"But Master, we've got to save her!" screamed a strong, young male voice over the loud sounds of an approaching battle. I was in his arms, but I could not see.
"She's with the resistance! Her family has killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people. She's just the same as her brothers, all bred murderers!" shouted a deep voice over the great booms of thermal detonators.
"This kid is NOT a killer! She can't be more than three!" yelled the young voice again, clutching me against his chest.
"You'd be surprised on how young these radicals teach their kids how to kill! Why are you so intent upon saving this kid?" asked the owner of the deeper voice in a slightly angry tone.
The young man took a deep breath, as if to gather his thoughts. Over the cacophony of the battle screamed, "One, she is not a criminal. She is just as much of a victim as the people her family has killed. Two, she is just a child! I would never hurt an innocent kid, and I doubt you would either!
"Don't speak to your master that way!" yelled the man with the deeper voice.
But this did not stop the young man. His voice quavered slightly, but he kept talking. "Three, well, just hold her for a second and you'll see what I mean."
"What?" said the older man in surprise.
"Take her," said the young man. I was passed from his arms to the big, beefy, muscular ones of the other man. He held me against his chest, as if studying me. His chest vibrated shortly and I could tell he was talking, yet I could not make out what he was saying. I could feel that he was suppressing much surprise. He passed me back to the young man.
"The battle is getting closer," bellowed the older man to the young man. "If you're so intent on saving her, hide her somewhere safe. Now!"
The young man ran and I was jostled in his arms. Finally, he slowed. He set me on the ground. Something creaked as the young man rustled through some unknown objects. Why can't I see?
All of the sudden, a loud, high-pitched wine filled the room. "BLAST IT!!" screamed the young man. Suddenly, he threw himself over me. I was completely covered by his teenage body.
Unexpectedly, a huge explosion shook the Earth. The floorboards trembled underneath me. Nevertheless, the young man held like an unquavering mountain above me, though his pain-filled screams were apparent.
As soon as it began, the shaking stopped. Still, the young man screamed in pain. On unstable feet, he moved away from me. He picked me up and placed me in an empty crate-like box.
"I need you to stay here until I come back for you, okay?" he said unsteadily as he messed up my hair. He was trying to mask the pain in his voice, but he was quite unsuccesful. As he stood above me, a steady dripping kept splattering my head. It was a warm, thick liquid that seemed oddly framiliar.
When the young man sprinted away into the laser blasts and thermal detonators, leaving me in the crate, the dripping stopped.