Little Wolf Pup

Chapter Two

One week later

Alzena wasn't bothered when one of the Togrutas exclaimed that the walls of their new enclosure were electrified to prevent them from escaping. Why she was put in the same cage as them, she had no idea. Sure, she was a slave. But she was also pretty sure that the Jedi weren't after her, else they'd have come a long time ago.

There was fear all around her, she could feel it in her bones. Fear from every one of the Togrutas. It was suffocating.

She glanced down at the half-finished wolf in her hands, made from some clay she'd made herself out of dirt and water. It wasn't ideal, but she wasn't likely to complain. Modelling clay was really good for stress, fear, anxiety, and could be really cathartic. It was also brilliant for strengthening the hands. She continued to shape it, coaxing tiny, pointed ears out of its head. 

Either the Jedi would rescue them, or they'd die. Either way, she'd be escaping slavery, so she didn't see the need to panic.

"A Jedi!" One of the Togrutas exclaimed. Alzena looked up, meeting the Padawan's gaze. A Togruta with blue and white montrals and headtails and white face markings. Her blue eyes were sharp, analytical. Alzena wondered what she was thinking: that she didn't belong here, maybe. 

The Jedi then turned her attention back to the enclosure, examining it carefully, while Alzena focused on her clay model, scratching holes for the eyes. It needed to be done when the clay was still soft, even if it was a minor detail. Speaking of soft clay, the fur needed the same treatment.

"Cancel that order, Master! There's no way to get the people out of the holding cell and up to the landing platform," Alzena overheard the Jedi saying. "But I have an idea. We need to have the cruiser move in underneath the facility. We can escape onto the ship if Admiral Coburn can get in close enough."

Alzena wondered if she was destined to accidentally overhear private conversations between the Jedi. Now to make the tail...Ears and tails were always tricky when it came to figurines like this one. Ingolf would have been proud of her, although Alzena doubted she could make a figurine as big as one of her Loth-wolves.

Grappling hooks suddenly attached themselves to the ceiling of the enclosure. Alzena cradled the model close to her chest, looking up at the Jedi still standing there.

"Okay, everyone. Get ready," she ordered. "We'll have to go by groups." Alzena wished she had her confidence. She second guessed herself every five seconds or so. 

The Togrutas nodded, taking that as their signal to grab the ropes and jump out of the compartment that way. She wondered how all of them were so agile...oh wait, she'd thought too soon: one Togruta girl fell off through the gap, and was caught by the Jedi girl within an instant. And another one, being caught by...since when did the clones have jet packs? 

She chewed on her lip, watching as all the Togrutas were rescued. She wasn't one of them. Would she be left behind? Her gaze snapped up as one of the clones rose up in front of her, via use of jet pack.

"You coming with us, kid?" he asked gruffly, offering her a hand. Alzena hesitated, studying him carefully. She was being rescued too? Her instincts told her that he could be trusted. They'd never been wrong before. He was a clone, after all, he was with the Jedi. She moved the wolf figurine to her other hand, and allowed the clone to pick her up in his arms and carry her to the ground. She offered him a soft, shy smile, once she was safe on the ground again.

"That's everyone. We have to go. The facility's breaking up." 

Alzena followed after the clone and the Jedi, careful to match their pace exactly as they escaped onto the transport ships. The moment they were all safe, she hurried off to find a window, curling up there to watch the facility collapse in on itself. Her last familiar place, destroyed. Not that she wasn't happy to be free. She'd been longing for that for four years. But there was something comforting, something safe about familiarity, even if it was cruel as well.