Falling

Chapter III

Nima stood there in shock, recollecting what just happened. She had escaped. They had escaped. She couldn't believe it.

Cal squeezed Nima's hand as they took off, letting her take a moment to herself. He gestured to the luxury sofa with a soft smile. "Sit."

She obeyed, the adrenaline of the fight beginning to subside. She took in his figure, noticing how he had more wear and tear on his clothes and vest, even a few scratches on his arm. Her brows furrowed. "Cal... you..."

But he had turned his back and was approaching the cockpit sternly.

"Hey, Greez. You're famous down there," he pointed out. Nima could hear the irritation hidden behind his casual comment.

"Yeah, they're an... ugly group, huh?" the pilot, a Latero, said sheepishly. "They smell like used droid oil." He let out a soft chuckle as Cal sighed in frustration. "At least you're okay."

"Yeah, a complication we could have avoided," a new voice, female and mature, said. "Luckily, we found you."

"We have another complication," Cal cut in. "The Empire knows about the holocron."

"That's not good," murmured the woman Nima couldn't see. "The entire mission is now at risk."

The noirette saw Cal's face harden slightly. "And I had a nice chat with the Second Sister," he added matter-of-factly, anger underlying his tone. "Trilla."

Nima's hand rose to her mouth subconsciously, biting her knuckle at the mention of the Inquisitor. Bad memories flooded through her head as the air of the ship grew tensely silent for a moment.

"What did she tell you?" There was fear in the woman's voice.

"She told me..." He paused, and she could feel his anger growing. "She told me you betrayed her to the Empire."

She stiffened. This woman knew the Second Sister? How?

"Is it true?"

"She'll say anything to jeopardize this mission."

"Is it true?!" he asked again forcefully.

There was a pause.

"She was my apprentice. Before the Purge."

Her stomach lurched. This woman was a Jedi, too. Not only that, but she had trained the Sister before she was turned over to the Empire.

A pang of sympathy hit her chest. She couldn't imagine that. Being betrayed by someone so close to you for survival.

"You should have told me," Cal insisted.

"We're getting an encrypted message from Kashyyyk," Greez announced suddenly, trying to break the rising tension.

Cal stared at the spot where Nima assumed the woman was then glanced at the pilot. He let out an angry sigh and headed to the holotable, turning it on.

Nima brought her eyes to her lap, blocking out the report. She didn't want to listen in on any more of this. It was too overwhelming, too much at once. Her head was spinning, trying to process what had just happened, what she had just heard.

Still, she heard bits and pieces. Someone was willing to meet Cal. The Empire overran some resistance. Someone named Saw retreated while others joined the Wookiees who were fighting.

Nima's gaze went to her blaster pistol, realizing she was still gripping it tightly. She forced her grasp to relax and placed it in the holster at her thigh.

"Who are you?"

She glanced up to see a lady with large suspicious eyes that held wisdom beyond her years. She wanted to shrink under her stare. "Uh..."