shreya," Aylin's voice sounds a little uneven as she makes the introductions, even more so as she begins explaining their situation. "Bo is leading a small group of Mandalorians in an effort to free Mandalore. Raymen is apart of that group, he's her second in command. My friends and I have been helping them for the past few months, we've been trying to track down Moff Gideon."

I feel my eyebrows rise. "Friends?"

"Long story." She replies, more interested in her shoes than me.

"Wait, did you say this is Bo Katan Kryze? As in Duchess Satine's sister? As in a known member of Death Watch?" I can't believe Aylin would work with someone like her, has she really changed all that much in the last two years?

"I know the mistakes I made and I'm trying to make them right. Surely you of all people would understand that, after all, your mother was apart of Death Watch too and she had a change of heart," I gape at the woman, not knowing how to respond. I figured she would know my mother, but hearing someone talk about her is very jarring, especially after my conversation with Gideon. Upon seeing my reaction to her words, Bo Katan explains: "You think I wouldn't know who you are once I learned your name? Elia was my friend. I tried to find you both after Pre died, I wanted to keep you safe, but Gideon got there first. I'm so sorry about her death, I know that must have been hard."

Hard is an understatement, but I'm not going to spout my sob story, especially since everyone in this room has one of their own.

"You're telling me she's the daughter of Pre Vizsla?" Raymen Shreya asks in disbelief, eyeing me up and down. I feel an unexpected blush come across my cheeks at the intensity of his stare...and because of how handsome he is. But that should be the last thing on my mind right now. I internally curse myself for that thought even crossing my mind, even more so for the blush still lingering on my cheeks.

"Unfortunately," I reply to him, turning my eyes back to Aylin, actively avoiding Raymen's stare. "So you became a rebel, huh? I never thought I'd see the day."

"A lot has changed, Leera. Not just for me, but for the galaxy. There's finally hope now that Mandalore can be free, and I'll be damned if I don't do my part to see it become so," Aylin takes a couple steps forward, her eyes falling onto the child. "It's your turn. Why were you with Gideon? What's with the kid?"

"I was given a mission to retrieve a life form," I point to the kid. "And bring him to an anonymous patron in an abandoned Imperial outpost. I didn't know the life form was a child nor did I know the patron was Gideon. You know I wouldn't have taken the job if I had."