Chapter Text
“No.”
Scylla bit back a growl of frustration as she chased after Sergeant Anacostia Quartermaine. The taller woman had long strides and no patience for anything she saw as a waste of time.
She saw this as a huge waste of her time.
“This is going to happen, Anacostia.” Scylla stretched her legs as far as they could go and quickened her steps to stay at her side, “My intel is 100% accurate.”
“Nothing is 100% accurate.”
“I am.” Scylla ducked behind her as they marched through a narrow doorway, nearly colliding with a group of ragtag engineers going in the opposite direction, random tools and gadgets fumbling in their hands as they clumsily darted out of the Sergeant's way.
Anacostia turned a corner, entering the main hangar, a cadre of X-Wings idling in their bays as droids rushed to and fro, beeping and welding as their counterparts watched on.
“Ana,” Scylla slid in front of her, forcing the officer to come to an abrupt halt, “The First Order is building a base there, and if we don’t stop it, they will have a stranglehold on the entire quadrant.”
“It’s nothing more than a supply base. An abandoned depot they are scrounging for scraps while they build elsewhere.”
“They want you to think that.” Scylla snarled, “Just because Alder doesn’t listen to Intelligence doesn’t mean it’s not true. I agreed to be your eyes and ears. You recruited me .”
“You were about to rot in prison on Cantonica. After we had caught you trying to spy on our base on D’Qar.” She glared, “Against my better judgment and everything I ever valued, I saved you. I have yet to know why.”
“Because I get you the Intelligence your General is too inexplicably stupid to get herself.” Scylla returned the glare, “They are building a base, and it will be active soon. If you don’t send in every squadron available, they will have enough power to cut off the entire system.”
Anacostia didn’t react, brown meeting blue in a battle of silent wills.
“This won’t bring her back.”
Scylla flinched, feeling the words like a stab to the heart, unable to hide her reaction from someone she might almost call a friend, “This isn’t about that.”
Anacostia softened slightly, “We can’t go after every single shred of a rumor you hear.”
“It’s not a rumor.”
“The First Order has no reason to build a base on that planet. It is a wasteland. Nothing but bits and pieces leftover from battles fought long before either of us were wearing a uniform.” She offered the younger woman a knowing look, “It’s also Raelle Collar’s home planet.”
Scylla’s jaw ticked, “I heard it. I’ve seen the plans.”
“Do you have them with you?”
No. She didn’t.
Anacostia nodded at her silence, “I need more to go off of than hearsay and a broken heart.”
Scylla’s hands curled into fists, “People will die.”
“There’s nothing I can do without proof. You know this. I cannot go to Alder with little more than that one of my spies thought they heard something.”
“Then, let me go there. Give me a ship, and I’ll get you all the evidence you need.”
“You’re needed here. A mission is coming up, and we don’t have any ships to spare. Not after the last battle.”
The flying sparks and zipping droids behind Scylla spoke to that.
Anacostia sighed and stepped closer, lowering her voice, “I understand that you miss her. Losing her is a loss none of us ever wanted. But, you cannot let it drive you to battles we cannot afford to fight. Our resources are limited. Outdated. Half the time - useless. And losing one of our best pilots, one of our best squadrons, is still impacting our ability to fight this war.” She held her gaze, “I need to know I can trust you.”
Scylla’s chin trembled as she fought to maintain her composure, “The last time you didn’t listen to me, you lost almost half your force. You lost your best defensive squadron. You nearly lost two more.”
They lost the Bellweather Unit.
“If you ignore me on this, we’ll lose everything.” Scylla ground out, “I am not letting her death be for nothing.”
With one final glare, Scylla turned and stormed away, a wayward pilot and his droid having to jump to clear the path for her.
Anacostia watched her go, sighing to herself as she clasped her hands behind her back.
Scylla burst into her sleeping quarters, ignoring the door sliding shut behind her. She roughly shrugged out of her jacket, draping it over the back of a chair before tugging at her shirt, pulling it loose from where it had been tucked into her trousers.
She worked to quiet her mind, dark bitter thoughts creeping past her well fortified defenses. She had constructed them over years, a lifetime, but one mention of her lover, and they were crushed to the ground, obliterated with the memories of bright affectionate blue eyes and an easy grin that made her heart melt.
Her hands shook, and she pressed her fingertips to her forehead, mentally willing herself to breathe, to calm down, to think of something else. Anything else. The plans she needed to make so she could get to the Cession. How she could commandeer a ship, preferably one that could fly itself.
Raelle had been the pilot of the two.
Which Raelle always found amusing because she said Scylla was the one who always made her feel like she was flying.
The corny charming Cession scoundrel.
Scylla took a deep breath, holding it in for a count of ten before letting it out slowly.
Her mind ignored her attempts, instead delving into the murky depths of nightmares and dreams to play a moment Scylla had pushed far away.
“You’re so beautiful.” Raelle whispered against her lips, holding her close as they stood in a dark corner of the Bay, unseen by the few late night stragglers roaming around.
“You think that line is going to get me to sleep with you, Collar?” Scylla leaned back slightly, forcing the blonde’s mouth to chase after her own.
“Did before.” Raelle frowned as Scylla angled her head, forcing her to miss.
“Moment of weakness."
“You don’t have to be strong all the time.” Raelle gripped her waist lightly, thumbs brushing back and forth.
“It was fun, Raelle.” Scylla frowned, “That’s all it was. Fun and easy.”
“Yeah,” Raelle nodded thoughtfully, “But, I can do more than that.”
“What if I can’t?”
“I’m willing to wait.”
Her fingers curled into a fist, and she pressed her knuckles against her temple. Her gaze swept over the room, landing on the bed.
Scylla cuddled back into the warm body behind her, cheek pressing into the thin pillow as a comforting arm slung over her hips, hand blindly patting around until it found hers. Their fingers laced together, fidgeting and playing lazily. Scylla brought them up to her mouth, kissing the backs of Raelle’s knuckles.
“What time do you need to be up?” Raelle mumbled sleepily, burrowing into the place between Scylla’s shoulder blades that served as one of her favorite sleeping spots.
“A few hours.” Scylla whispered, “Need to catch a transport to Jakku.”
“What’s on Jakku?”
“Not sure. I’ll find out when I get there.”
Raelle hummed, hugging her close, “Be safe.”
“Always.”
Scylla turned away from the bed, instead going over to the chair and small desk. She sat down, knees tapping lightly against the underside of the furniture. She reached for one of the books she kept stashed close at hand in her room. Something to fill her mind with facts and figures when she was back at base.
She slid the first book over that she could reach and flipped it open.
It was one of Raelle’s old medical textbooks.
“My mama was a healer.” Raelle watched Scylla from where she was lounging on the bed, feet stretched out and elbows holding her up. “Thought for sure I’d end up a medic once I signed up.”
Scylla looked up from the book she had been reading, peeking over her shoulder at the blonde, “Why didn’t you?“
Raelle shrugged, “They needed pilots. Joined up, and Anacostia told me I’d be more useful protecting lives than trying to save ‘em. It’s why I wanted on Blue Squadron. We’re defensive. Protect the base. Felt more at home doing that. Felt more right.” She grinned, “I can pretend like I’m the one protecting you and not the other way around.”
Scylla’s hand fell to the tattered yet well kept book, fist connecting with the aged binding, blistered and bent from years of use.
She hadn’t protected her, though.
The one time she could, and she hadn’t.
Alarms were ringing in every part of the base, red lights flashing like hellish strobes, causing her to nearly go deaf and blind.
Scylla raced down the corridor, bobbing and weaving past infantry and pilots alike. Her eyes panned back and forth, desperately searching for a sign of blonde braids and an orange flight suit.
“Ramshorn.” a hand shot out, grabbing her wrist and redirecting her.
Scylla twirled around, ready to spit out a few choice words, when she saw it was Anacostia.
“We need to go. Now.” Anacostia motioned with her head and began to lead the young spy toward an evacuation transport.
“Where’s Raelle?”
“Flying, or just about to.”
Scylla grimaced as an explosion sounded nearby.
They were under attack.
The First Order had found them.
Just like Scylla told them they would.
Alder hadn’t listened.
Had not believed the First Order could discover her secret base. Get past her defenses based on the first war with the Empire. More than a lifetime ago.
Scylla told them this was coming. The First Order was coming.
Now, she was dashing through the base toward a quickly filling evacuation ship with no idea where her girlfriend was.
Anacostia guided her onto a ship, swiftly moving past low level officers toward the front where Sergeant Izadora stood with General Bellweather and General Clary.
The hiss of the door closing behind them echoed in the distance, and the floor beneath her feet began to rumble.
“Sgt. Quartermaine.” Clary greeted her with a nod before returning to her discussion with Bellweather.
Scylla turned away, walking toward the communication center as Anacostia eyed her retreating form, Izadora stepping into Scylla’s previous spot.
The brunette hopped over and nodded at the communications officer manning the controls, “Blue Squadron. Patch me into Blue Squadron Leader.”
The other woman shot her a look.
Scylla frowned, “Either you do it, or I will.”
With a roll of the eyes, the officer clicked a few buttons, “I can get us in, but we can’t communicate with them. The equipment is faulty. Was supposed to go under repair tomorrow.”
“Fine.” Anything would be ok at this point. She needed to hear that Raelle was ok.
A few more clicks and a scratchy staticy voice garbled out, “Blue Leader to Red Leader.”
“This is Red Leader.” Abigail Bellweather’s voice was barely more than a mumble across the speakers.
“I’m seeing a whole hell of a lot of Star Destroyers with canons that look like they work.”
“Copy that, Blue Leader. I see the same.”
“This is Cobalt Leader.” Tally Craven chimed in, “TIE Fighters on-route. I see our transports leaving base.”
“Main objective is to provide cover for the evacuees.” Abigail ordered.
“Copy that. Blue Squadron will provide main cover.” Raelle spoke up, “Blue Three and Blue Six, with me.”
The transmission turned to pure static as they broke through the atmosphere, the blue of the sky turning to the pitch black of space.
She could see the X-Wings and TIE Fighters engaging in battle, reds and greens shooting through the darkness and cold grey metal swooped through the empty nothingness, dodging and weaving only to explode in a glittering wave of fire.
She desperately searched for Raelle’s X-Wing.
She saw one explode, shot down from behind.
Then another, unable to spin out of the way of a Star Destroyer’s cannon.
There were so many First Order ships.
So few of theirs.
It wasn’t even going to be a fight.
The pit of her stomach dropped when she saw an X-Wing appear out of nowhere, absorbing a shot directed at her ship.
The X-Wing spiraled out of sight, half on fire, as they jumped to light speed.
The door to her room whooshed open. She clenched her teeth at the unwanted intruder. A blaster clattered next to her on the desk, and she squinted warily at it. She picked it up, standing to glance at her visitor.
Anacostia lifted her chin, a cloak covering what was decidedly not her uniform, “You have five minutes till wheels up. I suggest you get your head in the game and remember how to use that thing.”
“What?”
Anacostia didn’t blink, “We’re going to the Cession. Nine minutes, let’s go.”
Scylla quickly grabbed her jacket, following after Anacostia, “You believe me.”
“No,” Anacostia pursed her lips, “but the last time I refused to believe you, we lost some of our best people. I won’t let that happen again. I’m not losing any more of my people. ”
“Thank you.”
Anacostia nodded at her to go into the hangar, “Moffet’s piloting. Goddess help us.” She pointed at their ship, a small shuttle that would only fit a handful of people. “Izadora is also joining us, because no one seems to understand the inherent danger this mission imposes.”
They walked up to the shuttle, quickly traversing the plank and entering to see Glory checking the controls, Izadora seated in the co-pilot's chair.
Scylla blinked at the sight.
Anacostia sighed, “All my hair will be grey soon.”
The entryway closed behind them.
Scylla stood next to Anacostia, “This isn’t because of her.”
“Keep telling yourself that, Ramshorn.” she walked off, shoulders tense as she watched Glory strike a few knobs and buttons.
Pursing her lips, Scylla shook her head. She lifted up the blaster in her hand, wondering if there was a holster on board, when she paused.
Her breath caught in her chest.
This was her parents’ blaster.
The blaster she had given to Raelle as a gift. A way to protect herself in case anything were to happen and Scylla wasn’t nearby.
The blaster Raelle promised to keep with her on every mission, no matter what, in case she ever found herself in a jam and she needed it.
Why did Anacostia have it?