The Renegade: Episode III: The Deliverer

Chapter 24: The Deliverer

"Wow, I'm impressed," Sashee said looking at the Spitfire. "I guess I expected worse. You were never much of a pilot."

"What are you talking about?!" Wyb was offended even though he knew Lenore was a below average pilot. She could get them from point A to point B and that was what mattered. He had surpassed her in fancy maneuvers by the time he was twelve. He had a natural knack for it."Lenore isn't that bad. Plus they don't make these babies anymore."

"Probably for good reason," Sashee sassed. Wyb amused her. She could see Jord and Lenore's influence on him.

"Now listen here you Jedi wannabe-" Wyb pointed his finger at her. At fourteen his temper had become more apparent, especially when someone attacked Lenore. She did her best to calm him, but she knew at his age it was only natural. She too had a temper when she was a teenager. As long as it didn't overcome him she figured she was raising him right.

"Cool it you two," Lenore interrupted and stepped on board dressed in Boushh armor. "Let's save the arguing for when we get the kids aboard. They'll enjoy the entertainment."

"Jedis don't argue with words," Sashee taunted Wyb and patted her lightsaber at her side.

Wyb was enraged by the playful threat. He picked up a wrench and threw it at Sashee's head. Sashee wielded her purple lightsaber and sliced the tool in half with ease. She held her warrior stance for a moment and looked at Wyb out of the corner of her eye before holstering her weapon . Wyb was stunned. She wasn't as much of a wannabe as he had imagined.

"Hey! What did I say?!" Lenore yelled. "Do I have to leave you two laser brains behind? Get on the ship and shut up. R-3 if either of them starts arguing, zap them would ya?"

R3 beeped with delight. They both looked at each other and boarded silently. Lenore shook her head. They still were just kids. Something she wasn't sure she or Lee ever got to be. She smiled. At least she was able to give that to them with the situations they had both been dealt.

They all sat down in the cockpit, Lenore in the pilot chair, and Wyb as the co-pilot. He kept turning back round and glaring at Sashee who was ignoring him.

"Eyes forward kid."Lenore said, firing up the engines.

"I'm not a kid." Wyb grumbled adjusting the throttles.

"Then stop acting like one," Lenore said as she sat back and jumped to lightspeed.

__________

They made their way to the tropical planet Scarif. The planet had been important during the Empire's formation. It was the military-industrial complex center for top-secret research. Lenore figured some research was still operational. Perhaps that's what the children were for. But not on her watch. She was glad Sashee had come to her for help.

It was a small planet, but she found a place to land where most of the vegetation had been destroyed.

"What happened here?" Wyb asked. Lenore looked around at the area. It was as though a fire had scorched the terrain so badly nothing could ever grow again.

"The death star," Sashee said solemnly. Lenore turned and looked at her. Sashee knew Lenore broke down when the Death Star had been destroyed. She was never really sure if she knew she was grieving for her unit and not the Empire. But this wasn't the time or place for that conversation. And in the end, it really didn't matter at this point. They had a job to do.

"Should have called in a crew of six at least," Wyb peered through his monoculars. They had found a vista point looking down at a base. Transports were moving in and out.