EPILOGUE: The Final Escape

[max_vale]

La'Reth rushes over and with Terra's grinning help; they pull the bleeding, sore and drained Grey out of the fallen AT-ST's cockpit. The trio glanced over the smoking ruin of a Hangar Bay to see Mattel with a handful of spheres and a wry grin turning up one corner of his mouth while Blissex had utilized a blown off sheet of Kolaff's AT-ST to use as a makeshift litter for Caius' unconscious form. Mattel passed out a concussion grenade to everyone and then went over and helped the Engineer muscle the passed-out pirate to the Elevator that Kolaff had rode up. The rebel escapee band took deep breaths and drew their weapons; ready for the final rush to the waiting Imperial Shuttle that was their ride off the doomed Star Destroyer....

The Rebel band activates the elevator's descent button and carefully places Caius down with Blissex crouching nearby; ready to move him quickly. The rest of the Rebels crouch down and keep their blasters and newly acquired grenades at the ready. As the elevator finishes its descent into Hangar Bay G-12; the escapees see the prepped Lambda class shuttle with a quartet of Pilots and crewmen and a Half-dozen Naval Troopers waiting. They are clearly shocked to see the Rebel band on the elevator platform and the moment of surprise is taken advantage of by Mattel and Terra as they both hurl their explosive spheres into the crowd and then hit the deck with arms over their heads...

The twin blasts are devastatingly loud and most certainly do their job. As Grey and La'Reth quickly look up with pointed blasters; they quickly see that there's no targets waiting for them. A few of the Imperials are still moaning and groaning; but not a single one is any kind of threat whatsoever. The band smile at each other and pick up Caius on his make-shift litter and prepare to rush up the ramp of the Shuttle when a slight movement seems to catch everyone's attention and make them freeze. A slim Imperial official in a hooded robe stands some 10 meters away; near an intersection of doors leading into the Hangar Bay. It is a coldly attractive human female that stares at the group with an icy hatred and a gleaming silver sphere in her hand is what has made the Rebels freeze in their tracks. A thermal detonator....

Walex suddenly gasps and he chokes out; "Lira? What are you....please come with us right now!"; he calls out in a mixture of fear and happiness. Lira; his daughter who supposedly didn't have long to live; seems quite healthy and regards her father and his companions with nothing but scorn and hatred. "You fool of an old man; I have become twice the Ship Designer you EVER were; and you're mad if you think I'm going to throw in with a band of terrorists and alien low-lifes like the Alliance. I set this up to draw you here so that I could tell you in person that I'm tired of being known as a Traitor's daughter and to prove my value to the Empire by ending your miserable life. So long....Father" she sneers as her arms pulls back and she prepares to hurl the Thermal Detonator. The rebel band dive for cover; all but poor Walex who just stands shock-still; unable to do anything other than stare at his only child with sorrow and regret....

Then the most unexpected thing possible happens. One of the doors across from Lira opens and a tidal wave of gleaming metal figures engulfs the Imperial woman with a cacophony of servomotors and humming repulsor fields. The stream of fleeing Droids smashed into the Official and a few moments later a devastating; but somewhat muted explosion is heard and a cloud of metallic bits and wiring is sent to all corners of the Hangar Bay. Ears ringing; the Rebel band shakes their heads and grabbing a stunned Walex and the blissfully out-of-it Caius; they board the Shuttle and Terra quickly takes the pilot seat and finishes the preparations for getting the spacecraft ready for flight. Punching a few buttons and manipulating a few controls and taking the stick; the pilot quickly has the Shuttle floating out of the magnetic shield covering the Hangar Bay and then punches up full power and heads directly away from the Star Destroyer. Glancing at a chronometer she quickly notes that they have about 2 minutes before the Star Destroyer goes nova. At about the same moment; Grey wearily looks over the Sensors display at the Co-Pilot station and calls out; "A Rebel Cruiser and a pair of Corellian Corvettes just came out of hyperspace and are rapidly closing on the Subjugator."

Terra curses and quickly looks for the Comms controls while maintaining a direct flight course away from the ship at maximum speed. Calling out on an open signal she gushes out quickly; "Alliance ships this is Terra Shardhopper and my fellow Alliance Team-members and I have commandeered the Shuttle Tatium and escaped from the Star Destroyer Subjugator. The Star Destroyer has been set for self-destruct and will do is less than two minutes; when you will be so close that the blast will destroy you as well! Fall Back now!" There is no response for a long few moments and then the Rebel ships do indeed break off from their closing on the badly-damaged Star Destroyer and they begin to move in perpendicular paths from the Imperial vessel. A few moments after that the Subjugator erupts into a massive explosion and transforms itself into a short-lived fireball and millions of tiny pieces of metal....

The comms crackles to life a moment later and a strong; calm voice addresses the Rebel team. "Shuttle Tatium this is Captain Torrie commanding the Starfall Battle-group. As everything you told us has so far been correct; please feel free to come aboard my ship as personal guests of the Rebel Alliance; I'm certainly looking forward to your tale. May the Force be with you; Captain Torrie out"....

[angelicdoctor]

Bravo! My only regret was that Borsk was not able to intervene and given the opportunity to save Lira. He's got a thing for beautiful human females, after all. Ah, well. Perhaps we shall see her again some day.

[Jedi Skyler]

Terra acknowledges the communication, coordinating with Docking Control to get the group safely on board the cruiser. She also arranges for medtechs to meet them in the docking bay to render the immediate aid necessary, and afterwards to patch up the rest of the crew.