Page 115 - Star Wars Insider (Special Edition 2019)

“That what we’re calling scout walkers now? Stalkers?” Brand Howl’s boots thudded back onto the floor as he sat up.

gazed back across the heavily forested battlefield before them, “You’re making me tired. Please sit.” He indicated the soft chair
trying to reacquire her target. “What happens if I’m not around?” next to Brand once again. “We need to discuss your position in
“I heard Briala call them that.” Peering up over the log, Lylee Twilight Company. Now I was thinking—”
aimed his blaster at an approaching Imperial. “And of course you’ll “I’m not joining the Rebellion.” Brand’s
be around. You always survive!“ He aimed at another Imp and frown deepened.
s
she
,

a

got

Bria

trigger

the
.
of

Speaking

ca

to
u

yo

le
wl
.
Ho
asking
deck
,

r
d
not

and
Im
squeezed
squeezed the trigger. “Speaking of Bria, she’s got a card deck, and “I’m not asking you to.” Howl leaned over the
e, w
e’r
e w
e mop up her
onc
desk. “I’m asking you to actually join Twilight
once we mop up here, we’re going to play a game desk. “I’m asking y ou t o act u
e going t
o play a game
Company this time.”
of Lifters back on
of Lif te r s b ack on Company this time.”
the Thunderstrike—” B r and s tr aight ened he
Brand straightened her fi nger off
—”
the
e
Thunderstrik
.
he trigger
Brand jerked him back
Br and jerk ed him back t the trigger.
d down as another blaster “Of c our se, y ou’ll hav e
er
t
bl
h
er
wn as anot
“Of course, you’ll have to renege on that
o
as
e’
s go
ontr
act the Empir
bolt singed by where his
bolt singed by wher e his c contract the Empire’s got on my head.” Evon
t
t a
apad agai
r
abbed his dat
n
head had been jus
head had been just a g grabbed his datapad again, swiped the
screen, and pointed at his own bounty.
m o m e nt be f o r e . scr een, and p oint ed at h is
moment before.
L
es, gr
y
s e
yl
ee’
Lylee’s eyes, green “Ignor e a pay out and m
een
“Ignore a payout and make an enemy of
ango l
ould b
as a norango leaf, glinted the Imps, just so I could be one of your
the Imps, jus
t so I c
as a nor
f
ea
ed
, glint
e
e
s
with barely contained subordinate commanders?” Brand shook
de
ont
co
with bar

d
r
ained
mm
in
subo
el
t
n
y
a
r
c
a
t be c
her head. “Y
ou mus
ra
mischief . “W ant t o join her head. “You must be crazy.”
mischief. “Want to join
I w
us f or a game ? ” “I would never ask that.” He waved
ould ne
us for a game?”
v
er ask th
at
“
e him as if t
Gruntin g , Br and his hand before him as if the very idea was
Grunting, Brand
h
or
his hand bef
pushed past him and
preposterous. “That’s not who you are. I don’t
pus hed pa s t him and pr e pos t er ous. “That’ s no t w
cr a wl e d f art her do wn the want y ou t o change f or u s,
want you to change for us, Brand. We need
crawled farther down the
. She’d f
ou as y
g
ou ar
e. All I want
ound
log. She’d found y you as you are. All I want is unswerving
lo
i
loyalty—not to the Allianc
her target.
her target. loyalty—not to the Alliance, and not even
“Come on, to me—but to the people out there, the
“Come on,
to me—but to the people
Brand, it’ll be ones you saved today. The ones you’re
ones you saved today. Th
Brand, it’ll be
fun! We can be
gonna play cards with when we get
fun! We can be gonna play cards with
partners—work out hand back to the ship.” Howl punctuated
partners—work out hand
back to the ship.” How
signals to tell each other
his words with a nod
signals to tell each other his words with a nod toward the door.
what other suits
“The ones who al
what other suits “The ones who already think
you’re one of them. And in
we have, how many you’re one of th
we have, how many
tricks we can take…” return we’ll give you
tricks we can take…”
return w
The boy’s voice and the sa
the same.”
The boy’s voice and
the rest of the battle
the rest of the battle He could see her
H
faded to the background. weighing the words
faded to the background.
weig
She raised her blaster and and t
and the offer, and
She raised her blaster and
lined it up squarely on the what it must have
what
lined it up squarely on the
backlit profi
meant to someone

le of Captain Evon,
backlit profile of Captain Evon, mea
who’
not twenty meters from her. He who’d been a hired
not twenty meters from her. He
was bent over the body of
blas
was bent over the body of blaster for so long—
Twilight Company’s Forward Air
Twilight Company’s Forward Air Brand suddenly
Controller, Cait, yelling into the pic
picked up the drink
Controller, Cait, yelling into the
receiver as he called for fire, directing the
before her and

receiver as he called for fi re, directing the bef
“THAT’S
“T
H
A
S
T’
A
star
X-wings to their target. The FAC stared back
X-wings to their target. The FAC stared back “T H A T’S stared at it for a long
moment, mumbling
at Brand with lifeless eyes; a dried smear of mo
at Brand with lifeless eyes; a dried smear of
’
T
A
W
R
WE
WHAT WE’RE E T WH
WHAT WE’RE
almost inaudibly
blood across her ashen lips was the only
blood across her ashen lips was the only WH A T W E’R alm
L
LLI
AL
L
CA
N
CALLING
G
NG
I
evidence of her trauma.
“and
evidence of her trauma. CALLING “and I will have to
“Brand!” Lylee’s strangled shout was
ma
“Brand!” Lylee’s strangled shout was make sure they are
SCOUTT
O
O
O
O
followed by a meaty thud. Brand whirled
followed by a meaty thud. Brand whirled SCOUT T SSCOUO pruned and tended
pr
around, and shot the Imp towering over W A LK E RS NO W to,” before downing
around, and shot the Imp towering over
to,
LK
AL
WALKERS NOW?
WALKERS NOW?
R
R
RS
R
W?
O
O
N
S N
S N
KE
E
KE
the boy.
it in one gulp.
the boy. it i
KE
R
T
STALKERS?””
S
S
RS
KE
?
AL
AL
Not another one… STALKERS?” “Don’t think
“D
Not another one…
She dropped to Lylee’s side. th
She dropped to Lylee’s side.
this means
“You better not die on me, kid.” I I won’t collect
“You better not die on me, kid.”
She pulled off his cloth head
She pulled off his cloth head y your bounty.”
covering to get a look at the blood
Holstering her
covering to get a look at the blood H
oozing from the back of his head.
blaster, she took a
oozing from the back of his head. blas
seat, a
“You owe me a game of Lifters.”
“You owe me a game of Lifters.” seat, and held her glass
out for
out for more. “It’s just
not h
not high enough yet.”
Howl refi lled
b both their glasses
a and raised his in a
to
toast. “Welcome to
th
the family.”
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