Afterglow | The Clone Wars

28 | Sisters

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The gun ship swerved back and fourth through the warm night air, with the clone trooper that piloted doing his absolute best to avoid the oncoming traffic of the Coruscant Highway lane. 501st soldiers in the swerving shuttle gripped the handles at the top of the vessel tightly in order to keep their balance. Civilians in speeders whizzed by, cursing in anger as the ship flew rather recklessly through the skyscrapers.

"General, how do we know we're going in the right direction?"

She was on one knee at the edge of the open gun ship door, staring down below at the twinkling streets. They were at the center of a speeder lane, transport vessels were below and above them at all angles. Her right hand was on the floor of the ship, while her left elbow rested against her bent knee "you'll know, Rex" she said over her shoulder, her hair blowing in front of her eyes "just give it a second" her voice faded. In a flash, the image of a green open-roofed speeder appeared in her mind. A masked figure was driving, with the whimpering captive in the back.

That was it. The force had shown her. She balled up her fist and opened her eyes, knowing exactly what needed to be done. She stood up from her position, pulling the hair-tie from her wrist off and wrapping her black hair into a ponytail "What's the plan?" Rex questioned again.

"Meet me on the ground" she let go of her hair and it hung in the tie down her back.

"Sir?" Fives asked in a confused tone.

Without another word, she stepped from the floor of the gunship and plummeted head first towards the lights. Her body avoided numerous civilian speeders, with the target green open-roofed speeder coming into her view. Fives stood next to Rex as they witnessed the Jedi disappear into the city below. At this point, he wasn't surprised anymore by her unorthodox tactics "that was awesome" he chuckled to Rex. The Captain groaned behind his blue and white helmet at the naive tone in his voice.

Dakota used the force and landed lightly on the back of the open speeder. The terrified Senator was curled up in the corner by the passenger seats, cowering as the bounty hunter recklessly drove the hijacked republic transport "hello there" she brushed some imaginary dust from her shoulders as the hunter rocketed out from the pilot seat and whipped a gun out from its holster at his hip "A member of Death Watch-" she concluded, noting the iconic blue Mandalorian armor and death-watch symbol painted on the helmet. She ignited her doubled green lightsabers to face him "-has come to kidnap a Senator from Kalevala, and you thought you'd actually get away with it on my watch?"

The warrior didn't hesitate to fire his weapon at the Jedi. She repelled the blasts, blocking them from hitting the Senator who screamed in fright back against the edge of the transport. Dakota ran forward, only to be met with a burst of fire sprouting out from the warriors wrist. The Jedi ducked out of the way, feeling the strands of her hair sizzling from the flames "I'm tired of fire!" she snapped in anger, force pushing the Mandalorian. He flew back at the momentum, but steadied himself in the air with his jet pack. He aimed his blasters at the controls of the speeder and fired at them.