Star Wars_ Shatterpoint - Matthew Woodring Stover [68]
He paused for a second to let that sink in. "If I wanted you hurt, we wouldn't be talking. You'd already be dead."
The truth of this wiped Rankin's face clean of expression. Mace watched it hit home, and had just enough time to think that this might actually work-Then streaks of blasterfire lit up the slope below.
The jungle thundered with scarlet explosions, multiple bolts flashing from the cover of steamcrawlers to shatter branches and blow rocks to splinters. The bursts were instantly echoed by smaller, whiter flares under the trees, crackling like a bonfire built of green logs: muzzle flashes.
Slugthrowers.
Shouts and screams from human throats underscored the whine of blasters and the shrieks of slugs hurtling in ricochets off steam-crawler armor.
"What did I tell you?" the father shrieked from the darkness. "What did I te,'/you? He kept us yapping and now we're getting killed down there-,'"
"Don't do nothing stupid!" Rankin shouted. He hunched over in the glow rod's spill, his face desperate and frightened: a jacklighted ur-stag.
"Look, nobody do nothing-"
"Rankin!" The Force gave Mace's voice the thunder of a signal cannon.
"Pull your people back. A fighting retreat. Have them pull back here to the compound."
Below, a steamcrawler's turret gun spewed a stream of flame across an arc of jungle. Blood-colored light licked the bunker's ceiling.
"You said coming up here can't help us-"
"It can't. I can. Do it. It's your only chance."
Behind Mace, one of the boys had started to cry, and now the other one joined him. Pell said, "Mister? That's my mom out there." Her underlip twitched and her eyes welled. "Don't let them hurt her, okay? Don't let nobody hurt her."
Keela gathered Pell into her arms. "She'll be okay. Don't worry. She'll be okay." Her eyes begged Mace to make this true.
Mace stared down at them, thinking that if it were up to him, no one would hurt anyone. Anywhere. Ever. He said only, "Hang on. Be brave."
Pell sniffled and nodded solemnly.
Outside, Rankin was shouting into his comlink."-no, blast it! Up here.
Flares and flame projectors. Light 'em up and slow 'em down-and get those
'crawlers in gear!"
"Rankin, don't!" the father shouted. "Don't you get it? Once we're up here, he can crossfire our butts from the bunker!"
"Don't be stupid-"
"Space your don't-be-stupid talk! You know what's stupid? Talking to that korno like he's a human being! Believing one fraggin' word he says, that's stupid! Want to talk to the kornos? Talk with your gun."
A star burst to life below and shot high into the air: a flare. It hung below the clouds, lighting the steamcrawlers, the jungle, and the outpost stark actinic white. Mace had to shield his eyes against the sudden glare, and he heard the father's harsh cry of triumph, and the Force snapped his lightsaber to his hand and brought the blade to life as a blaster rifle sang a rhythm fast as a hand could squeeze.
The father was no marksman; no bolt would have come within arm's length of Mace-but they would have bounced into the bunker. Amethyst light flashed to meet the red, and instead every bolt screamed away into the sky.
Mace stood in the doorway, looking down at Rankin's awestruck face past the guard angle of his lightsaber's blade. Rankin's mouth moved in breathless silence: Jedi...
Mace thought: Looks like we lose.
"Keela," Mace said without turning, his voice tight but dead level. "Get the children to the back. Lie down behind the bodies of the Korunnai: they are your best cover."
"What?" Keela stared at him blankly. "What? Who are you?"
From outside, the father's voice roared, "That's a Jedi!" An instant later, it was joined by another voice: higher, half broken, hoarse with grief, betrayal, and wild rage.
"A stinkin'Jedi! He's a stinkin'Jedi! Kill him! Kill him!"
The voice was Terrel's.
The Force moved Mace's hands faster