Private The Long Road

[Laira Darkhold]

“Ren, of course. Probably a bunch of them scattered after their boss went nuts. Could be a loyalist or a fringe one.” Leo said with a little snark mixed into his tone. To him, the Order of Ren as a whole made little sense, especially since they had ventured away from their original calling. He could at least respect their original ideology, similar to the one he had been raised with during the Empire’s more indulgent times. Be a weapon. Be a survivor. It was at least simple and self-preserving.

Laira arched an eyebrow at the man with the dark mane before turning her attention back to the group. “Any Ren is going to be able to sense a group of this many Force Sensitives, even if we were all stealth adepts.” She said, aiming the comment towards Elpsis. While the Sith Empire and the Confederacy had a large number of Force-Sensitives, most others were not. If this Ren was involved with the local warlords, they’d have knowledge of the arrival of a decent group of Force-Sensitives. Laira let her will decrease and began working on obscuring her presence in the Force, widening it until it faded into the background around her. An old trick a Solo Jedi had learned ages ago that must have gotten stuck in the family tree.

Saeza looked around the group, listening to the instructions dolled out by Lieutenant Kerrigan-Alcori and nodding her head, her pointed ears twitching slightly as she heard the woodlands around them.

Quiet, but the sounds of the forest did exist around them.

<Laira, we should be careful. Where there is one, there is usually another.>

The redhead nodded her head at the thoughts projected into her mind, but didn’t respond. Laira wasn’t as skilled at melding and telepathy as the Yuuzhan Vong Jedi, and so usually relied on Saeza being able to read her thoughts in order to communicate in that manner. For now, she was keeping her mind under wraps, making sure not to let any dirty ideas escape from the reservoir of her mind. “Lieutenant, you may want to take Leo along with your meeting. Might be best for most of us to crash at a cantina and wait on the command group. Might hear something, plus it won’t make all of us pass through an FO checkpoint.”

Elpsis Kerrigan

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

L Laira Darkhold

"We're not," Elpsis said laconically. Zhaleh, Sienn and Rhea had varying degrees of talent at masking their Force presence. Nyssa's ability to do so was nonexistent and Elpsis' was lackluster at best. This was ironic since her birth mother had been a master of all things stealth, but Elpsis had never gotten around to learning it.

And now Coryth Elaris was dead. Elpsis clamped down on the feeling. She had barely gotten to know her mother. The guilt nagged at her. You did not appreciate her like you should have. All she could do was try and honour her now. At least I didn't bring my armour. It would have been a lot more protective than the simple combat suit she was wearing now, but it would have also been a beacon for Force-Users.

"Go for it. Firsties don't like aliens unless they're in cages," Vagt grunted after Laira had brought up her suggestion.
"I'm not afraid of a Ren. We can handle them just fine," Sano opined.
"It's not about whether we can handle a Ren in a duel, Private," Elpsis said sternly, "but about whether we show our hand too soon and draw attention to us."
"Our intelligence says it is a small cell. I do not trust it. It may be a trap. Lieutenant." There was a pause before Diona mentioned Elpsis' rank. "We are not on Tephrike, but the Dominion would often leave bases unguarded to lure in its enemies."
"I...agree," Rhea added after a moment, as if the idea of agreeing with the Inquisitor tasted acidic on her tongue. "Be watchful. You can never know who might be an Imperial informant." This might have partly been a jab at the ex-Imperial in the team.

"We can speculate or we can find out the truth. Operate under the assumption that there's more to it than some Firsties terrorising villagers," Elpsis glanced at Leo. "You're with me. Corporal Rhea, Sienn, you have your task. Diona...go with them. Rest of you, find out what you can at the cantina."
"There's bound to informants or First Order minions congregating there. Their guard will be lowered if they are inebriated. I could try and read their minds," Nuroch suggested.
"Be discreet about it. Nyssa, you're in charge till I get back."
"Finally," the Pureblood piped up. Elpsis gave her a look. "Have fun sweet-talking the bureaucrats, I'll make sure the maggots don't wander off and get honey-trapped or so drunk they have worse aim than Stormtroopers."

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Laira nodded in acknowledgement, but didn’t really need to be told. Just looking around she could tell they weren’t all exercising the utmost caution in hiding their presences. Even she had been focused on detection rather than stealth when they first arrived, and the addition of a hostile Force-User did make things more complicated.

<What was the saying, RESINT resents how intelligent they are?>

Laira smirked, glancing at Saeza as she received the telepathic message. <They are great at blowing crap up, finding crap to blow up, and data-purges. Intelligence gathering is something they do through the ashes.> She thought, letting the words rise to the forefront of her mind for Saeza to pick up through their meld. The girl had heard Leo say it a hundred times, almost whenever they got a data-packet from RESINT.

With Elpsis peeling off with Leo, Laira and Saeza fell into line around the Pureblood posing as a Mandalorian. If only they had a replica Darksaber her outfit would be perfect, but alas. At this point, with the Ren there was no point in all of them hiding their ability to channel the Force. It would raise suspicions, but if they tried to hide it too much, the Ren would know they weren’t just mercenaries here looking for work. No reason for grand displays or openly toting lightsabers, but also no reason not to do a few parlor tricks.

<I told Leo to be careful for you.> The words popped into her mind. <I’ll stay in touch with him.> A thanks rose in Laira’s mind, grateful that Saeza was good enough with melding that she could form the center and keep in touch with Leo while Laira and the ex-Imperial slowly built a bond.

The town was small, hardly a building over three stories. Even what passed for a central hub didn’t loom over the township like First Order fortresses liked, assuming it could pass for a Fortress. Other than the main road, nothing was paved, just dirt and mud worn down with frequent passages. Weeds had sprouted in nooks and crannies from lack of care or lawn control. The redhead almost swore her mind could hear an old desert whistle as the groups made their way into town. Stormtroopers in dirty armor stood at the entrance of the town, guarding the main road, but from their posture they were tired and nonchalant, a far cry from the First Order at its height with legions willing to decimate themselves on the whims of their masters. Laira registered that most of them weren’t using the top of the line tech either, having had to replace their gear with newer styles available on the open market. That would be beneficial when it came to trying to monitor their communications, and for Nuroch reading minds since they wouldn’t have as widespread usage of Force Masks.

The groups split up shortly after passing through, and though the Stormtroopers waved a sensor over each of them as they entered, none of them seemed to be interested in the process. Nyssa took the group towards a dusty cantina complete with flashing neon signs of a twi’lek dancer in various poses where a few Stormtroopers with their helmets off had entered not long before they walked up to the entrance. It seemed to be a seedier establishment, one the FO in their day would never have allowed to exist so openly, yet there it was. The door to the backroom was dimly lit and guarded by an aging IG-100 that was missing an arm and a short, fat man with a disruptor on his hip letting people he recognized past.

Elpsis Kerrigan

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

L Laira Darkhold

Though groups like the First Order and the Sith Empire did their best to completely demolish the individuality of their soldiers and turn them into faceless automatons, Stormtroopers were still people. Unless they had been lobotomised, which was a silly thing to do since it just produced substandard automatons that lacked the ingenuity of organics, but also the tirelessness of droids.

Even the most brainwashed army lost its coherence and discipline when the empire they served fell apart and they stopped receiving their brainwashing drugs. Thus the Stormtroopers standing sentinel were a sorry lot. Their armour was old and stained, and their posture was casual or plain indifferent. Their usually uniform gear was an eclectic mix of First Order equipment and less high-tech weapons stolen or bought on the market.

Still, even a wounded, old Nexu could have a sharp bite and the team was outnumbered. A dusty old cantina loomed ahead of them. The lighting was dim, and the air was filled with the smell of stale beer and smoke. Nyssa was certain she had seen better dancers. A couple Stormtroopers had congregated together. Their helmets were off and a dancing girl was giving them a show. Music droned out of a jukebox.

Sano gagged and held her nose at the stark smell. "Breathe in," Celaena chided her sharply, grabbing her hand. "See how people outside your nice villa live. A battlefield stinks even more. Or a mass grave."
"Leave her," Vagt stated. "And you get used to the scent. Or people will look at us funny."

Needless to say a group of armed, racially diverse individuals aroused some attention. One patron whistled and declared. "Look, it's the amazon brigade." Did myths about Amazons exist in this universe? Never mind.
"Mandalorian, huh?" the barkeeper scrutinised Nyssa, who spied a scattergun beneath the counter. "You're far from home. Heard y'all got wiped by ol' Carni."
"Just the stupid, weak ones who followed a needy child," Nyssa retorted.
"Then welcome to our humble sinpit. Where all the detritus that Nar Shaddaa won't take ends up. Don't start trouble. We don't even bother with a Keldabe kiss, we go straight for a blaster. Clear?"
"Don't worry on my account. I just end trouble when someone starts with me, and then they're no longer breathing. Some drinks for the crew and me if you would."
"You mercs?"
"Looking for work. You wouldn't happen to be able to point me to point me in the right direction?"
"Most of it is with the Order. Of course, they're very particular about who they let aboard, if you get my drift," the barkeeper gave some of the aliens a meaningful look.
Nyssa shrugged. "My boss has a way with words."

Meanwhile, some party members were attracting attention of a different nature. A thuggish looking individual appraised Zhaleh with a leecherous look. "Well, aren't you a pretty thing? Sit on down here and let uncle Drayen have a look at those lovely ears of yours. I'll make it worth your while, hun...," he drawled in what he was a witty manner.
"I do not find you enticing," Zhaleh replied in accented Basic. Some translations issues might be involved.
This caused some laughs, making the man look indignant. "Playing hard to get, huh? It's because all your males look like titless girls. Luckily for you, got a real man right here." Reaching out, he tried to grab her. The Qadiri intercepted, and amidst a cry of pain emanating from his throat, the sweet snap of his pinkie breaking. Forcing the finger down in a broken position, she kicked him in the groin. Ouch. When she let him go, his finger was turning black. "You queen!" he cursed furiously.

One of the ruffian's compatriots had emerged from behind Zhaleh. A vibroknife appeared in his hand. Then he felt the pressure of a pistol being jabbed into the back of his neck. "Sit down," Vagt's breath brushed against his ear. With his other hand, he grabbed the knife. Reluctantly, the thug backed away.

"See," Nyssa told the barkeep, "best of friends." With that she made her way to a table, beckoning the party to follow. "You hear anything?" Nyssa asked Nuroch in a low grunt.
"Surface thoughts," the Nautolan replied as he reached out with his senses. "Grumbling about pay, all the aliens, their officers. One is thinking about running off. Another is calculating a price for munitions he intends to steal."
"They're grumpy about their huge comedown. I can see that. Give me something useful."
Nuroch closed his eyes for a moment as he sat, then opened. "That one is different. Focused," he indicated a female Stormtrooper. "As is this one." This individual was dressed in civilian clothes. "Their minds are closed."

xxx

Meanwhile, Sienn, Diona and Rhea had been making their way further into the town. Their path was leading them to a fairly run-down housing block. Judging from the aroma, garbage collection was infrequent, to say the least. The signs were old and rusty. Here and there, grafitti had been sprayed on walls. "No guards," Rhea observed after scanning the area with a pair of binoculars.
"They know he dwelt here. They will have left traps," Diona remarked.
"I am aware," the Rattataki retorted more harshly than she intended. She is not the enemy...anymore, she reminded herself. But she rankles me. "Sienn, go first. We'll watch your back."
Surreptitiously the Twi'lek approached the door. Meanwhile, the other two covered her. Rather than immediately fish out her lockpick, she examined it cautiously. "Stun gas canister," she concluded. "Common anti-burglar trick. Stay back." Taking advantage of her dexterity, she snipped the wire. "Clear." Then she picked the lock. The door opened, and the three entered. Each of them carried a gun.

A foul aroma hit them as they stepped in. The appartment was cluttered and in disarray. They had only walked a short bit when Rhea raised her hand and brought a bony finger to her lips. "Stop." One section of the place was strangely open amidst the clutter that lay about. She pointed to the thick carpet that lay on the floor. Reaching into her backpack, she produced a light metal rod. "They share the Guard's taste in traps," she said quietly as she ran the rod ahead of them.

The thick carpet muffled Diona's boots. As her eyes wandered across the apartment, she was pulled back. No, there are no terrorists here, Inquisitor. No fugitives. We're loyal citizens. Please! a voice filled with terror and fear spoke. "Diona?" Rhea said sharply.
"Nothing," the former Inquisitor said quickly - implausibly. "Let's have a look around." The floor creaked beneath her boots. The bedroom was a mess. Indeed, it looked like it had been ransacked. Diona's eyes were drawn to a large bookcase. It seemed to take up the entire room. "Hey, that could be it," Rhea opined. "Hidden door?"
"To a trap. That's what they'd do," Diona said firmly. We have no weapons. I swear it, the voice said. "Step away from the carpet," she ordered, voice unusually authoritative. Rhea gave Diona a look, then stepped away. Bending down, Diona pulled it back. "The dust is disturbed," she remarked, indicating the edge. Her hands found a hatch.


xxx

With the spy group and the cantina group having went their separate ways, that left Leo and Elpsis. Rhea's parting words had remained with Elpsis. Strictly speaking, she did not mind Leo. He had proved himself on Tephrike and seemed an alright sort based on her limited interactions with him. She had not been the least upset about Stalgis dying.

"Time to chit-chat with the greyshirts," she muttered. She assumed he had his cover identity figured out in advance, so she did not ask. As a Death Trooper and Resistance operative, he would have done plenty of ops like this before. Besides, as lax as the Stormtroopers they had encountered when entering the town were, they still had ears and informants.

Stormtroopers waved them through after cursory scans as they entered the centre. The compound the Order had laid claim to was not hard to find. It was a far cry from the fortresses they had once erected to control their sprawling empire. Rather it looked like a repurposed civilian building. The colour on the propaganda posters was fading and even the Imperial flag looked worn and tattered.

Soldiers had taken up position behind sandboxes. Most were Stormtroopers, but others looked like native militia or auxiliaries. "Halt, state your name and business with the Order," a trooper accosted the pair as they approached. This one seemed a bit more alert than the rest.
"Alayne Grey," Elpsis replied, fishing out some ID. "Looking for work. I got an appointment."
The Stormtrooper took her ID and examined it. "You?" he asked Leo, then passed Elpsis' papers to another soldier who held some sort of scanning device. "Mercenary, huh? Your name's not on the register."
"Went through all the hoops. Administrator Tavira said the Order could use some hired guns."
"And you don't get through unless you're cleared. So why don't we sit down and work this out?"
"Perhaps we can expedite the process a bit. I don't wanna take you guys away from your jobs because of some bureaucratic error." And as if by magic, the Stormtrooper suddenly held a few credit chips.
"Lemme check again," he said, making a show out of looking at his datapad. "You're on the roster, who would've thought. Must have been a glitch. You will have to relinquish your weapons before you can proceed. They will be returned when you're done."

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Leo was well used to the song and dance of Imperial Bureaucracy, and this was no different. Greasing the right palms sped things up wonderfully, as it always had. Back in the heyday, the currency was political favor, now currency was the currency of the realm. He nodded to the order to relinquish his weaponry and began pulling pistols, knives, blades, and three grenades from his pouches and pockets in his vest. “Be careful with that one, it’s an A-Class.” he warned the trooper as the scarred man handed over a large thermal detonator he had kept attached to his belt.

He knew any soldier had already clocked him as an ex-military, and likely an ex-Imperial of sorts. Not uncommon for a soldier to get out and take up work as a merc. Even less uncommon for them to be attached to command as an NCO type in those independent outfits.

He was determined to stand slightly behind Elpsis in the at-ease pose and speak when spoken to. It would add to her authority to have someone with her showing her respect, and it didn’t hurt for him to sit here and observe. Saeza pinged in his mind <We have arrived at the Cantina, its like the one we visited on Ord Mantell but Imperial. Laira says the dancer's aren't very good.>

The man regarded the blind girl in front of him, wondering if she could do the same. Saeza had spent the better part of a month working around his thought training and he’d been allowing her to probe his thoughts during that time, but it was dangerous for an undercover to lift their guard for someone new. Especially with a Ren running around. Who knew if they were being monitored.

~

Laira smirked at the injured man long enough that he knew she was watching, but skipped right along behind the rest of the group as they found their table to listen to Nuroch. He was scanning thoughts, Saeza was scanning emotions, and she was there to be the bubbly one. Every crew had someone who was just randomly bubbly and personable, so it helped that Laira actually was like that. “Alright, I’ll avoid them, but I see a young officer in the corner booth that might be good to talk to.” The redhead said. The young man was maybe a year or so older than she was with a clean shaven face and dirty blonde hair long enough to be out of regs, and probably only barely remembered the First Order at its height. He likely never fought in a battle while the First Order was a threat, which meant he was green as gills, but he was bearing nice First Lieutenant insignias on his black First Order Security uniform.

“He was impressed by Zhaleh’s show.” Saeza said quietly.

“Well, good. So was I.” Laira smiled at the Qadiri, “Care to join me?” Silver eyes flickered a little bit at the thought of mischief to accomplish. It was clear Laira intended on a much nicer approach, maybe a few drinks she could power through using the Force to filter the alcohol from her stomach to loosen up the young officer. “He might know stuff he’s just not dwelling on right now.”

She waved at a droid that skirted over on a wheel, “Um, I’ll have a Jawa Juice mixed with a shot of Bloodsour, a shot of mango liqueur, orange juice with a slice of orange on the rim, and get my friend over there,” she gestured at the young officer, “one as well.” She tapped the table in front of Zhaleh, "What for you?" Now it was a wait and see how he responded. A fruity drink that didn’t taste like its alcohol content would be best for luring him into getting fuzzy enough to lower his guard.

Elpsis Kerrigan

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

L Laira Darkhold

Before Elpsis had hooked up with Firemane, she'd been a smuggler and itinerant gun for for hire. She had not been particularly good at it, but it had given her some idea of how to navigate situation like these. Then Leo proceeded to strip down. No, not that way. Instead he divested himself of the impressive arsenal of weapons he was carrying with him.

While one of the Stormtroopers was busy collecting and cataloguing the assembly of pistols, knives, explosives and so on and so forth that Leo had been carrying around with him, Elpsis removed her Cylix Bolt Pistol, her revolver, a knife and some grenades. For a moment she considered holding on to Inferno, but then she took out the concealed lightsabre. It was obvious to anyone who looked into her eyes that she was blind, and it was a logical assumption that she was not Force-Blind.

With that out of the way, they were let in. "Come with me," a Stormtrooper instructed them after saying some words into a comm. The compound's heavy, somewhat rusty durasteel door opened with a screech. Various propaganda posters hung on the wall. Elpsis could obviously not read anything on them, but Leo might find the contents amusing. Among other things, there was a bombastic image of the Knights of Ren and one could see heroic Stormtroopers - all of them human, of course - facing hordes of savage Ssi-Ruuvi.

Here and there, one could see scorch marks on the walls, which the posters were apparently supposed to hide. After passing several rooms, they came to a halt before an office. There a somewhat portly fellow in a grey uniform was sitting in a large chair and puffing on a cigarra. Fittingly, an old Audiobulb was playing a scratchy rendition of Twilight of the Gods.

"Administrator, the mercenaries you wanted to see," the Stormtrooper said and the bureaucrat waved him off. The soldier left and closed the door behind them.
"So you're the leader of the gang that's descended upon my town," he stated, while still chomping on his cigarra. Smoke rose into the air. "I hear many are aliens. Some of my colleagues would see that as reason enough to throw you out."
"Work done by an alien means a human doesn't have to risk himself. I figure the Order'd like that," Elpsis said simply and took a seat, though he had not gestured to the chair in front of his desk. "Name's Alayne Stone, Free Captain, and I'm looking for work. I hear the Order's hiring."
"And you're not the first sellsword to saunter into my office. We have a highly trained Stormtrooper Corps fiercely devoted to the ideals of the First Order."
"Nowhere near as many as you used to. No Ren either, it seems."
Sadly, he did not take the bait about the Ren. "Remember who you're speaking and where you are, 'Captain'."

"You want someone dead? Traitors? Deserters? Gimme and and mine a good price and we'll take care of the problem for you. Cleanly, efficiently. It's just a squad, but they're experienced. Some are Force adepts." Laira, Saeza, Rhea and Sienn could obfuscate their Force signature, but many in her team could not. It stood to reason that their true nature would be detected, so she might as well as let the womp rat out of the bag.
The bureaucrat leaned back, then pushed a button on his desk. "Antonia, fetch us some freshments, will you?" he ordered imperiously.

xxx

Zhaleh gave the young man in a black First Order Security uniform a look. Humans aged and developed at a faster pace than Qadiri, but she figured he was young even by the standards of his species. If he had been a Qadiri from her tribe, he would have learned the ways of the hunt from a more experienced huntress.

He did not look like he had left slaves to be asphyxiated in the cold void, unlike the First Order followers she and her commander had fought upon the lifeless rock floating in the void-ocean. But innocent eyes could be deceptive. She saw the logic in the human's approach though. They were in enemy territory and surrounded by predators large and small. It was best to bait a weak one.

She was pulled out of her musings when the scarlet-maned Yedi ordered beverages. It took her a moment to place the name, but then she remembered that Jawa Juice was a form of liquor.
"Why is it called Jawa Juice? It is not composed of Jawa blood," she wondered.
"It is made of bantha hide mashed with fermented grains," the droid waiter informed her in a dull monotone. "Your order?"
"Strange. I shall have orange," the Qadiri ice mage replied. "You should not partake too much," she added after the metal golem had left. It seemed she would be the straight woman to Laira's more gregarious persona.

It proceeded to take the orders of the rest of the crew. "Yarkul has better firewater," Shikoba remarked.
"You say that about everything," Sano pointed out.
"'Tis true about most things."
"Yet you left."
"It got dull. Furthermore..." the Vashyada trailed off when her gaze drifted to the door to the backroom. The aging IG droid stepped out of the way of a dark-haired woman wearing a hood and nondescript civilian clothes. "That's her. The woman who sold our man out."
"You certain?" Vagt asked in a low voice.
"Dead certain."
"Splendid. Watch her and tail her if she leaves. Vagt, go with him if she does," Nyssa ordered. She gave a dancer a look and shook her head. "Their drinks better not be as bad as their dancers," the Pureblood grumbled.
"Look at the glorious First Order. Reduced to terrorising villagers, recruiting green boys and hanging out in bad bars," Celaena muttered in Eldarai. Her tone was laced with disdain. She looked at the Stormtroopers and felt no pity for them. They all wore the armour of the men who had bombed her village and herded people into camps. "Don't let innocent blue eyes deceive you, little sister," she added to Zhaleh.

xxx

While Rhea and Diona stood guard, Sienn sliced the lock. "Pure Pazaak," she declared proudly when she was managed to override the system. On the surface, she had only discovered a storage with some tools, but it actually revealed a staircase. Unfortunately, it seemed Rhea and Diona did not get the reference, as both looked confounded. "It is a card game," Sienn explained a bit awkwardly.
"How does this relate to our present situation?" Diona asked puzzled.
"It's...a saying. Never mind, let's go down." The trio climbed down, taking care to avoid the stairs that creaked the loudest. Fortunately, it did not cave in beneath them. Down there it was dark, and none of the trio's members carried lightsabres, so they made do with glowrods.

A switch on the wall gave them some dim light, revealing a dirty room with a shelf with various folders on it, along with a computer and various holopics pinned to the wall. "See if you can crack the cogitator," Rhea ordered the Twi'lek as she had a look around.
"Slice the computer," Sienn corrected her.
"Your words for it, not mine." Galactic Basic was the lingua franca on Tephrike, but owing to its long isolation language had diverged a fair bit from what was the standard. Opening a folder, Rhea stumbled upon some papers. She illuminated them with a glowrod to get a better look, then frowned and quickly looked frustrated.
"What does it say?" Diona asked softly, coming over.
"Worthless gibberish," the Rattataki responded, putting it away. "Let's see what else there is."
"Then it is likely be important," Diona picked up the folder. She studied it, but was none the wiser. "The Inquisition would often encode important files. Using children's psalms was popular."
"Of course it always comes back to them. Did they also teach you how to translate these secret files?" Rhea demanded a bit belligerently.
"No, they had specialists. I was there for torture and to kill. But this man would not go to such lengths to hide something irrelevant."
A retort was on Rhea's tongue, but she cut off the impulse. "Fine, keep it," she turned to Sienn. "Any progress?"
"This will, uh, take a bit. The encryption's strong..."
As Sienn was about to continue, Rhea brought a finger to her lips. Taking the hint, the Twi'lek fell silent, and all three listened, stretching out with their senses. "Company," Rhea surmised.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Laira arched an eyebrow with a smirk, “Terrible thing, I can drink a few of these and churn them out of my system like a Zeltron. Makes getting hammered a bit expensive. But our new friend over there, he can’t.” Even if his tolerance was advanced a regular human wouldn’t be able to keep up with a Force-Sensitive filtering their intake. Laira was no Art of the Small master like so many others, especially Assassins, that could turn the alcohol to water. Instead she would have to focus on filtering out the toxin from her body.

Regardless, she could play drunk and ditzy well enough for a wide-eyed First Order operator. “Come on, let’s go see what he has to say.” The redhead stood once the droid delivered her drink to the First Order Security Officer, putting on a nice smile as she lead Zhaleh over to his table away from the enlisted FO in the cantina. “Hiya, I’m Jaina.” She said as she approached, brushing her hair behind her shoulder as she did. “This is my friend.”

“Braxton.” the young man responded, a little uncertain about the situation but maintaining his confidence. “Lieutenant First Grade.” He finished after clearing his throat, remembering that he had to use it while in uniform.

“Well, Braxton,” Laira hated military procedure and so she elected to ignore it. “I noticed you smirking over here when my friend was defending yourself from that, um, I guess brigand would be the right word.” The redhead smiled and looked at the empty seats in the booth across from him, “I figured you were our kind of person and saw you over here all lonely and decided to keep you company. If you don’t mind of course.”

“Um, I suppose.” He said, resituating his legs to make space for the two women approaching him. Up close, Laira could tell Braxton had been drinking just a simple cider and by the looks of it he had not finished his first drink. The beads of sweat from a cold bottle was already beginning to fade from it. She slid into the seat closest to the wall, stretching her legs out to put her boots in the seat beside Braxton. Once settled, she extended her drink to Braxton, encouraging him to pick up the glass the droid had served him and take a sip with her.

~

Saeza watched as Laira left her with the remaining Firemane mercenaries, sipping on water while the others commented about the state of the area and the First Order remnants they were amongst. For now there wasn’t much they could do but sit and observe, gather information. A chill crawled along her spine, but she shoved down the worry and concern from her mind and reinforced the Mind-meld she had formed between her two crewmates.

~

Leo watched the proceedings of refreshments and helped himself to a glass of wine. It was mid-shelf at best, kept in carved crystal containers that screamed top-shelf liquor. Likely the containers were left overs from a gift a superior had been given before the fall of the order or their territories and the booze was what a remnant bureaucrat could afford to have on hand.

His bright blue eyes took in information, especially those of papers and data slates left cluttered on the administrator’s desk. Most were boring, aside from a few wanted posters of local criminals.

Elpsis Kerrigan

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

L Laira Darkhold

A minion brought refreshments, and Elpsis helped herself to a drink. It was far from the best, but it would do. For a moment, part of her felt a pang of concern that it might be poisoned. But she had the Force to filter out toxins, and she liked to think she could read the bureaucrat well. "So tell me about what you have to offer. You are a Force-User, I take it," the administrator ordered as she poured herself a drink.

"I guess the white eyes are a give-away, huh? Started as a Jedi as a kid, dumped 'em. I don't like hypocrites in robes controlling me while they sip tea and have conclaves." Elpsis was not a trained covert operatives but it was her experience that when establishing a cover story, it was best to stick close to a distorted version of the truth.

"Give me an enemy soldier and I can cook him inside his armour or make him cover and scream for his mummy. My crew's a diverse bunch, but they're all battle-hardened and well-trained."
"So you say. It does look like an interesting crew, based on the reports, but words don't mean anything without something to back them up."
"I agree. You want a test? I'm game, long as I get paid for it."
"If you're as capable as you say, you'll be paid well. The Order remembers its friends...and its enemies. Most of our soldiers are loyal and the locals appreciate the peace and calm we have brought to this primitive backwater. But there are a few disturbers of the peace. These deserters and criminal rabble have hidden in the forest. They've become a bit of a nuisance."
Just a nuisance or more? Elpsis wondered, but held her tongue. She brought the glass to her lips and took a sip. "How large a group are we talkin'?"

xxx

"You three, check the rooms. You, go for the basement. If you see intruders, shoot first." The voices were muffled, but the walls were rather rickety. So the trio heard the goons make their entrance.

"The Imperials," Rhea whispered hatefully. "We can't let allow them to report back. We draw them in, then ambush them. I can cloak myself, so I shall follow them, then we strike," she declared.
"I wouldn't do that," Diona said quietly.
"And the Lt. put me in command," the Rattaki retorted sharply with a scowl. It came out angrier than she intended and she winced at her tone. But Elpsis had placed her trust in her. They were not in the Dominion anymore. Diona was here to atone, not command her.
"Which is why I'm giving you advice. Once their superiors do not hear from them, they will send a team to investigate and find the bodies. They'll ask questions. They can't know anyone was here." Not waiting for a response, the clone examined the wall, finding plaster and maybe wooden joists. "Easy to cut through."
"I'm in, but we don't have nearly enough time to sift through the data. I can format the hard drive," Sienn spoke up.

The thumping of boots was growing closer. Rhea suppressed a sigh. "Do it." Reaching into her backpack, she produced a detpack. Looking at Diona, she reluctantly gave her a curt nod. "It will look like they triggered one of our friend's trap," she added as the human drew her glowing blade and started slicing.

xxx

What is a Zeltron? Zhaleh, being a more reserved person who also did not know Laira well, hoped the red-maned human would not get too into the game. Regardless, she picked up her glass and followed her. As she got up, she briefly wondered whether she should conceal her pointed ears. But then she reasoned he had probably seen tham anyway if he'd watched her scene with the ruffian.

Red hair was not a thing among Qadiri, but apparently quite common among humans, if her exposure to various crimson-maned females in Firemane was any indication. It gave them a somewhat exotic look to the Qadiri ice mage. Strangely, she had yet to meet a human male with red hair. "Hello, my name is Zhaleh," she said a bit stiffly. Her Basic was decent, though she had a cute accent. "It is nice to make your acquaintance," she added after a moment.

Meanwhile, the woman who was supposedly a First Order informant left the cantina. "Wait a moment, then follow," Vagt said in a low voice to Nuroch before slipping out.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Laira once again encouraged Braxton to drink by raising her glass to his, this time she held her glass up for far longer than she drank but he drained the fruity beverage in short order while she still had some left. Already she began drawing the Force into her abdomen to combat the effects of the particularly strong beverage.

“It’s a lovely name.” The trooper said when Zhaleh introduced herself, “Yeah, I saw the incident. Sometimes the Whitetops get a little too big for their helmets and need to be reminded they aren’t in charge.” He smiled at the Qadiri, then at Laira. “I would have, but you seemed to have him handled.”

“Yes, I'm sure your eyes were certainly glued to the incident.” Laira responded with a smile, nudging her partner in crime in the hopes she would as well. Braxton had opened his mouth to retort the implication Laira had made, but was cut off. The redhead was working on the charm for a moment as she eased another drink into his hands, “Luckily we don’t need saving, but the thought is much appreciated.”

“What’s been going on in this town? Anything fun to do?” She asked after taking another sip from her drink.

“Not so much anymore. There had been some clubs, fight matches, and sometimes beast fights but they got shut down not long ago. A few of the aliens got rounded up when it happened, which must have been all the good dancers dirtside,” He smirked, letting out a chuckle as he glanced behind the girls to the dancer on the stage. “As for fun, sitting in a cantina and chatting with newcomers is the highlight of my week nowadays.”

~

Leo turned his head as he glanced at some readouts, eyes widening slightly. It was a relatively old code, not one the Empire liked using in print but he recognized it well enough to know the Warlord had passed down information to the Administrator to deal with. Now, he was being handed some of the hard data copies to purview and quietly inform Captain Stone of anything that stuck out to him while the Administrator went over the basics.

“They have an informant in town by the precision of their ops ma'am.” Luckily, while the Firemane group looked like mercenaries working for the First Order, but they weren’t in reality. It made dealing with deserters much easier, assuming they weren’t radicals or extremists. They had the potential to end the threat by simply asking nicely and get more information on the situation from former insiders.

Elpsis Kerrigan

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

L Laira Darkhold

You mean enslaved, Zhaleh thought cynically - or realistically? - when Braxton mentioned aliens being rounded up. It was strange. Back on her homeworld slavery had been the norm. It had not been practical in the icy wastes her tribe inhabited. So instead her people had implemented a form of weregild, whereby someone who had committed a wrong and was unable to compensate the victims was indentured to them for a certain period of time. Her people had often been the victims of Xioquo slave raids, but also taken some fugitives in. Sometimes they had sold captives to passing merchants.

The scarlet-maned human gave her a nudge. Zhaleh managed a thin smile. She was probably less good at laying on the charm, but hey, she was trying, and figured it would look strange if both of them played the same game. "You mention beasts. Are they from the forests? Is there any big game to hunt there?" she asked. She did not have to fake the eagerness. She had been raised a huntress. It had been a hard life, but she looked back at it fondly.

xxx

Elpsis was grateful to have Leo around to study the data. This was not only because he was a lot more familiar with Imperial codes and jargon than she was, but also because she would have been literally incapable of reading anything on the datapad screen. She gave him a curt nod. "Probably among smugglers and other low-life. It's what I'd do."
"Their leader is a known crook who sold Imperial equipment to criminal rabble, so that would not surprise me. Major Yularen of the FOSB is in charge of rooting out the scum," Administrator Tavira continued. Sadly, Elpsis was not well-versed in obscure ancient history to make a meta reference. "You'll answer to him. Carry out this mission, and it will be the start of a fruitful relationship."

xxx

The thump of boots grew louder and louder. Rhea had hidden the demolition charge beneath the trap door. Quickly, she joined Diona at the wall. Their imbued blades cut through the wooden supports. "Come on," Rhea urged Sienn.
"Sarge, my scaners are picking up on energy signatures," a voice, modulated by an electronic speaker and muffled due to the distance, said from above.
"Just a moment." The Twi'lek shut down the computer.
Swiftly, the trio departed through the very narrow exit. Luckily, the construction was rickety. Their enchanted blades had helped, and so they found themselves inside what appeared to be the basement of another apartment.

Two children had been playing. One shrieked when suddenly the flimsy wall gave way and three armed strangers appeared in it. "Who are you? Are you spies?" one of them asked, sounding equal parts afraid and excited.
Rhea stepped in. She waved her hand and the currents of the Force swirled around her. "You did not see anyone. The wall is old and not maintained. That is why it gave in."
The little boy's face went blank as the Rattataki wrapped the Force around it. "We did not see anyone. The wall's old. That's why it gave in," he said mechanically.
"You won't remember us." There was a part of Rhea that felt...bad. The Grand Inquisitor had violated her mind and turned her into his puppet. But this was different; this was necessary. She was protecting them. Swiftly, the three made their way out. Luckily, no one else was there to cross them when they emerged. Then there was a loud boom.

xxx

Tailing was, for the most part, a quite bland job. This was contrary to the way holomovies depicted it. Vagt did not try to stay directly behind the woman in the hoodie, as that would arouse suspicion. Instead he followed her closely enough to make sure he knew where she was headed. The town was a small one, which reduced the risk of losing the mark, but also made it more difficult to avert suspicion. Ideally, he would have been able to learn her pattern in advance, but the circumstances of the mission made this unfeasible. At least he had a pair of macrobinoculars. He followed his mark as the woman made her way through a market. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Nuroch. The boy was smart enough not to fall directly in line with him.

At this time of the day, the market was moderately busy. Various vendours were peddling their ware. The woman seemed to take a cursory interest in them. For appearance's sake, Vagt bought a sandwich. The sausage in it had to be a cheap ersatz good. Even the bread was probably made of potato starch. His attention was still on his mark, but then a Stormtrooper randomly stopped him and demanded to see some ID. Suppressing a curse, the Bothan allowed his papers to be checked. He saw the woman turn around for just the briefest of moments, then duck into an alleyway.

Spotted, he thought. As if sensing his thoughts, Nuroch showed up at his side. Realising that the armed goons were close, Vagt held up his sausage and said, "Don't buy this crap. Tastes like a mouthful of sawdust."
Catching on Nuroch responded, "It's not even real meat." However, his mind brushed against the Bothan's. Fortunately, Vagt had enough experience with telepaths not to feel disconcerted, though internally he grunted with annoyance. I can still feel her. Come.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Leo, being a walking metareference to the Galactic Alliance Guard 967 Commando would have to suffice for commentary on Imperialist regimes for the time being. He took the datapad and downloaded it to his wristlink, casting the data through the secure comlink to Saeza so she could relay it to the rest of the crew.

Most of it was meaningless, reports given by survivors from a raid, a few documents some Stormtroopers who had been responsible for protecting equipment that had been stolen by the deserters. They weren’t much for giving information, either they had not seen much in the commotion, or they had left out details so as not to land themselves in more trouble.

The most notable piece of information was a report regarding a cooperative investigation. On the data, much of it was redacted or erased, every reference to the individual had been replaced with <CoOp Inspector> or omitted entirely.

~

Braxton furrowed his brow for a moment, thinking, his eyes a little slow to react as he finished the next of the drinks Laira had passed him. “Um, yeah I think so. I know the champion was a Borhek sponsored by Merr-Sonn. I think there were a few locally caught roggworts that did well from time to time. Sucks the Ren closed the arena, but as far as I know he didn’t have the beasts killed.”

Laira’s ears perked up at the mention, off-handed as it was. She rubbed her boot against him gingerly before beginning her next line of questioning, feigning interest in the Force User, while making sure to keep physical contact with the young officer. “Oh, I’ve always been fascinated by Ren. I mean, I prefer men in uniforms for company, but I’ve been intrigued by the Ren's code and philosophy. Can you tell me anything about this one?”

Braxton glanced downward for a second before responding. “Just that he’s off. He feels weird to be around. Like he’s weighing his options on whether to kill you or not.” The young lieutenant shook his head and looked to Zhaleh, “You know, I could show you the beast pits. Maybe the three of us could go see if any of them are still locked up?”

Elpsis Kerrigan

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

L Laira Darkhold

"She will be going there..."
"Wait," Vagt interrupted in a low voice, holding Nuroch by the shoulder before the Nautolan could take off. "She's seen me, not you. I'll be decoy." In a louder voice he said, "hunger helps you push it down. Looks like it's gonna pour soon. Catch you later. We'll see about that job." With that he took off in a seemingly casual manner. He made a show of looking around and checking what was behind him, as he walked past the building Nuroch had indicated, ignoring the alley. He demonstratively checked the street he was in.

Meanwhile, Nuroch followed the woman. She was out of his sight, but he could still sense her. It was a matter of following the tendrils of the Force as he expanded his senses, though this took a lot of concentration. Indeed, sweat dripped down his brow. He soon noticed that Vagt had not been making idle small talk when he said it was going to rain, though he had exaggered a bit.

Muddy rain sluiced across walls and roof-tiles. Rain dripped down his tentacles. Passersbys caught without an umbrella or similar scattered. As an aquatic being, he did not mind getting wet. Passing dilapidated tenements, he saw the woman. She had tightened the hood around her head as she stepped through the door of the , but he could still pick up surface thoughts from her mind. This is getting out of hand. The warlord...Ren, he heard her think. There was an undercurrent of fear inside her.

xxx

Elpsis downed her glass in one gulp and put it down. "I'll sift through the data, gather my team and liaise with your man. When we're done with the deserters, do you want their heads as proof or do dog tags suffice?" Maybe she'd been spending too much time around Nyssa.
"Just shoot them, and return any Imperial technology they've stolen," the Administrator responded in a somewhat exasperated tone. Maybe he had to deal with many overzealous subordinates. At least this apparent mercenary wasn't suggesting gassing civilians or carrying out public crucifixions, which the Firsties had done on Kaeshana and Skor. "Here are the Major's contact details," he pushed a datapad over. His big cigar had gone out since he had not puffed on it for a bit, so he fished for a match. But before he could light the match, heat had surged through Elpsis' palm and she toasted the cigar.
The small flame illuminated her pale, viciously scarred face. "I think you and I are gonna get on like a house on fire." She looked to Leo to see if he had anything to add. If not, the two would depart, leaving the Administrator to continue abusing his lungs.

xxx

"I would be glad to see these creatures. Please show me. Where I am from, everyone is taught how to hunt from early on. I understand it is not so common in the stars, but I like seeing what predators they have to offer," Zhaleh said eagerly. It did not escape her how the human male looked down for a moment when Laira asked about the Ren. Fear? She had seen similar things in the Xioquo conscripts whenever their people's dark sorceresses came up. He also seemed to consistently speak of one Ren.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the Flayed One knocking down shots. The red-skinned Sith - for she had been told that the woman was a Sith, though to her the red woman looked like a skinned Qadiri - was watching them, but then returned to making animated gestures. Perhaps she was telling tales of her adventures. Zhaleh liked listening to those, though she had the impression that the Flayed One embellished a bit.

xxx

The explosion shook the dead informant's apartment. Indeed, if the loud boom and the smoke was any indication, it had probably messed up his bedroom above the secret room. These walls were rickety, but he did not need it anymore anyway. Fortunately, the children playing in the basement had been compelled to leave through Force suggestion. Rhea, Sienn and Diona could already hear klaxons howling when they pulled into an alleyway to be out of the immediate line of sight of any investigators who would soon be on the spot. "Think we got them all?" Sienn asked a bit nervously, letting out the breath she had been holding.

Rain dripped down the walls. "Hard to say," Diona replied. "A cursory investigation will blame an old trap. Something more detailed will cast doubts on this."
"Especially if one of these 'Ren' get involved," Rhea said thoughtfully.
"Not sure about that. The boss told me any time she fought 'em, they ran away at the first sign of danger," Sienn laughed hollowly.
"Don't underestimate your foe, especially one you do not know," Rhea said sternly while her yellow eyes scanned the street. "Message the boss. Make sure the message is shrouded."
"Encrypted," Sienn corrected.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Leo snagged the contact details for Elpsis, slipping them into his wristlink, running a quick cross-reference on the Major’s name across any open-source databases they had access to, looking to see what kind of man they were going to be dealing with, but such a thing took time. Time they could spend walking back towards the rest of the crew and discussing things away from First Order ears.

He shook his head when Elpsis looked in his direction, indicating he had nothing to add or suggest, at least not in front of the Administrator. He held the door for her, and then departed not far behind her in standard guard position, one step off her left, three behind her where they went to recollect their weapons. Once everything had been returned to them, the duo was back on their way. “Do you want to go straight to this Major, then find the team first Ma’am?” He asked as they moved.

~

Laira wasn’t very interested in seeing beasts in cages, but once Zhaleh showed an eagerness for the activity, she seconded her approval with a coy smile, “Yes, we could go pet them. So long as its safe.”

“Don’t worry, they’ll be in cages. Let me just pay the tab and we can go.” Braxton said, waving over the serving droid and handing it a credit chip, politely paying for the girl’s drinks in addition to his own. He was tipsy, probably a little beyond tipsy in fact, but still functional. His words slurred a bit as he spoke, “I’m a bit of a hunter myself, you know, though I’ve never hunted big game like fighting beasts. But tracking and those skills are good for my job, trying to anticipate the actions of your quarry and all that.”

Laira continued smiling, but slowly thought hard to ensure Saeza picked up on her message before returning her attention to the young lieutenant. He was a detective of sorts, and so he likely knew a lot but wouldn’t offer it up so freely, but maybe once they were employed by the order Zhaleh could sweet talk him out of all sorts of data, since he seemed to be more interested with the more exotic Qadiri. Made sense, she was the forbidden fruit for First Order officers.

Saeza fixed her gold eyes on the Qadiri woman for a moment, <Red has instructed me to message you shortly so as to ‘leave him wanting’ but she thinks he could be useful later.>

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

L Laira Darkhold

Maybe some day Zhaleh needed to take Laira on a trip to the Tygaran arctic. It would be fun! The Qadiri felt Saeza, whom she still believed to be some form elf, brush against her mind as they stepped out of the cantina. Nyssa gave her a barely perceptible nod. "Hunting teaches you a lot about life. It is more than killing your prey. You must develop empathy for it and think the way it does. Humans offer us machines to do the killing for us, but it is no test of skill if we do not expose ourselves to any risk."

Zhaleh seemed a good deal more animated than usual. She pointed to the necklace she was wearing. Upon closer inspection, one would notice it was made of teeth. "When the dark ones raised a kraken, mother led a hunting party. I was part of it. This tooth belonged to it," she explained, pointing out one that particularly stood out.

Meanwhile, Nyssa watched the trio as they left. The Pureblood was not that great at telepathy or mental tricks in general, so she activated her communicator, sending an encrypted message to Elpsis. Girl scout and ice girl have a date with a whiteshirt. Petting animals. Furry and squid are looking for an old girlfriend. I believe they'll be disappointed. She plays for the other team now.

xxx

She's in there, Nuroch broadcast telepathically when Vagt was close enough to. The Bothan found it always a bit disconcerting - or rather annoying - when he heard a voice that was not his own in his head, but he had gotten used to dealing with Force-Users. Besides, it meant they could not be overheard unless there was a Ren nearby.

So rather than respond verbally, he thought very strongly. Seems like her apartment, or a safehouse. Come over here. Either way, they did not want to linger out in the open.
She ratted our man. She's involved with the Order. We could break in and make her talk. Even through telepathy, Nuroch sounded eager.
Vagt shook his head. "No," he said quietly, but firmly. "If she's their spy, they'd have eyes on her, too. We'd have to kill her."
"So? She's with them."
"Not our call to make." He looked at one of the dilapidated, seemingly abandoned buildings. "We set up an op, and wait for instructions." Reluctantly Nuroch followed.

xxx

Without further ado, Elpsis and Leo left the First Order compound. Once they had exited, the guards returned their weapons to them with peak Imperial efficiency. Even Leo's A-Class Thermal Detonator had not gone 'missing'. Elpsis strapped her lightsabre to her belt. She was known to be a Force-User and own one now, so there was no point in trying to hide it.

Leo's question made her frown slightly, then her commlink flashed. Luckily, she had modified the device to give it a refreshable grey display. One message was from Rhea, the other from Nyssa. "Looks like the gang's making friends," she told Leo, who would presumably get what she meant. "Shouldn't interrupt the fraternising yet."

There was some commotion behind them, and she turned around to see an armoured groundcar come to a halt. First Order troopers, led by an officer in FOSB uniform, stepped out, escorting a few civilians. All the civilians were cuffed and they were wearing black bags over their heads. "Sir, this is a mistake," one begged. "I know nothing of these..." he was cut off when a Stormtrooper struck him with an electroprod, causing his body to shake and wince in pain. Elpsis just about managed to keep her expression neutral and taciturn. Revulsion lay beneath the ice. "Let's go chat with Yularen," she muttered.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Leo nodded his head knowingly. “We may need any contacts they make for the investigation,” depending on how long they kept up the charade of being mercenaries of course. His blue eyes looked to the civilians being led away by dirty armored stormtroopers. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen such a parade, but working for the Empire one grew a strong stomach for death camps and summary punishments. The First Order was no different in its actions or philosophy, though it did seem more willing to punish subordinates for the mistakes of its leaders.

“Major Yularen probably won’t enjoy our intrusion into his territory. Our presence implies his own inability to resolve the situation.” Imperials were very big on pride, even if they lacked anything to be proud about. “He could stonewall us, demand oversight of our ops, or even attempt to Hutt us himself. Oh, uh, Hutt is to put us in a situation where we are forced to break the law allowing him to use that as blackmail against us.” Leo’s bright eyes glanced at another group of Stormtroopers leading an injured person from an interrogation room, but didn’t stop walking.

“I’d suggest being apologetic and cooperative at first meeting. You got stuck with this and just want to help get it over with or something. Or, screw it all and we just go it alone whether he wants us to or not.”

~

Laira stepped gingerly at first, making sure to watch her footing outside on the dirty road and sidewalks. She listened to Zhaleh, taking mental notes while they walked together with Braxton in lockstep with them, more than happy to be the center of the two females' attention. He observed the kraken necklace with a smile and nodded, “Nice, what weapon did you use?”

“Yeah, yeah exactly. You gotta think like the prey and understand why it does what it does. See, I’m in Enforcement so we gotta do some hunting every now and then, but it's always people you’re after.” He shrugged his shoulders with a little disgruntled expression crossing his face. “Not as fun as animals I guess, animals act on survival instincts. People, they can be self-destructive.”

“People can also be lots of fun. You just gotta prod them the right way.” The redhead remarked with a smirk as the young lieutenant lead them around a corner and towards a large domed building that had clearly been without attendance in some time. Laira wondered why a Ren would have systematically shut down entertainment avenues, as it wouldn’t earn many allies among the troopers. Perhaps it was the start of something else at work. Temporary crackdown to instill order?

The few workers there made way for the trio without question, avoiding any forced interaction with the First Order Security Bureau as was often wise. It didn’t matter why the FOSB was interested in showing a pair of young women the beasts kept there, only that drawing the ire of any of the secret police was a well known mistake they were not willing to commit. “Let’s see, should be right down this way,” he pointed down a corridor that certainly had the stench of animal in it, along with the occasional growl or deep rumble of breathing.

Elpsis Kerrigan

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

L Laira Darkhold

"Harpoons and lances. We tracked the great beast and caught it while it was feeding. We had some explosives taken from the Dark Ones. But even so it was...fearsome. Powerful," she trailed off, as if lost in the memory for a moment. "The Dark Ones believed they could use its power. They were wrong. Some joined us after it had swallowed their mistresses." She gave Braxton a nod. "Aye, people can be...strange. Our tribe seldom met outsiders, other than some who came to trade with us, take what we had or were stranded. In the stars I meet so many different people wherever I go. But that makes it exciting."

While the trio exchanged words, they had left the cantina behind them and approached a domed building. The few workers still present on the premise made no attempt at conversation. Indeed, they gave them a wide berth. After all, no one wanted to be accused of impeding an officer of the Security Bureau. Animal scents greeted them as they crossed the threshold.

xxxx

Where Leo saw the usual Imperial jackboot, Elpsis saw something more personal. Tephrike, the Dominion, the Inquisition. Beatings, a tiny, squalid cell infested with rats, hunger, desperation. She clenched her jaw and balled her hands into fists to keep them from doing something foolish. Slow breaths, breathe in, breathe out. "He'll have to live with it," she grunted. "If he stalls, maybe he's the traitor," she added. One last look at the procession of unfortunates, then she turned away. "Let's go."

As it turned out, finding Major Yularen was not too difficult. The procession essentially lead the way. The Stormtroopers guarding the building he was based in looked more professional than the grunts the duo had encountered thus far. Their armour was black rather than dirty white. Many had the bearing of veterans, rather than conscripts. As they were led through the building, they could hear screams and shouts, though these were soon silenced. Leo might have caught a glimpse of someone being rolled down a pair of stears. "Wait here," a Stormtrooper said once they had been led to an ante-room of sorts.

They could hear voices coming from inside, though these were muffled a bit. "The stronger the Imperial Rebirth becomes, the more ruthless and desperate its enemies will be..." there were some other voices, though these were hard to hear. "Your new assignments...Kill her first, but make sure he sees. This one...kill him, take him to his shrine, dump him in the pulpit...I leave the rest up to you," the man doled out their assignments as calmly as if he were reviewing a shop inventory. "You did good hauling in this scum. It is not enough. Comb this town from north to south, east to west."
"Sir, respectfully...the men are tired," one officer spoke up. "They've been working on this scum for days, and now we just hauled in a new batch. And many are green. They're not used to handling interrogations of the utmost severity."
"Tired? Tired? Maybe they should remember that the only reason they haven't fed into the entechment rigs is because the Mother of Imperialism sacrificed herself to save them. This is hard work, that is why we must do it. Only we have the right nerves for it." There was more mumbling. The door opened and a trio of FOSB officers walked out. If they noticed Leo and Elpsis at all, they gave them disdainful or suspicious looks. "Enter," a voice barked.

The Major shared nothing in common with his ancient namesake save the name and having a job in the secret police. For one, he lacked the distinguished moustache. Or a moustache of any sort. He was a short man with a prematurely receding hairline and a pair of spectacles that made him look like a librarian or a bookkeeper. In contrast to Administrator Tavira, he was not unguarded. Two Stormtroopers stood sentinel.

He addressed the two without preamble. "I didn't ask for any 'specialists'. I have all the specialists I need. They are motivated by faith, not filthy lucre."
Elpsis shrugged. "I didn't ask to be put on this assignment, sir. Decision was out of my hands, I guess. Folks high-up made the call."
"I wonder, first we have a surge in rebel activity, then a bunch of foreign interlopes led by an 'ex-Jedi' just happen to show up. Seems fishy, doesn't it?" he looked to one of his goons, who nodded. "And then they put on the payroll with minimal background checks."

"Your boss recognises talent when he sees it, I guess. And I suppose he thinks this investigation could use...help. Now we can help you...or you can stonewall us and then maybe someone high-up will wonder whether it's your dedication that's lacking. After all, it is just a bit curious that you've been scouring the city and still haven't found the deserters."
"Are you threatening me, girl?"
"You want the glory, fine with me. I want to get the job done and get paid. What's it gonna be?"

xxx

Three armed individuals tended to stick out in the streets. Especially if the town in question was under the thumb of a human supremacist, Imperialist group and two of the three were aliens. Nonetheless, Diona, Sienn and Rhea tried to make their through. Most of the Stormtropers did not seem particularly motivated. Carrying an eclectic mix of equipment of varying quality, their posture was often almost casual.

Nonetheless, here and there civilians were stopped and frisked seemingly at random. Most were simply let off after being kept in suspense for a few moments. In one case, credit chips exchanged hands. In another, things went less civil. "He has a gun!" a soldier declared.
"What...no! You..." then the Twi'lek got a baton in the face.

"Planted," Rhea hissed.
"Nothing we can do," Diona said calmly.
"You're really stoic about this," Sienn opined.
"I used to be on the other side. The slogans and banners were different, and the Dominion oppressed very species equally. The result was the same."
"And you know they'll make us do their dirty work for them. We can't help their enemies if we're killing them for the Firsties..." Sienn trailed off when she was how intently Rhea was staring at the scene. Her face was contorted in hatred. "Corporal." There was no response. "Rhea..." Suddenly the Rattataki spun around. Her yellow eyes glowed. "We'll deal with them when the time comes. All of them," she said in a voice as cold as a snowstorm on Hoth. Then she stalked off.

Civilians gave the apparent mercenaries a wide berth. An Imperial armoured personnel carrier drove through the streets at a sedate pace, escorted by a couple Stormtroopers. However, other figures were moving in the shadows. Armed individuals had taken up position on some of the rooftops and in the alleys. They were watching the Imperials and their apparent hired help.

Suddenly, a rocket-propelled grenade roared through the air towards the APC. The warhead slammed into the side of the troop transport. A plume of smoke rose into the air and nearby soldiers were blasted off their feet or outright ripped apart. Civilians dressed in civilian clothes suddenly sported blasters or slugthrowers and opened fire.

As Stormtroopers returned fire and civilians scattered, the trio bolted for cover. Blaster bolts and slug rounds flew through the air. Amidst the staccato of gunfire, Rhea saw a child, confused and wailing in the streets. Sweat dripped Rhea's face and back. Without a further word, she got to her feet and ran. "Corporal!" Diona yelled, but the Rattataki did not care to hear her.

She did not see the armed Chagrian in militia fatigues who took aim at her with a rifle. But Sienn did. Drawing her shatterpistol, she fired - once, twice. Blood smeared his basic helmet and the rebel went down. Rounds whipped over Rhea's head and hammered the ground she sprinted across as she hastened to the child, grabbing the girl. Turning, she ran.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

“Yup, yup. Meet new people everyday, see a bunch of new stars and planets. The mercenary’s life has us meeting all sorts of fun people.” Laira touched Braxton’s shoulder when she said fun before continuing, “Some a lot more fun than others.”

The smell of animals was very different from the acrid smell of starship coolant, oil, or spare parts. Laira’s own vessel was never pristine, having had so many alterations and adjustments made to the once factory fresh freighter. But animals were different, shite, piss, and fur mixed together into an odor that assaulted the nostrils. The redhead brushed it off, the scent reminding her of her childhood on Alderaan with Manka-Cats and Thranta everyday. The FOSB officer lead the pair of women down a corridor until they could see thick cage bars flanking either side.

Within the first one, there was a roggwort, scarred and battered, missing a forelimb and several teeth. Its very expression was one of defeat, the aura it exuded in the Force was one of longing. As though it dreamt of nights in the wild away from its cage. The next contained a mangy nexu that looked mean-spirit. Others could be seen, but the one Laira liked the best was the Borhek, a crisp red-chitin creature that exuded confidence and dominance in the Force. It didn’t seem to mind the cage, or the proximity of the other creatures. As far as it cared, it was the apex in the vicinity, in its natural habitat. Of course, it wasn’t wrong.

Braxton pointed at the Borhek, “That’s the champion, Red Riot. Be careful, he’s a bit rowdy I hear. That other one,” Pointing at the Roggwort, “That one’s a veteran, they call him Long Fang. Was champion a long time ago, now he fights in early matches to warm up crowds.”

Laira beckoned Zhaleh towards the Borhek, one of her favorite animals to read about on the holonews. As a little girl, she had wanted one as a pet, now it seemed impractical. Maybe she could get this one a taste of true freedom one day soon. “You see his brow ridges, that means he’s unaltered from his sires, hatched naturally. Smooth ones are usually genetically modified.”

Braxton leaned close to them, “If you girls want to pet him, I’m sure it’d be okay.” His eyes flicked to Zhaleh, “I don’t want to end up like that trooper, but I think it’s best I hold onto the both of you if you stick your hands through the bars, don’t you?” Laira gave Zhaleh a nod, and held her hand to the bars.

~

Leo watched the exchange with stoic silence, doing little more than turning his bright eyes to stare down the Major when the short man shot him a glance. Both sides were assessing each other, judging them.

It was clear the Major didn’t want them, but of the two ways to get rid of them quickly one was more diplomatic and could lead to more funding sent his way. It seemed the Major liked the idea of requesting the money spent on mercenaries to assist him be used as proof he was under-funded. Especially if the mercenaries and his department quickly ended the threat now that manpower was no longer an issue.

<We want a prisoner to interrogate.> Leo thought, though he was unsure how good Elpsis was at reading minds. Saeza liked to keep all three of them in a meld where she could share thoughts back and forth and facilitate Laira and Leo being able to communicate back and forth, though there weren’t many secrets in such a meld. One wasn’t able to hide drifting fantasies or daydreams in a meld like they were with regular telepathic communication. But if they could get a prisoner in their custody, they could more easily convince the prisoner to talk and likely assist them with their own operation with a little coercion.

~

Saeza sipped her juice absentmindedly, paying little attention to the others as they were with her. It was a time for quiet reflection. One of the dancers, a young human approached her as the mercenary group sat around quietly. "You're not from around here?" The woman said, "Well its twenty credits if you want me to stick around."

Saeza looked up, bright gold eyes assessing the young woman. "Oh, I wouldn't want you to have to leave the bar." She said, searching her pockets. A strange custom that workers would have to beg for money in order to be allowed to work, she thought.

"I mean for a dance honey." The woman said with a giggle.

"Oh, I don't need dance lessons. Thank you very much." Saeza produced a few credits and handed them to the woman, "So you can buy new clothes." The woman seemed confused, but took the credits and sauntered away to the next table while Saeza returned to her quietness. Instead she tried to listen and observe, like Laira had told her, so that she could learn how to act in different roles. Socializing was still difficult for the young Vong as so she listened.

A chill ran up her spine and her head felt a pressure. Pointed ears turned up and gold eyes became alert. It seemed that pretty much everyone else at the table felt something too.

Elpsis Kerrigan

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

L Laira Darkhold

Zhaleh looked at the beasts curiously. "He longs to be unchained instead of get hurt for others' amusement. I can sympathise," she said in reference to the roggwort. Zhaleh was no Vashyada, so she did not worship nature but she respected it. She gave the Borhek a curious look, but maintained a respectful distance. Hearing Braxton speak, she shook her head. "No thank you. I can respect its strength without poking it. It is best not to cuddle up to beasts that have been raised to fight and kill like this, unless one feels like losing limbs. They know not to expect anything good from outsiders. They may fear, but not respect them."

xxxx

The dilapidated building Nuroch and Vagt had sought shelter in had seen better days. To Vagt it looked like a bomb had exploded in its midst. Perhaps it had been damaged during the wars or, perhaps more likely, become collateral damage when the First Order cracked down on dissent both real and imagined. The ceiling had quite a hole and was leaking, as the drops of water showed.

Regardless, it offered some cover while he observed the comings and goings in the informant's house through a pair of macrobinoculars. And they had a name. Yennifer Perle. At least that was what the house name plate said. Next to him Nuroch was getting antsy. Getting wet did not bother a Nautolan, but waiting obviously did.

"The holomovies get it all wrong. Nine times out of ten, observation is...waiting. Like sitting in a dentist's waiting room," Vagt muttered conversationally. "The magazines are crap and two weeks out of date, and the guy next to you won't shut up. But you gotta do what you gotta do."
Nuroch muttered someone under his breath. Then he peeked up. "Someone's coming." He felt the approaching presence before it came into view. The figure looked male and was dressed in civilian clothes, wearing a heavy coat. He knocked, and the informant opened.

They were too far away to hear the words being exchanged. However, the woman seemed agitated. Words were exchanged, then the man grabbed her arm. She roughly removed his hand, then handed him a package and shut the door.

xxx
"Look at them," Celaena muttered. The young Eldorai had barely touched her drink. Perhaps she suspected foul play. "Acting like they're normal people instead of blood-soaked murderers. Everyone's bowing and scraping to please them. Then when they leave, they'll find some poor sod to put against the wall and shoot."
"Probably why everyone's bowing and scraping to please them," Reverence pointed out.
"I don't get it," Sano spoke up.
"You understand few things, Togruta," Celaena said dismissively in Eldarai.
Sano glared at her. "I understand your tongue just fine, Eldorai. We can talk in either language if you like."
Here we go again, Reverence thought to herself. "Please use Eldarai, then I won't understand what you're saying and can just ignore you."
"What I don't understand, why do they still follow the Order? Their capital was destroyed, their leaders abandoned them and their pay must be poor. These guys cannot all be fanatics. They seem like...ordinary men."
"Ordinary men herded my people like chattel so that they could be slaughtered or turned into monsters," Celaena said caustically. "Are you that simple to think that every wicked being must have veiny skin and yellow eyes? Perhaps hooves, for good measure?"
"They get a little bit of power. Like the goon of any slaver," Reverence interjected.
"They sound like a more bloodthirsty version of the Shadow Knights," Nyssa said. She knew it'd get the Eldorai's hackles up, so she raised a hand. "People do all sorts of terrible things for money. Most of the time the cause is just an excuse. But by this point anyone sticking with the Firsties are either true believers or think they have nowhere else to go. That makes them desperate and cruel. And pathetic." Having passed on these words of wisdom, Nyssa glanced over to Saeza, whom the dancing girl had just left. "Little dove, you have much to learn. She was so close to offering to make a woman out of you," she said teasingly. However, the levity soon left her expression as she turned serious. She felt a strong pressure in the back of her skull.

In this moment, the comlinks of various Stormtroopers beeped. Doubtless they were being informed about the attack. Shikoba winced as she felt a cold shiver run down her spine. Before her eyes it looked like spectral shapes were manifesting in the cantina. They clung to soldiers as well as various patrons. Some even tried to grab her comrades, though none of them would see or feel the embrace. All except her. She was also the one who heard the chorus. Amidst the wailing, she heard the distinct noise of a clock...ticking down. "Death," she exclaimed. "Run."

"Get out," Nyssa growled. To their credit, the Order of Fire recruits and supposed mercenaries quickly got to their feet and tried to hasten out. Already Stormtroopers were stampeding towards the exit. Nyssa put patrons who got in the way aside. As they rushed towards the door, an explosion ripped through the cantina...

xxx

Blaster bolts whizzed through the air as Rhea ran, wailing child held tightly in her grasp. Stormtroopers and rebels were exchanging heavy volleys. After the initial confusion, the Stormtroopers had reacted quickly and the corpses of rebels were littered across the streets. But more were firing from cover and Stormtroopers were falling. So were civilians not quick enough to escape the ruthless crossfire.

A blaster bolt missed Rhea by a hair's breath. The Force screamed a warning in her mind and she threw herself to the ground, shielding the child with her body. Her ears were ringing when a missile roared through the air and impacted upon the nearby troop transport, causing it to go up in flames. Soldiers screamed in pain as they were ignited. The air was filled with acrid smoke. Blood seeped out of her eardrums and she felt something hard and hot sting her - shrapnel. A slugthrower round grazed her ear. Gritting her teeth at the pain, she saw a woman rush towards her. Quickly, she handed the child to her.

Stormtroopers had brought forward heavy repeaters and put the rooftops under fire. Rebels vanished in a shower of crimson. Diona yelled something unintelligle. Power rippled through her and Sienn as they blasted a missile shooting towards Rhea's hideout out of the air. Sniper fire hammered the ground as the Rattataki got to her feet and ran. All around her people were being shot, blown up and maimed. Quickly, she ran, getting out her revolver to quickly kneecap a rebel who crossed her.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Diona growled at her as she caught up. Her anger overrode the fact that technically Rhea outranked her.
The Rattataki did not deign to answer her. "Well, we found the rebels...and I guess I jinxed us," Sienn said, then quickly ducked as blaster fire came their way. "What are we gonna do?"
"I'm thinking," Rhea hissed, looking agitated. What would Elpsis do? No, that was not the question she needed to ask. The only pertinent question was: what would Rhea, formerly a slave of the Dominion, now a free woman do?

In that moment things became clear. Trust your instincts, trust the Lifeweb. She took a breath. "We preserve our cover. See that building over there. Sniper nest. Diona, you're good at shielding, aren't you?"
"Yes," the former Jedi Inquisitor said stoically.
"Alright, keep them busy. Sienn and I sneak up and take them out. Take them out nonlethally, if we can."
The Twi'lek looked uncertain. "I can play diversion, too. Give them something extra to shoot at. I'm fast," Sienn opined. When they had first met, she had distrusted Diona. Even now she was not that comfortable around her, but still.
"I need backup if there's more rebels hiding there," Rhea said categorically.
"Ready," was all Diona had to say on the matter.

xxx

Elpsis heard...something. Was it her thought or someone else's? "Give us a prisoner. You rounded up a ton of people. I'm sure your interrogators are great at their job." Great at beating innocent people until they sign 'confessions' you've written for them, she thought hatefully. "But you've got a ton of prisoners and not a lot of staff."
"What do you know about questioning prisoners, 'Captain'?" the way he phrased her rank made it clear how little Yularen respected it, but there was something else in his eyes. He looked intrigued - for just a moment. No doubt he was trying to think of how he could spin this to his advantage.
Elpsis shrugged. "I have my ways. My associate here is a specialist in...making people talk. And I've got a subordinate who's good with minds. Look, it doesn't hurt you either way. We don't make any headway, that's on us. We get some useful intel, your investigation progresses."
"You'll be monitored by one of my officers. No funny business. Consider it a test."
"Fair, but we decide the methods we use. We've got our own rhythm, you see."
At this moment an aide approached, clearing his throat. "Uh, sir," he said nervously. "There's an attack in the plaza."

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Laira smiled at Zhaleh, “I want to pet him. He looks cute!” She said with a little excitement seeping into her tone. Of course, the redhead wasn’t dumb enough to just reach through the bars and put her hands on a creature literally created to fight in beast pits, but she did want to pet the creature anyway. Braxton put his hands around her waist and she waved one hand with a subtle motion in the hopes of tricking the primitive creature’s perception of her.

While normally she looked like a snack, not just to the beast, the mental influence was intended to make the creature think she wasn’t edible or threatening. Laira reached through the bars and placed her hand delicately on the beasts ridged forehead.

Then the comlink on her wrist pinged, the noise not only startling the creature and rousing it, but also startling Laira who had become focused on the task at hand. With a shriek, the redhead retracted her hand from the cage as the creature thumped against the bars. Braxton, not having the benefit of a Force User’s reflexes and being a little drunk, was a bit slower to react and pull her away from the bars. Laira laughed as she pulled his hands from around her waist, “That was fun actually, but it sounds like the fun is over.”

~

Saeza jumped from her seat as the mercenaries and stormtroopers did, but instead of rushing for the door, the petite girl moved deeper into the cantina, snatching the scantily clad dancer in her arms and dragging her away from the bar. With the aid of the Force, Saeza snatched another patron, pulling both beings in front of herself just before the explosion tore through the cantina.

The girl focused her powers, forming a barrier between them and the flames that erupted, deflecting the pressure wave over the three of them so their organs wouldn’t rupture. Of course, with such short notice, the golden-eyed guardian couldn’t erect a perfect barrier and the fire licked at her face, scorching the masquer she wore, causing it to retreat beneath her collar.

The initial rush passed over them, leaving the cantina in shambles. There were other patrons and troopers wounded or dead, pieces of furniture shattered, rubble from the explosion strewn throughout the building. It seemed one of the exterior walls had been sabotaged with a shaped charge designed to explode inward.

The dancer looked up at Saeza while she placed a hand over a burn the woman had received on her arm. With the Force, Saeza numbed the pain before standing amidst the destruction.

“You’re a,” the woman looked shocked, “Get away from me!”

The other patron, a man, also looked upon the grey-skinned visage of the Yuuzhan Vong girl, red tattoos streaking on her face, soft blue skin around her eyes. She was devoid of ritualistic scars, but still bore the features of her race. “Get your hands off me monster!” He shouted.

Saeza didn’t much care what he said, her hand drawing the pain from his injury into herself, so that he would not suffer because she bore it upon herself. She paid them little mind, all words she had heard a thousand times before, though she did not know why these people hated her so. Her comrades needed her now, so there was no time to dwell on the matter.

~

Leo noticed the message as it arrived, moving towards the door. "I'll see to the troops ma'am." He said, though he doubted someone like Elpsis would be able to sit idle and conduct business while her people were in danger. An Imperial might, but that's how a trooper knew the good from the political.

Elpsis Kerrigan

 

[Elpsis Kerrigan]

L Laira Darkhold

As the man who had received the package from the informant turned away, Vagt took pictures with the small holocam integrated into his helmet. They might come in handy later. "Doesn't look like she's too enthusiastic," he mumbled to himself, remembering the scene from earlier. "Maybe that's a lever for us." It all depended on what his superior said, of course.

"Yes," Nuroch responded, sounding distracted.
"You got anything?"
"Something is off." Nuroch seemed to be saying this more to himself than the Sergeant. Then he felt a sharp jolt in his skull, as if struck by a bolt of electricity. "The cantina. Danger."
To Vagt, the Force was a mystery wrapped in a enigma wrapped in a lot of pretension. He did not understand how it worked; he could only observe its effects and make educated guesses based on prior experiences. However, he had learned that when space mages got weird feelings about something, they tended to be write, no matter how much it sounded. "Let's go. I'll call them." Then they heard the rumble of explosions in the distance.

xxx

Zhaleh watched while Laira petted the animal. Unlike Braxton, she could feel the flame-haired human draw upon her Zari - or what the humans would call the Force. "Yes, it was nice," she agreed, nodding. "We should..." Any words on her part were cut off by the distant explosion. It was too far away to be a thunderclap and since they were inside, they did not see the smoke rising from the cantina. But they heard the powerful rumble.

xxx

"Don't play frakking hero, you idiot!" Nyssa yelled at the disguised Vong when the petite Jedi took off to scope up the dancer. If circumstances had been different, the Pureblood might have made a joke about how the little Jedi wanted to earn a free dance with a happy ending, but this was not the time. Besides...she strongly doubted Saeza was the type. Too uptight and innocent.

"Ma'am, we have to help them," Sano spoke up. The Togruta was already moving to aid Saeza, but Nyssa grabbed her by the arm and unceremoniously flung her towards the door. There were still guests inside the cantina. The rush of the stormtroopers to the exit had triggered a chain reaction, and now the patrons and the staff were stampeding towards the door. In the panic, some were not just being left behind, but trampled on. "Idiots," the Pureblood growled angrily. The explosion ripped through the building.

Nyssa's barrier was not perfect, though she had more combat experience than the sweet Vong. It covered Sano though. The blast knocked the Pureblood to the ground and flames licked at her armour, scorching it. She felt a surge of heat wash over her. Her movements were jerky when she got up, which only angered her more.

The cantina was in ruins. Furniture and guests had been ripped apart. Other guests and soldiers had been wounded and there was rubble everywhere. "Everyone, status?" Nyssa barked imperiously.
"Here," Reverence responded,
"I am alive," Shikoba added, sounding a bit dazed.
"Fine." That was Celaena. Her ears were ringing badly from the explosion.
"Alright," Sano said, but there was anger in her eyes when she looked at Nyssa. "We could've helped them."

"Are you here to get the job done and come home with all your bits or are you here to play hero and come back in a bodybag? Guess what, nobody cares about the heroes after the obligatory platitudes," Nyssa growled. Her yellow eyes fell upon Saeza. "You damn fool," she cursed. However, the Vong was already busy helping the two people she had saved. "Shikoba, see to any wounded on our side. Rev, call the girl scout and ice girl and tell them stop making hearty eyes at the Whiteshirt."

Unfortunately, the two people receiving aid from Saeza seemed less than appreciative. The mask had fallen and now her true appearance was revealed. They reacted with revulsion, spewing venom. Celaena gave her a long, hard look as the illusion dissipated. "So that is what you are hiding," she said flatly. Then she looked upon the two patrons. Her eyes narrowed with contempt. "You are pathetic, ungrateful beings, monkeighs. She saved your life - not that you deserve it."

"It's a monster. An abomination. It was probably involved with the terrorists." A female stormtrooper shouted, standing over the corpse of a dead comrade. At this stage Nyssa decided she had had enough and punched the woman in the face with such force she heard her jaw break.

"Anyone else?" she asked challengingly. A number of troopers raised their guns. She had just punched one of their buddies, after all. "Oh, please, just give me an excuse. I beg you. I'll even fight with my left hand to make it sporting. Make sure the safety is off. I'll just deal with you lot, then with whoever tried to blow me up. See the smoke coming from a few blocks away? I imagine it got hit, too. Or you stop acting like babies, we go find your dastardly rebels and kill them. And you will not heap scorn on anyone under my command - even the foolish ones." In this moment her comm beeped.

"What is she?" Shikoba asked, not understanding what all the commotion was about.
"A Yuuzhan Vong," Sano said knowingly. "She must have worn a masquer. I read about them at the academy."
"Aren't all Vong, like, Force-Dead? And don't they hate Jedi?" Reverence threw in.
"Intriguing," was all the Vashyada druidess had to say on the subject.

xxx

The people conducting the attack were enemies of the First Order. This meant they were probably the 'deserters' as well as ordinary people fed up with being under the fascist's jackboot. In short, the people she was supposed to protect. Rebellions may be built on hope, but they are fought with viciousness. Natalie's words came back to her.

Her mind was made up. "Let's go," she spoke. Leo was already heading to the door, and Elpsis joined him. "See you on the battlefield," she told Major Yularen as a parting shot.
As she crossed the threshold, she heard the secret policeman bark: "Dispatch the quick reaction force. And inform the Administrator." He seemed to say the last part as an afterthought.

xxx

"Now," Diona called out and emerged from cover. With the electronic sights of her A280 rifle raised to her eyes, she fired a brief salvoe towards the rooftop the sharpshooters had taken cover on. Rhea and Sienn vanished from sight, and Diona bolted. With a wave of her hand, she raised a piece from a broken wall and sent it flyign through the air as a shield of sorts to take the initial brunt. Rounds ripped through the air as she hastened towards her next cover. Slug and blaster rounds smashed the pavement and through broken vehicles.

An invisible barrier blossomed to life, wrapping her in a cocoon. The Force shield shimmered as a round struck it, then another and another. She felt a sharp pain in her side at the impact. Gritting her teeth she ducked and scrambled low, as a missile roared through the air towards a cluster of stormtroopers. She slid into cover behind an overturned truck. The Force screamed in her skull and she ran just before a round smashed through the window. If her head had remained where it was, the slug would have blown her face off. However, it grazed her forehead and blood seeped out.

Meanwhile, Rhea and Sienn had snuck towards the building. Even with their powers pooled, both were starting to sweat from the exertion of maintaining the cloak. Rhea took a breath as she looked up. She gave the Twi'lek a simple nod. Both aimed their gauntlets at the wall and fired grappling hooks. Then they started climbing, still under the cover of the cloak.

Rhea pushed herself up, trying to keep her breathing low. Explosions thundered around her, while blasters and slugthrowers sang a symphony of death. Once she had ascended, she detached herself from the hook. The rebels on the rooftop were trading heavy fire. Sienn pitched a concussion grenade to Rhea. Taking the ball in hand, the Rattataki let the Force guide her and hurled it towards the shooters. There was a bang as it landed in their midst, with the shooters reeling from the sonic blast.

In this moment, her Twi'lek companion fired an ion beamer concealed in her wrist. Twin paralysing beams passed through the air, striking them in their legs. However, a rebel who had been firing from one of the lower levels had ascended to the rooftops. There was a sudden ripple of blaster fire. Her armour was struck and her flesh scoured.

With a roar, she drew upon the pit of anger inside her. Her hands became claws and Force Lightning shrieked from them. The blue-white bolts struck the lightly armoured rebel, causing him to shake and spasm in pain. Then Rhea scythed him with her Force imbued blade. He fell to the ground, blood seeping out. Rhea looked upon the corpse and the head lying a metre away from it. The bloodied face of a young boy who could not be older than nineteen stared back at her.