(A/N Hey all! thanks for making it this far! I'm not 100% sure how many chapters this is going to have, but I would guess we've passed the half-way point.
I hope you enjoy!)
It was a rare day that a mission went according to plan.
Din felt relatively prepared to improvise though. He'd been watching the three of them train for days now, and had scuffled with Teena when they first met, so he was confident he could predict some of her decisions in the inevitable battle. He understood how the kids operated too, but-according to the plan-Na'sara would be in a secure area on the second floor and Dev wouldn't enter the compound at all.
He had only been on the ship for a short while before Na'sara rejoined the crew, but it was still strange to enter the cockpit and not take the copilot seat. He sighed and sat in the backseat while the two pilots approached through the storm. There was a clearing they were aiming for and the three would walk from there.
He analyzed the two, hoping to see some indication they were ready for the mission. They were both armed more than usual. Na'sara had two blasters holstered on her thighs and a vibrosword sheathed on her back with the possibility for other concealed weapons that he did not notice. He knew Teena had two hidden daggers and could see three blasters on her thighs and right ankle, as well as a baton hooked at the base of her back and an electro-whip sheathed beside her blaster on her hip. Na'sara also had an exaggerated pauldron on her left shoulder for protection, but that was the only armor he saw on her. For armor Teena only had her usual durasteel bracers with leather strips crisscrossing over them. He didn't know if the leather served a function or were simply decorative and never found a decent time to ask her.
"You should be wearing armor," he commented
Teena looked back at him to raise her eyebrow and then returned her focus to the panel.
"I'm fine. And 'Sara will follow the plan so she should not need more physical protection than that."
"Buir! Calm your overprotective self," Na'sara replied in a tone of exaggerated exasperation.
There was Mando'a again. The kids only tended to use it for terms of endearment towards Teena, and Teena only used it to return their affection, curse, or the one time they were speaking privately about his son.
"Am I going to have to carry your corpse back to your kids?"
She had the audacity to laugh and smile at him.
.
"Sentry is light on the south wall," Dev said in their earpieces.
It was easy enough to silently follow his direction. They got into position, scaled the wall, and set up Na'sara on the second floor as planned.
"You've got-"
"Dank ferric!" Din cut him off as a squad of three troopers rounded the corner in front of them. Four shots rang out as Din hit the one on the right and middle and Teena hit the one on the left and middle. Each shot hit it's mark and the three troopers fell before they could signal on their com. "Dev, you've got to be on top of-"
Another shot flew through the air towards Teena, and she threw up her arms in the instinctual motion to protect her face. Din stepped between her and the fourth trooper as two more shots fired, hitting his chestplate. Three blaster bolts found their way to the trooper's neck and Din didn't even wait for his body to hit the floor before he turned around to check on his comrade.
She was still standing, looking down and rubbing her wrists. He grabbed her hands, no burns. Her face was fine, aside from her continuing to spout reassurances to him while he was sure that the shot had connected. Her arms and chest didn't show any wounds.
She continued to try to get him back on mission while he examined her arms again.
Finally, her bracers caught his eye. The leather was burnt off of the outer edges. But at this distance a standard issue imperial blaster rifle would have torn through durasteel, her wrist, and ultimately landed a killing shot. He pulled her hands closer and she finally stopped insisting they move on while he inspected the bracers.
"You never...take these off?" He'd never seen her without them, at least. She looked away from him. He tapped his own bracer against hers and listened to the ringing. "These are-"
She finally tore her arm out of his grip, still not meeting his gaze.
"We'll discuss it later," she said curtly. "Dev. We nearly died and the stealth aspect of our mission is botched. You need to do better."
"I'm sorry," answered the distraught boy.
"No," Na'sara broke in. "I intercepted the com and muted his mic. It didn't go through. But you're on the clock now, I have no idea when they are supposed to check in"
"Let's get to work," Din said as he grabbed a body to hide.
Two minutes later they were at the ventilation shaft. She still couldn't meet his gaze.
.
"We're in position," she told Na'sara.
"Chaos is three, two, one." Teena could hear the smile in 'Sara's voice.
"Alright, the alerts are going out… and the lifts are activating… I'm seeing nine squads being directed as expected."
"Nine?! Just how dangerous are these people?" Na'sara asked.
"The more the merrier," Teena cut in. "Are we clear?"
"Okay, two of the four guards are heading down, so you'll have to make quick work of the remaining two. Quietly." At Dev's description Din pulled out his staff and Teena extended the length of her electro-whip.
"You know how to use that?" Din whispered at her shoulder.
"Not all of us can rely on brute strength. I'm surprised I didn't scar from when I was learning," she repressed a chuckle at the memory and eased at the lack of hostility between them.
"You can exiiiiiit… now," Dev told them.
The stormtroopers barely had time to exclaim in surprise before one was impaled and the other was caught around the throat, kicked back, and then thrown against the wall.
"Din, cover the lift. 'Sara, the door," she ordered as she approached the contraband closet. She counted herself lucky that he got distracted by another pair of stormtroopers exiting the lift to verify this level was still locked down as she marched down the hall to the correct cell with the Beskar in hand.
Nala knelt in the corner of the cell, a contemplative look on her face. Her eyes were closed, but it was obvious she knew Teena was there by the tilt of her head as she directed her ears to the source of unfamiliar sound.
"Na'sara, the cell." A moment later nothing separated Teena and the leader of the Children of the Watch. She had to take a steadying breath before entering.
"Why have you come?" she asked, her voice raw from obvious disuse.
"We'll get to that. Get dressed. Now." Teena stalked back out of the cell to watch Din finish off a second pair of stormtroopers who were investigating why the first pair did not report.
Din started down the hall to join them, and Teena thought she would need to stall him, but Nala finally stepped out of the cell, visibly drooping with effort under the weight of her armor. He was quickly at her side and supporting her.
"We won't be able to take the shaft back up," he said, while Nala studied him from behind her own helmet.
"The lift," Teena nodded at him. She pulled out her blasters to cover them from any unexpected enemies as they made their way to the lift when something stopped her.
She was overcome by...something. It was familiar, yet foreign, like deja'vu. It compelled her to investigate a cell further down the hall where she hadn't passed. She walked slowly, cautiously, waiting for the sensation to break and her to find danger.
"Teena!" Din called from the lifts. "Teena!" She could hear him, but it was like his voice was muffled. It wasn't important. This cell was important. She reached out to peer through the grated window in the middle of the door when his hand fell on her arm, making her jump and look at him wide eyed. "What is it?"
She looked away and found three children in the cell. She could feel the fear rolling off them. They were obviously siblings, their features nearly identical. She couldn't tear her eyes away from them and her heart broke at the thought of leaving them.
"What are ade doing here?" Din asked beside her. She could only shake her head.
"They are like the Child," answered Nala from down the hallway. "A few troopers died while they were separated, but the wardens discovered they remain relatively docile while united."
"They're Jedi?"
Teena wanted to point out that not every force-sensitive was a Jedi, but held her tongue. There weren't many left either way, so it didn't really matter.
Looking back at the children she could hardly breathe. She couldn't leave them.
"Na'sara, open cell 32N," Din said in a rough voice beside her.
Teena gasped at his words as the door hissed open. She gave him a grateful smile and quickly went in to pick up the smallest child, who looked about two or three. She motioned for the second to grab her hand and the third to follow.
"You'll be safe, I promise," she told them and she would die before she broke that promise.
They were hesitant to follow her, but soon the six of them were all in the lift.
"I've got you a direct route to the ground floor. The lift won't stop for anyone," 'Sara informed them.
"But you are going to have company when you get there. Things aren't going well on the bottom floor and they're sending reinforcements, who will meet you as the doors open," Dev added.
"I have something to take care of," she told the toddler as she handed him to Nala, "but she'll protect you, okay?" He cuddled into her neck as an answer and Teena took that to be a good sign.
"Na'sara?" Din began. "Could you set all the floors to release like the bottom floor on a timer?"
"Theoretically."
"Do it. You'll have a minute while we take care of the welcoming committee."
"I'm not sure how much good it'll do. They might find the code and counter it before everyone gets out."
"It's the most chance we can give them now, so it'll have to do."
"Alright, I'm on it."
"Get ready," Dev said. Then the doors opened.
(A/N Yes, I know. Looking back I see bullets and bracelets, but it is what it is. Jedi play batting practice with their lightsabers all the time lol)