Private An Interruption

[Kai Bamarri]

<I want to progress,> he said firmly.

<I learned telepathy, of course, and telekinesis… You know, the basics. I know Art of Movement, Tutaminis, and lightning. Anything involving the control of different forms of energy seems to come pretty easily to me. I can control the weather too.> He shrugged. <But when it comes to lightsabers, I only ever really learned Form One, Shii-Cho.>

Talking about his skills seemed to relax some of the tension that had been building in him. It was an easier topic to discuss, certainly.

But then Val asked him if he had any other questions. Kai shook his head. <Not really. I’m just… glad that you’re giving me a chance.>

For a moment it seemed like Kai might start to cry, though it was a passing feeling. He rubbed the back of his neck, then hurried after Val like a puppy dog.

Iris Arani Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Coruscant Temple

The firm statement got Valery to smirk, as it was exactly the kind of determination that she wanted to see in her Padawans. No matter how difficult they could be, no matter how many mistakes they would make along the way, as long as they were committed, she felt confident she could train them to be Jedi Knights.

"Well, I was once a Lightsaber Instructor, so it should be no problem to teach you more about it. I'll cover some other defensive techniques with you as well, and there's a trip I'd like to make with you soon, to Voss." She intentionally didn't say much more about it, as it would take away from the possible excitement, but it was a journey she had once taken with Iris.

One she believed would benefit Kai as well.

<Not really. I'm just… glad that you're giving me a chance.>

She paused in the hallway and looked at him for a moment, before an almost motherly smile touched her lips, "Of course, I believe in you, Kai. We'll make a lot of progress but first... we have a mission to complete."

Iris Arani | Kai Bamarri ​

 

[Kai Bamarri]

Voss? Kai had never been there, but he had heard of it. The native Voss people had their own unique culture and Force traditions.

There would be time to think about it later, maybe even do a little research. Right now there was the mission to Xa Fel.

Upon reaching the hangar bay, Kai helped Val unload the crates from the trolley, then stormed up the shuttle loading ramp. Spotting Iris, he ran up to her and hugged her so tightly he lifted her feet from the floor.

<We’re going on an adventure!> he informed her, smiling widely. In his excitement, there was something of the old Kai that lit up his features. He was ready one time.

Iris Arani Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Coruscant Temple

She wasn't sure what happened after Kai sprinted into the shuttle, but she could hear his excitement echo throughout. It was quite a change from the way he had looked at her when the two of them entered the meditation chambers, so it already felt like some progress was made today. Of course, this mission was very serious, so a lot of things could still change, but Valery was hopeful that together with these two Padawans, everything would work out in the end.

"Iris, did you get everything ready? Coordinates set?" Valery hardly needed to ask, as flying was something Iris had always been quite confident in, but it helped to run checks.

"The supplies are in the cargo room, so whenever you're ready, bring us there. The rebels are currently hiding in the ruins of an old warehouse that stored components for the drive yards. We won't be able to land right at their doorstep, but close enough."

Iris Arani | Kai Bamarri ​

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris was finishing the last of the set up. Coordinates in, ship diagnostics finished. Everything was ready to roll. She blinked in surprise though as Kai sprang up and hugged her. She did her best to not see them in the colors and give them some privacy. At least she could, on one hand. The other? Surprise. A lot of surprise. She was all blinks as she was lifted to the point it took a second for her to even respond.

"That's- Yeah. This time without us crashing, I hope."

She smiled warmly, glancing him over. Glancing the colors over. Yeah. This was good. A quick thumbs up was flashed to their master as she took a seat and got the ship up and going. Right, mission. Time to go.

Valery Noble | Kai Bamarri

 

[Kai Bamarri]

It wasn’t so much the adventure that had Kai going starry-eyed, of course. He never thought he’d get to this point. Yet here he was, with a master.

Don’t celebrate yet, a tiny voice warned him. This is just a trial run. Master Noble could change her mind. Just like what happened with Master Yenna ...

Sensing Val’s eyes upon him, Kai quickly and carefully set Iris down. Despite the dour turn his thoughts had taken, he beamed back at her and took a seat, ready for takeoff.

Iris Arani Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Coruscant Temple

With Iris at the helm, Valery didn't even bother going through extensive checks — they had been in these positions countless times before, and her Padawan had developed the trust she needed to be the sole pilot. With time, Kai would also be trusted to handle often overlooked but important parts of a mission on his own.

"Our contact there is Caedest Purrat, a retired Alliance marine who has been leading the resistance forces. Once we land, we'll unload supplies and he's going to brief us on their upcoming strike. I don't know any details yet, as we decided to keep those off comms channels in case the enemy was listening in at any point."

She briefly glanced between the two of them, "What I do know is that it'll get tense, so stay focused and work together." Luckily they had some chemistry already, even if it had been strained at times. But during these types of assignments, Valery felt confident they'd be just fine.

Soon enough, the shuttle would drop from hyperspace, and in orbit of the planet, the destroyed dockyards were still very much visible. Some reconstruction had taken place, and parts of it were being used again, but it could no longer produce at a fraction of its former capacity.

"The warehouse is on the south tip of the larger continent. Any questions or concerns before we go down there?" she asked, while Iris was likely going to bring them into the atmosphere any second now.

Iris Arani | Kai Bamarri ​

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris nodded once. Firmly. Mission time. Well, mission with Kai and Valery time. The awkward stiffness in her shoulders was all too visible to them all. She didn't want to mess this up. For Kai. For herself. She wasn't going to get any more scars. She refused to get any more scars.

Once the dock was in sight she immediately started the landing sequence and shook her head. No questions, she just wanted to get this done right.

Kai Bamarri | Valery Noble

 

[Kai Bamarri]

Over the course of the journey to Xa Fel, Kai grew more buoyant. The kid might as well have been floating on a cloud, he was so happy to be there.

He knew seriousness would have to take over soon; he needed his wits about him for the mission. But until they reached their destination, he was content to enjoy this new state of being.

As they plunged into realspace and the partially rebuilt dockyards came into view, Val asked if they had any questions. Iris didn’t respond. Kai couldn’t think of anything, so he replied, <Nope. Let’s do this.>

Iris Arani Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Coruscant Temple

No questions meant go-time.

With a steady descent, the shuttle pierced through the atmosphere and proceeded to its destination. Through a combination of scramblers and other disruptive technologies, they weren't discovered or tracked, allowing them to land fairly close to the rebel hideout, which was located deep within the urban environment of Xa Fel. The moment they touched down, Valery brought up her vambrace and tapped something on the integrated computer.

"I've sent them a signal, so they know we're coming. Let's get moving."

Through what felt like alleyways, the three Jedi slowly and carefully moved towards the entry point. Above them, the skies were filled with Maw ships and a dark aura lingered everywhere - the result of not only the Sith who are present but also the terrible acts committed against the people here.

When they finally reached the door, a camera seemed to scan them for a moment, before they were recognized as Jedi and allowed entrance. Stepping inside, they immediately found themselves surrounded by heavily armed rebels, while others were busy moving crates and supplies for their upcoming raid.

"Ah, our Jedi friends!" A raspy voice called out. Caedest Purrat stepped forward and offered them all a handshake, "I've sent some of my people to pick up the supplies; thank you. Are you three ready to join us for our mission?"

"We are but we'd like to first know more about it," Valery said after she was the last to shake his hand. "What can you tell us about this mission?"

"With three Jedi joining us, it'll be easy." He said, clearly confident about the statement, "As I'm sure you three know, the Maw practically gave up Empress Teta for a tactical retreat. They're looking to rebuild and hold back the Alliance somewhere in the core they can sustain. We suspect Xa Fel could be one of those planets because of its drive yards."

"Our plan is to infiltrate a shuttle dock not far from here, and smuggle a payload onto some of their ships. They'll arrive at the dockyards and we detonate them," he explained with a big grin, likely because he could already picture the explosion in his mind. "Our plan B is to blow up the shuttle docks instead, as it'll slow them down as well."

Iris Arani | Kai Bamarri ​

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris shifted her gaze around, watching through the colors as she did. Just watching the people. Studying, quietly. Her brow knitted together. Rebels. They were hardened folks. Their colors were already dark. The Padawan stayed beside her master, narrowing her eyes only briefly as the plan was laid out. That was a lot of destruction, with the back up only being more. On the off chance of the Maw using this world.

"Is there anything credible about the Maw being there?"

Valery Noble | Kai Bamarri

 

[Kai Bamarri]

Shedding his NJO uniform, Kai donned civilian clothing and followed Val and Iris to the hideout. The red streetlights cast strange shadows over the hollows of his tired eyes and sunken cheeks, accentuating his exhausted, emaciated appearance. He looked like a war orphan struggling to survive on the streets of an occupied world.

Upon arriving at the meeting spot, the rebels surrounded them. They were instantly recognized as Jedi, however, with the rebel leader greeting them warmly.

From there they launched into a description of the plan. It involved smuggling bombs onto ships that would then be detonated at the dockyards. Good, Kai thought to himself. No risk of civilian casualties.

Like everybody else, he loved a good rebellion, but sometimes these insurrectionist groups could get a little out of hand.

Then Iris asked a question which astonished Kai.

<Iris,> he began, keeping his telepathy to her head. <My dear sweet friend Iris. The Maw is already here. They’re occupying this planet. Didn’t you see the Maw ships in the sky?>

She was probably distracted by all the pretty colors. Kai was used to her not paying much attention, but he couldn’t keep the grin off his face at this particular blunder.

Iris Arani Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Location: Coruscant Temple

In response to Iris' question, Caedest just blinked and stared at her for a moment, but he decided to answer it anyway to address one specific angle of the situation, "The Maw has full control of the planet, so they're everywhere, but what we're not 100% sure about is if Xa Fel will become a stronghold from where they will try to halt the Alliance's liberation campaign."

"Other planets have resistance groups like this as well, so we're all doing what we can to make it as difficult as possible to set up proper defenses. Today's mission is a small step to keep Xa Fel from becoming an impenetrable fortress."

Valery nodded and looked at the two Padawans for a moment before she added a question, "Is there any chance civilians can be caught in the explosion?"

"The dockyards are restricted to Maw personnel only, but we've never been able to get someone up there, so there is a chance people have been forced to work there against their will. A small chance, but a risk nonetheless."

Iris Arani Kai Bamarri ​

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris just took a breath and closed her eyes. Right. Maw world. At least Valery was better asking the question she meant to ask. Civilians.

"You should let us check it out. See if there are people stuck there. It'll be a good distraction anyway, having some Jedi strike at them as if it's a rescue mission. Then you can plant your bombs."

Valery Noble | Kai Bamarri

 

[Kai Bamarri]

Kai's buoyed spirits abruptly deflated as Caedest revealed that there might, in fact, be civilians aboard the ships. His smile dropped, replaced by a furrowed brow.

<I agree with Iris,> he said, though the rebel leader likely couldn’t hear his telepathy. <We should try to save them. Although, if doing that would warn the Maw that something was about to happen…>

Iris Arani Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Xa Fel
Tag | Iris Arani Kai Bamarri

This time, Valery didn't respond to Caedest's answer and instead turned her eyes to her Padawans, who both had very similar opinions on the matter. She agreed as well, so she turned back to their contact and just listened.

"Check it out?" Caedest asked Iris, clearly surprised by the proposal. "This isn't some low-security facility, we're talking about a part of the dockyards. No part of the plan involved going up there. We attach bombs to the shuttles and let them be carried up there. What you're proposing is suicide."

He then looked at Kai and clung to the last part of the boy's sentence, "We would definitely be warning them, and giving them time. We wouldn't only have to get up there and plant the bombs while you three try to secure civilians who probably aren't even there... but also get back down before triggering the bombs, which gives them time to find them."

"We'd be risking everything on the one percent chance there's someone up there who isn't a Mawite."

​

 

[Iris Arani]

"A one percent chance that someone's there, someone who might not be able to just run without help, is a chance no one should be willing to take." Iris kept her gaze on Caedest this time. Determined.

"I can tell if people are there, if we get close enough. Innocent people. We don't have to land, just get close enough. If we do so quietly, I can make sure there isn't anyone and that one becomes none. No chance of us being caught. No chance for the Maw to know there are bombs. If there are people, we figure that out then."

Valery Noble | Kai Bamarri

 

[Kai Bamarri]

Kai was even more dismayed as Caedest shot down their suggestions. Iris’ stubbornness was well-meaning, but Kai doubted she really could sense the difference between Mawites and innocent civilians.

“It sounds like it’s either destroy the dockyards regardless of who dies, or destroy the dockyards but make sure that there are no casualties on either side,” Kai pointed out, talking out loud for the sake of the rebel leader. He was soft-spoken, and his voice was raspy with disuse. “Iris, I know how your color-sight works. You see people’s emotions, not which side they’re on. Unless you provoke them in some way, their emotions will be mostly the same. I don’t see any way to do that without alerting everyone else to our presence.”

He stroked his chin thoughtfully. “We could make them think there’s a gas leak or something. That way they would have to evacuate. Then we detonate the bombs.”

Iris Arani Valery Noble​

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris knew full well the limitations of her ability. What she was hoping to find were the obvious civilians. Obvious fear that wasn't that of a raider. No, there was no certainty she'd even find someone on the ship, but at least this way they could try. And she didn't see another way to even check.

So she just stared at Kai and frowned. .. Well, at least his idea was better.

Kai Bamarri | Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Outfit | Weapon | Appearance

Outfit | XoXo
Location | Xa Fel
Tag | Iris Arani Kai Bamarri

After listening to the back-and-forth of the two Padawans, Valery nodded and finally turned to Caedest to speak up, "I agree with them, we can't take the risk, nor should you want to. Your rebellion relies on support from the people, so accepting their lives as potential collateral damage will only work against you."

Caedest sighed and looked at Kai and Iris for a moment, "Fine, but it will be a lot riskier. We need to somehow fake a gas leak or issue on the station that causes complete evacuation, rather than just isolation of one part. Then at the same time, we also need to get those bombs to the shuttle."

Valery hummed and decided to chime in, "If you three focus on infiltrating the shuttle docks to plant bombs, I could handle the station evacuation. Getting into places I'm not supposed to be was once my job," she said before glancing at the two Padawans, who would then by extension be left to handle part of the mission without her.

"What do you two think?"

​