#don't reblog this one I hate it so much but gdi there's going to be a continuous set offics!

[konekorambles]

Femslash February 2020 - Day 8

Sparks Across the Stars–a set of non-continuous, related ficlets set over the course of Hera and Ahsoka’s relationship.

Day 8: Pride (prompt from @FEFemslash on Twitter) Rating: G Words: 597

First | Prev | Next

I will do anything you ask for but a single comment

~~~~~~~~~~

It was supposed to be a simple retrieval mission.  Some fancy flying required, sure, but between the squad Senator Organa has lined up, and their Force-sensitive leader, it should have been easy.  Until a new class of TIE shows up, clearly faster and more maneuverable than any before.

And before Ahsoka looks around and realizes she has one more A-wing than expected.  She’s confused for a few seconds, but then the ship pulls a particularly spectacular spin maneuver, and oh she knows exactly who it is.

“Syndulla, what are you doing?” she snaps through her comm.  “There’s a reason you weren’t assigned.  Get out of here!”

“Not without the package we came for,” Hera responds, sounding distracted.  As well she should, since they’re navigating the edge of a kriffing nebula.

“I gave you an order!”  Ahsoka’s wing is singed by a lucky shot, and a cut off yell marks the death of one of her pilots.  “I can’t worry about babysitting you and protecting our transport.”

“I don’t need babysitting!”

Ahsoka loses track of her for a moment, as she spots a TIE honing in on their charge.  She cuts her engines, plunging backwards to take the enemy by surprise.  Just as she shoots it down another TIE spirals past, disintegrating as it hits the gravity well of the star cluster.

“Told you, I’m the best.”  Now Hera sounds smug, and Ahsoka doesn’t have time to take her down a notch or two.  That can wait until later.  If they both survive this.

She heads back for her position on point, shaking her head.  The other pilots are chattering in her ears, calling out the positions of the TIEs and the cruiser that they’ve left far behind.  They’re almost home free, a couple klicks from passing the nebula and clearing the hyperspace trajectory when—

“Ahsoka!”

There’s panic in Hera’s voice, and she doesn’t even think as she whips her ship around.  Hera had swung a wide vector around the squadron, and clearly caught the edge of the gravity well.  She’s slung into a tumble, and as Ahsoka watches, she clips another A-wing and sends it spinning as well.  From her own fighter, there’s nothing Ahsoka can do.

“Gold three, hit your thrusters!  Get away from there!”

Hera, back in control, swoops up to take position over the transport.  Gold three, confused and disoriented, isn’t so lucky.  The young man barely has time to yelp before he’s caught, ship tearing apart under the pressure of the forming stars.  Ahsoka closes her eyes, takes just a second to grieve, and leads the way to the jump point.

All of them are quiet until they rendezvous with Senator Organa’s hired civvy transport.  The A-wings dock at the external airlocks, ferrying the passengers across from their own vessel.

Ahsoka catches Hera in a hallway.  She’s pale, shaky, gaze fixed unseeing through the durasteel wall in front of her.  At least she’s taking this seriously.

Still, there’s more that needs to be said.  “I didn’t take you with us, because I needed pilots with experience navigating star clusters,” Ahsoka explains, leaning against the wall next to her.  “You’re one of the best pilots in my fleet.  I will always take you when I can.  You need to trust my judgement.”

Hera looks at the floor, nodding.  “Yes sir.  I understand.”

Poor, heartbroken child.  It’s an important lesson, but not one Ahsoka wishes anyone had to learn.  And there’s nothing she can say to make it better.  She lays a hand on Hera’s shoulder, then returns to her duties.