Taking Stock

### *Some time after the rescue of the* Redeemer*...*

Captain Rho tossed a third datapad aside and leaned back in the co-pilot’s chair of the *Watchman*. Setting up the Bolthole as a functioning base was dull work, full of spreadsheets and requisition forms; Senator Sambal was quite thorough. Rho glanced at the back of the pilot’s seat, scorch marks still peeking out from the patch job covering where Lt. Marr had been shot and killed. In the corner of his eye, he could make out the faded brown spots where Crewman Orn’s blood had stained the screws in the floorplate. Dull work was something of a relief.

He stood. Out through the viewport, he saw workers assembling tents and pre-fabricated building pods. A secondary landing area lay beyond them, with blinking orange markers forming a permitter around several engine-burnt patches of ground. Droids were loading supplies into the *Runagate*. Rho gave a quiet sigh.

“Captain?” a voice at the cockpit door disturbed him and he turned.

“Lt. Teb,” Rho said, returning the young officer’s salute.

“They’re making ready to depart. You asked me to let you know?”

Rho nodded. “Thank you.”

“Would you like me to…?” He gestured to the stack of datapads lying on the control console.

“No, it’s fine. I won’t be long.”

Teb nodded and stood, rod-straight. Rho smiled and gave him a pat on the shoulder. “You’re doing fine. Work is on schedule, we have food and we have power. I couldn’t ask for more under the circumstances.”

“It’s just not how I expected my first promotion to happen,” Teb said, looking around the cockpit.

“It never is.”

Rho made his way through the ship and down the entry ramp. To one side he saw the miniature junkyard Tau had gathered for himself. The Jawa’s swearing rang out as some new contraption shorted out, sending a small cloud of smoke into the air. On the other, in the distance, children played in the bushes while the civilian adults laid out rows for planting crops.

It was a start.

Rho caught Ari’s eye and waved. She walked from the *Runagate*, where she’d been performing final checks, diagnostic scanner in hand.

“Captain Rho,” she said. “Everything all right?”

“You can call me Joon, Ari, it’s fine.”

Her mouth perked up at the side. “I’m not sure it is, Captain.”

He smiled. “I just wanted to make sure you have everything you need. It’s a long way to Alderaan on your own.”

Ari tilted her head. “I won’t be alone; I’ll have my boys.”

Handee, Ari’s orange and white astromech, led the collection of droids in a chorus of beeps and whistles. Rho chuckled.

“Of course.”

Ari looked up at him. “Was there anything else?”

He hesitated. A heartbeat passed. “No, just wanted to wish you luck. I hope your parents will make it there safely and settle in all right.”

“Viceroy Organa sent his daughter to pick them up from Chandrila, personally. They’ll be safe enough with Alderaan’s new senator. And Dad will have the time of his life once he’s there.”

Rho nodded. “Of course. Well, I shouldn’t keep you.”

Ari seemed to hold a breath, then released it quickly, said her goodbyes, and returned to the ship.

Captain Rho watched the *Runagate* take off and soar into the sky before sighing and returning to his dull work.