A long time ago in a galaxy far far away ...

STAR WARS
SEEKERS OF THE DIVIDE

Three years after the purge of the Jedi, the dying religion has gone into hiding. The Emperor has begun training a league of warriors strong with the Dark Side known as INQUISITORS to hunt down and kill the last remaining Jedi for the Empire.

As the war between light and darkness rages, with the light growing dimmer, both sides suddenly receive a strange signal from a nearby planet.

An investigative mission is planned by the Empire, and Inquisitor Coven examines the abilities of his strongest students to determine who is ready to assume the Inquisitor status ...

Her lightsaber clashed with another, forming sparks where they made union. There was anger in her eyes, raw and pure of form. There was no start to it; it manifested inside of her as it always had. It's what struck fear into her opponents' heart. The clash of the red sabers created a field of light that formed a shadow on all who watched them. No one dared interrupt, less they be put at risk.

All they could do was watch the red lights flicker over the walls of the large metal room, shifting their natural grey colors with crimson tints. The only true source of light was the one above them; a blank white glow that left plenty of the room in darkness. The surface they sat on was cold; the only heat coming from the battle between warriors.

She gripped the sabers hilt tightly, knowing full well it could be stolen from her with a swish of the wrist. Her feet were planted firmly like a tree, rooting her into a position that could not be compromised. The enemy tried to push, but she did not budge. Instead, she pushed back against the opponent and forced them to stumble off balance. She swung from the side, and her enemy successfully blocked the attack. However, the force of the strike had pushed them further off balance, so she used the opportunity and ducked down, sweeping her leg across the enemy's ankles. The impact threw him onto his back, dropping his saber to the ground as it retracted from the hilt.

She pointed the saber at their neck, removing the option of movement from them. All she needed to do was move the blade just a little bit forward, and their death would be at hand. It would be so easy to use the heat of the laser to slice their neck.

Retracting the saber into its hilt, she placed it back on her hip, snugly laying on her belt. Her hand reached forward and lifted her opponent up simply out of courtesy. She didn't look proud, in fact she still looked angry. That fight just wasn't enough to calm her nerves.

"Impressive performance," A tall man dressed in black clothing said. H attire was smooth and shiny, almost looking somewhat tight to wear. A cloak was draped over him with the hood down, flailing in the air behind him. There was a stern look on the mans dark face despite saying how impressive their performance was.

"The power of the dark side is strong with you both," He said, "but Mara was the one who's power triumphed," he looked to the defeated, shaking his head, "You must work to become more connected with your power. Only then can you know victory."

Mara remained still with her hands behind her back while her opponent sat back down with the others. Despite her polite stature, she fiddled with her fingers behind her back out of impatience; a habit she tried desperately not to show. The man before her was one of the best Inquisitors in the Empire. He was no Sith Lord, but he was the next best thing.

"Mara," Said the man, "Your emotions make you strong, but you must do better at channeling them into your power, otherwise they are wasted with feeble actions."

"I understand, Master Coven," Said Mara, taking a silent deep breath.

A gesture from Coven made the students rise and move to the center of the room. There were only seven of them in total, including Mara. They stood side by side as their Master circled them in a pacing motion. Simply by passing them, he could sense how powerful with the Dark Side each of them was.

"Each of you have progressed greatly since joining the Empire. Some of you will be rewarded for your efforts, while others will be punished for falling behind. Your progress will be based on how strong you've become with the power of the Dark Side."

He stopped pacing and stood at the beginning of the line. Despite their training, most of them felt fear of the idea that they weren't getting chosen. The path of an Inquisitor is a difficult one; they knew this when they signed on. The true number of inquisitors working for the Empire was kept a close secret, so their numbers could never be too high. Still, none of them could have prepared for the mental torture that was included.

The first two had passed, earning a nod from their master. The next was rejected, making him hang his head in shame. As the Master approached Mara, rather than feel fear, she felt impatience. Whether she passed or failed—was rewarded or tortured—she just wanted to get it over with.

Coven stopped next to her, looking carefully at her before finally deciding, making her the only one to get verbal confirmation, "Passed."

She wanted to smile, but didn't want to risk angering Coven. She just watched him move on to the others, failing all the rest in the line. Out of the seven, only three were accepted by their master.

"Those of you who failed," Coven said as he stood in the center before them, "You will report to the interrogation chamber for your necessary punishments. I will be seeing to it personally. Those of you who passed will report to the meeting room by the end of the rotation. Your 'reward' will be handed out to you there."

Coven saluted to them, and they saluted back in perfect sync. Those destined to be punished left first through the back entrance of the room. The other three left through the front, and their master was left behind to contemplate his decisions.

Mara exited with the two other students. Only one of them stayed with her, while the other parted down a different hallway. The halls were brighter than the room, but still coated with metal and other bland colors. Men in white full-body armor walked by them with guns in their hands, moving to the side to respect their space. Anyone trained as Inquisitors were automatically respected.

"Congratulations, Mara," Said the other girl who walked by her side, dressed in all black with a messy ponytail hanging from the back of her head, "One step closer to Inquisitor status. How does it feel?"

"How does what feel?" asked Mara.

"Impressing Master Coven. This is the first I've heard of any rewards for our training. It's kind of exciting."

"Also concerning."

"…That's true."

Mara kept walking with her arms crossed, keeping her personal bubble tight and secure from her friend, "While we get a reward, our friends get tortured for failing Lord Vader again. What a way to motivate everyone."

She piped down for only a moment as another group of armed men passed by them. Her mouth always instinctively shut whenever she passed either the Storm Troopers, or other employees of the station. Despite the fact that she technically had more respect and credibility than most, she'd still rather keep quiet in case what she said reaches the Emperor at any point.

"I can bet you the reward is nothing more than new gear," Mara continued, "New training outfits, maybe they'll even let us craft stronger lightsaber hilts-"

"The handle of my hilt is definitely too bulky."

"-Or," Mara grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop, "Could be a promotion."

Her friend wanted to smile, but kept her composure as well as she could, "You think?"

"I don't know, maybe. Coven never makes a big deal out of things. I could sense there was more to what he was saying."

"You were always ahead in senses training."

"Don't quote me, it's just a hunch."

The two entered another set of halls through an automatic door. Down the hall was a set of doors on each side with nameplates plastered to them. She stopped at the third door to the right, letting her presence open the door instantly. She took only a step inside before turning around and waving to her friend, "See you later, Helene," She said, before closing the door behind her.

The details of her room were bland as they weren't allowed much freedom for personal decor. There wasn't much beyond a bed with grey and black sheets, a desk with all her books, a closet, and a mat for meditation.

The first thing she did upon entering her room was move to her closet. The door opened sideways, where several different uniforms were hanging, each with different designs. It didn't take her long to pick out her personal favorite, one she wasn't allowed to wear during today's exercise. To her, changing her outfit was like hitting restart; New her, new chance to do better.

She looked at herself in the mirror before her desk after changing. Her short brown hair was messy, barely touching her shoulders. Her outfit was the standard issue black with hints of grey. Its design was sleeveless, with finger-less gloves snug over her hands for comfort when wielding her weapon. Her master always preferred she kept the sleeves, but with her getting rewarded later today, she thought a personal touch would be required.

She should be smiling, yet she wasn't.

As she looked herself over in the mirror, she admitted she looked good. The sleek style of her sleeveless outfit complimented her, giving her a confident, intimidating look for anyone who opposed her. Yet, as she looked closer, there was a sense of shame over it. The fact she looked good in black— The defining color of the Empire—is something to feel shame for.

Why should she be excited for a reward?

Mara wasn't dumb; She knew no one actually liked the Empire. They gave her power and purpose, and she was grateful, but she was the only one. To know that everyone else is against her only makes her angry. At least she had a way to channel that anger into power, so she was never in short supply. The methods of the Empire were drastic, maybe even immoral, but they were for the benefit of the galaxy, whether people understood it or not.

Her anger overtook her, flowing into her power faster than she could handle. The resulting backlash cracked the mirror in front of her. The crack ran straight down her body in the reflection, splitting her image in half. The left side was shifted upwards while the right was shifted down, throwing them out of sync.

She was lucky that anger was encouraged around here.

Rather than deal with the broken mirror, she quickly exited her room and stormed down the hall. Going for a walk around the station was always better for her than brooding in her room. She hated staying still for too long. It made her feel unproductive.

Mara stopped and looked out the window of the station. Outside it was an eternity of deep space with stars scattered about. The space station she was on was orbiting around a planet blue in origin, made mostly from ocean with few landmasses. This was one of many planets the Empire was stationed on.

"Master Mara?"

A droid slightly taller than her had approached with a gun in hand. It was humanoid in design, bulky, mimicking that of a soldier's armor. Its wiring could still be seen underneath the seams, but most of it was covered and protected by plating. The top of its head was smooth while its chin was shaped similar to a polygon. The color scheme was grey with red highlights, including its eyes. Despite its menacing stature, Mara held no fear for her friend.

"O.L.I," Mara greeted, "How can I help you?"

"It's how I can help you," his voice was digitized, "I was alerted to your honoring later this rotation. Congratulations."

"Thank you, I appreciate it."

"You seem troubled. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Mara sighed, leaning her hand on the window, "I don't know. I've just been feeling ... conflicted. My friends are being tortured because of my success. I can't help but wonder if that would be me if I had lost my fight today."

"You doubt the Empire?"

"No, of course not. It's just a moment of weakness. It'll pass."

"Excellent. Would you care for training before the end of today's rotation?"

"I don't need another workout right now."

"Coward."

Mara eyed him with increasing rage, crossing her arms as she took a step toward him, "What did you say?"

"Backing out of a battle while presenting an excuse are the traits of a coward. Conclusion; you are a coward."

She stepped closer, almost face to face with the droid, holding a sinister grin on her lips, "Fine. You're on."

It took no time to find the nearest empty training room. A few were scattered around the station for both the apprentices and storm troopers alike. It was smaller than the previous room, meant strictly for close-quarters combat. There was a rug with symbols scattered around it, showing the boundaries for the coming battle between friends.

From a compartment in his leg, O.L.I pulled out a baton that extended, charging with a field of electricity. His movements as he faced her were calculated and stiff, leaving little room to wobble. Mara ignited her lightsaber and held it to her side as not to be blinded. There was no way she was going to let a droid trash talk her on this or any day.

She was the first to attack with a downward slash, holding the hilt with two hands like a club. O.L.I blocked the strike with the baton, needing only to use one arm to maintain his position. She continued striking in consistent motions, trying to throw him off balance by changing her angle drastically with each attack. He fought back against and she used the Force to push him away, making him skid in the opposite direction of her.

He charged in a blitz, spinning his torso in a circle to increase the momentum of his baton. Unable to block the strike for long, Mara leapt over him as he finished his attack. She came in for a strike from behind, but O.L.I turned his torso and blocked it. They held that position, trying to get the upper hand on one another.

"Your form is exceptional," O.L.I complimented, "But what you gain in technique, you lack in physical strength. If you are not careful, your enemy will overpower you."

"I can fight just fine!" Mara shouted.

She hated how he was telling her how to fight. A droid was programmed with specific combat functions; she had to train every day to master attacks that he already has stored in his memory. He had no idea what it took to become one with these movements. He was a droid, after all; he had no emotions.

As she held her position with her blade collided with his, she suddenly started hearing whispers. They were voices she had never heard before from people she had never met. She turned around to try and spot where the voices were coming from, but there was no physical source. It echoed through the room and inside her head. Where was it coming from?

"Trust in the force," Said the whispers, "Don't let your emotions cloud your mind. We must remain vigilant should the enemy ever arrive."

"I know," Said a boy's voice.

"You know, but you do not feel."

When she turned back around to face O.L.I, she found someone else in his place. It was a boy no older than herself, wearing a white training uniform with short sleeves, and highlights of brown. His hair was lighter than hers, as well as his eyes. He looked just as surprised to see her as she was to see him.

His saber was blue; the color of the Jedi.

She didn't think of the how and why as she pushed him away in anger. The boy stumbled back, holding his lightsaber in front of him. She charged forward with a downward strike that he quickly blocked. The assault continued as the boy remained defensive, fear stricken in his face. He rolled away to get some space, but she had quickly closed in with a side strike. The boy barely managed to duck his head and roll again, jumping to his feet and blocking another quick attack.

Finally, he jumped to the offensive, throwing a stab strike at her, but she swiped it away and lunged at him. He spun to the side and dodged her jump, opting to leap backwards and create distance. She landed on her front foot and launched off it, coming at him with blinding speed as their sabers collided, forcing the boy to bend backwards and struggle to keep his balance.

"How did you get in here?!" She finally asked.

"Master Mara?" Said a robotic voice.

She blinked twice to clear the sudden blur from her eyes, and in the boys place was O.L.I once again. He was bent backwards, almost to the limit of what his body was capable of. His baton was battered from her strikes, losing some of its power. Seeing it was not a Jedi, but rather her friend, she backed off and let him recover. Her stance didn't drop, however, in fear the Jedi was still around.

"Master Mara?" O.L.I asked with concern, "Is everything alright?"

She could no longer sense the boy anywhere on the station. He couldn't have masked himself, nor could he have gotten away so fast. Was he an illusion? A vision? A ghost projected from the Force? She didn't understand anything that had just happened. Whatever it was, it was over.

Letting her drop her shoulders, she retracted her saber into its hilt.

"Yes … I'm ok," Mara said quietly, "It's nothing."

"Analysis; you are a liar."

"What makes you think that?"

"Behavior indicates fear, adrenaline, and anxiety. "

She scoffed, "It's more complicated than that."

She was gripping her saber tightly. Despite how she denied it, she was feeling a flurry of emotions that conflicted her. The only thing she could use to describe what happened would be the Force. She was always taught that it works in mysterious ways. There are still things about it no one understands. Why would it show her a Jedi? Was it a prophecy for what's to come?

"…I should go," Mara placed her saber back on her belt, "Thanks for the training."

"You are welcome, Master Mara."

Taking a deep breath, Mara left the room with somber dragging at her feet.

As she walked slowly, holding her arms, the boys image remained burned in her mind. The Empire had told them that the Jedi were the enemy. They were to be killed on sight without question; a religion that must be purged. Yet, finally coming face to face with one, she felt herself panic. All she could do was kill him out of anger, but what was the anger for? Was it against the Jedi? Was it out of fear of failure? She honestly never thought she'd meet a real Jedi after the purge.

If what she saw was a vision of her future, then that hope would soon shatter.

…

The meeting room was as grey as the rest of the station. A table rested in its center, taking an oval shape that stretched to each end of the room. Ten chairs surrounded it; four on each side, and one on each end. In the middle of the table was a cube, displaying a hologram of a planet above it.

Pacing around the table was Master Coven, holding his hands behind his back. He eyed the hologram and zoomed in on different locations. The image was of the planet they were orbiting around, where three spots were marked for analysis. The three spots were placed in the only areas of the planet where significant landmass formed, completely surrounded by the ocean.

His three students entered the meeting room to find Coven was the only one there. No words were said for a greeting. He simply gestured for them to sit down as they took their seats. Helene chose to sit close to Mara, and the third had opted to do the same simply so that he wasn't left out.

Mara suddenly felt her heart grow heavy, hearing faint whispers just like she had during her training. She turned around and expected to see the Jedi Padawan again, but found nothing to be there, nothing she could see. She felt his presence but only faintly. Then, it was gone as something else seemed to snuff it out; a presence far darker.

"Thank you for coming today," Said Master Coven as he stopped pacing, "I'm sure you're all curious why you are here."

"We were informed this was some sort of reward for our progress," Said the boy.

"That's correct, Garm. Although, this is no ordinary 'prize' for your efforts. What we have here is a chance for each of you to prove your worth to the Empire. Out of the seven students under my watch, you three are the most powerful with the Dark side. Your strength in training has excelled beyond your allies, which makes this the perfect test for each of you."

"Test?" asked Helene, "What are we testing for?"

Mara suddenly felt a weight in her chest again, but this time it was not because of the Jedi. It was an immediate sense of worry, anxiety, fear and suffering all rolled into one. Nothing had brought it on, nothing in the immediate vicinity. It was just something she could feel but couldn't see. It was a feeling she got whenever Coven entered the training room for their lessons; she was able to sense when someone powerful came in. This, however, was different, stronger than anything she has ever felt before. Her friends felt it too; everyone did.

She refused to turn around when she heard it. The raspy, slow breathing through a collective of machinery. Footsteps moved through the room, each one louder than the last as they echoed across the walls. Finally, the source of it entered the room as the air became heavy. His attire was completely black, down to the lenses of his helmet. A circuit board was attacked to his chest, connecting through the fabrics into his helmet to help with breathing. Despite this, he had no trouble moving around as his lightsaber bounced at the hip. His cape flew in the air as he walked, asserting his presence in the room. No one spoke, no one moved, except Coven when he bowed to his Lords presence.

"Lord Vader," said Coven with the utmost respect, "We are honored to have you here on the Tanqua station."

Vader looked down on him, showing little movement with his words, "Spare me your flattery, Inquisitor," His voice was digitized, "Do you have who I asked for?"

Coven stood up straight and gestured to the three apprentices sitting at the table. Each of them straightened their backs the moment Vader had entered. None of them had ever seen him up close before. All the stories they had heard couldn't compare to what they were feeling now. Being so connected to the Dark side, they could feel his power—his rage—coming off him like smoke to fire.

"I sense potential in them, but they have a long way to go," Said Vader.

"They are well equipped for the task. If you will allow them to prove themselves-"

"Do not speak for them," Vader interrupted with malice, "If you wish for them to prove their worth, they must prove it themselves to me."

Vader stepped closer to the table, looking over them as though they were ants. He did not entirely approve of the attire Mara had chosen, preferring she wore something more traditional for an Inquisitor. Upon becoming an Inquisitor, she can choose to wear whatever she pleases. Until that point, however, it is respectful to wear the assigned uniform for training and events.

"I sense great fear coming from you all," Vader states, "Fear is the path to the Dark side. I expect each of you to follow it exactly."

They nodded, trying not to let the fear overtake them completely.

"You only get one chance to prove yourselves to the Empire. I have come solely to oversee the results. Coven will explain what it is you must do."

Coven nodded and quickly used the remote in his hand to zoom in on the hologram of the planet, "This is the planet Tanqua," he said quickly, "There are only three landmasses of significant size. On each continent exists one of these."

He zoomed in further to one of the sites. Revealed was a series of buildings, ancient in design. They had never seen a structure quite like it before, at least not outside the books they studied.

"Is that a temple?" Mara asked.

"Correct," Coven continued, "We know not if it belonged to the Jedi or Sith. What we do know is that there is a large energy signature coming from the planet, and that signal is scattered between these temples. Your exercise in training today was to determine who was the strongest and most capable to take on this mission."

"You have one objective," Vader spoke deeply, "Find whatever is inside and bring it to me personally."

Mara felt a sense of confusion. It didn't seem like that big of a deal. Why would Vader get himself involved in something like this? It seems like nothing more than a retrieval mission. A squad of Storm Troopers could handle something like this with ease.

Vader looked her way, making her tense up as she felt his shadowy presence on her from afar, "You doubt me," he said, "Doubt in the Empire is not wise, Ms. Dane."

"I feel no doubt," She blurted without thinking.

Suddenly, she felt her windpipes closing up against her will. It was as though an invisible hand had grasped her neck and squeezed tightly. The air in her lungs was stolen from her, unable to replenish what was lost. Vader was holding up his hand, walking toward her slowly as she held her chin up in pain.

Despite the pain she was experiencing, she kept her composure and remained calm. Vader leaned in close to her, trying to spark fear in her posture. He knew she was terrified, but she refused to show it even as she was reaching her limit.

He released his invisible grip on her, letting her catch her breath with large gasps, "You are resilient," said Vader, "Should you fail in your mission, you will all suffer the consequences. Do not doubt my methods ever again."

"I wasn't doubting your methods, Lord Vader," Mara gasped.

"My motivations, then. What I have planned is the business of myself, and the Inquisitors," He stepped away from her, "That is the purpose of this test. Should you succeed in your mission, the three of you will be granted the title of Inquisitor."

That title is something they've been working toward for three years. Three years of grueling training, torture, and study had been leading to this moment. They should still have a few more years before even having the chance to get that title. Now, here it was within their grasp. It was the next best thing to a Sith lord

"Whatever you find within these temples must be brought to me, personally," Said Vader, "Do not fail me."

Vader spared no further words for them. He turned around and walked right out the door without warning, earning a bow from Coven as he left. The evil energy coming off of him was still present even without him there, putting them all on edge. They weren't sure whether or not they were allowed to move, so no one did for some time.

"You have your mission," Said Coven, "Make your way to the hanger and acquire a ship. You are to take off within the hour. This is of great interest to Lord Vader; we cannot disappoint him."

Coven left the room as well, leaving the hologram on for them to examine.

Finally, they felt they could breath.

"I've never seen him in person before," Said Helene, "He's …terrifying."

"I've heard stories," said Garm, "The things he's done—what he's capable of—we're lucky he didn't choke us all out."

"But to be an Inquisitor? This is everything we've worked for! This is our chance to do something more for the Empire!"

Mara remained silent as they spoke to one another. Her senses with the Dark side were further along than theirs; she could still sense Vader as though he was in the room. His aura was so strong, like a scent you just can't get rid of. It's also one you don't ever forget. The piercing black of his eyes, and endless void of darkness and hatred. There was so much hate coming from his entire being. She had never felt so much of it from anyone before.

"Mara?" Asked Helene, "You OK?"

"…Startled," Mara said as she rubbed her neck, "I'm OK, though."

"He could have killed you," Said Garm, "He probably would have if not for this mission."

"Do you think Vader knows more than he's letting on?" Asked Mara.

"Like what?"

"Like if this thing is so powerful, why are they only finding the signal now, especially if it's in an ancient temple that's probably thousands of years old? How did he discover it? What does he want with whatever it is?"

"It's best not to question Lord Vader, regardless of whatever he asks. I'm sure we'll know more if we succeed and become Inquisitors."

"…I hate that you just said if."

Mara stood from her seat, continuing to rub her neck as she made for the door.

Helene quickly followed her, leaving Garm in the room alone. They walked arm to arm as Helene looked over Mara with concern, "Are you sure you're OK?"

"I don't know …" She stopped quickly, stepping close to Helene as to ensure no one was listening, "I had a vision today."

"From the Force?"

"Maybe? I don't know …I saw a Jedi, I think. It was a boy no older than I am."

Helene pondered this, thinking back to her studies as to what it could mean, "Well …they say those with the Force can have visions of their future," She suddenly smiled widely, "And If that's the case, and you were fighting a Jedi, maybe you're going to become an Inquisitor!"

"You don't think it's the least bit concerning?"

"I think …" She sighed, "I think the Force works in a lot of mysterious ways. We can't always explain what it does to us or why. Just try to remain positive for the time being."

The idea of it being a vision of her future was admittedly comforting, but she still wanted a answer. She hated being left in the dark about things, including Vader's plan with the temples. It felt better to be informed on everything so she could be prepared for every outcome. Knowledge is power, and a lack of it makes you weak regardless of your skill level.

"I'm going to get ready for the trip down," Said Helene, "See you at the hanger."

Patting her on the shoulder, Helene left her alone in the empty hallway to sink into her thoughts.

…

The hanger was massive, holding at least twenty ships on each side of the room, not including ones that were hanging above their heads. Models of all different kinds were scattered around, including T4-a Shuttles, Starfighters, TIE fighters, and Interceptors. Each of them consisted of different combinations of shapes and sizes, equipped with unique weaponry. At the end of the large room was a force field, and on the other side was the void of space. Only Imperial ships were able to pass through the force fields seamlessly.

Mara lugged a bag full of tools she thought may be required. A ship was set up for her personally; a unique model. The ship was shaped like an arrowhead with a fin coming out of the top. Unlike the other shuttles, it's paint job was unique with brown and tan colors; highlights of black around the edges. Windows into the cockpit could be seen from where she was, protected with laser-proof glass.

So she's been told, that is.

A maintenance droid working on the ship had dropped their tools and floated over to her, giving her a salute. Its head was floating above its torso, orbiting it like the moon of a planet. Its silver and golden colors popped against the grey of the station. It had a single eye blue in color, growing and retracting as it emotes.

"Hello!" Said the droid, "You must be Mara Dane! I am T.R-07! This will be your personal ship, complete with its own navigation system, quarters and storage. Perfect for all of your needs! We call it the 'Arrowhead'!"

"As long as it gets me where I'm going. Does it have a pilot droid?"

"We can acquire one-"

"No, I can fly it. Just asking."

The droid wanted to offer more for her, but she moved past him before he could. Her bag bounced off her back as she approached the ships ramp. Just before she could step on, the droid floated over in front of her.

"I greatly insist acquiring a pilot droid. You will need one to operate the ships systems effectively."

"I can figure it out."

"It would be no problem at all to fly it!"

Mara paused, dissecting the droids sentence word for word, "Are you suggesting you want to fly it? I thought you were a maintenance droid."

"I am! But I've worked on this ship long enough that I know all the ins and outs! I am more than capable of getting you to your destination in record time!"

She wanted to fly the ship on her own and enjoy the solitude of space, but she was short on time. With Vader's promise of a punishment, getting there as quick as possible was inviting. If this droid says he can fly her there faster, perhaps she should take up the offer.

"…OK," Mara gave in, "Just get me to the Tribus continent on Tanqua as fast as you can."

T.R-07 jumped up and down in joy, hovering through the air as though he was on a trampoline, "You will not regret this!" He said with a big eye, "Follow me!"

Mara quickly followed the little droid onto the ship, closing the ramp behind them. The main room of the ship was the lounge, with a couch and a table on one side and a holoscreen on the other for navigation and networks. Toward the front was the cockpit with two seats and buttons scattered all over. In the back was the quarters; two small rooms with nothing more than a bed and desk. It was well equipped for long travel, perhaps even as living arrangements.

The colors were nice as well. Instead of the usual grey and black she was used to, it was a combination of gentle colors such as purple, bronze, and brown. It held a very homey feel to how it was structured, providing comfort for the pilot and passengers.

"Fasten your seat belt, Ms. Dane!" The droid called out from the cockpit.

Mara made her way up front and sat in the seat next to T.R-07. The seat was comfy and reinforced with 360 degrees of movement. This ship was likely provided and paid for by the empire specifically for these kinds of missions.

This droid better not crash it.

The engines started up as T.R-07 lifted the ship into the air, moving it gently toward the exit and being sure not to hit anything. He was surprisingly well versed in piloting for a maintenance droid.

"Not bad," Mara complimented, "You know the ship well."

"Next stop, Tanqua!" He exclaimed, exiting the hanger and speeding toward the planet below.