broken [1]- a Star Wars story

XVII

"Fear is a great motivator."

"I have a bad feeling about this." The words leave Aayla's mouth slowly, her eyes trying to get used to the darkness in front of her.

"Just keep moving." Jed assures her, and they follow after Anakin and Padmé.

The tunnel they were now in only extended for a few metres, another hatch at the end. But it felt off. There was a slight decaying smell, and everywhere Aayla looked, she felt eyes on her.

They proceed with caution, closing the distance between them and the hatch at the end. Out of the corner of her eye, Aayla could see movement.

Jed and Anakin senses it too. They both begin to slow down, and Padmé follows suit. Jed places a hand on Aayla's, and Anakin motions for the Senator to stop.

"Wait." He tells them, his senses overloading at the fear and movement in the room.

Jed reaches for his lightsaber, and places his hand on Aayla's back, preparing her to run. Something growls and Anakin ignites his lightsaber, turning around and striking down the source of the sound.

Padmé starts running towards the door, and Jed pushes her to follow. She looks back and sees numerous beings begin attacking the Jedi.

"Go!" Jed urges the girl to head towards the door, Padmé has now begun opening it.

The girl does as she's told and follows after the Senator, ducking down under the door as it opens. Anakin and Jed continue to slice through the Geonosians, the rest running in opposite directions.

A small ledge begins to open out, but stops just a few metres out. Padmé jogs to the end and begins looking around. Aayla stands behind her and looks down.

A factory. They were in a factory.

Machines are were busy assembling mechanic parts, buckets of hot iron and lava were being transported across the factory. There were conveyor belts directly beneath them, passing and creating new mechanical parts.

Above them, a conveyor belt held droids. Battle droids. The likes Aayla had never seen before.

Anakin and Jed reach the platform and the hatch slams shut. The platform begins to recede and Aayla turns around to grab Jed, but she's too late.

Padmé and Aayla drop to the conveyor belt below, Anakin and Jed's senses causing them to hold onto the edge of the hatch.

"Padmé!"

"Aayla!"

Padmé falls to her knees, Aayla manages to drop to her feet, her abilities as a Padawan allowing her so much.

"Are you okay?" Aayla asks, she pulls the Senator to her feet, and they look back up to where Jed and Anakin are.

"I'm fine."

The boys look down as they get moved along the conveyor belt. Anakin jumps first, followed by Jed, and they both land metres behind Aayla and Padmé, their lightsabers ignited and ready to fight the Geonosians that followed them down.

The Senator and Aayla had other problems.

The conveyor belt brought them closer to a hydraulic press, clamping down on the moulded machine parts and creating the shapes.