STARCROSSED (a star wars story)

4: i have a good feeling about this

The speeder pilot drops us off at the landing zone. It's a few hundred yards from the grand entrance of the temple, but it allows us to comprehend the full size of the temple. It's massive.

"How much?" I ask. The pilot holds up three fingers. I pull out my share of credits and drop 3 silver ones into his palm, hoping it's right. He nods and flies off.

"Quinn, look," Ilena calls. I turn and see her pointing at the stone Jedi statues standing high above us. I can't help but smile as I take them in. No amount of shows and movies could prepare us for the amazement of actually seeing them in real life--and these are just the statues!

"HFSDJHGKGH," A voice announces. Our group turns to see a pair of red-white clones approach us. Beside me, I can practically feel Mark buzzing with excitement.

"Please state your business," The clone says, or at least I think he is. I put on my saddest, most relieved expression and go up to them.

"Please let us in," I plead, pointing to the temple steps ahead. "We need help from the Jedi. It's very, very important."

The clones exchange glances. "Jedi?"

"The Jedi, yes," Mark says, coming to stand beside me. "We need to talk to them."

"ERUHGSHL?"

"Master Yoda," Axel adds. "We need his help."

The clones seem to recognise that. "Yoda." The clone on the left nods to the other one. He presses his commlink and mutters a few words into it. A reply comes back. He nods and looks at us again. "WEJSGJGH?"

"Sorry?"

The clone pauses. He points at us, at his blaster, then turns his palm up with a half-shrug.

Oh. Weapons. I shake my head. Still, the other clone removes a scanner from his toolbelt and ushers me forward. I step forward and he scans us one by one. We're clear—obviously—but Axel has to surrender a spanner stored in his front pants pocket.

"Those don't even stand a chance against a lightsaber," He grumbles as he hands it over.

Afterwards, we're escorted to the front door. I keep looking around as we walk up the steps: there's just so much to look at. We walk past the giant statues right to four pillars, where four Jedi are engraved into the stone. I can't name them, but Mark probably could. I don't ask.

We walk to the entrance kept between the tall pillars. There, a pair of tall, masked temple guards wait, their backs straight and tall. At this point, I'd be lying if I said I weren't somewhat shivering with excitement, too. My gaze shifts to the lightsabers in their hands. (What I'd do to get my hands on one of those.)

"Lightsaber pikes," Mark whispers. "I know," I whisper back, biting my lip to hold back a stupid grin.

The clones turn and leave. The Jedi guard nods at me, probably in an indication to follow them. I take a step forward and they turn. So we start to follow.

"So far so good," Axel mutters.

We're in the temple now. The architecture is simply fascinating: in here, the sunlight seems to bend and glow in an almost holy way. Everything, from the tall arches and columns, is bathed in light. It's not difficult to believe that the Force thrives here. The floor underneath us is polished stone, but our footsteps are muted as our party moves through the halls. It's really, really amazing.

A certain hush seems to fall over us. No one is speaking: my friends are looking around with the amazement and wonder in their eyes. It's the same look we all had when we first left Earth, and the kind of feeling we always want to feel, as explorers and people of science.