Private The Star Chaser

[Roman Vossari]

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The stars streaked by in a blur of light as Padawan Roman Vossari leaned against the cool metal of the shuttle's window. His heart still raced from the warmth of Serenno's sun and the laughter of his family, a temporary balm against the rigorous training he'd been undergoing at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. His family understood the path he had chosen, and despite the distance, they managed to keep him grounded, with voices and memories that echoed in his mind.

As the shuttle made its way toward New Jedi Order space, the pilot's voice crackled through the intercom, interrupting Roman's reverie. "We'll be arriving at the exit point soon. Thank you for flying with Serenno Transport."

With a sigh, Roman looked away from the swirling cosmos outside to the small, cramped cabin. A few civilians were boarding the shuttle, their faces wearied from travel or anxious anticipation of homecoming. He felt a wave of warmth, a sense of purpose envelop him. He was a Jedi; he had a duty to the galaxy.

But a sudden jolt shook the shuttle, causing Roman to grip the armrests tightly. The pilot's voice reappeared, laced with static and urgency. "Attention all passengers. We're experiencing..."

The message was cut short by a deafening explosion that rocked the transport. Alarms blared, and the cabin lights flickered ominously. From the back of the shuttle, Roman heard frightened gasps and shouts as people began to panic. He stood up, his heart now racing for an entirely different reason.

Roman reached out into the Force, trying to assess the situation. His training kicked in, and he felt the chaotic emotions of the passengers mixing with the terror mingled with the hope.

"Pilot!" he shouted, rushing toward the cockpit where he could see the pilot struggling with controls. "What's happening?"

"Pirates!" the pilot yelled, sweat beading on his brow. "They've disabled our hyperdrive and are demanding we surrender."

Roman's heart sank. Pirates? In this corner of the galaxy? It wasn't unusual for rogue elements to prey on civilian vessels, but he had not expected to confront anything like this so soon after leaving his family.

He took a breath, centering himself in the Force. He could feel the pulse of danger vibrating through the ship. His senses tingled. "How far are we from the Jedi territory?"

"Too far for a quick escape," the pilot grimaced. "They're trying to board us."

There was no time for debate. Roman longed to draw his lightsaber, but he needed to remain strategic. "I'll handle the boarding. Send out a distress signal!"

Gritting his teeth, Roman rushed back into the passenger area, igniting his emerald lightsaber with a soft hum. The blade lit up the dim cabin, casting shadows that danced along the walls. As he reached the hatch, the sounds of cut metal screeched in protest; they were forcing their way aboard.

Tag: Kinsey Starchaser

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

Kinsey was passed out in her hammock in the back of her modified u-wing. The spacer had one arm flung over her face to block out the secondary flashing shades of orange, soft blue, and yellow lighting of her ship. Her lithe form swung to the rhythm of the ship as she slept, dirty blonde hair feathered across her face. The shelf on the far wall with a few trinkets and a large amount of various teas rumbled as they exited hyperspace. Even asleep, Kinsey could sense where they were in space.

Came with the Starchaser bloodline.

She couldn't sense Pibs about to wake her up with a sharp BEEP BOOOOOOOOOP RRRRRRRRRRRWWWWWWWWWZZZZZZZZZTTTT.

Arm shifted away from her face and bright blue eyes snapped open.

"PibsIsaid twomorestandard hours," a hand dragged down her face as her legs swung over one side of the hammock. Her droid's bulbous body nudged her legs. "Alrighalrighalright. I'm up."

Sandy brows furrowed as she leaned over and read the message Pibs so urgently had to give her.

"Distress signal?" She frowned. "Pibs, you know I don't like getting invo-,"

BWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP

Kinsey held up her hands and stood. "I get that it's close but-,"

ZZZZZZZZZttttttt BEEPBEEP boop

The spacer pinched the bridge of her nose and gave a long suffering sigh. "Okayokay. We'll go check it out at least. No promises." Running a hand through sleep-tousled hair, Kinsey took the few steps to the cockpit and slid in, hands going to grip the controls as she set in the coordinates of the shuttle's last transit. Index finger reached over and made sure their cloaking device was still enabled as the ship's engines responded to her guidance.

 

[Roman Vossari]

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Roman stood at the hatch, every fiber of his being alive with the energy of the Force. The metallic screeching intensified as the pirates pressed against the bulkhead, their crude tools biting into the ship's frame. With a deep breath, he centered himself, channeling the calm that he had learned from his masters.

When the hatch finally buckled and burst open, three armed pirates stormed in, their faces obscured by rough, patched masks. They were wild and chaotic, eyes glinting with greed and adrenaline as they brandished their blasters.

"Get back!" Roman shouted, raising his lightsaber, the emerald blade a beacon against the darkness. He executed a flourish, a reminder of his training, defying the terror that would otherwise seep into his heart.

One pirate lunged at him, swinging a blaster like a club. Roman sidestepped with a fluid grace, using the Force to guide his movements. In one smooth motion, he brought his lightsaber down, disarming the assailant in a flash of sparks and shouting.

But as he turned to face the remaining two, he found himself surrounded. The other pirates, emboldened by their comrade's initial failure, aimed their weapons in unison, eyes gleaming with malicious intent.

"You think a little glow stick will scare us?" one of them taunted, a hulking figure with a scar snaking down his cheek. The other smirked, tightening their grips on the blasters, sensing the rising tension in the air.

Tag: Kinsey Starchaser

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

"Get us a lock on that transport. Yeah, you know what to do," Kinsey responded to her pebbledrone's warbles and boops. Eyes narrowed on the viewport at the pirate's ship. It was much larger than the transport shuttle with its talons securely in the...was that an Alliance transport?

Pibs beeped.

"Yeah, I see it. Guavian Death Gang." Tongue ticked against the inside of her cheek as her lips thinned. As they got closer, the spacer narrowed her eyes, seeing the flash of a lightsider light-up the inside of the shuttle.

"Send a comm to the pilots and let them know we're friendly. Then bring us around." Kinsey fully faced the droid she'd been through the nine levels of mustfar and back with. "You are to blame for whatever happens next. Sticking your metallic nose in business where it doesn't belong."

Pibs canted its head to look at its pilot.

Kins stood from her spot in the cockpit and took a breath. She'd met a practitioner of the Aing-Tii monks years ago. He'd been a master, Je'gan. He and his wife, Tahira, had taught her a few things. She just didn't like to use it a lot. That kind of power?

Sent ripples across the 'verse. Drew in the wrong kinda folk. Kinsey checked her weapons one more time before centering herself then stepped forward - disappearing off her ship.

With a blip - she appeared as if stepping through the air itself behind that band of pirates that were circling that...teen? Kriff, he looked young. Younger and younger these days.

"The FETH," a pirate near her yelped as he turned, leveling his blaster at her. But Kinsey was already moving as she lobbed a flashgrenade toward the pirates, hands coming up to cover her ears and squeeze her eyes closed. She didn't know if that redhead with the lightsaber would see her do it and take the hint.

Either way, things were about to get interesting.

 

[Roman Vossari]

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Roman felt the air crackle with tension as the pirates closed in on him, blasters raised and ready to unleash their fury. Just as he prepared to make his move against the hulking figure with the scar, there was a sudden blinding flash, color erupted in front of him like the first sparks of a supernova. His senses, accustomed to the whispers of the Force, were pure chaos now.

"What--?" he stammered, his mind racing to comprehend what had just happened. He instinctively lowered his guard, lifting a hand to shield his eyes from the light.

When the afterimage faded, Roman squinted through the haze. He saw, to his astonishment, a figure appearing out of thin air behind the pirates. She moved with a sense of purpose and fluidity that stirred a strange familiarity within him, yet he recognized nothing about her. He blinked away the residual brightness, trying to focus, when a realization hit him; she was not one of the pirates.

"Who are--" he began, but the words were lost as the stranger launched a flash grenade into the fray, the blinding effect rippling around them. The pirates nearby staggered, one of them yelping in panic, their chaos momentarily interrupted.

Seizing the opportunity, Roman felt the rush of adrenaline propelling him backwards as he was dazed and confused. He stretched out with the Force, summoning both strength and calm. The two pirates stumbled, disoriented towards him, and he lunged toward the scar-faced brigand. With a crisp motion, he deflected the blaster bolt aimed at him back toward its owner. The shot struck the wall with a loud clang, showering sparks that reflected in Roman's emerald blade.

The scarred pirate, recovering from the flash and realizing the tide was turning, charged at Roman again.

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Tag: Kinsey Starchaser

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

The flash grenade did its trick.

The spacer dropped her hands and opened her eyes to see two pirates down, pawing at their ears. A third was standing still with his hands out. Eyes blinking rapidly. Blinded for the moment.

Kinsey saw the large pirate facing off with that kid.

A fourth pirate she hadn't seen leveled his blaster on her and fired. The crimson bolt buried itself in her left shoulder, the armor-weave taking the brunt of the damage. Still hurt like being trampled by a herd of stampeding banthas.

"Chit, not nice." Wrist shield snapped online, the circular, blue-tinted ionized radius humming in the air between them. The pirate smirked, his teeth gold and platinum and leveled his blaster on her again. Her shield took a hit and then another as she got out her own blaster.

"You good over there, Crimson?" Kinsey would call over her shoulder as if speaking to a long-time acquaintance.

 

[Roman Vossari]

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Roman's brow furrowed as he parried another clumsy swing from the scarred pirate. He hadn't even registered the exchange of blaster fire, too focused on the immediate threat before him. "Crimson?" he echoed, a hint of confusion lacing his voice. "Who... who are you calling Crimson?"

He felt a strange mix of annoyance and curiosity. This stranger, with her sudden appearance and odd familiarity, had thrown him into a whirlwind of chaos. And now she was calling him a name he'd been called a million times before, like she knew him intimately. It was jarring, that name always being used to poke fun at him early in his life.

The scarred pirate roared, a guttural sound that echoed through the cramped space. Roman felt the Force surge through him, a calming presence amidst the chaos. He deflected the pirate's next attack, the emerald blade flashing in the dim light. He glanced back at the scene behind him, where the stranger was fending off another pirate with a strange shield.

"Who are you?" Roman said, his voice firm. He couldn't help but wonder what her game was. Was she really helping him, or was this some elaborate scheme he hadn't yet fathomed? He wasn't used to dealing with the machinations of the underworld, but this felt different; wilder, more unpredictable. And a little too personal for his liking.

More and more pirates began streaming in as Roman continued to try and dispatch them.

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Tag: Kinsey Starchaser