The Rise of the Valkyrie *ON HIATUS*

Chapter Six

"The power grid is burned out. We've no engine, communications, or... or life support recharge", Wolffe said.

"So, we'll just sit here and hold our breaths", Sinker joked. Ashara gave him a soft smile, though she knew this wasn't the time to be joking around. They needed to figure out some way to contact someone, or else they would be dead.

"Someone will come looking for us, right?" Boost asked. Ashara looked to the floor, and sighed.

"It's unlikely", she muttered. "Anakin's been given strict orders, and I doubt the council will send anyone else. They've probably already assumed us dead."

"Even still, young Ashara, we must have faith that they will look for us. In the meantime, let's get the power restored, so we are here to be found", Plo Koon said. Ashara nodded.

"Yes, Master Plo", she said softly, before turning and working on the panel behind her. When she got that all fixed, she turned and walked over to Plo Koon. He was staring out into space, though Ashara was unsure what he was thinking. She stood behind him, before asking him a question that had crossed her mind previously.

"Master Plo?" she asked softly. "How do you know Ahsoka?"

Plo Koon turned to her. "I was the one who found her and brought her to the temple. She was only a few years younger than you when she was brought to the temple."

Ashara didn't say anything in response, just stood next to him quietly. A few minutes later, Wolffe spoke. "The air in here is getting a bit stale", he muttered.

"Don't look at me", Sinker said. "It's Boost, sir. He only takes a bath when he's on leave."

Ashara chuckled quietly to herself, but didn't say anything as Boost snapped back at Sinker. "Save it. Just keep working on the pod, not your jokes."

"Do you think we've got a chance, general?" Wolffe asked, looking at Plo Koon. Ashara knew he was asking the more experienced general, not her, so she remained quiet. She also didn't have an answer, so she was hoping Plo Koon would.

"I don't believe in chance, commander. I know if we work together, we will stay alive, and someone will find us."

Ashara turned to look at Sinker as he spoke. "With all due respect, general, strategically, it doesn't make any sense for anyone to come looking for us. If I was in command, I'd be hunting that weapon down."

"I value your life more than that weapon", Plo Koon said fervently, leading Ashara to believe that he truly did. Ashara found herself looking up to the Jedi Master even more. He was different from most of the other Jedi she had worked with, who saw the clones under their command as expendable. She hoped she would be able to work with him more often.

"Sir!" Boost exclaimed as he stood up. "There's another pod out there!"

Ashara glanced over at Plo Koon as they turned and saw the back of a pod. He sat in the pilots chair, and the clones gathered around the two Jedi.

"If we only had power, we could contact them", Wolffe said. Ashara listened through the force, but couldn't feel any life forms in the other pod, even though she knew there should be.

"Well, how bout we just wave "hello" when the viewport comes around", Boost said, in an almost joking manner. Ashara automatically used the force to pull around the viewport, revealing that the glass was broken, and that the clones inside where dead. 

"They're dead", Boost said in horror.

"Someone busted that pod right open", Wolffe said in shock. Ashara shook her head, grieving for the clones that they had lost. She wondered what could have broken that pod open so easily, as these things were fairly durable. They were meant to crash into the ground after all.

"We are not alone out here", Plo Koon said. Ashara sighed. 

"This day just keeps getting better and better", she grumbled. Boost and Sinker got back to work on fixing the pod, while Ashara went to a corner away from them to meditate. She hoped it would bring a bit of peace to her.

As she settled into position, her eyes fluttered shut and her breathing slowed. She cleared her mind, and let force flow through her. She could feel it running through her veins, through her muscles, through every fiber of her being. Flashes of voices came to her mind, but they were so distorted, she couldn't make out who was talking.

"This is the inspection team."

"Inspection, negative, negative. We, uh, do not require an inspection."

"Something's not right here."

"I'm putting you in charge of this one."

"Roger, roger."

"A droid attack flare?"

"Woah, Rex! What the heck are you doing?"

"Just as I thought. Looks like one of those new commando droids."

"Off the platform!"

"Hands above your heads. Take your sun bonnets off."

"Nice shot."

"We call him Fives. I'm Hevy. This is Echo."

"We're all that's left."

"-batch of shinies, Commander."

"We'll take back our post, shiny or not."

"There's hope for you yet, rookie."

"Hevy, get out of there."

"I have to detonate it manually."

"Back to the maintenance pipe!"

"It's no use. I know what I have to do!"

"Soldier, come in. Are you there?"

"Talk to us!"

"Come in, Hevy!"

"Do we take prisoners?"

"I don't."

Ashara jolted from her position as the sound of an explosion sounded. She let out a deep breath as she realized it was just from her vision. A singular voice stood out as she regained her senses.

"Hevy always did hate that place."

"Ashara, are you alright?" Plo Koon asked. Ashara looked up at him, and nodded, before noticing something was clamped around the pods hull. Plo Koon walked past her, Sinker and Boost following. Without a word about what they were doing, they went outside. Ashara realized that they were going to fight the enemy. This left Ashara in the pod with Wolffe.

She rushed to the viewport and watched as Plo Koon and the clones attacked the droids. They weren't doing much good, and Ashara winced as she heard the sound of metal crunching under pressure.

"Is there anyone out there. Come in. This is Ahsoka Tano. Is there anyone out there? Come in", a familiar voice sounded over the comms. Ashara looked to Wolffe, who was immediately on it. 

"It's Ahsoka!" he informed Plo Koon. "She must be close."

"Keep the signal alive, commander."

Ashara closed her eyes, and started feeling out for any force sensitive personages. She first felt Plo Koon, but she stretched out farther than that. She could feel Anakin and Ahsoka. She instantly used the force to reach out to both of them, focusing on their energies.

A loud explosion caused her to lose focus, but she hoped that they at least felt her presence and would be able to find them. She turned to Wolffe, who seemed a little worse for wear. She hummed in thought, before she realized that because the pod had been crushed, and had lost power once more, they were slowly losing oxygen. She closed her eyes, and slowed her breathing before using the force to try and keep the oxygen they both needed inside the pod. She only let go of her focus when she felt the ship bump against something. She opened her eyes and noticed they were inside of another ship.

She saw Anakin and Ahsoka standing outside, and she let out a relieved smile. Anakin pulled the viewport off of the ship, and Wolffe stumbled out of the ship. Ashara went to follow, but she found she couldn't even make it a step before her world went dark.