TANTIVE IV – 2 HOURS EARLIER
The galactic cruiser floated aimlessly, adrift in space.
The captain they'd hired had clearly been made a better offer, or more likely through a combination of fear and intimidation been forced to betray them.
As soon as they'd come out of lightspeed, the Captain and his crew had abandoned ship. Before doing so, they had compromised the ships operating systems, leaving all instruments completely inoperable. Their sabotage was complete when they jettisoned all the escape pods, not just the ones they'd commandeered.
That left the two female passengers stranded.
Molly Hooper was a member of the Rebel Alliance. She gazed at the myriad of stars that twinkled all around them, at any moment she expected to see through the view-screen the ominous vision of an Imperial Star Destroyer bearing down on them.
When that happened, she knew the game would be up, and she would have failed in her mission.
From the bowels of the ship came a muffled request. "Could you pass me the hydro-spanner?"
When no response came, and the required instrument was not given, grumbling could be heard and then the face of a young woman with short blonde hair appeared in the opening in the floor. Looking around she spotted her companion. "Molly did you hear me? I need the hydro-spanner."
Molly instantly rushed to the toolbox and after a quick search found the requested item which she promptly brought over. "How bad is it?" she asked, though she had a bad feeling she knew what Mary's response would be.
She didn't disappoint. "I'd like to say we've been in tougher situations than this. But I would be lying," she replied before disappearing back down the way she'd come.
An hour later it was clear the sabotage performed had been absolute. It would take a complete overhaul from trained technicians to get the ship up and running.
The two women sat dejectedly in the cockpit.
"How long before you think they'll arrive?" Molly asked. It was clear that it was now more a case of when rather than if.
"Not long," Mary admitted, handing Molly a blaster. "But I refuse to go down without a fight."
At that moment a proximity alarm went off, both women exchanged knowing looks. This was it.
But when the ship emerged back into real space, it wasn't what they were expecting.
After the YT-1300 Freighter manoeuvred alongside, a maintenance docking clamp securely locked the two ships together. Access between the two ships was now possible.
Molly and Mary waited anxiously, their blasters drawn as the exterior door lock opened.
What was revealed had Molly catching her breath. The tall man standing before her had a head of messy dark curls, blue/green eyes she could willingly lose herself in, chiselled cheekbones and delectable cupid bow lips. His body was slender, but it was clear from the way his shirt was stretched to bursting that the chest was well defined, muscular…
She was rudely brought back to the present when the man snapped impatiently. "If you could possibly refrain from stripping me naked with your eyes long enough to hurry aboard. We're in a bit of a rush."