Arani Jakal was not ready to be stranded on an unfamiliar planet, causing her whole life to change. But in the chaos, a friend or two popped up - seemingly from nowhere - wishing to help. Ari gladly accepted and quickly became part of a small town...
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BO-KATAN'S PLAN WAS CONTINUOUSLY recited in Arani's mind. The older woman would drop the small force they mustered up, fighting from the ground while the three starships would reinforce from above. If things swayed in their favour, their element of surprise could help defeat Gorian Shard's goons.
However, with every passing minute, it's been steadily more difficult for Ari to be present in the moment. Her mind was being torn in every direction. The Mythosaur was still at the forefront, but it became less prominent as something new took its place: Din wanted to marry her.
A warmth she only felt a handful of times, flowed through her veins. She smiled to herself and ducked her head, hiding it from Haro. Unfortunately, she couldn't bask in the feeling for long. Bo-Katan's voice came through the comms, snapping Ari back to the present.
"Pirate King Gorian Shard is captaining a Cumulus class corsair carrying a complement of snubfighters. It has aerial bombardment capabilities. The N-1 and Defiant will distract the Corsair and her snubfighters as we drop in to liberate the planet below. Nevarro is an independent planet and no longer under remnant of Imperial or New Republic protection. But it's that very independence that makes it appealing for you to settle. You lived there once, hiding in the sewers. But now, you can be heroes."
Bo-Katan's speech left them in silence, hanging heavily on them. Everything she said was true - the tribe had been allowed to do something good, to come out of hiding and show the outer rim what they were capable of despite their small numbers.
As they entered the planet's atmosphere, Ari could quickly see the damage done by the pirates. It broke her heart. Greef's planning and leadership and the city's civilians' hard work had been destroyed in minutes. Thankfully the town had been evacuated in time.
As suspected, the pirates had completely taken control, Shard's Corsair hovering over Navarro menacingly. Smoke and fire still rose to meet the two starships as they flew to meet the pirate. They fired upon the massive ship, taking damage to its front. Before Shard could respond, they splintered off into different directions, confusing the pirate as to who he should chase.
The Corsair's gunports opened and began to retaliate. When the N-1 and the Defiant evaded the crossfire, a small fleet of snubfighters was launched just as Bo-Katan planned. But none made their mark, and Din and Ari weaved their way around the enemy vessels effortlessly.
"Bold of you to return, Mandalorian," said the pirate Vane over the comms as he piloted one of the snubfighters. "Blast that ship!"
The other pilots followed Vane's order but Din was running circles around them. Ari couldn't help the laugh that escaped her.
"Thanks for your help, Mando," said Greef on the Comm.
"I decided to take you up on your offer for a tract of land," replied Din.
