Defiant | Star Wars/Rogue One

Part IX

The group made their ways through the halls of the Citadel, following K-2's internal map. They paused when a group of stormtroopers ran past. "Looks like the distraction's working," Mirax observed once they were out of earshot.

"It was a good plan," Jyn agreed.

"This way to the data vault." K-2 resumed his march to the vault. The others followed, Mirax's short stature forcing her to walk quickly to keep up with the others.

They soon arrived at a set of blast doors. K-2 punched a code into the panel beside the doors; they slid open and the group walked into a vestibule with a single control console set near one wall. A man in a lieutenant's uniform looked up from the console when he heard them approach. "Can I help you?"

"That's won't be necessary." K-2 raised a metal fist and brought it down on the lieutenant's head. Jyn, Mirax, and Cassian dragged the limp lieutenant to a tunnel leading to the data vault. Following K-2's instructions, they placed the lieutenant's hang on the biometric scanner; instead of unlocking the vault, it alerted them that access had been denied.

"This is not working, Kay!" Cassian called to the droid, who was working at the console.

"Right hand," K-2 called back. This time, the door to the vault slid open. Mirax stood and stepped into the room on the other side, glancing around; large transparisteel viewports covered most of the wall in front of her, a small console with screens and buttons sat beneath one viewport, and tow handles dangled from the ceiling.

Mirax stepped back into the tunnel to help Jyn and Cassian drag the lieutenant back out of the tunnel. "The rebel fleet has arrived," K-2 announced once they had dropped the lieutenant.

"The fleet?" Mirax echoed in disbelief.

"There's fighting on the beach," K-2 continued. "They've locked down the base. They've closed the shield gate."

"What does that mean?" Jyn asked. She looked from K-2 to Cassian, fear barely masked on her face. "We're trapped?" Cassian nodded gravely.

K-2 thought for a moment before suggesting, "We could transmit the plans to the rebel fleet. We'd have to get a signal up to tell them it's coming. It's the size of the data files. That's the problem. They'll never get through. Someone has to take that shield gate down."

Drawing her commlink back out of her pocket, Mirax thumbed it to a different frequency and activated it. "Bodhi," she called into the device. "Bodhi, can you hear me? Come on, Bodhi, say something!"

"I'm here." Bodhi's voice was low, like he was afraid of someone hearing him. "I was standing by. They've started fighting. The base is locked down."

"I know," she replied. "Listen, Bodhi, our fleet is up there. You have to find some way to get a message to them. Tell them they have to blow a hole in the shield so we can transmit the plans."

"Wait." Mirax could hear anxiety rising in his stuttering voice. "I can't. I'm not hooked into the comms tower. We're not tied in."

"You'll find a way. I believe in you." Mirax turned the commlink off and returned it to her pocket.

"Cover our backs," Cassian ordered K-2 before jogging back to the data vault. Mirax started to follow, but paused when she saw Jyn walk to K-2 and offer her blaster to him.

"You'll need this," Jyn told the droit. "You wanted one, right?"

K-2 took the blaster, looking at it was if is fascinated—or as fascinated as a droid incapable of facial expressions could appear. "Your behavior, Jyn Erso, is continually unexpected."

"Jyn," Mirax called, "we need to go." Jyn gave K-2 a parting nod, then turned and followed Mirax back into the data vault. Mirax leaned forward as far as she could, trying to see the top of the enormous databank on the other side of the transparisteel.

"Schematic bank," K-2 called to them, "data tower two."

"How do I find that?" Cassian asked.

"Searching." Mirax looked at a small screen as readouts scrolled across it, waiting for K-2 to reach the right file. "I can locate the tape, but you'll need to use the handles for extraction."

Cassian stepped in front of the handles, taking off his gloves and hat and tossing them to the side. "What am I supposed to do with this?" he humbled, grabbing the handles and trying to control them. He let out a cry of surprise when a mechanical claw shot up the databank, moving in whatever direction he moved the handles.

Everyone looked back as they heard the vault door close. Cassian took out his own commlink and asked, "Kay, what's going on out there?" The only answer that came was static, followed by blaster fire.

The scrolling on the screen stopped, drawing Mirax's attention back to it. She leaned over the screen, eyes scanning the different categories listed. "Hyperspace Tracking," she read aloud. "Navigational Systems. Deep Core Cartography. Kay, help me out here!" she called to the droid.

"Two screens down," came his reply. "Structural Engineering. Open that one." More blaster fire followed the remark.

"Kay-Tu!" Cassian demanded. "Tell me what's happening!"

"My riot control protocols are now active," K-2 explained. "But the situation is well in hand?"

Mirax's eyes skimmed the next list that appeared on the screen before her. "They're all listed by code names," she told the others. "Stelarsphere. Mark Omega. Pax Aurora. War-Mantle. Cluster Prism. Blacksaber. Stardust—"

"Stardust?" Jyn interrupted. "That's it."

"How do you know that?" Cassian questioned. There was no malice in his voice; he knew they only had one shot to find the plans and couldn't afford any mistakes.

Jyn looked from Mirax to Cassian. "I know because it's me."

The answer was enough for Cassian. "Kay," he spoke into the commlink, "we need the file for Stardust."

"Stardust," K-2 repeated amidst a barrage of blaster fire. Mirax was starting to fear the droid wouldn't be able to hold off their enemies for much longer.

On one side of the databank, a data tape started blinking green. "That's it," Jyn pointed out.

Using the handles, Cassian positioned the claw over the tape. As Cassian twisted one handle, the claw grabbed the tape and pulled it out of its place. Before he could order the claw to bring the tape to them, the lights in the tunnel and the vault started pulsing on and off, only the glow from the console remaining unaffected.

"Climb." K-2's voice was weak as it came through the commlink. "Climb. You can still send the plans to the fleet. If they open the shield gate, you can broadcast from the tower. Locking the vault door now."

"Kay?" Cassian's voice was dripping with distress. "Kay!

"Goodbye."

"Kay!"

With a loud groan, the data vault door locked. Mirax, Cassian, and Jyn glanced around at each other, then at the viewport, their only means of escape from the vault.

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Only one more chapter after this. Just gonna warn y'all, I almost cried writing it.

Still hoping for a question or two for the Q&A.