Guardians of Light

Compromising Freedom

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Clarke sat alone in the newly refurbished lower deck of the Commander's new ship, but she was far to preoccupied with her current predicament to truly appreciate her surroundings. The addition of padded seats in a cluster around a wide table was perfect for social crew gatherings on a long ride, but at that moment it was only home to the blonde woman as she tapped her leg nervously in deep thought. 

The rest of the crew were enjoying their new chambers, pleased with the expanse of space in comparison to their old bunks. It was now only two crew members to a room as opposed to all six sleeping in one section of bunks. 

As for Lexa herself, she had been occupying her room for the last forty minutes and there was no sign of her leaving any time soon. The ship had remained on Coruscant when the Jedi and smuggler had finally come to the end of their trek back across the city, leaving Clarke both uncertain and concerned about why they had yet to set off. 

The blonde woman had opted to distract herself from the endless waiting and had switched on the holoprojector in search of something to pass the time. Unfortunately, she had tuned into a broadcast on her escape and found herself staring at a discerningly perfect projection of her own face. 

'Citizens with any knowledge of these traitors will come forward with information. Enemies of the Republic will be dealt with accordingly.'

She watched for a few seconds as the image transitioned into a variety of different beings who had wronged the Republic, some were hackers, others crime lords, but they held no interest to her and she switched the device off. It had been of no help to distract her and she was tired of waiting for something to happen. 

The ship was virtually the same layout as the previous one, though everything was noticeably more spacious and, with only a few additional sections, Clarke had no trouble locating the Commanders chambers. 

She pressed the button on the control panel halfheartedly, more surprised than anything when the metal barrier actually slid aside with a hiss to allow her access, the second door rising into the ceiling in a successive motion. 

'I wondered how long it would take,' Lexa said quietly, eyes remaining shut as she sat cross legged at the foot of her bed. 'What I can I do for you?'

Clarke took a few steps into the room and crossed her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes at the Jedi. The room was virtually identical to the previous one, with few modifications other than a larger desk station in the narrower entrance where a collection of scrolls and screens could be found. 

'How about telling me why we're not light years away from Coruscant yet? In case you'd forgotten, I am currently on the Republics hit list.'

'How could I forget?' Lexa returned, rising to her feet in one fluid movement. 'I have been considering how best to unravel ourselves from this situation.'

'How about we get off the capital planet first and then discuss the rest over a drink,' Clarke offered, far far away from Coruscant, only half joking but obviously impatient to get moving. 

'You should learn to be more patient,' Lexa advised, sidestepping around the blonde woman and making her way to the holotable in the center of the upper deck.  

'Maybe I'm just not a very patient person,' Clarke grumbled, following a few steps behind the Jedi and watching as her hands darted over the controls. With Lexa's room now vacant of occupants, the doors closed after a brief pause, sealing the private chambers away from the rest of the ship.

'That's why they say its a virtue; you have to master the skill.'

Clarke rolled her eyes, not in the mood for such lectures but rather more nervous about the vessel being apprehended on Coruscant before they could even plot coordinates on the hyper-drive.