Survival: A Star Wars The Clone Wars Story

Chapter 4

Luminara woke to the chilling sounds of wind whipping around the mountain range. She felt an ache in her bones from sleeping on the hard rock floor for a whole night. Barriss was beginning to stir, as Luminara reached over to one of the water-collecting canisters from the supply boxes and took a sip.

"Good morning master," said Barriss.

"Morning. Would you like something to eat?" Luminara asked her, although it was more of a rhetorical question, as she tossed over a ration bar. Barriss caught it with the force.

"Thank you master."

Luminara picked up a ration bar for herself and they sat cross-legged on the cave floor, eating in silence, until Luminara spoke up.

"I think we need to get that transmitter working today. We've been gone for over fourty-eight hours now, they are bound to have noticed."

Barriss merely nodded in reply. After they ate Luminara went outside the cave and onto the mountainside, to check for any Separatist activity from the Citadel. There was none. The Citadel loomed over the plains between them, protruding sharply out over the river in contrast to the hazy sky of dark, brooding clouds. Exactly the same as it had yesterday. There were a few lights visible though. Luminara knew they were not alone on this planet and that they would have to be extremely careful in order to survive. Mostly satisfied, she strode back into the cave, there was just one thing bothering her. Shouldn't we have seen some kind of patrol by now? That place is oddly quiet. Luminara thought to herself. Not that I'm complaining! They probably think that this place is uninhabitable, she concluded so they don't bother patrolling the planet's surface at all.

Electronics were once again scattered all over the dusty floor, and Barriss was sat in the middle of it all, crouched over what they hoped would become a transmitter.

"Right, let's see what we can do with all of this." Luminara said as she sat down opposite Barriss.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"What?!" Ahsoka screamed at Anakin. "I'm supposed to sit in that stupid communications tower for the whole week?"

They were in their quarters in the Jedi temple. Anakin had just told Ahsoka about his meeting with the Jedi council and she was furious.

"I know, Ahsoka, I don't think it's fair either." Anakin replied, inching back a step from Ahsoka, who was practically steaming at the ears.

"Isn't that something a droid can do?" She yelled.

"Yes, but that was the orders."

"Since when did you, Anakin Skywalker, care about following orders. We should be going on the rescue mission now not waiting around for a week, twiddling our thumbs!"

"Yeah... But.... Never mind. It's the best we can do for them right now. Just do it for Barriss, okay?"

"Alright, fine!" Ahsoka had calmed down ever so slightly.

"Don't use that snippy attitude with me, Snips." Anakin retorted, but it was too late. She had already stormed out of their quarters, to make her way to the communications tower. Anakin sighed, and went back his messy work bench, where the small droid he had been tinkering with beforehand was laying.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Barriss and Luminara had been working for hours and the two suns had made their way up the horizon.

"I think it's nearly finished master; we just need some batteries or something." Barriss looked up at Luminara, from their transmitter.

"Yes. I was just thinking that we probably should not be so close to the Citadel when we test it. I'm pretty certain that it is the only Separatist base on this planet, so we should be as far away as possible, so it takes them longer to find us if they detect the signal."