Chapter XXI

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An hour or so later, the streaks of blue and white slowed down to reveal the white dots of stars and the blackness of space once again. Rhea could already hear the familiar whir of another X-wing engine.

"Patch me into his comms, Kayfive," Rhea pulled the mic attached to her helmet closer as static came through before cutting off to allow a familiar voice through.

"Rhea?"

"You didn't think I'd let you go off on your own, did you?" She cracked a smile as she replied, happy to hear that farmboy's voice.

"Not for a second," A chuckle responded through her headset. Whilst a familiar astromech beeped in the background.

Rhea took her gaze away from Luke's ship at her left and observed the approaching planet. It was covered with thick, swirling storm clouds. The small patches free of the storm showed the dark green of the planet's surface. She checked her screen quickly to confirm it was Dagobah.

"This Yoda must be a great Jedi for you to fly willingly into that mess of a planet," She remarked, even though the statement was more directed at herself.

Rhea occupied herself with flicking a couple of switches as they entered the atmosphere. She heard static come through her helmet just as Lukes ship vanished amongst the fog.

"Luke?" She tried a couple more times, but she couldn't reach him.

Her own ship started to rock back and forth violently as R2-K5 tried to start the landing cycle, beeping in fright. The blast of the retrorockets deafened Rhea, drowning out the astromech's electronic squeals.

Suddenly, the sound of branches breaking off trees surrounded her ship. The ship broke through the fog and Rhea was greeted with the sight of a swamp, desperately she pulled up on the yoke.

"Kayfive, do something!" She screamed, terrified. Her droid screeched back, just as scared. "Anything! Do Anything!"

A tremendous jolt threw her forward as the rebel ship hit the ground with a loud thump, it skidded forward in the swamp before subsequently coming to a stop.

"Well we're still alive," Muttered Rhea. She slammed her hands up onto the canopy forcing the cockpit to open, R2-K5 whistled and swivelled his head to the engine.

She swung her legs over the cockpit and slid off the side, trudging through the mud to the back of her ship, studying the damage to the engines.

"We certainly won't be going anywhere," She groaned. She rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache ebb it's a way through her, she must have hit her head in the crash.

"I did pack that toolbox, right?" She called to her astromech. He swivelled his head back and forth with an optimistic beep. "Well, at least we can fix it."

R2-K5 began exiting the ship as Rhea dug the toolbox out the cockpit. She stopped as she heard yelling, recognising it to be Luke's voice. She quickly dumped the toolbox next to the astromech and jumped back onto the ground.

"Stay with the ship, see what you can do about the engine," She said urgently to her droid. She tore off all the belts and panels on her and dumped the heavy pilot suit, only snatching her holster and blaster pistol from the pile of clothes.

After a few minutes of travelling the mist had dispersed a bit, but it was still a very gloomy-looking swamp. She ducked under some large twisting roots and saw an X-wing, it's nose buried under murky water.

On the other side of the swamp, she saw Luke pull an equipment box to the shore. He was talking though she couldn't make out what, until she heard R2-D2 beep wildly causing Luke to turn around facing her.

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