I'm so sorry about not leaving any author's notes! I kept forgetting and it making me think I have early onset Alzheimer's :(. Well, just wanna say that I've planned for this story to be at LEAST 45 chapters, although that may change as I go :). I also want to say that I will try to improve Ahsoka's character, since I've made her seem moody and depressed (but who wouldn't be after what she's been through?) and I will make her more like the Togruta we all know and love! With that said, continue reading! By the way, I'm going to change the perspectives starting in the next chapter, just saying in advance. Turns out that first-person perspectives are too difficult for me.
As of 10/25/13 I have made these into different perspectives.
Alex and Jack rove through the carriages, doing their best not to attract unwanted attention. By "unwanted" they mean idiots who are currently trying to take over. Jack is behind his friend, making sure to not be taken by surprise. There's no on here, though this is steerage and thus supposed to be one of the noisiest parts of the train. He had his suspicions, but none of them were pretty.
''Where do you think they are, the, uh, others?"
Alexander replies dryly, ''Not sure, but not enjoying the scenic view, that is for sure.''
''Why the heck do they want to capture a train?,'' asks Jack. "Its not like there's a lot in the way of treasure here, except rings and earrings."
''Maybe they want something else here,'' the other suggests. ''Perhaps-.,'' he stop. He feels something here, a presence. Jack notices.
''What happened? Is a gunner here?,'' he demanded. Al shruged.
''No, I feel that there's someone small and young here...''
He followed the sensation, which was leading to a coat closet in the front of the carriage. The tugging grew stronger as he made his way to a coat closet. Almost hesitantly, he open it to a little surprise; a baby Iktotchi fearfully curled up in a ball. The little cranial horns had barely started growing.
''Mama?,'' he whimpered. Alex guessed he couldn't have been older than 3 years. He looks so adorable, the Nautolan thought.
However, he felt another aspect in the toddler, something powerful, like he had some of the Force in him. He knew he had a very high midi-chlorian count, somewhere in the 5-digit range, so he knew he could vaguely sense Forcefuls.
''Hello,'' he gently says to him. He retreats further back in the closet. Clearly he doesn't trust easily, Jack thought.
''No, no,'' Alex says soothingly. ''Don't worry, we're not gonna hurt you.''
He relents for a second, then he cautiously emerged from his shell. He surveyed around him before diving into Jack's arms and started wailing.
''There, there,'' Alex comforted as he stroked the rough skin on his head. ''Everything is going to be all right.'' But neither wasn't very sure about even coming out of this in one piece. When he didn't notice Alex took a quick test to see how many midi-chlorians were per cell. After the 10 second delay, the results came up:
9,448
''Huh, high enough to be inducted if I get permission,'' he muttered.
''So what should we do?,'' Jack asks.
''We'll let him tag along,'' Alex replies.
He heaves him up on one arm, lightsaber in the other hand, and trudge their way through, muffling mine and Jack's footsteps with the Force. They make their way to the end of the section. He open the door and standing in front of them are 4 guys with blasters. Oh, and they were wearing military-grade exoskeletanal suits. All 7 stare at each other for one second, and in that time only one single thought forms in Jack's head.
Well, crap.
Mel and Ahsoka took the southern carriages, where second-class is located. Normally this section was crowded, but there wasn't a slug here. Their lightsabers were turned on, the Togruta's green contrasting her raspberry, ready to attack whenever another one of those living tinnies appear. They have cleared another rail car already, but still no sign of the passengers.
''Does this always happen?,'' Ahsoka off-handedly asks. ''Hijacking and other stuff? Even for a Jensaari apprentice, you seem a little too calm.''
She looks very surprised at the question.
''Oh, I no Jensaari,'' she replies. That takes her by surprise.
''Uh, don't you have to be one to construct your own lightsaber?''
''Eh, long story.''
''Okay, by the way you have a way of handling Basic,'' Ahsoka teases.
''Oye! I have growing vocal chords. Be complete any time now!''
''Is that normal for your species?''
''We learn English harder than others.''
''Well that explains it.'' Ahsoka muttered. Then she felt a sharp burning pain in her left arm.
''Ow!''
She glanced at Melody and see her features set in a sly smirk and her finger on the settings button.
''I heard that,'' she exclaimed, giggling.
Suddenly the duo heard a loud noise coming from the other end were they came from. She glances at the other and she glances at her.
It could be the hijackers, the former Jedi thought.
Silently, they tiptoe our way to the door, turn the knob and Alex and Jack come crashing in a pile. They all fall on the floor in a heap, with Ahsoka at the bottom.
''Get of us!,'' she shouts.
''Sorry, guys its just that-!''
3 guys with the weirdest suits she has ever seen burst in, take one look at them and start shooting. They reignite their lightsabers just in time to deflect the first bolts. Apparently, those "suits" are lined with assault and automatic weapons so they're hitting hard and fast.
"What are they?!,'' she shout.
''Military-grade exoskeletanal suits!,'' replies Alex in the midst. ''They're designed to have hundreds of types of weapons and give the user enhanced strength and stamina! I don't know how they got them, they're supposed to be under the highest protection!''
''Well, they got them!," she sarcastically replies.
''We barely managed to take down 2 of them!,'' cut in Jack. He was firing away and managed to land a hit on one of the exo's arms. ''How we going to take down 3?''
''Or the rest of them,'' said Melody.
Ahsoka focused on the attackers, trying to think of a weak spot, because there has to be one. One of the lessons she learned is that no matter how powerful a machine might be, there will always be a weakness with it. She survey's the suit. It looks like thick wires bound and wrapped together with many blasters sticking out. Taking them out would be too much trouble, attacking physically almost impossible. However, in the middle of it...
An idea was struck.
''Alex, Melody,'' she tumults. ''Follow my lead!''
''What are you doing?,'' shouted Jack.
''Just follow it!,'' she call back.
In-between shots she figured they would move a little forward, getting them a little bit closer and closer to the target. Predictably they grabbed them and tried to force them into letting go of our lightsabers. It was all that was needed.
''Mel, Alex do Force Speed!'' Ahsoka screams at them.
They looked at her in the eye and realize what was needed. In a flash, they use the Force to knock them against the wall again and again until they went limp. They slumped to the floor, not waking up anytime soon. Both of them let their gaze land on the planner.
''I gotta say,'' says Alex. ''That was a little too close for comfort.
''Not any riskier than what we do,'' said Jack.
''Well, lets just get going 'kay?''
''Wait, where's the the kid?'' asked Jack
''Who?,'' questioned Melody, puzzled.
''There was a Forceful Iktochi toddler that we found,'' explained Alex. ''We had him with us when we were fighting, but we sort of lost him.''
''You lost a baby?!,'' yelled Melody. ''What were you thinking?!''
''Uh, fighting for my life!'' Alex retorted.
When nobody was paying attention, Ahsoka saw the door creak slightly open and notice a Iktochi toddler reluctantly coming in. She let it go on for 10 more seconds to see if they will notice.
1...2...3
Arguing...
4...5...6
Still arguing...
7...8...9...
Okay, time to put this show on the Hyper lane.
''You know, there's a little kid in here.''
All conversation stops and heads turned to the little guy who was in front of them. They had a stupefied look on their faces.
''How long has he been here?,'' demanded Jack.
''Long enough,'' Ahsoka dryly replied. ''Now if you're done, I think we have a train to retake.''
''Uh, Soka?''
Melody was gazing at the ceiling.
''Mmmmm... I have idea. Can I go on the roof and attack from there?''
She saw what she meant. The element of surprise; they wouldn't expect someone to surprise them from there.
''Um, yeah but-,'' the other began. Melody turns on her lightsaber, carves a square large enough for her, and hops off. Even though there were windows she could have just climbed off.
''She crazy!,'' yapped the toddler.
''Melody!,'' Ahsoka shouted into the wind.
''Hello!''
She looked up and sees light green face eagerly peering at the Togruta from the top.
''Y'know, there was a window!''
''What fun is that?,'' She cries out. She ducked her head and I hear footsteps ringing from the top.
''That is so typical of her,'' Alex mutters. ''A good entrance to something, but she makes a hole instead.''
Gotta hurry, Melodythought. Aie, the wind is so strong.
Each step is a struggle. It feels like a speeder is slamming at 90 miles an hour every time she lifted her foot.
Concentrate, concentrate. Use the Force!
She winces every time her foot does a thunk! when it goes down. There could be hijackers, she knew. Once in while, she lean back and peers into the windows, but nobody there.
Where is everybody?, She thought. They could not have thrown them off train...
Could they?
She's suddenly startled by the familiar presence of the Living Force. It feels like there's...life forms? She reaches with the Force and it is there.
That should be all the confirmation one needs.
Melody flips her weapon, made a big hole and jumps in. In fact, she lands on someone's arm. She jumps back with a yelpe surprise. Scan my surroundings; sure enough people are here, lots of them. They're all tied up. They all look fearful
''Hey you,'' she hears from behind. The Nyeeron turns around.
''Yeah, you,'' she hears from a male Rodian.
''Are you a Jensaari?'' he asks.
''No. Not yet.''
''Oh, so you're a Half-ling?''
''Yes, so what is happening? Do you know who they are?''
''W-we don't know. B-but they're planning on bombing the train.''
Her stomach immediately feels sick.
''Why?!''
''We don't know! Please stop them!''
She turned on her communicator. .They have to know.
''Hello?,'' she hears Jack's voice.
''Guys, guys! I have good news and bad news.''
''Really? Tell us!''
She gulp. How does she tell them, gently? ''Er, the good news is I found the missing passengers...''
''That's great!''
''But the bad news is that the hijackers are planning on bombing the train.''
''What!? Melody, keep going to the engine room and take out them out! We'll meet up with you if we can.''
''No problem.''
''They are planning on destroying the train!,'' huffed Ahsoka as they ran to the front. ''Next thing you know somebody is going to destroy a planet!''
That'll be the day, Jack thought.
The 3 manage to speed their way to the third carriage of the train. That's when they encounter more of them. But this time there's a dozen of them and around 5 of them are wearing the suits. They take quick notice and are not happy.
''Jensaari!,'' one of them snarls.
''Actually, I'm a normal person. Just friends of them and this one here,'' I point to Ahsoka ''Is not a Jensaari.''
They don't respond. Instead they just start shooting. Luckily, Alex and Soka whip out their lightsabers just in time to deflect them back at our friends here while I duck and shoot behind a crate with the little guy beside me.
Jack, we need you to sneak past them in order to take out the bomb.
Wait, why me?
Because they're focused on us and not you.
Jack glances at the firefight in front of him, curses under his breath, and starts making the arduous crawl to the rail car in front. Several times a stray bolt missed me by inches and I resist the urge to pee his pants. When I finally, finally, make it through I thank my lucky stars for helping me. He quietly open the door and enter.
Dozens of people are here, maybe 200, 300, are tied up in here bound with wire, cables, and rope all looking at him with hope and fear in their eyes. So this is where they trapped them...
''Jack, Jack is that you?''
''Mel, is that you?''
''Come here! I'm at the engine room.''
He notices a faint light at the other side. He nod and make my way through, almost freezing when the luggage moves particularly loud. The boy meet up with Melody and she silently closes the door behind him. Jack enter a room that smelt of a combination of oil, wood, rubber, and ozone that came from a hole in the ground with a roaring fire in the middle. A large black device at the center of it all
From the looks of the extremely complicated mechanics, its the the engine room. Here they used a type of fuel that he can't remember which, but knew was not coal. They haven't used that in thousands of years.
Melody looks worried.
''I need your help,'' she begins. She points at the device. ''I can't figure out how to defuse this because of the wiring. I need expertise. Your expertise.''
He just balks at her. Disable this thing? Now the fate of the train and everybody here rests on his shoulders. One mistake...
''I only took a beginner's course this year,'' he argues ''I don't know how to do this!''
''Then you better hope that it comes in handy!'' she shot back.
Jack's hands shakily remove the metal panel that reveal's the device's complicated structure in all its glory. There were all kinds of labels and a forest of wires with dozens of different colors and words that were so complex that needed a dictionary to look up for the simplified term.
Okay, so red goes to here and blue can be reattached here. Then that means that the orange has to go to this cyan one, but that means that this violet needs to also goes to the cyan! Can you really make three of these into one? Oh...
Melody was guarding the door, peering in once in a while.
''They're coming!'' She turned on her weapon and got into a fighting stance.
The Zabraks 2 hearts start racing faster. I'm sweating profusely, and a headache starts to take over my vision. It's so bad that for a sec, I'm afraid I might actually pass out.
So if the forest green goes to the light green, then that means this goes here and that goes there so which means...
Connect 2 more wires. The train gave a sudden violent lurch that sends his friend off her feet and which nearly causes him to keel over. He shut his eyes, hiding his face from the explosion that surely happened. But as the train comes to a screechy stop, nothing happen.
Melody get to her feet, then sprint toward and almost knocking him over.
''You did it! You did it!,'' she repeated over and over.
Jack simply grinned. Thank goodness.
