((Sorry about the delay, guys! I hope this makes up for it! Pristine Condition is next!))
"Speaking of which: C'mon, I'll show you the house." Her sigh put the idea in his head and so Ben gently pulled May's hand to change her direction away from their current home to their (with any luck) future one. "Four bedrooms." He began rattling off like a realtor as he guided his wife; one hand holding her's and the other stretched across to hold her waist. "Compact outside space; fenced off, of course, to prevent little ones from escaping."
"Compact? But big enough for two kids and a dog?" May asked amused by Ben's playful façade and letting her husband dictate the course. As always, an unnaturally pale hand guarded her bump and with every second step she took, there was a kick of protest to match it. "I don't know what ye're kickin' me for, we're doin' this for ye. Ye want to run around a garden, don't ye?"
"Small dog, big kids." Ben answered as he checked his mental map he'd made a day or so previously of the base to ensure he was bringing her in the right direction. A quick consultation told her he was.
"Ben; I swear to God, if I end up pushin' out big kids, it's your fault."
"Spacious kitchen…." The male continued cheerfully, disregarding his wife's partially serious warning when he realized they were almost there. "Two bathrooms; large, open living space, plenty of room for sexy time chair…."
"I think we should probably keep that in our room….."
"Aaaaaaand…." Ben stopped and physically turned Normay to face a house she almost walked past due to its extensive disguise of ivy. "Here we are." May blinked up at the dual story building as if it was taking a while to register that she could be looking at her new home. It seemed to be made from the same material as their present home (then again, all the buildings on the base seemed to be made from it).
It was certainly bigger. The ivy probably housed all matter of things that could be hazardous to them and the children but if it was removed carefully and not allowed to regrow, that wouldn't be a problem. For now, that was her biggest qualm and it was difficult for her to see past it.
"It's…."
"Not as bad as me and Poe thought."
"Uh…. Huh?"
"Can you give me more than one syllable at a time, babe?"
"Okay…. So, aside from removin' all the ivy…. What else has to be done?"
"Bits and pieces. New doors, new windows, new fittings…. Furniture, obviously but I think we could take most of the stuff from the old place unless you wanna get new stuff."
"Does that mean you're gonna make stuff?"
"Like?"
"Stuff for the kids, Ben. A cot, a changin' table? Things like that? It'd be nice for their dad to make stuff for them."
"Yeah…. I think I could do that…. I mean, how hard could it be?" A lot harder than he thought but poor Ben wouldn't realize it until he actually tried. May stifled a quiet laugh and it seemed her partner's reasoning had won her over.
"I suppose we'll have to wait and see until we get back. I'm sure the others'll give us a hand if we ask."
"Fine but you're asking Chewie."
"I'll ask Chewie. C'mon, I'm fuckin' starvin'."
"I can't wait for this to be over!" Ben moaned for the umpteenth time from the pilot's seat of their tiny shuttle. He kicked back in his seat out of frustration and boredom but was cut off by an impatient hiss from his wife.
"Shh!" Shooting a small glare, she paused to let it sink in before replacing the headset. Normay listened to the hum of the cantina as it was relayed back to her from the microphone hidden in the folds of Jessika's, Ello's and Lieutenant Bastien's jackets. "Testin', Jess. Do you copy?"
"I copy. Nice to hear a familiar voice."
"I'm right here, love. Lieutenant, do you copy?"
"I hear you, May."
"Grand job. Ello? Do you copy?"
"Loud and clear."
"Nice one. Right lads, ye're in different parts of the bar. I'd rather ye can't see each other, that way we'll get more ground covered. Have a look around; make sure you don't see each other. Be nice and subtle about it. While you're doin' that, see if you've attracted any attention or notice anyone lookin' at you. If it's a passin' glance, you're okay. If the attention lingers, I want you to plant your arse on the nearest available seat and keep an eye on them."
"Nice and subtle does it." May encouraged into her own microphone while Ben tried to entertain himself. "If I'd known you were gonna do this, I would have left you at home to start on the house." May covered the mic and leaned back in her seat to arch an eyebrow at her husband. He simply rolled his eyes in response. "Why don't you go to bed? You were complainin' you were tired a minute ago." So he did. With a huff, Ben got up and stalked behind her to the little bed at the back of the shuttle.
"Cameras are goin' online now. There'll be a high pitched beepin' but try not to react to it." On the screen before her, it took a moment for picture to materialize but when it did, it was split into four. One for each volunteer and the forth monitoring the entrance to their shuttle should there be trouble. "Sorry about that, lads. Now, if you spot somethin' or somethin' spots you; turn away to tell me. Best case scenario if they see your lips movin' is they'll think you're crazy. Get yourselves a drink, somethin' mildly alcoholic; there's nothin' more suspicious in a place like this than someone drinkin' virgin."
May scrutinized the cameras though the three volunteers were silent; they too were vigilant. So far, nothing. This was the third cantina; there was no guarantee they would find something in this one or in any of them for that matter but that didn't stop her (or any of them) being hopeful.
"Jess, you've got an admirer."
"Yeah, I see him. Should I be worried?"
"Nah, he's just checkin' you out. Swap with one of the boys if you're uncomfortable."
"No, I'm okay. If he comes over, I will."
"Comfort is key, Jess."
"I know. I'll let you know if I need to move."
For while, there was nothing else aside from Jess' admirer. He didn't make a move, simply watched her but May saw no malice or suspicion, simply desire. She knew what that felt like; checking out someone in a bar. Jess was comfortable and so maintained her position.
"May?"
"You alright, Ello?"
"Guy just walked in and sat down a few seats away. He keeps looking over, he doesn't look friendly, can you see him?"
May zoomed into Ello's miniscule camera and he did seem to have attracted attention. This man was probably in his sixties, cropped grey hair and an utterly sour expression. It wasn't unknown for fights to start in cantinas for no reason (just ask Uncle Luke) but this wasn't that kind of aggression and this man was more than likely too old to be picking fights anyway. This didn't look good.
"I see him. Yeah, he doesn't look like the cuddly type. Keep an eye on him." Another external call distracted her and would have obscured her contact with the others anyway. Determined to keep this call short and get back to her current mission, May prodded the screen to bring the call into life. Before she could greet the person on the other end, they had launched straight in.
"May, where's your shuttle docked?!"
"Poe? Northern bay behind the cantina, why?"
"Another shuttle just docked. Stormtroopers are disembarking; I can't even count 'em, there's too many of 'em!" Shit!
"Okay, stay calm. I'll get them out." She told Poe to stay calm but the pregnant Rosundan wasn't sure if she could follow that advice herself.
"Hurry!" May's screen returned to normal and it was the bottom right hand corner of the screen that caught her eye and made her stomach lurch. Two Stormtroopers inspecting the drop ramp of their ship that seemed to have appeared while her screen was taken up by Poe's com.
"Guys, can ye hear me?!" Trying to keep her voice even but obviously failing, Normay had to bring the crew to safety.
"May? Is everything okay?" Jess asked, noting the mild hysteria in their guide's voice.
"I can hear you." Lieutenant Bastien responded with the buzz of the cantina still in the background.
"Something wrong?" Ello was the last to answer but at least she had confirmation that they were all safe. For now.
"Lads, I need ye to get up carefully and get out. Subtly does it, get your asses back to the shuttle and we'll get outta here."
"What's wrong?"
"A shuttle of Stormtroopers has just landed. There's some by our shuttle but they'll be dealt with, just focus on gettin' back here as quietly as possible." Sure enough, the three camera feeds started to move. The stationary feed outside the shuttle still projected the Stormtroopers examining their ship. "Ben, love?" It took him a moment to answer but the longer May watched the feed outside, the more her nerves started to climb. "Ben?!" That seemed to have woken him.
"What?"
"Okay. Shit's gone bad." Ben emerged from the bedroom (it wasn't even a bedroom, just a closed off part of the ship where the bed was), scratching his head and obviously tousled. How he didn't hear the fray in her voice, she wasn't sure but she assumed it was down to him just waking up.
"What is it?
"There's Stormtroopers outside." Ben leaned over his wife's shoulder and stared at the live image of the soldiers he used to command (maybe not those ones specifically); the danger was more imminent than she let on. He thought it had been a joke and his blood had frozen when he realized it wasn't. Sure, the First Order was reviving but he didn't think it would be at the stage where Stormtroopers would be involved again. "I need to get the lads back to the shuttle safely." Before Normay could edge out another word, Ben's lightsaber was snapped from his waist and ignited.
"May, I'm serious. Don't move from here."
"Yeah, cause I was plannin' on goin' straight into the path of Stormtroopers at five months pregnant."
"Do you have a blaster?"
"Yeah. Where're you goin'? They're literally just outside the shuttle."
"The others are going to need an escort back."
"Ben, they're scattered throughout the cantina and-" May's eyes were drawn back to the screen where all three camera feeds had hit the daylight outside the cantina. "Okay, they're out." This was the dangerous part – getting back to the shuttle.
Ben dropped the ramp and immediately, blaster fire was drawn. The ex-dark Jedi resisted it both with the Force and his lightsaber like he had done on Jakku and Takodana before he returned to his roots. The Stormtroopers were blown back with a swipe of his hand, their blasters and some of their armour scattering and skittering along the ground as they went.
May watched on the live feed with her thumb nail clasped between her teeth. Her blaster was ready and waiting in her other hand and the other three pictures were shaking as they ran, turning at regular intervals to return the fire they had drawn. She could hear it all; the grunts of effort as they ran and fired simultaneously, the high pitched squeal of the blasters and the faint croaking of the Stormtrooper radios. And it was getting closer.
"Poe?!" May closed the feed temporarily to get Poe back on the line. He sounded just as worried and as panicked as she no doubt did.
"You alright?!"
"For now! Can you drawn fire from us?! Ben's gone out with his saber but I dunno how many he'll be able to take!"
"We're trying to draw fire but we're trying to not draw too much attention either! Are they out of the cantina?!"
"I think the time for bein' subtle is over, Poe! They're out, they're bein' fired at!"
"Shit! We'll distract 'em till they get to the ship! Take off as soon as they're on board and don't look back! We'll follow!"
"Be careful, Poe!" May shut off the com and one of the four mini screens had gone dark. Ello's camera was offline. With a hand over her mouth, the silver haired female tapped the screen with desperation but stopped and slowly turned with the clattering of footsteps coming up the ramp. Removing the headpiece as carefully and as silently as possible, she laid them down on the desk and got up with her blaster held aloft and ready.
May's initial thoughts were her babies. When those Troopers stormed that ramp, she would be outnumbered and probably taken. What would they do to her? She probably wouldn't be given a free pass on account of her (obvious) condition; the First Order weren't that merciful, she'd seen it first-hand.
"I love ye both." She told them both aloud but as softly as she could manage while she tried not to get emotional (hormones didn't know of a good time or place). May flattened her back against the wall beside the entrance to the ramp while she clutched her blaster for dear life though her fingers were sweating and clammy from the expectancy on the trigger. The footsteps got nearer and nearer until eventually a form burst into the floor space. May coughed out an exhale and thanked whoever was watching over her for failing to pull the trigger. Out of breath and frightened; May and Ello just kind of stared at each other in relief.
"Pilot's seat." The mother to be instructed and Ello leapt at it. "We need to be ready to take off when the others get here. If they get here. Did you see anyone?"
"No, we all scattered. I saw Ben kicking ass briefly and he waved me on back here. "
"That's my Ben." May breathed to herself as she sat back down at the screen to check the progress of the others. Ello's black screen was accounted for; he had turned off his camera upon reaching the ship. The stationary feed outside was positioned just short of the action and she could just about make out the shape of the shuttle looming on Lieutenant Bastien's feed, he would be with them shortly.
Jess' feed was far more worrying. It looked like she was stumbling, as if she was hit. Watching with the same petrified worry that she had when she noticed Ello's camera was gone dark; May chewed her bottom lip and listened to the groan of agony as Jess turned for the umpteenth time to fire back over her shoulder. When Jess faced the front again, they could both see the form bounding towards her and for a moment, Normay's heart was in her mouth as it closed in. However, when it got closer; the relief between the two was palpable.
Ben wound an arm around Jess' waist and deflected the shots as he had been tirelessly doing since the instant the ramp dropped. He helped her along, defending her and knocking back the shots so she could concentrate on getting back to the shuttle. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Bastien arrived; red faced and winded but like Ello, made for the co-pilot seat on May's instruction with no protest.
"Be ready to make straight for light speed. Ben and Jess will be with us in a minute. We need to get the fuck outta here." It felt like an hour before the desperate scrambling of two sets of footsteps started up the ramp. The engines fired automatically and the ramp started to close just as Ben carried Jess the rest of the way up, one arm behind her neck and the other under her knees. He laid her on the bed at the back and before another word could be spoken, light speed was underway.
The pinging of the Stormtrooper blaster shots on the shuttle would be a traumatic reminder of a close escape and an uneasy prelude of what was going to come.
