Guarded (#2 Post-Order 66 Series)

Guarded - Part 28

A/N: mentions of panic attacks/PTSD in this chapter, so if that subject matter is triggering for you, please proceed with caution.

Hunter leaned against the plaster wall behind him, pulling his cloak a little tighter around his shoulders as he peered out of the alley he and Senna were standing in. They were just outside Keren's main open-air market on its busiest day. Booths of various vendors lined the avenue on both sides, crowds flocking to buy fresh fish from the marina, produce imported from agricultural centers, and other odds and ends. Hunter turned back to his companion. "This way. Remember to try and capture anything that looks operational."

"I got it, Hunter. You don't have to keep reminding me," Senna grumbled.

The sergeant cast a sheepish glance at her. "Sorry," he grunted.

Senna rested her hand on his shoulder reassuringly. "Listen, I know I'm not Tech, but I promise I'll get the job done, alright?"

He nodded, unsure if that was what was twisting his gut into knots. He knew Senna was capable. He'd seen her in action plenty of times, but something about this was making him nervous. It felt like the calm before the storm, and he couldn't put his finger on why. Reaching back, he felt her slip her hand into his as they stepped out of the alley and into the main market, playing the part of a couple out doing their weekly shopping. Hunter had worried about the tattoo covering one half of his face, but Iden and Gregar had assured him that large tattoos and body modifications weren't uncommon, and as he noted several people in the crowd around them sporting large tattoos on all parts of their bodies, he started to relax a little more. He worked to concentrate, his senses slightly overwhelmed with the sounds, smells, and bodies moving around him. Even with all that, he still couldn't shake the unease in his gut.

Moving through the stalls, Hunter noted Senna turning casually as she clicked the small device in her hands. She and Tech had talked the day before to try and come up with something inconspicuous that would allow her to fit a camera on her person to capture images of the Imperial defenses so that they could begin mapping out a strategy. What they'd concocted was a camera nestled inside of a bag which Senna wore strapped across her chest. It had a large glass button on it that actually housed the camera lens with a remote capture device that looked like a normal commlink. Hunter had liked the idea, not just because it was a rather elegant design for something thrown together last minute, but because he could tell Tech had been itching to be involved, and this had given him something to do. Senna had also recommended sending Tech the images to try and render a three-dimensional holo of the area, and Hunter thought that was a good idea as well. Hopefully it'll keep him from coming up with any half-baked schemes with the queen.

Click. Click. Click.

"Two turrets on the left pointing towards the main gate. Be sure to get those," he whispered.

Click.

"Most of the stormtrooper patrols seemed to be focused at the far end of the market near the space port," Senna said quietly. "We may want to work our way over there."

"Alright, stay close."

The Jedi and the clone moved through the crowd, Senna occasionally pulling him towards a booth to look over things, trying to blend in, even buying a bag of sugar at one stall. "For my caf," she muttered when he shot her a questioning look.

"You know, if you didn't make it so strong, you wouldn't have to put so much sugar into it," he teased. She just rolled her eyes at him.

Finally, they reached the edge of the market, the large structure of the Kwilaan Starport coming into view. "There, up ahead. What is that?" Senna asked quietly under her breath as they walked forward. A large few rectangular objects were hidden under tarps, standing around ten meters in height. He'd normally have assumed they were cannons, but something about the shape was wrong. He squinted to see if the tarp went all the way to the base, and unfortunately, it did, obscuring everything from view. He noted that there was a higher concentration of stormtroopers patrolling the area, shooing children away when they accidentally got too close with their ball.