Mud | Obikin

22.

In the grey light that precedes dawn, I see it has not stopped snowing. At least, pirates are stuck on this planet as well.

The fire has died, and I'm cold; my breath condensates the moment it escapes my lips.
Anakin is still warm against me. I concede myself a smile.

This is Padme's Anakin, someone I had no idea existed. His affection confounds me more deeply than his Darkness.
We weren't supposed to share what we are sharing now, and he's just as much clueless about me. The last missing piece is at its place though the resulting complete image is not the one we were expecting.

I try to get up, and his arm restrains me.

"Dawn," I say, and he lets me go, a curious mix of care and sleepy sultriness in his eyes.

We have a quick breakfast, gather our stuff and dig the speeders out of the snow. Our silence is filled with thoughts about Ahsoka and the pirates.
The dry, efficient movements of our on-field life, refined to the point we need no words.
Being soldiers is what we do better together, I blame myself for having wanted more.

Outside, the sunrise shows us for the first time the immense expanse of ice we've been crossing. Despite the ongoing blizzard, light allows us to travel faster than last night, and we soon reach the glacier.

There isn't a real village, just a small spaceport, the mines and a few houses carved in the permafrost, half of which abandoned.
Everything looks like having seen better days, and now enduring out of apathy.

Arriving from a field of nothing, a discrete entrance is not an option; nevertheless, we can try to get the best from what we have.
Anakin is expected, so he'll approach the pirates alone and - Force help us - take time negotiating. This, along with my armour, should distract them until I find Ahsoka.

The rusty hangar only harbours a lonely ship.
Hondo's and Anakin's banters echo loudly in the empty space. They're showing off their sass, incited by the crew. This will take a while.

On the opposite side of the Fortune and Glory, a pirate is smoking, slouched against the entrance hatch. He barks at me to move along, a hand lazily sliding down to the grip of his blaster.

"Need your boss, but he's holding a meeting right now," I explain, coming closer. "I guess I'll have a smoke here while I wait."

"As long as it isn't one of mine," he coughs, pondering how much danger I represent.

I take off my helmet and enjoy his staggered expression for a second, before hitting his face with it as hard as I can.
The paintless dent his head leaves on the metal bothers me more than I would have assumed.

I run through the passageway laying below to discover the detention chamber is empty. Its door weaves lightly with a screeching sound, hiding half of an unconscious pirate's body.

My shoulder plate flies away at a close range shot, and I hit the ground. Pain spreads from my chest in burning waves.

A guard makes me look into the barrel of his blaster. "Who the crink are you? And where's that crinking girl?"

From my supine position, I see that crinking girl just above us, suspended from the pipes that run across the overhead.

Ahsoka lets herself fall over the guard and strikes his face with a kick. Blood splatters on my boots from the man's mouth.
I'm still trying to get up that she's already aiming his weapon at me.

"You must've inherited these bad manners from your Master," I say, and savour the astounded yet relieved way she heaves my name.

I admit I'm getting too fond of these moments of sudden recognition.

Ashoka takes my hand to help me stand up.
She's going to remark on my attire, but my pained expression causes her to ask if I'm wounded.

"Mostly in my pride," I answer. "Rescued by the one I came to rescue."

Ahsoka doesn't smile back, and I foreshadow troubles. She stumbles on her words saying that we must contact the Council and immediately get back to the Temple.

"We can't," I tell her. "The snowstorm has cut us off, and no ship can leave the planet."

For the first time since we met, I hear Ahsoka curse.

She doesn't even waste time apologising. "That Bounty Hunter knew I had heard them, so she took me and... oh, I have been so dumb, Anakin is going to kill me!"

I stop her with a glance. She breathes deeply and starts over again.

"I saw Aurra Sing in Diflu, handing out credits to Hondo. A lot of creds. They were talking about a massive strike about to hit the Temple District." Ashoka frowns. "Master, they must evacuate it now."

My eyes move from her to the floor as I try to think fast.

"We take this ship," I eventually say, not sure myself. "Let's this two pirates share your cell. Then, you make your way to the cockpit while I recover Anakin. He might be able to take off regardless."

"I hope you're right."

"We'll find out soon," I sigh.

Sing's unequivocal outline is standing out among the exit hatch when I reach it. She greets me with a wicked grin and a tap of her elongated fingers on the bulkhead.

Melee noises come from behind her back; the thought of Anakin out there makes my stomach close in a distressed grip.

'So unprofessional' is what I think first, followed by 'no time for this'.

I dodge the first shot and Force-push her. Aurra flies outside and bangs her head on the durasteel floor with a thud sound.

Anakin is on the opposite side of the hangar, walking backwards to block pirates' lasers with his lightsaber.

"Nice negotiation," I shout out, making mine spin once.

"Take your time," he shouts back.

Aurra starts shooting at me when I try to reach him; enemies circle us as we get near to each other.

"Where's Ahsoka?" Asks Anakin when I'm close enough, reflecting a shot to hit a pirate's chest.

Behind our attackers, I see Aurra fleeing from the fight back inside the ship.

"On board. We're borrowing Hondo's vessel," I order.

Anakin's scepticism flutters intact to me through our Bond.

"You would've rolled eyes if this were my plan," he grumbles.

As we agreed on it, we surpass the pirate's heads with a jump and dash back under a rain of lasers and swears.
On board, we block the hatch, closing Hondo and his men out of their ship. The engine is already on.

"Sing is in here with your Padawan," I tell Anakin as we run to the command room. "And we're quite in a hurry to leave,"

When we get there, Ahsoka is twisting Aurra's arm behind her back.

"I found my 'sabers," she says to me with a broad smile. "Glad to see you found my Master."