I am so sorry that I haven't updated lately. It's been a pretty crazy couple of months. I'm trying to get back to a normal schedule. I will probably update this story next Monday. Thanks for all of your support, and I promise I won't abandon this story. Have a great summer.-Kiera

CHAPTER 15

Padmé paced anxiously around the apartment. Tonight was the third night she broke into the Imperial data banks, but it was still nerve wracking. She wore a blank expression, and she stared at the individual patterns etched into the tile floor. Then she felt someone grab her shoulders roughly, spin her around, and shove a warm cup of Honi tea into her hands.

"Relax, Padmé, by now we're pros at this. There's no need to worry about this, " Lani reassured. "We'll be fine. There's never been any problem before, and there won't be this time. I don't want you freaking out."

Padmé smiled. She and Lani had grown very close over the past few days. The Honi tea's fragrant steam seemed to reduce her stress slightly.

" Besides," teased Lani with a mischievous grin. " I don't want you to scuff up our floors."

Padmé nodded her head and bolstered her confidence. Several minutes later, she was sitting patiently on their chaise lounge awaiting Mistia. She always seems to be late, thought Padmé. I wonder what she's doing. A loud bang was heard when Mistia barreled through the the door.

"Come on slowpokes!" grinned Mistia. "Let's go."

Lani raced past Padmé. " Last one there's a rotten egg," shouted Lani. All three girls began the long trek to the base.

Once there, Mistia and Padmé huddled behind a nearby bush while Lani convinced the janitor that it was her turn for the night shift. After acquiring the clearance, Lani pretended to fetch another mop from the cleaning closet, leaving the entrance open unwittingly. Stealthily, the other women entered the base. Mistia deftly rewired the security systems, giving them five minutes to impersonate a pair of stormtroopers sent to relieve the guards of their shift.

The Bronze Bulls, as the stormtrooper watchmen were called, were notorious around the base for being trigger happy and a little battle crazed. They were totally serious. If you said the slightest offhanded comment, you would probably find yourself nursing a few bruises. Luckily for the band of Rebels, they were highly obedient and combat trained, they were lacking in the intellect department.

As the girls rounded the corner, several blaster shots rang out, singeing the sides of Lani's hijab. Mistia cleared her throat and called forth an air of discipline and strength. Marching towards the Bronze Bulls, she spoke in a clear, commanding tone, "Troopers, we are here to relieve you of your posts. Please stand aside."

The trooper on the left shook his head, causing the helmet to make a slight rattling sound. " Negative, we have just recently been assigned this shift. We can not desert our posts until our time slot is completed."

" Yes, but the higher ups did some last minute schedule changes," responded Mistia. "You have been given leave for the night, unless you would like to take it up with the officers."

Mistia had planned it perfectly. It was against their training to directly question a superior's order. Therefore, the guards had no other choice than to leave. The two men nodded to the women and marched towards down the opposite hallway.

As soon as their heavy footfall was not heard, Lani made quick work of the control panel sealing the door. While she was mainly a rocket scientist, Lani had dabbled in circuitry too. The obsidian door opened to reveal shelves upon shelves of data disks and one massive computer. It towered over all of them, its dimly glowing screen the only thing illuminating the musty database.

Mistia yanked off her helmet and breathed a sigh of relief. Padmé reached into one of her pockets a whipped out a metallic gold datadisk. Padmé approached the computer with apprehension. Though this was the third time she was doing this, she wasn't perfect. Padmé tentatively hooked up the golden datadisk to the computer.

The team had successfully taken down two of the seven firewalls, but each firewall had a different passcode and input system. The first one had been binary code. The second had been an answer to a riddle. This time, it seemed to be a single name or phrase. Which meant that Padmé did not have the slightest idea what the passcode was. Padmé also noticed, in fine print under the passcode bar, a sentence dictating that a user could only try the passcode four times before an alarm was set off. Well, that didn't put Padmé under unwanted stress at all.

Frantically, she typed in the word Emperor Palpatine. No luck. Lani suggested the name of a high ranking officer, since most of them were egomaniacs. The screen flashed red indicating a false password. Maybe it was something inconspicuous, like the name of the mountain the base was situated on. Nope. Padmé called to Mistia, who seemed to be distracted by one of the many datadisks. Mistia strode over, her face twisted in concentration, desperately trying to recall any useful information.

"I'm not in any of the officers' enclaves, but I have heard some chatter. Try Rita Argo. She was the first wife of General Tarkin, I believe." Hesitantly, Padmé began to type in Rita's name. This was their last shot, Padmé had to put all her trust in Mistia. She was nervous, but she knew Mistia would never let her down.

Miraculously, the passcode was correct, and they were able to download the files. Just three more days of this, she thought, three more days until I leave this awful place. And Lani and Mistia. She cast a wistful glance at her accomplices. One day, she promised to return here. When all was well, and the galaxy was at peace. She contemplated this thought as she left the station with her comrades. None of them noticed a small video camera, snap several incriminating photos of them.