Chap. 103 - The Last Farewell

Despite his emaciated state, Icarus was somehow able to keep himself functioning. His computer was active, but the signals it was receiving from around him were virtually impossible to process.

His optical sensors, apparently, suffered some kind of damage, and now he could only define silhouettes that came and went, as well as beams of light that disappeared dangerously close to where he was.

Its acoustic sensors saturated its memory with a deafening beep, as if its components had been separated by impact. Even so, he was capable of defining various sounds.

The roar of the blasters... The screams of a male voice, although what he was saying he was not able to understand exactly... The crying and wailing of a young woman.

He didn't know what was happening, but he was conscious when he was picked up and placed on a metal floor. His analysis told him that Loso Zeb had enough strength to do such a task, and he was probably the one who was shouting not far from his position. But... Foxley's voice was nowhere to be heard.

However, the electronic part of the droid seemed to work without problems. Something that could not be said of its physical parts. Its computations did its best to analyze and separate that chaotic amount of data it received, just to try to understand its environment. However, his surprise was bitter when he noticed a radio frequency that was still active.

Doom: - General? - The droid's voice resonated at a unique frequency.

Icarus: - Commander... Why are you still in Kergans' orbit? He was ordered to retreat. -

Doom: - Unfortunately... We cannot comply with such an order, general... I hope you can excuse this disobedience on my part. -

Icarus: - What happened? -

Doom: - Twelve Imperial cruisers orbit Kergans orbit. We are concentrating all our energy on defensive shields and tractor beams. In this way, the organic fighters had the possibility to leave the system. -

Icarus: - What... Are they still operational? -

Doom: - I regret to inform you that no, General. We've lost all the Vulture fighters... Typhoon and Lance included. And on the ground we can no longer receive the signal from TR-1. We will do our best to contain the Imperials... But you must hurry. -

Icarus: - Isn't there... Is there no way I can... escape the destroyers? -

A last act of hope... The hopes of a droid. A slight silence took over the communications channel, while Icarus worriedly waited for a response... A response that he longed for because his logical mind was wrong... But that was not the case.

Doom: - I'm sorry, general... But that is no longer possible. -

Icarus was not able to respond immediately. Everything was a disaster. The only thing he could think about was the crushing defeat. Trying to find the reason why the Imperials had arrived so quickly. Any spy among your ranks? The contact? Questions whose answers I might never be able to find. But he would like to know with all his being.

Doom: - General... - The voice of his subordinate took him out of his calculations. - We will resist as long as possible... But you must leave Kergans immediately. -

Icarus: - How much time do we have left? -

Doom: - Seven minutes and forty-two seconds. -

Icarus: - Understood... -

That was very little time. He couldn't waste even the smallest of seconds. His body was slowly recovering, since apparently the shock he received removed his cables a little. His sight was slowly beginning to return, and his auditory sensors were now able to hear more clearly. As well as his joints, which little by little began to do their job.

Doom: - General... - The voice of the OOM droid called him one last time.

Icarus: - What's happening? -

Doom: - Say hello... Say hello to Toba for me. -

His core shook at the words. This dystopian fusion of emotions saturated his core in ways that were impossible. Pain, sadness, despair, fury, helplessness... Feeling one was already difficult for such a logical mind. Feeling them all at once was torture. One that increasingly hit his already battered chest.

Icarus: - I will do it this way... commander. Gra... Thank you for your sacrifice. -

Doom: - Thanks to you, general... Thank you for... For everything. -

Icarus' communication was interrupted when his body shook from the force of an impact. Zeb passed him in such a hurry that he didn't even notice that he had hit him, and this was the last encouragement he needed for Icarus to regain his full composure.

The Lasat passed by and headed towards the ghost's cabin. They had to take off immediately, or it would be too late.

Zeb: - Damn! I don't know how to fly this thing! HERA! -

Icarus: - What's happening? -

Zeb: - General. I've never driven before... I don't know what to do. Take charge. -

Icarus: - I can't. My modified arm was severed. I can't connect to the ship... You're going to have to follow my instructions. -

Zeb: - This is getting worse and worse. -

And the lasat was right.

In the cargo hold, Hera was unable to control her tears, as she nestled Foxley's head on her chest. It had been a few minutes since the clone left this plane of existence, but she just couldn't leave it. It was not the first time that the young Twi'lek had suffered the loss of a loved one, but that did not make it any less painful.

Suddenly, a shock cut his sadness, while the peculiar sound of friction generated by metal and metal shook the entire ship. Zeb did his best to follow the super tactical droid's commands, but he was so clumsy that a slight tug on the controls turned into a chaotic thrust.

The Ghost rocked back and forth, unable to fight the lasat's gravity and clumsiness. The more he hit himself, the more Icarus yelled at him what to do, and the less Zeb understood. Hera could hear them from the cargo hold, and her eyes rested one last time on the face of her deceased friend. Remembering his last request, which he would fulfill at any cost.

Hera would take care of the Ghost without hesitation.

Hera: - Move! - He yelled at the lasat as soon as he entered the cockpit.

Zeb soon stepped aside, and Hera immediately took control, pressing a ridiculous number of buttons that Zeb would never be able to memorize in his life.

As soon as the Twi'lek took control, the Ghost finally managed to stabilize itself and did not take two seconds to leave the hangar of the fortress's warehouse. A rapid increase in power, and the thrusters shook everything behind them, sending gusts of wind into the faces of those left behind.

Darth Vader watched angrily as his prey escaped, while he took out his anger on that droid they called Delta, which turned into a perfect metal sphere before the force that the Sith Lord applied to it. If he had been in his full state of mind he would have been able to stop the ship, but staying afloat using the Force itself was quite a feat. 

The Sith Lord kept his gaze on the open space left by the fortress compounds. In the distance, he watched his quarry drift south, out of reach of Imperial destroyers or any allied forces.

Above, above Kergans orbit, the frigate Muníficent was no longer able to withstand the onslaught of the twelve star cruisers, and explosions began to be present throughout the hull. Culminating with a violent explosion that tore it to pieces, starting with the command post itself.

Above the plains, the few remnants of the droid army were turning into scrap metal. Lacking leadership or purpose. This was... A crushing victory for the empire.

Katalina: - My lord, we have already been able to establish contact with orbit... Apparently the ship has escaped... Shall I request transportation for you? -

At the woman's voice, Dart Vader slowly turned around. His angry aura would make even the bravest of Jedi tremble at that moment. The stormtroopers behind him felt an overwhelming need to kneel before him, even though they didn't even know him. Katalina did the same, but unlike the rest, she did not look away from the Sith Lord.

Vader and Katalina's eyes met for several long seconds. Him, behind his dark and terrifying mask. Which was not able to contain its rage at all. She, firm as a mountain, did not look away, even when the blood that fell on her head did not allow her to open her left eye.

The sith lord finally turned around. Using the force he kept levitating the entire time, unable to move his joints without pain even though the droid that hacked him was already gone. He walked past everyone without paying attention to anyone, until he stopped right next to the woman.

Vader: - Call a transport... And... Follow me. -

Katalina: - Yes, sir. -

Vader continued on his way, while the woman stood up, watching as the entity in black turned its back on him without stopping its walk. Without wasting a second, he ordered the soldiers present to mobilize, and they all set off at a steady pace after the Sith Lord.

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Hours later, inside the Chimera:

Thrawn: - Very good job. Thanks to you, a catastrophe in Kergas was avoided. -

The Grand Admiral was speaking to the holoprojection of a native. His informing him that he alerted him to the presence of Icarus, and ruined all the plans. An adult zeltron. 

Gustav: - I just did... What I had to do. -

Thrawn: - And he did the right thing. Thanks to you, your wife and daughter are safe. -

Gustav: - What is going to happen to...? -

Thrawn: - It has been an honor, Mr. Gustav. - He interrupted him suddenly. - I hope you remain as loyal to the empire as you have shown. -

And without allowing him to say another word, the grand admiral concluded the call, only to receive another extremely important one. In front of the Chiss, several holoprojections were displayed. One coming from a ship in their fleet, three coming from the invisible hand, and another coming from the heart of the Empire itself.

Tarkin: - So...? It's done? -

Thrawn: - For now... Our main objective has escaped. -

Vader: - Find him... Anywhere. -

The sith's voice made no attempt to hide his anger. Now able to use his robotic body again, Vader presented himself with his imposing figure. Even Katalina and the Grand Inquisitor who were right next to her had to make a great effort not to faint.

Thrawn: - I... I think I have an idea... Admiral Cress, you have the data I asked for. -

Cress: - Yes, Grand Admiral. Projecting map right now. -

In front of everyone present, the holoprojection of an immense map of the entire galaxy was manifested. With the exception of Katalina, everyone present knew the Chiss very well. And if he had an idea, no matter how strange it seemed, it would be best to listen to him carefully.

Suddenly, Thrawn began making extremely complex calculations, which showed up as lines drawn across the map. The Chiss had exceptional intellect, and made space travel predictions seem like child's play. Although it wasn't at all.

The lines moved across the map. Routes with no apparent meaning, but that seemed to have some kind of logical pattern. All far from the great star routes, and mostly in the outer rim areas. However, in such a chaotic scenario, something incredible was displayed.

Thrawn: - And there it is. Felucia, Ryloth, and Kergans. Each one has a trajectory and... All three agree on this point. - He explained while marking a place on the map, where three of the lines coincided perfectly.

Tarkin: - Do an analysis of the sector. Any data is relevant. -

Thrawn: - Expand the search, with a margin of error of 0.5 light years. - That margin was ridiculously small.

Officer: - Affirmative... We have found a reference point. -

Tarkin: - Show it. -

The map expanded abruptly, and in front of their eyes was what they had been looking for for so long.

Cress: - Is that...? -

Vader: - Gwori... A separatist world that should be eradicated. -

Thrawn: - Well, it seems like not anymore. -

Vader: - Prepare everything... We will put an end to these separatist remnants once and for all. -