The Renegade: Episode III: The Deliverer

Chapter 17: The Forgotten

"Freighter in sight." Jord said over his comlink. "Two guards. Looks like they've loaded eight passengers."

"They aren't passengers," Lenore corrected. "They're prisoners."

"Not after we save them," Jord argued.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Lenore said and motioned to two Mirialans Tev and Rima and a sullustan named Ondox to move into position.

The past year things had gotten interesting. They decided to camp out on the planet Portug. Within a few months after the New Republic had taken over, Lenore and Jord had begun picking up search and rescue missions. It had started out as an odd job that paid well. Their contractor had many bids from families and New Republic officials who were searching for lost loved ones that had disappeared during the war.

Lenore saw an opportunity. If they could cut out the middle man they could get steady work and do it at a reasonable cost. They would also be helping those who had been forgotten by the Empire and the New Republic. That was the biggest draw for her. In a way she felt if she could help reunite as many families as possible and stop the increasing number of slaves, she could slowly chip away at the damage the Empire had done.

The Arena fighters stayed on for a few jobs before going their own ways. Yoka ran straight toward the Republic. She had heard many Wookies had helped in the rebellion and had hoped to meet a few of her own kind and find out if any knew what had happened on Kaaysak. Guzzoc returned to Naboo but did not go back to his village. He decided to live the remainder of his days in peaceful solitude. As for Sashee she had stayed with Jord and Lenore for a month until she decided she needed to find others like her and learn about the force. Jord was completely against it and was hurt when she left. Lenore convinced him that she would be fine. Sashee needed to find her own way in the galaxy. But she also made sure Sashee knew how to contact them should she ever need help. Jord still worried about her day in and day out.

"Go," Lenore said and Tev and Rima jumped on the front of the freighter, startling the droid pilot.

"That's my cue," Jord said and moved in on his hoverboard. He approached the side of the freighter and located the hitch holding the trailer where the prisoners were. He attached a small detonator to the hitch and set it off, unlocking the trailer.

"Nicely done," Lenore said, driving up in a speeder and bumped it against the trailer to slow it down. She eased it gently as she could trying not to rattle the prisoner more than she needed too. She shot a fibra rope at the back of the trailer and tethered it to the front end of the speeder. She then redirected the trailer to their base. "Alright, time to head home boys."

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Back at the base the group unloaded the prisoners. They were grateful. Ondox had made some stew and fed them. He began to help them locate living relatives or new places to live. Most of the people they saved stayed for a week or so before they were on their feet again. Some remained on and joined the group. They're numbers were growing. Many were starting to talk about expanding into something more. Some wanted to get into security, some wanted to deal in weaponry, others bounty. Lenore didn't like it. She shut most of the ideas down. She was the unspoken leader but she knew as their number grew she would soon be overruled.

"I see it went well," Wyb, a boy of ten, came up to Lenore and handed her a jogan. "Compliments of the Sirvas. They sent over a case right as you headed out."

"Thanks Wyb." She took the jogan in her hand and remembered how she used to seal them from the market on Lothal for Lee. She smiled and gave him a hug.