Star Wars Rebels - Lost

Chapter Ten: Seeing Shadows

Clone Commander Skorn led the way through the dense and muggy forest, beating aside bushes and branches with the butt of his rifle. One could certainly tell that he was a veteran when it came to living here, carving paths through the jungle where neither Ahsoka nor Sabine could see two feet ahead of them. The clone had been very mysterious about where he was leading them so far, and whenever he was asked he simply responded with "you'll see". He was definitely hiding something, hopefully it was a pleasant surprise. Having been stranded on a peculiar planet and attacked by thirty year old droids, the pair were in need of some good news.

The jungle began to thin, and the path began to ascend up a steep incline, leading to some sort of mountaintop. Sabine wished she knew where they were going, if she did, she could use her jetpack to skip this muscle-punishing climb. But quite soon, their trip was rewarded as they clambered up onto the peak of the mountain. Ahsoka and Sabine stood at Skorn's side, and both gasped in turn at the view in front of them. In the distance, they saw the colossal visage of a crashed star destroyer, planted into the ground. The trees had grown around it, making it almost look like a natural part of the landscape, but one glance at its condition revealed that it could not have been there for more than a few years.
"Crash landed here a few years ago, at the time I assumed the soldiers inside were part of some mercenary contingent, using a modified venator with some stolen armour. Now...I realise that the troopers I saw leaving the wreck were your...stormtroopers" Skorn commented, placing the end of his rifle into the dirt and using it as a leaning post.
"What happened to them?" Ahsoka asked curiously, Sabine was still too engrossed in the view to comment.
"Their armour was shoddy, their training even worse. The troopers didn't last a week here, but there was one among them, an admiral, judging by the clothes that he wore. Now he seemed to know what he was doing" Skorn explained, causing Sabine to slowly turn with a suspicious frown.
"An...admiral?" she asked slowly.
"Yes, he had a white uniform, and he was one of those Chiss types. You don't see many of those around, to my knowledge he survived longer than his men. Haven't seen him in a long while though" the commander replied. There was only one name that filled Sabine's mind, haunting the very darkest corners of her head. A ghost from a long passed struggle. Thrawn. If that conniving admiral had survived the initial crash, then there was no doubt that he'd managed to survive on this planet. He was ruthless, and patient. But what about Ezra?
"Did you see anybody else? I...I know it sounds rather specific...but did you see a boy in an orange outfit?" the Mandalorian inquired, hoping beyond hope that he had.
"Hmm, I reckon I'd remember that, and I don't, sorry. I assume he's the friend you're searching for?" the commander replied. Sabine answered with a vague nod. Skorn glanced at the Mandalorian's look of disappointment and felt a pang of guilt, he attempted to lift her spirits.
"Well, to my knowledge, that...star destroyer...as you called it is now abandoned. We could take a look, if you approve general" he said, turning to Ahsoka. The togruta gave a surprised look, she'd never actually received the promotion from commander to general, and she hadn't been called a rank like that at all in a long time. But, this clone seemed quite determined for her to lead, so she supposed she had to live up to the role.
"We've come this far, we'll grab onto any small lead we can with both hands. But I have to ask, this mission is most likely going to be dangerous, are you sure you want to join us Commander?" she asked.
"Yes, general. I've been trapped here for far too long, if I can help somebody who isn't a damn clanker, then I will. But might I suggest we start moving, night will fall soon, and the nights here are long" Skorn answered, offering to lead the way down the mountainside. Ahsoka followed close behind him, and Sabine behind her.

The wreck of the Chimaera was even larger in scale when viewed up close. It was a rather strange feeling to see such a vessel of fear and authority made into a pile of scrap, covering in vines and moss. Sabine remembered how many times they had been forced to face this destroyer, and how many deaths were a direct cause of it. Atollon. Thrawn had been the mastermind of the operation that crippled Phoenix Squadron there, and it had been this destroyer that obliterated rebel ships and bombarded Chopper Base. And now here it stood, harmless to everyone and everything. A huge hole was torn in the port-side bow, no doubt a consequence of the crash, and that was the trio's way into the ship. Slowly they entered, and instantly darkness overwhelmed them. They could not tell that there was daylight outside, instead the shadows of the destroyer shrouded all. Ahsoka ignited a single white blade and Sabine and Skorn activated flashlights on the sides of their helmets. Their steps were slow and cautious, none of them, not even Skorn, knew what to expect. The emergency generators here had burnt out a long time ago, and the only lights anywhere they could see were their own.
"Artificial gravity is offline, take these, grapple hooks, they'll keep you upright" Skorn whispered, passing the pair a hook each. They each attached one end of the hook to their armour, firing the other end upwards at the roof and tugging the ropes to ensure that they were secure. Skorn gave a nod, before continuing to move forwards. Due to the crash, they were actually walking on the walls of each corridor, instead of the floors. The angle was nauseating.