Chapter 21 - Aggressor Arc (3): Meeting of the Fates

A/N: Leave some ratings plzzzzzz. Rant Below. Will be back to 2 ch/day from tomorrow. Enjoy!

As my captor hit me, all I could think of was my regrets. I regretted not apologizing to Cipher 10, I regretted not seeing the obvious trap, and regretted that I would never see Kavilla or Aiden again.

It was just a simple mission. Subdue a small uprising that had erupted on one of the more recently occupied plants. I had sent down transport ships of troopers to subdue them… and they returned promptly, with more transport ships. The captain informed me that they had recovered a few other transports and secured some of surrendering militia

I was just… I wasn't observant enough.

…They struck quickly, led by recently recruited storm troopers on my ship, obviously plants; they slaughtered everyone in the hanger bay before we could even mount a defense. They butchered the crew, even when I ordered them to surrender they were rounded up in the hanger and before my eyes Havin turned off the hanger field... The entirety of my surviving crew were jettisoned like trash into the vast coldness of space… They were crazy. They were all insane, ignoring establish rules of warfare between the republic and the empire. 

"That is enough General!" the woman in the room shouted, "T-this… is barbaric." She said, looking at me with pity. I imagine after the first 15 blows to my face I didn't look nearly as pretty as I usually would.

"Talk you imperial schutta!" the leader bellowed at me and struck again, painting the floor with my blood, "...You're a tough fucking whore…" the togruta snarled and grabbed my hair holding up my face to look at him. He spat at me. "Fucking talk!"

I blinked blearily at him, I wasn't going to say anything… either he killed me or he tried to ransom me. Honestly however there wasn't much difference. He didn't know my mother.

"Sir!" one of the traitor storm troopers saluted outside the door of my 'cell' he had painted one of those 'red knives' on his trooper armor in blood. "Her name is Tolara Kane. She's Moff Altora's daughter…"

"I fucking know that soldier." He snarled angrily, "But I want to hear her say it… I want to break one of the Devils of Dormund Kaas. He struck me again, he must be getting tired it didn't hurt as much… or perhaps I was just becoming more numb.

"That is enough Havin!" the woman roared, aiming her blaster pistol at him, the trooper aimed his own blaster hesitantly at her. Unsure of what to do, "You will stop!"

He manically pressed his head to her blaster pistol, glaring at her, daring her. "Going to shoot me Agent?" he hissed knowingly, "…Think one person can shoot their way through my ship?"

She called his bluff and primed her pistol, he laughed. "Okay fine… I'm done for now anyway. I suppose we should proceed with the plan?"

"Plan?" she said softly, "Plan!?" she roared at him, "You screwed the plan the republic gave you! You killed the crew! Dozens and dozens of potential prisoners of war to be traded, gone! We'll be lucky if we get ten from just the admiral. We need to report to the rendezvous immediately and..."

"If we do the negotiating right we'll get plenty…" he laughed her off ignoring the rest of her statement and tossing his knife to the trooper. "You just got to know how to talk to these savages…" he chuckled coolly.

I scoffed internally, I couldn't even remember the last time I committed an actual war crime. Especially since the 'ceasefire' began. Sure I shot traitors, but they had to betray me first. "What's the damn frequency?" he asked looking at the 'agent' "Was it IMP.34 or IMP.56?"

"What are you talking about what frequency?" the agent replied, looking at him confused.

Suddenly, a thought entered my head, a foolish one… one that… I just wanted to give him. I wanted him to send it out to Aiden and Kavilla, so I gave him our frequency. "5263.LU" I said suddenly and they all looked at me. I looked up at him through a bloody black eye, "…Do you want results? It's the Kane family's personal frequency."

It was mine, Aiden's and Kavilla's… somewhere in the back of my mind I felt that maybe I could see them one last time. Or at least they could see me. I didn't want this to be the thing they remember me by but... the inevitable was coming. Mother does not negotiate. 

"…Is this a trick?" he snarled angrily but adjusted the frequency accordingly, ready to record the message and send it out to space.

"No. I want this over with as much as you do." I said honestly, wondering idly what being shot into space in an explosion of fire was going to feel like. "You want my family's attention you send it out on that frequency…" and then he promptly made his message

"Attention Altora Kane, I am General Havin of the Knives of the Republic, we have taken the Aggressor and your daughter Tolara Kane. We demand thirty republic POW's in exchange for her life. You can bargain for her of course, for less… but I can't promise that she herself will return completely intact…" the traitor trooper held the knife painfully to my throat, "I'm giving you a day to respond to my demands or we start taking off pieces."

He closed the com and smiled at me, "Remember to smile next time imperial scum."

But I promptly kept my mouth shut, he slapped me and turned to walk out, turning to the agent, "If she says anything let me know." And with the trooper he slammed the door behind him.

I sat there, thinking about… everything. Kavilla will probably tell mother, speed everything along… but I began crying. Aiden would be having a fit; he knew what mother was like… he knew I was never going to see him again.

I suddenly flinched as I felt a soft cloth wipe at my face, and I stared at the republic agent trying to wipe my blood. I glared at her… Aiden would've liked her; she was a beautiful alien woman, I found myself hating her just a little, but as she wiped the blood from my face. I slowly began to hate her less... I honestly had nothing more to loose at this point anyway.

"…The monsters the republic chooses to rely on." She said softly, "...These militia assholes are going to kill everyone."

"They already did…" I replied, letting her tend to my wounds. "If you don't really have the stomach for them. Why are you even here?"

"I'm… I guess I'm interviewing them… seeing if they could be supported by the republic in an official capacity as a guerilla force."

"And what's your opinion?" I asked, merely trying to pass the time with some intelligent conversation. Force knows I wouldn't be getting it form the rancor that was 'general' Havin.

"They're fucking insane and only want to kill Imperials." She replied bluntly, "I'm going to tell my superiors to ignore or kill them... drop them in the middle of a conflict zone"

I chuckled. I suppose if I was going to die I should go out with a smile. "You seem like a smart woman."

"I like to think so." She replied softly, washing out the rag in the sink and continuing to tend to me.

"…I would rather you didn't die." I told her honestly and she stopped abruptly, looking at me oddly.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"...My mother does not negotiate." I said to her, "You're going to want to leave this ship as soon as possible. It's only a matter of time until she finds out and gives the order."

She stared at me for a moment, and frowned, "That frequency you sent out… you said it was your family's personal frequency."

"Yes." I replied softly, "…That was me saying goodbye. I imagine much of the empire will eventually hear of my capture from those morons. But I was saying goodbye to my brother and my sister." I repeated softly, "…My mother will probably send a fleet to atomize this ship." The look of horror on her face told me that she believed me, "…You really should leave while you can."

She frowned at me, and sighed audibly, "…Wish I could, but the only ships are the transports and Havin would have shot them as soon as we got out into space." She shrugged, "Guess we're both pretty fucked now, aren't we?"

I laughed, "…My brother would've love you…" I just started laughing, it was like I was talking with Cipher 10 again. And my laughter echoed up the hallway of my former ship… "Apparently he has a thing for snarky aliens…"

Hours later, maybe sixteen, Havin returned, "There's a freighter approaching hauling a massive crate behind it… they say they have weapons for the Aggressor. What kind of weapons?" he asked glaring at me.

…We weren't supposed to have a shipment of any sort for weeks, especially not weapons. "I don't know. I don't handle the day to day" I replied honestly, "And I'm afraid you jettisoned my quartermaster." although to be fair Gardant went down in a blaze of glory holding the line, I just wanted Havin to know I wasn't telling him anything.

While glaring at me, He spoke commandingly over his com, "…Let them on. We'll kill them when we've gotten everything."

"Yes sir!" the com replied. He glared angrily at me and turned to the agent with disgust.

"We haven't heard anything from the Moff." he reported to her, "Where is the republic going to meet us again 'SIS'?"

The agent seemed to think on it, scowling at his familiarity, and was about to say something condescending considering it might be my last chance, when screaming erupted from the com.

"General it's a trap! It's a Trap general!! AGHH!" then more heavy blaster fire and screaming followed.

"Soldier!" he glared at me, I looked just as confused as he was as the whole ship suddenly shook, he lost his balanced and fell rather ungracefully. "Answer me! soldier what's going on!" but the only answered that came was more screaming as heavy blaster fire roared over the com. Followed by one, voice modulated sentence. That even disguised I recognized instantly.

"WHERE'S MY SISTER!?" and the com was crushed under a heavy stomp.

I began to chuckle, then I laughed, madly I laughed at the sheer suicidal idiocy. "By the Emperor..." I laughed as Havin glared daggers at me. Tears of relief and joy suddenly appearing in my eyes. "…I can't believe he came for me…"

He was about to strike me but the Agent stopped him, "Shouldn't you go deal with that General?" she asked drawing her own blaster pistol. 

He growled knowing she was right and running out the cell, he had left so quickly he left his com on the floor, "Guard that door! Neither of them leaves!"

"Yes sir!" came the obedient reply of two soldiers.

The SIS agent stared at me, and asked nervously "…Who came for you?"

"My little brother…" I said still giggling, "…He's such a damn romantic… he's always loved swashbuckling stories. Saving damsels…" 

There was a distant boom on the ship, and the com that Havin left behind suddenly erupted into life, "Sir! Another ship just appeared in hanger 2! It's a Cipher Agent sir she's already taken half a dozen of us down!"

I cried tears of joy as the man on the com began to scream as Newt put a sniper round into him. "…Those stupid idiots…" I laughed.

"…Wow your brother is a moron…" the SIS agent laughed a little brokenly, "… and I'm going to fucking die in here…"

"And I don't even know your name, or your handle I suppose. We should introduce ourselves properly I'm Tolara Kane." I said politely, even a bit posh as I regained some composure. Even hope, as if completely oblivious to the situation.

"…Scarlet Trooper." The beautiful togruta woman replied, sighing sadly. "… and I just keep getting the worst farking missions."

"Well… I like you. I'll tell Cipher 10 and Aiden not to shoot you. They could take you as a prisoner and I'll negotiate for your releas- what's wrong?"

She looked at me, her face a mixture of shook and horror, like I had just blown her mind. "…Did you say Aiden? You're brother's name is Aiden?"

I nodded slowly, suddenly very hesitant "Yes… why?" I suddenly didn't like the look on her face, or the blush.

"…Was he… ever a trooper on Dormund Kaas?"

I studied her face... I know that look… Oh Force damn it! "Does my brother sleep with every attractive alien he meets?!" I yelled out suddenly in indignation for all the galaxy to hear.

"What? No! I-" she blushed even more now, seemingly embarrassed, "I just know an Aiden. And you're from Dormund Kaas and… I didn't sleep with him!"

I glared at her, "On second thought I'm going to tell my Cipher to shoot-" I paused for a moment, remembering exactly why I was angry at her in the first place, and cursed, "Never mind she will probably relate to you!"

"There!" our guards suddenly shouted and the hallway erupted in blaster fire. "Kill him!"

I heard someone shouting curses in the distance as the guards tried to kill them, but then the sound of a thunder crack ripped through the hall; it was Cipher 10's sniper rifle. A pile of meat hit the floor outside as the remaining guard roared out. "Shit!"

"MOTHER FUCKER!!!" Aiden roared out as the guard began screaming in utter horror and pain, "Get. The. Fuck. Out. Of. My. WAY!" he shouted, apparently stabbing the guard to death.

"What is with you and running at things with a knife!?" Cipher-10 shouted as she approached.

"Is very cathartic!" he replied, apparently still stabbing "Where's Tolara!?"

"In here!" I shouted, laughing slightly, "You stupid bastard, I'm in here…"

He slammed against the door trying to break it down, 'Hang on Tolara I'll get you out!"

"Let me open the door you idiot!" Cipher-10 shouted and the door hissed open and Aiden dove into the room skidding to a halt in front of me.

Quickly caressing my face, he held his forehead to mine. "Are you okay? Did they violate you? Do I have to shoot that Havin guy in the dick?"

"No, no, and if you wouldn't mind, please…" I whispered back softly, feeling his forehead against mine.

"…Aiden?" Scarlet said softly and Aiden froze, turning to face her, a look of utter surprise on his face.

"…Scarlet?"

…I fucking knew I was going to hate her…

***

Man Fuck college. Cant even relax for a bit. Got shit ton of assignments and exams in a week. Plus i gotta start Making some projects for my resume. And I'm also working on an Original Novel too. Ahhhhh too much shit to do. My GPA's fucked as well. Eh well whatever atleast I'm getting success on this novel a bit. Ight too much Yappin.

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