Jax and Nelkf hunted through the halls of the Imperial prison. Guided only by Jax's memory, they snuck along as inconspicuously as possible searching for a lift that could take them to the docking bays.
The duo rounded a bend, only to find themselves face to face with a squad of stormtroopers. With no time to fight, they furiously tried to dodge the blaster bolts whizzing past their heads and run at the same time.
Jax pulled Nelkf into a small chamber and the door sealed shut. "Where are we now?" Nelkf asked.
Jax pointed to the controls next to the door. "We're in the lift, Nel. We made it."
Nelkf looked first at the controls, then at Jax with a laugh. "You're serious? You aren't just teasing?"
Jax rolled his eyes sarcastically. "No Nel, this is really the cafeteria. Of course I'm serious!" his head was pounding with the effects of the mindkill device. "Would you mind trying to get us to the docking bay? It's on level forty three, I think."
"Right," Nelkf tapped her fingers over some keys quickly. A "no access" sign flashed up. "Blast," she muttered. "I'm gonna try this again until I get it." Again and again, the "No access" sign flashed mockingly.
"Bloody Sith!" Nelkf snapped. "Those Imps thought of everything! I wish that stupid droid wasn't part of a coffeine vender by now! He'd figure this out!"
A shrill twittering filled the chamber. Nelkf scowled at Jax. "Knock it off. I'm not in the mood for jokes."
Jax raised his hands defensively. "Don't look at me! That's binary, no Human can make that sound."
"Then who did?"
Another twitter filled the chamber. Nelkf glanced around her curiously. Finally she cocked her head at the lift computer. "Slek? Slek, is that you?"
A joyous squeal filled the chamber, now undoubtable as an astromech droid.
"What is he saying?" Jax asked Nelkf.
She ignored him and addressed the disembodied droid. "But you're an R2 unit, what are you doing operating a lift?"
Slek twittered again.
"What did he say?" Jax demanded.
Nelkf sighed at Jax's impatience. "He said 'search me, idiotic Imperial reasons.' Okay? I'm trying to get him to help us out here."
Jax shrugged. "Sorry, I just thought I had a right to know." He called out to the droid. "Look, Slek, I love a joyful reunion and all, but maybe you can get us to the docking bay now?"
Slek blatted something rude through the speakers.
Nelkf translated this time unbidden. "He said to 'keep your pants on you little short haired funny thing man you. You have no patience!'." she laughed.
Jax frowned. "Hey, Slek, this is no time for jokes. We're breaking out."
"Could you take us there now?" Nelkf finished.
Slek did not reply.
"Slek?"
A long mechanical sigh filled the chamber. Nelkf placed her hands on her hips. "Good. Then get going."
A few minutes later, the doors of the lift slid open to reveal a control room of sorts. A few officers noticed the passengers and began to run to catch them. Nelkf screamed angrily at the droid.
"SLEK!!!"
As if in response, the doors clanged shut again and the lift started up. The cabin filled with the sound of crude mechanical laughter. Nelkf glared at the computer with disgust. "That's not funny Slek. Not funny at all."
Jax too, was not amused. "We could have gotten caught! Or worse!"
Slek continued to laugh at them.
Nelkf shook a warning finger at the walls. "We're in a hurry, Slek. You take us to the hanger now, or I'll personally cross your circuits so many times that you'll think you're a toaster oven!"
Slek was either intimidated or he wasn't. Either way, he shut up and began to send the lift someplace useful.
Once again, the doors slid open and Nelkf and Jax found themselves in a place that was anywhere but the hanger. To Nelkf, it looked like another control room, only this one was empty. The Sklinth pounded the wall in despair. "What the Sith is this? Slek, when I get my hands on you..."
Slek's voice whined pitifully. But you need to be here! You want to take the locks off the ships, don't you?
Nelkf glanced around. "What's the deal?"
Jax looked out of the lift cautiously. "Nel, this isn't-"
"I know!" she snapped. "But Slek says there's something here we need."
"What?"
Nelkf listened to Slek's pipings and glanced around until her eyes caught something. "That can't be what I think it is, can it?" she had thought that those things were illegal!
"Nel, that's an all-purpose disrupter. It can knock out anything.."
"No way," Nelkf murmured. She picked up the cylindrical shaped object and turned it over in her hand. "Slek old boy, when I get out of here, I'll have someone come back for you pal."
Thank you, Slek hummed. Now hurry! Use the access card on the lift!
"Of course!" Nelkf had to laugh at herself. "How could I forget?"
"Nel!" Jax snapped "If you're quite through now?"
