The Fault of Time

Chapter 18

Zeb's POV

I didn't want to say anything to Sabine.  She didn't need to worry anymore.  I had only dropped my comm on the way out the window. 

I think.

I can't even think.  It all happened so fast.  I barely caught up with it.

Well, I have to forget about it for now.  It was time for a crew meeting.

"Okay, so now what do we do?  They know we are looking for something in there," Ezra said.

"And we kind of fired at them, so we probably won't be as welcome as last time," Sabine reasoned.

"We are probably wanted right now!" I exclaimed.  "Best to get offworld before something happens."

"And what could happen, Zeb?  We didn't leave anything behind," Ezra said.

"We might have without knowing!" I growled.

"Zeb, did you leave something behind?" Sabine asked.

Before I could answer, Screwy came in and said something.

"Transmitt the message, Screwy," Ezra said.

When we saw what was on the other end of the transmission, I saw what my mistake had done. 

We were now talking to the Jedi Council.

"What do you want?" Ezra asked.

"Hostile, you are," said a litte green guy.

"We only want to talk," said a dark toned bald guy.

"Talk about what?" Sabine asked.

"We have heard about you looking for a weapon.  We would like to make sure that is true, or if you are being misunderstood," said a Togruta.

"Well, we sure didn't go to the senate-" Sabine was interrupted midsentence by Ahsoka entering the room with something in her hand.

"Ahsoka, have something, you do?" The greenie asked.

"Master Yoda, the transmission we found with the intruders was decoded," Ahsoka reported.

"What did they say?" Baldie asked.

They seemed to have forgotten we were here.  Oh well.

"They were all plans to murder Senator Amidala!" She exclaimed.

"This information has not been heard by anyone else?" Obi-Wan, who I just noticed was also there, asked.

"No one else," Ahsoka said.

"Except, know, our new friends do," Greenie said.

And that moment, the realization sunk in. 

"Now what are we to do?" Baldie asked.

"No choice, but to ask.  Our new friends, protect the senator, they can," Greenie said.

"Wait, who ever said we agreed to do that?" Sabine asked.

"That is why we are asking," Obi-Wan said.

We looked at each over with deep frowns on our faces.

"Maybe if we make a deal?" Baldie suggested.

"Why do you ever need us to do this?" Ezra asked.

"Because, it would be too risky to appoint a Jedi bodyguard.  It would be safer for the senator to have bodyguards not invovled with the war," Obi-Wan said.

Well, I sure didn't understand that reason.

"What is this deal?" Zeb asked.

The Jedi looked at each other for a few moments.  "If you do this job, we will help you find what you are looking for," Obi-Wan offered.

"Give us a moment," Sabine said.

We cloaked the transmission so they couldn't see or hear us.

"Well?" Ezra asked.

"I think we should take the deal," Sabine stated.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because, then we don't have to wait for weeks to go back and try looking.  We might find the machine within a day," she reasoned.

"I have to agree with Sabine on this one," Ezra said.

"I see your logic," I grumbled.

"All in agreement?" Ezra asked.

Before we could resume the transmission, Sabine asked me something.  "Zeb, you dropped your comm and they got the frequencies, didn't they?"

"Oh just resume the transmission!" I growled.

We resumed the transmission.  We told the council we agreed and they said that we would come to the Jedi Temple after the transmission was over and we would get the full assignment.  

We agreed to bring Screwy, as the Jedi told us to dock the ship at the temple, so it would be protected.  I was, along with Sabine, was not happy with bringing Screwy along, but Ezra insisted.

Stupid bucket of bolts.