Final snapped awake when she realized somepony was shaking her. It was Archangel and tears where streaming down her face.
“Oh thank God!, I thought they killed you!” Archangel spoke her voice choking. Final was still in a daze she wished she could just go to sleep but she knew that was bad idea. She shacked herself away trying to understand why Archangel though she might have died. Then it came to her they where on Dxun, Archangel had challenged Kex, and Kex had cheated to win.
“I’m fine Archangel,I didn’t get stabbed like you I’m just a little tired is all.” Final lied. Truth was that she felt terrible her head throbbed painfully and even moving her head caused nausea and took a great effort. Tears continued to stream down Archangels face.
“Final thank you so much I still have no idea how you did it but you healed me from that sword wound I woke up after you had passed out and I thought they had killed you.” Archangel said between sobs “We have to get going they think we’re both done for, we should get to they ship before they find out we both are alive let alone able to move.” Final shook her head and stood up ready to head out. Archangel had some trouble standing up since the pain in her side was not removed with the wound and with no adrenaline to ease to pain, She realized just how lucky she was that Final was with her.
They trotted steadily and quietly across they path they came into the clearing on. About 100 yards away from the edge of the camp Archangel stopped dead and gestured for Final to do the same.
“How good of a pilot are you Final?” Archangel asked “Good I can out maneuver a few AA turrets if that’s what your asking.” Final replied “Well I hope so because it seems that Kex have put up somewhere around 20 just in the camp alone.” Archangel responded quietly. “we’ll have to use this hunting trail to get to the ship. The Maredalorians hunt often from what I gathered in that cell, but there will still be plenty of animals to try and bar our way. Are you up to fighting?” Archangel asked. Final shook her head and they started down the narrow path.
Between both mares being extremely fatigued and the thick unforgiving jungle of Dxun Final and Archangel were forced to take frequent breaks. withen the first hundred or so yards the dense jungle and heat had already forced them to stop. Being so weak at the time they were easy targets for any hunting party that was sent after them or any number of creatures that lived in the jungle.They both feared that soon Kex might find out that the clearing was empty of bodies and that she may send out a search party for them.
______
As the two mares worried over the thought, Kex was receiving word of the mysterious disappearance of the bodies. She had sent her quarter master investigate and make sure that they were both very much dead an hour or so before. Now she was back and telling Kex that the bodies were gone with no sign animals had removed them. Kex was beyond furious with her, they left the clearing unattended, certain that the two mares were finished for. Now she was receiving word that both had escaped with no trail of blood or cleared jungle that could suggest where they went. Kex paced back and forth angrily willing herself to not cut down her quartermaster where she stood for this outrage. She breathed deeply trying to clear her anger and form a plan. Like most Maredalorians she had an extremely short temper and the slightest thing could set her off into a blind rage that was great for battle but not when they wanted to form plans. One of the few Maredalorians who seemed to always have control of herself and the situation was the blasted Archangel. She was always able to form plans and use attacks no one expected from a charging Maredalorian.
“Well what the hell are you waiting for set up sentries around their ship and send out search parties!” Kex hollered after she calmed herself down some. The quartermaster bowed and walked out of the room to carry out the tasks she had been given.
__________
Final and Archangel had resumed their trek through the dense forests of Dxun. They had expressed their feeling of danger to each other and decided upon moving with more cation as they got closer to the ship. When they had spotted the ship they both stopped dead.
“I’ll go I have energy and i can move quieter than you anyway.” Final announced. She trotted of the path into the dense jungle encircling the clearing the ship had crashed into. Archangel told her the ship still worked since she heard her guards talking about what the ship would be used for by Kex. She moved silently into a knoll that protected her from the eyes of anyone looking at her. She started in fear as she saw what guarded the ship. A garrison of at least 15 men encircled the ship alone. The tents pitched around suggested that 10 more waited inside Kex had obviously gotten word of them leaving the clearing.
Final trotted silently back to were Archangel waited. Archangel had fallen asleep due to her exhausting day. Final shook her awake making sure to keep a hoof on her mouth in case she screamed. Archangel woke silently with a questioning look in her eyes. 15 men at least guarding the outside alone looks like another 10 on the inside. Archangel chewed her lip thoughtful. If they planned an attack just right they could do it without to much noise and maybe slip away without worry from the AA turrets
“It will be risky but we should attack tonight, Kex always kept the troops in bad order most likely we can do it with only fight half or so of the men stationed there.” Archangel announced
They waited until dark the sounds of the jungle enclosing them. They heard sounds constantly but could never truly pinpoint the origin of the sound every single sound even the occasional crack of twigs seemed to be amplified and then repeated all around them. They camped out in the same knoll Final used to spy. They took turns keeping watch over the ship. Final was watching with well awake eyes when the mass group of guards when to sleep leaving two Maredalorians guarding the entrance to the ship. It didn’t take much to wake Archangel since she was still tensed and on edge from what had happened. They had worked out their plan before dark fell so no words would need to be spoken this close to the camp. They both were to encircle the camp to opposite points. The guard had set up its camp half on one side and half on the other. They slept close together and would be rather easy to take out silently if nessessary. The sentries had already started to drift off, standing alone in the heated jungle with nothing to do toke its toll on their ability to stay awake.
Final moved to the generator the Maredalorians had set up to keep away the beasts of the jungle. She placed a thermal detonator on the back of the generator and primed it to explode. She looked through the darkness over at Archangel and saw the soft glow of the primed explosive on the far side of the field. Archangel was to set off the explosives when Final killed the two sentries guarding the entrance to the ship. They planned to run on board and hide in a smuggler’s safe built into the ship. If everything went to plan, they hoped that the guards on board would go outside to investigate and then the would fly off with the ship. The detonators had a smaller blast radius to make sure the ship was intact when they went to fly off.
Final toke care aiming her blaster at the sentries she had two shots, they had to count. If she missed the whole plan would be destroyed. They had to get on the ship fast so they could set off the explosives. She aimed at the first mare’s head and shot re-aiming at the second and firing again. She burst into a full gallop to get to the ship. The shots had hit their targets now all she had to do was get on the ship with Archangel. As her hoofs hit the ramp she saw Archangel appear next to her. Her teeth were clenched on a detonator and she squeezed.
The explosions ringed in her ear loudly as they entered the Ebon Hawk. They darted straight to the smuggler’s compartment. Final opened the hatch quickly and followed Archangel inside. The compartment was small by any means but Archangel’s bulk made the compartment slightly cramped. The compartment wasn’t made to be hiding people. They heard the rushed hoof stomps of the mares passing by. After what Final and Archangel assumed was 10 sets of hoofs passed they exited the compartment. No guards were left on board so they ran to the cockpit and fired up the engine. Final closed to entrance hatch behind the Mardalorian guards. they banged on the ship furiously. Final toke of from the planet with a great relief. They sailed out of the atmosphere without trouble from the many AA turrets in the camp. Once they were clear Final plotted a course to Coruscant. Archangel and Final had planned to travel to Coruscant to warn the republic leaders of the impending war.
“Hey Archangel what day is it?” Final asked
“Umm I think its the 13th why?” Archangel replied
“Its my birthday then...” Final said realizing the date. A huge Grin spread across Archangel’s face.
“Your turning of age aren’t you Final?” Archangel asked thoughtfully. Final shook her head not knowing where the conversation was leading to. “Well then lets go to a cantina they have plenty on Coruscant besides you look like you could use a good drink!” Archangel said cheerily. Final nodded her head happily.
“No one has ever celebrated my birthday...” Final said sadly she had no friends really not even in the exchange.
“Then we will have to make this one extra special wont we?” Archangel said happily. Final nodded they were both glad to have something to celebrate after their recent endeavors. Final was glad she finally had a friend who at least acted if she cared about her even if she didn’t. Final wasn’t sure on Archangels feeling about her but that could wait she had a birthday to celebrate with a friend.