OBI-WAN
"I have a bad feeling about this." Obi-Wan said as the droid control ship loomed over their much smaller cruiser. Floating in the expanse of space with only a Separatist Ship for comfort gave Obi-Wan every right to be anxious. Their tiny cruiser shuddered as the tractor beam took over the controls and Qui-Gonn crossed his arms, his brow furrowed as they both stood in the cockpit.
"Using their tractor beam was the only sure way of getting aboard." He replied calmly as the control ship cast a dark shadow over the cruiser.
Both Jedi were quiet as they passed through the hanger doors, which groaned shut once the cruiser came to a rest in the huge hanger.
"Now what?" Obi-Wan asked as the ship was quickly surrounded by battle droids.
"Patience, my young Padawan." Qui-Gonn said, raising his hand. Obi Wan followed him to one of the many narrow walkways on the ship. He knelt down and pulled up one of the cargo panels and motioned for Obi-Wan to get in. The young man did so obligingly, quickly followed by his master who then placed the panel back, over their heads.
Obi-Wan stayed quiet and watched as his instructor lit his lightsaber and cut a hole in the bottom of the ship and the hanger floor below.
Before the large piece of metal could fall away, Qui-Gonn stretched out his hand, and with the help of the force, moved it away and set it down with hardly a sound.
The pair dropped down into the grey corridor below as a group of droids entered the cruiser.
"If the Princess is being held anywhere, the cells are a good place to start." Qui-Gonn said and the pair made their way through the empty corridors.
"Where did the Separatists get all those droids from so quickly? War hasn't been declared yet…All their troops must be in the hanger." Obi-Wan said as they turned into yet another empty hallway, their boots muffling the sounds of their heavy footsteps.
"Or, they know whoever was onboard is up to something, so they sent reinforcements to the cells." Qui-Gonn said as they turned the corner to the cells and came face to face with three squads of battle droids.
"Ah." Obi-Wan muttered as his Master's assumption became true.
"Blast them!" One of the droids ordered in it's metal voice and the two Jedi reached for their lightsabers.
Before a shot could be fired, the two Jedi began cutting down the droids in their path.
"I'll guard the entrance. Find the Princess." Qui-Gonn said, between cutting down the last few droids.
Obi-Wan dodged a blast from a battle droid as he ran towards the control console in the middle of the room and looked through the list of occupied cells. All but one were empty, so he hurried down the centre walkway to the last cell along the row of identical gun-metal doors. He looked at the panel beside the door, and deciding it would take too long open that way, pulled out his lightsaber and slashed the panel in half.
The cell door flew upwards and Obi-Wan looked into the dark room, expecting to see a strict looking, middle-aged woman.
However, when his eyes adjusted to the light, he saw a young woman maybe his age, sitting on the solid bench against the back wall, her hands were clasped in her lap and her legs stretched out in front of her. She had long, blonde hair, which had the faintest pink tinge to it, her skin was pale and she had a ring on her finger with a bright, blue crystal set into it. Her lilac dress had been knotted at the bottom, either for ease of movement or as a result of boredom. She was beautiful.
As soon as she heard the door, her mauve eyes shot open and she looked up to the entrance where Obi-Wan was standing.
"Who are you?" She asked.
"My name's Obi-Wan Kenobi. I'm here to rescue you." He replied.
As soon as the words left his mouth, the Princess leapt to her feet and ran up the three steps to the walkway beyond the cell.
"Thank you." She said earnestly, her eyes wide and assertive. Obi-Wan nodded once before leading her back down the row of cells to Qui-Gonn.
"Your Highness." He greeted, cutting down one last battle droid. "I suggest we all get out of here before more show droids up. Take a blaster." He insisted and the Princess looked down at the heavy, black blasters with droid parts still attached to their handles.
"No, thank you." She replied.
"Princess, I must insist. For your own safety." Qui-Gonn tried.
"I appreciate it, but as I'm sure you've been informed I am opposed to violence." She replied politely.
Obi-Wan had certainly been informed. By, the Council, the Senate and his Master. The Princess was the last remaining member of the royal family and leader for the Council of Neutral systems. Her ancestors had been miners of the planets Kyber crystals, but after seeing the devastating effects they caused when used as weapons, she closed off access to the crystals from both the Jedi and the Sith. She hoped that without them, there would be no war.
As Obi-Wan went over this in his head, the group made their way back to the hanger where the cruiser was still waiting patiently. Obi-Wan crouched behind a large crate with the Princess close behind him, her hand resting in the middle of his back for reassurance and Qui-Gonn knelt behind a similar crate a few feet away.
"How are we going to get to the ship?" Obi-Wan asked.
No sooner had the words left his mouth, a loud blast rang out from the hanger and the cruiser exploded into a fiery ball.
"Spread out! If they're not on the ship then they're on the base. Find them!" One of the droids barked and there was a chorus of 'Roger Roger' before they all turned and marched towards them.
"Now what?" The Princess whispered behind Obi-Wan.
"Master, I have an idea. Follow me." Obi-Wan urged, seeing an Imperial Freighter sitting placidly in the corner of the hanger.
He crawled his way round to the next side of the crate, gesturing for the Princess to follow. Once the droids had passed, the trio slowly got to their feet and made a beeline for the freighter.
"Halt!" A metallic voice came behind them and Qui-Gonn stopped to face the single droid. The Princess went to stop too, but Obi-Wan grabbed her arm gently and turned her back to the ship.
"I said Hal...!" Obi-Wan heard the droid say, but the last word was drowned out by the lightsaber being driven though it's middle.
"Stop them! They're getting away!" He heard another say from further down the hanger. "Close the hanger doors." At this, Obi-Wan broke into a run and bolted up the ramp, pushing a confused droid out of the way as he did so.
He jumped into the pilot's seat and flicked on the ignition, the engines chugging sluggishly to life. The Princess hovered in the doorway, holding onto the back of the co-pilot seat as Obi-Wan took off. He flew low over Qui-Gonn, who jumped up to the boarding ramp.
"We're not going to make it." The Princess said nervously as Obi-Wan raced towards the rapidly closing hanger doors.
He pushed the acceleration handle up even further and as they reached the hanger doors, there was a loud scraping sound and the freighter jolted forwards slightly, but they were through, out into open space where Obi-Wan wasted no time in putting distance between them and the control ship.
It wasn't long before their freighter was plummeting through hyperspace on the way to the Princess' home planet, Troska.
"I sense some anxiety from you about the Princess." Qui-Gonn said in a hushed voice to Obi-Wan as the pair sat at one of the freighter's many tables. Across the large area, the Princess was talking to her advisor via hologram, letting him know she was safe.
"She's just not what I expected." Obi-Wan replied, watching the girl. "She must believe very strongly in her cause if she won't even pick up a blaster to defend herself."
"I sense that even if she had picked one up, she wouldn't have needed it." His Master replied thoughtfully.
"What do you mean?" Obi-Wan asked.
"I'm not entirely sure myself." Qui-Gonn replied as his apprentice turned back to the Princess.