5 BBY, Space
The last time Eli had been in a Pelta was during the Clone Wars, and even then they hadn't been as heavily modified as this one. Usually they were medical frigates.
"... That's the mess hall," Rampart was saying as he gave a tour of the ship's interior. "Food fights are highly discouraged, mind you. We don't want to waste any."
"What, are there children here-?" Eli quipped.
"Some, yes." Rampart exhaled. "Well, one, to be precise. She's around 14, but acts a decade younger."
"Interesting."
"Yeah, don't give her any sugar, or she becomes highly unpredictable. Oh- and don't mention needles either. She'll freak out."
"I wouldn't blame her."
Rampart side-eyed him before moving on. "These are the sleeping quarters. Do not enter mine, or else."
Sheesh, aggressive much-? Eli thought as he nodded slowly.
Training sabers could be heard clashing in the distance. Rampart seemed to hear them too, because he glanced in that direction. "The child must be training now..."
Eli raised a brow. "She's a padawan-?"
Rampart shrugged. "I suppose. The Jedi Order has been gone for longer than she's been around, but that doesn't mean she can't have a master to tame that wild personality of hers, does it? Now, let's get to the command center. They're waiting."
Eli stopped in his tracks. "H-hang on, this was arranged-?"
"Courtesy of Fulcrum," Rampart responded flatly. "We originally planned to have someone visit your safehouse, but our men reported your absence. So we assumed you'd gone back to Tanalorr... that is, until we found you at the terminal. Perfect timing, too."
Eli blinked a bit. "This is all so confusing... so how-"
"Do you really think I don't know who you are, Henderson?" Rampart's ice blue eyes pierced into Eli 5 steps from the blastdoor. "Even before Lady Valorum showed us your holoimage, I've heard many things about you. Your adventures in the Clone Wars... your involvement in the Hidden Path... your reputation precedes you. And so... we brought you here."
The blastdoor opened to reveal the command center, where a group of people awaited them at the holotable. Rampart strode over before turning back to Eli and indicating one of them- a familiar looking man with an Asian complexion. "This is Commander Sato. Everyone in Phoenix Cell answers to him."
Right... Jun Sato, Eli thought to himself. Of course, being an Earthling, he'd watched Rebels the day that it was released. He remembered seeing Sato on screen, but never remembered his name...
"That's Lady Valorum, I'm sure you know her," Rampart continued, indicating a holoimage of Toni. Since the last time Eli had seen her, she'd changed significantly in terms of her wardrobe- she had swapped her satin tunics for a tan overcoat, and her cinnamon brown hair curled above her shoulders in a style reminiscent of Senator Mothma, except longer.
"We meet again, Henderson." Toni gave him a small smile. "I wish it wasn't under the circumstances we're in as of now."
"Tell me about it," Eli mumbled under his breath before turning to Rampart. "So who else is here?"
"Fulcrum," Was his simple response. "Or, what we call our intelligence agents such as Lady Valorum, Ahsoka Tano, and Rai Veris... who is currently training with the child."
YOU ARE READING
Earthlings 3: RISE
Fanfiction"Oppression breeds rebellion." For more than a decade, the Galactic Empire has had the galaxy in its iron fist. Any traces of the past Republic have all but been erased, and all opposition has been suppressed. Or has it...? After the death of Eliez...
