Chapter Three
Alarms blared and lights flashed. Startled, Duri sat straight up in her bunk, whacking her head on the one above her. She blinked as bright lights flooded the room. Someone blocked the light for a moment then entered the room. She recognized her best friend and fellow initiate Natasha Effi, a female Mon Calamari.
"Tash, what's going on?" Duri questioned groggily. "Have we made it to Tasc yet?"
"No," Her friend's face was pale. "We got pulled out of hyperspace. Hull's been breeched. In the cargo hold."
The intercom system crackled and came to life. For a few moments all that was heard was static.
Then, in heavily accented Basic, a voice announced: "Prepare to be boarded. Do not resist or we will be forced to- " the girls didn't hear what the speaker and the rest of his company would be "forced" to do as the captain of their transport cut off the comms in all areas but the bridge.
"Well then, that was fascinating. Can't say I ever heard anything quite like that before. At least, not in real life. Holo-vids perhaps," Duri looked at her friend. She was really pale, looked like she was about to faint, and was incredibly quiet. "Are you okay?"
"I think I'll go for an apprenticeship in the creche. . . ."
"That might be a good idea. Tash?"
"Huh?"
"I'm gonna go see what's going on. 'Kay?" Her friend nodded and sat down. Putting a hand on Tash's shoulder she asked, "Are you sure you're alright?"
"Positive."
Duri raised her eyebrows skeptically. "Alright," Just for good measure, Duri grabbed her training saber that had been assigned to her for this trip and clipped it to her belt. The blade was not a very powerful laser, not like the ones used by the Knights and apprentices. But she knew from experience that if it's power was turned to it's full potential, it would leave a very painful, severe burn.
She practically ran into Master Jinn and Terrence on her way out the door. She hurriedly bowed. "Sirs."
"Hello, Kha'jhoai," Master Jinn said with a grin. "Did I get it right this time?"
Duri's face flushed. "Yes, sir." "Good," the master turned serious. "You ought to go back to your quarters young lady."
Duri drew herself up to her full height. Considering that was only about 5 feet, it wasn't very convincing. "I'd like to help, sir. I-I'm not as inexperienced or as young as I look," then, as an after thought, "Sir."
This elicited a chuckle from the master. "Alright, you can come with us. But," He pinned her with a look. "Do what I say. If I tell you to leave, you had better do so."
"Yes, sir," Duri couldn't keep the grin off of her face.
The master just shook his head. "Alright, come on then."
By the time they reached the bridge, the boarders had entered the hold and were on their way to the sleeping quarters of the students. As soon as Qui- Gon heard this, he turned on his heal and raced down the corridor.
"That man has entirely too much energy," Terrence commented. "Don't you agree?"
"Completely," Duri said, nodding her head. The two of them bolted after the Master.
The sounds of battle reached their ears long before the saw Qui-Gon. When they did reach him, they immediately joined the fray.
Qui-Gon kept one eye on Durray-Duri, he remembered her friends called her- and wondered where she had picked up a lightsaber so early in her training. He then realized that all students had been assigned training sabers for the duration of the trip. The Force was telling him he needed to get her out of this situation. He worked his way over to her. "Durray," he called. She acknowledged him without breaking her concentration, nodding her head. "You need to get back to your cabin. The pirates missed the turn-off. Go now," he commanded.
"Yes, Master Jinn," Crestfallen, she disentangled herself from their foes as quickly as possible and ran down the corridor away from the skirmish.
I thought I was doing pretty well, she thought. She studied the durasteel floors under her feet as she trudged down the hall. I wonder why he sent me away? She looked up as someone screamed.
Someone very familiar sounding. Oh Force no, not Natasha! She rounded the corner. Two of the pirates from the group they had been fighting had apparently broke off and found the other end of the hall. Natasha was now struggling in the bigger of the two's grip.
"Let me go, you big oaf!" This made the pirates chuckle as they easily avoided Tash's sloppily placed kicks. Realizing she had yet to be discovered, Duri snuck up behind one of the pirates and ignited her saber so it stopped millimeters from his chin.
"You heard her, release her. . .oaf," Duri attempted to keep a straight face. She caught her friend's eyes and caught her barely imperceptible nod of reassurance. Good, they had not harmed her. "Now," she demanded.
Natasha was delighted to see her friend appear, she had known she would rescue her. She was surprised at the icy voice that belonged to her friend. She had never heard her sound quite that intimidating.
Duri sensed the second pirate behind her and spun, bringing her foot up to connect with her adversary's chin. He grunted in pain and rubbed his face.
"Let that one go," he said. "We'll take this one instead. She'll bring in more money."
Wanna make a bet on that one, pal? Duri firmly decided she would not be taken anywhere, especially if it involved her being sold.
The bigger pirate that had been restraining her friend now attempted to grasp Duri's arms. "Go Tash! Go get help!" When her friend didn't move, she repeated her request. "GO!!" She demanded, lashing out at her attacker. The other had leveled his blaster at her and fired off a shot.
She whipped up her saber and harmlessly deflected the shot into the nearby wall.
Stun bolts, Duri stepped closer and attempted to deliver a kick to her attacker's midsection. He caught her foot in midair. She brought up her saber and touched it none-too-gently to his wrist. He howled and immediately dropped her foot. That's interesting.
She sent a burst of Force energy his way and knocked him into a nearby wall. That one out for the count, at least for a little while, she turned to locate her other attacker. He had evidently determined her too much trouble and gone looking for other victims. She had counted on this, having sent him a rather distracting Force suggestion. What she hadn't counted on was her current attacker recovering as quickly as he did.
She sensed the blaster bolt he sent her way too late to deflect it. She spun, attempting to dodge it.
Duri realized she'd been to late to do that also, as it contacted her arm. She gasped. That was definitely not a stun bolt. Duri was momentarily shocked by the pain and missed the stun bolt that dropped her to the deck, unconscious.
Dun, dun, dun. . . .
TBC. . . .
Alarms blared and lights flashed. Startled, Duri sat straight up in her bunk, whacking her head on the one above her. She blinked as bright lights flooded the room. Someone blocked the light for a moment then entered the room. She recognized her best friend and fellow initiate Natasha Effi, a female Mon Calamari.
"Tash, what's going on?" Duri questioned groggily. "Have we made it to Tasc yet?"
"No," Her friend's face was pale. "We got pulled out of hyperspace. Hull's been breeched. In the cargo hold."
The intercom system crackled and came to life. For a few moments all that was heard was static.
Then, in heavily accented Basic, a voice announced: "Prepare to be boarded. Do not resist or we will be forced to- " the girls didn't hear what the speaker and the rest of his company would be "forced" to do as the captain of their transport cut off the comms in all areas but the bridge.
"Well then, that was fascinating. Can't say I ever heard anything quite like that before. At least, not in real life. Holo-vids perhaps," Duri looked at her friend. She was really pale, looked like she was about to faint, and was incredibly quiet. "Are you okay?"
"I think I'll go for an apprenticeship in the creche. . . ."
"That might be a good idea. Tash?"
"Huh?"
"I'm gonna go see what's going on. 'Kay?" Her friend nodded and sat down. Putting a hand on Tash's shoulder she asked, "Are you sure you're alright?"
"Positive."
Duri raised her eyebrows skeptically. "Alright," Just for good measure, Duri grabbed her training saber that had been assigned to her for this trip and clipped it to her belt. The blade was not a very powerful laser, not like the ones used by the Knights and apprentices. But she knew from experience that if it's power was turned to it's full potential, it would leave a very painful, severe burn.
She practically ran into Master Jinn and Terrence on her way out the door. She hurriedly bowed. "Sirs."
"Hello, Kha'jhoai," Master Jinn said with a grin. "Did I get it right this time?"
Duri's face flushed. "Yes, sir." "Good," the master turned serious. "You ought to go back to your quarters young lady."
Duri drew herself up to her full height. Considering that was only about 5 feet, it wasn't very convincing. "I'd like to help, sir. I-I'm not as inexperienced or as young as I look," then, as an after thought, "Sir."
This elicited a chuckle from the master. "Alright, you can come with us. But," He pinned her with a look. "Do what I say. If I tell you to leave, you had better do so."
"Yes, sir," Duri couldn't keep the grin off of her face.
The master just shook his head. "Alright, come on then."
By the time they reached the bridge, the boarders had entered the hold and were on their way to the sleeping quarters of the students. As soon as Qui- Gon heard this, he turned on his heal and raced down the corridor.
"That man has entirely too much energy," Terrence commented. "Don't you agree?"
"Completely," Duri said, nodding her head. The two of them bolted after the Master.
The sounds of battle reached their ears long before the saw Qui-Gon. When they did reach him, they immediately joined the fray.
Qui-Gon kept one eye on Durray-Duri, he remembered her friends called her- and wondered where she had picked up a lightsaber so early in her training. He then realized that all students had been assigned training sabers for the duration of the trip. The Force was telling him he needed to get her out of this situation. He worked his way over to her. "Durray," he called. She acknowledged him without breaking her concentration, nodding her head. "You need to get back to your cabin. The pirates missed the turn-off. Go now," he commanded.
"Yes, Master Jinn," Crestfallen, she disentangled herself from their foes as quickly as possible and ran down the corridor away from the skirmish.
I thought I was doing pretty well, she thought. She studied the durasteel floors under her feet as she trudged down the hall. I wonder why he sent me away? She looked up as someone screamed.
Someone very familiar sounding. Oh Force no, not Natasha! She rounded the corner. Two of the pirates from the group they had been fighting had apparently broke off and found the other end of the hall. Natasha was now struggling in the bigger of the two's grip.
"Let me go, you big oaf!" This made the pirates chuckle as they easily avoided Tash's sloppily placed kicks. Realizing she had yet to be discovered, Duri snuck up behind one of the pirates and ignited her saber so it stopped millimeters from his chin.
"You heard her, release her. . .oaf," Duri attempted to keep a straight face. She caught her friend's eyes and caught her barely imperceptible nod of reassurance. Good, they had not harmed her. "Now," she demanded.
Natasha was delighted to see her friend appear, she had known she would rescue her. She was surprised at the icy voice that belonged to her friend. She had never heard her sound quite that intimidating.
Duri sensed the second pirate behind her and spun, bringing her foot up to connect with her adversary's chin. He grunted in pain and rubbed his face.
"Let that one go," he said. "We'll take this one instead. She'll bring in more money."
Wanna make a bet on that one, pal? Duri firmly decided she would not be taken anywhere, especially if it involved her being sold.
The bigger pirate that had been restraining her friend now attempted to grasp Duri's arms. "Go Tash! Go get help!" When her friend didn't move, she repeated her request. "GO!!" She demanded, lashing out at her attacker. The other had leveled his blaster at her and fired off a shot.
She whipped up her saber and harmlessly deflected the shot into the nearby wall.
Stun bolts, Duri stepped closer and attempted to deliver a kick to her attacker's midsection. He caught her foot in midair. She brought up her saber and touched it none-too-gently to his wrist. He howled and immediately dropped her foot. That's interesting.
She sent a burst of Force energy his way and knocked him into a nearby wall. That one out for the count, at least for a little while, she turned to locate her other attacker. He had evidently determined her too much trouble and gone looking for other victims. She had counted on this, having sent him a rather distracting Force suggestion. What she hadn't counted on was her current attacker recovering as quickly as he did.
She sensed the blaster bolt he sent her way too late to deflect it. She spun, attempting to dodge it.
Duri realized she'd been to late to do that also, as it contacted her arm. She gasped. That was definitely not a stun bolt. Duri was momentarily shocked by the pain and missed the stun bolt that dropped her to the deck, unconscious.
Dun, dun, dun. . . .
TBC. . . .