Star Wars: Rebel Rising(83)

The day before they reached Watassay, Blue knocked on Jyn’s door.

“You’ve not been with us that long,” she said, “and the crew likes working with you.”

“Not Burta,” Jyn said.

Blue laughed. “Burta likes you well enough for a human,” she said. “Don’t worry. She’s coming around.”

She shouldn’t, Jyn thought.

“Anyway, after this mission, we’re going off-system. There are other people we work with, other partisans. I want you to meet the rest of them. I think you’ll like what we’re doing.”

Jyn’s heart sank. So. She was finally being taken to the main base. It was over. But she liked Blue enough to want to be honest.

“Blue,” she said slowly, “I don’t understand you. You have a ship; you have a crew. Why are you trying to take on the Empire all on your own?”

Blue leaned in conspiratorially. “Who says I’m alone?”

Damn, Jyn thought. “Look, Blue, I like you. But I’m not here for some bigger mission or ideals or anything like that. I care about getting paid. I don’t want to get involved in anything bigger. I have seen how bad things can be. I don’t want to be a part of that.”

“Liana, you saw Watassay. You saw what a difference we made.”

“I saw people who should have given up their claims on a mine and gotten off-world a long time ago,” Jyn snapped. “The best thing you can do right now is give up whatever group you’re in and quit making Imperial enemies.” Or rebel allies, she thought.

Blue stared at her for several long moments. “I don’t believe that,” she said. “And I don’t believe you believe that.”

“You’re wrong,” Jyn promised.

Blue smiled. “We’ll see.”

Blue shut the door behind her, and Jyn stared at it silently for a long time. I tried, Jyn thought. Blue was a good person.

Too bad she was a rebel.



“I’m always nervous, seeing Star Destroyers like that,” Shawburn said, glaring at the blockade surrounding Watassay. “They ain’t natural, ships that big.”

“Don’t be nervous,” Blue said from the copilot’s seat. “Liana has us covered.” She looked over her shoulder and shot Jyn a smile.

Jyn swallowed. She would be so happy when she could quit being in the middle of two groups she hated. It was almost over. And then, even if it took every credit she had, Jyn was leaving the Five Points system.

“Uploading our clearance codes and manifest now,” Shawburn said.

“They’ve locked a tractor beam on us,” Blue said, her voice growing tense.

“The codes ain’t working this time.” Burta glowered at Jyn.

“They should,” Jyn said, surprised.

“They’re just doing a deeper scan,” Blue said, cutting through the tension. “They’re still going to accept Liana’s codes.”

After several uneasy moments, Shawburn said, “Codes cleared.”

Jyn let out a whoosh of breath. Burta glared at her.

“Tractor beam still locked,” Blue said.

“The Star Destroyer is hailing us directly,” Shawburn added.

A steady beeping filled the control room.

“We should answer it,” Shawburn said.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

“We should,” Blue agreed. But she hesitated a moment longer before answering the incoming holo.

“Admiral Rocwyn from the Star Destroyer Authority ,” the admiral said in a crisp voice. “This ship has been identified as part of a partisan group working to undermine the Empire.”

“How did they know?” Shawburn asked in a voice that broke Jyn’s heart.

“Prepare for boarding. Do not attempt to resist.” The admiral’s voice cut out abruptly.

“How did they know?” Burta snarled, cutting her eyes to Jyn.

“Settle,” Blue ordered. “We know nothing now. They don’t have proof. Our docs will check out.” She shot Jyn a brief smile. “You two with me,” she said to Burta and Jyn after giving Shawburn the order to unlock the port.

The three were silent as they clomped down the metal hallway to the transport tube. Blue stood very straight, her eyes on the port as it opened and two stormtroopers marched onto her ship. It was taking everything in her to show courage, Jyn could tell.

A pair of Imperial officers followed the stormtroopers, then Admiral Rocwyn and two more troopers. They lined up in a curve around Blue, Burta, and Jyn.

“Secure the ship,” the admiral said languidly, and three of the stormtroopers filed out.

“Admiral,” Blue said, not a hint of quaver in her voice, “our docs are in order. We are a legitimate operation freighting cargo throughout the system. We pay our fees, and—”

The admiral cut her off with a bored wave of her hand. “You’re all under arrest for conspiring against the Empire.” She did not even deign to look Blue in the face as she said it.

Before Blue could protest, the fourth stormtrooper stepped forward, slapping the Devaronian in cuffs.

“Hey!” Burta bellowed. The stormtrooper blasted her, and she dropped to the ground. Blue cried out, but the blast had been set to stun. The stormtrooper cuffed Burta before she could wake up.