The vessel breached Naboo's atmosphere somewhat violently, a panel or component flying off of the hull. Lucia was left to wonder if the ship was shaking aggressively because of the re-entry or due to this ship being a piece of-
"Alright, my rebellious friends, we have breached the atmosphere!" Hondo's voice echoed through the hold, breaking Lucia's train of thought. "In a couple of minutes, we'll arrive at our destination." Lucia had her answer when she felt the ship still shaking, and her question now what how this hunk of scrap was even spaceworthy. She shook her head and turned to her troops: some looking worried, others more confident. The Storm troopers she couldn't tell since their bucket covered their face.
"Alright, we're here for infiltration. We need to speak to Lord Vonderlorne about working alongside the General. Avoid bringing attention to yourself as soon as possible. Be prepared for when they discover us." She saw some of her men nodding, while one of them raises a hand to ask a question.
"Ma'am, what makes you think we will be discovered?" The man asked, causing Lucia to sigh and point up towards the bridge.
"Do not worry, my friends, we seem to be doing extremely well!" Hondo shouted, the ship jerking violently. The soldier nodded and Lucia turned to the men carrying the robots.
"You make sure those boxes are I good locations for when we need to activate them. When things go loud, we need to secure the landing zone." The men nodded, preparing to transport the crafts. She then climbed up and watched as Hondo began the landing procedures. She watched as Imperial turret towers tracked them and made sure they entered the open hangar. There in the hangar were medical operatives and guards waiting for them to land.
"Alright, get ready men!" Lucia said, making sure her armor was secure and fit for combat. Her soldiers did the same, her Red Death troopers hiding in small compartment before the ramp opened up.
The tension was palpable as traitors prepared to face loyalist. Lucia was not concerned as to whether or not Imperial will fight Imperial, she was concerned about speaking to Mr. Vonderlorne; about speaking to her father.
---------------------------------------------------------
The Vonderlorne estate
---------------------------------------------------------
Victor Vonderlorne had stayed in his office looking over different defense contracts. All these Imperial contracts his group was receiving only worried him. Why couldn't the mighty empire protect its own transports or their citizens across their territory? He sighed, knowing he had to accept or else his company; the legacy of his family, would be destroyed.
Setting aside the contracts, he stood up and walked over to the large window that revealed his city, now an Imperial stronghold. He looked over the domed roofs of his city and towards the dead and lifeless facade of the Imperial Barracks that sucked the life out of the vibrant vista and chuckled. The great Noble Guard, a respectable contractor that protected the weak and helpless reduced to the Empire's guard dogs.
His viewing of the city was interrupted by a call coming from the main door. He looked to his console and saw the button flashing, wondering who could possibly be calling him at this time. He approached the console and spoke with an annoyance fit a king woken from his slumber. "It is the middle of the night, there better be a good explanation for your disturbance."
"Father...it's Lucia..." Victor simply stared at the console for a moment after hearing his daughter's voice. He had been informed that her Star Destroyer was annihilated along with the rest of that fleet by rebels. Hearing his child's voice, he struggled to reply. "Please let me in."
Without a second, he pressed the button which unlocked the gate and prepared to meet her at the front door. He summoned two guards as he cleaned himself up, buttoning up his dark blue uniform and grabbing his crimson helmet. The three of them went to the main hall and watched as the great wooden doors slid open. The three figures they saw walk in almost had Victor pull his blaster out.
Three death troopers, one with crimson red armor walked through, blasters drawn. They moved in quickly and shut the door behind them as if they were hiding. "Who are you!" He called out, grabbing the three's attention. The figure in red then walked to the beginning of the stairs and holstered his blaster, reaching for the helmet and removing it, revealing the individual's long blonde hair.
Lucia's blonde hair. The hair she had to cut short when she entered training and the hair he thought had been lost forever. Once those golden locks fell from the helmet he knew she was alive. He stared in shock as his daughter looked up towards him, a small and subtle smile on her face. "Hey, papa."
The man slowly made his way down the stairs and approached his lost daughter. Lucia did the same as well, dropping her helmet and approaching her father. The two met at the middle of the staircase and hugged, Victor holding his daughter as close as possible, Lucia doing the same. She was enthusiastic that he had been so open up to this point: all of the former encounters with her father she remembered had been cold. He was always focused on his security business. She reluctantly broke away from her father's embrace and tried to get back on track. "Papa, it's so glad to see you, but I'm here on business."
Her father's warm expression turned to a frown, appearing more as Lucia remembered it. "Is this business for the Empire? Because if they sent you to give me another bloody contract-"
"it isn't for the Empire papa, its..." She hesitated, looking around the room. She then brought her focus back onto her father and leaned close as to whisper into his ear, "...its against it."
His eyes shot wide and he almost tripped as he stepped back. "What the blasted hell are you talking about? Against?" He shouted, getting the guards to jump slightly as they saw their calm and composed boss freak out. After a second, he recomposed himself and closed the distance, talking in a calm voice once more. "That is suicide, dear. There is no going against the Empire, not at this junction."
She shook her head. "But there is, papa! The Empire is not unstoppable, but rather weak! How do you think I snuck through to speak to you." He studied her over and looked over to the two death troopers that came with her, noting that there were no real markings designating them as Imperial. "I'm certain you've heard rumors of a rogue faction growing in opposition against the Empire."
"If you're referring to those pirates using CIS droids, I don't think-"
"Papa, that is the group that attacked my fleet and recruited me." Hearing his daughter say that made him feel unseal; how she would join people that tried to kill her. Then again, she was essentially forced to join the Empire when they came to get fresh recruits. Perhaps this was liberating for her. Perhaps it will be liberation for him.
"Fine daughter, I will join you, but we need to leave Naboo. Act as if you are kidnapping me." He quickly strategies, moving back to one of his guards and handing him a security cylinder. "Quickly go to my studies and send out an encrypted message to all of our men. Tell them to return home and prepare for war. To bring out the good gear." The soldier nodded and pocketed the cylinder.
Then Victor sighed and pulled his blaster out, shooting both guards in the leg and causing them to fall and scream in pain. Lucia gasped as well, wondering why he did that. "Had to make this look convincing. Now cuff me and blow up the front door and gate." Hesitant, Lucia pulled out some restraints and then the four left the building, walking towards the main gate. Lucia knelt down and tapped her comm. Within seconds, explosions occurred across the city, mainly where the Imperials were stationed. Victor felt his blood rusj as he was trusted into the thick of it, and watched as his daughter brought him all the way to the vessel that brought her here.
She brought him to a secure seat and locked him in, moving back to fight off Imperials as her men returned to the ship. He watched with pride as she showed how good of a soldier she had become.
As soon as her droids and men returned to the vessel, Lucia boarded, narrowly dodging a blaster bolt. "Let's go, pirate!" She shouted as she closed the ramp, blindly firing at soldiers.
"Smuggler, my dear, yoy wound me calling me such ah... such a distasteful title!" Hondo replied, his tone as sarcastic as ever. He manipulated the console of his ship and began laughing as two turrets popped out from under the bridge, firing upon the Imperials that swarmed the landing zone. As soon as he had pulled back enough, he focused on flying, flying away from the burning city.
Lucia did a headcount, noting that they had lost a few men, but none of the droids. She cursed to herself, but then looked to her father and calmed herself. He had vouched for his support, albeit in a strange manner, but he was with Jaeger. She then climbed up and watched as Hondo expertly maneuvered around the fleet and jumped away, twirling in his seat and grinning a grin that made Lucia uneasy. "Services rendered for a modest price." His grin immediately disappeared and his face became serious. "I'll expect your boss to transfer credits to me upon your arrival."
She growled, but reluctantly nodded. He was a pirate after all, focused only on the money, and he deserved it. It was only because of him that she was successful in her mission. She sat next to him and allowed herself to relax, watching as the stars streamed past her.
---------------------------------------------------------
The Imperial officer watched as the smugglers ship jumped away and people began whispering. Another officer approached the head officer, his hat off in a defeated manner. "Sir, the target got away..."
The head officer looked at his console as a display of the ship went from red to green."Incorrect, my friend, it is giving away a bigger prize."