Chapter Three
"How is it possible that you've beat me five times already?" Lylaa slapped her cards down on her rock table as Bo crossed her arms behind her head. She kicked her feet up onto the rock and crossed her legs. Her trademark smirk beamed across the room at Lylaa, who blushed in return.
"I told you, I've never lost a game." her cocky tone made Lylaa roll her eyes and smile. A yawn crept its way up Lylaa's spine, urging her to check the time. It was already night? It seemed as though they had played for only a few minutes but it had been four hours.
"We should get some rest, we have to head out early in the morning. Good thing the storm sounds like its clearing up." Bo's mood shifted, a frown replacing her smirk. She nodded and returned to a normal position. Lylaa watched as she stood up, spreading a blanket out on her cot.
Lylaa did the same, returning the cards to their box before dimming the lantern. She looked at the ginger, who was now laying down with her face turned to the ceiling. She hated how quiet she got so easily. It made her irrationally angry, it upset her so deeply and she didn't understand the feeling. She turned back to her bed and tucked herself in, stealing small glances at Bo until she felt her eyelids growing heavy. A sigh slipped from her lips as she turned onto her side away from the other woman. She closed her eyes and tried to force herself to sleep in preparation for the long day ahead of her.
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When she woke, the sun slipped through the cracks of the now open tent flap. Bo's silhouette appeared at the door and her heart skipped. Most of her things had been neatly rolled up into her pack which Bo had left at the table. She sat up, running a hand through her hair before grabbing her boots from underneath the cot.
"We should go in a few minutes, I need to leave the planet by the time the sun peaks in the sky." her dry tone sent a shiver across Lylaa's skin. She frowned at the taller woman, securing the buckle on her boot before grabbing her jacket and slinging it around her shoulders. Bo turned and walked outside, leaving Lylaa to look around for anything important she might have missed.
Scanning the empty room, she secured her pack and put it on. Her soft footsteps made their way outside, the sun beaming on her skin as she emerged into the daylight. The ground still somewhat moist from the heavy rain that had come and gone in the night. Bo was standing to her left, looking her up and down as she came into view. Lylaa had never seen her with her helmet on before and it slightly bothered her. She wished she could see her eyes, but instead her sleek black visor glinted back at her. Her eyes darted to the ground and she began walking, not saying a word to Bo as she passed her. The only settlement she knew of was just beyond the ridge, about 10 miles to the east. Each step she took kicked up mud and dust, coating her already scuffed up boots in a thin layer of it. She looked over her shoulder and saw Bo following closely behind, one hand on her blaster and the other swinging freely by her side.
They continued walking for at least an hour, staying completely silent aside from the occasional kick of a rock beneath their feet. Lylaa couldn't take it anymore. The silence was driving her mad. How was she so comfortable with her the night before yet so somber an intimidating now? She came to a stop in front of a rusted sign that had once stood on the now empty wooden posts just a few feet ahead. Bo arrived at her side, looking down at the faded words " Squarr Spaceport" before turning her head to Lylaa. She stared back at her with a blank face and waited for her to say something. Anything. But she just stared at her. Lylaa rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, shifting her weight to her right leg.
"Is there some sort of problem I should know about or are you always this hot and cold with people?" She raised her eyebrow, waiting for Bo to spit out another snarky comeback. The taller woman turned to face her, lifting her helmet off of her head. She held it under her arm and against her hip, giving Lylaa a cold glare.
"I didn't ask to be your friend. All I needed was for you to deliver me to the spaceport and find me a ship. Seeing as you've done that, you're free to leave." Lylaa flinched at her words, her mouth opening slightly as she searched for something to say. Bo turned away, spotting a shuttle taking off in the distance. She scoffed and looked at the girl once more before moving in the direction of the settlement.
Lylaa didn't think before turning to follow her, a lump rising in her throat for reasons she didn't know. She sped up, making her way back to the Mandalorian's side. Bo kept her eyes straight ahead, not bothering to acknowledge her. As they reached the edge of town Bo stopped dead in her tracks, extending her arm to stop Lylaa's movements. She grabbed her by the arm and yanked her to the side, pinning her between her chest plate and the wall of a small house. Confused, the smaller woman opened her mouth to speak before being silenced by a gloved hand. Her face was inches away from Lylaa's just like the night before and it made her tremble. Bo held a finger to her lips, placing a finger under Lylaa's chin to turn her head so she could peer around the wall. Straight ahead was the entrance to the spaceport, but along the street stood about a dozen clone troopers with their commanding officers. Her eyes widened, turning back to her companion.
"I-I don't understand. Squarr isn't under Imperial jurisdiction." Bo sighed, her hazel eyes locking with Lylaa's.
"It is now," she looked back down the street before pushing Lylaa behind the building again. "We have to move quickly and quietly. They've probably locked down the yards so we'll have to do this the hard way. Stay by my side and follow my lead." Bo secured her helmet on her head, grabbing Lylaa's hand and pulling her in the direction of the nearest alleyway. They slipped down the narrow corridor, coming to a dead end lined with trash canisters and clutter.
Bo climbed onto the larger bin, extending her hand to the other woman to pull her upward. She clasped her hands together and bent down, lifting Lylaa up to the ledge of the rooftop. Once she had pulled Bo up, they both crouched and began working their way along the tops of the buildings. The spaceport came closer and closer with each building, the muffled sound of the townspeople growing thinner as the overwhelming clattering of armor worked its way across the town. How were there so many of them? The Republic never invaded neutral systems, but apparently the Empire did. Her breath quickened, her feet hitting the last rooftop. Bo flipped down her rangefinder and scanned the port, returning it to the upright position before turning to Lylaa. She waved her hand motioning her forward before jumping off of the roof and darting across the street to the fence lining the field of ships.
Lylaa dipped behind Bo, peering over the crates that were stacked at the tall metal fence. She grasped Bo's shoulder to steady herself, glancing around for any incoming troops. The armored woman's helmet turned toward her, nodding before grabbing her hand again. She led them to the gate, ripping the control box from the door revealing the wires to the gate. She worked quickly, disconnecting and slicing several wires before the gate began to slide open. Almost as soon as the metal began to creak, an alarm sounded from the small control station inside. Cursing under her breath, Bo pulled her blasters from her side. Before they knew it a group of troopers were running in their direction. Bo pushed Lylaa through the gate, shielding her as she began shooting. The troops immediately returned fire, overwhelming Bo's lone westar 35s. She shouted for Lylaa to run, shooting the gate control box before turning and running inside.
The smell of smoke hung heavy in the air as the two sprinted across the rows of ships, soldiers now struggling to open the fried gate. Bo looked around desperately, her eyes fixating on a small ship in the corner of the yard. Her feet shifted in the gravel, making a sharp turn in the direction of the ship. Lylaa followed, forcing her legs to speed up to match Bo's pace. The two reached the ship, running up the small ramp and into the cockpit. Bo tore her helmet from her head, her brow now slick with sweat. Lylaa frantically smashed the button for the ramp release, causing it to whir closed as the other woman fired up the ship. With a loud shudder, the ship began to rise as the sound of blaster bolts hitting the hull rang out. They rose into the atmosphere, nearing space when a sudden blast jolted the sip. Lylaa stumbled, running up to the seat next to Bo to strap herself in.
"What the kriff was that?" Lylaa said, panic strung through her voice. Bo remained calm and focused, jolting the ship left and right as laser bolts wizzed past them. She hit the accelerator and flicked the switch for the rear shields. An alarm began to ring from the control panel. She cursed loudly, the ship sputtering as they reached Squarr space. The fighters that had caused the jolt were behind them closing in quickly. Bo began flicking through the hyperspace map in the ship's navicomputer.
"Our fuel is leaking. We need to find somewhere and fast or we're never going to make it out alive." Lylaa's eyes scanned the map, locking on a familiar location.
"There!" she pointed to a planet just a few parsecs away. "Merokia. I have an old senator friend who went into hiding there after the war. She can help us." Bo charted their course, shifting the controls to the right as she readied the ship for its jump. The fighters continued to fire, her gloved hands shaking as she awaited the ready signal. A green light flashed on the panel, prompting her to push a lever upward. The stars melted into a blue blur as they shot away and into the light glow of hyperspace.