The Distress Call
Obi-Wan marvelled out how tall his young apprentice had become, now towering over him, cloaked in black robes that rippled in the harsh draft. Flaxen tresses framed his intense stare as he gazed out at an indistinguishable point in space, his hazel eyes glassy and unfocused, jaw set in constant anticipation. He would have bet his lightsabre that the young Skywalker was worrying about issues too dense to contemplate, and judging by the tenseness of his shoulders beneath the layers of material and the unyielding of his clasped hands, his master was right.
Then, from colourless lips, came a surprisingly low voice 'Master, what is expected of us for this mission, I sense… something new'
'And what is that?' Obi wan enquired thoughtfully, as those hazel eyes finally fixed upon him.
'I sense… distress…yet it is somewhat muted'
'Then use your intuition, my very young apprentice, and seek what you may find'
Anakin turned these words over in his head, resisting the temptation of massaging his temples, a dull ache that he could not place residing in the back of his mind. 'It is a girl…'
'A humanoid?'
'A prisoner… somewhere dark… I don't recognise the place'
'It is where we are heading. A place of great danger, please try and exercise some self-control' His masters' comment caused a slight smile to play about those pale, silken lips, a slight crease of concentration in his brow.
As the jolt of landing caused his stomach to contract, Anakin focused his attention to that little distress call he had sensed, letting the bleak surroundings wash over him as he stepped lightly after his master. Hand poised at his side, ready to draw his sabre if he had too, eyes methodically scanning for the slightest hint of movement.
His senses heightened considerably as the tell-tale grinding of metal on metal came in the form of buzz droids. Not an unfamiliar view, but enough to jump start his adrenaline level as he dived toward a doorway, missing a beam of light by mere inches. The second beam riddled a hole through his sleeve, scolding the skin of his upper arm, his trained reflexes deflecting a third beam with his sabre.
Teeth gritted in mild frustration as he lunged toward the rapidly chaotic scene to join his master in the minute battle, he managed to swipe through the crowd of metal with ease, and took off ahead of Obi-Wan. A contraction in the pit of his stomach had brought him numbly to his senses, and the scene became clearer than ever before his eyes, as the light reflected off the metal bar across a double-door at the end of the crew corridor. He headed sharply toward it, aware of claxon alarms ringing and turmoil ensuing, and the steady echo of his masters' footsteps hot on his heels.
The aluminium bar needed little persuasion to twist and give way, and the two Jedi stumbled slightly and took advantage of the sudden shift of gravity to pile their combined weight against the doors.
It took a matter of seconds for Anakin's vision to adjust in the darkness, and he halted very suddenly as the huddled outline of a limp figure became distinguishable from the shadows. Ignoring Obi-Wan's motion for him to back away, he instead strode forward, heart-hammering against his rib-cage yet breath very still. Crouching beside the shivering figure, he kept his sabre ready and caressed a fold of material, feeling the stranger stir beneath.
'Anakin… we must move quickly' Obi-Wan was insistent, yet Anakin could not tear himself away from the sight of the manacle that chained the small draping from the robes to the wall. Making his decision in a split-second, as the room shook violently as the attack surged, his sabre cut through the heavy links easily and with a little difficulty he managed to pry his arm around a slender waist and drag the unconscious form toward his chest. If Obi-Wan disapproved, he said not a word, as Anakin slung the figure over his shoulder and hastened to stand once more.
They had a mission.
To get to the portal on deck three. Anakin knew nothing of the details, the counsel had made sure that this mission was purely a test of his resources, and he was in no situation to argue. So he headed after his master, a tall, oddly-shaped shadow now that he carried a third party.
As they clambered the spiral steel staircase, Anakin shifted the weight of his fare onto his hip, struggling slightly yet unwilling to surrender to the forces of gravity. All the same, he felt the hand that had trailed limply around his neck suddenly grip his collar, and the body beneath the layers of robe to tense.
Obi-Wan was renowned for his calm work in these situations, and his steady hands danced on the keyboards, before the screen configured thousands of commands. Anakin took a deep breath and grasped the hand that had been exploring the lining of his collar tightly. Judging by the sharpened nails and soft, icy skin he decided it was undoubtedly a girl. He felt heat rise in his face as the feel of her body became more noticeable now that he had time to think, and adjusted his grip. A triumphant chuckle escaped his masters' lips and they were once again moving fast along the confined corridors.
Their ship was waiting in the hanger bay, innocently perched between assembly line pods, not a buzz droid in sight. Luck was theirs that this ship was auto-piloted, a mere metallic shell in vacuum, and they could not help but grin as they piled into the cockpit of their own vessel.
As Anakin leant the girl down against the wall, he could not resist but push the hood back of her face, and reveal her to the harsh artificial light. Honey coloured tresses of hair fell around her pallid face, her own hazel eyes roving her surroundings, she remained pinned against the wall like a butterfly in fright.
Authors Note: I'm not all that good on Star Wars terming… so bare with me… if you read this far… I thank you…