Soap, Soup and Salvation (Commenor Rebel Operation)

[Setzi Lunelle]

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Location: In space above Commenor​

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The growing season on Nadiem proved to be fruitful.

“What are we going to do with all of this food?” complained Setzi to Adder with a smile. It wasn’t a terrible problem to have, but the Dawnracer’s had already given what they could to food banks across the planet, and it still appeared the piles and crates of of surplus were going to spoil.

With a mischievous grin, tucking into pancakes with Ever's berries over breakfast one morning, she said, “I have an idea.”

Despite the promises to each other, Setzi finally convinced Adder that they needed to haul the plentiful bounty across to one of the planets which needed it the most.

Commenor.

And it wouldn’t hurt to smuggle in some arms and medicine while they were at it.

Like a stingray, The Pirate’s Foe skimmed near to the Sith Blockade.

“I’ve had a lot of luck with changing the transponder on The Foe. Hopefully this works. It now reads "IFB, Intergalactic Food Bank."

As both elite and proletariat Commenori gathered on the ruined grounds of Munto City for a day of remembrance, Setzi Lunelle and [member="Adder Dawnracer"] had timed their activities to happen on the same day. Hopefully the dignitaries and Sith Overseers, [member="Draxan Vazda"] and [member="Darth Interitus"], would be distracted enough by guarding [member="Lady Kay"] that their rebel operation would go off without a hitch.

 

[Adder Dawnracer]

"Sounds reasonable," he said, shifting in his seat. "Depends on how close the Imperial's are watching. They're notoriously untrustworthy of things not their own."

Cane rested between weathered hands, tapping against a meticulously clean boot that had a sheen to it like most military wished they could achieve. In this particular case it was caused by voidstone dust imbedded in the material. The same shine could be seen in the functional suit he wore as well. Ever had insisted on it due to the nature of the location to which they were traveling. His daughter took protection from Force effects very seriously and even went so far as to continue wearing her gaiter around Setzi. Hopefully she would grow out of that in time.

This wasn't the riskiest of endeavours though there had been a lot of protest from the other members of the council and from Ever. Nobody wanted him flying off into danger, and normally they wouldn't have had to worry about it. Setzi could be very persuasive, however. Defensive, too. Regardless it did make sense that he go as a politician with a recognizable name coming from relatively neutral ground. No love for the Sith Empire, certainly, but they hadn't ever been aggressive towards them either. There was little risk with Setzi around, and it wasn't as if he wasn't armed. Leaving home without at least a holdout was stupid.

"You should let me talk since I am actually connected to the food bank, though. At least on the ground and to anyone official looking. Never know who is in league with the Empire."

Such dreadful nonsense. Blockading a peaceful planet and holding its rightful ruler against her will. A travesty. There was no honor amongst Sith, however, so it made sense. All the more reason to be bringing in food with other things hidden inside. The Former Republic States would do what the supposed good guys would not: help those who needed it.

"I must say you are an exceptional pilot and I feel much better about this with you here."

[member="Setzi Lunelle"] [member="Lady Kay"] [member="Draxan Vazda"] [member="Darth Interitus"]

 

[Tobias Dracks]

[Deleted]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

The tap of Adder’s cane drew Setzi’s attention. While she’d gotten used to it, as opposed to the past farmer she’d known so long ago with no injuries or handicaps, she fretted internally that she was putting him in harm’s way.

Of course he can take care of himself, Setz. He’s Adder! Strong, wise, and even for his age, virile and thriving. It’s okay to worry, she mused. But maybe she was worrying a little for herself as well. It had been too long since she’d aspired to complete such a risky operation.

“Works for me. I’ll be liable to get feisty and overstep my boundaries.” Her unpredictable emotions - which one could argue were normal for a human - kept her from joining the Order again. “Maybe this will be good practice for me to remain calm under stress.”

As the Pirate’s Foe lurched slowly up to the Official Sith/Commenor Custom’s Station, Setzi felt her heart beating in her ears.

“Thanks,” she said to the compliment. She threw Adder a lopsided grin. “[member="Coren Starchaser"] taught me all I know about being a space jockey."

[member="Adder Dawnracer"] [member="Lady Kay"] [member="Draxan Vazda"] [member="Darth Interitus"]

 

[Adder Dawnracer]

"Not sure I know who that is," Adder said, his eyes focused on the docking station.

Probably a good thing since Starchaser was loosely associated with the Republic. Regardless, it was time for the show to begin. Being as he had made a name for himself in denouncing the Republic, and hadn't made any public displays of support or disdain for any particular government, there shouldn't be any issue with him presenting food. The food bank was a real thing and he was on its known donor's list, too. Legitimacy was often the best way to avoid unwanted attention from certain types of people. Chiefly Sith.

They were going to be checked, of course. It was anticipated. The vast majority of the containers of food were really just full of food. Only a select few had hidden weapons caches. They were specially designed to conceal the weapons signatures, of course. And if the crates were open, their grains would be the first thing the inspector saw, the weapons hidden deep at the bottom where they couldn't be reached without emptying the grain completely. It was unlikely an investigator would go through the trouble.

He stood once they were docked, using his cane for support as he made his way back. Of course there was a momentary stop to tussle Setzi's hair affectionately.

"Time to go talk."

The hatch opened smoothly and they were greeted with the sight of the inspection team.

"Greetings. I am Adder Dawnracer, donor of the Intergalactic Food Bank. We have a load of grains and lentils for the people of Commenor. You are welcome to inspect and here are my donor credentials."

The data pad he had on him was held out from his unoccupied hand. Legitimacy was key. Hopefully Setzi wouldn't get found out for what she was so they wouldn't have a situation on their hands, but there were contingencies for that. Having plans for the failure of plans was just good business.

[member="Setzi Lunelle"] [member="Lady Kay"] [member="Draxan Vazda"] [member="Darth Interitus"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Unbeknown to Setzi and Adder, political meanderings within Commenor’s dictatorship began taking more labyrinthine turns than a path through the Chilloon Rift. Oh they’d tried. Before the food run, the former Jedi attempted to get intelligence beyond the Treaty, but aside from a few public names she could not locate who exactly was running the government. But again, bureaucracy was Adder’s domain. Ruminating on all of the political machinations just made her head hurt.

His hand through her hair caused her to break free of her thoughts and smile up at him. Setzi had already discussed an escape plan if negotiations broke down right then and there. The Pirate’s Foe had modular components which could be sealed off if the Sith customs officials happened to find the contraband. “Cargo is in the first node, but the escape pods are in the second. If we get in danger, I’ve timed the distance from when I could active the second node to be sealed off from the first and third. We have fifteen seconds to get to the pods before that node is completely impenetrable. At least to normal weaponry.”

Oh fripp! His cane. Frippin hell! I hadn’t factored that into the fifteen seconds. She did not voice this aloud. They would figure out a way to make it to the second node no matter what. Even if Setzi had to sacrifice herself so Adder could get away.

But the time was now. Focus.

The former Jedi hid her Force signature in case they had someone stationed at customs to hunt Jedi - unlikely but no chances would be taken. The brunette tried to look as official and deferential to those who boarded and began examining node one with their cargo.

[member="Adder Dawnracer"]

 

[Adder Dawnracer]

They poked around, of course. Any good inspector would do so. They were good inspectors. They actually opened the lid of every single one of the cargo containers and felt around inside to see if they felt anything out of the ordinary. Thanks to the unique design, they didn't. There wasn't a shred of discomfort on the grizzled politician as the men worked. He simply leaned on his cane and watched, biding his time and making every effort to seem like an absolutely normal businessman doing a good deed. It wasn't that hard to do given that he was a businessman doing a good deed. Just the good deed didn't particularly apply to the Empire. Undoubtedly they would disagree on the nature of their mission.

"Alright, looks fine. You can proceed to the planet and offload. You have two days maximum on the surface and then you need to leave."

"Understood," Adder said, offering the man a nod. "Thank you for your service."

If there was any way to put an Imperial at ease about intentions it was to acknowledge them as being servants of the galaxy. Truthfully this was not the case, but their twisted sense of perspective was grafted into their brains by the individual they served. The Emperor of the Sith was a powerful individual, but he was also afraid, and so everyone had to be sold, thoroughly, the lie of the reason for their service. There were always those who wanted to serve, but their number was far fewer than those who were, essentially, tricked into doing so.

Once the inspection team had vacated the ship, Adder sealed it up again and held up a finger to have Setzi wait for a moment. The lapel he wore wasn't just for decoration, and as he tapped it, a jamming device activated that was localized to him. There was a high chance that the inspectors had planted a bug. While everything had seemed genuine, a good inspector would take no risks, and was always on the lookout for a way to earn a promotion. What better way than to catch some very clever smugglers? Once he was satisfied that the device was actually functioning, he moved closer to where Setzi stood and gave her a kiss on the cheek before putting his lips near her ear.

"Assume they bugged us and talk as such," he whispered to her before pulling away. "Well, shall we head down to the planet and deliver the food to those who need it? I think we've been delayed long enough."

[member="Setzi Lunelle"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

The tension within Setzi’s body dissipated as the The Pirate’s Foe lived up to its name. Built to evade just this type of scrutiny, the sheer engineering of the Mobquet Transport was not to be underestimated. Setzi tried not to look overly smug at the sight of the customs officers leaving, and whether the two of them looked like lovers or just father and daughter, the pair completely fit the mold of generous galaxy benefactors - Dawnracer with his grandfatherly cane, and Setzi with her soulful blue eyes.

The Imperials on the surface showed had shown no fear, but like the Emperor, Adder was right. Everyone had their weakness. Even fear of nothing could be considered a liability at times.

“Mmmmm,” was the noise she made at the warm kiss. Then she nodded once to him with a tilt of the head that could mean anything given they were being monitored.

Setzi settled into the pilot’s seat and guided the Foe down to a landing pad, near the University of Commenor where a makeshift shelter had been set up for the sufferers of war - the displaced, the infirm, orphans and members of the population who had been drastically affected by the incursion in one way or another and just could not seem to piece their lives back together. Some never had it together in the first place.

Food would come first, and once the politician and his companion found who they could trust, the more contraband supplies could be removed from the transport.

Once down the boarding ramp, the planet breeze rustling her long brown locks, Setzi asked, “Surely, we’re not bugged as well. I know the Imperials are sophisticated, but I hope we can speak freely out here without some kind of technology tracking us."

[member="Einon"] [member="Adder Dawnracer"]

 

[Adder Dawnracer]

Down to the planet the ship did fly. The landing was as smooth as silk. Despite the Imperial blockade, appearances were necessary. These Imperials waged a continuous, antagonistic PR war against the Jedi, which wasn't hard to do with some of the actions the Jedi had taken, but they also portrayed themselves as though they were the Galactic Empire anew. Of course most people knew the truth, that these Sith were nothing like the Empire of old, but there were always the gullible few. Adder was not among their number. No, he would much rather deal with the First Order than a Sith. Even the Ren had more civility to them. At least they had a real purpose that they held to and they actually meant. It was all a facade with the Sith.

Cane tapped against deck as they exited the ship. Sure enough there were plenty of people in need. The Sith wouldn't show that to the mass populace of the galaxy, but they all knew it was true. So first the grains and lentils. He singled out which ones should be offloaded first, making sure any of them laced with weapons came off last. Of course there were also the weapons hidden in the ship as well. A rebellion had to be supplied and it took brave people to smuggle weapons to those that needed them. The problem was, he didn't know who to give the weapons too.

"I would be impressed if they bugged us," he said since they were off the ship. "I need your insight in this. Can't just trust my gut."

He glanced over to her briefly. There wasn't anyone aside from Ever and Setzi that could be trusted with a mission like the one they were on. There was little doubt that he was in good hands. The people grabbing grains and lentils, though, were making a real mess of things. Cane thwacked one crate and then another as he made an effort to slow people down. They were spilling everywhere, which meant there was less for other people. Annoying, but understandable. Most of them probably hadn't eaten much of anything in a long time. Somehow they were going to have to get more food in.

"Slow down and don't spill, folks. You need to help each other, not create waste."

He sighed and moved closer to Setzi.

"See anyone watching us?"

[member="Einon"] [member="Setzi Lunelle"]

 

[Doyle]

There was someone watching both @Setzie Lunelle and [member="Adder Dawnracer"] . It was Einon. He stood nearby, arms folded across his chest with the University at his back. It was all going perfectly.

Were the people of Commenor war torn and starving? Far from it actually. The planet hadn't been plundered at all of it's resources. Instead the Sith just took up residence. Martial law was about the only thing that dampened the spirits of the Commenori. That and the Sith were very strict.

So what about this display of starvation and eager mouths and grasping fingers? They were all actors; some of the University's finest. It was all for show to get more aid brought in, but also to gain support from the outsiders.

Einon stepped forward then, dropping his arms to his sides as he walked. He was dressed like any ordinary citizen, much in the same way that he did in his former tenure as Head of Security. It was always better for his job if he blended into the background.

Today was different, however.

He looked to the vessel that the two had arrived on and then to the man and woman themselves. "Grains, lentils, all fine for grazing. Got anything a little more satisfying?" Einon decided to choose his words carefully. This was a public space, afterall. And he had no idea who these two people were.

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Were they themselves bugged? The question did need to be answered before they went much further with this operation. Setzi didn’t like to use mechu-deru due to its closeness with the Dark Side of the Force. Then again, she’d never been a perfect Jedi.

So closing her eyes for a moment to concentrate, she used her invisible power to scan the area of electronics, quickly ruling out their own bodies as targets for them.

“We’re good, Adder. There is definitely a bug on the ship which we should just leave there for the time being. If we tried to disable it, I think that would raise alarms.” Setzi stopped whispering and patted his chest.

The former Jedi watched, and while she was far from uncovering the “crisis actor” quality of the display, she’d been in war torn situations before, and there was a civility to the proceedings. Her first thought was that the Commenor citizens were worse off than she'd thought.

“Why yes!” she said more than a little exuberantly to the man who approached. “Are you in charge of the shelter? In the crates marked with a red X, there is dried bantha meat and other type of protein from across the galaxy. We didn’t raise that on our farm, but it was donated and is in perfect shape for consumption.”

Now began the delicate dance around the contraband on the ship and just exactly who to trust in handing them over. Could this bearded Commenori man be trusted?

[member="Einon"] [member="Adder Dawnracer"]

 

[Adder Dawnracer]

Naturally. They were good, but they weren't dealing with fools. His intuition and her skills lead them to uncover the truth, and he was glad for the scrambler he was wearing. It would keep anyone from getting a good signal, and if they were asked he would say it was interference from the surgical implant in his hip. There was some metal and such in there for repair work, but no surgical device. Still, he could spin things if he needed to. But he wasn't going to need to because he had Setzi and with her, they could handle almost anything. There was little reason to fret.

Minus the people. He had never been to a combat zone before, but this didn't seem like such. It didn't seem like anything to him except people desperate for food, but he had little experience with such. Politics he had experience with. Farming he had experience with. Selling food and donating food, sure. But situations where people were desperate for food he didn't know well. So all he saw was what he had expected to see.

Until the man approached and Setzi initiated the game. He expected her intuition to trump his, but she hadn't sold anything yet. It was just the feeler stage.

"It's very good stuff if you need protein. High quality," he said, nodding his head.

Leaning on his cane made him seem both trustworthy and as if he had no reason not to be trusted. Not that he had done anything untrustworthy. Unless this was an Imperial plant, which was why they were playing the game in the first place. It would be very easy for someone to impersonate a citizen, or to be a bought off citizen. Not everyone was loyal to their government as much as leaders liked to think they were. Caution was important in this situation.

[member="Einon"] [member="Setzi Lunelle"]

 

[Doyle]

"I'm not in charge of anything noteworthy. Just an average citizen that's used to more meat on the plate. Dried Bantha, you say?
We're used to getting it fresh. However prices have gone up since the...change in government. So beggers can't be choosers, am I right?"

While Einon was speaking, he was sizing both [member="Setzi Lunelle"] and [member="Adder Dawnracer"] up. The actors were still playing their part and would continue to do so until he gave the signal.

He walked over to one of the crates marked with a red X and opened it. Removing some of the wrappings, he spotted the bantha meat. Einon picked up a piece and took a bite. "Not bad. Whereabouts are you two from? Did the government send for your aid?" Yes, he spoke with his mouth full, chewing all the while the words left him. There answers would tell him much about their motives.

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Setzi glanced once at Adder and then walked closer to the man in charge of the supplies. She also pulled out a piece of dried Bantha meat, eating it in solidarity as if to say, “see not so bad.” And although the taste was a little too tangy and salty, she was sure that none would go to waste.

Though the pair had discussed using fake names or false identities, the brunette made a split decision to reveal her real self. While Setzi Lunelle was not a notorious name in any circles, perhaps it should be. This sin of pride kept her from being a pious Jedi, but that didn’t mean she had to hide behind robes and secret missions.

Might be fun to taunt the Sith a little bit.

“My name is Setzi Lunelle. And no, the government didn’t send for us. We’ve been following the plight of the Commenori for a little while and contacted the IFB to see how we could help. I’m personally affiliated with AgriCorps, which is an arm of the Jedi Order. Much of the supplies are straight from our farm.”

She adjusted the scarf around her neck with a nervous shuffle of her fingers. “What’s your name?”

Would Adder be angry at her for changing up the plan? That remained to be seen.


[member="Einon"] [member="Adder Dawnracer"]

 

[Adder Dawnracer]

He chose to let Setzi talk for the moment. There seemed to be some sort of plan formed in her mind for how the conversation between them should go, so he figured he would let her go. There was a lot of trust between them, and she was close to this man's age which probably would make him more comfortable in dealing with them. Adder had no reason to step in, save for when they question their origin and identity came in. No sense in hiding it since he had given his name during the inspection.

"Setzi is correct. We are just here to help," he said, leaning firmly on his cane. "I'm Adder Dawnracer if the Former Republic States. I have a large farm on Nadiem. Setzi assists there."

Little details. The FRS had made no political alliances or drawn any truly public lines with the other governments in the galaxy, except the now New Republic which was just like the old one. The FRS considered them to be corrupt like their predecessor and since they had been abandoned by them, chose not to allow their personnel to return without renunciation of their ties with said government. So far few had made that choice.

The man was curious, asking a lot of questions, but there still wasn't any indication of his intentions. Sure it was nice and public, their location, but the longer he stalled the more reason they would have to suspect that he was an Imperial agent and not a protector of the people. That was how Adder viewed it, anyway.

[member="Setzi Lunelle"] [member="Einon"]

 

[Doyle]

Spoiler

Sorry for the delay.
Life and OOC got in the way!

...And now I've resorted to rhyming...

Einon finished chewing and swallowed the portion now, slightly regretting it as the salt had made him thirsty. What could he do though? It was his own fault. Still, he had wanted to try it.

He watched as [member="Setzi Lunelle"] had a piece herself. She seemed a little nervous as she spoke. Einon just studied her without much of an expression at all. It was either as though he didn't notice or could care less. But he noticed.

He looked to [member="Adder Dawnracer"] next as he introduced himself. Both seemed to be honest. Good. Einon sent a signal to the actors to start getting a little more vocal. And they started to do so with singing, loud talking and everything but fighting. Causing a ruckus would only catch the wrong kind of attention.

Once he was confident that he wouldn't be overheard so easily, Einon spoke up to the two. "I'm Einon, former Head of Security for the Queen. Now I'm...looking to secure our freedom.
Do you think that you could bring in more than just food? The blockade isn't so easy to bypass..."