Whumptober 2020: Day 25

It was just a routine run. Supposed to be, anyway. Something they’d all done a hundred times. Bowdaar and Akaavi were on either side of the ramp with weapons readied, standing guard; Risha and Corso were in the cockpit, keeping the ship ready for a hasty retreat if the need arose; K’hedif had a medical kit within reach while Jen and Guss pushed crates around on hoversleds. Baesk was watching Jessi and Jeva onboard the Star Hopper to make sure they didn’t cause any mischief (even if Jessi insisted she was old enough to help out), and that should have been that. Easy.

But of course it couldn’t stay easy. At that point, it had become a running joke through the crew that either the Star Hopper or their Captain himself was a bad luck charm, because there came the Exchange with blasters poised.

Bowdaar, Akaavi, and Jen all leapt into action. K’hedif pulled his own weapon and ducked behind the ramp with Guss, while he could hear one of the ship’s guns moving to target the hangar door—it fired at the first group of gangsters to easily take them down.

“Two stealthers!” Jen barked as he ducked what would have been a blow to the head. “And a heavy—watch those kriffin’ rockets!” At least the Star Hopper’s shields were already up…

Guss paused for a few long moments, took aim, and within moments one of the stealthers was down with their generator deactivating—he proceeded to give a wide grin. K’hedif reached through the Force to find the other, did the same before they could attack Bowdaar from behind.

One, two, the gangsters fell as the crew worked like a well-oiled machine. Jen fought dirty, Akaavi and Bowdaar swung their weapons, Corso used the ship’s guns while ever-careful about aiming them too close to one of his allies. Even with all of their different weapons and methods, they were ever-watchful of each other—watching each others’ backs, snapping out warnings, going back-to-back.

Smoke bombs and explosions and blaster fire, scowls and teeth bared in snarls, sweat and twitchy trigger fingers—it was all a familiar scene to the crew’s supply runs.

“Got another stealther!”

The warning came a tad too late that time.

A metal pipe striking the front of K’hedif’s helmet left him falling flat on his back to leave Guss blasting the gangster. He was saying…something, as he leaned over K’hedif. The Pureblood couldn’t make out whatever it was through the ringing of his ears or swimming vision. It just kept ringing, ringing…

Guss was grabbing one of his arms, Jen at the other (when had Jen come over? he’d just been by Bowdaar!) so they could drag him out of the blaster fire. The Captain gestured, and Guss darted off to duck behind a crate to shoot at opponents from cover, while Jen pulled K’hedif’s helmet off.

“Hey.” A furry hand patted his cheek. “Ya look drunk.”

“Very funny.” He found it in himself to scowl up at the Cathar, who only offered a smug grin in return. “When this is over, we’ll put a pot on your head and bang on it—‘cause damn, that’s what it feels like just happened.”

Jen snorted—then offered a kiss on the end of his nose. “How ‘bout you lay here a minute ‘til you can walk without falling on your ass. Oh, and you’re gonna need a new helmet.”

“…Dammit.”