Hunter meets a smuggler Nomaadi Star Woman with a powerful force sensitive teen who changes the trajectory of CF-99's lives...as they ALL try to escape from The Empire together.
Background: Tiggy goes full Belgian Malinois meets doggy Xenomorph. The Batcher's struggle to decided what to do with an injured Hunter and Mad.
For anyone new to this series: "LOVE" is the nonbinary/genderfluid neurodivergent/nonverbal Force sensitive kid of the main OC of this series named Mad. Mad is an older single mother, close to almost 50 years of age (not many older female protaganists in stories, so I decided to make one.)
Warning: SW Canon violence, swearing, vomiting, blood, angst, dog mauls human (protective dog move), and disclaimer: I wrote this chapter WELL BEFORE the mudslides and flooding in the south occurred. Hopefully this plot device is not offensive.
(Credit: Cool dividers by @4ngelic-Wh1spers, @plum98 @strangergraphics-archive Pinterest: Bad l3atch, Pinterest)
CX repelled into his ship, immediately releasing LOVE. Tiggy, attached to his back, held on and alligator rolled him across the decking.
He couldn’t reach her, even if he tried. She went for the back of his neck; he blocked her snout with his hand. Tiggy’s teeth sunk in deeply.
CX screamed out in pain and frustration as she shook her head, mangling his hand. Blood poured from his gloves.
He dived forward onto the decking and let her alligator roll him towards the cockpit. From there, CX grabbed the back of his pilot’s chair. He couldn’t spare an extra hand to engage his ship to leave. He pulled himself upright with one free hand. Tiggy held onto him with her front paws wrapped around his neck, jaws still holding onto his other hand. Her back paws left the decking as he regained his footing, and she hung off his back growling angrily...
Just as Tech shot his ship.
The jolt from the Marauder’s cannon blast knocked CX backwards off his feet.
He landed HEAVILY on Tiggy.
CX heard a loud SNAP and the dog cried out shrilly.
She released him immediately. CX grabbed his blaster and swung around to shoot...
All he could see were shadows and his own blood splattered around the cabin.
CX would have engaged his helmet’s thermal vision had Tech not shot his ship a SECOND time.
The Marauder was considerably smaller than CX’s Dagger Vessel. But Tech was determined to make a dent in it.
Behind him, on the floor, Hunter continued to perform resuscitation on Mad... while bleeding profusely from his knife wound.
The Dagger ship took off quickly and Tech gave chase. He expertly shot at specific targets to disable the ship. His plan: to board it if possible and get LOVE and Tiggy back.
The Marauder gave chase behind the Dagger Vessel as it gained altitude.
Tech noticed the surface of the planet before climbing higher into Taphao Kaew’s atmosphere...
...people being swept away by the deluge of muddy water. A few ships hovered close to save the few lucky souls...
A deluge he and his shipmates helped bring forth to the surface of this planet...
Tech grit his teeth and followed CX’s ship out into dark starry space.
CX entered the jump code into his ship’s computer.
Several more cannon bolts hit his ship, knocking out the shield and partially disabling an engine.
Luckily, he had JUST enough power to make the jump.
He heard a low, angry rumble next to him...
Swinging his weapon up, the LAST thing CX saw before jumping into hyperspace...
...was a set of sharp bloody teeth cave in the faceplate of his helmet...
Tech helplessly watched the ship disappear into hyperspace...with NO idea where it went.
He punched in his own coordinates and jumped.
When the ship settled into a hyperspace lane, Tech sprang up from the pilot’s chair and joined Hunter.
Hunter continued to give breaths as Tech simultaneously performed compressions.
They continued together for some time...
Resuscitation seemed to last forever...
Until Mad gained consciousness, vomiting dirty water and debris into Hunter’s mouth.
He IMMEDIATELY turned and vomited onto the Marauder’s floor.
Tech ignored the horrible mess and stench, yanking Mad up off the floor. He hugged her back up against him, placing his hands together with clenched fists on her abdomen above her pregnant belly...
Then pushed inward and up.
Mad vomited out more water and debris with each push. Tech repeated this again and again...
Until Mad was empty and gasping for breath.
Tech stepped away from the vomitus, pulling Mad with him, then set her down on a bunk. She slumped down into a resting position. Tech rolled Mad to her side and placed her head on the edge of the bunk in case she vomited again. Her eyes fluttered closed, but she kept conscious. He noted her lungs sounded loud and wet.
“Aspiration pneumonia.” Tech remarked out loud randomly.
Hunter couldn’t stand the smell in the ship...and vomited again. He gave up trying to get up from the soaked decking and make for the refresher...as he slipped and fell on his ass...jarring his knife wound, causing him to retch again from the pain.
Tech slid through the mess, hooking his arms under Hunter’s. He pulled his brother off the floor, settling him onto the copilot’s seat gently.
“Mad?” Hunter weakly inquired.
“Alive, but worse for the wear.” Tech elevated Hunter’s legs by gently placing them on the Marauder's dashboard.
Hunter whined in pain, attempting to resist and go to Mad.
“Hunter, you’re seriously injured. STAY SEATED!” Tech scolded. Then engaged the Marauder to find the hyperspace lane where the Beldame was parked.
The Marauder arrived and docked atop the Beldame. Echo was the first to arrive at the open hatch.
“WHAT THE EVER-LOVING KRIFF???” He grimaced at the SMELL.
“No time, Echo! Help Hunter into the Beldame!!!” Tech gathered up Mad and headed for the ladder to the other ship.
Echo moved out of the way for Tech, making a beeline for Hunter.
“What happened? Where’s LOVE??? Oh...” Echo noticed the vibroknife sticking out of Hunter.
“You can explain it all later.” Echo got Hunter up and helped him onto the other ship.
“AUNTIE!” Sil ran up terrified. Omega wasn’t far behind.
“Help me, Sil. Mad must convalesce in her stateroom.” Tech ordered.
Sil helped Tech get Mad across the ship and into her bed, as Omega watched them anxiously.
“WHERE’S HUNTER???” Omega demanded.
“HUNTER!” Wrecker stuck his head into the bottom of the ladder between ships looking for his brother.
Echo yelled down to him “He’s injured. Need your help...can’t get him down the ladder alone.”
“Will do!” Wrecker answered.
“Be careful of his left hip, ok?”
“OK...”
Echo dangled Hunter down the hatch feet first. Wrecker reached up, carefully grasping Hunter around this ribcage with both hands. Hunter groaned weakly.
“HUNTER...ARE YOU ALRIGHT!” Omega panicked when she spotted the knife.
“OOF...you stink!” Wrecker couldn’t help himself.
“Puke...mine...Mad’s...” Hunter managed to reply “Sorry...” He looked pale.
Wrecker held Hunter out away from him like a stinky Tooka cat. Omega followed behind wringing her hands. Wrecker carefully placed him on a bunk in the main ship area.
Sil ran out of Mad’s stateroom. “WHERE’S LOVE???” He begged Hunter. “Tech won’t tell me!”
Echo joined Omega and Wrecker, glancing at Sil...awaiting Hunter’s answer.
“Sorry kid...” Hunter’s face fell in sadly “LOVE was captured...don’t know by WHO...” Omega attempted to comfort Hunter.
Sil commenced into a HUGE panic attack, hyperventilating.
Echo put his arm around Sil, trying to calm the teen.
“...and...” Hunter hung his head weakly “...they got Tiggy too.”
“We’re over our heads in trouble.” Echo remarked. “Beldame STILL needs work...and parts.”
Tech added “Mad’s condition requires a bacta tank w/a medical nebulizer.” He nodded to Hunter’s injury. “YOU require surgery to remove that vibroknife. Without either, you and Mad will suffer in your present conditions. Prognosis is guarded to poor.”
Omega, hearing this ran to the ‘Dame’s first aid station and came back with bacta patches.
“WHERE are we gonna find a clinic AND a ship repair station?” Wrecker lamented.
Sil exhaled stressfully “Taavi...”
“What?” Echo blurted.
“Uncle Taavi...his ship MIGHT be in range...”
“Can... oof...” Hunter grimaced in pain weakly as Omega carefully applied several patches around his wound.
“Sorry.” She winced.
“S’ok, kid...” Hunter patted her head gently. “Sil...can we TRUST him?”
“With our LIVES.” Sil had calmed considerably with the revelation they had a possible safe option. “His sanctuary barge is one of the best kept secrets of the galaxy for people needing safe haven. Keeps moving constantly though, so he can be hard to find.”
“We have NO other options...call ‘em. ” Hunter trailed off weakly laying back upon the bunk.
“Eeeeh, kiddo!” Taavi’s voice could be heard on the comm. “YOU’RE ALIVE! THANK THE FORCE!!!” Beside himself with joy.
“UNCLE! We need HELP!!! I’m on the Beldame and Mad is badly injured!!!”
“Injured? How badly???”
“REALLY BAD UNCLE! Scary BAD!!!”
“Where’s LOVE?” Taavi squinted.
“A bounty hunter captured them, Uncle. I don’t know if we’ll ever find them!”
Tavvi didn’t hesitate “I’m send coordinates Nephew. COME QUICKLY!!!”
“Thank you, Uncle! We’re coming with a group of political prisoners, their child and a modified Omicron Class Shuttle!”
Taavi’s voice hesitated... then he mumbled something archaic in Pigeon Nomaadi.
