TheBridge

“I don’t have a lot of time and I need to ask a favor,” Cody told him, sounding more weary than Fox ever recalled hearing.

“You and everyone else,” Fox replied gruffly. “What is it?”

“We…we found Tech.”

Fox had never known Tech all that well. His brother’s particular enhancements had been the sort of thing to drive Fox nuts, however valuable Tech’s skills were. But these days he valued every vod they found alive. And he knew that the Bad Batch had taken his loss hard.

“What do you mean? His body?” he clarified.

“Ah…in a way,” Cody replied, and Fox could hear other voices in the background. Across from him, Thorne made a motion with his hand, meaning wrap it up. They usually had about four minutes before they had to cut the signal to avoid detection.

“Give me the facts, Cody,” Fox snapped. “We’re on a clock.”

He ignored his brother’s offended huff.

“He’s alive, Fox. But—-he was captured after he fell on Eriadu. They…did things to him. Damaged his mind and brainwashed him.”

Fox felt a surge of white hot fury. Was this always the fate of the clones? To have their minds messed with? To be abused and twisted?

“Sir, I said , Commander Wolffe has been trying to get a hold of you.”

Yes.

There was that.

And half of him desperately wanted to see his big brother.

But the other half…

The other half of him knew that Wolffe was too sharp for his own good. And Fox could only protect so many people. If Wolffe started asking questions he could not stretch himself far enough to keep him safe.

“Could you just…just tell him…”

“Tell me what?”

It took Fox three entire seconds to realize that Wolffe was right in front of him.

“Wolffe went to find you, sir,” said Thorne, and damn that bastard for his smug tone. “Sounds like he was successful.”

“Listen you little—-”

Thorne’s comms cut and Fox sighed, looking at Wolffe who stood before him with folded arms.

Dear Sir,

Hmm. That sounds so very formal.

Greetings Lieutenant? I don’t care all that much for that address either.

It’s difficult to know how to begin a letter to you. I rather feel that after one has gone through the experience of saving someone’s life and subsequently spent weeks on a voyage in their company, surely there should be less formality?

Dear Firmus.

I like that and I think I shall stick with it. Also, it is much easier to write than ‘Lieutenant Piett’. I hope you don’t mind.

The weather is beginning to turn here and it makes me wonder if you are sailing in balmier seas.

Oh dear.

I’m talking about the weather.

I’ve already started this letter three times, and I have three drafts sitting in the waste basket beside me. I am determined not to do it again, so I am afraid you are getting my flow of thought as it is.

His lungs hurt.

He couldn’t breathe.

Oh Stars, he couldn’t breathe.

His HUD was now clamoring at him, and he tried to focus—tried to find out what was wrong with him—-WHY was he…?

“Wolffe!”

He flailed blindly as a large hand closed over his armored bicep and he tried to go for his weapon…

The Admiral's past as a pirate hunter comes back to kidnap him and leave him to die in a most unpleasant way. Can his people get to him?

“Is it hurting you?” asked a voice at my elbow, and I turned to find that Princess Sola was at my side.

She had achieved a smooth tan in our weeks of sailing and looked like most Axxilan girls did who had grown up in a desert climate. I wondered if this was normal for women from Naboo and decided it didn’t matter. Her honey brown skin suited her. I spotted a few freckles on her nose as well.

“Thank you, no,” I replied, touching my cap swiftly in respect. “I just…I was making sure the bandage was in place.”

She leaned both elbows on the rail, her sleeves billowing in the breeze and stray strands of dark hair whipping about her face.

“They said that we will be home in two days,” she stated, her countenance peaceful and content as she gazed out at the white tops of the waves.

“Yes,” I agreed, frantically searching my brain for something interesting to say and failing. “I assume you will be glad to be back in Naboo?”

Stupid, incredibly mundane question.

“Very much so,” she replied, tucking one of the rebellious strands of hair behind her ear. Then she turned to lean her back on the rail and study me with those intense blue eyes.

“I wonder what you will think of it, Lieutenant?”

Piett felt as though he was flying apart. The girl who was a daughter to him was leaving him for the last time. His own ship was far from here, and he would not get to say good bye to her.

And…

This was a battle he could not win.

Did he surrender now and seek to spare his people even at the cost of the Cavslans who would most certainly be slaughtered mercilessly once he stepped out of the way?

Could he live with that?

He glanced to Veers, faithfully at his side, and decided that a multitude of council was wise. Gone were the days as a young officer where he feared to look uncertain before others. And Max could be trusted.

“Do you think I should surrender?” he murmured softly as they walked swiftly back up toward the viewport.

“Could you live with what would inevitably follow?” Veers asked him immediately, raising an eyebrow at him slightly.

How he appreciated this brother of his. Who knew him well and shared his principles.

“Not really, but on the other hand, all my people would likely live, so my own qualms are not relevant.”

“I think most of these people would struggle just as you would if you decided on that course of action, Firmus.”

“I trust you are getting whatever you need?” I asked. I felt suddenly insecure. These men had been subject to horrors I could not imagine and here was the privileged aristocrat in their midst with no precise idea of what they could really use. What might be helpful to them after the darkness they had survived.

The one with the eyepatch grunted a bit and folded his arms across a broad chest. “Depending on what you mean by ‘need’,” he growled, “I would say I need to get lost years of my life back. But yes, Your Highness, we have what we require at the moment.”

“No need to be rude to a lady, Wolffe,” said the first man chidingly.”She didn’t do this to us.”

“I hope it has been explained,” I said, keeping my gaze unflinchingly on Wolffe, “that you are slaves no longer. That we intend to aid you to reach wherever you wish once we return to Naboo.”

“It was,” said the last man curtly. His hair was curlier than the other two and he was perhaps an inch shorter. A little grey flecked his temples, though he did not appear older than the others to my eye.

“Good,” I answered a little awkwardly. “I ah…I wondered what you might be able to tell me about how you came to be in the hands of slavers. You are Mandalorian, correct?”

And Fox knew what he was about to suggest would be shot down, but he had to say it anyway. Get it out as an option.

“Then the contingency plan seems fairly obvious to me,” he said, keeping his voice detached and steady.

Veers raised an eyebrow at him. “Does it?” he asked dryly.

“Yes, sir. If we know we’re not going to make it out of this, we need to send someone back with the evidence of what has happened here. And given your value to the New Republic, as well as the Admiral and, of course, the Princess, I think you all need to be prepared to leave the fleet. Solo can take you in his…vessel.”

“You don’t think the Ugrisians will want to take prisoners?” Wolffe asked him.

“I think the more salient issue is that Admiral Piett will not wish to surrender to them, vod,” he replied.

“Piett would surrender to avoid the slaughter of thousands,” Veers mused, moving to the caf dispenser and ordering himself black no sugar. “The thing is—-” he sipped and grimaced. “----the thing is, we are fully aware that we are currently the only force between the Cavslans and genocide. Even if they spare us—take us prisoner—-we will see this planet devastated.”

Veers met Fox’s eyes directly.

“And the Admiral will not be persuaded to leave them to it.”

Fox didn’t flinch. He had to make the case just so they were all abundantly clear.

“Then you leave us to it, as I said, General. The senior officers are invaluable to the New Republic. As your security lead, I must urge you to this course of action.”