Defiant | Star Wars/Rogue One

Part X

"You there, Bodhi?" Mirax spoke into the commlink once again. "Have you talked to the fleet yet? Talk to me!"

"I'm here!" he finally answered. "I'm here. I'm pinned down. I can't get to the shuttle. I can't plug in."

"You have to!" Mirax insisted. "You need to get word to the fleet, Bodhi. You have to get a message out!"

"Are you okay?" he questioned. "Are Jyn and Cassian okay?"

"We're fine, just changing tactics." She didn't tell him that they were trapped in the Citadel. "We're going to try to transmit the schematics from the tower, but that's a lot of information. The tower can't push it through the shield without some of the data being lost. I'm right, aren't I?"

He took a few seconds to answer. "You're right. You're right."

"So, you need to let the fleet know they need to knock a whole in that shield and be ready to receive the transmission. They need to get in position, because we're not going to get two shots. They have to hit the gate and get the shield open so we can send the plans!"

"What about—" Bodhi cut himself off. Mirax could picture the reluctance on his face. "All right," he gave in. "I'll find a way."

"I know you will," Mirax replied before deactivating the commlink.

Jyn stepped in front of the viewport, reading her blaster. "Step back." Cassian and Mirax obeyed, standing far enough away that they were safe from the spray of shards created when Jyn fired the blaster at the viewport. The three quickly discarded their stolen uniforms, the lessened bulk making it easier for them to move freely—an ability they would need if they were going to climb to the top of the databank.

Jyn was the first to climb onto the console. "Come on," she ordered the others before jumping across the gap between the viewport and the databank. Mirax and Cassian climbed onto the console behind her.

"Your turn, Mirax," Cassian insisted once Jyn had moved where they wouldn't crash into her if they jumped. Mirax knew they didn't have time to argue, so she climbed out of the viewport and balanced on the narrow ledge outside, keeping one hand on the console for balance. After noting that the distance between her and the wall of the databank had seemed a lot shorter before Jyn shot out the viewport, she jumped across the gap. She grabbed onto one of the data tapes, hanging on as if her life depended on it—which it did—but had a little trouble finding a foothold. As soon as she did, she started climbing to meet Jyn, who had almost reached the Stardust tape. She didn't look back when she heard Cassian jump for fear of looking down and freezing when she saw how high up they must have been.

A few meters above Mirax, Jyn grabbed onto the Stardust tape. "I've got it!" Jyn cried. She seemed to have some trouble pulling the tape out of the claw, but managed to do it, almost locing her balance when she did.

"Careful!" Cassian warned. Jyn managed to cling to the databank, Stardust tape in hand.

"You good?" Mirax asked. Jyn nodded, attaching the Stardust tape to her belt. The three started climbing again, moving quickly and carefully—a fall, they all knew, would almost undoubtedly prove fatal.

The hiss of a door opening drew Mirax's attention to an access door. A man in a white cloak—she thought he was the same one she saw on Eadu, but it had been too dark there for her to tell for sure—and two stormtroopers dressed in black appeared. "Look out!" she cried, drawing her blaster with one hand and firing as many shots as she could. Below, Cassian had drawn his own weapon and was firing at the three Imperials. The troopers and the man in white quickly returned fire, forcing the rebels to try to climb around the tower and out of shot.