Abandonment: A Caged Bird - 10.045

[Renart Al'Gray]

Continued from here (http://sw-fans.net/forum/showthread.php?55383-Abandonment-10-045&p=1024639&viewfull=1#post1024639)...

“Stay with them. I'm holding you personally responsible for them.”

The words of the Queen Regent echoed in Renart's mind as he stalked after the 'them' in question. He paused only long enough to secure the doors to the royal apartments behind him, and by the time he turned around Lira Terranova was a fair distance ahead of him, the young Chume Beatrix in her arms, with the girls sleepy head resting on her shoulder.

The captain jogged to catch up with the pair, crossing the distance in a short time in spite of the armor he wore. One gloved hand rested on the pommel of his sword. He wasn't sure why, but his instincts told him that he might have to draw the weapon soon.

“Ta'din Terranova. I don't understand what's happening.”

[Lira Terranova]

Her footsteps were careful and well placed with the little chume in her arms, but there was a definite sense of urgency in her otherwise steady pace. Inside the royal apartments, the halls became deliberately puzzling, if you did not already know where you were going. Lira did not falter in her directions, if anything her steps seemed drilled in their perfection. So they should, serving Beatrix and the Queen Regent however she could and seeing to their continued safety were her only concerns.

Not least of the rooms ahead was the Royal Bedchamber, where presently Razielle took residence until Beatrix came of age. Smaller, but no less opulent rooms nearby belonged to Beatrix and Lira. They were connected to each other by a cozy parlor which showed evidence of the little girl at play. As they moved through the room, little doll faces watched in wide-eyed engagement from the couches.

Stepping through the double doors into Bea's room without answering the captain, not wishing to wake her little charge, she went directly to the silver and blue canopied bed, already turned down in anticipation of her. Easing the child down slowly, she finally looked up to Captain Al'Gray, only to hold one gloved finger to her lips and mouth; "Shh.."

She pulled free Bea's little slippers, tucked her in with her current favorite stuffed animal - a shark - and kissed the little queen on her brow. Once that was done, she moved to adjust the curtains to give the room less natural light while she slept. Only when she was satisfied that Beatrix was completely safe and comfortable did she retreat back toward the double doors, and the parlor beyond, leaving the doors partially opened so that they could check on the chume as often as they liked.

"You do not understand what, captain? Chume Beatrix bid fare well to her bedtime some hours ago."

[Renart Al'Gray]

“Something has alarmed the Queen Regent.”

He spoke in a hushed voice, mindful of the young Chume, yet even this did not keep the alarm from his tone. Before Lira could say anything further, Renart held up a hand. His eyebrows drew together, his head tilting a fraction to the side.

“I can hear gunfire.”

[Garin Irimore]

Quick footsteps approached and the doors to the parlor burst open.

“We need to leave now.”

Another of the Chume'nor stalked inside with his sword already drawn, talking rapidly in Hapan. He scanned the room, attention darting from one corner to another in search of any sign of immediate danger.

“Where is Beatrix? It's not safe here. There are Jedi attacking the palace walls.”

[Lira Terranova]

Something had alarmed Razielle, but Lira had no way of knowing the cause right now. What she knew was what she was to do, should this kind of situation arise. How she should act. What she should say, and most importantly, that she was not to leave Beatrix. Keeping the Chume'nor's attention on her, rather than elsewhere was best. She could do that.

And he was right, she could hear gunfire too. The sound of it froze her in her steps more effectively than the captain gesturing for quiet. Lira could endure many things in the sometimes gray areas of her service, but she did not appreciate gunfire. As a child, she had heard the sounds of the battle that took her father from her, making her a ward of Onderon's royal family. It unnerved her to such a degree that when the parlor doors burst open a second later, the stalwart Lady Terranova jumped with a gasp, clutching her chest.

Lira did not know this Chume'nor but incident at the walls or no, she would not be ordered about. Her very serious gaze narrowed on him, clearly about to take him to task like a servant out of line, and not one of Her Majesty's Select Commando's. "Stand down, Chume'nor. Beatrix is quite safe. "

Ignoring the more brash of the two Chume'nor for the moment, Lira turned her calm gaze back to the captain. "Captain Al'Gray.. I am not sure what is going on, but if you believe it best I wake the chume I will.."

[Renart Al'Gray]

“Jedi?”

Disbelief was plain to hear in Renart's voice and see in his expression, a deep frown wrinkling his brow. Even as he struggled to comprehend what his fellow Chume'nor had announced, Captain Al'Gray could hear the sounds of the fighting outside growing louder. The palace was not indefensible, but equally it's defenses had not been designed to repel Jedi.

“Irimore, rally the others and form blockades throughout the palace. Once you've seen to that, station yourself outside the doors to the royal bed-chambers with your best men.”

He pressed a palm between Garin's shoulders, encouraging the younger man towards the door.

“I'll stay here and await the Lord Commander's arrival.”

[Lira Terranova]

Even with her rattled nerves, Lira could still appreciate the way that the captain took charge of the situation. Focusing on the sound of his voice as he gave orders to the other Chume'nor seemed to sedate her enough that she was able to brush off her momentary frozen spell. As they were once more alone, Lira met the captain's eyes for one suspended second.

"Thank you, captain. He surprised me.", she admitted.

A sigh later, she was herself again moving to the chume's door to look in on her. Beatrix was as she had left her, safe in her bed and apparently unaware of the battle going on outside her fairy tale castle. Or maybe not. She usually slept very still. Although the sounds had not woken her, tonight her little limbs moved in restless agitation. Lira frowned, but did not go to her, hoping she would settle on her own. She did not want to wake her and have her remember anything of tonight after her bedtime story.

Lira was pulling the door partly shut once more. At that moment outside a turret had fired upon the attackers at the gate, taking a piece of the land with it. Even inside the royal apartments the room vibrated slightly, shaking the Kamarian-crystal suspended around the decor into an eerie jingle. She was trying to remain her sturdy, Onderonian self, prepared to deal with whatever she must, but the more the sounds increased the more difficult this became.

She realized she'd become frozen again. Her gloved hand remained frozen upon the chume's door, and she could not say how long she had been standing like that, or when she'd starting shaking slightly.

[Renart Al'Gray]

Renart's grip on his sword's hilt tightened as he felt a rumble through the palace. He knew the source of that tremor: the Fountain Gunners. He'd felt the punch of those turrets being fired, during routine training exercises, but never before had they been discharged against an actual assailant.

Though he knew the layout of the royal suites well enough to map them blindfolded, Renart turned and took stock of his surroundings. There was only a single entrance to the room they stood in. The outer chambers had multiple doors and some had windows, though they faced courtyards within the palace rather than looking out and down over the cliff that sloped down into the city.

If someone managed to breach the palace walls, they would have to fight their way through the Chume'nor, the Chume'doro and any other personnel on hand. Military and civil servants alike would throw themselves in front of a blade or bolt before they saw the Chume suffer so much as a singed skirt.

Even a Jedi could not cut through so many people in a matter of minutes. That meant they had time to prepare, to fortify the room. Without a word, Renart moved quickly to a large chest of drawers nearby and began to drag them across the carpeted floor towards the door.

[Lira Terranova]

The sound of something heavy being moved drew her attention. When Lira turned toward the noise, she realized her movements had become jerky, and stiff with tension. Once again she found herself counting silently to ten, and taking slow steady breaths before she could even pretend to something close to the lady she had become. She felt more like the frightened child she had once been. She forced herself to put Beatrix first, and that did the trick for her.

In command of her movements again, Lira paced as Captain Al'Gray barricaded them in the room. The sounds were not lessening. She could hear evidence of the captain's orders being carried out, coming from the other side of the door. Were she not wearing gloves, she might have reverted to chewing on her fingernails. As it was, her continued pacing was sure to eventually wear a path into the carpet, each rotation taking her past Bea's door twice, to look in on her.

Despite her disliking for the sound of gunfire, she was not as incompetent as she might appear. Women of Onderon, even noble woman had long lived with battles. Chume'la Razielle and Queen Adraudia were not the only two ladies that knew how to shove the pointy end of a blade into another person. Squaring her shoulders, Lira stopped in her tracks, turning to the captain.

"Tell me what I can do."