The Mandalorian Jedi

Part Two: Chapter Seven

The sun was just beginning to appear in the gaps between the buildings overhead when Luk, Wraith and I stepped outside. b00 turned to look at us as we passed, her robotic eyes narrowing slightly,
"Go inside b00, help the others pack up." Luk gave the loader droid a slight shove with his foot. It did nothing to actually move her but she started picking up boxes with her various arms, whirring with discontent as she went. I started to walk forward when I felt something warm brush past my foot. I looked down to see Naakla standing there, her ears flat against her head to protect herself from the cold,
"Naakla no. Back inside. Tripp will take care of you while I'm gone." She growled low, baring her teeth slightly at me. I raised an unimpressed eyebrow at her, "very scary." I muttered and leaned down to pick her up and give her to an equally unimpressed b00 but Naakla stood her ground, using every ounce of weight she had to stop me lifting her off the ground. She sat back on her haunches and glared at me with those big, round eyes. Luk had stopped and turned around, Wraith quickly following suit, and laughed slightly at the loth cat so intent on joining us. I groaned, "you stay with Luk, you understand? You don't come into the compound with us." Naakla blinked which I took to be a yes, then trotted off to wind her way around Luk's legs. I smiled and started walking again. It was the only signal I needed to give for Luk to set out in front and lead us deeper and deeper into the layers of Coruscant.

We weren't walking for all that long but it felt like an age as I tried to ignore the leering looks of passersby, panicking every time one smiled that they had recognised me. More than once I found myself reaching for the comforting hold of my sabers, clipped to my belt and ready to be drawn at any moment, and I had to force my hands to remain at my sides. At some point Wraith dropped back to walk at my side, how he knew the fear I was feeling I don't know but I appreciated the gesture.

We walked down and down and down until finally he raised his hand to signal us to stop. He put a finger to his lips and pointed to the level below us. It was full of guards, every few metres was someone on patrol, gripping a blaster and completely alert. Luk grimaced slightly then signed,
'This is worse than it was last time.' His hands were only just illuminated by the sun down here, but his words were understandable. I looked around where we were standing. Just opposite us was another building, directly above the facility. I touched Wraith's arm and pointed to it,
'If we can get in there I could probably get us through the floor and onto the roof, and we can go from there?" Wraith dipped his head,
'Sounds good.'

There was a bridge across to the other side a few minutes' walk away and we stopped there. Naakla allowed me to pass her over to Luk,
'Stay safe. I'll see you guys in a bit.' He saluted me and pulled Wraith into a tight hug, 'don't die.' He grinned as he said it and backed away slightly, Wraith and I turned in unison and walked over the bridge and back towards the building.

As we approached I let my hands slip beneath my cloak to the sabers resting at my side and Wraith's grip on his blaster tightened. I swallowed the rising lump in my throat. What the kriff was wrong with me? This stuff used to be easier than breathing, yet here I was panicking at even the thought of swinging a lightsaber or calling on the force.

There were two guards at the entrance of the building, some kind of warehouse I presumed. I'd barely unclipped my sabers before Wraith had them both on the floor, dead or unconscious I wasn't entirely sure. They barely made a noise as they dropped to the floor but another guard came rushing around the corner, Wraith had his back to the guard, unaware of his approach. I reacted instinctively, my hand stretching out and sending the man flying backwards until he hit a wall with a snap. Wraith looked up to see me, with my hand still outstretched, and the dead guard behind him,
'Thank you.'
'No problem.' I responded, trying not to look at the limp form. I hadn't killed anyone in a long time. I used to find myself feeling sick every time I looked at a corpse of my own creating. This time I felt nothing.