When had they started to give in?
It was useless.
Against the might of the Galactic Empire...What could they do?
Two friends.
Close as they were...They were trying, single handedly, to keep a dream alive.
The dream of a fair and kind galaxy. A dream of friendship. A dream...Purity and Freedom...Hope.
Having been Jedi, but given up their ways, in order to be safe - Things were...Different now. They wanted a more simple way of life...
They didn't use lightsabers anymore. They had destroyed them many years ago...So, as to prevent anyone from mistaking them, they often wore normal clothing as opposed to the nice flowing cloaks with hoods that they had been allowed when they were Jedi.
Things were different now...And all they wanted was:
A safe way of life.
They had careers now...Well, not a jobs as such, more like specialites.
One was a starship pilot and the other was a mechanic.
One repaired and the other flew. It was hard, but it was better then being killed.
Which was what almost happened that day...
[Flashback]
"RUN AZUSA! SERIOUSLY! RUN!"
Azusa looked back to her master as she saw something or rather someone dressed in black approaching her master.
With a mechanized breathing noise, it wrapped its black leather fingers around her master's throat and rose her into the air.
"Urrgh...Let me go! Urgh...I...GAH!"
A snapping noise, the limp image of her former master...
It was a nightmare that day. Nothing but smoke and fire. Along with the screams...Screams of multiple people...Many innocents who didn't deserve to die.
Several more officers arrived as Azusa turned back and ran as fast as she could.
"Lord Vader!"
Azusa didn't turn her head back around, she just kept running.
"Azunyan! Over here! JUMP!"
Came a scream from above, Azusa jumped and grabbed ahold of someone's arm...Being pulled into a ship.
[End Flashback]
Azusa looked down as she sighed, shaking her head. "I miss those days..."
"What? When we were being chased by the Empire? Or when Order 66 came about?"
Azusa shook her head. "No. When we were having fun on that Planet. We used to have such fun, right Yui?"
Yui bit her lower lip and nodded. "I remember...It's just lucky I remembered our bond the instant I found you. I just hate him..."
Azusa blinked. "You don't mean..."
"Yeah..." Yui nodded. "Darth Vader..."
Azusa shivered. "P-Please don't say that name outloud..."
Yui looked down and nodded with her eyes closed. "He...He shouldn't exist. Moreover, I wonder why he let us survive?"
"Yui?"
Yui opened her eyes and looked to Azusa, she could see the pain in her friend's eyes, all the pain and anguish that the memory brought her...Brought them.
"I know its hard to remember Azusa. I don't like remembering that day either...We're just lucky we got away when we did"
"Yeah...Wait-Do you feel that?"
The presence that felt somewhat familiar...The feeling of dread, hatred and anger...
Something was following them.
Or rather...
Someone.
"Yeah... I don't like this..." Yui shivered slightly. "I feel cold...Something's following us..."
"EH!? What? What's following us!?"
[Courscant - Lower City]
A bounty hunter walked very slowly through the reams of what used to be a proud area.
"Hmph. Nothing worth it here...Hold on a second-"
The bounty hunter grabbed ahold of a piece of paper with two pictures on it, two rather interesting looking targets...
"Jedi?" She looked down. "But I thought they were all but extinct...Meh, I could use a job" The hunter looked at the bounty. "300,000!? PER ONE!? This has GOT to be my lucky day!" The hunter re-adjusted the golden (not to mention stolen) head banner on her forehead and raced to her ship.
Today was her lucky day!
[Near Yui and Azusa's Ship - The Starliner]
Yui shook her head. "For the last time Azusa, I don't know what's following us! But something is! I just know it!"
"It's you and your feelings! You're letting them cloud your judgment you crazy cow!" Azusa shouted back. "For ONCE I'd like to land on a planet or explore the Galaxy WITHOUT the Empire on our tails!"
"Same here!" Yui shouted as the controls almost gave out on her. "Oh no, you bloody well don't!"
Yui thumped the controls as the ship lurched and rocked back and forth - Fighting against something as everything was becoming clear...They were in front of something rather big...It dwarfed their ship. Making them look like small ants to a giant.
"Is that..."
Azusa nodded. "STAR DESTROYER!"
The two girls began to panic - A STAR DESTROYER had them locked by tractor beam and it didn't seem like it was going to let them go. At least, not yet anyway.
A few seconds later a transmission symbol came onto the center control panel. "This is The Harvenger. Identify yourselves and state your intention through this space immediately"
Yui gulped, looking at Azusa who nodded at her, she gained SOME confidence.
"This is the ship Mouse and Cat, we are just passing through this system to get supplies!" Yui squeaked. "Transmitting ID Code"
Azusa sweatdropped. 'Mouse and Cat...Is that what we are now?'
A couple more seconds later the other side came back. "Everything seems clear. Be careful through this space-" The Star Destroyer turned off its tractor beam by this point. "-There has been reports of Rebel activity throughout this sector"
Yui nodded, but got clapped around the ear by Azusa for being stupid. "Understood" Azusa clamped her hands over her mouth. 'Shit...'
"Who is that?"
Yui coughed. "That is my co-pilot. See, I can't run this ship by myself..."
"A droid?"
Yui weighed up the options as fast as she could, one side meant that they wouldn't inspect them (what use would it be to inspect a DROID?), the other meant that she would have to explain to Azusa why she chose her to be a droid...
She went with option two.
"Y-Yes. Must have lost its function protocols. I'll have it fixed soon"
Azusa's eyes widened in annoyance. 'I'm NOT a droid!' She was tempted to pout - But then realised what Yui must have been thinking. 'Hmmm...I suppose Yui can be cool if she needs to be...Wait, what?'
"Understood...Mouse 'N' Cat. You may carry out your business"
Yui nodded, again being smacked around the head by Azusa.
"Thank you"
The transmission cut and The Harvenger flew over the top of their small ship, making it seem so very small with a huge glow off its engines before traveling into hyperspace.
Yui instantly pressed the buttons to get them into hyperspace in the opposite direction to The Harvenger, relaxing at the controls afterward.
"That. Was. Cloooosssseee!" She whined as she sat back in her chair. "I don't. EVER. Want to come across another Star Destroyer in my life!"
"That'll be pretty hard...They're pretty much everywhere"
"Good point..."
To Be Continued in Chapter 2...