Beneath the Helment

Data Processing

We waited for Zero to come back and let us know when it was alright to head down to the agent's office. And ya of course I was a nervous wreck for her.

Me and Ralf just had short little conversations to keep us from going mad. "Are ya, you know, nervous at all..?" I looked over at him, he was sitting at the desk with a worried look upon his face. "Well, ya, this is our only chance of getting the life's we had dreamed of Ralf." He finally looked me, "ha, ya I guess."
I had never seen Ralf nervous like this, maybe once back at our old station were he had messed something up and was about to get yelled at by someone. I wanted to try and get him a little calmer, so what other way than to start another fucking conversation. "So, what do you plan to do after we get out of here?"

He looked back to me, a small grin grew across his face. "Well I've spent all my life working for people, so I'd probably just offer my self to the Rebels and ask if I could work for them." He followed that with a "all I know is working for others." I nodded in agreement with what he was saying, but I wanted the complete opposite. "Well, that does sound like a good plan, I want something different. Like I'm still pretty young, 25 is too young to be caught up in work, I wanna settle down somewhere, maybe even find some I love to start a family with."

Ralfs smile grew even more. "Sounds like a great plan Niro, but I think you already have one of those things completed." I gave him a confused expression. "Go find somewhere you and Zero love, I mean you love her don't you?"
My cheeks grew pink, I could feel it. "Uh ya I mean I do like her, she seems like a great woman to spend the rest of your days with, but I'm sure she doesn't feel the same." Ralf rolled his eyes. "Have you seen the way she looks at you, she has a thing for you." I smiled, Ralf always knew how to make me in a better mood. He stood up and stretched. "Ya kid don't spend your twenties wasted on work, your supposed to go have fun with your life." I never really knew how old Ralf was but I knew he was just a little older. "Just because your like 2 years older than me doesn't mean you can call me kid." He laughed, "oh Niro, if only I was still in my twenties, I would have the same ideas that you have about after we get out of here!" This time I gave him a shocked expression. "I'm 37, and ya I know it's old." We both laughed.

More time went by, anytime now Zero would return. Me and Ralf had already gotten our armor on, even the snow trooper armor looked silly. "Hey Niro, after all of this, can we still keep contact with each other. I mean your one of my greatest friends and I don't wanna lose our friendship." He looked worried again. "Ralf, that's the last thing I would want to happen between us, I don't ever want to lose contact with you." He smiled.

Then the door slid open, "alright boys it's all clear for now, let's get a move on."

We moved surprising fast down the hallways. At every turn we stopped and made sure nobody was down there. I wanted to hold Zero's hand again like the other night, but now wasn't the time. When we got to the next turn, we heard foot steps heading our way. We leaned against the wall and waited. Then, the mandalorian girl turned to corner with an orange like droid following her. She held up her blasters at us then realized it was me, probably cause of my armor. She lowered her blasters, "your that one snow trooper I talked to the other day, right?" The droid made some beeping noises, they sounded threatening. "Yes, and these are my friends." The droid kept making the noise till Sabine told him to stop. "Chopper, tell Hera to get into position." The droid pulled out a walki talki and I guess was talking to Hera, cause Hera soon replied to him.

"So, I'm guessing you all know where the agents office is?" We all nodded. "Good, now I have to get going, come on Chopper." She ran off and the little droid followed behind her.

We continued down the hallway, till we got to the corner that turned to the agents office. Zero looked around the corner then quickly moved back to us. She turned around and looked at me and Ralf. She used sign language to tell us to "stay here."

She unhooked her blaster from her belt, and turned the corner. "Troops is Agent Kallus safe?" They shrugged. "I dunno he left his office and told us to stay put." It was silent for awhile, then Zero spook. "Hmm, I see." Them all of a sudden there was two blaster shots, then the thud of body's hitting the floor. It startled me and Ralf. "Come on, the coast is clear." Me and Ralf turned the corner and saw the two troops dead on the floor. Zero had typed in the code then we were in. His office was huge, a bunch of different things in there. We went directly to the huge data pad type thing that was built in the middle of the room. It only went up to about you waist, then there were buttons everywhere.

"Alright, I've got this." Zero started clicking buttons, then a hologram of folders appeared. She looked very focused, so me and Ralf didn't bother her. Instead we walked around the room, the room had metal walls and a metal ceiling, made me cold. Then I stepped on something. I looked down, it was like two rod like things with different designs.? It looked like there were two of them but they were attached, and folded together. I pick it up, it was sort of hard to hold since there was still a gap between them, they were both the same length. About to my elbow to my wrist. "Hey Ralf, what's this?" He turned around and froze. I kept turning it around to look at it, "is it some sort of weapon, there is a button." I reached my hand out to press the button before Ralf ran over and yanked out of my hands.

"This, this is a lightsaber.." he sounded like a mixture of scared and amazed. "Are you sure, I thought they would look different.?" Ralf chuckled and stepped back, at this point Zero had stopped what she was doing and looked up at us. He hit something on the lightsaber to were it folded out. "This is not just a lightsaber, it's a double bladed foldable lightsaber!" He hit the button, then came the beautiful yellow blade, then soon after the other came. The sound was elegant, and almost beautiful. Right after he turned it on, he turned it right back off and let it fold back up. "Didn't you mention something about a prisoner transfer yesterday, Zero?" Zero nodded, "if the prisoner had that on them, the agent would of course keep it." Then I finally spook up, "how would a prisoner get ahold of a lightsaber..?" Ralf shook his head.

"This lightsaber belongs to Norla Maro."

No one could see my face but I was shocked. "No way, there can't be anyway." Ralf looked up at me. "It makes since, she is a enemy of the Empire, remember?" I shook my head in disbelief, but I knew Ralf was right."

It had been around 15 minutes, Zero had found the information we need but it was transferring to the cruiser. Ralf still had the saber in his hands looking down at it. "Ya know, she used to only have one saber, then after awhile she built it like this to match Mauls saber."  I looked up at him, "was she in love with him?" Ralf sighed, "it's hard to tell, I mean she could have been force to love him since he technically owned her, but maybe she did really fall for him.."
I had a million questions about her, Zero probably did too but she reminded quite and just listened to me and Ralf. "Was she nice, I mean did you know her?"  I couldn't tell what Ralfs expression was under his mask, but I didn't even want to know. "She was one of the kindest people I've ever met. Even everything she went through, losing her sister, having the republic and most of the other Jedi not even trusting her, she still kept a smile on her face."

After awhile Zero spook. "Ralf, will you go outside and check our surroundings and make sure we're still in the clear?" He stood up, he put the lightsaber on the counter, "ya sure." He walked to the door, it slid opened then he left.
Zero got up and leaned against the data pad. "So Niro, what are your plans for when we get out of here.?" I stood up and walked towards her, "I'll tell you the same thing I told Ralf. I wanna go live on a absolutely beautiful planet with a nice house and live the rest of my life." I shrugged, "gosh maybe even start a family." Zero took off her helmet and held it by her side. "You'd be a great dad." I chuckled.
"Ya, how so?" She smiled, "your so kind, and loving."

She could tell, but I blushed. "Take that helmet off, I wanna see your expressions." I shrugged, I lifted my arms up and started to pull up. The neck covering finally past my chin and lips, then I felt Zeros hand touch the side of my face. I felt her lips on mine, woah was this really happening?! It was a passionate but innocent kiss, lasted for about 5 seconds, then I felt her hand and lips leave me. "Alright helmet back on lover boy." I did as she said and slid my helmet back on." "But I thought you wanted to see my expressions?" She put her helmet back on, "I don't need to see your expression, I already know what it is, love." She walked back over and sat back down in her seat. "Hey Zero, after all of this, do you wanna like go do something like maybe dinner or something..?" She laughed, "Niro, are you asking me on a date?" I rubbed the back of my neck nervously. "Ha, ya I guess I am." I couldn't see her face, but I knew she was smiling.

"I would love to go on a date with you Niro."