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“The space port isn’t far.” Aurra whispered.
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“With all due respect,” Tay Conlow responded, his eyes straying from the dark woman, “You have been saying just that and only that since we left that market roof top…”
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“…And it is for my daughter’s sake that you give a more accurate description of where we are.”
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Aurra responded with the sound of air filling her lungs.
“What is that foul stench?” Eidam questioned, “It’s worse than the walkers we encounter!”
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Suddenly the words spilled out of her mouth, words that for once in months didn’t involve: The space port is not far.
“The only thing worse than a walking corpse,” she mumbled under her breath, “is a dog-pile of dead corpses.”
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“For once,” Tay carefully added, “I actually agree with you.”
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Aurra stared hypnotically at the bodies.
“These cuts are strange. Almost…connected.”
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“What do you mean?” Eidam questioned stepping towards the bodies,
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“No, Eidam,” Tay countered,
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“…stay away, Aurra can handle it. You don’t know if there’s one still alive.”
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“Actually there isn’t. Every corpse is beheaded…and for the most part cauterized.”
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“What does that mean?” Eidam asked. Aurra walked around the pile of tangled limbs, studying the decomposing forms.
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“Is this a bad thing?” Tay worried, his eyes meeting Aurra’s, and scanning his surroundings for signs of danger.
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Resting her hands behind her hips, Aurra observed, before digging deeper into the pile.
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“Whoever did this was organized, most likely of military origin…” Aurra strained,
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“…the cuts and slashes are cauterized, meaning whoever took down these corpses was using a lightsaber.”
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“But every corpse on the pile is beheaded, and although each slash and cut is nearly the same…”
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“…blaster points and the details of the decapitation indicate the light saber wielding survivor was forced under pressure to decapitate the corpse.”
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“Wouldn’t a blaster shot to the chest be enough? Why didn’t the walker die?” Aurra asked herself aloud.
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“Do you think that the walkers could be…”
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“Be quiet.” Aurra growled, her eyes turning towards the origin of a sound she heard out in the distance.
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The dark woman pulled out her light saber, cautiously treading towards sound of scuffling feat.
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Her fingers gingerly touching the activation button, Aurra leans forward peaking her dark eyes around the corner…
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She sees at least two corpses.
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“Where there’s one there’s always more. Where there’s two…” Aurra mumbled, her words fading into thoughts.
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Shifting her pose towards Tay and Eidam, she motions them toward her.
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“What is it, father?”
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“Let’s go. She needs our help.”
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Just then her light saber screams to life…
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…And in a blur of motion Aurra pulled herself around the corner rushing toward the corpses.
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Just as Aurra thought, two walkers became four, all of them stumbling towards the dark Jedi.
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Their bright eyes met Aurra’s dark ones. Life and time and space seemed to have seeped into nothingness.
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They were different. But they were the same.
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They were people with different lives, different stories. But they are now all dead.
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Dead in the mind. As is Aurra.
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She has become numb. The blood becoming as common as water even before this epidemic.
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Is it wrong: to be used to the death?
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Is it?
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“What have you become Aurra?”
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“A dark, careless and heartless witch.”
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“The blood is like water…”
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“The blood is like water…”
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“The blood is like water…”
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“The blood…”
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“…Is like wa-”
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The body lay quiet on the ground at last.
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Turning around to see who shot the walker…
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…Aurra sees Eidam holding her blaster high.
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Aurra found herself without words. She only stood and gazed.
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She turned and kept walking.
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They turned the next corner to find a barricade of junk and large pieces of metal.
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The smaller pieces are trashed on the side of the three survivors, whereas the larger pieces seem to overwhelm into the other side, meaning someone closed themselves off from the other side of this junk-pile.
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Crawling through the junk, Aurra finds it very easy to get through. If this is somehow connected to the dog-pile that the three saw earlier, this “barricade” is only temporary.
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“Is it just me, or is it too easy to get through this junk pile?” Eidam asked,
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“Silence, Eidam,” Aurra hissed, “at this point anything can happen.”
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The three reach the other side.
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Their eyes suddenly gaze at what they see:
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A fortified building that appears to not have been harmed by walkers in a long time.
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Suddenly, a voice on an intercom echoes across the area.
“Halt. You are surrounded.”
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“By whom, exactly?” Tay questions,
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“By survivors.” the intercom replies.
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“We need your help,” Tay called out, “We trying to get off Bondo III.”
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It was quiet for a few minutes before the “survivors” began pouring out of the woodwork,
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There they stood, the only people Aurra, Tay, and Eidam had ever seen since the very beginning.
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“Hello,” a small Aleenian male greeted, “I am Jedi Master Tendo Nin. These are my colleagues: …”
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“…Ryker Sylo…”
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“…Cortarra…”
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“…Penn-Att-Tubo…”
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“…Buggy…”
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“…Queno Traper…”
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“…His son, Harvis Traper…”
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“…Easy…”
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“…and Pekk Yenyo.”
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“And you three are? I know who the woman in orange is, however I have not been acquainted with the rest of you.”
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“Well I am Tay Conlow,” the old man replied with suddenly a more positive attitude, “and the young lady next to Aurra is my daughter Eidam.”
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“It is always good to see other survivors, and although I cannot help you get off world…”
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“We are on our way to a community. We’re going to save Bondo III.”
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