TWBTS

"Who've all been destroyed?" Rel began to ask, but then the blaster bolts began to fly and he dropped to the floor. Fool! He was a fool, not paying attention, too absorbed in the story and learning about Meav, his apprentice's murder, to complete his mission, to keep Kel safe, to see if anyone was there!

He pulled out his lightsaber and made an end of the self-hatred session in his mind. It was pointless. He moved like lightning, coming up from the floor and batting bolts aside, protecting Kel with his body and the saber. Where had Meav gone? And where were the ones firing? He squinted in the darkness.

TWBTS

"Oo, shiny, red things flying around," Meav commented. "And we're backlit, perfect silhouttes. And guess what, we're in the Cube's room, so that means there's lots of glass all over the place."

"If you could do something beside talk, that would be great," Kel noted, peaking out from behind Rel.

"I am, goose. I just don't think waving around a bright shiny thing is going to be very helpful."

Kel glanced over, noting that Meav was also catching and deflecting shots as quickly as Rel was.

"Oh. So that's what those things do. I thought you said your braces were a fashion statement!"

"One thing that you should learn: there are always times when it is more convenient and beneficial to lie. Start going over past the Cube, or what's left of it. It is darker over there, we won't be such easy targets."

TWBTS

Rel dodged the blaster bolts, seeing in the light of his saber, for the first time, that they were in a glass cube. It was dirty, and glass shards littered the ground. He would have thanked the Force for his sturdy, thick-soled boots, but there wasn't time. He moved between bolts and deflected the others, but still he got singed. There were too many guns, and from unseen sources. He felt them in the force-- six people, in alcoves outside of the cube, shooting into it, at them.

He heard Meav telling them to move and shuffled backwards, keeping an eye on the bolts. Why were these people shooting at them? He felt fear and resentment from their minds. "Peace!" He called out, as the bolts kept coming. "Why do you mean us harm?"

TWBTS

Meav reached forward and grabbed Rel's arm, pulling him outside of the cube and back into the shadows.

"Can you see them?" she asked breathlessly. "Cause I can't."

TWBTS

"I can feel them," said Rel, speaking softly. The bolts kept coming. He felt the resolve in the shooters; they weren't interested in talking. "The word 'sith' keeps flashing across their minds. Donovan's group?"

The range of hit and miss was extending, and then the shooting stopped.Rel could hear scuffling in the shadows; the people were moving closer.

And then BAM! The shooters were there, on the three of them, grappling, moving, hitting, trying to shoot! But Rel was ready this time. He pulled the one attacking him into a headlock and jammed the hilt of his lightsaber against his head. He went down.

TWBTS

Meav shook her head.

"No. They all left. Besides, I would know them if they were."

And then, there they were, descending like so many spiders upon their prey. Meav sunk her knife into one and kicked another, pulling out and igniting her lightsaber at the same time.

"There's a back door this way. Donovon had it locked, but I doubt it still is. Beside, it was a simple padlock. Come on!" Meav moved into the darkness, using her lightsaber as both a weapon and a light. Whoever was following them, though, wasn't going to let them escape that easily.

"Kel, that way!" Meav pointed and pushed Kel out in front of her. She saw Rel wasn't too far behind, so decided not to concern herself with him. She turned to follow Kel, but was held back by a sudden jerk on her wrist brace. One of them had a good grip on her right hand, and was trying to get the brace off. Meav pulled her left back, punching him in the face as hard as she could. He staggered backward a few steps, but didn't let go, and jerked her forward. Meav groaned as both of them hit the ground and she felt the grit of glass between her teeth.

TWBTS

Rel struggled against another man, sliced his blaster in half and kicked him down into the glass. The man groaned and rolled over, but stayed down.

The rest of the ambush crew--only three left by now-- were regrouping; he felt them with his mind. They would try to come again. He turned and ran for the door that Meav had spoken of and almost tripped over her on the way. She was on the ground, face in the crushed glass. A man was next to her, reaching for her throat. Rel kicked him out of the way.

"They're regrouping. Let's go."

Rel knew better than to give her the insult of trying to help her up and ran to the door. Kel had already found and opened it. Just beyond was a steep and rickety ladder that went up to the surface and down to some unseen abyss below. He sized it up. This was their best chance out. Right now they were unprepared, unready for the people attacking them, and Rel wanted to avoid killing if possible.

But Meav hadn't shown up. He reached out to touch her with his mind and did not feel her coming. Quickly he ran back. "Meav!" He called, trying to be quiet and not give everything away to the ambushers. "We have a way out."

TWBTS

"I'm a little busy. Just go. Get Kel out," Meav replied, leaning against the wall.

Blood had dripped into her face, giving the world a curious red glow. Rel's return had given her enough time to get up, but she felt a little too woozy to keep walking. This last man, though, was made of sterner stuff than the others, and lunged at Meav again. Meav toppled to the ground, then jammed her fist into him. Fighting hand to hand was not her specialty, but she could deal. The two of them were precipitously close to falling into one of the lower levels, but Meav didn't realize until it was too late. They landed awkwardly, and Meav surpressed a scream as a strange ripping sensation ran through her shoulder. She was still up first, though, and ignited her lightsaber.

"So sorry," she whispered softly, "but you really need to pick your prey better next time."

TWBTS

Rel skidded to the edge of the platform and saw Meav down below, fighting the man that he thought he'd knocked out. He felt the red-hot flare of her pain in the force, and that was that. He jumped down, signalling Kel to stay put.

He landed a little harder than he would have liked, but he wasn't hurt. Meav was a different matter. He ran over to her, through the shards and debris, just the man impaled himself on her lightsaber. He could feel the other two coming closer. "Let's get out of here," He said, glad that she was alive, even though he'd come too late to help her.

TWBTS

Meav nodded and went to vault up, but cried out in pain and fell back down.

"Can't," Meav groaned, dropping her lightsaber into its clip and cradling her arm. "I'll be fine. I'll catch up to you two in a few minutes. I'll be fine."

Rel looked at her. "No, you won't."

"It's just my shoulder...I think I dislocated it when I landed. Never mind, I'll get it back in a bit. Just go."

TWBTS

Rel felt the two coming down, heading for Kel. He sent her a message with his mind to leave as fast as she could, trying to communicate the danger, but the immediate response was a stubborn refusal, and a mental image of himself and Meav.

"There is no time. We need to leave now. The rest of the ambushers are coming for Kel and she will not leave without us." He looked her in the eye. "Can you climb up?"

He saw that she could not. "Then I'll bring you."

Without another word, he put a strong arm under hers and his other arm under her hips. The closeness was necessary to get them out. There was no point in being awkward or childish about it.

TWBTS

Meav groaned as Rel picked her up, and wrapped her good arm around his shoulders. Rel moved quickly and smoothly, and they were with Kel in a few moments. Rel set her down, and she nodded at him.

"Thanks," she said, gasping for breath. "Kel, get up that ladder, and now. Taric...please go."

"You aren't going back in there, are you?"

Meav shook her head.

"No, but I need to seal it off. And I'm not sure how accurate I'm going to be. please, trust me. This will give us the time we need."

TWBTS

Rel gave her a hard look. "Why do we need to seal this up? We know what we need to know. You're hurt. Why do you always have to be the hero?"

His eyes were hard, face set. He picked her up again. They were going up the ladder and going up together. Now. "Go, Kel."

She'd been staring at Meav's face, all covered with blood, but she turned and began to climb. Rel followed. "I won't let you go."

TWBTS

"I'm not the hero type," Meav muttered. "I just deal with problems the easy way."

Rel ignored her.

"Think, Taric," Meav pleaded as he picked her up again. "You can't carry me all the way back to your ship. I can't run, and I most definitely can't be fighting or anything else like that. If they get out, that means there are three of them and one of you. They are young men, and they have blasters. We don't stand a chance if they get out. They're scared, they aren't evil, but they'll kill anything and everything that has any connection with this place. Think about Kel. She lost her entire world and was taken away family. She's lost her best friend. She shouldn't leave here having lost anyone else. Put me down and let me close it off."

TWBTS

"I will carry you as long as I have to." Rel said. He wasn't going to let her lead, not this time. Believing something with all of her heart didn't make it true. He slung one of her arms around his neck and used his free arm to begin the climb. "They're far off. You have grenades?" He asked her. "There's another way."