Bad Blood

Chapter 23 - Maybe This Wasn't Such A Great Idea

"Anything?"

"Kriff all."

"Shit."

Astéri kicked a log viciously, then cursed as she stubbed her toe and hopped on one leg for a second. Boba tilted his helmet at her.

"I can tell you're laughing at me." Astéri sighed. "Well, this is where Olena was seen last, but there's obviously nothing to tell us where she might have gone. There isn't even anything to tell us that she was here in the first place. Woman's like a kriffing stealth bot."

Boba crouched down. "There are tracks here, but they're very old. I can't tell much except that they're from a non-human, so they can't be Olena's."

Astéri walked over to Boba. "What do you think? Should we take Slave I for a fly-by over the surrounding forest? Take it low over the tree-tops? We could check out the surrounding area, see if there's anything that could be where Olena is hiding."

Boba sighed and looked up at the canopy of foliage, dappled sunlight casting shadows onto his helmet. "I doubt we'd be able to see anything; the trees are too dense. The forest is hard to navigate if you don't know it well. I reckon I could probably manoeuvre the jet pack between the trees if I wanted to cover ground quicker, but there'd be too much of a chance of getting separated. We don't even know if Olena is the most dangerous thing in these woods."

Astéri chewed her lip thoughtfully. "Do you have a map?"

Boba activated the holo map on his arm and Astéri studied it for a minute. "There's a village about three klicks east. We know that Olena hasn't been any further west than Slave I so far, and her most recent known location was here. If we ask around in the village and figure out her movements according to there, we could use the village as the third point of a triangle and figure out a rough area where she could be hiding."

Boba shrugged. "It could work, and it's a good a plan as any. I can't be seen in public, but you could go and ask around. I'll meet you back at Slave I."

Astéri nodded. "Do I get a kiss goodbye?"

Boba tilted his head. "You're going to the village, not another planet."

"Maybe I just want a kiss."

"I'm wearing a helmet."

"I'll just stick it on the visor then." Astéri grinned. "Look at us, bickering. We probably sound like a married couple."

"Careful what you wish for."

"What did you just kriffing say to me?"

Boba shifted awkwardly. "Nothing."

Astéri sighed and moved forwards, wrapping Boba in a hug. He folded his arms around her and tucked his head into the crook of her neck. "Just be careful, dumbass. Like you said, this forest could be dangerous. I'll see you when I get back to Slave I." She released him and ducked under a branch into the undergrowth.

The forest was dense; roots and brambles jutted out at odd angles. There was no real path, just the occasional clearing or sparser patch of trees. After a while, Astéri got used to moving at a good pace and started to take more notice of her surroundings. The forested planet was quite beautiful. The trees boasted rich emerald green leaves, some of them with glossy red berries. The landscape reminded her of a peaceful couple of weeks she had spent on Takodana.

A growl sounded from a nearby bush. There was a scuffle and a thump as something huge lunged through the undergrowth. A terrified squeak signalled the demise of some animal.

She had better keep moving.

Hopping a creek, Astéri found herself on a rough track and followed it until the trees gave way to a valley of fields and houses.