I suppose having two people staring openly at you is rather unnerving so when the Jedi girl shoots us another uneasy glance I pull Ti'ta to the side to talk to her. "She does kinda look like you. Do you think she will remember you?"
Ti'ta steals a look over at the Jedi girl and sighs softly shaking her head. "I doubt it. She was only six when she was taken to the Jedi Order for training." Her hand covers her mouth stifling a gasp. She whispers up to me, anguish clear in her voice. "Corso, she doesn't know about our parents."
A quick glance out the window at the Imperial Dreadnaught and a thought strikes me, "I don't think now is a good time to mention it. It would probably be better if you tell her after we get out of this mess…"
She tugs my arm, gripping it in both hands. "What if we don't get out of this mess and she dies not knowing?" Ti'ta is trembling again. "We have to survive. Corso, I can't lose her twice."
I wrap my arm around her waist and give her a soft squeeze. I do my best to reassure her. "We will survive, you'll see."
"Sir! There is a boarding party!" The big guy is at a com again looking at the stomping guy for direction.
Stomping guy groans, "Plex, send security immediately." He looks back to us, "We aren't exactly trained for this but Commander Narlock will do his best to hold them off."
"Where is the primary airlock, I'll go-"
"We will go." I interrupt her. No way am I going to let Ti'ta go down there alone.
Ti'ta smiles at me and nods, "Right, we will go and help out."
"Count me in." Keelah pulls her massive cannon blaster from her shoulder and grins at Ti'ta. That grin is almost feral. She really is a scary woman.
Greagoir decides to speak up, "Let's not be hasty, we can't guarantee your safety if you go traipsing off to meet the boarding party. Let the Jedi do the work. We can handle this. It is, after all, what we are trained for." He glances at the Jedi girl when she snorts at his comment. "Yes, well, she is trained for combat, while I'm her back up and healer." He shrugs a shoulder of indifference. So this is Jedi arrogance. I've head folks talk about it but I thought it was just talk. Maybe there is some truth to the rumors.
Keelah sends him a withering glare. "I'm Lieutenant Se'lai, Havoc squad, Special Forces. We're trained to take on missions most would shy away from. Imperial Commandos, Sith, you name it, we've fought it. So I'm sure we can handle whatever is planning on boarding this vessel." She gestures with a quick nod of her head to Ti'ta. "Let's move out."
"And you little poppet, are you with this Havoc squad?" Greagoir gives her a small smirk and Ti'ta shakes her head slowly.
"Ti'tallia Senne, private entrepenuer, folks call me Ti'ta." She tugs at my arm again. "Let's go before Keelah leaves us behind."
"I'm right behind ya, Captain." I give a quick nod and follow behind Keelah and Ti'ta. Keelah is holding that huge cannon of hers casually on a shoulder, keeping a quick pace down the halls. The woman is moving fast and isn't remotely winded. Ti'ta has pulled Flashy from the holster. It warms my heart everytime I see her use the blaster I gave her. "Ti'tallia? That's a pretty name." Ti'ta gives me a backward smirk and a wink causing my stomach to do a flip and then a grumble. Blast, we never did get to eat. "I thought you said your last name is Harootunian?"
"It is." Ti'ta shrugs a shoulder. "A story for another time," she flashes me a big smile, "I promise."
I can hear footsteps following behind us, soft and quick. With a glance over my shoulder I'm not surprised to see the two Jedi following. I glance at the Jedi girl noting how she's concentrating on Ti'ta's back. Maybe she really is Willa, stranger things have happened.
By the time we get to the primary airlock, there are four men waiting, one giving a pep talk and the other three looking as if they soiled their breeches. Keelah addresses him in her curt manner. "Commander Narlock, Lieutenant Se'lai, Havoc squad. We're here to back you up, sir."
"You hear that, boys?" Narlock grins at the men's relief. "We aren't alone! Now get into your defensive positions."
The three security guys move forward taking position behind a small barrier, blasters out and ready. Keelah moves off to the left, her big cannon resting on her thigh waiting for the boarding party. Ti'ta finds a cover spot in front of me and well, I'm just waiting. I don't cover well in full heavy durasteel armor so I don't bother trying.
A soft thrum of humming sound behind me and the Jedi girl quickly moves around others towards the entrance. I really would have liked her not to be so close to where the bad guys will be coming out but how do you tell that to a headstrong girl who can use the force? Her double sided lightsaber casts an eerie green glow and just as quickly as she moved, she vanishes from sight. "Nifty little trick."
Greagoir is standing beside me though his weapon is still not drawn; it's hanging from its clip at his hip. With his arms crossed and that quirk of a smirk on his face again, he chuckles darkly. "She specializes in Shadow while I'm a Sage. It is part of why we were teamed, she's all brawn and I've got a healing touch." He gives me a wink that is kind of disturbing.
"Wait, she's brawn? She's as tiny as Ti'ta!" I hear Ti'ta's scoff but come on, they're tiny ladies!
"Yes she is, but don't forget she also has the Force," Greagoir can't stop that stupid smirk. It's starting to get on my nerves. Is he laughing at me? His hand pats my shoulder, "Here they come, watch and be amazed."
More of that condescending Force talk, "Uh huh, I'll stick to my blaster rifle." The distinct crackling hiss lets me know my shield is deployed and I move around to an unobstructed spot.
The airlock is breached, the tension is tangible. I peer into the gaping darkness beyond and can feel the anticipation coiling in my belly like a snake ready to strike. Fighting isn't frightening; it's the waiting that unnerves me. Someone calls out, yells, shouts only I'm not sure who it was or what was said. I do know it was male and the accent is most likely Imperial. I raise my blaster rifle and set my site for the opening.
Armed Imperial commandos barrel through, only three of them but their blaster rifles are out and they're firing blindly. Keelah lobs one of her smaller grenades at them, slightly to the left of the group away from where we last saw the Jedi girl. The commando to the far left is on fire, and begins flailing, his weapon all but forgotten as he drops it and himself to the ground screaming. The middle of the three is also screaming, half in flames. He slaps at the flames turning in circles trying to get them out. The third is screaming a war cry of some sort as he fires blindly in hopes of hitting something. A second later my blaster rifle shots hits him in the chest causing him to stagger back a step or two. The security guards are shooting at the middle half on fire commando and Ti'ta quickly fires two rounds at the staggering commando.
The smell of burning durasteel is thick, the smell of burning flesh is worse. Two of the three commandos are down. The third is growling incoherently as three more commandos come bursting through the darkness behind him. A soft hum buzzes through the room as debris is kicked up from the ground and pelts the incoming commandos. They pause long enough to bat at the debris, cursing and flailing. I take another shot at the last commando from the first set of three and watch with satisfaction as he drops silent.
The security guards are now concentrating on the new set of three. A repeat of Keelah's grenade, only this time she sends a volley of three shots. While I am trying to concentrate on all the happenings, I can't help but wonder where the Jedi girl is in all this mess and hope like mad that I don't accidentally shoot her.
A sudden whump sound comes from somewhere to my right, a blast of air is sent towards them causing one to stagger with an audible grunt. I chance a glance over at Greagoir. He's standing with his back towards me, his green bladed lightsaber in his right hand is pointed towards the floor, his left hand has two fingers held straight up and pressed together. He sweeps his hand towards his chest and thrusts it forward again. Not a very manly stance but it is definitely effective as another blast of air kicks up and thrusts a commando back a step or two grunting in pain.
One of the security guards cries out, his blaster drops and he sits down hard on the ground. A blaster burn is glaring red and black under his hand as he holds his shoulder. His groans weaken as Greagoir moves towards him, "Let me." He moves his hand and that's about all I had time to see.
A new sound is coming from the darkness. A cry of outrage and anger is followed by three commandos and their leader at last. While the commandos have blaster rifles, this man carries a blaster cannon not too different than what Keelah uses. He moves to lob a grenade when a distinct buzz and hum stops him. With a flash of green light that appears from nowhere, the Jedi girl gracefully spins her lightsaber, turning away from the butt of a blaster rifle aimed to knock her over, she ducks and sways like a deadly dancer. Her robe moves as gracefully as she does, swirling at her ankles, the hood falls back as she leans away from a fist and she lunges, thrusting the blade through his durasteel armor.
A shot rings out from my blaster rifle. I don't even remember firing it. It clips the helmet of the man with the raised rifle as he brings it down towards the Jedi girl. With the momentum, he spins to his right crying out. The Jedi girl doesn't miss a beat. She pulls the lightsaber from one, spins bringing her lightsaber around with her and neatly slashing a burned gash across his middle.
I was so enthralled with the Jedi girl's swirling green death dance that I forgot about the last commando. Ti'ta hadn't forgotten, she somehow made it across the room, kicked the man in the groin and pistol whipped him. Every man that witnessed it cringed and died just a little inside. No grown man can see something like that and not be affected. I think I threw up in my mouth. That was so vile.
Narlock is praising his men claiming a premature victory. Even I know that this is far from over. If I remember correctly we're still held by a tractor beam. "I'm sorry Commander but that… that isn't the case. The boarding party was a ruse." Every head capable of turning, turned at the sound of her voice. It is that Twi'lek lady from the lounge.
Greagoir helps the injured man up and turns his attention towards her. "Let me guess, Ambassador Asara, lady of the hour."
Scratching my chin in confusion, I opt for listening. There is a whole empty spot in my memory of the earlier conversation filled with a lot of buzzing and ringing so I'm sure I missed something somewhere. "While you were all down here dealing with this, another boarding party of Mandalorians locked down the bridge." She sighs heavily. "The leader's name is Ironfist."
"You seem to know an awful lot about what is going on." The hum of the lightsaber blades are silenced, as both Jedi sheath their weapons. Odd how that soft humming felt almost alive and without it, the silence is deafening. The Jedi girl stands with her arms crossed beside Greagoir, both silently watching as Ti'ta practically gets into Asara's face demanding answers. "There's something you aren't telling us. Why does Kilran want you?"
Asara fidgets momentarily, "I'm Ambassador Asara, but that isn't the issue right now." She flinches when Keelah growls. "Fine, I seek out Imperial planets and try to convince them to defect to the Republic."
"That is either really brave, or incredibly stupid." Ti'ta tilts her head contemplating. "Okay, so what about the Mandalorians and the bridge?"
"He locked it down, no one is getting out or in." Asara looks relieved to turn the topic back to the problem at hand.
Narlock taps his chin in thought, "We have to get to engineering. Chief Engineer Salen might have a workaround to get the bridge open. Otherwise the only way to release it is on the bridge itself."
"Well then, I suppose it would be in our best interest to pay this Chief Engineer a visit…" Greagoir looks around him smirking at Keelah, Ti'ta, the Jedi girl and then me. "Shall we go for a stroll?"
