Blurred Sides (COMPLETE)

7.8.3

It was a long hike, but finally, Shaak and Luminara reached the edge of the factory. There was no clear marking as to the border, but they saw a pair of battle droids marching side by side, left to right. The Jedi Masters hid behind two of the forest trees, and the droid patrol passed without noticing them.

They watched them walk off, then Shaak, who was on the left, turned to Luminara and spoke lowly. "Well one thing is for certain, the Separatists are clearly inhabiting this area. Should we investigate further, or return to Coruscant and come back later with our own forces?"

Luminara thought for a moment, then shook her head. "If we wait, and this is the factory, then we miss a chance to take it down before more of the droids are built and used. While we have a chance, we should at least try."

Shaak nodded and turned back to watch for the next patrol. It came a little less than five minutes later. The next patrol came five minutes after that. After the third patrol had passed, the two Jedi snuck across the path the droids had taken and onto the campus. They jumped into the trees and used the foliage as cover while they made their way closer to whatever was being guarded there.

After about a hundred meters, the trees stopped abruptly, and the dirt floor of the planet turned into concrete and metal. A large building, vast, but not tall, rose from the ground. Shaak could see why no one had noticed it earlier. The smoke barely rose at all, and since it was so short, it didn't rise high enough for any of the local Togruta to see it from their village. The Jedi hadn't even noticed it from orbit when they had flown in.

Battle droids, droidekas, and even super battle droids (they really needed a better name than that) were keeping watch around the building. They didn't need to loop around the factory to know that the entire facility was surrounded by the defenses. If they wanted a way in, it wasn't going to be easy.

Luminara studied the defenses, then turned to Shaak. "I have a plan, but you may not like it. It involves us splitting up."

Shaak sighed. "I don't doubt your judgment, but I have no other ideas."

"I will go around to the other side and distract them, keep them busy for as long as possible. When you see a break in the line, you can infiltrate the building and try to find what we are looking for. Maybe even destroy it if possible."

"And what will you do, when I am inside?"

"Hopefully, I will join you inside, but if not," Luminara looked back to the building. "So be it."

Shaak rested a hand on her shoulder. "You will try, though, won't you? The Council still needs you, Lumi."

Luminara looked up at Shaak, surprised that she still remembered her old nickname, back when they were both Younglings. It had been so long ago, back when everything was simple and they didn't have to worry about war, or Inquisitors, or Sith, or Padawans gone Dark. So long.

She nodded, smiling ever so weakly. She was grateful for her support, but she didn't believe it. She couldn't, not anymore.

The Mirialan hopped down from the treetops and onto the ground, and snuck her way to the east side of the building. When she believed she had gone far enough, she pulled her lightsaber from her belt and activated her comlink, as quietly as she could. "I'm ready if you are, Tia," recalling her own nickname for Shaak back when she was too young to handle a lightsaber.

"I'll wait for you, Lumi," came Shaak's response.

Luminara drew a breath, then leaped out from her hiding place in the trees and activated her green lightsaber.

She deflected the blaster shots that got close to her, and the defense forces from all around the facility came to reinforce the side that had been attacked. Shaak waited a few moments, then ran forward once all of the droids were facing the other way. She burst through the doors and sealed them behind her.