Jeck woke up early in the morning. Dawn was just reaching out through the trees and mountains. It was almost perfect; the only thing that seemed to be missing was Stacy. When he looked all around she was nowhere to be found. He ran out of the cave and called out her name. At first there was silence after his echo could no longer be heard.
"I'm right here Jeck."
Jeck turned around only to find the empty cave. Then he heard a quiet giggle. When he followed the sound it took him to above the cave. Stacy was sitting with a smile delicately painted across her face. He shook his head and let out a sigh. "I thought you left, or were so consumed by the pain or… whatever… What are you doing up here?"
She inhaled deeply and exhaled very slowly. "What does it look like I'm doing?"
"You're sitting watching a sunrise?"
"That was a question Jeck. I asked for an answer. Please… try again."
Jeck sighed and tilted his head slightly. He walked closer and got a better view of her face. Her eyes were closed and she was sitting up rather strait while cross legged. Her face was stern and completely concentrated in what it was that she was doing. "You're meditating. Why?"
"There you go. You made observations, instead of making assumptions. That is something many people will forget to do. Why I do this? I do this to control myself, tame my pain, calm my thoughts, and see things that need seeing. Jedi do this too you know. Have you ever come face-to-face to a real proper Jedi before Jeck?"
Jeck thought for a moment and he was a little surprised at both the question and answer. "No, can't say I really have. I almost did though, if our mission was successful we were to report to a Jedi General. That was before we were ambushed by those droids and I stayed behind to help the others get away."
"Mhm. But have you regretted that choice yet, or do you just go with the order of things you were given?"
"… I haven't regretted anything yet, nor do I think I will for a while… yet. You look much better today."
Stacy laughed a little. She opened her eyes and stood up smoothly. "I feel much better. Sore, but better." When she turned to look at him he was pierced by her eyes. He had almost forgotten their uniqueness. "Are you ready Jeck?"
"As ready as I'll ever be I guess, all things considered."
Stacy tilted her head and raised her eyebrows. "All things considered huh? Then we'll have to be extra careful then won't we?" She flashed a cheesy smile and took a step off the edge of the roof of the cave.
Jeck reached out to stop her but he was too far and slow to respond. He had his hand out to catch her but he was stuck like that for a few seconds. Once it clicked as to what happened he rushed back down to see if she was alright. He peered into the cave but found nothing. What? Where could she have gone now?
Jeck received his answer when he felt a small hand tap his shoulder. He turned around and met Stacy's optimistic face. "Here you go Jeck; you may need help putting them on though." He looked down and saw his armor glistening in her arms.
He looked back at her, and slowly raised his arms to take the armor from her. "Thank, you."
"Did I frighten you Jeck?" She tilted her head and smiled a huge smile and she saw Jeck smile back.
"Well, when you jumped or walked off the edge like that you did rather scare me."
"Well then," She glanced at the armor then back at him. "I hope I don't end up distracting you if I am able frighten you Jeck." She gave him the armor and walked inside.
Wait a second… was Stacy just flirting with me? "… Wait!" Jeck turned around and ran inside the cave.
############
A couple of hours later Stacy and Jeck were wandering along the rocks. They've managed to get rather far for the day only being half through. Though the rock face was alarmingly unsteady, they just about kept their balance. There were a few times they escaped a rockslide but just barely. They knew that the journey wasn't going to be easy at all yet they pushed forward.
Jeck was trying to get across a gap in the earth and made a jump for it over the three foot hole. When he landed he was perfectly steady until the ground beneath his feet gave way. Stacy was a few feet in front of him and watched as he went down into the abyss before her eyes.
Jeck knew this had to have been it and the most stupid way to die, so he didn't scream when he fell. Two feet, four feet, five- His body was suspended in the air. When he looked up through his visor he caught a glimpse of Stacy's face. It was strained, and focused. When he realized that she had caught his arm she was working on getting him out of the hole. He used his other arm to pull himself out. Soon half of his body was out then eventually he was on his back glad that it was over.
Stacy looked over him and smiled. "You okay there Jeck?"
"Is that a trick question?" He took Stacy's hand and she helped him back up on his feet.
"Well, you look okay. No ripped stitches that you feel?"
"No, they were pretty well healed last time I cleaned them."
Stacy smiled in relief. "That's good to know. C'mon now, we've still got a long journey, and quite frankly it's just begun."
"Yes ma'am."
They traveled closer to the forest line so that if one did fall, it wouldn't be as risky as it would have been further up the rocks. They walked without saying a word. It was like they just needed to focus on the road ahead. Jeck's armor had been slowing him down significantly but he would have to get used to it again. Then Stacy had gone without a cloak, with her scabbed lower back exposed she was feeling small discomfort from the sun, and her boots managed to help protect her bare legs during the whole climb.
Stacy chuckled. "Once we get back… I'm getting a new cloak. It's weird to not have one now."
"As long as we get out of there."
"Well the spare cloaks are with the other medical supplies. I figured a stock up on that would do us some good in the space travel."
"Makes sense…" Jeck looked up at the sky. The orange sun was reflected in his visor. "Dusk is beginning to fall Stacy. Should we press forward and find shelter for the night?"
Stacy stopped and looked around. "That would be logical now wouldn't it? Heh, I hope this is the last time I have to go on a nature walk in a while… Wait. I think I see a place up ahead." She pointed to a gap from a past rockslide. "Think its stable enough?"
"I hope so… Let's check it out." Jeck began to climb towards it.
"Oh hang on, wait for me."
#########
Day Two:
Jeck had woken up before Stacy that day. Sleep seemed difficult in his armor. How did I manage before? His back was slightly stiff same with his neck. He looked out the gap in the den that they found and saw the sky turn from violet to blue. He turned and saw the sleeping girl. When she is asleep is when she seems so harmless, and kind. No eerie strength and silent evil aura that he swears that she has.
He walked over to her and knelt down. He shook her shoulder slightly and whispered her name. She finally began to stir. She sat up and rubbed her face. Jeck smiled from underneath his helmet. "Good morning. We've got to get going now."
Stacy gathered up her things. "So we do." They walked onwards to their goal.
The entire day was rather uneventful with the exception of a few conversations along the road. They were short and generally the kind one would forget about the next day.
"So you actually slept in these trees?"
"Yep, but that wasn't much fun either, because if you overslept at all the vines would suffocate you… I take it that you slept in a bunker, huh Jeck?"
"Yeah, I did."
Then they would walk and eventually find something else to talk about.
"How did you get that burn on your arm Stacy?"
"I was tied down to a tree and you shot at some droids."
"I did that? I'm sorry…"
"Yeah but its okay, it wasn't your fault."
"I'm still sorry."
Their small talk had died down quicklyonce the huge base could just be seen through the trees. Dusk was falling and their goal was only a few clicks away. They silently felt their spirits lift when they stood there in awe. Stacy looked around while Jeck still stood there.
"If we're this close, we have to be careful about patrolling droids."
Jeck turned to face Stacy. "Right," and nodded his head.
"We should get some rest huh?"
Jeck shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah we should." Stacy went to investigate a cave. "By the way…" Stacy turned to look at him "Thank you… For all you've done."
She gave a kind smile. "You're welcome, it was nothing really, but you're welcome."
In the cave Jeck and Stacy got a small fire going. It was getting very cold at night again. Jeck noticed Stacy beginning to drift off just slightly. "You can rest if you need to Stacy. I can stay up with the fire, honest."
She waited there for a second then nodded her head in agreement. She said her thanks and bid him good night. She was lying there for a while, but for some reason he couldn't stop staring at her. What caught him off guard is when she asked him to stop.
"What! I wasn't staring at you." Jeck nervously lied.
She opened her eyes and looked at him. She caught him looking away from her. "Mhm, right." She rolled her eyes and went back to sleep.
Jeck cursed silently for not having his helmet on when he needed it. Why do I do this to myself?
#########
Day Three:
Stacy convinced Jeck that it was easier to take the forest path to enter the complex instead of staying on the rocks the entire time. She gave a detailed description of the area that they would have to enter, and she cautioned that it wouldn't be easy to enter at all, but it would be their best chance. They would have to enter through the west entrance which is mostly inhabited by the droids, but if they were lucky they would be gathering somewhere else to prepare for the guest of honor's arrival.
"It's our best chance, no matter how much of a long shot it is."
"That's completely understood Stacy."
"Good, because… I can't make any guarantees on how I get you back, but I will get you back don't worry."
"I'm not worrying Stacy… but I think that you are."
"… Something isn't right…"
Jeck looked at her and tilted his head. "What do you mean?"
Stacy looked ahead into the path that they were walking on. "Have you got a blaster?"
"Yeah, I always do, why?"
"Good," she pushed Jeck into the trees down into the shrubbery. "You might need it, but listen carefully, whatever you do don't draw attention to yourself." She pulled out her blaster and loaded it.
"Stacy what's going on and what are you doing?"
"Just stay hidden!" and she pushed his head down into the brush.
Not even seven seconds later a very small fleet of droids were coming up over the hill. Jeck counted about fifteen B1 battle droids, five B2 super battle droids, and three droidekas. They probably want to show off to their Masters is what Jeck thought.
Stacy remained calm, yet she wanted to crawl out of her skin and run away. She stood and faced the battle droids. They slowed down to a stop when they saw her, while the droidekas buzzed behind her. The ranked B1 battle droid stepped forward. Stay calm; they believe that you are still one of them.
In a metallic shudder it began to speak. "You are to report to the base immediately. Your master is rather displeased with you."
"I am, am I? Besides, when isn't Master displeased with me?" Stacy coldly remarked.
"Put away your weapon. We are to escort you back to your quarters where you will have to stay guarded until the Sith Lord arrives." The droid became impatient and was gesturing to the base. When Stacy refused to comply the droid made the order to another to take her by force.
The pathetic B1 walked towards her with their blaster cocked and aimed ready to fire. It got about two feet away and without blinking Stacy pointed the blaster at the droids neck and fired. Not one but two droids fell as the bolt passed through the neck joint on the droid and landed in another's head.
"She has gone hostile. Restrain her."
As the three droidekas began to fire in unison Stacy jumped up into the air and the three stray bolts hit three B1 droids. Then as she began to plummet back to the ground she fired off five shots. Two B2 droids fell. Once Stacy landed she fired off three shots and three lame B1 droids fell. The droidekas began to circle her, and the remaining three B2 droids closed in on her aimed and ready for the order. Then the commanding droid walked up and faced her. "You are a foolish girl. You are greatly outnumbered and outgunned. Your best option is to surrender."
"So I do have options?" She watched as the droid gave a slight nod. "Then I'll take this option." She raised the blaster once again and shot it through the droids head. She watched it fall slowly to the ground.
She thought that the battle was over now, but to her dismay the remaining 16 droids advanced in combat. Oh crap, what have you done you fool of a girl? If you would just watch your temper, I swear... Now you have the droidekas to deal with! She jumped to miss the wrath of the super battle droids and with their stupidity being better than their accuracy they wiped themselves out. She landed on top of battle droid and crushed it. Once she collected it's blaster she shot them both off many times and managed to hit six more of the scrap.
Jeck watched from the bushes as Stacy was dodging blaster fire and weaving around the droidekas. She only had seven more to destroy, but the three droidekas were making things damn near impossible. She managed to fool the droids for the most part and have them wipe each other out by using the droidekas persistence and will to shoot to kill. Finally the last of the B1 battle droids were down, but three droidekas were just as bad as facing a full battalion unarmed.
They surrounded her and shot the blasters out of her hands. Now she really was unarmed. Jeck wanted so much to jump out and save the day, but when he calculated the odds of what would happen to both of them he reluctantly stayed where he was. He watched her fall to her knees. It was almost like someone had kicked him in the stomach. She can't surrender, she's so close! He was about to jump out to help when she lowered her head and the droids moved in. They obviously didn't feel like taking prisoners, just leaving a carcass out to rot in the sun. He watched as they just stood there waiting. They just stood there, even as their deflector shields began to blink. On then off then back on and then off again, and then finally they stayed off. He watched as she raised her arm and held out her fist. Jeck saw some pieces of the droids fall from their bodies as she slowly opened her fist. She's… using the force; to rip them apart? She can do that?
Jeck stood up in awe as the droidekas laid in individual pieces. He walked out a little and watched as Stacy collapsed and braced herself with her arms. He ran to her side and helped her up to her knees. "Are you alright Stacy?"
She mumbled for a second before replying. "I exhausted myself… It'll be a while… but I'll be fine Jeck. Don't worry about me… Okay?"
"… I'll try."
