Private A Desperate Escape

[Briana Sal-Soren]

As the darkness of the Maw spreads, so too does their reach extend throughout the Galaxy they hope to engulf.

Following an educational excavation to Jedha, the Jedi training cruiser, Prospero, containing the hope of the Jedi and several ancient artifacts, is intercepted and boarded by Mawite accolades, capturing the small group of younglings onboard and slaying the Masters attending them, but not before a distress signal could be sent out.

Alerted to this most dire and distressing situation, the Jedi Order dispatches the closest Jedi in the area to handle that which threatens the future itself and save the children of the Order.

Working together, The Sword of The Jedi, Jedi Knight Iris Arani, and Padawans Brandyn and Briana Sal-Soren manage to covertly board the ship through the aid of a brave youngling and their droid companion.

But before the Jedi are able to safely evacuate the children they find the ship has become unresponsive, put into lock down on suspicions of sedition within the ranks of the younglings who are moved into the cargo bay for questioning...

Spoiler: tags

Valery Noble , Iris Arani , Brandyn Sal-Soren

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[Iris Arani]

"Well, you're with me. Like old times, right?"

Iris cast a glance to Bri, giving a smile. A smirk? It'd been a little bit since they last worked together, especially with Iris now being a Knight outside of Valery's apprenticeship. She ticked her sabers on her hips, turned her gaze out the transparisteel to look over the vessel. Just floating there. She scanned through the colors, glancing from one to the next. They were all there.

They weren't alone.

"Be ready for a fight."

Valery Noble | Briana Sal-Soren | Brandyn Sal-Soren

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Prospero
Tag | Brandyn Sal-Soren Briana Sal-Soren Iris Arani

"It has been a while," Valery told Brandyn with a faint smirk when it became clear they'd be working together to reach the command deck and take control of the ship. She would have loved to spend more time catching up, rather than leaving it at this one comment, but the situation was dire, and with Mawites, she knew there was a significant risk that they'd kill the younglings if they felt they were being overwhelmed.

The two teams of Jedi couldn't just focus on their own objective — they had to coordinate it and hit both targets at the same time. With that in mind, Valery began to guide Brandyn through the ship and quickly turned to its maintenance shafts and tunnels. The advantage of this being an Alliance cruiser was that she had the entire layout downloaded into her vambrace's integrated computer.

She knew exactly where to go.

"Before we burst through, we have to make sure Briana and Iris are securing the younglings. We can't risk them using the kids as hostages or worse..." she frowned and began to climb up the metal ladder to get to higher decks.

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[Briana Sal-Soren]

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Wearing: XoXo
Equipment: Lightsaber
Location: Prospero
Tag: Iris Arani , Valery Noble , Brandyn Sal-Soren


"Well, you're with me. Like old times, right? Be ready for a fight.”

“You mean going on a potentially suicidal mission?” she asked with a tick of her brow. The odds of success were probably slim...but what loyal daughter of a Corellian had use for odds? Briana swallowed down her nerves. “Then yeah, I’d say it’s like old times.” a small, one-note laugh broke her otherwise somber mood, her hand sliding down to grip the hilt on her belt with a slight tip of her chin. “I’ll be ready.”

Or as ready as one could be.

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The rush of adrenaline had already started to course through her system, leaving Briana hyper aware of their surroundings as they moved through the ship with haste, trying to keep pace with Valery and Brandyn. They all had a part to play and they needed to work in unison if they hoped to succeed.

Under normal circumstances, and had they been enemies, they likely wouldn’t have gotten this far; not without the crew being alerted to their presence the minute they docked and putting up a fight.

From the looks of those who’d been killed and the scorch marks on the walls, it seemed they’d done exactly that. Unfortunately it hadn’t been enough, but with only a skeleton crew manning the vessel now, it made it easier for their team to slip through the cracks.

Elilah, the youngling Togruta whose spry wit and courage helped finagle that path for them, had been promptly escorted away with the rest of her peers, though she’d left them her mini T6-D4 astromech, Ticks, who was already working to perform the duties expected of him, providing them with the approximate number of Mawites in the cargo area and a 3D-map to help them avoid the more populated areas of the ship. Even younglings were capable of extraordinary things when the circumstances demanded it, Briana silently reflected.

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[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

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Wearing: Standard Jedi Robes
Equipment: Standard lightsaber
Location: Prospero
Tag: Briana Sal-Soren | Iris Arani | Valery Noble

"Well, you're with me. Like old times, right?"

Brandyn had been pretending to try to get a nap. It was one way to get Briana to stop lecturing him. His ears perked up when a friend/colleague entered their vicinity.

“You mean going on a potentially suicidal mission?”

"Wisdom, grace and poise, Briana....wisdom, grace and poise," Brandyn said, pushing up from his reclined position.

He turned to the new arrival. How well she and Briana knew each other was unknown, but he still had a half smile and lift of the eyebrows loaded and then fired. "Hey there...name's Brandyn. Sal-Soren. Hope my sister hasn't sullied our reputation too much."

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Some time later​

"It's been too long, Master," he said with a respectful bow, "thank you again for approving my assignment to the New Way investigation. I have learned much."

A smile, nearing on goofy, was offered in return for the smirk. Master Noble was still so damned...Master-Noble-ish.

He followed along, climbing the ladder after the Jedi Master, all the while mulling over the plan. "Right...the younglings are clearly the priority, but my job is to secure the Mawites main potential escape route, while you take care of the more close quarters combat near the younglings? Right?" It made sense not to give the Padawan the job that required precise movement of the saber blade. Guarding a door meant his less precise swings of the laser sword would not lead to as dangerous an outcome.

"Any last second advice on what to expect from these dark siders?"

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[Iris Arani]

Captured. Scared. Forced bravery.

Hate, annoyance. Cruelty.

The two opposing color swirls were all too clear to Iris. Here in space, they were never clearer. Her eyes stayed narrowed in focus as she and Briana sped through the halls, following the map the droid left. Domxite on her shoulder displayed the map clear as day for them to follow. Hacked into the systems to get some look in the cameras. The Maw hadn't sliced that yet.

Hopefully now with Domxite in the system they wouldn't.

<How good are you at stealth?> She wasn't about to speak out loud here, instead projecting her thoughts to Briana as she focused ahead.

<The quieter we can be, the better.>

Briana Sal-Soren | Valery Noble | Brandyn Sal-Soren

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Prospero
Tag | Brandyn Sal-Soren Briana Sal-Soren Iris Arani

"You'll have to get me caught up when we have the time... and aren't here," Valery said in response to his comment about the New Way investigations. He had been on that case for quite some time now, so she was curious to hear about what he learned. If there was something they could act on, even better. This wasn't the time and place though.

"I think the younglings will be just below on the lower decks and handled by Briana and Iris. If they did bring one up to the bridge as a hostage, I'll secure them, though," Valery said while she continued the climb up. "If you can secure the blast doors leading out of the bridge, I'll fight my way through. It's going to be quite a fight for us both."

At the question that followed from him, Valery briefly stopped and looked down. "Cruelty and irrational behavior. Depending on which tribe or subgroup we're fighting, they can be very chaotic and unpredictable, or as calculated and sinister as you expect from Sith."

The two were getting closer to the command deck, so Valery stopped talking and gently reached out to his mind instead. <We're popping out through the wall. There might be Mawites in the hallways, but let's try to avoid them until we reach the bridge. You ready?"

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[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

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Wearing: Standard Jedi Robes
Equipment: Standard lightsaber
Location: Prospero
Tag: Valery Noble Iris Arani Briana Sal-Soren


"Expect the unexpected," he whispered with a wry smile, "perfect."

It seemed that it would not be a simple stroll in the park. Brandyn rotated his stiff left shoulder, trying to work out a nervous knot.

Nodding an affirmative, Brandyn let his hand rest on his lightsaber, ready for any sudden need to draw the weapon.

<Let's get this party started.>

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[Briana Sal-Soren]

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Wearing: XoXo
Equipment: Lightsaber
Location: Prospero
Tag: Brandyn Sal-Soren , Iris Arani , Valery Noble


<Contrary to popular belief, I can be quiet when I need to be.> Came Briana's wry reply, and then a pause before she continued, moving carefully behind Iris, her hand hovering near the hilt of her blade, dispersing her doubts and strengthening her resolve as they neared the blast door to the cargo bay. Darkening passions and a mix of various sensations of fear and hope echoed throughout the Force.

It was strange to Briana that there weren't any patrols around this section of the ship as they neared the blast doors to the cargo hold, having made their way through their checkpoints without incident.

Perhaps they were short-handed, with only enough bodies at their disposal to man the flight deck and keep a hand on the younglings. Either way, it gave them an opportunity to slip by unnoticed. Briana inhaled a deep breath, eyes flickering over to Iris while Domixite worked to get the blast doors open. <Do we have an estimate of how many mawites might be in there with the younglings?>

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[Iris Arani]

<Don't I know it. I appreciate you being quiet, by the way. When you invite your uh, friends over.> Was she teasing? Yes. Absolutely yes. Iris had started down the path of teasing and now there was no turning back. Hell, she even flashed a grin towards Briana as they stopped outside the door. A smile that softened, just a little. <I'm sorry, by the way. For pushing you away like I did. You were right. Everyone needs help. I just.. Thought other people needed it more, y'know?>

There was a click on the door as Domxite opened it. Her smile faded completely as she slipped through, holding up her blades. Still unignited.

<Five. Around the Youngling's, three. Two on either door in. Once Domxite opens this next one, we take the guard quietly, together.> The final door started to open in front of them. As soon as it did, the Marauder blinked. Opened his mouth to say something, but Iris was already there. Foot coming up to catch him in the jaw and silence him completely.

Briana Sal-Soren | Valery Noble | Brandyn Sal-Soren

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Prospero
Tag | Brandyn Sal-Soren | Iris Arani Briana Sal-Soren

<Alright, here goes,> Valery said before she pushed open the panel and quickly moved out into the hallway. She could sense it was empty but the sound they made could alert others nearby, and life sign scanners existed as well. They'd either get lucky and reach their target without any problems along the way, or they'd have to fight for every inch of ground.

For once, it seemed as if they were lucky, as there weren't any enemy targets up ahead either. However, the reason became clear rather quickly — they had all withdrawn to the bridge to defend it together. It meant they had strength in numbers, but Valery still felt confident they could get through.

"I'm bringing down the blast doors, and I'll need you to engage the first line of their defenses. I'll push to the far back of the bridge first to make sure they aren't holding anybody hostage." She paused a moment and offered a soft smile. "Ready?" She'd wait for his response and the second he was, she'd begin a countdown.

"3...2...1, now!" She tapped against the metal doors with her hand and tapped into the Force to channel its strength against the weaknesses of the material. Large cracks formed almost instantly, and the massive doors crumbled into tiny fragments. It was likely that those inside had been waiting for the Jedi to slowly open the doors, but surely this would be surprising enough to give Brandyn a chance to break inside and get up close.

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[Brandyn Sal-Soren]

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Wearing: Standard Jedi Robes
Equipment: Standard lightsaber
Location: Prospero
Tag: Valery Noble Valery Noble Iris Arani Iris Arani Briana Sal-Soren Briana Sal-Soren


The moment Valery hit 1 on the countdown, Brandyn started running towards the door. Should Valery not accomplish her feat of disintegrating the door, he would soon be laid flat on his back. Half a step away from the door, the metal began to fragment and as he impacted the metal it flew around him, cutting small but mostly insignificant little cuts across his exposed skin. The face was the most sensitive, but he did not have time to consider the irritation that he would have to live with as it healed over the next few days.

To the Mawites on the otherside of the door, it appeared as if Brandyn had just ran through the door, and his impact against it had been enough to destroy the door around him. They paused a moment. Just long enough for Brandyn's green blade to ignite and slice down the closest two opponents. They fell with a halted gurgle to the floor. The others now acted quickly.

Blaster fire peppered Brandyn's general tragectory, before the young Padawan slid to a stop and began deflecting the shots that strayed to close to his person. From his left, a Mawite charged him with a large purposely jagged hunk of metal shaped roughly like a sword. Brandyn stepped back slightly and to the right, deflecting a blaster shot with his blade. The sword wielding, tattooed Mawite was hit in the shoulder, seeing him crumple to the ground in pain.

With attention well and truly garnered, Brandyn planted his feet in the middle of the doorway, their only real exit. His blade fell into a smooth rhythm of Niman strokes, deflecting blaster shots and warding off the occasional bladed attack.

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