Location: Bastion. Capital world of the Galactic Empire.
They called it the presidential suite, but in truth, it was a miniature private resort unto itself. Besides multiple bedrooms and refreshers, the suite included a compact holo theatre, a luxurious lounge, and a fully stocked kitchen and bar manned by a gourmet chef droid. The pool area, was also home to a meditation garden and a 2nd lounge. There was no need for a lifeguard, as the pool was fully equipped with automatic safety tractor beams. The sophisticated system was constantly scanning for signs of distress and would activate in an emergency.
The most commonly used service of the suite had always been the health spa. It offered a whole range of services and was staffed by multiple droids with masseuse programming.
Suffice to say, there were plenty of activities to keep a little girl busy while her mother, and her mother's newlywed husband, were reacquainted. Not so incidentally, the droids had been programmed to ensure just such an outcome
Allana Solo had been disappointed when she had first been informed that she would have to leave her pet/bodyguard, Angie, behind. But after a day filled with swimming, holodramas, and a mudslide pie that was half her height, she decided to break the vow she had made to "Not have ANY FUN!".
She still had a hard time believing that her mom would rather spend a whole day in her room with stuffy Wynn Dorvan, than slipping down a water slide followed by a pedicure/manicure. But she had come to the conclusion long ago that she would never fully understand the weird ways of "old people". She stifled a gag thinking of her Mom and Wynn stuck in a room writing love notes and hugging each other all day. It seemed to her, to be some kind of cruel punishment.
Adolescent naïveté aside, she had to admit that Wynn made her mother happy, and that made her like him. He also had the rare ability to treat Allana in way that didn't make her feel like a tag-a-long little kid. He was thoughtful and respectful. Yeah, Wynn was pretty good. Although she thought a little extra scruff would do his looks a world of good.
During Dinner, Tenel Ka and Wynn sat at the table enjoying some kind of local crustacean delicacy, while Allana laid stretched out on the couch, consoling her stomach after enduring an earlier assault of chocolate.
"So I guess tomorrow will be all business?" Asked Tenel Ka with a mischievous smile.
Wynn Sighed: "I'm afraid so, dear. Hours of sifting through Data cards looking for points of disagreements, followed by hours of arguments and compromises."
She looked at him with mock disgust: "Oh, just admit it Wynn! You love it!"
He smiled and raised his hand: "Guilty!"
He reached underneath the table and gently squeezed her upper leg: "But I've been discovering... Other... Interests of late..." this was followed by a few moments of silly grins and meaningful looks.
Wynn momentarily withdrew his attention from his wife to his meal. He hadn't made much progress on it. But with each bite his appetite had awakened.
With a mouth full of buttery/meaty goodness, he looked back up his bride.
In just those few seconds, her expression had changed from playful contentment to anxious intensity.
"Tenel, what's wrong?"
Without a word she turned in her seat to face Allana, who was now upright and alert, staring right back at her. Wynn was not force sensitive, but he had a hunch that both mother and daughter were both picking up on... Something. In his experience, when a Jedi got that look on their face, 9 out of 10 times it meant something bad was about to happen.
That's when he heard it. Blaster fire! It was faint but unmistakable. Both the Hapan Queen Mother and Chief of State Dorvan had an extensive security force on site, and that force was now engaging an unknown enemy.
"Ellana!" Tenel called out.
"Got it Mom!" The little girl replied. Like a flash she sprinted to her room. Among her travel bags was an industrial grey metal box with a palm pad on one side. The case unsealed with a press of her hand to reveal the BlasTech DL 44 heavy blaster pistol.
Ordinary 11 year olds should be nowhere near a blaster, let alone own one. Allana, however, was no ordinary 11 year old. She was the direct heir to the Hapan throne. For this alone she was the target of usurpers.
She had also, more recently, become the target of the Lost tribe Sith.
Add to that, the fact that she was the force sensitive daughter of Jacen Solo:
She was born with a bullseye on her back.
Circumstance had demanded she learned from an early age to
1. Take cover
2. Fire back
She had learnt fast, and she had learnt well. Though her mother's security detail had insisted that she be assigned a small hold out blaster, she had refused. A DL 44 was the only blaster her grandpa ever used, and she couldn't imagine using any other. Her's was modified with a flip down power pack cover that served as a hand grip for tiny hands. The Pistol was so large, that she held it more like a compact assault rifle.
Meanwhile, Tenel Ka and Wynn had left the table and headed for the main door, which opened onto the hotel's hallway. Through the door he could hear the sound of running feet, blaster fire, and yelled orders.
"Whatever's happening... It sounds like our people are people are putting up a fight."
Wynn barely finished speaking, before a blaster bolt struck the outside of the door. The large door withstood the blast, but the impact caused them to take a step back.
Wynn started:
"Is it just me, or are ..."
Tenel Ka Interrupted him "They are comming this way."
He drew his eyes from the door and fixed on hers with all seriousness.
"This Suite is at the end of the hallway. You know that means, right?"
She drew her attention back to the the door. "It means..." she paused, while igniting her lightsaber and then continued. "We are their target."
Just then Allana emerged from the room, her back sporting a small gear pack, and her hands brandishing a mean looking blaster.
Knowing very well that this suite would soon play host to a stand off, Wynn instantly overcame his natural aversion to blasters and rudeness, and deftly plucked the pistol from the little girls hands.
"Sorry Allana. In this case seniority DOES rule."
With a frown instantly painted on her face, she opened her mouth to protest, but was cut off by one stern word from her mother.
"Allana!"
She acquiesced.
As the blaster fire grew louder and louder, Tenel Ka and Wynn took up positions on either side of the door.
"Allana! Cover! Now!"
The little girl was about to heed her mother's command, when she suddenly froze, mid-step. She looked back at her mom to confirm a feeling in the force, and was met by an equally intense stare and nod back.
"What? What is it?" Asked Wynn
"I feel something... Dark!" She replied
Wynn could feel the blood in his vein's freeze to ice at hearing this.
Tenel continued: "I feel..."
And then they heard it! The sound...
Of a lightsaber! The blade sounded furious; being swung and twirled , deflecting blaster bolts, and making impact with armour and the flesh underneath it.
That...changed everything!
A look of confused horror flashed across Tenel Ka's face, but as quickly as it came, it was gone. Replacing it, was a look of grim determination.
"Wynn..." she let out sigh "Wynn, I need you to take Allana and get out of here... Get off world!"
Both Allana and Wynn began protesting simultaneously
Wynn: "What are talking about ? There is no way I'm leaving you!"
Allana: "Mom! No!
Tenel Ka responded by placing her handless forearm on the side of Wynn's face, and peering deeply into his eyes, which reflected the green glow of her lightaber.
At that moment, she looked every bit the powerful warrior queen she was. At the same time, she was just a mother... A mother who feared for her daughter's life.
In a convincing imitation of calmness, she spoke:
"Wynn! listen to me! I don't know how, but a Sith is behind that door and in the next minute he is going to be through that door! I cant fight him, and protect the both of you..." He tried to interrupt her but she wouldn't allow him. "Listen... Listen to me! If something happened to Allana or you, I'm as good as dead. Please! If you love me... Go! Now!"
A thousand thoughts rushed through Wynn's head. He didn't consider himself some kind of brave hero! He used a datapad, not a blaster! This couldn't be happening. It was an impossible choice: Stay or go. Both paths seemed to be wrong.
But he trusted his wife He trusted her use of the force. He trusted her appraisal of the situation.
And most importantly, he trusted that she knew the depth of his love for her.
His response was the briefest of kisses, followed by: "If something happens to you, I'm as good as dead." Reluctant to leave he gazed one last last time into her eyes, and then said: "May the force be with you."
He willed with all his heart that it would be. And then, grabbing Allana's hand, he headed for the back entrance that lead into his suite.
They burst through the door, only to be greeted by a dozen blaster muzzles. Those muzzles were quickly lowered when their wielder's had identified the intruder as their boss.
"Sir! We need to leave now!" Said the ranking security officer.
Ignoring the assessment, Wynn asked: "Was the Hawk Bat deployed?"
The response was immediate: "Yes Sir! Per protocol, it was deployed within an hour of your arrival."
"Has it been compromised?"
The officer produced a small device. He pressed a specific sequence of buttons, and then waited as a specific series of lights flashed in return.
"No Sir, The Hawk Bat is all systems go." The officer finally replied while handing the controller to Wynn, which he immediately tucked into his pocket.
"A group of my men will escort you to..."
"No lieutenant!" Wynn cut him off. That's not necessary! Listen! The Hapan head of state is in the next suite. She and her people are under active fire. I need you to back them up!
The security officer's face betrayed his uncomfortableness with that idea. "Chief Dorvan! Our sole duty is to protect you! The Hapan Queen mother has her people."
"You are so mean! My my Mom needs help!"
Allana yelled out, with tears streaming down her cheeks.
Wynn Dorvan was not a man who dabbled in melodrama, but he made an exception this time.
He grabbed hold of the man by his vest with one hand and pointed at the door to Tenel's suite with the DL 44 in his other. With a commanding voice, the public thought him incapable of producing, Wynn made the stakes clear to the man.
"Captain! A force of unknown number is about to breach The Queen Mother's entryway! That force is being led by a Sith!"
Wynn could see the man involuntarily gulp at the word Sith.
"The only thing standing between me and that Sith is one Jedi: Queen Mother Tenel Ka!"
"If that Sith kills her, what do you suppose our odds of surviving the next hour are?"
Wynn knew there would be no more argument.
"Understood sir!"
The lieutenant then proceeded, to order his men into the attached suite. As several security personnel passed, Wynn stuck out his open palm and asked, no one in particular:
"I need a blaster!"
In the next instance, someone had placed a pistol in that hand.
Wynn immediately turned around and kneeled down to Allana, handing her back the blaster he had confiscated earlier. She gave a him the closest thing to a smile she could manage considering the circumstances.
She then turned to the closest window, and blasted the transparasteel to rubble.
"What are you..." Wynn started
"Grandpa always says you got to make your own luck." She interrupted him. "They expect we will run out to the hallway, so we change the game!"
"Smart girl!" Wynn said with pride. They both grabbed the other's hand and jumped.