Sabotage
The hideout came along slowly but surely despite some setbacks. There were occasional drains of power which nobody were able to find out why.
Salla Zend was cursing when the lights in her small quarters went off. It was the fourth time in this week. She ignited her flashlight and walked out of her quarters. There she met Nomi who was also outside her quarters using her lightsaber as a flashlight. The whole sector was dark except the dimly lit place where Salla and Nomi were standing.
"I start to believe that there's a saboteur in our cell, Commander," the former smuggler said with a grim expression.
The Jedi Master shook her head still not being used to be called commander even by friends.
"It can't be, Salla. All members of the cell are hand-picked. I don't want to believe that there is a traitor in our ranks."
"Hand-picked? How many of those on base do you really know? Some of those invited to join sent their offspring or other relatives. Can you really trust them?"
Nomi looked at the dark-skinned woman with the unruly hair. "I have to trust them. We need any support we can get."
"Support yes, but not at all costs, Commander," Salla said. "We must search for the source of those constantly power drains."
Nomi nodded thoughtfully. "You're right, Salla. It was only luck that it was neither the magcon field nor the atmosphere generator so far."
"Have you ever been deeper in the cave than the outskirts of our base?" The woman asked Nomi. "If you are sure we have no traitor in our ranks the source of the issues might be there in the depth of the cave."
The Jedi Master frowned. "We should go now. Do you carry your blaster with you?"
Salla nodded her head and pointed at the holstered weapon dangling from her belt. "Of course, Commander," was her answer accompanied by a wide smile showing her white teeth.
"Then let's go."
Together they made their way to the outskirts of the base. Salla Zend made up the rear while Nomi lead the way, illuminating the dark hallways with her lightsaber. On the way they met Resistance members who were repairing the damage. One of them showed the two women the damaged cables addressing Nomi: "Look, Commander something has chewed at the cables."
The Jedi Master examined the cables carefully under the dim light. "You're right, those cables aren't cut. It looks like an animal has chewed at them." She made place that Salla could also take a look.
"You're right. There are bite marks…," the dark-skinned woman said. "Commander, we've no traitor but definitely a big problem."
Nomi nodded her head. "Then let's find out who developed an appetite for our cables."
The two women left the repair crew and resumed their path deeper in the cave. There was nothing to be seen in the dim lights of the flashlight and the saber.
"What do you think will we find, Salla?" The Jedi Master asked while moving forward carefully.
"Something that likes to chew cables," the woman chuckled while walking at Nomi's side. "We will see when we're there."
They continued to walk keeping silent. Nomi reached out with the Force sensing that there were some life forms ahead. She sensed also that they were hungry. It wasn't soothing at all to know this. What if those life forms didn't rely only on power cables?
"We should be careful, Salla," the commander said silently, slowly moving forward.
Salla shifted the flashlight to the other hand and drew her blaster setting it to stun.
"Ok, let's see who the saboteur of our efforts is," she said with a wide grin showing her teeth in the eerie light caused by Nomi's saber.
When they walked further they were welcomed by a disgusting stench. Both women were wrinkling their noses.
"I bet we just found their toilet, Commander."
Nomi nodded her head and lifted her lightsaber to illuminate the ceiling of the cave, since she sensed there the life forms. She cursed seeing the creatures clinging to the walls and the ceiling. "Sithspawn! There we have our saboteurs – Mynocks."
Salla made a face looking at the winged creatures which inhabited this part of the cave.
"Mynocks…our problem is bigger than I thought. If we don't get rid of them they will chew at all our cables. This would mean the end of our base here. So, what do you want to do with this vermin?" She looked at the commander expectantly.
"I have no idea. My scouts didn't tell me that the asteroid isn't unoccupied. It's us who are the invaders not them since they lived already here before we came."
"That's all very well, but actually they endanger our base, Commander," Salla countered, while the Mynocks begun to flap their wings, being disturbed by the light.
Nomi sighed. "We must kill them. They were following their instinct after they found our cables as a welcome opportunity. But we can't allow that they're endangering our operation, Salla."
The former smuggler frowned. "Are you kidding me, Nomi?" She asked dropping all formalities and addressing her friend like she had done all those years before.
Nomi gave her a stern look. "No, this isn't a joke, my friend, we have no other choice" She looked at the Mynocks, drew her blaster and set it to kill. Nomi had always valued life in every forms and shapes, but now she had to take lives to protect those under her command. In her mind she asked the Mynocks for forgiveness and then she begun to fire with cold precision. Salla shrugged, set her blaster also to kill and fired. It didn't take them long to take out the whole bunch of Mynocks. The Jedi Master sighed and holstered her blaster. She looked at the carnage. "It's done. The hideout is safe now, I hope."
Salla nodded her head. "Let's go back, Commander and may I suggest you send someone to burn the cadavers."
"Yes, this might be the best. I will see to it," Nomi said with a sad undertone while turning her back to the pile of dead Mynocks.
Followed by Salla Zend she walked back to the Resistance hideout. The Jedi Master was pretty sure that it would take a while until she would be able to cope with what she was forced to do. But it was for the greater good.