Wild Space

“Boba,” He began, as he reached for his helmet, “How would you like to come out of retirement for one final job?”

He lifted the helmet and saw the immediate recognition on the bounty hunters face.

“Yeah,” He said with a sad smile, “It’ll be a pretty good payday.”

While Sparrow was filling in those who had been unaware of the true situation in the lounge Omni, as the slaver captain, finished his negotiations with the cloners, having set up a meeting place and time.

Being much more capable of multi-tasking than a biological he was also further refining the plan with Deux and Domi. Once the synths had identified what would be needed, they started modifying the comms on the slave ship. They needed to contact some friends.

Deux was elected to actually perform the modifications. As he worked on that Domi finished her review of the comm log, and then the review of all past comm traffic with the slavers that was triggered by her initial result. She alerted the other synths and then used the ships comms to speak to the group in the lounge.

“Excuse me, but we have yet another problem.”

Her interruption was welcome, as she had interrupted a rather spirited discussion on why NO ONE was going to get any exo-galactic tech or access to the serum in Sparrow’s blood.

Sparrow, who had put his helmet back on, just in case this came to a fistfight, which had seemed possible a couple of times, groaned and said, “All right Domi, lets hear it.”

A holo popped up above the table, showing the local starmap.

“This is where we are supposed to meet the cloners for the transfer.” A dot appeared on the map. “But this is where the comm traffic originates from.” A second dot appeared. “There is no recorded ship in this galaxy that can get from one place to the other in time.”

“Further, I have analyzed the past comm traffic and discovered that every communication with the cloners has actually come from the same location.”

Fett, of course, figured it out first. “They have a cats paw.”

“Yes, the ship that meets these slavers is a decoy and not the actual source of the clones. I can only surmise that the fixed location is the actual facility. Furthermore, since an agreement was made to exchange more clones for the slaves we are supposed to be carrying and there would be certainly no way to retrieve any in time, I think it likely that whoever is behind the cloning has decided the slavers pose too great a risk.”

“So they plan a double cross.” Said Jith.

“Most likely.”

“We have a much bigger problem!” Deux interrupted. “while I was working on the comms a buried subroutine was activated that piggybacked on the cloners signal. It triggered a self-destruct routine that seems to be hard wired to the ships engine core. In about an hour this ship will be fragments.”

“Someday I will have a quiet day that actually goes to plan.” Sparrow kicked in. “Any way to stop it?”

“There is a pretty good chance we could stop the reaction by completely rewiring the system but isn’t this ship kind of a pile anyway?”

“I have gotten in touch with our allies Sparrow. Trey, Quat, and their two offspring are headed this way with a much better one.”

“They got that transport ship going? That’s amazing!”

“Sort of. The point is, even with the four of them sharing the load it is very difficult for so few to operate. They can get it here, but, even with our assistance, I don’t think we can take it into possible combat.”

“Why would we want to?”

“You’ll see. A question for the rest of you, do any of you have contacts out this far that may be able to assist?”

Fett and Fennec had a silent conversation for a minute, then said, “No, we know some smugglers and such but no one we could trust with this.”

Jith had been using her personal comm. “I can’t risk our culvert yet, we still have too many untrained. I just had them start loading the clones and mercs we hired for the battlegroup job. We can figure out where they need to be once they are loaded.”

Sabine was next. “You are one of the few clans I know of that are still out here, most have emigrated back to Mandalore. I will check with Bo but I don’t think we can be much help.” She got up and left the room, presumably to make a call.

Ahsoka sat silently for a long moment, staring at Sparrow’s helmet.

“I know of some that may help. They are extremely private and they don’t deal with many outsiders however. If they do come to our aid they may expect any or all of our assistance in the future.”

“I won’t make a blind promise but I will certainly listen.” Said Fett.

“As will I” Jith agreed.

“I would have probably helped anyway if I could.” Sparrow tossed in.

Sparrow addressed the group. “I guess we need to start crossloading into the shuttle.”

As people and supplies were organized for transfer under the ticking clock Sparrow addressed an issue he had been dreading. The last of the sleepers had woke up and it was time to hear their decision.

He was pulling off his helmet as he entered the med bay and when his vision cleared he was faced with his entire species.

He was taken aback for a minute and just stood there.

The new female casually commented, “At least none of us are ugly.”

“And I got a bigger chest!” Kitten popped off.

As usual his attention was drawn immediately to her chest, then he realized it, and then he started blushing.

“Okay, you’re right. That IS adorable.” The new girl said to Kitten.

“I know.”

“I think he’s pretty cute in general, of course I don’t think I would kick any of these others out of bed either.” Akira tossed in.

“Yeah, we definitely got us some beefcake and we’re the only safe dates they can get.” Kitten said with a huge grin.

“All right ladies, that’s enough torturing the Commander for now, lets get to the actual discussion.” CJ said.

One of the men spoke up, “Miley,” the woman raised her hand, “Toa,” the other man gave a head nod, “and myself, Kai, have all agreed to help.”

“After all, not many people get a second chance like this.” Miley commented.

“Especially not after their original galaxy is essentially destroyed by war.” From Toa.

“Working on completely new tech is also an exciting challenge.” Kai kicked in.

“I only wish the medical stuff was actually new. The idiot who created us made some serious mistakes, by the sounds of it.”

“We don’t really have time now for a long discussion so let me just say how much I appreciate it.”

He took a deep breath, “now, if no one has anything urgent we need to get ourselves and whatever gear will fit into the shuttle.” Everyone nodded in agreement.

He turned to head back out the door but then realized he had better remind them. “Also, please keep the armor and helmet on, we certainly don’t need any incidents.”

“I’ll get to work on fixing that as soon as we have a lab.” Said Miley.

The move to the shuttle actually didn’t take that long. The synths left the droids behind to save some room and simply rode in the armor with some of the Legion. Once everyone and the necessary equipment was offloaded the slaver ship departed, the synths having ordered the droids to pilot it away.

Ahsoka addressed everyone once the slave ship had gone.

“I have contacted some old friends of mine, friends who have been in hiding since the clone wars ended. I asked them to come to our aid and they have agreed. I told them that some of you here may be able to assist them with problems they are having. I made them one solemn promise. I gave them my word that no one who sees them here would ever tell anyone. I ask that you all do the same.”

Ahsoka’s “friends” arrived first, dropping out of hyperspace in a carrack class cruiser.

Everyone gave Ahsoka quite the look when that little surprise popped up.

“Some clones, who realized they had been betrayed, made it out of the empire before the end. They came out here and have been in hiding ever since.”

“I made contact through some of my clone associates when I was fulcrum but these men have fought their war, all they wanted was to settle somewhere in peace. I couldn’t take that from them.”

As she had been talking she had flown them to the exterior mating rack. Once they were attached to the ship they all exited the crowded shuttle.

A crewmember in clone armor led them to the bridge, where several older clones in metal armor stood with a Mandalorian in full armor. When she saw Ahsoka and Sabine she respectfully removed her helmet.

Sabine had noticed her helmet had the horns that identified her as a Maul sympathizer and therefore a member of the death watch. Once she would have started a fight immediately, but since the current Mandalore was also a former member she removed her helmet as well.

Surprisingly, it was one of the clones who addressed them.

“First, I would know if we have peace amongst us, I know that our people have long fractured over the crimes of the past.”

“Our people?” Asked Jith.

“Yes, we clones who came here have all sworn the creed.”

“No, we have no issue, the new Mandalore seeks peace with all mandalorians.” Sabine said. “I am Sabine Wren, heir to Clan Wren and I know this to be true.”

“A new mandalore? Who? How?” Said the woman.

“Bo Katan Kryze has re-gained the dark saber from Moff Gideon and rules the united Mandalorian clans now. A mythosaur has also appeared, it survived the purge as well. A new era dawns for our people.”

“Bo! I should be shocked, but somehow I am not. Let her know that Rook still draws breath when you talk to her.”

“Will you not return home now? You can take all your people, all those who swear the creed are welcome there.”

“My Riduur and I,” she said, grabbing the hand of the clone, “have spent many years building what we have out here. We will discuss it as a people, but I doubt we would return to known space.”

“Any who wish to return are welcome, but know that the Mandalore did not order anyone to do so. She is aware of the danger and merely asks for volunteers.”

After a few more minutes of discussion on the bridge it was decided they would head to a more comfortable location to talk and to await their allies.

The clones from Jith’s culvert arrived next, in a battered old transport and, from the culvert itself, in Sparrow’s interceptor. They managed to get both docked to the cruiser via the rack, but it was a tight fit.

There was a bit of a reunion when the clone mercs and workers saw the crew of the ship. Several had known each other during the war. It seemed a pretty cheerful reunion and everyone was in high spirits when suddenly alarms went off.

Instantly, helmets were on, weapons were drawn, and everyone prepared for battle. The crews of the smaller ships headed towards them while the Cruiser set battle stations.

“Wait!” Said Deux in Sparrow’s head, “I think that’s our ride!”

Sparrow passed on the message and they all changed course to go back to the cruisers bridge. When they got their everyone was tense.

“The incoming hyperspace disturbance is large, what type of ship did you need help manning?” The clone Captain asked Ahsoka.

She looked at Sparrow, who queried the synths but didn’t get a straight answer back.

When the ship dropped out of hyperspace into the system they all stood in amazement.

Inside Sparrow’s head he heard ALL the synths say, “Surprise!”