Halcyon 🪐⋆｡°✩ Paul Arteides ✩⋆｡°🪐 / A Star Wars Story

4.

The halls of Arrakeen's city were difficult to navigate. With dark walls and concrete floors, every window viewed the rest of the dull city. If you lingered long enough on each window, you could get a lucky glimpse of the desert in the distance. 

It made for a boring walk, and if it wasn't for Glossu and Mon leading them through the complex, Sidra was sure that she or Ahsoka would have turned back the way they came.

'It's so cold in here,' Ahsoka mumbled and Sidra looked to where the girl was rubbing at her armoured biceps. Her shoulders were raised to try and keep the warmth she still had, while her charcoal-coloured armour provided little in the air-conditioned halls.

'You'd think being in a desert we'd be sweating-'

'Cut it, Snips,' Anakin threw over his shoulder. In the short moment that his stormy face appeared, Sidra was able to see how irritated and low his brow was. But despite his tense mood, Ahsoka didn't hesitate to fire back.

'How can I, Master? I prepared for heat, not the winds of Hoth.'

Both Obi-wan and Anakin looked back at the Padawan with unimpressed looks. Ahsoka didn't seem to care that her voice was bouncing and echoing off the thick walls. But her complaints were ignored by the Harkonnen, who remained at the head of the group with Mon in the lead.

Sidra stepped onto her toes and took the time to look over the shoulder of her Master. It was no wonder that the cold air in the complex didn't affect the Harkonnen, because their black armour appeared to be inches thick. But with their bald heads exposed, she couldn't help but wonder if their were cold. Perhaps they were, and that's why their skin was as pale as snow.

If it wasn't for the halt of the 501st clones around them, Sidra wouldn't have noticed that the Harkonnen had stopped. She was too busy staring at the back of their heads to see the end of the hallway. With the clones stark armour regaining Sidra's attention, she was back in reality as if she had never left.

Master Obi-wan's fast-approving back made Sidra concentrate on slowing to a stop. Through the chill, she straightened her shoulders and perked up from her slight slouch. Ahsoka's chattering teeth were pushed to the back of her mind and the Chihari noticed that they had arrived at a large set of double doors.

'My uncle requested that no weapons enter the presence chamber,' Glossu said after he turned to face the Jedi. He eyed the generals, making sure to hold their stare, before he looked to the surrounding clones.

'Our weaponry is just for display, sir-'

'Are they loaded?'

Captain Rex's helmet hid his pursed lips, but Anakin wasn't so lucky.

'Of course, they're loaded,' Anakin said, a touch of mocking in his tone. 'But these are my men, and I will not have them unarmed in the presence of-'

'Rex, would you mind waiting out here?' Obi-wan interrupted with his focus on the clone captain beside him. He didn't dare look to Anakin, who had resulted in crossing his arms with a scoff.

Obi-wan held a minimal smile on his face despite his frustration. He wanted to swipe his hand over the back of Anakin's head, as he seemed to have forgotten the sensitivity of the mission. 

Just like in his Padawan days, Anakin's arrogance was getting on Obi-wan's nerves. Sidra knew of their history and bit back her urge to intervene and not only calm Anakin down, but ease the man's whose nerves were stinking up the Force realm.

Much to everyone's (bar Anakin's) relief, Rex nodded silently. Obi-wan's shoulders visibly relaxed as the clone stepped to the side. His men followed and moved to line the length of the hallway. With their blasters still in their hands, the 501st left their superiors to enter the presence chamber alone.