Lone Wolf - A Star Wars Story

So Far To Fall

Nova moved her right foot an inch to the right, freezing as a blaster hit against the sides of the crate. It had been a few hours, and she was itching to move. There wasn't much room in the crate to start with, and most of it was filled with blasters. She was small...but she was not that small.

She had packed food and water in her backpack, but she couldn't reach it without making noise. She had to be content to watch the seconds roll by and to listen to Mae and Flint talk. So far, she had learned that they were a married couple, but their son had been killed in a spaceship accident.

"Do you think that it will work?" Mae asked. From what Nova could tell through the crate, the woman was worked up about something. She couldn't stop pacing.

"It has to." Flint said gruffly, his attention fixed on the ship's computer. "Because if it doesn't work, we are as good as dead."

"Flint!" Mae said sharply. "Don't say that. This isn't a suicide run."

Flint turned away from the computer. "It is, and you know it. Even if it is successful, they are Jedi. They will be able to squash us flat. What is important is the cause. What we are dying for."

Nova's mind scrambled as she tried to figure out what was going wrong. Mae and Flint were planning something...something dangerous. And it was something that would make the Jedi very angry...

And I am a Jedi, or at least I will be. Should I do something? I can't let them get away with whatever they are doing. Imagine what the consequences might be!

She decided to wait and listen for more. There was no need to jump to any conclusions.

"I've checked and rechecked everything." Mae complained. "There isn't anything left to do other than to worry."

"Are the bombs all set?" Flint asked.

"Check that off the list. I checked a billion times." Mae shot back.

Nova stifled her gasp. Bombs? They are going to try to blow something up, something that would make the Jedi angry! I need to stop them! I'm the only Jedi who knows!

She grabbed two blasters, one for each hand, and retracted her earlier wish. She desperately hoped now that they were loaded. She would only have one shot, literally. She needed to make it count.

Nova took a deep breath and pushed away the cover at the crate while at the same time jumping out. She fired both blasters, finding it easy to take a quick aim.

But no gunfire echoed from the guns. They hadn't been loaded. And now Mae and Flint were staring at her, and they looked surprised, and a little worried, but that was quickly replaced by anger.

~

"Let me go!" Nova cried desperately as Mae ties her hands together with rope. But no one was there to come and help her.

Flint walked back and worth, his eyes dark. "Little Nova Donar...I hear that your mother misses you."

Nova looked back between the duo, her eyes large and frightened. In that moment, all she wanted was to be home. To listen to the music box, and to see her mother.

"Too bad that you can't see her again." Mae slid a knife out from her belt. "You know far too much."

Flint held Nova's shoulders back so she couldn't struggle. "Say good bye." Mae touched her blade to Nova's neck, sharing a look with Flint, who got up from his chair and started peering into the dark corners of the ship.