About The Base

[Kenth Typho]

Hyperspace
[member="Taheera Sollo"]

The ship shuddered again as it ran through hyperspace.

It was a cheap crappy thing, barely got any worth out of it, but that was the cover they were going for, so there wasn't much to do about it. Sure, SIS could have requisitioned them something that didn't leak at the seams in their bedrooms- hell, they could have thrown something at them that had a bedroom, instead of forcing them to sleep in the kitchen.

The Order had assigned a padawan to him. Tahiro Soolo or something, truth to be hold Locke wasn't too sure about her.

All green and big-eyed and full of wonder.

They were there to rescue a gorram politician from a Sith cultist. What a Padawan had to offer with that was anyone's guess, but if there was one thing Intelligence was good at? It was bucking at political pressure.

"We almost there, Hero." Locke shouted over his shoulder from the cockpit. Presumably she was still rummaging around somewhere.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Elliot Locke"]

She couldn't quite quantify this Elliot Locke but it was the first time she became wary of these Alliance missions and assignments. It wasn't that she had anything against him per say. It was more like the empath could sense his feelings toward herself.

He'd get over it.

She sat cross-legged in the small cargo-hold. Classic meditating stance, when his voice trickled down to her. She knew. She knew about their approach. Vjun's darkness was palpable, heavy and slick, and just a little too familiar.

Myrtle-ellipses snapped open and legs that had grown too stiff from no movement uncurled. She made her way to the cockpit and quietly slipped into the co-pilot's seat, shoving up wayward strands of chestnut hair from her eyes. She was just glad he could fly because her piloting skills were severely lacking.

Bringing a bag onto her lap, she rummaged inside and pulled out one of the Alliance issued-uniforms for this mission. Cultist uniforms. Wanna-be recruits.

"How's your brainwashed sith cultist act coming along? Hope your skin isn't allergic to these uniforms. The last think I need is you breaking out into hives."

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

It was the feeling of being observed even when she was in another room.

Like he was being probed from a distance. Part of Elly wondered if he was imagining it, but the paranoid (and realistic!) part knew what the Jedi were capable of. This was what made him distrust them and her specifically. These people... using powers beyond the reach of the regular joe and dragging the entire Galaxy into a conflict it cared nothing about.

Lightside, darkside, it was all the same damn thing.

"I once spend a month rolling in the mud of Kashyyyk, was caught behind enemy lines when the Republic retreated. My skin managed to get through that, it will probably manage this." Elly snorted. "Then again, Command supplies us with the worst possible crap, so don't get surprised if you get the urge to itch everything."

"I hear you Jedi got some kind of mystical presence thing going on that allows you to identify each other. You got that under wraps for this shindig?"

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Elliot Locke"]

She paused as he said Kashyyyk. She'd been there against the war with the sith. There were probably many conflicts there and this Ellliot guy looked older than she was. She doubted it was the same one. But that name always brought back...difficult memories.

Made her miss [member="Jaxton Ravos"] all the more.

She pulled out one of the uniforms, checking the size. Definitely his. She draped it over the chair, then took out the other. "Yeah. Don't worry about it." They seemed to both be worried about how the other would mess up. That wasn't good. They needed to trust each other in order for this mission to be a success. The problem was, they'd just met. These kinds of missions didn't allow too much room to get all the warm and fuzzies in.

"How'd you come to be with the Alliance?" Voice was tentative, quiet. Might help if they got to know each other just a little and she'd start with his story.

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

"Got tired of seeing the regular people get karked over in your endless conflict." He replied frankly. Wasn't too unkind though, no inherent malice in the words. Mostly because Sollo was still a kid, the hell did she know about the destructive ways the Sith and Jedi conducted themselves in, in the name of their cause?

Not much, if he saw it right.

So blaming her was just a fool's errand, but she did ask a question and Elly wasn't gonna sugarcoat it. If she was old enough to hold a saber and cut people in half like a soldier, then she could hear the truth.

"Decided to step up and play my part. Keep people honest, keep the civilians in the minds of every walking heroic god out there."

He flipped a few switches, increased the output of the inertial dampeners, so they wouldn't be thrown around like ragdolls the moment they exited hyperspace.

"What about you?"

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Elliot Locke"]

She buckled on the crash webbing. Jaw ticked slightly as he shot blame around. She wasn't so naive. She knew the history between the jedi and sith. Had experienced herself. Seen too much war for her age - for any age.

"And you're calling me hero?" She shot him a sideways glance. "Maybe that's a good nickname for yourself."

She referred back to earlier.

"Very noble of you, Mister Locke. I joined because," she paused, eyes catching the warning that they were able to exit hyperspace. Hands tightened slightly on the armrests. "I also wanted to play my part. Not on the front lines, though, they always needed more people there but as a healer. I too recognize the costs of warring....gods as you say. I was at the Jedi Academy but due to an event that happened at an outpost where I was stationed healing and some lack of resources with the Academy, I sought out the Alliance."

Vague but enough.

"So here I am."

Healers were rare. Healers that defended themselves and fought back were even rarer. She would do her part. And she would do everything she could to protect Locke on this mission - just like she did with anyone she was partnered with. Even Val.

Self-sacrifice was her fatal character flaw.

 

[Kenth Typho]

Jaded indignation was his.

"I don't know you, Sollo." A shrug followed. "But you seem alright for now."

The ship reversed from hyperspace only a moment after and cut off any possible further remarks on her story. Took one to know one to see vagueness flowing out of a story, but he wasn't the one to judge. Command wouldn't have assigned her to him, if she was a liability to the mission and that was all that really mattered in the moment.

After the mission? Well, they'd see what happened then, hell, if there was an after to begin with.

"Alright, I am gonna go change, we will meet back up after. Get your story straight- I doubt they gonna harass us too much on the hairy details, but you never know."

Left the cockpit immediately after, back to his room and changing for the blackened, ash burlap dress that these Jedi and Sith alike preferred. Wasn't too sure why, the crap was scratchy and all the wrong bits were hanging free and in the air. A man's business wasn't supposed to be hanging free like that, that was for sure.

About five minutes later, he passed Sollo's cabin. Ticked on the door as he walked to the cockpit. Clearing the atmosphere would hopefully not be a huge issue; Vjun had crappy weather, but acid rain wasn't gonna shortcut their systems.

"You about ready there?"

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Elliot Locke"]

"Almost....ready!" She called, as she finished shimmying into the robe. It was scratchy. And bulky and a bit airy. At least it had a scratchy cowl to go with the rest of its scratchy self. No wonder why these people turned fanatical. This outfit would make anyone crazy.

Door swished open suddenly and she stepped out, bumping into Elliot's chest.

Chestnut strands of hair were sticking up in odd places from her earlier battle with the robe. An 'oomph' escaped her throat as she went to quickly step back from the soldier. "Sorry," she stammered. Throat cleared. "Ready to go."

 

[Kenth Typho]

Helped that she was a stick of a lass.

Also helped that he spend the last month or so getting his teeth kicked in by buffed up half-cyborgs in an illegal fighting circle. The things Elly went through in the line of duty were annoying at best. Point was, it would have been like walking into a gorram wall, but without the advantage of the wall not being able to comment on how silly you look like.

Elly's comment came by the way of a look.

The look.

"S'allgood, hero." not a capital hero this time around. "Strap yourself in in the cargo bay, gonna be less bumpy than the hyperspace reversal in this can box, but it's gonna be karked regardless."

Didn't wait to hear a reply, the agent simply went his way. He did scratch his ass or the place where his ass was supposed to be, while walking.

Damn thing was scratchy as feth.

The cult was... well, it was reinvigorated with the decline of the Mando'ade and the Silvers being karking useless when it came to containing the Sith. They lost control over most of the Sith Worlds only about two months back, only managing to retain a slimmer of influence on Dromund Kaas... how that was gonna work out for them? Nobody knew.

Point was, the cultists were spreading as they saw the enemies of the Sith weakening.

Round and round the circle went.

---

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Elliot Locke"]

A single chestnut brow lofted as he sauntered off, scratching in all. She was a healer, she'd seen it all. This didn't phase her, just proved a growing stereotype. Lips twitched into a small smirk that Elliot wouldn't see.

"Strapped in," she called a few seconds later. Head rested back. Hands wrapped around the crash-webbing.

Uggh, flying.

A necessary evil.

She wanted her medical pack. And her lightsaber. Frex, even a blaster. The scratchy robe didn't make her feel naked, it was the lack of everything else familiar. Eyes closed. Reaching with the force, she masked her presence just before the hyperspace exit.

Please don't crash us, Mister Locke.

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Mister Locke was an exceptional pilot.

Well, that wasn't completely true, but he had spend a few months on Kashyyyk trapped behind enemy lines. It was there, while the Sith were hunting down dissidents and other crap, that some kind of secret society helped keep him safe. They weren't very talkative and his Wookiee wasn't all that good, but apparently they had been in the progress of evacuating.

Something about exceptionally valuable information... routes? Hyperlane routes, yeah, that was it. Getting them to safety and out of the hands of the Sith who might try some funny business with 'em.

Anyway, they managed to break through the blockade and get to safety, those Wookiee pilots taught him a thing or two, that was for sure.

"We going in, hero." The pilot murmured through the comms and then gently pushed the controls down, the nose of the ship followed suit soon. They broke atmosphere within minutes and then the shaking and stuttering began. It was to be expected, of course, crappy ship and even crappier artificial gravity, but all things considered the bird flew like a charm.

"You aight back there?" Elly asked, while his eyes were focused on the screen. They had been given coordinates by their contact back in 'Shaddaa, but it would still be a pain in the arse to find the place in the mountains.

--

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Elliot Locke"]

Yes. Artificial gravity on this ship was a load of bantha-poodoo.

She felt her butt leave the seat for a few beats. Chestnut strands of hair rose from her head. That itchy, black robe floated around and just as quickly, gravity took over. If she didn't have the crash webbing on, it would've been a lot harder fall.

A gasping, oomph, escaped her purple lips.

And the back was supposed to be a smoother ride?!

She shifted in her seat, wincing slightly. Good thing she was a frexing healer. "Yes, Mister Locke," she finally managed. Of course, she didn't like not seeing - not being in the cockpit and seeing the viewport. At least then you'd know the end was coming sooner.

"Please tell me you can find us a decent place to land."

If not, they'd have some hiking to do.

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

"You can find us a decent place to land." Elly mumbled absently, while steering the ship. "Sorry, Stumble, I am seeing a whole lot of mountains, one crappy scary mountain retreat and not a whole lot of parking space."

The fact that these jokers did not even have a landing platform confused the crap out of him.

But that wasn't the main issue, the main issue would be hiking in gorram acid rain to their retreat- ah, damn. They probably did this on purpose. Sith Cult, right? Probably venerated pain like the jokers they were. Probably thought it would be a good induction ritual to have their would-be cultists walk a few miles in the acid rain and feel the glory of pain itself.

Command hadn't said anything about this.

Kark.

"Stumble, we may have an issue here- we got a sith cult here, we got no landing pad and we got a few miles stretch in acid rain. They probably worship pain. Are you seeing where this is going?"

Sure, they could just find some armor or shields to avoid the burns, but how were they gonna explain that crap to them?

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Elliot Locke"]

It took her a minute to realize he was addressing her as 'Stumble.' A mixture of irritation and amusement flickered across her tattooed face. Hands fumbled with the restraints.

"I'm coming up."

Didn't quite have her ship legs on yet, so the Mirialan weaved like a bit of a drunk up to the cockpit. But she made it. Myrtle-ellipses narrowed at the bleak landscape. Hands gripped the back of the co-pilot's seat like a lifeline.

He was right. They had to hike. She could take the pain. She'd gotten a lightsaber to the gut and a knife to her kidneys. She nearly died a few times and actually died once.

"Then we have to do it. I can take the pain of you can. I can heal us...later. If we get out of this."

Finger pointed to a small valley with a large outcrop of rock that would act as a natural roof and some cover for the ship. "What about there?"

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

"Remind me to tell ya about the time I infiltrated an illegal shock-boxing ring." Another mumble. The ship was far too crappy to handle perfectly, so he had to keep his eyes on the metaphorical prize every two seconds or so.

Otherwise they'd crash and Stumble had already told him she didn't want to do that.

Nothing wrong with a good crash, though. If you knew your stuff, it could be better than a landing- didn't have to go through any protocols or wait until clearance was granted for you to get out. Just crash and go. Crash and go. But that wasn't an officially-sanctioned aerial maneuver, sadly, so he probably couldn't have done it either way. Even on the field they were covered in red tape, more often than not.

"Wasn't pleasant."

His attention went to the little alcove, yeah... that would work. They'd be able to set up a little retreat for the crappy possibility of having to retreat.

"Yeah, that works, nice catch." He started diverting power from the other systems, included artificial gravity. "Strap yourself in, we will have to go in hard and this metal can maneuvers like a piece of duracrete."

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Elliot Locke"]

"Shockboxing?" A chestnut-brow lofted. "One too many punches to the head, eh?" She offered a small smile and quickly slipped into the co-pilot's seat, strapping herself in.

She managed it all without letting up on her death grip somewhere. A hand on the neck of her seat. Then armrest. Then crash-webbing.

The last thing she needed was a knock to the head. Her muted force signature would slip and then...well, she'd be like an 'all you can eat' sign flashing in the middle of a an open expressway. And poor Mister Locke would be in the collateral zone.

The acid rain was already sliding down the viewport. Teeth grit. Knuckles whitened as she braced for impact. Of a normal landing.

Frex, she hated flying.

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

"Lighten up." Elly said with a grin, after noticing the death grips everywhere. It was clear the padawan wasn't a big fan of flying, by the look of the grimace tugging at her mouth. The frown deepening on her forehead. Basically, every single body language sign that could be displayed, was displayed.

"This gonna be fun."

Didn't give her the time to reply though. When he knew for certain that the lady was strapped down and in comparative safety, he transferred all remaining power to propulsion and thrusters, then yanked at the proverbial wheel. The little ship immediately took a nose dive and they started heading down.

With alarming speed.

In the middle of the mountains.

It was great, Elliot thought, while gliding through the air on the tune of, presumably, Sollo's cursing and shouting. He was one with the ship right now- or maybe the adrenaline was getting to him, but it felt like every little subtle manipulation got an effect. They nearly collided with the mountain wall, before he diverted to the left.

Right. Up. Down. Barrel roll to avoid debris. At some point Locke just didn't know anymore, until the journey had ended as quickly as it began with trajectory guiding them right underneath the rocky roof in the valley.

They landed.

Elly let go of the controls and a heavy sigh escaped his lips, before he started laughing.

"Feth, that was great." Only then, did he look to his side and the girl. "How you doing?"

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Elliot Locke"]

A green finger shot up in Mister Locke's direction. Crash webbing came off in record speed. She was hunched forward and her green cheeks were a bit greener and paler than usual. She heaved, then shot up to a standing position, running out of the cockpit, one hand over her mouth and the other clutching her stomach.

Itchy-robed self made it to the refresher where she promptly lost all her lunch. Door remained wide open, fingers gripped the cool steel of the sink.

"Uggh," she moaned, flicking on the water as she dipped her face beneath its steady stream. "Remind me to never eat before a landing with you again."

 

[Kenth Typho]

[member="Taheera Sollo"]

Locke was standing in the door opening, leaning against the doorpost actually, while calmly observing Sollo and her antics. There wasn't a grin on his face, but the amusement radiating from him wouldn't be lost on the padawan. For that matter the twinkle in his eyes, playing up when he was having his little fun inside.

"Heh." Finally then the chuckle after she flushed her mouth and chirped up again. "Didn't know command gave me a green air-girl."

"You must have pissed off someone somewhere to get attached to me then."

A shrug followed.

"Let me know when you are good to go, Stumbles, we still got a long track ahead of us." Turned around and through the corridor got to the little cargo bay of the freighter. He started rummaging through their supplies -- last minute check, to make sure everything was there that should be there.

Good thing he had strapped everything down prior to taking-off, woulda been a right mess then... well messier at least.

They had some little supplies, scanner that could take soil, air and water samples, two pamphlets which described the manifesto of this particular cult and some other bits and ends, that should make it easier for them to get through to the cult's retreat in the mountains.

 

[Taheera Sollo]

[member="Elliot Locke"]

She glared at Mister Locke beneath a curtain of chestnut-hair. "It's not funny," she moaned and finally uprighted herself, wiping her purple lips one last time. "I hate flying," she mumbled at his back. Grimacing, she took a step forward, then another. Though they were on solid ground, it still felt like they were moving.

Really hate flying.

Green-hand reached down and took one of the packs. "I'm good to go." She winced as her stomach gave one last grumble. She definitely wouldn't be eating any of their rations any time soon. "Let's go find this Senator Guerriro. Hopefully he won't be as squeamish as flying or you're gonna need some more sick bags." She offered a small smile.

Plucking out a comm device, she input the coordinates to the cult site and lifted the dark, scratchy hood of the robe to cover her head before stepping out into the light, acid drizzle.