Impulse - Book 2 - Sergeant Hunter

[Chapter 10 - Protective]

_____

~~~~

Stellia wound through the lower levels of Coruscant, her cloak fluttering in the breeze. She turned left, right, left, left, right, right, left, before turning into a dead end path. 

"Please! Don't! I'll give you the information you want! Just please let me go!" the man fell to his knees, begging.

Stellia stayed deathly silent. She did nothing but raise her escrima stick, bringing it centimeters from the man's face. 

"Here! Here's the data puck. Just take it." the man handed the puck to her with shaking hands. 

Stellia went to turn around and leave, but a voice in her ear halted her.

"Siren. You know the rules." 

She turned around and in a split second fired her blaster. The man's body fell to the ground. 

Her whole body went into a hazy fuzz. Her head throbbed. Her eyes felt heavy in their sockets. Everything hurt.

And then suddenly-

"Stellia?"

~~~~

"Stell, you alright?" Hunter cautiously placed a hand on her shoulder. 

"Yeah, sorry. I fell asleep." she blinked a couple of times to clear the fog in her mind.

Hunter handed her a ration bar- "Sorry, I know it's not much, but we're running low."

"It's all right. It's better than nothing." 

Stellia took a bite of her ration bar as she watched Hunter go and hand out a bar each to Wrecker and Omega. Wrecker complained about the low rations, and Omega offered her bar- but Hunter stepped in, talking some sense into Wrecker before he could accept the bar. She watched as the pair doted on Omega, Hunter especially. 

Stellia found herself growing warm and fuzzy at the thought of Hunter- no. No she didn't. She couldn't. She didn't have the time or strength to deal with that right now. But some deep part of her wanted so desperately to sit peacefully together, hands intertwined, with her other hand running through his hair as he- Stellia pushed the though deep, deep down. She wouldn't allow herself to ruin everything. 

The lights then began to flicker, and Stellia was saved from her spiral of sickening thoughts. 

"Echo! Lights cut out again. I thought you fixed it?" Hunter yelled in the direction of the cockpit. 

"Yeah, add it to the list!" Echo sassed back.

"I can take a look at it if you want?" Stellia went to get up from her chair.

"No, it's okay. You stay there and get some rest." Hunter insisted.

Stellia raised an eyebrow. What had Hunter heard to prompt this? Nonetheless, she fell back into her seat, trying not to drift off again, and failing. 

---

Stellia was awoken with a jolt as the ship suddenly fell out of hyperspace.

"What's going on?" Stellia stood up from her seat.

"Strap in!" Hunter ordered from the cockpit. 

Stellia rushed to the crash seats, strapping herself in just across from Wrecker and Omega. Bits and pieces flew everywhere, Wrecker hit his head, Omega looked panicked.