The Sounds of Silence - Tell a story without dialogue. Perhaps the characters cannot speak or choose not to. Maybe the characters are incapable of speech. Maybe communications are cut off. Thoughts don't count unless they're audible in some way, and while journal entries or written correspondence fit the letter, they miss the spirit. Challenge yourself!
Daeni pressed her back to the wall, slowly peering around the corner. She had just enough time to survey the Zakuulan battalion before jerking her head back, praying that none had seen her. Next to her, Elara Dorne tended to their injuries, doing her best to dress the blaster wounds. They were trapped far behind enemy lines, their communications cut off, and hundreds of Skytroopers - Zakuulan battle droids - stood between them and the nearest Republic camp. All things considered not nearly as impossible as it might seem. After all, they were Havoc Squad; they were trained for these kinds of situations. Even so, she had been careless … maybe even a little bit arrogant that this mission would have been easy.
By all rights it should have been. It certainly had started off that way as both she and Elara slipped past the Zakuulan patrols. They had made their way to the enemy communications tower, planted the wiretap, and were on their way to the extraction point. She should have been on edge when nothing came through the encrypted comms but static. She should have been on edge when they encountered no patrols. She should even have been on edge when they were waiting at the extraction point far longer than they should have been. Even with all of her training … the ambush still caught her off guard. They barely managed to escape the seemingly endless waves of enemy droids, retreating deeper into enemy territory.
Daeni pushed herself to her feet, fastening her helmet in place and clutched her baster rifle. Together the two women made their way down the alleyway in silence, keeping to the shadows as much as they could. They both knew that if they attempted to make it back to Republic territory on foot they would never make it. Their only hope was to steal a Zakuulan speeder, not that that increased their chances of survival any more but … it was something, at least. It was also something to keep her mind off of other thoughts, to help keep her focused on the matter at hand. There was time for brooding and self-pity later – when they weren't in mortal danger and any slip-up could cost them their lives. And it wasn't just Daeni's life on the line, there was also Elara's. And Daeni certainly couldn't live with herself if her own stupidity cost someone Elara her life.
Daeni snapped her arm up, gesturing for Elara to stop and remain put. Easing herself slowly around the corner, Daeni made sure there was no one there before darting across to the other side. She was just about to make sure the coast was clear for Elara when the telltale sounds of droids reached her. Gesturing for Elara to remain where she was, Daeni pressed herself against the wall. If they were lucky the patrol of Skytroopers would continue on pass them. If they were unlucky … well, she readied her blaster. The sound of her own breathing hammered in her ears even as the mechanical footsteps drew closer. Across from her Elara readied her own blaster pistol. The two women locked eyes and nodded slightly when it was clear that the Skytroopers weren't going to leave.
Daeni acted first, rolling into the open alleyway and opening fire. She caught the first Skytrooper by surprise, quickly reducing the droid to scrap. The other droids responded instantaneously, raising their blasters as one and opened fire, forcing Daeni to dive behind cover. Elara leaned out from behind her own cover, opening fire on the droids even as Daeni did the same. Any other soldiers would be shouting back and forth, to coordinate their attacks, not Daeni and Elara though. There was no need for words, no need to shout orders as years of fighting alongside each other had built a trust between the two women rarely seen outside the Jedi.
It was only a matter of minutes before the last of the Skytroopers fell, sparks flying from busted circuitry. Even so, they knew they had to leave before even more Skytroopers advanced upon their position. Moving as quickly as possible, they made their way down the alleyway, stopping at what appeared to be a back entrance. Without missing a beat, Daeni covered Elara as the other woman hacked the door, retreating into the relative safety of the building. Her helmet took all but a second to switch night vision, and Daeni almost couldn't believe their luck. They had stumbled upon a garage of various speeders, all of them civilian grade, and would offer minimal protection … but it was better than nothing.
Hacking both the nearest speeder and the garage door were simple matters, getting past the Zakuulan forces was another matter entirely. The two women shared a look, letting the silence do all the talking for them. They both knew this could end badly, yet they had come to terms with that possibility long ago. They both knew the kind of work that they did, that any mission could be their last, and this could very well be it. Daeni removed her helmet, tossing it into the speeder, and drew Elara close to her. Daeni knew what the other woman was thinking – she was thinking the same thing. Even so, she swore that this would not be the end for either of them. Perhaps in a different time and a different world, Daeni would have said something – perhaps she would have even kissed the other woman. In the end, she didn't say anything and she didn't do anything. Nothing more needed to be said and any other action would simply have fallen short.
Climbing into the speeder Daeni retrieved her helmet and locked it in place even as Elara took her own place in the pilot's seat. Daeni raised her blaster and readied herself for whatever may happen. The garage's doors opened and they sped away.
Honestly this prompt wasn't has hard as I thought it might have been. It was also a lot of fun to write from Daeni's point of view, since she's one of the characters I don't normally write about. At first I was going to write about her fighting Imperial forces, but changed it Zakuul.
Hope you enjoyed!
