“Not good enough for you, little Councilman’s son? Such a shame. But I assure you, your thumbprint will be on that datapad in the next minute. Otherwise...”
“Otherwise,” said mother, “you’ll end our lives. And you’ll do it quicker than a general order.”
When mother said the last two words, a noise sounded above them. The four guards drew their pistols, but it was too late. Blue mist suddenly enveloped their dining room, and the four guards collapsed to the floor.
“Dav, run!” mother yelled, reaching for the datapad.
“Stay where you are!” Yelled Narb, pulling a small pistol from the folds of his robe and pointing it at.
Mother, now holding Narb’s datapad in her hand, threw it at the pudgy man’s face. He yelled and flinched as it struck his temple.
Dav ran.
“Mot, quick!” Dav yelled, running for the door. When he reached it, though, it wouldn’t open- did it not recognize him? He hit the panel again and again. He’d never heard of this happening to anyone! Doors always opened for their owners!
No time for that! He ran back, passing his mother and Narb in the dining room.
“Mot!” he yelled, using the term of endearment he’d had for her since he was a youngling. She’d – what?
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Mother was wrestling Narb for his pistol! Narb was smaller than Father, and pudgy besides, but he was still a challenge for Mother. Dav started towards them, planning to help her. “No, Dav, she said when she saw him out of the corner of her eye. “get to the transport! Drive it yourself if you have to!”
Dav didn’t listen. For the first time in a long time, Dav disobeyed his mother and ran at Narb, hoping to help her take his pistol.
He was less than a foot away when Narb did something, some little trick with his hands that not only broke his mother’s hold on his pistol, but enabled him to sweep his arm across her neck from behind.
“Back away, BACK AWAY!” Narb roared. He kept an eye on Dav while looking around fearfully, as if an enemy might spring out from behind a wall any second. He now stood behind mother with his left arm around her neck, his right hand holding the pistol to her head.
Dav raised his hands and stepped back. “Alright, alright, Narb! Councilman Narb, alright! Alright! It’s fine, it’s fine!”
Dav realized that shouting over Narb’s voice wasn’t going to help, and he began dropping the volume of his voice as he took steps back.
“Dav, Dav run! Run away! Leave me! I’m giving you a...”
“Shut your mouth, Li!” Narb yelled again, the cone of hair on his head bobbing as he screamed. “Now, just...just give me a second...a minute...”
Dav swallowed and waited, his mind racing. How could he talk Narb into putting the gun down and leaving their home? Blast the soundproofing in the walls! He’d grown up in this spacious apartment, and had never heard a word from the people on any side. If only police droids would burst in and save the day, like they did on the holovid shows Dav liked to watch so much.
But no droid burst in with guns drawn. Instead, a very long minute passed while Mother looked back and forth and closed her eyes, breathing heavily in an effort to control her panic.
“You...you, Dav. You learned under Sportsmaster Tavin?”