After the two young Rebel pilots had dispatched a squad of four Imperial
Stormtroopers, Terr and Sorcha felt it all the more necessary to avoid any
additional run-ins with the Alderaan's invaders. They resumed their
objective of reaching the main deck in order to find Baaka and General
Amyrran. Heading through the ship's pristine and eerily quiet corridors,
the two Rebels turned each corner with utmost caution.
Sorcha was now leading, as her blaster would serve as a far more useful weapon in the case that she may be spotted from afar poking her head out from around a corner. Terr trailed a meter or two behind, constantly turning around and looking over his shoulder for any sign of trouble, his sword poised to strike. As the two of them approached the final hall leading to the flight deck, Sorcha hugged the wall of the intersecting corridor and cautiously let her head move to the edge. She immediately returned to her former position, carefully monitoring her own breathing so as not to make any noises that could reveal their location to the squad of Stormtroopers that stood in the adjoining corridor.
Terr took notice of Sorcha's visage and tightened his grip on the hilt of his metal saber. She turned to face him and nodded, indicating with a hand signal that the two pilots should find another way to reach the deck. They walked slowly away from the main corridor, retracing their steps. Careful not to make any loud noises, they turned one corner after another without moving their focus from their heavy boots.
Once they had reached a point they felt was far enough away from the Imperials guarding the entrance to the flight deck, Terr and Sorcha stopped short of another turn in the maze of the Alderaan's white corridors and sat down. They both sighed in frustration.
"I guess we'll have to go back where we started," Terr said, regrettably.
"But how do we even know that Baaka and Amyrran made it to the flight deck?" questioned Sorcha. "For all we know they could be captured, or worse!"
Terr wasn't sure exactly how he knew, but he had a strong feeling that his foster father had not been captured; and he was almost certain beyond doubt that he had not been killed. Still, he was unsure as to what they should do, and had a nagging feeling that something bad was about to happen. "I suppose we just have to-"
"Freeze!"
The two young pilots had not even thought to keep their voices down in case any Imperials had entered the passageway around the corner that they had already been through on their way to the deck. Terr and Sorcha now sat on the floor, helpless, in the sights of an enemy blaster rifle.
"Give me your weapons!" the Stormtrooper commanded.
Terr looked at Sorcha, sensing a mutual desire to stay alive, and laid his sword on the floor before pushing it towards the soldier's armored boots. Sorcha did the same with her blaster.
"Now stand up!"
The Rebels slowly gripped the wall behind them and pushed themselves up to a standing position. They eyed the enemy rifle warily, and instinctively raised their hands in capitulation. Sorcha looked at her friend apprehensively, but quickly returned her gaze to their captor for fear of being shot.
Without adjusting his dominant stance, the Stormtrooper called to his partner. "Corporal, I've got some."
There was no response.
"Corporal!" the trooper called louder. His concealed eyes showed confusion, but they remained fixed on the prize in front of him. Terr noticed his captor falter a bit in his stance. Sorcha looked down at her blaster by the Stormtrooper's feet.
"Don't even think about it," he warned, attempting to maintain his hold over his prey. He let out one more desperate plea, "Corporal! Get over here!"
A metal blade cut into the Stormtrooper's right shoulder from behind, sending him face-first to the floor. A rigid, fur-covered foot placed itself on the dead soldier's leg as the sword was pulled out of him. The saber was then returned to its dark sheath by a pair of haggard, furry gray hands and Baaka let out a grim smile at the sight of his foster children.
Terr and Sorcha stood in awe at what the old Bothan had done, but quickly shook themselves free of disbelief and retrieved their weapons from the floor. Before they had time to thank their rescuer, the elderly captain cut in urgently. "We must find General Amyrran. I fear he may be taken prisoner. It is imperative that the Imperials do not discover the location of our information on the Death Star. Those plans must reach Sullust."
The three Rebels suddenly felt the hull of the Alderaan jolt ever so slightly as it exited hyperspace. It was clear to them all that the craft had not been flying long enough to have reached its original destination. Baaka sighed in frustration. "It looks as though our enemies have already made their way to the flight deck." Surely they have the General in captivity, he thought bitterly.
"Well...where are they taking us?" Sorcha asked.
"I don't know. But we must make our way to the cargo level. It is crucial that we find those plans before they do, and we may have a chance of escaping from there."
Sorcha and Terr nodded in compliance. The short humanoid limped ahead to take the lead of the small group, and once again removed his shining steel sword from its sheath. His feeble body swayed as he forced himself onward, keeping his human companions at a quick pace behind him. The young Rebels realized that Baaka was leading them towards the main corridor they had just ran from, but trusted in his experience and wisdom nonetheless.
As the group was nearing closer to the hall that led to the main deck, Baaka stopped in the middle of the shining corridor and turned around to face Terr and Sorcha. "Now we descend," he said.
"But there isn't a lift here..." Sorcha replied, looking about curiously.
"No," Baaka replied with a crooked grin. The old Bothan pointed to the metal grating that marked the entrance to a ventilation shaft on the side of the hall. "We'll crawl down."
The two young humans studied the small grating skeptically. "Err...I'm not sure we'll fit," Terr said.
"Nonsense!" Baaka rebuked. "Just let me get this passageway opened." The furry humanoid got on his knees and began working at the edges of the metal grating with his sturdy blade as a wedge. Terr and Sorcha stood armed, looking down opposite ends of the corridor. At the end to which Sorcha looked was a small porthole that revealed the starboard view from the Alderaan. Through it, she could see what appeared to be a planet outlined by the black of space.
Studying the general size, terrain, and atmosphere of the spherical object, Sorcha felt a strange sense of familiarity. Then she recognized it. A rush of memories swept through her mind and triggered a gasp, as she contemplated the past, present, and future all at once. A wave of helplessness and fear overcame her, possibly from the depths of her long- forgotten experience, and possibly from the realization that the Alderaan was heading towards her home planet.
"Naboo..." she whispered.
"What?" Terr asked, turning his head.
Sorcha's gaze remained transfixed by the porthole. "Nothing," she replied, coldly.
"There!" Baaka exclaimed, as the metal grating fell clattering to the floor. He examined his helpful saber to make sure the blade had not been bent in the exercise. Taking note of its fine condition, he whispered, "Good work."
Terr and Sorcha had scarcely turned to prepare themselves for entrance into the narrow shaft, when a squad of Stormtroopers, led by an Imperial officer, appeared at one end of the corridor. They raised their blasters at the small band of Rebels.
"Don't move," the officer called out, sternly.
The two young pilots immediately dropped their weapons to the floor. Baaka remained on his knees, his head already inside the ventilation shaft.
"Blast," he said.
Sorcha was now leading, as her blaster would serve as a far more useful weapon in the case that she may be spotted from afar poking her head out from around a corner. Terr trailed a meter or two behind, constantly turning around and looking over his shoulder for any sign of trouble, his sword poised to strike. As the two of them approached the final hall leading to the flight deck, Sorcha hugged the wall of the intersecting corridor and cautiously let her head move to the edge. She immediately returned to her former position, carefully monitoring her own breathing so as not to make any noises that could reveal their location to the squad of Stormtroopers that stood in the adjoining corridor.
Terr took notice of Sorcha's visage and tightened his grip on the hilt of his metal saber. She turned to face him and nodded, indicating with a hand signal that the two pilots should find another way to reach the deck. They walked slowly away from the main corridor, retracing their steps. Careful not to make any loud noises, they turned one corner after another without moving their focus from their heavy boots.
Once they had reached a point they felt was far enough away from the Imperials guarding the entrance to the flight deck, Terr and Sorcha stopped short of another turn in the maze of the Alderaan's white corridors and sat down. They both sighed in frustration.
"I guess we'll have to go back where we started," Terr said, regrettably.
"But how do we even know that Baaka and Amyrran made it to the flight deck?" questioned Sorcha. "For all we know they could be captured, or worse!"
Terr wasn't sure exactly how he knew, but he had a strong feeling that his foster father had not been captured; and he was almost certain beyond doubt that he had not been killed. Still, he was unsure as to what they should do, and had a nagging feeling that something bad was about to happen. "I suppose we just have to-"
"Freeze!"
The two young pilots had not even thought to keep their voices down in case any Imperials had entered the passageway around the corner that they had already been through on their way to the deck. Terr and Sorcha now sat on the floor, helpless, in the sights of an enemy blaster rifle.
"Give me your weapons!" the Stormtrooper commanded.
Terr looked at Sorcha, sensing a mutual desire to stay alive, and laid his sword on the floor before pushing it towards the soldier's armored boots. Sorcha did the same with her blaster.
"Now stand up!"
The Rebels slowly gripped the wall behind them and pushed themselves up to a standing position. They eyed the enemy rifle warily, and instinctively raised their hands in capitulation. Sorcha looked at her friend apprehensively, but quickly returned her gaze to their captor for fear of being shot.
Without adjusting his dominant stance, the Stormtrooper called to his partner. "Corporal, I've got some."
There was no response.
"Corporal!" the trooper called louder. His concealed eyes showed confusion, but they remained fixed on the prize in front of him. Terr noticed his captor falter a bit in his stance. Sorcha looked down at her blaster by the Stormtrooper's feet.
"Don't even think about it," he warned, attempting to maintain his hold over his prey. He let out one more desperate plea, "Corporal! Get over here!"
A metal blade cut into the Stormtrooper's right shoulder from behind, sending him face-first to the floor. A rigid, fur-covered foot placed itself on the dead soldier's leg as the sword was pulled out of him. The saber was then returned to its dark sheath by a pair of haggard, furry gray hands and Baaka let out a grim smile at the sight of his foster children.
Terr and Sorcha stood in awe at what the old Bothan had done, but quickly shook themselves free of disbelief and retrieved their weapons from the floor. Before they had time to thank their rescuer, the elderly captain cut in urgently. "We must find General Amyrran. I fear he may be taken prisoner. It is imperative that the Imperials do not discover the location of our information on the Death Star. Those plans must reach Sullust."
The three Rebels suddenly felt the hull of the Alderaan jolt ever so slightly as it exited hyperspace. It was clear to them all that the craft had not been flying long enough to have reached its original destination. Baaka sighed in frustration. "It looks as though our enemies have already made their way to the flight deck." Surely they have the General in captivity, he thought bitterly.
"Well...where are they taking us?" Sorcha asked.
"I don't know. But we must make our way to the cargo level. It is crucial that we find those plans before they do, and we may have a chance of escaping from there."
Sorcha and Terr nodded in compliance. The short humanoid limped ahead to take the lead of the small group, and once again removed his shining steel sword from its sheath. His feeble body swayed as he forced himself onward, keeping his human companions at a quick pace behind him. The young Rebels realized that Baaka was leading them towards the main corridor they had just ran from, but trusted in his experience and wisdom nonetheless.
As the group was nearing closer to the hall that led to the main deck, Baaka stopped in the middle of the shining corridor and turned around to face Terr and Sorcha. "Now we descend," he said.
"But there isn't a lift here..." Sorcha replied, looking about curiously.
"No," Baaka replied with a crooked grin. The old Bothan pointed to the metal grating that marked the entrance to a ventilation shaft on the side of the hall. "We'll crawl down."
The two young humans studied the small grating skeptically. "Err...I'm not sure we'll fit," Terr said.
"Nonsense!" Baaka rebuked. "Just let me get this passageway opened." The furry humanoid got on his knees and began working at the edges of the metal grating with his sturdy blade as a wedge. Terr and Sorcha stood armed, looking down opposite ends of the corridor. At the end to which Sorcha looked was a small porthole that revealed the starboard view from the Alderaan. Through it, she could see what appeared to be a planet outlined by the black of space.
Studying the general size, terrain, and atmosphere of the spherical object, Sorcha felt a strange sense of familiarity. Then she recognized it. A rush of memories swept through her mind and triggered a gasp, as she contemplated the past, present, and future all at once. A wave of helplessness and fear overcame her, possibly from the depths of her long- forgotten experience, and possibly from the realization that the Alderaan was heading towards her home planet.
"Naboo..." she whispered.
"What?" Terr asked, turning his head.
Sorcha's gaze remained transfixed by the porthole. "Nothing," she replied, coldly.
"There!" Baaka exclaimed, as the metal grating fell clattering to the floor. He examined his helpful saber to make sure the blade had not been bent in the exercise. Taking note of its fine condition, he whispered, "Good work."
Terr and Sorcha had scarcely turned to prepare themselves for entrance into the narrow shaft, when a squad of Stormtroopers, led by an Imperial officer, appeared at one end of the corridor. They raised their blasters at the small band of Rebels.
"Don't move," the officer called out, sternly.
The two young pilots immediately dropped their weapons to the floor. Baaka remained on his knees, his head already inside the ventilation shaft.
"Blast," he said.