All That We Are: A Star Wars Story

8

"Captain! I've got something," A female stormtrooper called out.

Without turning his head, Ark's eyes darted to the civilian sitting in the shadow of the soldier. Vartan Bodt strode to the detainee and Ark followed.

"He says there's something still in the Republic base up there," The trooper nodded the blaster's tip towards the mountains towering about the valley.

Ark became rigid. "Yes, they said it was a ghost. Just a stupid tale from the city kids." There was no way in hell the Empire was taking over his spot. It had been his for months and it was going to stay that way.

"Something is causing them to believe there's something up there. Or someone. That's our next stop then," Vartan clasped her hands behind her back, turned to the Force-user, and looked him up and down. "Will you be joining us... brother?"

Arkeous sighed through his nose. "No. I'll be looking for more leads. Comm me if you find anything, yes?" He picked the starblossom out of his pocket, threw it in the air lightly, then took a bite as he turned to leave.

§

"Rosha? You in there?" Nasia rapped her knuckles on the closed door of one of Aliik Balac's rooms without any gentleness.

Rosharia Gryd threw her head back with a silent curse, trying to finalize her welding project. "Come-" Her voice was muffled by the welding mask over her face and she whipped it off with frustration. "Come in!" She grumbled, cradling the finger she just burned. She had recently lost her pair of working gloves but decided against waiting to complete her work without them.

"Hey- Whoah. What's all this?" Nasia pushed the door wide open and leaned against the frame, crossing her arms. Rosha sat on her floor, surrounded by scattered droid parts. There was a head, an arm and a half, a partially completed leg, and... "You got amputated droid fingers on your floor?" Nasia leaned forward and a chuckle snorted from the back of her throat.

"Can't you see I'm busy?" Rosha slapped the mask back onto her face to continue her job. "I'm trying to build a protocol droid to program it to do chores since you don't help out at all around here."

Once Nasia took a step closer and Force pulled the head to her, she could see it now. Two protruding eyes and a mouth slit sat on the rough surface of a dull chrome. Nasia grimaced. She was never fond of droids bigger than an Astromech, especially ones that were bigger than her. Seeing this one dismantled, as creepy as it was, was okay.

"Don't use your witchcraft in here." Rosha snapped. She was never going to get used to having a Jedi around.

Nasia rolled her eyes and leaned down to roll the head back to Rosha. Every time they interacted or even got close to each other, Nasia sensed the fear coming from Rosha. Though, it wasn't that much fear as it was disgust. "Listen, I help out where I can! I told you guys from the beginning that I can't cook or anything very well. That's why Belcin hired me as the house's personal trainer instead," She said matter-of-factly. "I do chores just fine. Better yet, I use to do them all myself while other younglings would become dependent because I never trusted protocol droids. Nor do I now."

"Why not?" Rosha asked. The only concern in her voice came from the fact that a Jedi of all people didn't trust droids.

"Well first, we just got out of a war where there was an army of droids."

"Battle droids. Not protocol droids," Rosha reminded her.

"Same kriffin' thing- Anyway, their programming is weird. What if it goes haywire and it just like... fails? They can turn on you at any moment."