A Hero Lost: A Star Wars AU

Chapter 29: Moving Out

"It's a good thing Saw didn't take all of our gunships," Tandin said. "We'll have to use them. They'll provide air support for the assault, but we might have to hold them back if there is too much anti-air. Deni and Rubal will be dropped off on top of the walker via Ruping. Rubal, don't worry, Deni is a master of dealing with these creatures. If the Ruping can't make it to the base, then you will have to use the ascension cables on your DC-15A blasters to get in. Taking control of the walker is no easy task, as they also double as troop transports. However, they're playing defense, not offense, so I doubt there's many troopers inside that walker. You will have to either kill or toss out everyone in the walker in order to gain control. Once you've gained control of the walker, blast as many defenses as you can. If you manage to get the fuel silos in your line of fire, destroy them, especially the anti-air so we can bring in the gunships. This part is crucial. I don't like our odds off getting into that depot without the walker."

Lux nodded along. He was many of the rebels attending this briefing.

"If the walker is unable to get a clear shot at the fuel," Tandin continued, "then we will have saboteurs plant thermal detonators to blow the silos instead. Once we have fled outside the blast radius, we'll blow the silos to bits. And we have to make this quick. The Inquisitor is getting desperate for a smashing victory. We can't afford to give her one. There will be reinforcements, and I'm guessing it will be far too much for us to handle. We'll draw them into the jungle and pluck them off. Again, the Inquisitor is desperate, so no doubt she will chase us into the jungle. By any luck, we should be able to get the Inquisitor herself."

There was an assortment of noise coming from the crowd. Everybody knew at this point that the First Sister was, in fact, Ahsoka Tano. The thought of having to kill someone who was once their most valuable ally wasn't something that was very easy to deal with.

Of course, it was kept under tight wraps that this was just an elaborate scheme by Lux and Tandin to try and get Ahsoka back on their side. Not even the other rebels could know about it.

"Finally, once we've inflicted enough casualties, or it becomes too dangerous to continue picking them off, we will retreat to these coordinates," Tandin concluded, showing a point on a holomap. "There are some speeders stashed there that we can use to get back if we don't already have enough to do so. We must be careful to not get tracked."

There was a pause.

"My fellow Onderonians, we leave immediately," Tandin continued. "We must send them this message, that not even their Inquisitors are immortal!"

There were cheers from the crowd.

Lux watched as rebels got onto their mounts, whether they be beast or machine. The speeders sped off into the distance, and the Rupings took to the air. A few old Republic LAATs went as well, though they probably wouldn't come into use until Deni and Rubal had that walker.

"Hey," Deni said from behind him. "You ready for this?"

"Probably not, but I don't think I ever could be ready," Lux replied, turning around. "Not after what I saw on that Star Destroyer."

"You want her back, don't you?" Deni asked.

"...That's what I'm hoping for," Lux replied. "Try not to kill her."

"I mean, I might have to in order to save my own life, but I'll try," Deni stated.

"I can't really argue with that," Lux replied.

"Hey," Rubal called out from behind him both. He was standing in front of the massive reptillian-avian Ruping that they were going to use to get on the walker. "Is this the thing we're riding?"

"Well, yeah!" Deni replied, walking over to the Ruping.

"This thing is huge!" Rubal replied. "I've been taught to deal with some crazy creatures and I've never seen an avian this big."

"Yeah, welcome to Onderon," Deni replied, extending his hand to shake Rubal's. "Hope you enjoy your stay."

"Better than dealing with the Empire," Rubal replied, shaking Deni's hand and getting onto the back of the Ruping.

Deni mounted the Ruping as well.

"Now, these things are about as afraid of you falling of them as you are," Deni said. "They form bonds with humans easily. So they'll try to take it easy on you."

"Will you try to take it easy on me?"

"I can't promise that," Deni replied.

Rubal only replied with a somewhat-concerned look.

"Hey, I'll see you at the depot," Lux said. 

"Alright," Deni said, "Let's move out!"

Deni pulled on the harness and they flew off.

Lux watched as they receded into the disance, and then mounted a speeder himself.

"Be careful, Lux."

He turned around to see General Tandin.

"I can't guarantee that," Lux replied. "Especially when I'm basically charging in trying to swoon an Inquisitor."

"You make a good point," Tandin replied. "This whole operation could go wrong in a number of ways."

"We'll find a way. We always do." Lux replied.

"I can agree on that one," Tandin nodded.

"Also, your son has only known Rubal for a few minutes and they're already acting like best friends."

"Deni has a tendancy to dive into things head-first," Tandin replied. "I guess being friends with an ex-purge trooper is no different."

"They'll get along well," Lux replied.

There was silence.

"What's wrong, Lux?" Tandin asked.

"Tandin, I... If she comes back, then I'm going to have to leave Onderon."

"Why?" Tandin replied.

"The Empire will be chasing after her, and they'll be chasing after me, too. Even you might have to leave."

"What? We've held our own against the Empire for five years. Why not continue do do so with her?"

"You don't understand who her master is, Tandin. From what I've heard, he's a ruthless husk of a man that won't hesitate to have Tarkin glass this entire planet just to get to her."

"So then it's best if she leaves Onderon," Tandin added to Lux's statement.

"You're gonna have to be laying low for a while after this whole operation is complete," Lux said. "And best to abandon this base as well. Cover your tracks wherever you go."

"I understand," Tandin replied. "I guess it wouldn't be long before the Empire brought in the big guns anyways. Now go, I'll be right behind you."

"Thank you, Tandin. You're like a father to me, you know that?"

"I know," Tandin replied. "I know."

And then, Lux pulled the throttle on his speeder, and he went off into the jungle.