Star Wars The Bad Batch: The Runaway

Chapter 45 - The Dinner Party Pt. 2

It didn't take long for Calli to come up with a plan. First, she needed to track down Jace and then Padme to make sure they were safe. Then she and Jace would find a way to get rid of the intruders.

With the cover of darkness, it was easy for Calli to slink around outside without fear of being caught, peering into each window until eventually finding him, being held with a group of ten others - including the girl he'd been talking with earlier. She was clinging to Jace's arm, and he didn't seem phased by it. Calli ignored that same burning feeling from earlier and instead focused on a plan to free the group. There were two guards, each armed with rifles. Calli briefly wondered why Jace hadn't taken out his lightsaber by now and taken these guys out already.

Maybe he's too preoccupied with the girl hanging off his arm. Here comes that burning feeling again.

Now it's not like Calli couldn't easily take them both, as she'd brought along her DC-17's (They were strapped to her calves and hidden underneath the dress), but they might be too loud and draw the attention of their buddies in the next room. Calli wished she had thought to bring a silencer to muffle the sound of the shots.

It took all of ten seconds for Calli to come up with an alternative, though.

Since both guards had their backs to Calli, it was easy for her to slip in through an open window, and she immediately hid behind a pillar. Up until now she felt that heels were pointless, but as it turns out that they do have at least one use for them. She slipped off the heels - much to her feet's relief, as they'd begun getting sore - and peeked around, preparing to hit the guard closest to her first.

Jace immediately notices and after Calli smirks and winks at him she brings her arm back and then lets the first heel fly across the room. It nailed the guard smack on the back of his head, and he dropped to the floor. Calli ducks behind the pillar just as the second guard turns around after hearing his partner fall, and she hears him begin making his way in her direction. Calli patiently waited, and when the guard appeared on her right side she sprang into action and knocked him out with one swift punch.

Calli sauntered her way over to the group.

"Leave it to you to turn a shoe into a weapon." Jace commented half-jokingly, making Calli let out a small chuckle and she shrugged like it was no big deal.

"Anything can be a weapon, if you use your imagination." Calli then became serious. "I counted at least ten others on my way here. Now get out your laser swords and let's go." Jace ignored her calling his weapon a laser sword, nodded and reached into his jacket where he'd hidden his lightsabers, only to not feel the cool metal like he expected. His eyes widened and he began searching his other pockets, only to turn up empty handed. "Uh oh..." Calli looked up from where she'd been unstrapping her blasters and when she realized the problem, she couldn't hold back a laugh of disbelief.

"You forgot your lightsabers??" Jace could only chuckle nervously in response, and when Calli showed no sign of amusement he stopped and cleared his throat awkwardly, looking down in shame. He knew exactly where he'd left the lightsabers too. In the kitchen, on the counter, where they were briefly put so he could get a glass of water. Then Padmé came in and she began talking about the mission and leading him into the living room, where his attention was then solely on Calli.

Due to the time crunch, Calli didn't have time to question Jace on his cluelessness (much to his relief) and tossed one of her blasters in his direction without any warning. Thankfully Jace had quick reflexes and caught it with no trouble. Once it was in his hands though, Jace looked at the gun with an uncertain expression, being only trained to use a lightsaber and not what he once heard Obi-Wan call an "uncivilized weapon". Jace was too embarrassed to admit this to Calli, so he didn't and just wordlessly followed her out of the room, hoping he'd somehow become an expert with a blaster in the next minute so as not to make a fool of himself.