SW Goldsaber at Endor: Desperate Flight

Alliance Rendezvous Point at Sullust, aboard the MonCal Cruiser Liberty

Orchid stepped into the hustle and bustle of the Liberty's hangar. It was a crash of noise and commotion filled with sparking lights and foul smells as the starfighters were readied for combat. She didn't know what was going on exactly—no one would tell her anything—but she understood that a battle was going to be fought. She'd seen this too many times before, more times than any fourteen year old should have. She made her way uncertainly through the bustling maintenance crews and droids, walking past X-wings, A-wings and Y-wings as their crew's loaded ordnance, checked weapons and fueled the craft.
She was looking for two fighters in particular. She spied one of them easily enough, the Ace in the Hole's distinctive paint job of white with black and red checkering set it apart from the other A-wings in the hangar. Besides it she spied another A-wing being painted gold and white with a red emblem emblazoned upon its front.
“Mom!” Orchid shouted over the hangar's din and clamor.
Quinn turned as her adoptive daughter rushed forwards, kneeling down and looking at the girl with a smile.
“Orchid, what are you doing awake?”
“I couldn't sleep.” Orchid said, averting her red gaze from her mother's green eyes.
“You were worried.” Quinn said.
Orchid nodded, looking worriedly over at Jaeriel her 'big sister' as the teenager scowled at the A-wing.
“You sure about this?” Jaeriel asked dubiously. “You might as well paint a big target on yourself.”
Quinn nodded, standing and letting Orchid lean against her.
“I'm sure. Kiri is going to be there and I want her to see me. Besides,” she smiled ruefully at Jaeriel. “The Ace isn't exactly inconspicuous.”
“Yeah, but I don't have a crazed darksider gunning for me. Kiri doesn't care about me, it's you she wants.”
Orchid frowned. “Mom, I'm scared.”
Quinn squeezed Orchid's shoulder gently. “It'll be alright, it's just like always.”
Despite her mother's reassuring words, Orchid didn't believe her. This all felt different. The young Chiss didn't understand why it was different but she felt that it was and that worried her.
“Jae?” she asked as she looked up at Jaeriel. “You'll make sure she comes back won't you?”
Jaeriel nodded, her fierce features smiling down at her as she ruffled her hair.
“Of course, I'll be on her wing the whole time.”
“If I don't have to save you first.” Quinn quipped.
Jaeriel glared at the blonde Corellian.
“You've taught me a lot, I don't need babysitting.”
“Uh huh,” Quinn replied with a smile. “Sure.”

A few hours later....

“Uh, Quinn?”
Quinn looked up at Jaeriel's voice. She'd meant to ask what the younger woman wanted but saw right away what was wrong as Orchid came up to their A-wings wearing an orange pilot jumpsuit that was at least two sizes too large with a helmet under her arm.
She sighed, stepping off her A-wing and going to Orchid's side as the fourteen year old looked at her with a mixture of hope and resolve.
“What are you doing Orchid?”
“I want to come with you.” Orchid said, shifting uncertainly. “Please Mom, don't leave me behind.”
“No.” Quinn said. “You're safer here on the ship.”
“But,” Orchid blurted, looking up at Quinn pleadingly with her great red eyes. “Jae's fighter can carry two people! I can ride with her!”
Quinn was grateful that Jaeriel kept her mouth shut. She didn't need both girls arguing with her at that moment.
“No.” she said flatly. “I don't want you out there today. Stay on the Liberty, you'll be safe here.”
Orchid looked sullenly at Quinn as she spoke.
“I don't want to be safe...I want to be with you.”
Quinn sighed and shook her head as she reached to her hip and unclipped her lightsaber. Orchid's eyes widened as Quinn placed the saber in her hand and closed her fingers around the hilt.
“Careful, don't ignite it.” Quinn said teasingly as she brushed Orchid's blue cheek. “I want you to hold onto this for me.”
Orchid looked at Quinn. “Only if you promise to come back...please Mom...I have a really bad feeling about this...I don't want you to die.”
Quinn wanted to make light of the girl's fears but she realized that her daughter was near tears and so instead wrapped her arms around her and held her close.
“I'll be back, you'll see. Everything will be fine.”
“Quinn,” Jaeriel called. “We're launching, General Calrissian is calling for all fighters to form on him.”
Quinn nodded, kissing Orchid on the forehead tenderly.
“I love you Orchid, goodbye.”
Orchid jumped forwards and wrapped her arms around Quinn's waist.
“Not goodbye, I'm never saying goodbye Mom.”
Quinn smiled, swallowing and patting her on the head.
“No, never goodbye, I'll see you later.”

Endor's Sanctuary Moon, Exiting Hyperspace

The Rebel Fleet blurred with pseudo-motion as it re-entered realspace orbiting Endor's forest moon. The equal parts massive and ominous shape of the partially constructed Death Star hung in space above the moon as the Alliance warships formed up. The core of the formation was comprised of several massive Mon Calamari star cruisers including the flagship Home One and her sister ships. Each of these cruisers was nearly as long as the dreaded Imperial Star Destroyers and though they were less heavily armed than their Imperial counterparts they were far more durable. Each of the elegant cruisers formed the anchor point for dozens of smaller ships ranging from cruisers and frigates to corvettes and gunships.
Ahead of the fleet ranged the starfighters. Arrayed in a staggered waves, the Rebel fighters soared towards the Imperial battlestation with the YT-1300 freighter Millenium Falcon leading them, despite its bulk the freighter was actually keeping pace with the fighters and could even outstrip all but the A-wings in terms of speed.
“Gold Wing squadron leaders report in.”
Quinn keyed her com. “Gold Saber One standing by.”
She listened as the other Gold squadrons called in. Around her the other colored wings would be getting similar confirmations from their squadron leaders. Glancing out to her starboard side she saw Jaeriel's two-seater A-wing with its distinctive coloring cruising alongside her. Unlike the standard A-wing, the Ace in the Hole didn't mount the standard laser cannons. Instead it mounded two paired sets of rapid-fire autoblasters in addition to its concussion missiles. It also mounted a single ion cannon beneath the prow of the ship, making it a far more versatile platform than a traditional A-wing starfighter like the one Quinn was flying.
“Gold Saber Three do you copy?”
“Copy Leader.” Jaeriel replied.
“Stay alive out there.” Quinn called.
Jaeriel's voice betrayed her enthusiasm.
“They'll never know what hit them.”
Quinn smiled at the girl's hot blooded nature. Though only three years her junior, she often felt far older than Jaeriel. In the past three years the young Mandalorian-Jedi had proven to be a good friend and much more at times though she'd never once deigned to explain her origins to Quinn or anyone else. It was a transgression that Quinn tolerated as she remembered all too well her own mother's death and could understand that Jaeriel did not want to speak of her own family, alive or dead.
Around her the X-wings and B-wings opened their s-foils, placing them in an attack footing. Quinn had flown the X-wing, preferred it in many ways over the A-wing, but her own fighter had been damaged and had only just been repaired and she knew better than to fly a freshly repaired craft into combat. The B-wing though she could do without. She'd been one of the first test pilots for the assault fighter when it had entered fleet service and while she could not deny its potency and firepower, after her near fatal accident compliments of the gyro-stablization system for the cockpit she was in no hurry to return to said cockpit anytime soon.
The brief memory was broken as General Calrissian's urgent voice spoke over the command frequency.
“Break off the attack, the shield is still up!”
“I get no reading,” Commander Antilles of Red Squadron responded. “Are you sure?”
“Pull up!” the General shouted. “All craft pull up!”
Along with the other fighters in the fleet, Quinn yanked hard on her control stick and pulled her A-wing out of its path towards the Imperial battlestation. Glancing at her sensor screen she saw Jaeriel's slightly slower fighter peeling off and swinging around to reform on her flank.
“What the hell?” Jaeriel snarled.
Quinn frowned as her sensors screamed at her and her eyes bulged as dozens of Imperial warships jumped in behind the Alliance fleet.
“Oh no.” she murmured as she realized along with the rest of the Rebel forces what had happened. “Gold Sabers, accelerate to attack velocity and engage!” she ordered, slamming her throttle forwards as she brought her shields up to maximum power.
Her missile alert warning blared angrily and she kicked in her jamming as she rolled and accelerated as dozens of concussion missiles sailed into the disorganized Alliance fighters. Flights of TIE Defenders and TIE Avengers along with another TIE design she didn't recognize and Starwing Assault Gunboats blazed past her, their weapons flashing angrily as they lanced through the Rebel formation. Beyond them a swarming horde of TIEs came onwards.
“Fighters coming in!” General Calrissian called needlessly.
Quinn depressed her firing stud and entered the fray as blasts from her foes struck her shields out of the corner of her eye she saw the rapid-fire bursts from Jaeriel's fighter punctuated by the occasional blue burst of her ion cannon as the pair of them along with the rest of Gold Saber Squadron ploughed through the TIEs. Her sensor screen showed that the fleet was trying to reform itself after having to pull out of their attack pattern and were now reforming their formations against the force arrayed against them.
The Imperial fleet was comprised of dozens of star destroyers and who knew how many smaller warships according to Quinn's scans and there was an interdiction field in place. Even if they could get away from the moon's gravity well they'd have to either evade or destroy the interdictors as well before they could escape. It was a perfect trap...and they'd fallen right into it...and she'd brought Orchid into it!
She keyed her personal frequency with Jaeriel as she dove and wound her way through the Imperial fighters.
“Jaeriel, I need you to do me a favor.”
“I'm a little busy!” the teenager snapped.
“Please Jaeriel, get back to the Liberty and get Orchid out of there. I want you to run. Your fighter can get both of you out.”
There was a pause, though whether it was from the combat or the nature of her request Quinn wasn't sure but when Jaeriel's voice came back it was ice cold.
“No.”
Quinn snarled as she replied.
“I am ordering you to—“
“No.” Jaeriel stated deadpan. “I am a Mandalorian, I don't abandon my aliit.”
Quinn could feel her anger rising and fought to control it and her fighter as she shouted back.
“Listen to me you stubborn little—!”
A blast of laser fire and the shriek of a missile warning caught Quinn's attention as she rolled out of the sights of a flight of TIE Interceptors and TIE Defenders. Her frustration with Jaeriel was replaced suddenly by foreboding as she felt an all too familiar presence striving behind her. It was Kiri.
“Quinn, get out of there!” Jaeriel shouted as the TIEs and Quinn's starfighter pulled away from her.
“They're on me tight!” Quinn shouted.
A blast rocked her fighter and she looked over her shoulder to see that some of the enemy Interceptors had been blown apart. Jaeriel must have used her cluster missiles, she didn't have many of the expensive warheads to spare.
“I can't get them all!” Jaeriel shouted. “QUINN!”
Quinn gritted her teeth as her targeting alerts screamed at her again. Then a flurry of red laser bolts spat angrily just behind her as an X-wing pulled in on the flank of the Imperial starfighters. It threw off their aim just enough for Quinn to accelerate away. She was preparing her next move when a brilliant green flash that lanced behind her. On Quinn's sensor screen the TIEs pursuing her vanished and as she looked out her cockpit her eyes widened in horror as a massive green laser slammed into the Liberty and vaporized the warship, leaving nothing but drifting particulates in its place.
Cold. Pure ice gripped Quinn's heart as she stared at the space where the cruiser had been. Orchid had been on that ship. Something was ringing in her ears. It took her a moment to realize it was her own screams.
“Mom!” a terrified voice crackled over the com.
Burning tears stinging her eyes, Quinn jumped forwards in her seat.
“Orchid!?”
“I'm here Mom! Right here!”
“Where?” Quinn asked desperately as she swung her fighter and head around.
“Behind you.”
“I've got her.” Jaeriel said suddenly. “She's in your X-wing.”
“She—she's what?!” Quinn exploded as she saw Jaeriel's fighter hanging in space besides a crippled X-wing.
The fighter's lower engines had been shot away entirely and it was drifting through space, its remaining engines stuttering half-heartedly.
“Orchid,” Quinn breathed as she swung her A-wing in above the X-wing and looked down at her daugher's blue face as it gazed up at her.
She touched the glass of her cockpit, feeling the tears pouring down her face.
“Thank the Force.” she breathed.
“Mom, I'm scared.” Orchid said.
“Don't worry, we'll get you of there.”
“Quinn, what about Kiri?” Jaeriel asked suddenly.
Quinn didn't hesitate as she answered. “Forget her, Jaeriel can you get Orchid into your fighter?”
“I can try,” Jaeriel replied. “Cover me.”
“Orchid, stay there, Jaeriel is coming to get you.”
“O—okay.” Orchid said. “I—I'm sorry I disobeyed you Mom.”
Quinn shook her head. “It's alright.”
In truth, Quinn had never been happier that her daughter had disobeyed her and as she watched the Ace in the Hole pull alongside her X-wing she couldn't help but thank the Force for whatever intercession it had worked on her behalf.

Jaeriel ensured that her beskar'gam was sealed against the vacuum and then popped the Ace's cockpit, pushing herself gently out of the fighter as she maneuvered towards the disabled X-wing.
“Orchid, can you hear me?”
The girl nodded her head inside the cockpit.
“Y—yes, I can hear you Jae.”
“I need you to open your cockpit.”
Orchid looked around and then pushed the requisite buttons before she looked back out of the cockpit at Jaeriel.
“It's stuck.”
Jaeriel swallowed nervously and nodded.
“Okay, just stay put, unbuckle your harness alright?”
Orchid did as she was asked as Jaeriel pressed her palms against the cockpit's glass.
Jaeriel's heart was racing. She'd never done this before, she didn't know if it could even work in space but she didn't want to risk hurting Orchid. She knew from her father's lessons that she could get the girl out...but whether or not she'd still be protected from the vacuum was another matter. As she readied herself, she swore she could hear her father's voice.
Calm yourself, clear your mind and focus on what must be done.
Gritting her teeth, Jaeriel nodded and pushed forwards as her body became immaterial and she phased through the cockpit. Orchid's red eyes widened in surprise as the incorporeal Jaeriel touched her and phased her as well.
“Come on.” Jaeriel urged as she guided Orchid out of the disabled fighter and towards her own craft. “Get in.”
As she released Orchid, the Chiss girl phased back into a normal state and she buckled into the A-wing's rear seat. Jaeriel seated herself as her own body reformed into a solid once more and she sealed the cockpit.
“I've got her.” she said.
“Jaeriel, that was great work...thank you.” Quinn said quietly.
Smiling, Jaeriel leaned back in her seat as she looked out at a disabled Interceptor floating nearby.
“What do you ant to do about Kiri? She's disabled too.”
There was a pause, but when Quinn spoke it wasn't the answer Jaeriel was expecting.
“We're going to help her, we can push her between us and guide her towards the Imperial fleet, once her momentum is up we can let her go and they'll pick her up.”
Jaeriel sighed and shook her head.
“We should just kill her.”
“No.” Quinn said sternly. “We don't kill the helpless.”
“She's not helpless.” Jaeriel snapped angrily, but she didn't argue the point as she maneuvered her fighter alongside the crippled Interceptor. “Let's get this over with, we need to get out of here before—“
Another blast lanced out from the Second Death Star's superlaser, reaching out and annihilating another Rebel warship. Jaeriel swallowed. They were going to be slaughtered if they stayed here, but they couldn't escape.
“Quinn, I'm scared.” she murmured.
“I know, so am I.” Quinn replied as she brought her fighter alongside the Interceptor. “Let's get this over with and get back to the fight. We can't stay here.”
Jaeriel nodded and throttled up her engines as they began to propel the Interceptor towards the Imperial forces. This was all so wrong, so insane, but she had chosen to be here...she'd chosen that three years ago when she'd left home and come to fight for the Alliance...if she died here at least it was in service to something she believed in.
“Jae?” Orchid asked worriedly from behind her.
“Yeah?”
“Are we going to be alright?” Orchid murmured.
Jaeriel steeled herself and nodded.
“Yeah, we're going to kick their shebs.”