KASHYYYK

The AT-AT that the trio had hijacked took a hit causing them to crash. Luckily, Diane flew them out of it before it hit the ground and severely injured them. He turned around and saw the fallen walker before turning his attention to the landing pad that they'd just shot up.

"You alright?" he asked the BD unit.

"Trill! Beep boop beep?"

"No, we are not doing that again," he told BD, waving a finger in front of him.

It reminded Diane of a time she saw a mother scolding her child.

"You two just wreaked a perfectly good walker."

She turned and saw the man from before. He was a dark-skinned man who wore dark green armor and a beige and red cape on his back that trailed from his right shoulder to below his left armpit.

"Got a name?"

"Cal Kestis."

"Diane."

"Saw Gerrara."

He shook hands with them.

"What are you two doin' on Kashyyyk?"

"We're looking for somebody," Diane replied.

"What are you doing here?" Cal asked.

"My companions and I came to Kashyyyk to disrupt Imperial supply lines."

Diane stopped as she saw a woman on the ground clutching her ankle. She walked over to her and hovered a hand over the woman's ankle.

"What are you—?"

The woman stopped as the pain suddenly went away.

"You're all healed now," Diane said. The angel walked away, not leaving any room for the woman to ask questions. Diane knew she'd be fine because she saw her friend running toward her.

"HEY!"

At the sound of Cal's voice, Diane watched as the Mantis came into view as it landed on the pad. Diane ran to catch up with Cal and trailed behind him as if nothing had happened.

"So who are you looking for?" Saw asked.

"A Wookiee Chieftain named Tarfful."

Diane observed as Saw stopped walking.

"Tarfful is impossible to find. There's a reason he's evaded the Empire for this long."

"He's a freedom fighter?" Cal asked.

"He's THE freedom fighter. A symbol of Wookiee resistance, striking at the Empire from the Shadowlands."

The Latero and the former Jedi walked off of the Mantis.

"Cere, Greez. This is Saw."

"How ya doin'?" Greez said.

"What do you want with Tarfful?"

"Jedi business," Cal said and Diane could hear his guard come up.

"The Jedi are dead."

"Not all of them," Cere said.

Cal showed the man his lightsaber.

"You get that off a corpse?" Saw said with doubt.

"My master gave it to me."

He turned to look at Diane.

"You too kid?"

Diane tilted her head.

"No. I'm an angel."

If Saw didn't believe her response or was confused thinking she was a weirdo, he didn't say. Instead, he turned to Cal and spilled everything he knew.

"This pad supports an Imperial Refinery that runs on Wookiee slave labor. Intel suggests that some of the captives there are guerrilla fighters."

"We should help them. One of them might know how to contact Tarfful."

"It's possible."

"Hold on, wait a minute, wait a minute." Greez shook his head.

"The Mantis works wonders, I mean it's a great ship, excellent pilot, but it is not built for close support."

"We'll stay here and monitor Imperial transmissions," Cere said. "With a bit of luck, we'll intercept any distress calls."

"My lieutenants and I will scout ahead to prepare the attack. Join us when you're ready."

Cal looked at Diane. A genuine smile plastered across his face.

"What'd you say?"

"Another reckless adventure with Cal Kestis?" Diane quipped.

He shrugged. "I need my Protective Angel to keep me out of harm's way."

Diane hummed in response.

"I guess I have no choice then."

"Jeez, no need to sound so excited Dee."

"Dee?"

Cal's cheeks flushed.

"Is that okay?"

Diane smiled.

"Dee. I've never heard that before. I like it."

He chuckled.

"Dee it is!"

⸻╳⸻

Diane, Cal, and BD-1 made their way through the jungle-like trench. They met up with Saw and a few fighters who were waiting for them on a nearby bridge. The two ducked and ran towards the cover everyone was hiding behind.

"Imperial sap refinery lies dead ahead," Saw said in a hushed voice.

"What does the Empire want with tree sap?" Cal asked.

"Nothin' good. They refine the sap into a powerful compound and they're rushing to expand the production."

Diane watched below as Stormtroopers pushed around what she believed to be Wookiees.

"We have to stop them," she said.

"That's the plan. We don't know their endgame but they've spread themselves too thin. This map we've recovered proves it."

He handed Cal a thin rectangular disk which was then inspired into BD-1. The droid showed the holographic map.

"These refineries double as brutal prison camps. We'll use those cutters to create a distraction while you take your lightsaber and free the Wookiees inside. We'll need their help to stop the Empire."

As he said so, he placed a hand on Cal's shoulder and Diane watched as the redhead stiffened under his touch.

"Understood."

They watched as Saw used a grappling hook to make his exit.

"Watch yourself in there."

As the rest of the fighters followed suit, the trio was finally left alone once more.

"Hear that BD?" Cal said, looking at his droid. "He said he needs my help."

"Trill!"

"C'mon, buddy!"

Diane didn't say anything but she was actually quite...hurt? Maybe it was the fact that the man she'd only known for a while didn't mention nor look her way when he was going over his plans, but Diane came to the conclusion that her feelings were hurt.

It must've been noticeable because as she looked up she saw Cal staring at her with an unreadable face.

"Let's go, Dee."

The angel nodded her head and without another word, the two walked side-by-side as they made their way toward the Imperial Refinery.