Gray

Chapter 3

"Someone is on the way." Ahsoka cut the transmission and ran out of the room so quickly that she nearly forgot her lightsabers. As if startled by her leave, the weapons lifted and rushed after her. When they caught up to her she grabbed them out of the air and clipped each one to the opposite sides of her waist without breaking stride. When she came to the deck, she didn't slow, but still addressed the ship's captain, Commander Sato. "Vixen Squadron is in trouble. I'm going. Don't follow me."

And before he could answer, she was down at the ship's docking port where her Interceptor sat attached to the larger CR90 Corvette. The Actis-class Interceptor was a small, fast, maneuverable ship that many Jedi used in battle during the Clone Wars. It was light, but with its great performance at close range, it lacked the design or capacity for a hyperdrive. As such, it required the additional support of a hyperspace ring for long distance travel.

Ahsoka's was already fitted around it. As she slipped down through the vertical air lock that dropped her right into the seat of the one-man vessel, she ran through the possibilities of what could have gone wrong. The Vixen team had done everything right up this point, and while they expected resistance, an Inquisitor was hardly the kind of opposition she would have imagined that they would to run into. These beings were Ex-Jedi, reprobate to the light side of the force, employed by the Dark Lords of the Sith to do their bidding. As formidable as the Vixen team was, she knew that their chances of surviving an attack by one of them was slim.

Ahsoka was also an Ex-Jedi, but she hardly discarded the light side in favor of the dark. Ahsoka was also the rebellion's foremost liaison and source of intelligence. No one but Bail Organa and a few of the highest level members of the forming alliance even knew who she was. She adapted the moniker 'Fulcrum' to keep her identity hidden, as to not compromise any missions. She was the link between the individual rebel cells, and she managed their individual missions.

She couldn't send rebel ships after the team because most of those close enough were republic vessels whose signatures hadn't been scrubbed, and would give the Empire far too much insight on who in the Galactic Senate was a part of the forming Rebel Alliance. Furthermore, doing so would only be funneling lives through that Inquisitor's lightsaber. She knew it had to be her. She had no choice but to reveal herself to Vixen, because if she didn't, an entire rebel cell was going to die.

******

Adara inched away from the crackle of the red bladed lightsaber. "Jedi..." she said under her breath. Her usual comic mirth had been supplanted by pure fear.

"Yes, at one time I was ignorant enough to live by their cretinous scruples. But no longer..." the figure said as he stalked forward, his voice distorted through the breathing filter of his mask, giving it an errant quality.

Adara noticed the Stormtroopers remained by the door, only watching. She knew she wouldn't survive a moment fighting him. "Then... what are you?"

"What makes you think I should indulge your questions? Your life along with the permission to speak was forfeit the moment you and your band of rebels landed here." his voice was cold and hollow, and sounded like no living thing could sound.

"He's an Inquisitor. Lackey of the Empire." It was that strange voice that had intruded on the Vixen's encrypted line, chiming in once again. "But he's a very formidable lackey, so I wouldn't press my luck."

"Adara get out of there, we are coming for you!" Fahili said over the channel.

"I wouldn't recommend that," The voice said again.

"Who the hell are you? Get off our line!" Assata said.

"The names Glaize. I figured I'd stay to monitor the situation."