Ahsoka, Daughter of the Light (Book 3): Survivor

Chapter 33: Dogfight

LUX BONTERI

Lux and Saw stood outside the rebel hideout in the dark of night.

"Hey," Saw said, "Thanks for everything. I... forgot to tell Ahsoka, so would you tell her for me?"

"Sure thing," Lux said. "Oh, and by the way, you should thank General Tandin too. He sent me a message saying you had been arrested. If it weren't for him, you'd still be in that cell."

"And you wouldn't have fallen into that trap," Saw replied.

"Listen," Lux continued, "Tandin said in the message that he wants you to help with striking at Imperial targets."

"Well," Saw said, "I can't say I don't want to do that."

"You'll do great, Saw," Lux said, saluting.

"Same with you," Saw replied. "Also, I should probably tell you something."

"What?"

"Back when that Inquisitor was about to kill Ahsoka... well, I know Jedi tricks when I see them. And you look like you used one."

"What!? I- I thought Ahsoka did that!"

"No, it was you, Lux. And If I'm not mistaken, you might just have what it takes to be a Jedi."

"No," Lux said, "that's not true!"

"Then ask Ahsoka."

"Okay," he replied, "I will when I see her."

"Well, goodbye, Lux."

"Goodbye, Saw."

Lux saluted, and Saw smiled before he stepped in the door.

Then, Lux snuck his way to the shipyards. They were closed. It seems the Empire didn't want any ships leaving at night anymore. Either that or there was some other reason. Either way, Lux climbed over the fence and got into the shipyards, making his way to the ship.

He got inside, turned it on, and began to pilot it upwards.

But it wasn't long before Lux realized something was wrong.

The scanner immediately beeped. There were several fighters closing in.

"Whatever plan you have, Ahsoka," he mumbled to himself, "this better be worth it!"

AHSOKA TANO

Ahsoka ran through the junkyards on the outskirts of Onderon. Here, she had hidden the Soulless One, A Belbullab-22 starfighter she had stolen from General Grievous after an encounter with him onboard his flagship, the Invisible Hand. She had been taken up to him after being captured on Onderon during a Seperatist invasion of the planet.

She hopped in the cockpit and turned the fighter on, running a quick diagnostic of the system. Everything was operational.

"Good," she mumbled to herself.

She pulled at the steering wheel and the fighter rose up off the ground.

She quickly ascended, and caught Lux's ship on her scanners.

But she also caught the signal of several Imperial aircraft.

They were still the designs used in the Clone Wars, since the Empire didn't have the time yet to modify or create any new designs. Still, it was more than enough to blast Lux out of the sky.

Suddenly, Ahsoka heard radio chatter.

"Sir, we have another contact coming up behind us. Belbullab-22 starfighter. It appears to be General Grievous's."

Ahsoka then realized that Grievous had installed something on this ship that allowed it to intercept Replublic (and now Imperial) transmissions.

"Thanks, Grievous," Ahsoka muttered under her breath.

She then quickly shot upwards through the clouds and shot a V-wing fighter that was about to shoot down Lux. She then quickly turned her attention to an ARC-170 starfighter coming straight at her, which she blasted down with ease.

One by one, she shot the fighters down.

"It's on my tail!"

"That's one hell of a pilot!"

"Who's in that thing!? It can't be Grievous!"

"It's Tano, you nerf-herder!"

The intercepted transmissions made Ahsoka laugh a little. She wondered what sort of things Grievous would have heard on this.

Then, she tried to contact Lux.

"Ahsoka?" he heard over the comm.

"It's me," she said, "let's get out of here!"

The two bolted straight up and out of the atmosphere. Ahsoka quickly patched in the hyperspace coordinates for the Jedi Camp.

"We got two Venators closing in on us!" Lux said.

She saw the two ships approaching, both of which started blasting them with turbolasers.

"You got the Hyperspace trajectory calculated?" Lux asked.

"Yep," she replied. "Do you?"

"Yes," Lux said, "Now let's hit it!"

Ahsoka saw Lux's ship thrust itself into hyperspace in front of her. She pulled a lever and soon she too entered hyperspace.

Onderon receeded behind her as her ship became surrounded by the blue spirals of hyperspace.