Finding Thirteen
Rated- T
Summary: Experiment Number 13 has been recently lost to the Dark Order, shipwrecked on an unknown planet. No memory of her past or identity, she can not talk or understand the new world she is brought into. With the help of one Jedi Master, she must learn to adapt to a free life, hone her unnatural skills, an outrun the Dark Empire before they use her to complete their work.
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of its affiliates in any way shape or form. No profit is being made off this work. All characters you do not recognise are my own creations.
"Ai Jonas what're ya doin'? Yer s'posed t' be watchin' the damn tanks!"
A stout man stumbled down the corridor littered with wires, tools, and other oddities. His foot caught on a small piece of tubing causing him to clutch the wall to regain balance. Grumbling, he gave the foul litter a violent kick attempting to dislodge it from his foot. It was to no avail as the tubing clung to the appendage with glee. He unhappily bent down, picked up the offender and prompt flung in down the corridor. Looking around he called out again with anger,
"Jonas! Git yer damn arse over here!"
From an open duck, a bald head poked out and stared at the other man with black beaded eyes.
"Yeah boss?"
"What in tarnation is this bloody mess? And why aren't ya at the tanks? Yeh know we 'ave problems all over this floating heap of junk!" The man's face grew red, as he wheezed and coughed with wrath. He leaned heavily on the corridor's wall for support, attempting to catch his breath.
Jonas crawled out from the duck and crossed him arms. His face was square in shape, covered in a black oily substance. His shiny head gleamed with sweat while his standard brown trousers and torn and equally grimy white shirt was saturated in perspiration. He wiped a hand along his brow and sighed.
"The tanks are fine boss. They've no sign of that leak we had back on Kamino—"
"Then why is it so damn hot in this ruddy ship!"
"A fare lot of coolant leaked out before we corked that hole in the tank. The air's not getting cooled like it was before the leak, and it's not circulating either. I'm trying to open up this duck to get the air flow from the cargo bay to the bridge going. But as you can see, it's been difficult," he gestured to the floor.
"How's the other techie junk doing?"
"It's running…for now. The hyperdrive should be shot by the time we reach Courescant. It's too old to make these long hauls now. You shouldn't have taken this one boss."
"I know," the man sighed in defeat, "But we needed the money an' no one else would 'ave paid for the repairs. After this run me and you, we'll fix up this gal real good and get into the cargo business eh? I'm tired o' the illegal transports. T'isn't paying anymore."
"We ain't no escort service though. What's so special bought that girl that her family can't get a normal escort?" Jonas complained. He gazed down the corridor to the room, which contained their cargo, a young woman.
"Said he didn't want registered transport, top secret stuff. You know how those Jedi work. Sides, she's not just any gal. Since when did Jedi start minglin' with folk like us huh?"
"I don't know. I have a bad feeling about this…" he continued to stare at the girl's locked door.
"Don't yeh worry bout nothin'. Come on and less 'ave a drink," he waved for Jonas to follow him to the bridge. The younger man glanced back one more time at the locked cell door curiously. He shrugged and turned to walk to the bridge.
Inside the cell a young woman slept in the darkest corner. She was curled into a fetal position, breathing evenly. Matted hair curtained over her face and wrapped around her small frame. Pale skinned, she could almost be transparent. A ragged grey dress adorned her body. It was torn in several places and splotched with stains and dirt. The material was not thick, as she shivered in the cold of deep space, and did not cover her arms and most of her legs.
She curled further into a tight ball. Assaulted by ghastly visions, she whimpered.
Images flashed rapidly across her mind, blurred and inconstant. A dark cell. And underwater chamber. Pain. Strange men leading her into a room and tying her hands and feet. A face, shrouded in shadows. Screaming. Panic. Flashing lights. Too fast. They were moving too fast. The earth came to swiftly. She was falling. Falling. Down…
The woman sat up wide eyed and gasped. Her senses flared and shook with overload. The world was spinning. She felt the ship shake and descend downwards rapidly.
Screaming, she covered her ears as the sound of an alarm rang throughout the ship. Pain shot through her entire body, causing her muscles to convulse and spasm. Tears burned her face, falling from tightly closed eyes.
On the bridge the Lord of Chaos had arrived. Screens and moniters flashed violently with multiple warnings. Various bells and alarms sounded. Smoke poured from some of the equipment, emitting toxic gases. Sparks flared in the ceiling panels from faulty wire work. The ship bounced through turbulence and rocked towards its destination with deadly speed and accuracy.
"Jonas I need stats!"
"We've been hit by a meteor! There's a major breach in the engine room's hull, the ship's loosing pressure fast! The energy's near gone, engine must've been taken out by that rock!"
"Damn it! That planet's gravity's pullin' us in fast, and we're headed right for it fast. We gotta slow 'er down so we can land in one piece!"
"I know damn it! Everything's over heated and busted! I can't do anything," Jonas shouted in fear.
"Escape pod?"
"I can't access the system!"
"What about a manual launch?"
"Are you shitting me! You go down there near the engine room and launch the fucking thing!"
More sparks flew as the main console erupted in flame. Both men cursed and ran to put it out. Jonas beat the flames with his shirt while the other ran to find the extinguisher.
"Did you get the extinguisher?"
"No! Its back down nears that duct! What do we do 'bout the girl?"
"You're the boss! How should I know?"
Both men battled to be heard above the roar of the fire. More alarms sounded throughout the ship.
The space vessel flew rapidly to the planet's surface. The ground was now clearly visible, yet approaching too fast. Hues of greens and blues mixed into a dangerous kaleidoscope. The fire encased ship plummeted toward the earth.
Screams of frightened animals and birds echoed throughout the valley. They clamored to escape the path of the incoming wreck. Birds took to the sky in a desperate attempt to escape.
Metal crashed into the ground, sending tremors around the planet. Earth erupted into volcanic spews to choke the surrounding land. Thunder rolled as the ship made contact, deafening the sound of impact.
Somewhere from within the wreck, a voice cried out in pain, as its owner became lost in the storm of dust.