Purge (Star Wars)

Savareen

She removes the armor from her shoulders, arms, and hands and places them on the bed and the image of the Jedi's hand grasping his lightsaber flashes through her mind making her feel hopeful. There had been so many times she thought she would never actually encounter a Jedi. So many times she had nearly given up hope but it had finally happened. She is here. He is here. She can finally get the answers to her questions. What is this power she has, the Force? What is a Jedi beyond the rumors? Who's voice had she heard the first time she experienced the Force?

As she removes the chest and back pieces, she feels the weight of her conscription lifted as well. She is no longer bound to the Empire but free to make a new future for herself. She places them on the bed next to the others.

Finally, she removes the armor from her hips and legs and as she places them next to the rest. She stands there a moment feeling exposed without the armor and is overcome with doubt. She may have left the Empire but is it possible to ever fully rid herself of what they imprinted on her?

Wearing only the black body glove, she looks over all the pieces laid out neatly on the bed and feels a rush of determination. She WILL make her own future. The Empire has taken enough from her.

After leaving PT-152 in her cabin to change, Merrin returned to the common area to find Cal and Cere deep in discussion.

"I don't know if this is a good idea," says Cere.

"I thought you would jump at the opportunity to find more Jedi."

"I want to, but something about it sounds too good to be true. By doing this, would we be helping her expose them? Or maybe we're walking into a trap?"

"In the mines she guided us past larger groups of stormtroopers, used her codes to get us through doors BD and I couldn't open. She had more than a few chances to take a swing at me but didn't. If it is a trap, what's the point in dragging us around the galaxy?"

Cere shakes her head, unconvinced.

"On top of that," Cal continues, "I just don't sense that she's hiding anything."

"Neither do I," adds Merrin as she returns to the others, "but we should remain cautious. She will have to earn our trust."

"Okay," says Cere, "I'm trusting you Cal."

"I know," Cal says sincerely.

So, what did you find in the mines?" Cere asks, changing the subject.

"Nothing," he answers, with a shrug and takes a seat on one of the curved benches that form semicircles against the hull on either side of the holotable. "They are definitely mining exonium but it's not the large-scale effort we were led to believe and there was no sign of any refinery."

"Was there any indication of what they are using the exonium for?"

"No."

"The informer said this was a massive operation," says Merrin. "How could it be so wrong?"

"I don't think it was wrong exactly. I think it was just a trap," Cal answers. "On my way down into the mine, there were very few people and no stormtroopers at all but on the way back out they were coming out of the woodwork."

"The troopers were stationed strategically," PT-152's voice interjects from the far end of the room and they all turn walking through the galley back to them. Without the armor she looks much smaller than any of them expected but somehow the combination of the body glove and boots, which emphasized the lean musculature she developed through years of intense training, and her short black hair pulled back tightly, in strict adherence to uniform regulations, made her seem almost more severe now than with the armor on.