Luna pulled up the engine hood at the left front of the hauler and recoiled as acrid smoke rose into her eyes. She tried to wave the air clear and succeeded in only spreading the cloud further.
'That's what helmets are for,' said one of the stormtroopers mockingly. He leaned in and peered at the engine. 'Yep, it's broken.'
'Thank you, I don't know what we'd do without you,' she bit back, then immediately regretted it. She was supposed to be be keeping a low profile. Forgettable.
'Watch your lip, kid,' the stormtrooper warned, then went back to peering into the engine compartment.
Luna stepped back to allow Snett and the second stormtrooper a closer looking, then stretched her back, stretched her arms out, enjoying the freedom from the cramped driver's compartment. On the right side of the hauler another stormtrooper, this one unarmed, peered around the front. Luna ignored him as walked casually but carefully to the exit, the door sliding open and shut behind him.
'What was that?' one of the stormtroopers looked up from the engine.
'What was what?' Luna asked, staring at him blankly.
'Do you think it was the heat exchanger?' Snett asked, and the stormtrooper turned back to the engine.
'Could be, could be. But I was thinking the radiator fins. Maybe a wire came loose and got caught in it.
Luna stretched again, and coughed. Another stormtrooper, this one much bulkier and with a slightly deformed helmet, peered out from the right hand side. With a quick look around, he, too, walked quickly and quietly to the exit. 'This smoke,' Luna complained, coughing again as the door slid closed.
'Don't like it, don't work haulage,' one of the stormtroopers replied bluntly.
Luna watched the three check the engine over from top to bottom, until Snett finally stood, stretching her back. 'I'm going to have to call it in,' she said flatly. 'Unless you have any tools we can borrow? Any spare parts?'
The two stormtroopers stood, too, and were about to answer when the exit opened again and another stormtrooper came in, pushing a repulsor cart topped with half a dozen large crates. The stormtrooper peered around the side. 'What in blazes is going on here?'
'Engine trouble,' Luna answered flatly.
The newcomer grunted. 'Well, so long as you don't outstay your welcome. New shift in the security room in an hour. They're going to ask questions.'
The first stormtrooper turned to Snett. 'Is your boss going to be able to get another hauler up here before then?'
Snett snorted. 'You're joking, right? Lazy bastard is probably tucked up in bed. But the deputy head will be working tonight. He's okay, it'll just take a bit longer.'
The three stormtroopers shared a look, then the first one said, 'I don't know about spare parts, but I'll see what tools we have going. Back in a few, keep your heads down.' He left.
'I should get going too,' said the one piloting the repulsor cart.
'Oh, wait,' Luna said quickly. 'Could you help us get the crates off the cart, first?' and then added, when he seemed to be about to refuse, 'sooner we get that unloaded, sooner we can fix the engine, sooner we're out of here.'
The stormtrooper looked like the last thing he wanted to do was handle heavy cargo, but he agreed. 'Help me get this top one down.'
Luna went over and helped. On the second crate, she heard a faint clang come from beyond the exit, somewhere inside the base. The others didn't seem to notice. She waited until the third crated was pulled off the top of the cart before saying, 'I think we can handle the rest if you want to go.'
'Don't need to tell me twice,' the stormtrooper said, already making his way to the exit.
'Thank you!' she called after him. He waved without looking around.
'Looks like the new kid isn't so bad, after all,' said the remaining stormtrooper. 'What was that sound?'
'Must have slipped or something,' Luna replied absent-mindedly, yanking hard on the next crate so that it let out an annoying screeching sound as it scraped against the crate underneath. Together, they worked to unload the rest of the crates, and then waited.
'What's taking him so long?' the stormtrooper muttered.
'Probably trying to find the right tools,' Snett offered.
'Hmm.'
They waited in silence until the door opened again, but it wasn't the returning stormtrooper, but two - one average, one very large, and they didn't look friendly.
'What's going on here?' the large one growled menacingly.
'Routine cargo delivery,' the remaining stormtrooper said hastily. 'They're just having engine problems so we're waiting on some, uh, some techs to send help.'
The two stormtroopers separated, the smaller one going to inspect the engine, the large one standing by the remaining stormtrooper, staring at him. Somehow, even through the helmets, he glowered. The smaller one kicked the engine covering, as if that act alone would impart technical information. 'Yep, it's broken, all right.'
The large one grunted and leaned over the stormtrooper. 'You should not be here on your own. You should know better than that.'
'But - it's a cargo delivery,' the stormtrooper stammered.
'Excuses. Get out of here, we'll take over from here.'
'But-'
'Now look here,' the larger stormtrooper said, taking a step closer. 'You'll want to get as far from here as possible. Understand?'
The remaining stormtrooper couldn't even make a coherent word, he just whimpered and rushed out the door. As it slid shut, the larger stormtrooper took his helmet off. 'My horns,' Vix said, rubbing his head. 'I'm never playing dress up as a stormtrooper again. It hurts my hornes too much.'
'Sorry, big guy. But no promises,' said Face, leaning over the exposed engine compartment to bang twice on the side of the hauler. A moment later Garan, Hoshi, Amoya and Twitch came out, dressed in stormtrooper armour but their helmets off, and then followed by six Klatooinians, also in stormtrooper armour, their also held in their hands.
'That went well,' Luna said. 'Shall we begin?'
