Starry Eyed

Chapter 13. The tide turns

I scrunched my nose, blood dripping down to my chin. "I will never tell you where it is."

"You are way too faithful on your Jedi." Jaycol said. He turned to Shahan, who stood guarding the cell. "Where's Cad Bane? He is taking way too long." The metal doors to the dungeons clunked from afar. They looked at each other, and Shahan went to investigate. Jaycol resumed his position in front of me. Another clunk was heard.

"That must be our awaited guest." He forcefully lifted my chin to face him. "And now the real torture will begin." From the corner of my eye, I saw a figure standing right behind him. At first I thought I was dreaming, but then he unshielded his blue lightsaber and I was taken back to reality. Jaycol sighed, and turned around "I knew I couldn't trust those idiots."

He whipped out his own sword. "Beskar." I gasped watching his weapon break through the air. He stroke first, their weapons crashing and buzzing aggressively. Obi Wan guided him out of the cell, letting a familiar metal ball fall from his belt after him. It rolled, stopping in the middle of the cell. I recognised its familiar beeping from our late night training. I stretched my legs as much as I could to reach it, pulling on my cuffs and scratching my legs with the floor until I was able to activate its motion sensor. Feeling a strong energy wave that pushed me backwards, my handcuffs beeped one last time before opening, my arms falling down to my sides. I felt weak and dehydrated, but gathered the strength to stand up and look for the exit to get help. Afraid my legs would give out, I followed the corridor leaning on the wall. Pieces of metal and useless torches laid around, the cells deserted with water cascading on the walls. I could hear Obi Wan and Jaycol fighting in the distance.

I had reached the staircase when I heard the clanking of a cell door opening. Fearing the worst, I turned my head slowly to face no other than Shahan Alama. "Where do you think you're going?" The beaten lock of the cell door he had been trapped in by Obi Wan fell to the floor. I ran up the stairs, him after me. He grabbed my ankle, I kicked him square in the face. He groaned and dragged me down with him, back to the cells. I kicked and tried to hold on to the stone floor, which just like the walls, was irregular, allowing certain rocks to protrude. The humidity made it hard to hold on, but it was enough for him to let go and turn around to try to pick me up and throw me over his shoulders. I took one of the old torches that was lying on the floor and smashed it on his back. He stumbled back, groaning. "You insolent little girl." He regained his position and took hold of me as I tried to escape, grabbing me by the neck, and lifting me in the air. My hands dropped the torch to struggle with his. "They may pay me less if I don't bring you in alive but I guess I can make an exception."

I gasped and kicked, trying to make him let go. I couldn't give up, not then, when my kingdom needed me, when Obi Wan needed me. My vision began to get blurry when, in my last desperate attempt, I was finally able to grab the dagger that I carried on the inside of my dress. Remembering Obi Wan's training, I placed the blade downward ready to strike.

Shahan stumbled backwards, falling onto the cold floor. I shut the cell door he had dragged me into. It took me a few seconds to collect myself, but realising I could no longer hear Obi Wan fighting in the background, I renounced my idea of leaving the dungeons to get help and went in the opposite direction, directly to his position.

I reached the end of the corridor. It opened into a vast cave with an immense fall. A huge waterfall started on the ceiling, flooding the floor. Large tunnels were all over the irregular walls. I found Jaycol lying unconsciously on a ledge below, Obi Wan was lying closer to where I was standing, barely moving and completely soaked. I feared the worst, my heart about to explode inside my chest as I leaned on the wall, trying to reach him without falling onto the cave.

"Obi Wan." I placed his head on my lap, moving his wet strands of hair out of the way. "Please, please Obi Wan." I analysed his wounds, tears escaping my eyes. Bloody cuts on his cheek, on his rib cage. A broken arm.

"Y/N." He groaned, regaining his consciousness. I held his hand, trying not to think of the tremendous battle he must have had. He slowly and painfully sat up, letting go of my hand only to place it on my face. He scanned my own wounds, a tear escaping his eye. "I am so sorry." We placed our foreheads together, breathing synchronising, and for a minute I thought it was all over.

"Jaycol? Shahan?" We heard someone's voice echo around the dungeons. My eyes widened in fear.

"He'll find Shahan where I left him." My voice trembled. "He'll find us."

"I will fight him." Obi Wan got up too fast, holding on me for support.

"No Obi Wan, you're too weak." I looked at his broken arm where I had torn my dress to improvise a sling.

"I will distract him and you'll escape." He said decidedly. I held him before he could leave.

"There must be another way out. Where does all this water come from?" I looked up at the waterfall. Then at the walls and tunnels. "We must be under a lake." I touched the walls surrounding the tunnels that laid ahead of us.

"Y/N." Obi Wan called. He held a piece of moss up in the air. "This is it." The intruder's silhouette became apparent in the dim light; A brim hat. It was the same bounty hunter that had tried to snatch the necklace from my neck not long ago. We immediately rushed through the tunnel where Obi Wan had collected the moss.