บท 15: Idiot's Array
After spending some time with Sabine, I headed to the ship's loading deck, where I found the rest of the crew gathered. At the center of attention was a dark-skinned human with a charismatic smile and an air of self-satisfaction, speaking animatedly. I had never seen him before.
"Ah, Galen, just in time. Meet our... new client," Hera said, her tone sharp and her irritated expression making it clear she wasn't enjoying the situation.
'What could have happened to put her in such a mood?' I wondered, but it didn't take long to get my answer.
"Hello, young man, I'm Calrissian—Lando Calrissian," the man said, extending his hand with a confident smile that seemed more rehearsed than genuine. I shook his hand silently, keeping my expression neutral.
"Yes… Lando needs a ship that can get through the Imperial blockade on Lothal," Hera explained, clearly making an effort to keep her composure. Then, with a sharper tone, she added, "And in return, he'll pay us and give Chopper back—because someone lost him in a sabacc game."
Hera shot a death glare at Zeb, who stood next to Kanan with the expression of a scolded puppy.
'Oh.' I thought, finally understanding the situation. I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at how ridiculous it all sounded.
"Hey, I already said I was sorry." Zeb defended himself, raising his hands as if trying to calm her down.
"I don't care!" Hera snapped, clearly losing her patience. "Chopper is a member of this crew, and you and Kanan shouldn't have bet him like he's some kind of merchandise!"
"WOWOWOWO!" Chopper protested from the back, waving his mechanical arms indignantly, clearly agreeing with Hera.
"It was a misunderstanding," Kanan interjected, trying to sound conciliatory. "I thought Zeb had a good hand."
"That doesn't make it any better!" Hera retorted, crossing her arms and shooting him a glare that promptly silenced him.
Lando, for his part, seemed to be enjoying the spectacle. "Well, I must admit it was an interesting game," he said with a grin as he adjusted his cape. "Although I have to say, Chopper is quite the droid with a lot of attitude. I don't think he minds being part of such an exciting wager, right, buddy?"
Chopper let out a sound of clear disapproval, intentionally bumping into Lando as he passed, causing Zeb and Ezra to stifle laughter.
"I don't think the droid cares how you spin it, Calrissian," I interjected, my tone as cold as ever, making Lando glance at me with interest.
"Ah, the mysterious man finally speaks," he remarked, adjusting the collar of his shirt with a smirk. "Tell me, are you always this stoic, or am I just not interesting enough for you?"
"I speak only when necessary—nothing more, nothing less," I replied bluntly, keeping my gaze fixed on him.
Lando let out a brief laugh, dripping with the arrogant confidence that seemed to cloak him like a cape.
"Well, at least you're efficient with your words. Though I like to think I'm a pretty interesting guy."
I didn't respond, letting the silence settle between us. His smile stayed in place, but I noticed the slight tension in his posture, as though he was trying to figure me out.
"All right, all right. Mystery is your style—I respect it." He turned toward the droid, raising his hands in theatrical surrender. "But if you ever need a lesson in charisma, you know who to call."
"I don't need one," I replied with a hint of disdain, crossing my arms as he let out another carefree laugh.
Hera sighed, clearly frustrated but aware she had no choice but to accept the deal. "All right, people, this will be quick. We need to get through the blockade. You—" she pointed at Lando, "—head to the cockpit and give us directions on where to deliver the cargo."
"Of course, Captain," Lando replied with a charming smile.
Zeb growled, visibly annoyed, while Ezra seemed more entertained than concerned. "So, are we heading out now, or is there something else to discuss?" the boy asked eagerly.
"Get ready," Hera ordered. "We've got a blockade to break through and a delivery to make."
As everyone dispersed to get ready, Lando approached me again, looking at me with a mix of curiosity and respect. "You know, you're not like the rest of this crew," he said in his usual tone. "You're a man of few words, but I feel like you have a lot to say."
I watched him for a moment before responding. "I'm not interested in empty flattery."
Lando laughed softly, as if he had expected that response. "I like your style, Galen. I think you and I could get along well."
"I doubt it." I replied indifferently as I headed inside the ship. For now, the only thing that mattered was getting out of this mess without any more trouble.
After passing through the blockade, we stopped in front of a ramshackle freighter that barely seemed to be holding together. Lando went ahead with Hera and Kanan to unload the cargo, leaving the rest of us waiting.
A while passed before Kanan and Lando returned, but without Hera. That made me uneasy.
"Kanan, what happened to the captain?" I asked, stepping toward them.
The Jedi cast an irritated glance at the smuggler. "Yeah, Lando, why don't you explain what happened to Hera?"
Lando, with his usual calm, raised his hands in a carefree gesture before responding, "Hera is following the plan. And if we want to get her back, we should do the same."
"Wait… you left her alone with smugglers?" My voice filled with incredulity, but before I could get an answer, a sharp pain shot through my head. I clutched my temples, trying to contain it, but the feeling was clear: a bad premonition. The Force was warning me.
"Are you okay, kid?" Kanan asked, concerned.
"No. Something's not right." I straightened up, my mind focused on a single thought. "I think the captain is in trouble."
Before anyone could stop me, I turned and ran down the hallway that connected to the freighter.
"Hey, wait!" Lando shouted, but I ignored him. The Force was guiding me, and every step brought me closer to an urgency I couldn't ignore.
Once inside the freighter, one of the guards saw me, but before he could react, I knocked him down with a Force push. I continued forward, neutralizing anyone who got in my way.
What the hell did this idiot get us into? I thought as I kept going, the sense of danger growing with every second.
Finally, I reached a door that, somehow, I knew was the right one. I burst it open, and what I saw on the other side chilled my blood.
A Jablogian armed with a blaster was standing over Hera, aiming at her. She was lying on the floor, the upper part of her suit torn, her tearful eyes meeting mine as she tried to move away from the Jablogian. In less than a second, my brain made a connection, and a massive eruption of anger surged within me.
"SCUM, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER?" I shouted as I began choking the alien's neck with the Force.
"Who-who are y-you, she's m-my p-prop-property," he managed to say, clutching his throat as I tightened my telekinetic grip.
I didn't respond, growing even angrier at his words. I tightened my grip further and then slammed him against a wall of the ship, hearing a crunching noise and his scream of pain. I had probably broken several of his bones because he couldn't get up, though he was still alive, trying to move his limbs.
The roar of my rage drowned out everything else as I advanced toward him. Each step echoed in the room, and the alien—a burly creature with slimy skin and bulbous eyes—tried to back away, though his limbs wouldn't allow it.
When our eyes met, I saw the terror etched on his face. His breathing was erratic, and his limbs trembled as if his body knew what was about to happen before I even acted.
"P-p-please, have me-mercy," he stammered desperately, his words interrupted by guttural sobs.
But those pleas only fueled the fire within me. All I felt was contempt. Contempt for his cowardice, for his existence, for everything he represented.
"Mercy?" My voice came out low and filled with disdain. "There's no mercy for animals like you."
I raised my hands, and in an instant, the dark energies of the Force began to swirl between my fingers, forming a flash of sparking lightning that illuminated the room with a deadly glow. With a decisive motion, I unleashed all that accumulated power on him.
The lightning struck him, and his body convulsed violently, shaking under the force of the discharge. His screams of agony echoed in the room, tearing at the air until his words faded into gasps. I could smell the ozone in the air, mixed with the stench of his burnt flesh.
My mind was blinded by rage. The sight of his suffering should have sated me, but it didn't. My hands trembled as I maintained the flow of energy, as if something inside me didn't want to stop, as if that fury needed to consume everything.
Finally, I lowered my hands, allowing the discharge to cease. The Jablogian's body fell to the floor, inert, though he was still breathing weakly, residual spasms running through his charred skin.
I watched him for a moment, feeling an unnatural calm begin to settle within me, like the quiet after a storm. I immediately turned to see Hera, who had witnessed the spectacle of violence. Her expression seemed surprised, not by what I had done but by the powers I had demonstrated.
'Shit.' I thought. My façade had been broken, yet in that moment, I didn't care.
Hera, the strongest and most determined pilot I had ever known, the woman who faced the Imperials with unwavering resolve, seemed small, vulnerable. The tremor in her hands was barely perceptible, but it was there.
I stepped toward her, setting aside any doubts. I extended my hand to help her up. "Are you okay?" I asked, my voice softer than it had been in years.
Instead of responding, Hera took my hand, but not to rise. She pulled me toward her with unexpected strength, enveloping me in a hug that caught me by surprise. Her breath, which had been controlled until then, broke into sobs as her shoulders trembled against my chest.
I felt a knot form in my throat as I realized that Hera, the strongest Twi'lek I had ever known, was breaking in my arms. Without thinking, I reciprocated the embrace, placing one hand firmly on her back and the other on her waist, holding her as though the act of comforting her could keep her whole.
"It's okay, everything's fine," I murmured, trying to keep my tone soft and calm, even though I wasn't sure if everything really was fine.
She didn't respond with words, but her grip tightened, as if she needed that connection to keep control of herself. Her crying was silent, but I could feel the weight of everything she carried: the tension of leadership, the guilt, the fear. In that moment, she wasn't the brilliant strategist or the indomitable leader of the Rebellion. She was just Hera, a person who had suffered more than she should have.
I kept silent, letting her ragged breathing fill the space. There were no words that could fix what had happened, but I knew that my presence was enough.
When her crying finally began to subside, I felt her relax slightly in my arms. I didn't let go, not until she separated first. When she did, her eyes were red, but her gaze no longer held surprise; it held something else… something warmer.
"Thank you." She whispered softly, barely a murmur.
I nodded, unsure of what to say. Inside, doubts still lingered. I wondered if I had done the right thing by showing that part of myself. But as I watched Hera slowly regain her composure, I decided that, at least for now, it didn't matter.
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