Road From Ruin: Star Wars Rebels

Chapter 8: The Framed Jedi

Azulia's P.O.V

The clinking of cutlery filled the otherwise tense air that night. I was sat eating with the crew of the Ghost, at Ezra's invitation, but I think that they knew that I knew about the plan to drop me. No-one really talked and whilst the others ate, I just picked at my food. By the middle of the meal, they'd finished and I had eaten about one yogin. Knowing that you're going to be dumped on a potentially hostile planet kinda kills your appetite, not that I ate much anyway.

This was stupid. I'd faced bigger things than this.

"Where are you going to drop me off?" I said, shattering the silence like glass.

"The nearest system is the Felucian system right now, so probably there." Hera replied.

"Right." I said.

Awkward silence again. I tried to eat, but I couldn't. Pushing the plate away, the sudden sound of it scraping on the table made the others all look at me.

"You haven't had much to eat." Sabine replied carefully. Not that I was going to snap at her. She supported Ezra's opinion for some crazy reason, so I was grateful for that, but they were still outvoted, even with Sabine's support.

"Hmm? Oh right, I never eat much anyway. I think over the years, my stomach has shrunk." I tried for a joke but the mood in the room was too dreary. "Excuse me a moment." I excused myself and left the room.

I wandered aimlessly around the Ghost for a while before finding the top gunner. Sitting down heavily, I let the silence consume me as I proceeded in taking part in my favourite activity whilst I was in space; staring into space. And when I say space, I mean both the literal thing and just staring at nothing.

The stars were spread out in front of me like a huge map and I sighed through my nose, knowing that it was likely that I wouldn't see them out in space again. Marvelling at their beauty and numbers, I slowly felt my eyes starting to shut. My thoughts were drifting away as I slipped between consciousness and sleep and I stretched out against the chair.

*

The pounding of young feet drew stares as the girl sprinted through the streets of Plexis, but she didn't care. She just had to get out of there. Her breaths were uneven and she was clearly exhausted, as if she'd sprinted a long way.  Spotting her destination, she burst through the door of the house, startling the young woman inside. The woman was short and muscled, and had thick chestnut hair that was pulled taught into complex braids, bringing out her stark vibrant green eyes. Her face was strong and steady, but now, it was etched with worry. Her cloak swished around her, brushing furniture as she hurried over to young girl in the doorway.

"How long?" She asked hurriedly, kneeling down.

There was no 'What happened?'. She already knew. The younger one struggled to regain her breath as if it was stuck in her chest.

"Five minutes at most." She replied breathlessly.

The woman nodded and they instantly set about the house, grabbing only essentials. Whilst the younger girl shoved much needed food and drink into bags, the woman walked over to a painting on a wall and pulled it off, throwing it to the side carelessly. The small cubbyhole that had previously been hidden was now obvious and inside were multiple small half-spheres. Pressing a red button on each of them, the woman grabbed them and planted them on as many things as possible; a table leg, a vase, on a cupboard door, anywhere where they'd fit.