The Secret Apprentice | Vader x OC

Dread

Stormtroopers from all around halted their operations, not a single one of them believing their eyes despite having overheard the discovery over their comlinks. From their level of fixation, part of me wonders if any of them had even laid eyes on the opposite sex in recent years.

Among the stormtroopers were more Genosians, slaving around and dragging crates of finished product with them to be loaded onto the closest supply ship to them.

Sabel's concern for our destination prompted her to speak ahead of us and to the trooper leading us along, "Where are you taking us?" As if our minds were in sync, I could feel her panic setting in. She was tempted to book it, take our chances at running our way back in the direction we hope would lead back home. But she could barely walk as it is, her injury causing her to limp with each step she took. She also played out the idea of somehow managing to snatch the blaster pointed at the back of her head out of the stormtrooper's hand, but we both knew how that would end.

The stormtrooper did not respond, instead walked us over to a large rock formation just barely out of the way of the traffic. The stormtrooper came to a stop before stepping out from between the rock formation and us, "Against the red rock!"

It was quickly becoming apparent to me what the plan was, my heart began to pound against my rib cage. Sabel and I obeyed, stepping up to the tall rock formation.

"Turn around and get down on your knees!" The stormtrooper instructed, three blasters pointed at our heads now.

Sabel let out a near-silent whisper, "...Shit...this is not how I planned to go out, Reina...if you have any clever ideas, now's the time..." Immediately we were both on our knees facing the troopers, our hands remaining up in the form of surrender.

"State your business here!" The stormtrooper's projected voice demanded, both Sabel and I thanking the Gods for being given the opportunity to explain ourselves.

Shoving my fear back down into the pit of my stomach, I decided to do the talking, "Labor, sir. To help construct and build the Galactic Empire's Mobile Battle Station, sir."

The three stormtroopers stood in silence before looking to one another, as if hoping one of their own personnel had any idea as to what was going on.

Aware that I have finally got these people's attention enough for them to listen, I spoke up again in hopes of preserving our lives, "My sister and I have been within the Geonosian hive for eight years now, sir. We are the reason the factory has yet to overheat, break down or cease its swift production. The both of us together have been proven to work faster than what 3 Geonosians could accomplish in a day, with only half the time. We are expert mechanics...you kill us, your whole assignment here goes down in flames."

Both stormtroopers look to the one in the middle, the one who led us out of the factory in the first place. A long moment of silence stagnated between the five of us, Sabel clearly impressed with my bargaining skills. For them, we will keep the factory running smoothly, as long as they give us a fighting chance to prove our importance. The middle trooper finally acted by speaking into his comm system, requesting the presence of an on-planet commander. Once the request was heard, we all stood and knelt at a stalemate. Within little time, a commanding stormtrooper approached us. This trooper sported a different colored pauldron, and had a DLT-19 blaster rifle in hand. The commander paid no mind to us, but rather the middle stormtrooper.

As the trooper relayed a summarized version of my statement to the commander, the calmer atmosphere began to calm Blip enough to begin opening up just a fraction, still latched firmly to my tank top. Her glass eyes took in the situation from behind my neck, her movement so slow to where neither I nor Sabel were aware.