Who Brings the Night?

[Riamah]

In her time away from Trian, Ailuros had spent time with the Silver Jedi and Galactic Empire as well having a run in or two with Commenor and First Order people. Now for about the past year, she spent her time in the company of the Confederacy and taken lessons from them in using the Force.

As of yet, no path called to her, but her eyes had been opened to a great many things.

The mission from her people was clear and simple. Learn about the goings of the galaxy and report to them. This is what she doing and now travelled into sith space. Maybe not to learn from or join them, but to observe what went on there.

Picking a planet on the edge of their space, it was unlikely she would draw any attention from them. The young, naked felinoid climbed off her ship after landing. The yoke of oppression was there, but it seemed for the most part, the people carried on with their normal lives. Those that had been in power here before the sith were gone.

Taken captive or killed, she didn't know. Rumor floated in the streets the children lived and were held captive. Ailuros found this unlikely though, but followed the rumors.

[member="Jubei"]

 

[Jubei]

ChikatLik was the capitol city of Ord Cestus. Was a large city with very little aerial traffic and thousands of roads that made up the arteries for ground traffic. A lepi, clad in simple garb with his long ears laid back and drooping behind his shoulders watched from the shadows the goings and comings of the space port. His intent was to find a easy mark to skillfully borrow or acquire their ship to aid in his plans to rescue a host of children that had been imprisoned for the mere fact their parents had refused to surrender to the Sith Empire. Unfortunately most of those that had refused to bend the knee had either perished in the open conflict or made disappear in the abyss of night. Sad outcome and of course the offspring of this would be rebels were considered threats and the mandate was to pluck the seed of discord from the roots. So the children were to be reprogrammed by brainwashing to be more imperial sympathetic or out right executed. Neither bold well for the Jedi.

Jubei's senses perked up, was like a slight mental tug towards the direction of a freshly landed ship. His large eyes zeroed in on a felinenoid spacer, her fur clad body was nude in retrospect that she did not wear clothing for why would she need too? Wasn't like a human whose fleshy bits would be dangling about and catching the oogles of those creatures that were over sexed and got flush at such sights. The tug was the aura she had coming off her, she was a force sensitive at the very least. She didn't look to be Sith, nor did she look like a Jedi... if one could actually character rise both sides of the coin with attire alone. IT was more of the feeling he got, a gut instinct that drove him to belive that this cat was not of the darker persuasion. She may be a blessing in disguise, by the force, he needed all the help he could get to pull this mission off. And if this was the force giving him a hint, he was listing.

Now the trick was to make contact and risk it all following the instincts that were gnawing at him. If he was pulling at straws and this went south fast the children would have little hope of survival. Riks were needed to be made, a gamble in life or death was just a dice roll in this cruel galaxy of untold evils and atrocities. Some days Jubei felt as if he was the only light in the darkness. He took a deep breath and eased himself out from the shadows and into the light of he sun beaming down upon them. He hoped that luck was on his side for once as he made way towards the cat woman. As he drew closer he could see that she was triannii, one of the few felinoids to actually have a tail that made them different from The more popular races were Cathar, almost saw one at every corner of the verse.

His long strides made it easy for him to catch up to her and he eased into to a walking pace close to her side, close enough that she could hear him. "Pardon me!" His soft silvery voice broke the verbal void between the two "May i walk with you? I am...." There was a slight pause, a hesitation of mistrust as he debated with himself to give he his real name. But then if he was going to ask her for help, he best lead with the best foot forward " My name is Jubei and i need your help!"

[member="Ailuros"]

 

[Riamah]

The Trianii were a matriarchial society, but mostly stayed at home. A few such as Ailuros were explorers. Those that wandered away usually returned home, but she wasn't ready to settle down yet. Her family and friends probably missed her, but that call had not yet reached the cat.

Females were generally larger than the males, but Ailuros was average. At least she thought so. As of yet, she had no destinguishing marks or scars. Her fur was still vibrant and full of life, her eyes full of intelligence. As the different sights, sounds and smells of Ord Cestus reached her, a different reaction could be seen. The tilt of ears, twitch of a whisker or flick of her tail.

She carried no lightsaber on her belt, which she considered enough clothing. However, there was a sword there and that was worn openly. In the pouches of her belt were other various tools she felt she might need.

It had been a very short time since she left the spaceport before a being approached her. Before she turned her head to see who spoke to her, she could tell it was a male. An ear rotated to hear him better and a turn of her head followed after. At first sight, he was greeted with a blink of her eyes. It was a slow blink, in the body language of her people it would indicate something positive. It would show there was no harmful intention and maybe the desire to get along.

After asking if he could walk with her, he provided a name after a pause. It was as if he tried to decide if she could be trusted. In the end he did and then stated he needed her help.

"I am known only as Ailuros and you are welcome to walk with me. You're a rather large rabbit, what are you?"

[member="Jubei"]

 

[Jubei]

Jubei would match speed and continue to walk side by side with the felinoid named Ailuros. He had seen many catfolk before though he never really one with the unique tuffs of hair from the ears and an actual tail. That is what made the Trianii unique was that there were one of the few species of sentient cat that actually had the tail, which also made it easy to point out her race. Her curiosity in his own heritage was intriguing for there were many Lepi in the galaxy, adventurous and curious creatures they were and very hard to miss.

" I am a Lepi from the world of Coachelle Prime. Or commonly known as Space Rabbits" He let off a soft energetic chuckle "Yes we like carrots but we also won't turn down a hambone" He jokingly hinted that the Lepi are ominousness.

"But as much as i would love to make small talk with you, Ailuros, i need to know if you are able to help me out?" His soft playful nature turned to serious. The mission at hand was time sensitive and he needed to acquire her assistance fast if they were to save the children. "I am a Jedi here to rescue children that had been imprisoned by the occupying imperial forces. These children's crimes are just being the offspring of those that resisted against the Sith Empire. My intel has it that they will either be brainwashed or terminated" He laid it out to her as bluntly as he could. Now the ball was in her court.

[member="Ailuros"]

 

[Riamah]

"You can keep your carrots, I'll just take the hambone."

Sharing a bit in the laugh, the topic turned to the dark reason it appeared there were both here for. The securing the children. She wasn't so much interested in keeping them safe from the sith, but to get them out of danger period.

"I was with the Rangers for a time with the Silver Jedi. My mission from my people though keeps me moving, so I didn't stay too long."

What of the parents, children needed some form of guardian to guide them through life. She wasn't in a position where she could do that herself, but he was a Jedi. Maybe he had a place they would be raised.

"Yes, I am here for the same reason, but I don't think I can call myself as being Jedi. Just myself. I want to help though. Children should be allowed to be children."

Her whiskers dropped a little when she spoke, but perked back up when she finished. The memory of being able to play and have fun came to her mind and she almost smiled.

"Any ideas where they are?"

[member="Jubei"]

 

[Jubei]

The force had tricky ways in how it proved to control fate and destiny. Jubei would of loved to say it was pure gut instinct in that he was able to approach a stranger and know that they would help with his important mission. But he knew the force tugged him towards the feline and all he had to do was just be open to what the force was saying to him. Ailuros was here to help and this operation had a better chance of success with both of them on the job instead of him nonflowering it.

"Aye, I have intel that points towards an old decommissioned prison on the outskirts of the city that is being used to hold the children among other political captives" He replied to her inquire, though his ears perked up to full extension as he saw a squad of imperial soldiers in the distance. "Best we take this conersation else where"

With that the Lepi would nonchalant guide the trianii off the main street and into the back ally ways. They needed some privacy to coordinate a plan and he did not have a safe house to do so. The next best thing was a dive of a cantina, a place where nobody cared for who you were our what you were. Just mind your own business and you were safe...... most of the time.

"In here!" Jubei ushered Ailuros into the cantina. The smell of stale ale and bitter smoke mixed with with sweat and body odor of multiple beings and races would violate their senses. Was not a shock to Jubei for he had been her multiple times. He could only imagine the assault it was taking on her sniffer for he could remember the disgusted feeling he had the first time he was in here. But, from the slight chance of contracting some foreign disease, this was a safe place to talk.

Jubei would take up in one of the private alcoves off the main lounge and waved a furry hand towards the zeltronian waitress. "Two pints of what ever you have on tap" he said, giving the seductively attired woman credits, a tip and extra for the privacy.

The lepi waited till the waitress was out of ear shot "It really doesn't matter what we order, its still gonna taste like watered down nerf piss. Anyways back to what i was saying. The prison on the outskirts is where they are keeping the children. Out of sight out of mind for most. Its not heavily populated so the security is very minimal but...... its close enough to the city's imperial garrison and in range of a rapid response. There is very minimal ariel traffic and even less around the outkirts of city and none around the prison itself. So what ever we do it will be from ground side and will have to be silent and fast"

[member="Ailuros"]

 

[Riamah]

"Not so decom...."

Letting out a slight almost yowl, it wasn't a loud one, but certainly surprised sounding. Ailuros had been more focused on the conversation than what was around them, but it became clear what was going on quickly. Following along, they went into a cantina to keep the conversation going. He ordered them drinks and she listened to what he had to say.

"Sneaking around shouldn't be an issue. Something cats are famous for. Silent as a shadow, but far more deadly."

It was too bad she didn't have a map and he may not have one either.

"It might be best to head there after dark then. Less likely to draw attention. Maybe take a stroll out there and scout further for weaknesses the perimeter might have. Do you have a planned escape once we get these children in our custody? Sadly that is not something I thought of clearly. How many are there do you think?"

Without having to worry about anything coming after them in the form of ships, she had hopes they wouldn't have to worry much about ground vehicles either. Just guards and maybe a trooper or few.

[member="Jubei"]