My Unfortunate Fate

chapter 61

Emotion enshrouds us in the dark side, which is why it must be controlled.

The shuttle flies around the edge of the space station, heading for the nearest entry point to the Separatist command centre. It forms a ring around the entire Planet of Ringo Vinda, protecting the planet itself. I'm surprised the enemy managed to capture it, seeing as we have a whole fleet of cruisers protecting the base.

Lights from the station flash from its dull, grey exterior, emitting a cyan luminescence into our shuttle. I still remember the inside of the base, and what happened there. My wound doesn't hurt that much. When we went back to the medical bay, Kix offered some Bacta patches to help the healing process. They seem to be working so far.

"It'll be just the three of us going in," Anakin says.

"The four of us," I correct. 

I know he doesn't want me going out there, but I want to figure out what's wrong with Tup. I'll help in any way I can.

"The four of us, then," he concedes. "The shuttle will drop us off just short of the main hangar. We'll space-walk from there."

Even though I've switched to piloting, the shuttle's been mostly run on autopilot to get us into the base. I'm not being lazy, I just don't know much about the logistics of it all.

"Are you picking up anything on Tup's locator?" Rex asks.

"I've got a faint signal, but it's hard to track," Fives says. At least we've got something, that's a mild relief. "It's moving."

"Then we better hurry," Anakin adds. He's right on that, but we also can't move too hastily. Better for us if we aren't caught.

Slowly but surely, the shuttle flies under the station, and the landing gear lowers just in time. Before we head out, I chart a course for the ship to return to the Jedi cruiser. Without an escape shuttle, it might be harder to get out, but it'll also be harder to be seen.

While the others stand by, I slip into a pressure suit, ready to head out for a nice space walk. I mean, kind of nice. Those may not be my area of expertise, but I think I can manage. I've handled worse.

The suit fits comfortably enough, and it'll shield me from the outside void. I pat it down and grab the air-tight helmet, fixing it onto my head.

"Ready?" Anakin asks.

"Ready whenever you are, General Skywalker," I respond with a smirk. With that, we exit the shuttle, bound for a short trek through the void of space.

The others have to crouch a bit under its hull to avoid hitting their heads on it, but I get around just fine, only I must use the Force to steady my steps. Walking without gravity is unusual and it has taken me a while to get used to it. Regardless, it is tiring.

We reach a ledge, and Fives speaks up. "I've got a better signal." He holds his wrist up and points ahead. "Tup is heading this way." 

"They're moving him to the hangar," Anakin remarks. 

Well, obviously. I don't think Tup would be headed toward the hangar for any other reason.

We reach the edge and crouch down; I have one knee on the ground, and my other leg is bent beside it. I take this as an opportunity to press a few commands on my wrist panel, remotely ordering our shuttle to follow a preset course.

The countdown starts—one minute—and I look over at Anakin and nod. The four of us dive over and catch a grip on the other side of the ledge, climbing it with minimal effort. I must admit, the lack of gravity makes climbing walls easier.