"This is the second band of strangers we've gotten today." One of the mandolorians commented as he tossed R2 onto the back of the speeder.
"Let us go!" Leia said with fire while she tried to break free from her captor's grip. They had bound her hands infront of her.
"You've got spirit. The boss will enjoy you." Leia concluded from the voice that her captor was a female mando.
"Kriff off!" She protested and threw her elbow backwards, landing a jab at the other woman's side. Her attempt did little to no damage with the beskar armor each of them dawned. Leia shouted in pain when she learned the durability of the armor.
The woman strengthened her grip on Leia's arm and drew her vibro blade. "Your on Death Watch territory. So you will do what we command and when we command it. Or you and your droid will die excruciating deaths" She threatened.
"And if I don't? How is the galaxy going to feel when they find out the blood of a senator is on your hands because I promise you I will make it known that if I die it will be because of you." She spat, the blade still humming by her face. Her claims weren't entirely a lie. She was a politician after all, but she would say whatever she had to to buy Luke more time to come and get them. In truth she had no idea where he was, or if he was even alive. The thought of him dead by Vader's hands made her boil inside. But she held out hope, believing that he would come and rescue them.
"Your bold." The woman slashed a cut across Leia's side. She winced in pain, luckily it wasn't deep enough to incapacitate or nearly kill her. The woman sat her down in the speeder before it took off. They all traveled together by speeder and jet packs through the snowy forest. Suddenly she felt something poke at the back of her mind, faint but noticeable.
"Luke" she muttered with relief. She felt their connection adjust and strengthen even in this place of uncertainty.
"Are you alright?" Luke asked her through their bond.
"Luke you brought us to a magic temple. To follow up on that we got into a brawl with our burnt to a crisp father in some sort of universe time warp... and now you've gotten us tossed into stars knows where with some female mandolorian that I'm about to beat the kriff out of if she touches me one more time!" She scolded.
"So your alright...?" He didn't know if he asked a question or a statement.
"Lovely." She rolled her eyes.
"Hey I felt that eye roll you know." Luke protested.
"Luke you idiot just get here so I can yell at you in person!" His remarks were beginning to peeve her.
"Can't wait" He performed an eye roll of his own. "Where are they taking you?"
Leia saw the entry to a settlement. The speeders began to slow down and some the mandos brought their jet packs to a vault, their feet landing on the crunchy snow. Two of their own opened the gate and the speeders drove in slowly. She saw droids along their way deeper into the camp. They were of all different models and sizes. Some were R2 Units like their own, others gonk droids, and other house/service droids. However she found it interesting to see an old battle droid from the Clone Wars among the bunch. Oddly enough it didn't look all that worn down.
"Their campsite. It's big, got gates and guards by it." Leia responded to her twin, having gotten lost in observation and didn't notice him calling her name.
"I'm following speeder tracks now. Sit tight I'll be there soon." He assured her.
Her tone changed. "Be careful." She said genuinely, still grateful her brother was still alive and thriving.
"I will." He said. She felt his smile.
They continued through the camp, several other of their soldiers roamed. Some passed by the time with target practice, some kept warm by the fire. She saw some had their helmets on while others preferred to keep theirs on even during down time. She felt her rage boil inside when the speeder stopped in-front of a tent. Looking to her left were two soldiers who were shooting at one of the droids for entertainment.
"Dance droid!" One of them shouted.
"Dance!" The other chuckled as he fired his pistol at the droid's feet.
"Get out." Her captor grabbed her arm once again, yanking her out of the speeder. Another soldier pulled R2 off the back and tossed him on his wheels.
When the droid began to bore them, the two soldiers shot the droid down and turned their attention to Leia and R2.
"Soldiers, take this droid and put him with the others. He'll be able to fix our toys." The woman said from behind Leia her grip still tight.
"He'll be a great addition." One of the helmeted men said, reaching to pat R2's dome.
"You shouldn't touch my droid." Leia warned them.
"Or what?" The other soldier laughed. Both of them stepped closer to her.
"Or he'll embarrass you." She said seriously. She recalled how R2 had tricked Luke into locking himself in a closet on the Falcon.
The two men laughed even louder. Remembering what happened when she tried to fight back only a few moments ago she spat on the man's boot, giving him a smug look. Their laughter stopped immediately.
"Kreeze, I suggest you take you get ahold of your friend." He said the the woman who began to turn Leia towards the tent. "Embarassing you let the insults of a senator make you cry. Now take the droid and do as you were told." Leia looked back, her smug confidence still there. She could feel the two soldiers' deathly gazes on her even under their helmets.
They passed into the tent to find everyone sharing a meal and drinks together. Women served the soldiers as they mingled. She could feel the eyes on her the moment she stepped in. They all gave her one observing glance before returning back to their own discussions.
"We found two more." The woman said throwing her towards the man they approached. It seems they had interrupted his conversation with a younger man, just slightly younger than Luke. He was dressed accordingly to the weather followed by a toboggan. He looked up at them, not saying a word.
"Where is her companion?" The man asked, looking at Leia up and down. It reminded her too much of her dreadful encounter with Tarkin. The man had a shaved head, his helmet resting on his knee. He too wore mandolorian armor however she noticed the drape on his shoulder. This must be the boss she briefly heard about when they captured her.
"He's just a droid. I sent him to fix the others for target practice." The woman removed her helmet, her hair orange and short.
"This is ridiculous! Senator Mothma will hear about this! Pathetic.. your just some Death Watch wanna be's." Leia shouted.
The man scoffed and rose to his feet. "Do you know who I am?" She remained silent. Her stare would usually burn right through most people. "I am Pre Visla, of Clan Visla." He said proudly approaching her. Impossible.. Growing up a princess of Alderaan meant most of her time was spent studying. She recalled reading about the clone wars. Pre Visla was dead. So was Death Watch. Surely they had to be. She refused to believe she was insane.
"She claims to be a senator." The woman spoke up.
"A senator?" Pre Visla raised an eyebrow. "Of what planet and what party?"
"Alderaan, Republic."
"You've brought me a good find, Lady Kryze." Visla smirked. "Interesting but it will have to wait for later. I was in the middle of an important matter. Send her to the tent with the others." Her captor grabbed her arm and directed her towards the exit. "We will resume this tomorrow 'Senator'".
"Lady Kryze... Are you of Clan Kryze?" Leia asked, remembering her studying of past. "Your sister-"
"If you want to keep your tongue senator, then I suggest you shut up."
Was she going mad? Here she was, in a Death Watch camp led by Pre Visla and her 'body gaurd' was Bo Katan Kryze. All of which she had read about in books long before her and Luke's time. Leia realized this was all real. Luke... she was fuming with anger.
Luke finally reached the entry gate. He decided to pull a trick that Ben had taught him. He waved his hand from behind a tree.
"What was that?" One of the guards asked.
"Probably just an animal." The other shrugged. Luke waved his hand again. The guards jumped.
"There it is again. C'mon let's check it out." The pair went to investigate, giving Luke a short window to leap over the gate. He used the force to soften his landing.
He reached out with his mind, feeling for the other force presence that was his sister. "Where are you?" He whispered to himself as he slipped into the shadows of the camp. "Found you." He started in the direction he was confident of. After slipping past soldiers for a few moments he suddenly felt a tremor in the back of his skull. "What?" The feeling left him puzzled. The feeling of one light became two, neither of which he was certain was Leia. He decided to follow the other one in hopes of finding her. The force led him to a tent filled with chatter. He grabbed his binoculars and zoomed in from behind a wooden shack. From the small opening he could see what looked like other mandolorian soldiers all eating and conversing with one another. He assumed the people serving their food had to be some sort of prisoners from the way they acted so skittish around the soldiers. He searched through the scope for a few moments but to no avail could he find his twin. He knew for certain that this was the source of his feelings. Hopefully Leia was inside. He noticed a soldier walking towards the tent, not yet at it's entrance. "Perfect." Luke whispered to himself. He emerged from behind the shack and quietly approached him from behind, placing his arm around his throat. Luke removed his helmet and drug him back behind the shack and out of the open. He covered the soldier's mouth and tightened his grip around the neck before the body went limp. He was relieved to still feel a beating pulse in the soldier's wrist as he laid the man on his back. He took the man's armor and helmet, quick to bury the body with snow. He was generous enough to leave a small hole for him to breathe while unconscious.
When he finished hiding the evidence he pulled the blue and grey helmet over his head and slipped his saber in his boot. Just before he entered the tent a young woman came out, accidentally bumping into him.
"Hey watch it!" He was annoyed but also tried to fit in. She looked to be a little younger than he was; a teenager. The young togruta didn't say a word, just gave him a look of disgust and went on her way. He paused his hand on the tent curtain. Reaching out again he could feel the tremor. It latched to her like a magnet, perhaps stronger. The force surrounded her, she was practically glowing with it. He snapped his head back towards her direction. "Jedi" he thought to himself in realization.