The turbolift hissed closed. The clone troopers looked at each other, nodded, and removed their helmets. “I can’t see a thing with this helmet on.” Sorn said as he shook loose his long blond hair. Seth took Sorn’s helmet, made a few adjustments to the webbing, and placed it back on his head. Sorn turn this way and that, looking around the elevator. “Better,” he said, “How’d you do that?” Seth shrugged, saying “I fought for years alongside those guys. It was only a matter of time before I learned more about their gear.”
Valus held up her hands, allowing Seth to remove her binders. She removed her gag, stretching the soreness from her jaws. “So,” she asked, “We are in. What’s our next move?” Seth thought for a minute, then realized. I am just making this up as I go along. How very Corellian of me. He looked to Serena, who was now free of her bonds, and she shrugged. Great. It’s all on me. Seth had no idea what to do. Should they look for survivors? Should they make their way to the nearest security monitor, try and access the holovids and maybe see what exactly happened here? He had never been in a leadership position before, always being led into battle. But this wasn’t battle, it was a reconnaissance mission.
“OK.” He said, pushing the button for the uppermost level, “We check the council chamber, see if we can find any survivors in hiding. From there, we need to find a comm. Center, try and contact any Jedi off planet.” They all looked at each other, nodding in unison. Well, my first decision was easy enough. Let’s hope the rest follow suit. Seth checked the charge on his blaster rifle. Full. He had given his twin blasters to Serena, and had tucked his vibroblade in his boot. Sorn fingered his blaster, nervous but alert. Serena was appraising her newly acquired weapons, and Valus was standing loose and ready, her unlit lightsaber held in her right hand.
At that moment, the doors of the turbolift hissed open. A long, plush hallway stretched on for what seemed like forever, ending at a silver blast door at the end of the hall. Seth and Serena took the lead, one covering the other as they advanced down the hallway. Sorn trailed along in their wake, while Valus brought up the rear. As they passed a hallway branching off to the right, Seth stopped, cocked his head, sensing something. A presence, a force signature he recognized all too well. It was Willey, he was sure of it. She was here, close, and in pain.
As he concentrated harder, trying to get a lock on her position, Valus came up beside him. “I feel it too, Seth.” She said, and she took off down the hall at a light jog. Seth followed her, his sense of urgency growing when he sensed Willey’s fear. Serena looked at Sorn, shrugged, and followed them. Sorn, perplexed, had no choice but to accompany them. Valus walked along with her nose held high, as if she was actually trying to sniff Willey out. Seth knew that Bothans possessed enhanced senses, but he wondered if Valus could actually smell her.
As they passed a meditation room, Seth stopped and looked up at an air duct, concentrating on it. Sorn watched, wondering what his Jedi friend was thinking, but didn’t question him, for he had long ago learned that Seth possessed senses that he could not fathom. Valus came up alongside Seth, looking also at the vent covering the duct. They looked at each other, nodded, and Seth went to one knee. Valus leapt onto his back, igniting her lightsaber, she sliced through the thin grillike duct cover, and then squirmed inside. Seth slung his rifle over his shoulder and addressed Sorn and Serena.
“Valus and I have sensed another Jedi, someone wounded and in pain. We think it’s…..Willey.” Sorn didn’t even bother questioning him. He knew that Seth still loved Willey deeply, and that he would rather die than leave her behind. Sorn nodded, saying “We’ll wait in here,” gesturing to a vacant room on the right. “Find her, Seth. We aren’t going anywhere.” He clapped a hand on Seth’s shoulder, and with that, Seth disappeared into the air duct.
Serena, who was at a loss, spoke. “Sorn, what was that all about? I think we should stick together.” Sorn walked over to the door, palmed the access panel, activating the doors, which hissed open, revealing a modest room, apparently someone’s quarters, abandoned during the battle. “Don’t worry about it, Seth knows what he’s doing.” He gestured to the bed in the corner, and winked at Serena. “Besides, we could use some time alone, don’t you think?” Serena shot him an evil look, brushing past him into the room. As the door hissed shut, she scrambled the lock, so that no one could enter. She turned and saw Sorn there, his helmet removed, inches away from her, his hands finding hers. She let him take her, wondering for the millionth time what it must be like to experience the human emotion called love.
((I would like to help write this story. Here is an example of my work: http://www.fanfiction.net/~jedireaper It wont be finished for a while but I would lend a hand. Even write bits if you like. Free help at hand.))