They fought on, the self-destruct averted, and Gash's lightsaber arched down, severing the blue-skinned humanoid's hand and dropping him to the ground in agony. His comrade was not so lucky, and while he too dropped to the ground, he was never again to rise; one of the droids' blaster bolts took him squarely in the head, nearly severing it.
Gash held up one lightsaber in a preordained sign for "stop", as he looked around.
He is... escaping, Gash thought, feeling the words of Meschi flow into him as well. Quickly, his mind adapted to the new set of circumstances, pieces falling into place rapidly.
"The ship has been taken, and our friend is escaping," Gash said, signalling to D31. "Find a control panel, and try to seal the life pods. Take the squad. Try not to kill too many of the Chiss; this vessel has already been taken by Fearsons."
"Yeah," The droid replied, in its own modification of a military affirmative. The ten droids clicked off down the Star Destroyer's hallway.
"There are a thousand lifepods on this tin can," Kasien said, moving closer to Gash with a bewildered look on his face. "If he wants to escape, he could've been out of here three hundred times by now."
"I know." Gash said, shrugging. "But it is worth a try. Even the threat of destruction like that Xilen held over the heads of the Mon Calamari is in violation of old NR warcrimes law."
"You're still judging people by NR laws?"
"Do you have any better ones you'd like to show me?"
Kasien shook his head. "Where are we going, then?"
"The bridge," Gash said. Kasien immediately began to put his blaster away, holdstering it.
"What are you doing?" Gash asked him.
"The ship is Fearsons', right? I won't need it."
Gash chuckled. "Don't be so sure, on either account."
* * * *
Minutes later, the two human components of the Rogue Jedi Order boarding squad entered the bridge where Chadd Fearsons stood, now fully in command of the vessel. His PeFauna guard -- armor blistered by blaster bolts -- stood about the bridge, and they came to alert the second Gash entered the room; that much was obvious, both through the Force, and visibly.
Fearsons himself also turned to face Gash, notably less than ecstatic to see his old master. "Really, Chadd. You let him go.
And you did it before I even got to him. I would've expected more of you."
Chadd said nothing for a moment, and Gash continued, "I doubt we have fully seen the last of the Sovereign Chiss Empire, or its esteemed leader -- given his predisposition for disappearing, and resurfacing under new disguises."
