BALANCE | A Star Wars story

XIX

"Do you actually know where we're going?" I whisper as we come to another stop, the third one in 10 minutes.

The first time we came across two more commanders the male leading and the female a step behind, our eyes caught and I offered her a small smile, she didn't smile back and I could see the tiredness that seemed to seep from her. The male asked us to explain our presence in that sector. The Hutt told them that we were looking for them to report the group earlier and he told the young woman to take note of it and he sent us back the way we came to 'our sector'.

     The second time was because we turned a corner and somehow ended up where we had started. The Hutt had paused for a second and I could sense the anger and annoyance that surrounded him. I had tried to speak again then, ask where he wanted us to go and see if I could help but he had just told me to be quiet and strode off back in the direction we had come from.

     Now as I look at the crossroads in front of us I seriously doubt how much the Hutt knows about this place. I look around and spot a door with a small label on it  'janitor', I cautiously open the door and when I see that it's nothing but a small cupboard and  I pull the Hutt by his sleeve and force him into the cupboard with me.

     The Hutt makes a small noise of surprise followed by a low groan as his back hits the wall. It's a tight space but at least we have some space for we can stand apart. Though not very far, as he recovers and stands up straight rubbing the back of his head I can feel his breaths on my face.

     "What the kriffing hells was that for?" He growls angrily.

     "You don't know where you're going." I say simply.

     "I do, listen the cam—"

      "Yeah yeah the cameras, look I don't think there are as many cameras in this place as you believe and I really doubt there that good anyway," I tell him.

     "Well Reeata said—" he tries foolishly.

     "Has it ever occurred to you that maybe Reeata was lying?" I half shout, "if there were so many cameras about don't you reckon someone would've come looking for us? Two suspicious 'commanders' walking about in circles and pausing at every turn deciding which way to go in a place that they would think we've known for years!"

     "She wouldn't lie to me," he says as a flicker of doubt flashes in his eyes, "she's the one who told me about this place! She told me everything about it—"

     "Except where it was," I point out and he looks at me dumbfounded.

     "What?"

     "She never told you where it was, you told me outright that you didn't know where it was so we had to go visit Naz so she could tell you. The only thing Reeata told you was you needed a Jedi to get in, so why is it so hard to believe that she was really telling the truth about this place when she didn't even tell her ever so loving 'boyfriend' the coordinates!"

     I'm suprised no one has come barging in here with how loud my voice has risen.

     "She probably just wanted to—"

     "Nope, I'm not doing this! You only needed me to get onto this damned planet, I'll go wait in the ship then when you get back with your beloved you can take me home and we never have to see each other again!" I push open the door using the force making it bash against the wall with a loud clang but at this moment I can't find it in me to care.

     I practically run down the corridors trying retrace our steps but my mind is so clouded with anger I have to stop before I get myself even more lost. I lean back against the wall and take a deep breath  trying to organise my thoughts.

     My mind starts to clear and confusion and regret seep through the cracks. Why did I shout at him? There was no particular reason to, I mean yeah he was getting us lost and wasting time but I've already been away from the council for at least a week and I sincerely doubt they miss me so what's a few extra hours?

     Regret clutches at me stomach, something about this place is making me loose all sense of rationality. Not that I had much of it to begin with.

      The force is filled with a suffocating anger that is squashing calm understanding part of my brain. A part of me wants to go and find the Hutt and apologise, I mean it's pretty obvious that this Reeata lied to him and he obviously still likes her but I had no right to shout at him.

     I decide that since I'm close I may as well just wait in the ship like I said. Besides I'd probably just get even more lost if I went to find him or run into someone I really don't want to.

     I sigh and pull myself together, there will be plenty of time to apologise on the way to Coruscant I tell myself.

     I begin to walk down the corridor again until I reach the juncture where I would turn left to get to the elevator at the end of the corridor. This is where we found the group of kids.

     Something stops me before I turn though, an odd sensation in force. A whisper of something... alluring. Something calls out in the force begging for an answer. I forget that there are a lot of force users here and none of them on my side of this ancient war, anyone of them could've sensed the presence of a Jedi and decided to lead me into a trap. It's a little surprising I made it this far without notice to be honest.

     I'm about to ignore it and continue on to the ship when the whisper turns into a roar crowding in on me like a lion to its prey.

     Come find me.

     Something whispers into my ear but when I turn theres nothing there. I'm having difficulty breathing now, my heart is pounding so hard I can feel it in my temples, threatening to give me a headache.

     "What?" I whisper to the air around me, if someone came down the corridor now I'd look mad but I can't bring myself to care. "Where?" There is no rationality left, this place has drained me of it, the force is pointing me down the corridor straight ahead of me, where the two apprentices went.

     I told a lie, there is some rationality left in my brain, it screams at me to not follow this feeling and wait in the ship like I said I would. But the roar of the force pushing me forward easily overcomes that part of my brain and locks it away hidden in a chest in the deepest darkest parts of my brain.

     And with that I give in and follow the force, I give in to the pull and stride down the corridor straight ahead purposely. I'm going to find out what's calling to me.