“May I remind you to keep quiet, Captain?” Solace asked. “Political speeches are out of order in the courtroom.”
Oryon stood. “We recognize the prisoner’s legal point. Upon careful review of the case, your honor, I respectfully submit that the charges against the accused be dropped.”
“This is outrageous!” the captain blustered.
“I am the judge,” Solace said. She hit the gavel gong. “Case dismissed! Furthermore, I charge you, Captain Tran, and your first officer Dicken with obstruction of justice and mutiny.”
“Mutiny!”
“Mutiny, sir, for interfering with an Imperial court case.” Solace pressed the security droid button. She pointed to the stormtroopers. “Take them to lockdown.”
The captain reached for his blaster, but Oryon was there in less than a moment. He pressed his own blaster against the captain’s temple. “I’d rethink what you were about to do.”
“But you have no right!”
“When we walked on board, we gained that right. We represent justice in the Empire,” Solace answered. “Surrender your weapons.”
Captain Tran and First Officer Dicken handed over their blasters to Oryon.
The security droids and stormtroopers began to march them from the courtroom. “You’ll be hearing about this,” the captain said to Solace and the group. “You’re all going to wind up in an Imperial prison!”
“Looks like that’s where you’re headed!” Trever called.
As soon as they were out of the room, Dona slumped at the table in relief, but Roan laughed. “Thanks for the save.”
“We’re not safe yet,” Solace said, leaping to her feet and taking off her judicial robe. “We’re going to have to take the ship.”
“Let’s go,” Roan said. “Anybody have a blaster’?” Oryon tossed him one of the three blasters. Dona stood. Color had flooded her face, bringing her strength and vitality back. “Who are you people?”
“Wait, let me guess. Friends of Ferus?” Roan asked.
“Good friends,” Oryon said. “I am Oryon, and this is Solace. You already know Trever. Ferus is safe, but we’ll tell you about him later.”
“I’m willing to take over an Imperial cruiser,” Roan said. “No problem. But aren’t we about to meet a bunch of enraged droids? And we’re only five?”
“And one of us is a bad shot,” Dona put in.
“We got the schematics of the ship,” Solace said.
“It runs with a light crew. Most of the droids are kept in the hold. They’re only there in case of attack. If we can take control of the cockpit, we can lock down the hold.”
“How many will be in the cockpit?”
“About three officers and twenty droids,” Solace said. “It won’t be a problem.”
“Did she just say it’s not a problem?” Roan turned to Oryon.
“Trust me,” Solace said.
They strode out into the hallway. Solace took the lead.
They hadn’t gone very far before a protocol droid met up with them. “Crew awaiting captain’s orders,” it said.
“The captain has been arrested,” Solace said. “I am in charge.”
“That’s a violation of authority,” the droid said. “I’ll have to summon ”
In a flash, Solace moved forward, lightsaber in hand, and sliced his head off.
“Oh, dear,” the disembodied head said.
With an expert slice, Solace disabled its control panel even as she continued to race down the hall.
“Ah, now I get it,” Roan said. “Ferus found his Jedi.”
They raced down the hallway, following Solace to the cockpit. Trever was impressed at how quickly Roan integrated himself in the group. He moved to Solace’s right, letting Oryon cover her left. Dona stayed behind with Trever. The five of them weren’t exactly an elite attack group, but Trever had no doubt they would win.
Solace activated the doors of the cockpit and charged in, lightsaber in hand. The new security droids began to fire their laser cannons, raising their forearms. Fire pinged through the cockpit in streaks of energy. Trever dropped and rolled.
In less than a minute, Solace had sliced through three droids and somersaulted in the air to knock down another before burying her lightsaber in its control panel. Then she reversed to take down four droids standing guard. Oryon and Roan took care of the rest.
The cockpit was now filled with smoking droids and fused metal, and Solace had her lightsaber pointed at the chest of the officer in charge. “You don’t want to push me, do you?” she asked. She wasn’t even breathing hard.