Mune’s ears perked. He knew that sound, he realized, with a growing sense of unease. The twi’lek, Mune realized, was the other Force-user he had been sensing off and on. The Force, however, was wailing something else entirely at him in that moment. He moved, the Force an untamed river that crashed through him and powered his forward momentum. He used the momentum to leap up, the arc of his jump having him landing at the woman’s side. Even as he came rushing back downwards, he called the Force to his aid, focussing his power into a roaring, unseen blaze within a palm.
The twi’lek sensed the man’s rapid approach, felt his presence coming down upon her from above. Then she recognized in a quick glimpse through the force the danger she was truly in as thermal detonators came arcing through the air upon them.
Mune drove the gathered bundle of Force energy into the ground, landing in a crouch. The power roared like a beast unleashed. Raging fury sent outward, kicking dust, debris, rags and most importantly, the detonators out and away from the two. Explosions rocked the chamber. Here and there a B1 battle droid was engulfed in a blast that ripped it limb from limb. The hybrid breathed hard, sweat beading his forehead beneath his customary mask. He had to start channeling if he expected to protect the girl and himself, he realized.
“You need to cover us, understand? That wave took a lot out of me. Can you do that?” He asked hurriedly.
Tali blinked away her surprise. Did he just save her life? Hearing his words though, she snapped back to her senses and gave a firm nod in the affirmative. “H… how long?” She asked nervously, eyes taking in the droids all around their exposed position.
“As long as I need?” Mune asked with a bit of a sheepish grin.
He did not wait for her response before he crouched lower and closed his eyes. He centered himself, anchored himself in the Force and called it to rush through him. Like water lapping at the pebbles on the beach, it pressed in upon him. He had to believe she could keep him from taking a blaster bolt to the head while he regained his strength. As much trust as Mune was putting in her, Tali realized she may not have put that trust in herself right then.
She drew her lightsaber and ignited the brilliant yellow blade. The hum filled their immediate space, the light dancing on her clothing and that of her new ally. Fire crackled from the many dissipating explosions, the droids regarding their targets in silence for what seemed an eternity to her. Then, as if queued by some unseen being, as one they spoke. “Roger-Roger!” Blast fire rent the air. The twi’lek brought her lightsaber up, blocking bolts where she could, dodging the ones she could not. They seemed focussed upon her, she realized within seconds. She realized just as quickly that she was being rapidly overwhelmed. Panic suffused her, a dawning terror as their fire rained forth to her and her companion. She only just managed to draw upon the Force to create a barrier for herself against the newest onslaught. Even so, she felt it almost instantly fraying at the edges, glass ready to explode into so many fragments against the brutal firepower of the droids.
“I… I can’t do it!” She cried out.
Mune was then between she and the face of death. Two lightsabers cascading out into crackling brilliance. He deflected a series of blasts harmlessly away only to throw his own barrier quickly up to dissipate the next three.
Tali spun on her heels only just quickly enough to deflect another series of blasts that came from behind. Her eyes were wide in panic. How many were there, she wondered. “Do… do I get to know your name, sir?” She manage dot get out, breathing heavily with so much smoke and dust and fighting for her life.
Mune had managed to calm his own breathing back to near normal. His left ear twitched, catching her question he grinned a bit behind his mask. “Mune Cinteroph, of Scholae Palatinae.”
“Tali Zorah, sir, of Arcona.” She replied before she yelped as a blaster bolt only barely missed her right shoulder.
She must still be very early in her training, how did she wind up here?! Mune thought worriedly. It matters not… just keep yourself, and the girl alive.
“There is debris to my left, your right! We can use it for cover!”
Mune’s eyes snapped to the position the girl mentions. “Let’s move then!”
The hybrid allowed her to move first. He spun around, his sabers a flurry of motion. One… two… four… eight bolts are deflected in quick succession. The savant giving his body over to the Force, letting it guide his motions to cover the twi’lek acolyte. He ducks another shot, weaves around yet another before he cuts a battle druid clean in half. He senses it distantly before it hits, no time to react while his left lightsaber is still rending the metal of the droid before him. The pain ripped through the left shoulder, the saber dropped from his grip from the violent convulsion of muscles in reaction to the furious agony that wrenches a scream from his lips. He could not stop however, to stop meant certain death. He threw himself sideways even as numerous bolts tore up the ground where he had been seconds before. He rolled and found himself behind Tali’s cover.
His breathing was uneven, the wound surging fire through his every nerve. He fought back curses at his own overzealous assault. Swallowing, he pushed the pain back, a slow process, but he had to calm the pain enough to focus his energy towards healing.
“Y... you need to cover us… sorry. That was so stupid of me!”
“I got its blaster rifle.” Tali responded almost cheerfully.
“You know how to use those things?”