Out of Time [Star Wars Story]

3. Departure

Lorash gripped the controls tighter as the ship came into view. It was a light mercenary cruiser, probably barely big enough for all the mercs they had seen. The armaments were not active at the moment, but if that changed, it could blow their speeder to bits. She had to be ready to evade until they were at the ship's airlock. "How are we going to get inside?"

Seia opened the speeder hatch and jumped out. "I have some thoughts."

The jedi padawan hated the confidence the sith seemed to have at all times. It was unnerving—and sent a little pang of jealousy through her that she needed to quash immediately. She followed Seia out of the speeder, slinging her staff over one shoulder. She took the time to regain what calm she could and approached the airlock with a serenity she wasn't certain she actually felt.

Seia produced a battered comm, still spattered with the blood of its previous owner. She tapped on it a few times, hunting through the personal data stored within. "Their pilot is pressed into service. He owed their leader a significant amount of credits. It was this or being shot." She turned to face Lorash. "Fortunately, the lock sequence for the door is encoded on the comm. I hope you are prepared to be persuasive. We need him to lift and soon, with us instead of those he owes."

"You aren't going to menace him?" Lorash asked, surprised.

Seia smiled faintly as she punched in the door code. The airlock hissed open. "I will do what is necessary. I merely assumed you would prefer the alternative route." She gestured for Lorash to step through, following on the jedi's heels. "They likely still have a guard on the ship."

Lorash had a definite feeling that the guard's life expectancy had dropped decades now that Seia was past the front door. "You don't have to hurt him."

"That is more a reflection of his desires than our own," Seia said bluntly. "If he wishes to comply, then I have little reason to kill him. If he seeks to force the issue, I will crush him."

Lorash recalled the binding power the sith woman possessed and the ease with which she'd killed using it. She hated the idea of seeing that again.

"Intruders!" a man shouted from further in.

"We just want to talk!" Lorash called quickly, not waiting for Seia to retaliate towards the speaker.

"Talk quickly," the man barked. Both of them heard a safety flicking off on a heavy blaster rifle, though the echoing of the ship's confines hid his position.

Lorash felt Seia attune to the Force beside her. If she was even a fraction as skilled as she seemed, the sith would know the man's whereabouts instantly. "We need a way off this planet," the jedi padawan said calmly. She still had the bundle of credits Vori had given her for emergencies. Hopefully that would be enough. "We can pay."

"This isn't a cruiseliner, princess," the man said harshly. "You're interfering with our business. With Imperial business."

Lorash couldn't afford to back down. His life was depending on her. "I can pay you a thousand credits right now and double that in addition if we make it to a place I know. Imperial business is always more trouble than it's worth and clearly they aren't interested in relying on you if they've moved their own ship into system. They might not even pay you, knowing them."

"Or I could kill you and take the—" His voice was cut off by a sharp crash and a powerful zap.

Over the ship's intercom, a different male voice spoke nervously. "Uhh, ladies, you can proceed to the bridge. Don't mind him. I'd be happy to lend a helping hand, for that thousand credits."

Lorash looked over at Seia and asked quietly, "Did he kill him?"

Seia laughed. "Hardly." The sith led the way towards the pilot, stepping over the stunned and flex-cuffed body of a merc on the way. He was going to be in a rage when he awoke.