Danni glanced at Jaina. "See anything yet?"
"Nope, not yet."
The four were sitting in the minimal shade provided by a parked speeder. Jaina was scanning the horizon with microbinoculars, intent on finding some sort of movement that would suggest Sand People.
Danni leaned against the speeder with a sigh. Jag's face when he told them about the Chiss still haunted her. She had known him long enough to know that his expression rarely betrayed him, so it would have taken a lot for his face to appear that ashy and drawn.
Jaina groaned and shoved the binoculars at Tek. "Take these. My eyes are crossing."
"Yes, Colonel."
She leaned back, mimicking Danni's posture, and closed her eyes. Her face had tanned slightly, leaving an outline of the binoculars on her forehead. "How long have we been out here?"
"About three hours," Jag answered.
"One more and I'm calling it quits for the day. Two weeks ago, if someone had told me I would be sitting in the middle of the desert on Tatooine, I would have said they were crazy."
Danni tried to respond, but all that came out was a mumble. The warm breeze lulled her into a sleep she didn't even notice until Jaina was shaking her, telling her to wake up. Her voice sounded anxious. Through the Force, the younger woman seemed disconnected, as she seemed to be before space fights.
"What's going on?" Danni asked, rubbing her eyes.
"Tuskens." Jaina thrust the binoculars in front of Danni's face. "Over there."
Danni looked. Two other speeders were stopped on the next dune, one with smoke pouring out of the engine compartment. She could see flashes of blaster fire. Even from over here, the sound of the Tuskens' battle cry was clearly audible.
"Come on!" Jag called to them, drawing a blaster in each hand. He and Tek were already halfway down their hill, course set for the fight. Jaina pulled Danni to her feet and ran after them.
The Jedi Force-pulled their lightsabers into hand, and Danni smelled the familiar tang of ozone as the blades snap-hissed into existence. They caught the Sand People completely off guard in the left flank. Danni quickly realized that while they were strong adversaries, they were not up at a level to compete with Jedi. Their attacks were predictable and easy to repel.
In only a matter of minutes, a number of the Sand People were lying on the ground, dead, and the others were fleeing. Jaina disengaged her lightsaber and started walking over to the speeders. Several people were standing by them. One looked at her and raised his blaster.
"Not another move."
Jaina stopped, her expression confused. "Drop your weapons." Jaina obeyed and motioned to the others to do the same. She slowly raised her hands and began speaking in a low, calming voice. "You don't want to do that." It was a voice Danni had heard her use when trying to reason with overbearing politicians and her two-year-old cousin. The man clicked the safety off of the blaster. "I think that I do."
He squeezed the trigger.
With reflexes almost too fast for Danni to see, Jaina dove out of the way. The blast was, to Danni's immense surprise, was actually a stun shot. But the surprise didn't last long. She rolled behind a rock and pulled her lightsaber out once more. The man fired again at Jaina. She dodged, and the bolt caught Tek in the chest. He fell to the ground with a groan.
The others by the speeders began attacking, also firing with blasters set for stun. Jaina grabbed Tek's arm and pulled him out of the line of fire. Danni used the Force to throw two of the people backwards, but one she had failed to notice lifted a weapon and fired.
Danni knew no more...
"Nope, not yet."
The four were sitting in the minimal shade provided by a parked speeder. Jaina was scanning the horizon with microbinoculars, intent on finding some sort of movement that would suggest Sand People.
Danni leaned against the speeder with a sigh. Jag's face when he told them about the Chiss still haunted her. She had known him long enough to know that his expression rarely betrayed him, so it would have taken a lot for his face to appear that ashy and drawn.
Jaina groaned and shoved the binoculars at Tek. "Take these. My eyes are crossing."
"Yes, Colonel."
She leaned back, mimicking Danni's posture, and closed her eyes. Her face had tanned slightly, leaving an outline of the binoculars on her forehead. "How long have we been out here?"
"About three hours," Jag answered.
"One more and I'm calling it quits for the day. Two weeks ago, if someone had told me I would be sitting in the middle of the desert on Tatooine, I would have said they were crazy."
Danni tried to respond, but all that came out was a mumble. The warm breeze lulled her into a sleep she didn't even notice until Jaina was shaking her, telling her to wake up. Her voice sounded anxious. Through the Force, the younger woman seemed disconnected, as she seemed to be before space fights.
"What's going on?" Danni asked, rubbing her eyes.
"Tuskens." Jaina thrust the binoculars in front of Danni's face. "Over there."
Danni looked. Two other speeders were stopped on the next dune, one with smoke pouring out of the engine compartment. She could see flashes of blaster fire. Even from over here, the sound of the Tuskens' battle cry was clearly audible.
"Come on!" Jag called to them, drawing a blaster in each hand. He and Tek were already halfway down their hill, course set for the fight. Jaina pulled Danni to her feet and ran after them.
The Jedi Force-pulled their lightsabers into hand, and Danni smelled the familiar tang of ozone as the blades snap-hissed into existence. They caught the Sand People completely off guard in the left flank. Danni quickly realized that while they were strong adversaries, they were not up at a level to compete with Jedi. Their attacks were predictable and easy to repel.
In only a matter of minutes, a number of the Sand People were lying on the ground, dead, and the others were fleeing. Jaina disengaged her lightsaber and started walking over to the speeders. Several people were standing by them. One looked at her and raised his blaster.
"Not another move."
Jaina stopped, her expression confused. "Drop your weapons." Jaina obeyed and motioned to the others to do the same. She slowly raised her hands and began speaking in a low, calming voice. "You don't want to do that." It was a voice Danni had heard her use when trying to reason with overbearing politicians and her two-year-old cousin. The man clicked the safety off of the blaster. "I think that I do."
He squeezed the trigger.
With reflexes almost too fast for Danni to see, Jaina dove out of the way. The blast was, to Danni's immense surprise, was actually a stun shot. But the surprise didn't last long. She rolled behind a rock and pulled her lightsaber out once more. The man fired again at Jaina. She dodged, and the bolt caught Tek in the chest. He fell to the ground with a groan.
The others by the speeders began attacking, also firing with blasters set for stun. Jaina grabbed Tek's arm and pulled him out of the line of fire. Danni used the Force to throw two of the people backwards, but one she had failed to notice lifted a weapon and fired.
Danni knew no more...