THALIA
"If the gorgeous Jedi said to stay away, then we should stay away." C-6 said beside her in the Falcon's cockpit. Thalia had decided to take no one but her droid on her rescue mission to save Qui-Gonn and Obi-Wan from the clutches of Dooku.
"I disagree." Thalia said unemotionally, setting the coordinates into the navigational system.
"You don't think he's gorgeous?" Her droid asked, looking sideways at her. She clenched her jaw as she sent the Falcon into hyperspeed.
"You did the thing, that means I'm right." C-6 said, a smug look on her face, which for a droid was an odd sight.
"What thing?" Thalia asked in frustration.
"You clenched your jaw. That always gives you away." C-6 replied and Thalia thought for a moment before picking up the blaster Padme had given her.
"I wonder if this works on droids." She said thoughtfully and C-6 quickly turned back to the controls. "What I meant to say was, we can't just leave him."
"Them." C-6 corrected.
"Them." Thalia muttered as they dropped out of hyperspace, coming face-to-face with a colossal separatist ship that cast a looming shadow over the tiny Falcon.
"Sure you don't want to turn back?" C-6 asked hopefully.
"No." Thalia said and opened the comm channels. She'd seen the Jedi try this but it had always failed. She hoped with her extra Midichlorians it might make all the difference.
"This is Admiral Noone to Corellian YT-1300. State your purpose here immediately." Came a transmission from the Separatists.
"This is YT-1300. You will let us into the cargo bay and send one guard to meet us." Thalia said in response.
"…We will let you into the cargo bay. We will send a guard to meet you." Came the reply and Thalia dropped back in her seat.
"Cool." C-6 said beside her.
As the Tractor Beam guided them into the hull of the ship, Thalia watched as a single Patrol Trooper marched across the floor to meet them.
"Lower the ramp." Thalia ordered and C-6 dropped the ship's ramp.
"You up there! Identification!" The trooper called up.
"Come on up, I'm just finding it." Thalia called back as she ran towards the ramp and pressed her back against the side wall, the Stun Blaster at the ready.
She listened as the trooper stomped up the ramp, and as he reached the top, she raised the blaster and fired, missing him by at least a foot.
"Blast." She muttered and fired again, this time hitting him in the back of the head.
She closed the ramp and knelt over the trooper, beginning to pull off his uniform.
Thalia pulled on the black pants and brown armor, before tucking the helmet under her arm.
"You couldn't even take this one out. How do you expect to make it through the whole facility?" C-6 asked, crossing her arms and Thalia gave her a look that instantly shut her up.
"Be ready to make a quick getaway. And make sure he doesn't wake up." Thalia said, and pushed the helmet down, over her head. "Well? How does it look?"
"It's too big for you." C-6 replied as the comms on the trooper's wrist crackled to life.
"What's going on down there?" A voice asked as Thalia walked down the ramp.
"They needed to make emergency repairs. They're clean." She replied into the comms before taking a deep breath and stepping out into the open.
Right, left, right, left. She marched across the bay, past a squad of battle droids and into the nearest corridor. If this ship was anything like the one she'd been kept on, the cells were towards the back of the ship.
"Hey! You're not supposed to be down here." A voice called behind her and she stopped, turning to face an officer. "What's your number?"
"You will take me to the cell block." Thalia said slowly, her voice cracking through the helmet.
"Right this way." The officer said and marched straight past her and into a lift. Thalia had to run to catch up with his eager speed. The lift stopped once, but the officer didn't get out. The doors slid open and Count Dooku appeared in the doorway.
She was thankful for the helmet, because Thalia had a look of pure horror on her face. She shook herself and immediately quietened her mind. The last thing she needed was for Dooku to sense her true intentions.
"My Lord, did you dispose of the Jedi?" The Officer asked cheerily and Thalia froze.
"Yes, he has been taken to Zyggeria where his spirit will be broken. They will have a hard time doing so, my old Apprentice is determined." Dooku replied and Thalia tried to keep her breathing steady.
He was talking about Qui-Gonn. Dooku used to be a Jedi.
The lift shuddered to a halt and the Officer walked through the doors with Thalia close on his heals and she resisted the urge to look back at the Count.
"Here you are. Is there anything else I can do for you today?" The Officer smiled.
"What? Oh…no. Thank you." Thalia stammered and the Officer marched off.
As she approached the solid, silver doors, they slid open elegantly to reveal a circular control room with a familiar looking walkway on the far wall with cell doors dropping down off either side.
"Who are you?" One of the guards asked.
"I'm here to collect a prisoner. Count Dooku wants to speak with him." Thalia said steadily.
"Which one?" He asked.
"The Jedi." She replied and the guard nodded.
"Fifteen." He said, and Thalia walked carefully around the control console, up onto the walkway and along the line of cell doors until she reached number fifteen.
She nodded back to the guard, who pressed a button on the controls and the door slid upwards.
Inside the dark cell was the machine she'd seen Obi-Wan strapped to in her vision and as she walked down the steps, she saw him hanging limply against the restraints. Spying a camera in the back corner, she waved her hand in it's direction and the red power light dulled to black.
Thalia stretched up on her toes, so she could reach Obi-Wan's face. She lifted his chin and his eyes fluttered open, but when he saw her he pulled his face away. She quickly undid the restraints on the machine and the young Jedi fell forwards. Thalia only just managed to catch him and set him down on the floor so his torso was resting in her lap.
She reached up and pulled the helmet off her head before looking back down at the Jedi.
"Thalia." He wheezed, reaching up to her face as if he couldn't believe it was really her. His fingers brushed the skin beside her mouth and as much as she liked it, she reached up and pulled his hand away letting them both rest against his chest.
"I thought I told you to stay away." Obi Wan sighed.
"Well I can go if you want." She grinned and he chuckled before coughing. "Can you stand?"
She pushed the helmet back over her head before carefully pulling him to his feet. If she held onto his elbow, it would help her to support him and it'd also look like she was pushing him as to not cause suspicion.
They slowly made their way down the walkway, past the guards at the control room and into the lift. As soon as the doors closed, Obi-Wan sagged forwards and Thalia caught him, leaning him against the wall. His head hung against her shoulder and she leaned into him so he wouldn't fall.
There was no way they could go on like this. Thalia decided to try something new. She shut her eyes and focused on where her hands were holding his chest. She focused on his injuries and his pain before imagining health and healing. And with the force guiding her, she focused on healing his wounds.
Against her shoulder, she felt Obi-Wan take in a huge lungful of air before straightening up and bracing himself against the wall. She watched his face as the bruises faded and the life returned to his eyes. When she was sure Obi-Wan could stand on his own, she looked up at him and the look of fondness on his face made her knees feel suddenly weak. Thalia was thankful for the helmet because it masked the heat quickly rising in her cheeks and she was able to drop her eyes.
"Qui-Gonn's on Zyggeria." She said weakly.
"If Dooku sent him then I'll doubt they'll keep him long. He'll probably be sold into slavery as soon as they find a buyer." Obi-Wan replied as the lift doors opened.
Thalia took his elbow and walked him out into the corridor and towards the cargo bay.
"Halt! Where are you taking that prisoner?" A voice said behind them, and Thalia turned to see a squad of battle droids readying their weapons.
"He's being transferred to Zyggeria where the other Jedi was taken. Count's orders." Thalia lied perfectly.
"Prisoner transport? Ah…that does not compute. You're under arrest." The droid replied and raised it's blaster.
Thalia raised the Stun Gun and this time aimed before pulling the trigger. The blue burst engulfed two droids and they shuddered before collapsing onto the hard floor.
Thalia couldn't stop herself as an excited shriek escaped her lips.
"Nice shot." Obi-Wan acknowledged, before sending the remaining droids flying back down the hallway. He grabbed her hand and together they sprinted back to the ship.
"C-6! Take off!" Thalia yelled as they neared the Falcon. Up the ramp they sprinted and as the ship left the ground, Thalia rolled the unconscious trooper down the bumpy ramp and out of the bay they flew.