The Bad Batch: Tech and Vel

20. Upended

Author's Note: I'm laughing so hard, and I have no idea why I'm admitting this, but this entire scene was inspired by the music that my kids were listening to in the minivan on our way back from the hike that inspired the tree exploration part in chapter 11, LOL. For some reason, the chorus reminds me of the epic "Holding Out for a Hero" scene at the end of Shrek 2, and I could just picture Tech going into BAMF super soldier mode. I wish it were some incredible rock n roll song, but alas. Inspiration strikes when you least expect it. ;)

Here's the song... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BEEgEJ-rCM

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Hunter met Vel's eyes, wide with fear but steady, and he stood up straighter, tucking his knife back into its sheath and holding his hands up in a sign of surrender. "I found her downstairs and paid her off, thought it would get us in easy. Let her go -- she's got nothing to do with this other than trying to make a quick buck."

"And I'm sure the four of you are just going to come quietly once she's gone, right?" Terrik sneered, unmoving. "I don't think so. Let's get you properly sorted out with my guards, and then she can go." Pointing the blaster toward Hunter for a moment, he turned to Vel. He grabbed her face, pushing her cheeks with his thumb and fingers to turn her toward him. "It's a shame, really," he said, his blue face mere inches from hers, "You seemed like you would have been delicious."

As Jouren Terrik pressed his mouth onto Vel's with a kiss that made her squirm, Tech felt his insides do the same. Vel made a sound of disgust, then dropped her full weight in the hopes of throwing him off balance. He teetered forward, dropping her onto the ground in front of him, and she threw her legs up in a haphazard attempt at attack. One of her shins landed squarely in his crotch, and she learned something that day about the similarity of Pantoran and human anatomy as he doubled over and yelled in pain: "Guards!"

At the same time, the clones sprang into action. Tech flung an EMP from his pocket toward the nearest group of droids, disabling a few before pulling his two blasters from his waistband, and Wrecker dropped a smoke bomb as red bolts began to fly. The room quickly filled with thick smoke and chaos.

Blasters flashed, droids clanked, and furniture clattered. Vel scrambled to her feet, lunging away from Terrik toward the door. A guard droid flew in front of her, nearly making her fall, and Hunter was in close pursuit, making quick work of the droid before flipping toward the next one. As the smoke began to clear, she spotted Crosshair behind the bar counter, dropping droids one by one with a small hand blaster, unfazed by the bottles shattering behind him from their stray shots.

But there were so many. For each one that fell, it seemed like three more surged in its place. Time seemed to slow down. Terrik had regained his footing, squeezing off live rounds at anyone he could, until he noticed Vel's attempted escape. Raising his blaster, he took two quick steps forward, getting her in his sights. As she scrambled for cover by the door, he squeezed the trigger, hitting her squarely at the base of her spine. She screamed in pain, falling to the ground.

Tech's head whipped around, one blaster held upright and the other outstretched in front of him. As Vel hit the carpet, something inside of him broke, releasing a red hot fury that he had never felt before. As Wrecker charged past him, swinging one droid at others like a baseball bat, he used the cover to run to Vel, diving and rolling to bring himself to her side. She gasped and cried, squeezing her fists but unable to move her legs.

He rose to his feet in one swift motion, standing over her with his dual-wielded blasters. He fired at Terrik, who ducked behind an overturned table, and then he laid out two more droids on the left. He felt blind with rage and yet impervious at the same time, squeezing the triggers as fast as he could, ducking and weaving to avoid shots while still remaining right above her.

Vel fought to stay conscious. The pain was excruciating, a fire coursing up her spine and causing her vision to be splotchy with white patches. She tried to move again, but all she could manage was to pull herself with her arms toward a nearby couch. She got about a foot before she had to stop to grit her teeth and let out a heaving sob into the carpet.

"Don't move," Tech yelled, dropping to a knee to throw his last EMP under a table to zap the droids coming around its other side. He continued firing next to her, dropping to both knees, ducking to the side, then springing back onto his feet. She must have been in delirious shock at that point, because how anything else could enter her mind, she didn't know, but she was in absolute awe at him. His elite training and experience showed; he was an unstoppable force.

The ruckus died down and the last droid was ripped in half by Wrecker, who was beside himself with delight. Crosshair slowly rose from behind the bar and Hunter appeared from the side, his man bun replaced with a frazzled mess. Vel tried not to make a sound, but she couldn't help the gasps and shuddering sobs that kept escaping.

"Where's Terrik?" Hunter asked, still tensed and ready.

"It would appear he got caught in the crossfire," Crosshair said, pointing toward a figure slumped against the overturned table leg.

"Does that mean we can just blow the place now?" Wrecker asked, "Since our stealth mission wasn't so stealthy?"

"We still have to find the laboratory!" Hunter exclaimed, kicking a droid out of the way. "Vel, why did you activate the marker?"

"Hunter..." Tech began, dropping to his knees next to her and laying a hand on her shoulder. It was then that Hunter saw her, and his mouth set into a grim line.

"We need to get back to the ship," Tech insisted, the adrenaline still coursing through his veins. "Or to a hospital. She has a spinal injury that even our medpack cannot fix. We have spray splints but this will need surgical attention. And our presence is undoubtedly known now."

Vel reached out for him, grasping his hand tightly. She was a mess, trying to speak between the breathy sobs that wracked her body. 

"The books," she said, lifting her head and clutching him tightly. "Pull the books. The lab. Something with the books." She put her face back down, stifling another howl of pain into the crook of her other arm. 

Hunter ran to the bookshelf, flipping through the titles, touching each with a finger and scrutinizing the selection carefully. Wrecker fetched the blaster from Terrik's limp hand and went to the door, holding it at the ready. 

"Hunter, we have to go," Tech said, holding Vel's hand just as tightly as she clung to his.

A creaking sound filled the room as Hunter pulled on a bright green volume of the military history of Umbara, and the entire bookshelf swung forward to reveal a door. 

"Alright!" Wrecker said, "Secret door!"

"Tech, come open this," Hunter commanded, "It's got to be it."

Giving her hand one last squeeze, Tech flew to Hunter's side, removing the panel on the side of the door for a quick hotwire. The door whooshed open, revealing a brightly lit room full of counters, chemical bottles, and all sorts of machines. 

"Nice job, Vel," Wrecker said from the doorway, glancing back and forth. "We'll get you out of here in a minute."

"Don't go running off," came the snide remark from the opposite side of the doorway.

"Crosshair!!" Tech shouted from inside the lab.