Aleckina Tadeef

A Helping Hand

Soon after the sun had set, the crew of the ghost landed on an almost empty field on Lothal. The only thing around for what seemed like miles, was what appeared to be an abandoned property. Everyone was getting off the ship, when Kanan suddenly turned to Aleckina.

"Why don't you stay here," he suggested, motioning to the ramp to board the ship. "Something just feels off about the place."

Aleckina was a little upset, but nodded, going back up the ramp and sitting down, hidden amongst the shadows. She could still hear them talking.

"This time, try to keep it calm," Ezra suggested to Zeb, referring to the puffer pig. "We don't want you scaring it again."

"Hey, it's not my fault," Zeb argued.

"It's your face's fault," Ezra shot back calmly. Zeb didn't answer.

"This is your land?" Hera asked Lando.

"Bought it off a charming fellow named Vizago," Lando answered.

"Perfect," Hera replied sarcastically. "But, why was it so important to get this pig here?"

"Because a puffer pig has a nose for precious minerals. It can do the job of a dozen miners," Lando explained.

"And the Empire doesn't want private land holders mining Lothal," Hera said.

"We're done here," Kanan interupted before it could get ugly. "Pay us and we'll be on our way."

"He has other debts to pay," called a new, louder voice, catching Aleckina's full attention. He was a strange creature that Aleckina had never seen the like of before. Behind the new guy came many men brandishing blasters.

"Azmoragan," Lando adressed.

"Did you forget I introduced you to Vizago?" Azmoragan asked. "I knew where you were headed."

"But the ship," Lando persisted, "You couldn't have hidden it anywhere close! Did you, walk here? You don't walk anywhere!"

"I do what's necessary to claim my property, Calrissian," Azmoragan answered.

"What do you want?" Hera asked impatiently.

"My demands are simple," Azmoragan replied. Aleckina wasn't sure she believed him. "I want my pig back, and you, plus this ship and it's crew as compensation for my sore feet. But, first, I want to bury Calrissian!"

"Yeah, yeah, I understand the feeling," Hera answered, "but no." She pushed Lando back a little.

"Now, wait, let's consider that last demand for a second," Kanan interupted.

Azmoragan suddenly started breathing heavily. "I've run out of patience!" he cried. "Get them!"

Uh-oh, Aleckina thought as blaster fire was going everywhere. All she could do was watch because she didn't have a weapon.

"Get down!" Hera yelled to the crew, who immediately ducked down behind the randomely scattered crates.

"Chopper, don't hide there, its a fuel canister!" Sabine called to the astromech.

Aleckina looked towards Kanan and Ezra in time to see Kanan yank Ezra back by his shoulder. They were close enough to the ship for her to hear Kanan warning Ezra not to use his lightsaber.

"You worry too much," Ezra said defiantly. He turned back around, using his lightsaber as a blaster. Aleckina remembered him bragging about that feature to her earlier in the week.

Aleckina turned back to Chopper, halfway worried the obstinate astromech had been blown up from hiding behind the fuel canister. Instead, she saw him beginning to push it towards the ship. She grinned, knowing already what he was up to.

Seeing Chopper struggle, she made the decision to help him. As she ran, she heard Hera telling Zeb to scare the pig. She realized that this could be a distraction for her to go unnoticed. Saddly, that was not the case, as soon Aleckina and Chopper were being shot at. They continued to push the canister on board the ship, thankful for Zeb noticing them and shooting whoever was firing at them.

"You're welcome!" Zeb called to them. Chopper and Aleckina looked back out over the battle from the ramp and saw Azmoragan holding his blaster against Zeb's back.

"New terms!" he called when the fire ceased, but Aleckina wasn't listening, knowing that nothing good could come of his terms.

Instead, she ran to the nose gun, sitting in the seat and trying to figure out how to work the controls. Chopper came in after her grumbling in his mechanical language that she assumed was something along the lines of 'you don't even know what you're doing!'

"Then help me!" Aleckina yelled angrilly at the astromech.

Chopper pushed his way between her seat and the controls, aiming and firing at Azmoragan's feet. Azmoragan and Zeb went flying, but Zeb recovered much faster, turning the tables and pointing his AB-75 bo-rifle at Asmoragan. Zeb looked up at Aleckina and Chopper in the nose gun and grinned, giving a playful, yet grateful salute. Aleckina grinned as she and Chopper saluted back.

Soon, Azmoragan and his men were leaving and Aleckina and Chopper went back down to the ramp. Well, Chopper went to settle some unfinished business with Lando.

"Come on, I saved your circuits. Isn't that apology enough?" Zeb asked Chopper as the crew came back on board.

"And you," Kanan adressed Aleckina, "I thought I told you to stay here." Aleckina had half-hoped Kanan hadn't seen her leave the ship, but of course, he did.

"I was helping Chopper," she answered defensively.

"Really?" Kanan sighed, not believing her. Obviously he hadn't paid enough attention when he caught her running off the ship.

Chopper suddenly rammed himself into Kanan's legs, his way of vouching for the young Miralukan.

"Ow!" Kanan yelled.

"See, even he says so," Aleckina said.

"Fine," Kanan said. "Just don't do it again." He turned to talk to Hera, but Aleckina could sense that he still didn't believe her.

"I always apreciated you, Sabine," Ezra pointed out, hearing the end of Hera and Kanan's conversation about Kanan needing to appreciate Chopper.

"Yes, Ezra, we know," Sabine answered, sounding exasperated.

"Course, we still need food and fuel," Hera commented.

Chopper then brought out the stolen fuel canister.

"That's what I was helping Chopper with," Aleckina explained, putting her hands on her hips.

"She's telling the truth, love," Hera wispered.

"Oh, hey, Chopper and Aleckina stole Lando's fuel!" Sabine laughed, smiling.

"You mean he was playing Lando the whole time?" Zeb asked.

"Yeah," Aleckina answered. "None of you noticed?" When the crew just stared at her blankly, she explained, "If he was being serious, he would've been just as obstinate and stubborn as he is with us."

Kanan grinned at his younger sister for picking up on Chopper's actions so quickly. "Maybe we should get used to calling you Spectre Seven," he said proudly, ruffling the girl's long black hair.

Aleckina grinned widely, happy to have made her brother proud. The crew smiled at their newest member, glad to see her so happy.

"Alright," Hera said, "I think it's about time we got out of here."

They all agreed and soon they had left Lando Calrissian and his new puffer pig far behind.