Guarded (#2 Post-Order 66 Series)

Guarded - Part 9

Tech straightened, the words echoing in his mind. I'm in danger. In the throne room. Hurry. He noted Hunter and Crosshair tensing as well, Echo and Wrecker exchanging bewildered looks.

"Did you just...hear that?"

"Yeah, I did."

"It's Kestia." Tech took off at a dead sprint down the corridor towards the throne room, drawing his blaster that he'd stashed under his tunic. Hunter and the others only took another half a second to follow, their boots slamming against the marble.

"Echo, Crosshair take the long way around and come in from the opposite side. Wrecker, head to the front entrance. We'll flank them," Hunter ordered.

"We don't even know what we're up against!" Echo yelled back.

"So we'd better not all come in through the same door," Hunter barked, and Echo nodded. He and Crosshair made a sharp turn, heading for the hallways that would lead them around to the other side of the throne room. Wrecker took the next stairwell, climbing down so that he could swing through the main atrium.

"TECH! Slow down!" Hunter shouted, but Tech didn't respond, his long legs carrying him closer to the doors. I have to get to her. He didn't know what possessed him, but it drove him to run faster than he'd ever moved in his entire life, his heart hammering in his chest. As he swung around the last corner, his foot slipped underneath him, and he stumbled. He scrambled to his feet as a strong hand landed on his shoulder, holding him in place. "Tech, hang on!"

"We have to get to her! She's in danger."

"We have to wait for the others to get in position or else we'll just be trickling into whatever is going on in there."

As Tech's breathing steadied, he froze. He could hear the sound of blasterfire echoing down the hall, and he looked at Hunter. His brother's eyes were locked on the door. He hears it too.

"We have to get to her," Tech repeated. Hunter nodded, pulling him to his feet and snatching his comm from his belt.

"Typho, Kestia's in trouble in the throne room. Bring a squad." He clicked over to a different frequency before the captain could respond. "Everyone ready?"

"Almost there!" came Echo's call.

"Ready when you are," Wrecker grunted.

Hunter met Tech's eyes and nodded. "We go on three." They both took off running towards the door, Hunter counting down into the comm. "One...two...THREE! GO!"

Tech and Hunter slammed through the doors, blasters drawn, taking in the sight before them. Kestia was perched on her desk, her gown spilling over the front of the carved wood. She was holding two white lightsabers, deflecting blast after blast from four destroyer droids. Tech felt his jaw go slack as he stared at her, sweat trickling form her forehead, a cut on her cheek bleeding. She was terrifying and beautiful and all of this was confusing. Why...she has lightsabers...how...His brain was short-circuiting until she met his eyes.

"A LITTLE HELP?" she shouted, bringing him back to the present. He looked across the throne room to Echo and Crosshair. Echo looked just as surprised as he did while Crosshair was yanking him behind a pillar, taking aim at the nearest droid. Wrecker had come barreling up the stairs, charging the droid closest to him. Hunter grabbed Tech's shoulder, pulling him behind a pillar as a blaster bolt whizzed by his head.

"Gawk later, Tech. We've gotta handle these clankers right now."

Tech shook his head, trying to clear the haze. You are in a battle. You have to win. Four enemies. Type B1 destroyer droids. Built-in shield generators, vulnerabilities in rear if shields can be breached. His brain cleared, running through the catalogue of information he had stored, the soldier side of him kicking in.