Chapter 5
Er Shua placed a hand on the panel letting himself into his station office. He was suddenly overcome by a musty heat and darkness. The place was disordered, as if someone had been snooping around.
He stopped short.
And where was Resh'u? They shared the office; normally Resh'u was there earlier than Er Shua.
"General!"
Er Shua turned as the young Trooper halted in front of him. His pale skin now seemed flushed.
"There has been an invasion, sir." He signalled inside the room. "Last night, within your own office."
The Trooper fidgeted nervously.
Er Shua nodded, "Did you get him? What did he want?"
"She," the Trooper corrected. "She is in confinement. We don't know who she is. She's not speaking yet, but we have her possessions."
"Well then, is she a bandit? Has she been checked for the mark?"
He shrugged, handing Er Shua a brown pouch.
"I don't know."
Accepting the pouch Er Shua ventured into the room, kicking around scattered pieces of paper on the floor, he looked back to the young trooper.
"Where's Resh'u?"
The Trooper looked down. "The thief shot him with a blaster. He's alright but in no condition to be working."
It took a moment for those words to sink in… Resh'u, shot? Er Shua had to fight the sudden grin. Finally, that old fool got what was long coming for him. Resh'u and Er Shua weren't what one might call 'on friendly terms' with one another. Both held opposite opinions in virtually every matter conceivable.
Simply shrugging Er Shua turned away, sitting solidly at his desk.
"Well then." He breathed, reaching into the pouch. "Let us see what this female wants."
The first item was a blaster, undoubtedly taken from the Naboo. They were especially common among traveller thieves. Er Shua rubbed the blaster's metallic side.
"Small and effective, good weapon to keep concealed."
Though it wasn't necessary Er Shua chose to quote to his fellows. He was one of only two Generals in the city that; with its ever-growing population, so desperately needed more. Er Shua's job was extremely demanding, yet he viewed it merely as something to keep him occupied. Recently he'd been given charge of dealing with the Bandit group inhabiting the forests around Lake Paonga.
Er Shua unravelled the stolen scroll file where virtually every one of his suspicions was confirmed.
"Binks!" he hissed, leaping to his feet. "She is definitely a Bandit. After one of her own, no doubt." Er Shua signalled to the scroll file. "We cannot let them have this man, do you understand? The Bandit is not even to be looked upon by anyone else without my permission."
The Trooper nodded.
"Yes sir." He swiftly departed.
Er Shua breathed in a mixture of relief and excitement. At last, a possible lead on this twisted case. If Er Shua was correct and this was a Bandit, she was his ticket to ending this. The Bandit proving to be female was all the better, so much easier to break. She wasn't talking now, but in due time she would.
Lifting the pouch Er Shua tipped it up, letting the remainder of its contents to spill out. A small spherical stone hit the table hard, putting a large dent into its wood and all at once, Er Shua's world seemed to make a sudden turn...
The two fugitives briskly wandered the station. The nearest exit seemed miles away. Mosah breathed hard, holding Adia close to him. So far they hadn't been spotted but very soon the news about the missing prisoner would get around.
The station seemed so large, and crowded which was strange at such an hour.
"How much further?" Adia whispered from under her hood.
Mosah scanned the station most of the back entrances and exits were closed at this time of the morning. The closest way out for them was the front of the station, where Troopers would then notice them and question.
Er Shua hurriedly journeyed the corridors, the stone tightly in his palm. This was impossible! Surely this petty thief wouldn't be Alishka or the child! They were dead, weren't they? This female had to be an imposter, simply coming across the sphere at some stage over the years. But still Er Shua had to check, make sure. After all, were did this thief get it from?
"General! General!" a small clan of prison officers dashed after him. "There has been an escape! Your prisoner, the female has disappeared."
Er Shua spun, glaring hotly from one officer to the other.
"Was there not anyone guarding her cell?"
The officers hesitated, "Well… one."
"What?!" he now roared. "Do you not know that the Bandits, they always come in two? Never completely alone! Alert the station! All of you split up! If there's a chance they're still here I want them in custody now!"
The motion around the station suddenly changed, became agitated, more alert. Mosah and Adia were fast approaching the main sector. There, the space would be wide and empty.
"Aida." He whispered to the girl. "When I say so, I am going to let you go. You must run."
Mosah figured, two targets would be harder to catch than one. The girl seemed hesitant but she nodded anyway. Mosah didn't need uncertainty, he needed quick action to pull this off. Soon, they came to an officer post where two Troopers on guard brought them to a halt.
"Where are you taking her?" They glared suspiciously at the ragged pair.
"Orders from the authorities." Mosah coughed beneath his breath.
The Troopers didn't look any more convinced.
"Under whose authority?"
Mosah swayed, he had no time for this. Shoving Adia forward he screamed; "Go!"
Mosah's shove caused Adia to stumble forward. Her hands evidently welded together she could not balance herself. She fell, skidding across the floor and rolling into a counter. The girl froze for a moment, bracing herself for someone to come and seize her. But as she turned, she saw that the station was too concerned with barricading the main exit before Mosah got out. Scrabbling to her feet Adia spied the clattered desktop where a small key chain lay barely showing beneath a pile of papers.
Grabbing the chain she rummaged through the keys, humming urgently. The key, the key! She needed to get out of these cursed cuffs!
She heard footsteps heading in her direction and then a shout from far off. The girl looked up to see the small army of Troopers.
More time, she needed more time!
The correct key slipped into place and the cuffs at once snapped off. Adia dropped them, running off down the passage. But by her delay the Troopers had been able to catch up greatly, and anticipate her actions. Adia did not know the station as well as they most certainly did. She didn't notice a small hand full pull out of the chase and journey down a different passage.
Er Shua spied the bandit before anyone else. He led a small band of fellows down a back way, where the plan was to meet up with the remainder of his team halfway and block the bandit off.
The end of the passage soon came into view. Er Shua hurried his band on for he knew the bandit would be very soon on her way around. From what he'd been told, she was young and particularly inexperienced for a bandit.
Emerging, he found that his speculations were correct as the female rounded a corner a little way from them.
Immediately, the bandit skidded, wheeling she attempted to run in the other direction but the remainder of Er Shua's crew caught up. The bandit finally realized what was happening. She was being cornered.
The bandit stared into the direction of Er Shua and his men. This was her only way out. And suddenly sprinting forward she attempted to push herself through the crowd but with the quick flick of a wrist Er Shua signalled for his men to grab her.
There was much struggling and screaming to be had but all Er Shua needed to do was wait. The force of the men proved to be too over bearing for her so that by the time she settled, her hood had fallen from her face, revealing to Er Shua the two bright, emerald eyes that stared up at him. Er Shua's heart nearly missed a beat, as suddenly he struggled not to stumble backwards. There was simply no denying it… the long assumed dead, Adia Yah.