Coruscant never slept, nor did it ever slow down. The night sky was
more gray than black, revealing no stars to light the way. There was
barely any natural beauty to Coruscant, the planet having been withered
down from thousands of years of industry. Many first time visitors to the
world were often disturbed by the mechanical and sterile environment,
seeking refuge in the greenhouses and organic gardens. Helaine Trillium
had grown up on the city world, and was attached to the endless sea of
skyscrapers that stretched to the horizon and the river of air traffic that
flowed continually. Though the world was dead, it teemed with the life
from the billions of people living there.
Helaine followed Valin Halcyon through the crowds of people, glad for her companion's tall stature as they made their way back to the Temple. For the past few hours, she had been playing tour guide, having been given extra free time for excelling in the combat competitions. She was also trying to help Valin cheer up a bit, after he had lost against Anakin Skywalker in the final round in sabers of the nineteenth years. Helaine doubted there was anyone in Anakin's year who could beat him. In a few years, she suspected only Master Yoda would be able to.
She was about to relay her thoughts to Valin, when he suddenly stopped, pressing his hand on her arm. "Go back to the temple."
Helaine stiffened, frowning at him. "What?"
Valin cocked his head toward the right. "I think there may be trouble." He gestured toward a pair of humans walking just a bit too casually. Except while for one it seemed to be a leisurely stroll, while the other was stiff. "Now, go back to the temple."
"You shouldn't go alone," Helaine said, noting the danger from one of the pair to the other. She couldn't quite tell if Valin was trying to protect her, or thought she might somehow make the situation worse.
He hesitated, obviously antsy to start following them. "Nothing against you Lainey, but...," Valin said, hopping up onto his tiptoes to keep his eye on them.
Helaine raised an eyebrow. "But?"
"You draw too much attention," Valin replied, tugging on her padawan braid. "People can see that you're a Jedi from two meters away. Go back to the temple" He started walking toward the pair.
Ignoring his instructions, she followed. "And what's wrong with that?" She asked, taking in his black pants and white short sleeved shirt. The Corellian Jedi dressed like one only when it pleased them, and favored bright colors over brown and khaki.
Valin sighed, then jabbed his thumb toward the pair. "He has a weapon, if he finds you, a Jedi, following him, he may use it or run." He stopped, giving her an appraising glance. "Maybe if you removed your robe, but your tunic...do you have an undershirt on?"
Helaine nodded. "Yes," she said, starting to shrug off her robe. "Where am I supposed to put them?"
"Toss them," Valin said, then saw that she was about to protest. "I'm certain there's a thousand more robes and tunics just like them at the Temple. They're easily replaced."
She shook her head, stashing her robe in front of a building before pulling off her tunic. "Is this really necessary?" Helaine asked as soon as it was off, feeling decidedly uncomfortable because her undershirt was so much tighter.
"Absolutely," Valin replied, watching as she tucked her braid behind her ear and moved her hair over her shoulders. "Good, let's go." He took her arm and started leading her down the slidewalk. ***
Taren Trillium wandered around on the second level of Coruscant, hopelessly lost. One wrong turn had led to another, and somehow they'd left the surface. He wrinkled his nose in disgust at the smell, realizing why the lower levels were never featured in travel brochures.
"Well, I think it's official," Ammon Daelanie announced, surveying their surroundings. "We're lost."
Sighing, Taren nodded his agreement, stepping over a passed out Sullustan. He made a face. "Remind me never to come here again." Taking a deep, exaggerated breath he asked, "Do you think it's possible to suffocate from breathing too much recycled air?"
Ammon shrugged. "Don't think so, otherwise billions of peoples lives would be in danger." He attempted to be optimistic. "The senate building was nice."
Taren grunted non-committally. "I'd have preferred to see the Jedi Temple."
"Yeah, I know," Ammon said, cocking his head. "I wonder why they close it off to the public."
"Privacy?" Taren guessed, shrugging his shoulders before rubbing at the back of his neck. His back almost itched, his muscles tensing with anticipation as though something was about to touch it. He glanced around nervously, barely listening as Ammon started musing on what the Jedi would need to keep private. Most of his ideas were outlandish, growing worse on an obvious attempt to get Taren to listen to him. He just couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. A couple of humans walked by, looking cleaner than most of the underworlds inhabitants. They were soon followed by a tall man, walking with a short teenaged girl. Those two definitely didn't look like they belonged down there. Perhaps they knew the way out?
Taren tapped Ammon's shoulder, about tell him he was going to ask them, when someone came up behind him, grabbing his arm. He turned instantly, but was forced to the ground as his attacker twisted his arm, breaking it as he hit the ground. Biting his lip hard, Taren fought back a scream. Black spots danced before his eyes as he looked up at his attacker, noticing their face was covered with a breathmask. He barely had time to wonder why, when an explosion went off a few meters away from him, casting his world into darkness.
***
Helaine and Valin had followed the pair all the way down to the second level of Coruscant, never quite finding the right moment to intercede.The Force had started stirring the moment they reached the underworld, whispering of danger. It grew louder as a young man was attacked, not calming when Valin intercepted the attacker, removing his lightsaber from his belt. Helaine followed suit immediately, lifting her saber off just as an explosion rocked the ground, knocking it from her hands.
Falling to her knees from the force of the explosion, Helaine extended her hand calling her lightsaber back, when she realized her mistake. She had failed to notice the sickeningly sweet smell pervading the air, affecting her ability to think and her control of the Force. Helaine saw Valin fall as her own lightsaber dropped to the ground at the same moment she hit the ground completely, falling into a deep sleep.
***
The next thing Helaine was aware of was a sharp blow to her stomach, causing her to curl up into a fetal position.
"Get up." A harsh male voice instructed her, prodding her side with his foot.
Slowly opening her eyes, Helaine blinked up at that tall man, touching her forehead as her head started to pound. "What?"
He grabbed her arm, pulling her roughly to her feet. "Let's have a look at you," he said, prodding the muscles on her arms. Helaine forced herself to stand still through her disorientation, realizing almost instantly that the man didn't know she was a Jedi. Things would be better for if he never found it out. Her captor touched her hair, sniffing slightly. "This one's cleaner than most of the scum we pick up." He lifted her chin, studying her features. "We could probably pick up a couple hundred more credits for her."
"Yeah," a new voice said, drawing Helaine's attention to her right. Another man, a human, had his blaster to Valin's side as he inspected him. She frowned, noticing that he was clearly favoring his left leg as he leaned against the wall for support. "This whole group isn't our usual." He looked to Valin. "Do you have any family?"
Valin nodded, hesitantly. Helaine stiffened slightly, wondering if he was afraid. The man dug his blaster into his ribs. "Best you forget about them, you'll never see them again."
A sharp jab to her ribs brought Helaine's attention back to her captor. "Best you be forgetting about yours as well." He informed her, blowing stagnant breath into her face. "How old are you?"
"Fourteen," Helaine replied, struggling to her voice calm. She was [i]not[/i] afraid of him in the least.
"Most owners prefer their girls to be a little older." He mused, before giving her a grisly smile. "You don't want the ones that like them young."
Helaine took a deep breath. "I don't understand."
The man barked a laugh. "You'll know soon enough," He said, then left her to join his companion at the door. After they left, Helaine noticed the other prisoners in the room. Her gaze swept across a twi'leck female, a wookiee, and two more human males. Her eyes strayed and locked onto the taller one, whose face was tight with pain as he clenched his arm to his chest. Helaine pursed her lips; she could have sworn she'd seen him somewhere before. He met her gaze, causing her to turn her head out of embarrassment.
Valin touched her shoulder. "Are you alright?"
Turning to face him, she nodded. "What happened to your leg?"
"Twisted it before we were caught," Valin answered, then leaned close to whisper in her ear. "Looked a lot harder than it was." He pulled away to wink at her.
Helaine smiled her understanding, realizing why she hadn't sensed any pain emanating from him. He was faking his injury, but why? "Who are we dealing with?" She asked in a low voice.
Valin matched her tone. "Slavers. They were talking about owners and selling."
"Slavers?" Helaine asked, feeling her blood run cold. "I thought the Republic had almost abolished them." She paused. "Except on Tatooine."
"You're mistaking Masters for Slavers," Valin said, sitting down on the floor and gesturing for her to do the same. "There's still a few worlds, like Tatooine, where slavery is legal. But they get them from all over the galaxy."
Helaine slowly sat beside him. "Did you hear what that man said to me?"
Valin nodded, touching her arm. "It's alright to be upset."
"I don't understand what he meant," Helaine said, meeting his hazel eyes. "Maybe child labor?"
The twi'leck woman coughed. "It means that you're going to lose your innocence."
Helaine froze at the implication. Seeing or causing death was one way to lose it, and the other...she paled, taking a deep breath. "Not necessarily."
The twi'leck shook her head, her lekku swaying back and forth. "Not unless you can prove yourself more...apt in other areas."
"Certainly," Helaine said quickly. She certainly couldn't prove herself apt in that one. "You're assuming our captors succeed."
"You must have a powerful family to think otherwise." The twi'leck challenged, giving her an appraising look.
Helaine spread her hands. "I don't know my family."
Her expression softened. "Adopted?"
"You could say that," Helaine said evasively, leaning against the wall.
The young man sitting next to the one with the injured arm spoke up. "What do you think the chances of the Galactic Security Force finding us?"
Valin answered. "Slim, I'm afraid. It'll take them a few days to even decide we're actually missing." He sighed. "By then we're likely to either reach or be halfway to our destination. They'll never catch up."
"Shows how well the Republic functions," The man with the injured arm said sarcastically.
"You're Naboo, aren't you?" Valin asked, raising an eyebrow.
He nodded, pride in his light brown eyes. "I am."
Helaine looked at him with renewed interest. She should have recognized his accent, having once met one a Naboo Princess, but she hadn't been paying enough attention. What she didn't want to admit, even to herself, was the fact that Naboo was her homeworld that drew her attention the most.
Something else had Valin's, however, as he suddenly rose to his feet and limped across the room. "What happened to your arm?"
The younger man shrugged, then winced from the pain. "I think I broke it."
"Let me see?" Valin offered, extending his hands.
"Who are you?" He asked, shrinking back slightly.
"Call me Hal," Valin said, finally managing to get a hold on his arm.
"Then call me Taren," he said, closing his eyes.
"Done," Valin said, closely examining his arm. Helaine didn't need the Force to tell he didn't like what he was seeing. "It's an open fracture, it'll get infected if it isn't cleaned."
Taren tensed immediately. "With what?"
Valin shook his head. "Alcohol, preferably." He helped Taren to his feet. "But I think we'll have to make do with soap and water." While he led Taren to the sink in the tiny refresher, he turned his head to look at Helaine. "Can you find something we can use for bandages, Lainey?"
"Sure," Helaine answered, surveying the holding cell. In holo- dramas, the characters tended to cut up shirts or skirts, which didn't sound very sanitary to her, but she supposed a clean dressing mattered the most.
Taren's friend stood up, and walked over to her, removing his button down shirt. "Will this work?"
Helaine gratefully took it from him. "Yes, thank you."
"I'm Ammon, by the way," He said, extending his hand to her.
"Lainey," Helaine replied, taking his hand and shaking it before returning her attention to his shirt. "Have any ideas on how to rip this?"
Ammon pursed his lips, scanning the cell. "I don't think they'd leave anything sharp for us."
Helaine sighed. "Probably not."
***
Taren gritted his teeth hard as Hal cleaned his arm, less from the sting and more from the slight movements Hal had to put his arm through. Just as Hal had finished with his arm he heard Lainey and Ammon talking. He laughed. "Something sharp? We may as well wish for a blaster."
"Or six so we could overpower then," Hal agreed as they exited the refresher and then he nodded to Lainey. "Did you find something?"
She nodded, holding up Ammon's shirt. "We just need to figure out how to do it."
"I can do it," Hal said, sitting down and gesturing for Taren to do the same. He took the shirt from Lainey, and immediately tried ripping it from the bottom.
Taren watched him struggle for a moment. "You want to rip the hem first so you don't have to tear through two layers of fabric."
Hal looked up from his work, raising an eyebrow. "You know a lot about clothing," He said, now starting to rip the hem.
"Mom's a seamstress," Taren said, flushing slightly. He glanced over at Lainey, briefly meeting her eyes. She looked shyly away, tucking a braided lock of hair behind her ears. Taren cocked his head, realizing she reminded him of someone, just as Hal had finished ripping Ammon's shirt.
"Ready?" Hal asked, brandishing his makeshift bandages.
Taren nodded, trying not to wince as Hal gently took his arm and pressed flimsytowels against the open wound. A soft touch on his uninjured arm brought Taren's attention back to Lainey as she squeezed it, giving him a reassuring smile. He blinked as though he were trying to clear his vision. She reminded him of his mother. Taren closed his eyes as Hal continued to wrap his arm, the thought of his mother, his parents, tightening his heart. He didn't even want to think about what their reaction to his being kidnapped would be. They had already lost his sister to the Jedi, and he could see the pain in their eyes ever year around her birthday.
Hal finished bandaging his arm, causing Taren to open his eyes just as he started stripping off his jacket. "For a sling," Hal explained, placing Taren's arm in it before wrapping the ends of it behind his neck. Finishing his work, Hal moved back a bit to examine it. "How does it feel?"
"Better," Taren said, amazed at how much pain had been reduced by a simple wrapping and sling. Unfortunately though, it still hurt.
Ammon was impressed. "How do you know so much about First Aid?"
"I work with Corellian Security," Hal answered, leaning against the wall.
"So you might know how to get us out of here?" Ammon asked eagerly, leaning forward.
Hal laughed softly. "Maybe if the Force is with us."
Taren shook his head. "You need Jedi to have the Force."
Ammon frowned. "That's not what they say."
"Course not," Taren said, reclining against the wall next to Hal. "They claim that the Force is in everything, but only they can use it."
Hal turned his head to regard him. "Have you ever tried?"
Taren shook his head. "I'd rather not."
Ammon cleared his throat. "Taren's never been the Jedi's biggest fan."
"Oh yeah?" Hal asked, cocking his head. "Any particular reason?"
"They break up families, you know," Taren said angrily after a few moments. "Without any consideration to them." He shook his head. "I don't understand the necessity."
Lainey's head snapped up, she opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Hal. "I'm sure they have their reasons."
Taren closed his eyes as a wave of exhaustion overtook him. His arm was killing him. He took a deep breath. "Not any they like to make public."
Hal spread his hands. "Not unlike any other government institution."
"The Jedi are separate from the government," Lainey said, frowning at him.
Ammon coughed. "Not with the way they seem to go wherever Chancellor Palpatine or the Senate points."
Taren nodded. "As long as you can trust your government, it isn't too bad," He said, just as the lights went out. Stiffening, he asked, "What's going on?"
"I think that's our cue to get some sleep," Hal replied, stretching while Taren's eyes adjusted to the near perfect dark.
"Then what was the point in waking us up?" Ammon complained, already settling down on the floor.
Taren shook his head, the sudden reminder of their captors weighing heavily on him. He laid down on the floor as well, resting his good arm beneath his head.
"Goodnight," Lainey said softly, getting up and walking across the cell to settle down near the twi'leck woman. Taren raised an eyebrow, wondering how she managed to move so confidently with only the soft light sneaking in through the door. Not that there was much to trip on in the room anyway. He closed his eyes, soon falling into a fitful sleep.
Helaine followed Valin Halcyon through the crowds of people, glad for her companion's tall stature as they made their way back to the Temple. For the past few hours, she had been playing tour guide, having been given extra free time for excelling in the combat competitions. She was also trying to help Valin cheer up a bit, after he had lost against Anakin Skywalker in the final round in sabers of the nineteenth years. Helaine doubted there was anyone in Anakin's year who could beat him. In a few years, she suspected only Master Yoda would be able to.
She was about to relay her thoughts to Valin, when he suddenly stopped, pressing his hand on her arm. "Go back to the temple."
Helaine stiffened, frowning at him. "What?"
Valin cocked his head toward the right. "I think there may be trouble." He gestured toward a pair of humans walking just a bit too casually. Except while for one it seemed to be a leisurely stroll, while the other was stiff. "Now, go back to the temple."
"You shouldn't go alone," Helaine said, noting the danger from one of the pair to the other. She couldn't quite tell if Valin was trying to protect her, or thought she might somehow make the situation worse.
He hesitated, obviously antsy to start following them. "Nothing against you Lainey, but...," Valin said, hopping up onto his tiptoes to keep his eye on them.
Helaine raised an eyebrow. "But?"
"You draw too much attention," Valin replied, tugging on her padawan braid. "People can see that you're a Jedi from two meters away. Go back to the temple" He started walking toward the pair.
Ignoring his instructions, she followed. "And what's wrong with that?" She asked, taking in his black pants and white short sleeved shirt. The Corellian Jedi dressed like one only when it pleased them, and favored bright colors over brown and khaki.
Valin sighed, then jabbed his thumb toward the pair. "He has a weapon, if he finds you, a Jedi, following him, he may use it or run." He stopped, giving her an appraising glance. "Maybe if you removed your robe, but your tunic...do you have an undershirt on?"
Helaine nodded. "Yes," she said, starting to shrug off her robe. "Where am I supposed to put them?"
"Toss them," Valin said, then saw that she was about to protest. "I'm certain there's a thousand more robes and tunics just like them at the Temple. They're easily replaced."
She shook her head, stashing her robe in front of a building before pulling off her tunic. "Is this really necessary?" Helaine asked as soon as it was off, feeling decidedly uncomfortable because her undershirt was so much tighter.
"Absolutely," Valin replied, watching as she tucked her braid behind her ear and moved her hair over her shoulders. "Good, let's go." He took her arm and started leading her down the slidewalk. ***
Taren Trillium wandered around on the second level of Coruscant, hopelessly lost. One wrong turn had led to another, and somehow they'd left the surface. He wrinkled his nose in disgust at the smell, realizing why the lower levels were never featured in travel brochures.
"Well, I think it's official," Ammon Daelanie announced, surveying their surroundings. "We're lost."
Sighing, Taren nodded his agreement, stepping over a passed out Sullustan. He made a face. "Remind me never to come here again." Taking a deep, exaggerated breath he asked, "Do you think it's possible to suffocate from breathing too much recycled air?"
Ammon shrugged. "Don't think so, otherwise billions of peoples lives would be in danger." He attempted to be optimistic. "The senate building was nice."
Taren grunted non-committally. "I'd have preferred to see the Jedi Temple."
"Yeah, I know," Ammon said, cocking his head. "I wonder why they close it off to the public."
"Privacy?" Taren guessed, shrugging his shoulders before rubbing at the back of his neck. His back almost itched, his muscles tensing with anticipation as though something was about to touch it. He glanced around nervously, barely listening as Ammon started musing on what the Jedi would need to keep private. Most of his ideas were outlandish, growing worse on an obvious attempt to get Taren to listen to him. He just couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. A couple of humans walked by, looking cleaner than most of the underworlds inhabitants. They were soon followed by a tall man, walking with a short teenaged girl. Those two definitely didn't look like they belonged down there. Perhaps they knew the way out?
Taren tapped Ammon's shoulder, about tell him he was going to ask them, when someone came up behind him, grabbing his arm. He turned instantly, but was forced to the ground as his attacker twisted his arm, breaking it as he hit the ground. Biting his lip hard, Taren fought back a scream. Black spots danced before his eyes as he looked up at his attacker, noticing their face was covered with a breathmask. He barely had time to wonder why, when an explosion went off a few meters away from him, casting his world into darkness.
***
Helaine and Valin had followed the pair all the way down to the second level of Coruscant, never quite finding the right moment to intercede.The Force had started stirring the moment they reached the underworld, whispering of danger. It grew louder as a young man was attacked, not calming when Valin intercepted the attacker, removing his lightsaber from his belt. Helaine followed suit immediately, lifting her saber off just as an explosion rocked the ground, knocking it from her hands.
Falling to her knees from the force of the explosion, Helaine extended her hand calling her lightsaber back, when she realized her mistake. She had failed to notice the sickeningly sweet smell pervading the air, affecting her ability to think and her control of the Force. Helaine saw Valin fall as her own lightsaber dropped to the ground at the same moment she hit the ground completely, falling into a deep sleep.
***
The next thing Helaine was aware of was a sharp blow to her stomach, causing her to curl up into a fetal position.
"Get up." A harsh male voice instructed her, prodding her side with his foot.
Slowly opening her eyes, Helaine blinked up at that tall man, touching her forehead as her head started to pound. "What?"
He grabbed her arm, pulling her roughly to her feet. "Let's have a look at you," he said, prodding the muscles on her arms. Helaine forced herself to stand still through her disorientation, realizing almost instantly that the man didn't know she was a Jedi. Things would be better for if he never found it out. Her captor touched her hair, sniffing slightly. "This one's cleaner than most of the scum we pick up." He lifted her chin, studying her features. "We could probably pick up a couple hundred more credits for her."
"Yeah," a new voice said, drawing Helaine's attention to her right. Another man, a human, had his blaster to Valin's side as he inspected him. She frowned, noticing that he was clearly favoring his left leg as he leaned against the wall for support. "This whole group isn't our usual." He looked to Valin. "Do you have any family?"
Valin nodded, hesitantly. Helaine stiffened slightly, wondering if he was afraid. The man dug his blaster into his ribs. "Best you forget about them, you'll never see them again."
A sharp jab to her ribs brought Helaine's attention back to her captor. "Best you be forgetting about yours as well." He informed her, blowing stagnant breath into her face. "How old are you?"
"Fourteen," Helaine replied, struggling to her voice calm. She was [i]not[/i] afraid of him in the least.
"Most owners prefer their girls to be a little older." He mused, before giving her a grisly smile. "You don't want the ones that like them young."
Helaine took a deep breath. "I don't understand."
The man barked a laugh. "You'll know soon enough," He said, then left her to join his companion at the door. After they left, Helaine noticed the other prisoners in the room. Her gaze swept across a twi'leck female, a wookiee, and two more human males. Her eyes strayed and locked onto the taller one, whose face was tight with pain as he clenched his arm to his chest. Helaine pursed her lips; she could have sworn she'd seen him somewhere before. He met her gaze, causing her to turn her head out of embarrassment.
Valin touched her shoulder. "Are you alright?"
Turning to face him, she nodded. "What happened to your leg?"
"Twisted it before we were caught," Valin answered, then leaned close to whisper in her ear. "Looked a lot harder than it was." He pulled away to wink at her.
Helaine smiled her understanding, realizing why she hadn't sensed any pain emanating from him. He was faking his injury, but why? "Who are we dealing with?" She asked in a low voice.
Valin matched her tone. "Slavers. They were talking about owners and selling."
"Slavers?" Helaine asked, feeling her blood run cold. "I thought the Republic had almost abolished them." She paused. "Except on Tatooine."
"You're mistaking Masters for Slavers," Valin said, sitting down on the floor and gesturing for her to do the same. "There's still a few worlds, like Tatooine, where slavery is legal. But they get them from all over the galaxy."
Helaine slowly sat beside him. "Did you hear what that man said to me?"
Valin nodded, touching her arm. "It's alright to be upset."
"I don't understand what he meant," Helaine said, meeting his hazel eyes. "Maybe child labor?"
The twi'leck woman coughed. "It means that you're going to lose your innocence."
Helaine froze at the implication. Seeing or causing death was one way to lose it, and the other...she paled, taking a deep breath. "Not necessarily."
The twi'leck shook her head, her lekku swaying back and forth. "Not unless you can prove yourself more...apt in other areas."
"Certainly," Helaine said quickly. She certainly couldn't prove herself apt in that one. "You're assuming our captors succeed."
"You must have a powerful family to think otherwise." The twi'leck challenged, giving her an appraising look.
Helaine spread her hands. "I don't know my family."
Her expression softened. "Adopted?"
"You could say that," Helaine said evasively, leaning against the wall.
The young man sitting next to the one with the injured arm spoke up. "What do you think the chances of the Galactic Security Force finding us?"
Valin answered. "Slim, I'm afraid. It'll take them a few days to even decide we're actually missing." He sighed. "By then we're likely to either reach or be halfway to our destination. They'll never catch up."
"Shows how well the Republic functions," The man with the injured arm said sarcastically.
"You're Naboo, aren't you?" Valin asked, raising an eyebrow.
He nodded, pride in his light brown eyes. "I am."
Helaine looked at him with renewed interest. She should have recognized his accent, having once met one a Naboo Princess, but she hadn't been paying enough attention. What she didn't want to admit, even to herself, was the fact that Naboo was her homeworld that drew her attention the most.
Something else had Valin's, however, as he suddenly rose to his feet and limped across the room. "What happened to your arm?"
The younger man shrugged, then winced from the pain. "I think I broke it."
"Let me see?" Valin offered, extending his hands.
"Who are you?" He asked, shrinking back slightly.
"Call me Hal," Valin said, finally managing to get a hold on his arm.
"Then call me Taren," he said, closing his eyes.
"Done," Valin said, closely examining his arm. Helaine didn't need the Force to tell he didn't like what he was seeing. "It's an open fracture, it'll get infected if it isn't cleaned."
Taren tensed immediately. "With what?"
Valin shook his head. "Alcohol, preferably." He helped Taren to his feet. "But I think we'll have to make do with soap and water." While he led Taren to the sink in the tiny refresher, he turned his head to look at Helaine. "Can you find something we can use for bandages, Lainey?"
"Sure," Helaine answered, surveying the holding cell. In holo- dramas, the characters tended to cut up shirts or skirts, which didn't sound very sanitary to her, but she supposed a clean dressing mattered the most.
Taren's friend stood up, and walked over to her, removing his button down shirt. "Will this work?"
Helaine gratefully took it from him. "Yes, thank you."
"I'm Ammon, by the way," He said, extending his hand to her.
"Lainey," Helaine replied, taking his hand and shaking it before returning her attention to his shirt. "Have any ideas on how to rip this?"
Ammon pursed his lips, scanning the cell. "I don't think they'd leave anything sharp for us."
Helaine sighed. "Probably not."
***
Taren gritted his teeth hard as Hal cleaned his arm, less from the sting and more from the slight movements Hal had to put his arm through. Just as Hal had finished with his arm he heard Lainey and Ammon talking. He laughed. "Something sharp? We may as well wish for a blaster."
"Or six so we could overpower then," Hal agreed as they exited the refresher and then he nodded to Lainey. "Did you find something?"
She nodded, holding up Ammon's shirt. "We just need to figure out how to do it."
"I can do it," Hal said, sitting down and gesturing for Taren to do the same. He took the shirt from Lainey, and immediately tried ripping it from the bottom.
Taren watched him struggle for a moment. "You want to rip the hem first so you don't have to tear through two layers of fabric."
Hal looked up from his work, raising an eyebrow. "You know a lot about clothing," He said, now starting to rip the hem.
"Mom's a seamstress," Taren said, flushing slightly. He glanced over at Lainey, briefly meeting her eyes. She looked shyly away, tucking a braided lock of hair behind her ears. Taren cocked his head, realizing she reminded him of someone, just as Hal had finished ripping Ammon's shirt.
"Ready?" Hal asked, brandishing his makeshift bandages.
Taren nodded, trying not to wince as Hal gently took his arm and pressed flimsytowels against the open wound. A soft touch on his uninjured arm brought Taren's attention back to Lainey as she squeezed it, giving him a reassuring smile. He blinked as though he were trying to clear his vision. She reminded him of his mother. Taren closed his eyes as Hal continued to wrap his arm, the thought of his mother, his parents, tightening his heart. He didn't even want to think about what their reaction to his being kidnapped would be. They had already lost his sister to the Jedi, and he could see the pain in their eyes ever year around her birthday.
Hal finished bandaging his arm, causing Taren to open his eyes just as he started stripping off his jacket. "For a sling," Hal explained, placing Taren's arm in it before wrapping the ends of it behind his neck. Finishing his work, Hal moved back a bit to examine it. "How does it feel?"
"Better," Taren said, amazed at how much pain had been reduced by a simple wrapping and sling. Unfortunately though, it still hurt.
Ammon was impressed. "How do you know so much about First Aid?"
"I work with Corellian Security," Hal answered, leaning against the wall.
"So you might know how to get us out of here?" Ammon asked eagerly, leaning forward.
Hal laughed softly. "Maybe if the Force is with us."
Taren shook his head. "You need Jedi to have the Force."
Ammon frowned. "That's not what they say."
"Course not," Taren said, reclining against the wall next to Hal. "They claim that the Force is in everything, but only they can use it."
Hal turned his head to regard him. "Have you ever tried?"
Taren shook his head. "I'd rather not."
Ammon cleared his throat. "Taren's never been the Jedi's biggest fan."
"Oh yeah?" Hal asked, cocking his head. "Any particular reason?"
"They break up families, you know," Taren said angrily after a few moments. "Without any consideration to them." He shook his head. "I don't understand the necessity."
Lainey's head snapped up, she opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Hal. "I'm sure they have their reasons."
Taren closed his eyes as a wave of exhaustion overtook him. His arm was killing him. He took a deep breath. "Not any they like to make public."
Hal spread his hands. "Not unlike any other government institution."
"The Jedi are separate from the government," Lainey said, frowning at him.
Ammon coughed. "Not with the way they seem to go wherever Chancellor Palpatine or the Senate points."
Taren nodded. "As long as you can trust your government, it isn't too bad," He said, just as the lights went out. Stiffening, he asked, "What's going on?"
"I think that's our cue to get some sleep," Hal replied, stretching while Taren's eyes adjusted to the near perfect dark.
"Then what was the point in waking us up?" Ammon complained, already settling down on the floor.
Taren shook his head, the sudden reminder of their captors weighing heavily on him. He laid down on the floor as well, resting his good arm beneath his head.
"Goodnight," Lainey said softly, getting up and walking across the cell to settle down near the twi'leck woman. Taren raised an eyebrow, wondering how she managed to move so confidently with only the soft light sneaking in through the door. Not that there was much to trip on in the room anyway. He closed his eyes, soon falling into a fitful sleep.
