Star Wars: The Ancient Force

C H A P T E R . 2 0 -- Shields Down

LUKE AND TERIGO SPRINT down the building's roof-access stairs and jump the rest of the way down as soon as they can. Terigo analyzes the enemies rushing in group formations through the metal forest while Luke heads to the entrance's comm station and presses buttons.

"Han, Chewie." Both jolt up to the sound of Luke's voice throughout the entire building. "Stormtroopers are coming, lockdown, arm the building, and don't move." Then Luke darts to Terigo's side at the dark corner of the entryway.

Terigo informs, "40 total in groups of 10. They haven't seen us yet. Most are going around back. 5 of each 10 have Perks." And 10 were coming their way, shielders in front.

Hiding in the dark, they both get their lightsabers out, unlit, Luke's in his left hand. Terigo looks at his.

"Are you sure? Can you swing hard enough with one hand?" Terigo says, eagerly hoping he can.

"Does it matter. It's worth a try." If we die, so be it.

She smirks, then whispers as the 10 get closer, "Then be prepared to run all night so they can't surround us. That's how I killed this many yesterday."

He smirks back.

And as the clatter of armor draws near, they both ignite and jump out swinging.

Terigo slices through two shielded men and Luke one with his dead hand pushing on the hilt. They continue to run out to gain distance and surround them, deflecting shots. Terigo's spinning blur of swings deflects most of them, but Luke puts distance between the troops when he realizes he's also fighting himself. He was having slow reaction time with his untrained hand, having to dodge most the shots, and was further distracted by his reflexes trying to grab the saber with two hands at times.

They manage to deflect shots onto three stormtroopers that couldn't fit behind the remaining two shielders and deflect the rest of the shots away from the shields to prevent them deflecting back. Luke and Terigo run to get behind the last two shielders and two men, but one of each type had fixated on each of them while keeping back to back. And these four were keeping against the wall, so no shots were getting though.

Luke decides what to do next without concern. He runs wide around the men; deflecting, dodging, and jumping over shots as they turn around with him. He stops behind Terigo, takes a deep breath, and flings his lit lightsaber to the right of the men. The blade then swings left with his will of the Force, arcing around the men who now start shooting at it. The shots all miss such a small target and the blade makes three swings to take down the four of them.

But after their clatter of armor, there was no silence.

A pack of 10 more stormtroopers rounds the corner. Luke and Terigo couldn't hear the detailed commands sounding from within the stormtrooper helmets. They could only imagine it as the troops reposition flawlessly into an elongated wall, five pairs of one shielder in front of one shooter. Charging forward. Arching to try to surround them.

And from the wall of red shields comes a swarm of red blaster fire.

Terigo only barely blocks enough of them with her yellow blur and Luke behind her is nearly hit, because what they could not hear were measured commands to fire in unison. As the second wave of shots fly, both realize it's impossible to deflect them all at once, nor dodge them every time. So Luke flings his saber again. It only just misses the third wave of shots, but hits the last two stormtroopers. His saber was bound to get hit with this many shots. The troops suddenly try to arc around Luke's saber as the fourth, fifth, and sixth waves of shots fly at it before he gets it back in hand. The seventh wave shoots at them again as their arc widens and closes in at full speed once more.