Last Shot - A Star Wars Story

Chapter 4

Cora Tonra

Stormtrooper armor was the worst. It was clunky and heavy (although it probably didn't help to be dressed as a heavy trooper) and Cora hated it.

She shifted her shoulders, trying to ignore the discomfort, as she walked behind Ersela and Kaia down the halls of the Steadfast towards the reactor core, Kelsa and Lyra on either side of her.

For the most part, no one even looked at them, and if they did, it was only a quick glance. Nobody seemed suspicious of them at all. Their plan was working perfectly.

"Kelsa, you've been on ships like this before," Cora whispered. "How close are we?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Kelsa admitted. "It's been a while." She shifted the weight of her blaster in her hands.

"Not much farther," Kaia answered for her, keeping her voice flat and somewhat disinterested, much like how real First Order officers spoke. "Now be quiet. We can't draw attention to ourselves."

With that, they continued on without another word, until they turned the corner and were promptly stopped by an officer who didn't wear code cylinders, but his superior, somewhat sour, expression and stiff posture indicated that he outranked Ersela and Kaia's First Order aliases. His ginger hair was perfectly groomed, and his pale green gaze was calculating.

"General Hux," Ersela greeted stiffly. Kaia quickly ducked back behind her and kept her head down.

General Hux observed her for a moment, probably trying to figure out if he'd seen her before. "You must have been the ones who arrived on the transporter," he commented. "I haven't seen you here before."

"That would be us," Ersela replied, inclining her head slightly. "We were just on our way to-"

"It doesn't matter to what you were doing Captain," Hux interrupted her. "Just be ready to receive orders. The Supreme Leader himself is on Pasaana, and we should be ready to assist."

"Of course," Ersela acknowledged, glancing back at Kaia, who immediately looked like she would rather be anywhere else at that moment. Hux's eyes flashed with recognition that Cora didn't quite understand.

"I didn't expect to see you here, Commander Kriztla," Hux remarked. Cora saw Kaia stiffen, her eyes briefly betraying a look of dread. Somehow the general knew the name Kaia was using in her officer disguise. "It's been a while."

What is that supposed to mean?  Cora wondered as Kaia paled. Is there something we don't know? She knew her friend could be secretive, but she felt like whatever was happening right now had to do with something Kaia wasn't telling them.

Kaia managed to compose herself enough to reply in an uneasy tone, "Indeed it has, General." She moved to stand beside Ersela again, trying to appear as if nothing was wrong and like her cover had not been blown.

Hux allowed himself a flicker of a triumphant smile before his face turned cold again. "I need to have a word with you and Captain...Marxi, is it?"

"Of course, sir," Ersela replied, giving Kaia a meaningful look. Behind them, Cora and the others bristled slightly. This was obviously bad. Hux shouldn't have known who they were, even their disguised selves.

"You can leave the troopers behind," Hux told them dismissively. Cora heard Kelsa mutter something under her breath that was probably offensive, and she was glad Hux didn't seem to hear it. "I'm sure they have somewhere to be."

You got that right, Cora thought wryly. And you're not helping us get there any faster.

Hux was watching the group expectantly, as if waiting for someone to argue. No one did. They knew all too well that if they spoke up, the mission would be compromised.

"Let's go," Hux ordered, turning around and starting to walk away, though his eyes were still focused on the two fake officers. Ersela only hesitated for a moment before following, and Kaia waited a bit longer before she hurried after them, cursing under her breath.

Once they had disappeared around a corner, Cora turned to the others. "Well that's just great," she grumbled. "What the heck are we supposed to do now?"