The two imposing guards towered above Leia and her small party. They were dressed in long, dark blue robes and golden helmets. They stood in front of a large, closed, gold door, decorated ornately with patterns like the ones outside. Auralia stepped forwards,
"Esaya tua acattay trya. Ro'aless makatta tyya, natua Leia Organa, Han Solo esa Chewbacca." She said, in perfect Plyfian.
The guards nodded in response to whatever she had said and stepped aside. The door opened. It revealed a long spiral staircase, leading down into darkness. Auralia stepped forwards confidently and descended the stairs. Han followed next, then Leia, and finally Chewbacca, who grumbled quietly, unable to see.
They walked down for what felt like miles.
"How deep are we going?" Asked Leia.
"The Royal Workshops engineer some of Plyfia's most dangerous weapons. We have to keep them in bunkers deep underground so no outsides can steal them. Of course it made sense to build the workshops nearby so that the weapons didn't need to be transported so far." Replied the Princess, not turning around. Suddenly, the stairwell ended and opened up to a vast room. Leia blinked. This workshop was huge. Easily fifteen furnaces, twenty work stations and hundreds of Plyfian workers scurrying around fixing everything from ships to blasters. The work stations were arranged in rows of five, and all were littered with various spare parts. A loud fanfare suddenly sounded and all of the grease-smeared workers abruptly stopped what they were doing and turned to face the door we had just entered through. They got down on one knee and bowed low in our direction.
"Hail Princess of Estara, First Champion of Plyfia, heir to the throne of Illias." They all said in unison.
Auralia groaned.
"I hate it when they do that." She said. She walked briskly through the room of bowing blacksmiths, technicians and mechanics, arriving quickly at a small door.
"This is my private workshop." She said, quietly. "I kept your stuff in here, Han."
The feeling Leia had been getting that she was starting to like this Princess immediately vanished and she was back to glaring at the back of Auralia's head.
The Plyfian princess swanned between two work tables gracefully towards another, smaller door at the back of the room. The room beyond was the size of a large closet, with selves lining the walls with various mechanical paraphernalia.
"What did you say you needed?" Called Auralia. "I found a power coupling in here which seems in pretty good condition and some hydraulic pressure valves but those are kinda rusty." She continued to rootle through the various engine parts. "And as for those other supplies you wanted, I had the servants put together some crates for vacuum packed food and stuff."
"Thanks, Auri." Said Han. Leia raised her eyes at the word 'Auri'. Apparently Han and Auri had spent enough time together to have nicknames.
"You're welcome, Captain." She said with a glittering smile. Leia's eye twitched again.
Suddenly, the was a ground shaking explosion. Leia grabbed a table to prevent herself from falling over. However, Chewie toppled from his great height, narrowly avoiding squashing Han.
"What the hell was that?" Shouted Han over the din of the panicking workers and whirring of alarms.
"We're under attack!" Shouted back Auralia. She sounded furious. She ran over to a holo-projector which flickered to life. She moved several documents, bring up the image of a flustered looking guard under a golden and ornate helmet. He shouted a string of Plyfian which Leia didn't understand.
"Stormstroopers." Said Auralia, shutting down the screen. "And a Sith warrior."
Leia blanched. Luke
Auralia marched across the room to the door.
"They will enter the workshops any second." She said, pulling her staff off her back. "Grab what you need and get out."
There was another loud crash. That seemed to shock Han into action. He scrambled to the cupboard, grabbing whatever he could find, rusted or not. Auralia sprinted out across the Royal workshop. Leia went to help Han but no sooner than she reached the closet, Auralia came crashing through the door, chucks of wall flying with her. She landed with a thud on the floor. Leia winced sharply at the sound of cracking bones. There was no way she was getting up after that… but she did. She stood steadily but her left arm was bent at an odd angle. Her elbow was inverted so that it was now bent the wrong way. Then something very peculiar happened. Auralia's arm began to twist itself with sickening clicking sounds. Within seconds, it looked as it if had never been broken at all. Leia blinked. She remembered what Han had said about her not being human.
Luke strode into the room, his light sabre glowing blood red. His golden eyes flashed dangerously. Auralia growled, fury in her eyes. Leia was right about her not being human. Auralia spun her staff and growled, blaring her fangs. Her eyes lit up bright and Leia noticed sharp claws on the tips of her fingers. Definitely not human.
"I don't have time for you, Plyfian." Luke growled. "I have another mission." His deadly gaze shifting to Leia, Han and Chewie. Leia resisted the urge to shiver under the cold stare. There was no doubt in her mind now, this wasn't Luke. This was a monster.
"These are my friends, Sith." She said. "And I will defend them even if it costs me my life."
Luke smiled.
"Have it your way." He said, lightly.
With that, he launched forwards, his light sabre swinging. Auralia took a fighting stance, placing her staff between herself and Luke's attack.
"Run, now!" She shouted to her companions.