She watched the major out of the corner of her eye while listening to the briefing. He really couldn’t help the small smile on his face. Even after nearly two decades of service to the Republic, and most of that in command positions, the stress hadn’t dampened his kindness and general jovial personality. The perpetual smile and the laugh lines throughout his face had caused many foes and opponents to underestimate his deadly effectiveness, on and off the battlefield. Or more accurately regardless of whether the battlefield was in combat or the politics of the army, especially as one of Havoc’s elite special forces commanders.
The briefing officer for the recon mission into one of the insanely dense ship graveyards on Hoth droned on with the minutia of the icy planet. Just six months ago Vaer’elari’dourniy would have shocked herself with such a thought, a criticism of a senior officer but she’d suffered a cosmic shift in her mental state within days after Mhaloren asked her to stand with him as his Prime.
In many ways it made sense, since Mhaloren and Elari had been friends for years since he’d recruited her into Havoc as his medic, and then intel officer, and finally as his XO. He was perhaps one of her only friends since she’d left her old life and family behind in Wild Space to join the Republic. Yet he was nearly a legend within, and without, special forces, for his compassion and friendliness, and he had his pick of friends to ask.
So Elari had been surprised, shocked and honored when he’d asked, stammering a quick assent and even volunteering to file the change of status paperwork for both him and his betrothed after the memorable event occurred.
When it came time to be his friend and witness his marriage to Ava, waves of jealousy had swarmed over the mental barriers she’d raised between herself and others for years, shocking her as they buried her in emotion as she stood with him at the intimate family ceremony, unshed tears in her eyes. Aching loneliness welled in her eyes, mistaken as joy and as happiness.
She’d barely acknowledged her own feelings before then, and as her commanding officer he would never, could never, have expressed any similar such intimacy, even if he felt it, and she herself had been too afraid of losing the only place she’d felt at home since she’d arrived in the Republic, a unique welcome from another descendant of Chiss outcasts.
So instead Elari had watched as another woman shared the traditional human exchange of rings and the unique ceremony that had arisen on Mhaloren’s home planet from two outcast peoples who had chosen to unite together in common defense, friendship and loyalty. A ceremony led by his older brother and witnessed only by Mhaloren’s nephews and their mother, and her. Seven special people in all participated in the event, the exchange of rings, the naming of the sub-clan, the tattoos of familial entwining.
Now, she watched as he absentmindedly played with the fused platinum, cobalt and ruby ring on his left hand, the ornate tattoo on his wrist weaving around and grasping towards its match light-years away. She’d submitted the final change of status paperwork yesterday, via Tattooine as his residence of record. It was all proper and exactly according to regulation.
For the rest of her life, she carried with her the regret that if she’d just once filed the expedited submission elsewhere instead of waiting to arrive in Tattooine the previous week if she would have spared her friend, her commander, the pain to come.
If she could have saved him the pain that came with the burden of command.
He smiled at the obvious disdain in Elari’s eyes. She wasn’t quite squirming with the frustration of such an inefficient briefing. Normally he’d have interrupted the farce, even from a senior officer and moved on but he’d allowed himself a bit of mental time in remembrance of the weeklong consummation of his marriage a few months ago, and even more time to think about his upcoming leave in three weeks. Timing missions and leave within the confines of nearly perpetual war with the empire, regardless of treaties, was not impossible, but without Captain Elari’s help, was nearly so, especially since his wife of almost six months also served the Republic in Special Forces, currently serving in another sector in an undercover role quite quite different than his own.
Chasing random leads to try to find General Rakton had become a game of cat and mouse, with Rakton trying to chop up components of Havoc while evading the rest of the Havoc units, such as his Green Ghosts, as they lead recon efforts for Havoc all over the galaxy.
“Major,” the ship’s protocol droid interrupted the briefing officer, “you have a priority transmission . . . “
Colonel Garen spluttered “How dare you interrupt . . .”
. . . “from General Garza. Shall I patch it through?”
“Just a moment JR-42. Sergeant,” he turned to the newest member of his team, “please escort the Colonel back to the docking bay.” He stood, saluting the colonel, “I really shouldn’t keep the general waiting, sir,” and while the smile remained and the politeness to a senior officer shown from his stance and salute, it was clearly a dismissal.
The Colonel returned the salute with a lack of crispness that signaled his displeasure along with an audible harrumph before growling at the sergeant to lead the way.
As soon as the blast doors slid closed, the major ordered JR-42 to connect the General.
Elari wasn’t sure she’d ever seen the meaning behind the phrase “a bleak smile” until that briefing from Garza. Hearing who had sent the communication from the prison asteroid had been a shock. For years to come she asked herself if she should have spoken out, but worse Elari knew the conclusion had to always be yes, but she deferred to her CO, the kindest officer, and being, she had ever known, and he would never have refused this mission. Elari pictured Mhaloren’s anger if she had intervened in this one. She couldn’t risk disappointing the man she loved more than she knew how to cope with at that time. A regret that burned for years under the failure to perform her duty.
The assault on the asteroid prison moved smoothly along, with Mhaloren’s Havoc troopers taking down the Imperial guards and droids with minimal difficulties and only a couple of minor wounds that Elari quickly patched up.
Until the rapid firing assault droid popped out of a false wall, surprising Lieutenant Bjonn, cutting the young Mirialan down, the scout echelon’s back armor panels no match for the heavy blaster fire. Vikk’s anti-armor rockets quickly shredded the droid as Elari knelt over the newly arrived officer, before shaking her head.
“Damn it to all the fucking hells. Aric take Beta squad and hold the last corridor.” Mhaloren took a quick count, mentally sighing, “R9 get up here and get this slagging blast door open. M94X – guard this junction. Sergeant Vick, take Alpha and explore the port supply section to avoid surprises. Elari, Treek, with me.
Their rapid movement down the corridor to the command deck was just shy of reckless, but Elari knew she’d never stop him at this point, and Treek loved a good battle with bad odds. Surprisingly the command deck proved an easy breach, no automated defenses, no imperial personnel, and just the disovery of Mon Calamari technicians.
She heard him speak into his comm, “Hey Ax, I’m here.”
Elari began working with the tech to start the process of opening the cells, but then they saw the holoviewer spring to life, and there the fucking bastard Rackton stood.
“Well, Major, very mpressive, your time from learning about A-77 before storming the command deck was even quicker than my most aggressive estimates. I guess I should have known that the Green Ghosts might move more quickly than others. I imagine that won’t be a problem any further.” As the signal ended, the blasts from the star destroyers started to pummel the asteroid prison.
“Mhalo, what’s going on up there, sounds like we’re being bombarded.”
“The imperials are trying to destroy the prison before we escape.”
“Their own prison? That’s crazy!”
The console along the port wall blew in a shower of sparks. “Sir, we just lost shields. I might be able to restore them.“
“Hold on Jax, I’ll get you out.”
“Sir, I can bring them back up but I need to vent the systems level.”
Elari could see he was on the verge of agreement, “Mhalo, you can’t, I’m on the systems level. There are droids everywhere, I’d never make it out alive. Who is that moron up there with you?” Mhaloren grimaced and his shoulders slumped slightly.
The Mon Calamiri tech gasped at another hit from the ships, “Sir, there is no other way, without shields, we can never get the prisoners out of their cells in time.“
“You’ve got to get me out, Mahlo, I can’t die in this place. Please get me out of here. Take me home.”
“I’m coming Ave. Don’t give up.”
He straightened his back, and turned to look at Elari and the smiles were gone, the light in his eyes were gone, ‘Do it.” Her own heart clenched to see him in such pain.
“Nooo, Mhalo you promis. . . . “
“It’s done, sir,” the tech reported.
With a deep breath, Mhaloren turned to the tech, “Get the prisoners out. All of them. Nobody,” a pause, “nobody else, gets left behind.”
Elari sat alone in the command pilot seat, while T1-98 continued to monitor the hyperdrive and the navigational markers. Truth be told, she wasn’t the best pilot but she had qualified to fly the BT-7.
“Captain,” C2-N9 broke into her musings, “their is a transmission from a Major Fel on one of the prisoner transports for Major Fes, but your instructions were to block communications. Shall I transfer to his quarters?”
“No, C2, I’ll take it.”
“Of course, Captain.”
“Captain Elari, Havoc Battalion, how can I help you Major?”
“Good afternoon, Captain, I was hoping to speak to your CO for a few moments?”
“He’s currently indisposed, Major, can I help you with something? Or I can have him return your call but it may be several hours.”
“No, we don’t need to wait. I just wanted to express our gratitude to him personally for the rescue of all the prisoners. If it weren’t for you and Sergeant Jaxo, we may never have seen Republican space again.”
“No thanks necessary, sir, and I know I speak for the major when I say we were just performing our mission, like everyone else.”
“Well, for everyone over here on this transport, I can say it definitely isn’t just another mission. We definitely appreciate it. But, I wanted to confirm that Seargent Jaxo is aboard your ship? I can’t find her over here and we didn’t see her after she escaped to signal for assistance.”
Elari took a deep breath, “I’m sorry to say, Major, that Eva, Seargent Jaxo was killed assisting with the escape.”
“I’m very sorry to hear that Captain, she was brave soldier, and deserves a commendation.”
Elari bowed her head for a moment, and then straightened her spine, “I agree, sir. May I request a favor?”
“Of course, Captain, I think you are in the position to request a lot of favors from a lot of former prisoners.”
“Of course, sir. Would you consider writing General Garza on the seargeant’s behalf. I can provide you all the necessary notes from myself.”
“I’m sure it would mean more to the board if it came from a Special Forces member, especially since I only witnessed her bravery up until her break-out.”
“Normally, I wouldn’t disagree sir, but Seargant Jaxo and Major Fes were married six months ago.”
Fel’s jaw dropped, “She’d said she’d just gotten married before she went on the mission that led her to this prison, but she didn’t say who. I’m very sorry. Please give my condolences to Major Fes, and I will absolutely submit the commendation request.”
Elari nodded and killed the holochannel before the tears in her eyes leaked down her face. It would be small consolation for her friend, but it was all she could think to do right then.
Last Dreams 