Chapter Sixteen
The two days couldn't have come fast enough. The U Wing was fueled up, and the final task before takeoff was to double-check that the cargo ship held all of the items needed for the journey.
A rumble in the sky jolted the team from their shuffling gait to and from the cave. Earlier the team had been greeted with a pale dawn, a good sign in their minds, the morning heralding a steady, tranquil flight back home. But swiftly, the pale pink and gold of the sky morphed into a shade of lavender, then dark violet. Too busy with preparation, nobody had noticed, at first, the transformation of the sky to ominous gray. Chilly wind propelled monstrous clouds forward with urgency, and flashing streaks of white temporarily lit the darkness.
"A storm's coming. We can't leave." The observation came from Baze, who spoke before anyone else.
Everyone looked up simultaneously, and afterwards, at each other, dismayed by the weather. And though Chirrut couldn't see, even he knew the danger, from the sounds growing amplified with each passing moment. The leaves of the trees and foliage shook wildly, while water was swirling, crashing onto the shore. The beach planet was beginning to look like something out of a nightmare, and it was rapidly heating up from the dense, thick air spreading in the atmosphere.
Cassian spoke to all of them: "We can't delay anymore. Staying one more day will cost us."
Jyn saw that Cassian was right. Scarif, even in good weather, was already bad enough. The storm, it could have been a deterrent: certainly there was danger involved, but the reward of reaching "home" outweighed the risks.
Jyn realized: The storm could be our cover.
"If we leave now, there would be no stormtroopers out. Nothing to stop us."
Bodhi nodded his head in agreement and chimed in: "We've flown in storms before. Cassian and I, we could do it again."
Cassian looked at his team. There was no defiance to the suggestion, no protest or objection to paralyze action. The other four didn't appear afraid or reluctant. In fact, they seemed the opposite. An unexpected swell of pride filled his heart. There isn't a better team I can ask for.
"Let's go."
The engines roared to life as Bodhi started the ship up, and Cassian clicked various buttons on the dashboard. Jyn and Baze monitored the sky above through the windows, while Chirrut sat on a crate, mumbling the words, "I am one with the Force, the Force is with me." The chant remained in the background, as the ship hovered above the ground, shaky at first, but gaining altitude steadily.
"Set course back to Yavin 4."
Fortunately, the eager wind was giving the U-Wing a helping hand as the ship circled once and headed upwards - away from destruction, away from fallen bodies and empty-hearted Imperial troops. A turbulent ride was anticipated, especially with the rain that had just began to fall. Raindrops pounded the windows and caused metal to rattle. Thunder cracked down, its sound drowning out any commands Cassian and Bodhi were giving to one another.
The shield gate was up ahead, a gaping black ring with its jagged edges formed from Star Destroyers. Bodhi used his strength to pull down the lever as the ship curved up to meet the gate. The last time he'd been in a vehicle like this, he had merely been an observer on the sidelines. Now, he was in control, leading his team forward.
Bodhi didn't know if the others felt the same way, but as the beams of hyperspace replaced the dark remnants of Scarif with the familiar stars of the galaxy, his heart was renewed with greater energy than ever before - and for the first time since his escape from the Imperials, Bodhi could feel hopeful for a new future.
A rumble in the sky jolted the team from their shuffling gait to and from the cave. Earlier the team had been greeted with a pale dawn, a good sign in their minds, the morning heralding a steady, tranquil flight back home. But swiftly, the pale pink and gold of the sky morphed into a shade of lavender, then dark violet. Too busy with preparation, nobody had noticed, at first, the transformation of the sky to ominous gray. Chilly wind propelled monstrous clouds forward with urgency, and flashing streaks of white temporarily lit the darkness.
"A storm's coming. We can't leave." The observation came from Baze, who spoke before anyone else.
Everyone looked up simultaneously, and afterwards, at each other, dismayed by the weather. And though Chirrut couldn't see, even he knew the danger, from the sounds growing amplified with each passing moment. The leaves of the trees and foliage shook wildly, while water was swirling, crashing onto the shore. The beach planet was beginning to look like something out of a nightmare, and it was rapidly heating up from the dense, thick air spreading in the atmosphere.
Cassian spoke to all of them: "We can't delay anymore. Staying one more day will cost us."
Jyn saw that Cassian was right. Scarif, even in good weather, was already bad enough. The storm, it could have been a deterrent: certainly there was danger involved, but the reward of reaching "home" outweighed the risks.
Jyn realized: The storm could be our cover.
"If we leave now, there would be no stormtroopers out. Nothing to stop us."
Bodhi nodded his head in agreement and chimed in: "We've flown in storms before. Cassian and I, we could do it again."
Cassian looked at his team. There was no defiance to the suggestion, no protest or objection to paralyze action. The other four didn't appear afraid or reluctant. In fact, they seemed the opposite. An unexpected swell of pride filled his heart. There isn't a better team I can ask for.
"Let's go."
The engines roared to life as Bodhi started the ship up, and Cassian clicked various buttons on the dashboard. Jyn and Baze monitored the sky above through the windows, while Chirrut sat on a crate, mumbling the words, "I am one with the Force, the Force is with me." The chant remained in the background, as the ship hovered above the ground, shaky at first, but gaining altitude steadily.
"Set course back to Yavin 4."
Fortunately, the eager wind was giving the U-Wing a helping hand as the ship circled once and headed upwards - away from destruction, away from fallen bodies and empty-hearted Imperial troops. A turbulent ride was anticipated, especially with the rain that had just began to fall. Raindrops pounded the windows and caused metal to rattle. Thunder cracked down, its sound drowning out any commands Cassian and Bodhi were giving to one another.
The shield gate was up ahead, a gaping black ring with its jagged edges formed from Star Destroyers. Bodhi used his strength to pull down the lever as the ship curved up to meet the gate. The last time he'd been in a vehicle like this, he had merely been an observer on the sidelines. Now, he was in control, leading his team forward.
Bodhi didn't know if the others felt the same way, but as the beams of hyperspace replaced the dark remnants of Scarif with the familiar stars of the galaxy, his heart was renewed with greater energy than ever before - and for the first time since his escape from the Imperials, Bodhi could feel hopeful for a new future.
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