Private You Just Walk In Like You Belong

[Kaile Vera]

“Oh, blast it!” While Kaile was happy Asmus made sure her uniform was freshly washed, the well worn fabric was still a tad small for the additional weight two pregnancies had given her. She has a little muffin top going on that had to be skimmed down by her stockings, and her shirt was so tight that she had to snip the neckline to give it some slack.

Of course while it gave her more mobility it also showed a hell of a lot more cleavage than it was standard. Not that it should stand out more. She’d seen other waitresses do worse in an attempt to get better tips.

“Hi! Here for floating back up!” Kaile told the hostess, giving a happy broad smile and a tight wave.

The Twi’lek barely looked her over before thumbing towards the direction of the back administrative area and the kitchen.

“Clock in and get to work.”

Well at the very least kaile could make some tips.

——

Safe in hyperspace, Lucy gave a huff and glower at the weequay.

“Are you nuts?!” She yelped out. Max did his best to calm the situation.

“He got us out.”

“Barely!”

“Oi if you do not like it you can get get dropped off next station. Won’t harmed me none I’ve been paid upfront.”

“No, no. It’s good,” max said, placing a hand on Lucy’s forearm.

“Good. Well get to terminus all nice and proper then.”

 

[Asmus Janes]

"Deerrin?"

Asmus pushed the front door open. The houk, Deerrin, had turned out to be of a particularly grim demeanour. He has told Asmus relatively little and spoken to the point. Fortunately Asmus found people from all walks of life endearing, even the grumpy ones.

Something felt off.

The small two-story home was occupied by the houk and had been their base during the last two days as they waited for news.

There was no one downstairs. Asmus took the stairs up slowly. He didn't want to catch the enormous houk by surprise.

"Oh there you are," Asmus muttered. Deerrin was sat on the landing, head slumped forwards.

Asmus started to reach for him to wake him gently.

There was a creak in the far room. Asmus noticed the dark circle of a blaster burn in Deerrin's chest. He wasn't breathing.

Asmus drew his blaster. He jumped over the railing and landed halfway down the stairs. He barely saw the shadow emerge behind him, but he felt the heat of the blaster bolt that struck the wall beside him.

---

Terminus team is burned. Meet at secondary location.

A simple message sent encrypted to Kaile and the smuggler's vessel as it emerged at the edge of the system. One message that meant so much. It gave nothing away as to whether Asmus was alive.

"We've got a..." Chaz started to explain as he saw the message.

"Yeah, yeah, I see it. Pack your bags. I'm dropping you and leaving," the smuggler told the small group of fugutives.

 

[Kaile Vera]

Terminus team is burned. Meet at secondary location.

Burned? Reading that sent a stab of ice down her spine. She'd been standing by the short cook line, waiting for her order to be filled when that message came in, scanning across her ocular lens.

Her heart stopped. The chaos of the Yum Bunnies kitchen faded away, and all Kaile could do was freeze for those few seconds, lower lip trembling.

Oh stars, no.

"HEY! Get this to table five!" the shortcook yelled out at Kaile, shaking her from her panic. Swallowing the fear down, the Lorrdian grabbed the plates and went weaving out to the main dining area to deliver.

Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic. It was all she could do to keep herself sane. Wait for Asmus's response. He said he'd meet me here if his location went down.

Now it was up to her. The pair were supposed to meet up at the Yum Bunnies and request a carry-out for an event. The carry-out should have the new ID's and a change of clothing just in case.

---

The vessel swung round to land at the docking port at the Arceneau Trade Station, connecting to the industrial sector used to drop off goods for the various stores and centers within.

"Alright, there you go, " The Weequay said, gesturing at Chaz and Lucy with out further ado to scram. "Get on out. Won't take long to find it. You'll smell it before you, hear it, and you'll hear it before you see the amount of neon lights off that Yum Bunnies sign."

He was already looking to book it.

"You got your instructions. " he nodded to the pad; which said to get carryout for an event under the name Shaka Bak.

 

[Asmus Janes]

Asmus tucked his blaster into his jacket as he turned into a busy street. He could feel the eyes upon him, barely catching the dark shadow in his peripheral vision as he turned his head.

He was being followed.

I was a surprise.

That was some solace. They hadn't expected Asmus which means they hadn't been following him yet. The houk must have been marked some time ago. He needed to get a message out or else the incoming ship was heading into a trap.

---

Carrying a shoulder bag between them, Chaz and Lucy made their nervous way to the Yum Bunnies. They had always trained for one of their ships to go down in the wrong place, but it had always come with the notion that they would be extracted by a team.

"Hey," Lucy said, approaching the front station. The Bunnie waiting with menus tilted her ears to one side, sending one into a flop. Couples were not their usual.

"Takeaway order for Shaka Bak?"

 

[Kaile Vera]

The houk must have been marked some time ago. He needed to get a message out or else the incoming ship was heading into a trap.

A trap indeed. Shortly after the Weequay's ship departed from Arceneau Trade station, it went under fire from Imperial scouts. By the time Kaile wandered her way towards the carryout section and saw Chaz and Lucy, it had been shot down.

Three pairs of eyes widened in shock and familiarity. Lucy's eyes went immediately from Kaile's face, to her breasts, then back to Kaile's face and she began to say "Whiskey --" Before Chaz interrupted, "Here for the carryout order."

Chaz, being the seemingly stoic Fondorian he was, did not let his attention wander below Kaile's neck.

"I have it here. I'll help carry it out with you." she indicated to three large bags of Yum Bunnies take out, about the size of a small carryon each.

"W'era I'll be back!" she called out, letting the other hostess know. She wouldn't of course. With a nod indicating that it was best for them to leave, they headed out.

By the time they were out into the crowd, Kaile had plucked off her lepi headband and shot her attention to the pair, "Follow me. I need you to change into different clothes."

She led them to a side entrance that would get them into a maintenance closet. Once inside, Lucy couldn't wait, "Wait, where is Janes?"

Kaile locked her a level stare. "We have little time. Save the questions for later." she didn't want to focus on Asmus right now, she had to follow the plan. Had to. Otherwise she would leave Chaz and Lucy to fend for themselves and go looking for Asmus herself.

 

[Asmus Janes]

Asmus wove through the street but his tail stayed on him. His datapad beeped. The solarium was hooked into local space traffic feed. Several imperial vessels had just activated their tracking systems within the system.

The noose was closing. He didn't know what they had picked up on their mission, but it was clearly valuable information. They wouldn't normally go to this length to grab two agents only to trade them back later.

There was a serious of residential streets between him and the space port. It would be the perfect place for them to grab him. He took a deep breath, pushing the panic back down.

He turned down a side alley, accelerating into a half run and stepping into a blind corner. Asmus pressed his back into the wall and drew his blaster, cradling it tight to his chest.

He waited. Time seemed to stretch out forever. His own heart drummed out a steady beat in his ears.

When he was always ready to step out and continue on his journey, his tail walked past. A tall man, in indescript clothes. A jacket large enough for a blaster.

Asmus started to move, which caught their attention. They went for their own blaster.

A single shot was fire. A flash of green.

Asmus stood, holding the blaster level as the imperial agent crumpled to the floor.

Asmus finally went for his comm, bouncing it through the Solaris.

"We've got a problem here, I think I'm clear but I'm going to take off now."

 

[Kaile Vera]

By the time Kaile received the encrypted comm bounced off the Solaris, Kaile, Chaz, and Lucy were all wearing well worn maintenance worker jumpsuits. The palatable relief that washed over Kaile's face was exhileration.

"Oh thanks the stars!" Kaile quietly gasped out, closing her eyes for a second to steady herself and take that in. Asmus is alive. He's okay. Well, as of now. He mentioned a problem so odds were it would reach them too.

"What is going on?" Lucy, ever the one to want to know what was going on. Kaile shot a gaze that told her that this wasn't the time. "Done? We are leaving. Asmus will be meeting up with us soon. We have to get out of here and head towards the docking bays."

If that didn't work out, there was one other place on the station that they could attempt; the refuse extractor, where the trash and rubbish was compacted into cubes and then loaded out onto a barge. Not the sort of pick up she'd like, but it was an idea.

"Asmus? Wait Janes?" Now Chaz asked, only to quiet down when Kaile gave him a firm look.

"Follow me." she told them, opening the maintenance door and heading out. Through the encrypted comm off the Solaris, Kaile responded back {{ I have the carry out. Heading for the delivery. }}

 

[Asmus Janes]

Adrenaline was flowing. He needed it to calm down or else he was going to be struggling to fly. There were imperial ships in the sector and if they'd been marked at all he was going to need to fly.

A year or two didn't feel like a long time, but he hadn't pulled any hairbrained maneuvers in anything as twitchy as the Solaris in that time.

He hands shook. The adrenaline had nowhere to go. He'd just shot a man. The houk that he'd been playing cards with the day before to pass the time was dead.

Asmus took the most careful path he could through the space dock. Fortunately Terminus had bustling ports. The world was fiercely independent so they wouldn't be collaborating with imperial security.

---

We have company coming to join the party. Coming in to the arranged point.

Asmus sent the single message as he approached the docking bay. He'd managed to calm himself leaving Terminus' orbit. Then he'd flown as casually as he could into the ATC station.

The imperial cruisers wouldn't attack the station, but several transport shuttles were approaching just behind the Solaris.

 

[Kaile Vera]

We have company coming to join the party. Coming in to the arranged point.

Company. That could mean any of several things. Kaile bit her lip in nervousness, heart jackhammering at her throat.

“Move briskly, but not too obvious,” Kaile murmured to Chaz and Lucy. That earned the Lorrdian and incredulous look that didn’t need kinetic communication to figure out. Lucy was high strung and upset. Evident by stressed filled lines of her walk and the glower and huff in response.

[ continue to áurek or besh? No company with us ] she sent back. If he had someone following him she wasn’t sure how safe it might be to go to their initial pick up point.

So far they kept the illusion of Maintence workers headed towards the docking stations. Regular rotations meant it was a normal observance. But even then, even if ATC station was considered neutral territory, they were still subject to Imperial law and justice within Sith territory.

No matter how well Danger Arceneau rubbed elbows with the Sith Emperor.

 

[Asmus Janes]

Aurek

Asmus gave just a little extra push of thrust. It would look to most as if there was a rookie pilot at the helm who was overcorrecting. In truth it bought him a few more seconds.

They might have really needed those seconds.

The Solaris gleamed as it slipped into the docking bay a little too quickly. He pushed himself back into the seat as he applied some reverse thrust to arrest the last of his momentum. The rear landing legs hit the ground whilst the ship was still travelling at a couple of meters per second.

"Breaking comms protocol. Got landing shuttles landing now. Heads down and wait it out or speed up."

By the time anyone sifted through the logs and found that message and worked out the source it would be too late. Lots of people on the station would be talking about the imperial shuttles on open comms right now. Sending something highly encrypted with imperial shuttles right behind him would only mark the Solaris immediately.

 

[Kaile Vera]

"Breaking comms protocol. Got landing shuttles landing now. Heads down and wait it out or speed up."

Kaile didn't want to risk it.

[ Aurek now. ]

The faster they could get out of here, the better. She was starting to get a bad feeling. Her skin felt as if it was beginning to crawl, and there was a twisting in her stomach.

Something wasn't right.

As they dashed through the sterile corridors of the ATC space station, their footsteps muffled against the metallic floors, Kaile did her best to keep an eye out. No. Something was wrong.

A tense whisper echoed down the corridor as the Imperials detected their presence, their authoritative voices commanding the trio to halt. Time was a luxury they couldn't afford.

"Keep moving, stay close," she urged her voice a determined murmur over the rising clamor of approaching footsteps.

The Imperials emerged, their weapons raised, and orders to stop ringing through the air. It was the tipping point when their covert operation hung in the balance.

"Lucy, Chaz, behind me," the Lorrdian directed, her hand subtly reaching for the blaster holstered beneath her disguise. There was no turning back now, the mission depended on her resolve.

For a fleeting moment, the standoff held, a fragile pause in the looming confrontation. But the fragile peace shattered, and chaos erupted in a flurry of blaster fire, the space station's corridors transforming into a battleground.

Taking cover behind a nearby console, she returned fire, her shots calculated to provide cover for Lucy and Chaz's escape. The metallic resonance of blaster bolts echoed, the symphony of conflict reverberating through the confined space.

"Go! Move!" she barked, urgency lacing her command as she signaled for Lucy and Chaz to sprint toward the nearest exit that would lead them toward the docking bay where Asmus would've landed the Solaris.

 

[Asmus Janes]

Asmus was standing on the ramp to the Solaris when he heard the first blaster shot. A squad of six sith troopers rushed from the shuttle to his left. Even with those odds, his first instinct was to rush towards the sound.

He could not lose her.

Then came another cry of blaster fire. This time from a different direction. Then another.

Far away, a sullustan pulled a few more strings.

The ATC station was currently a stopping off point for lots of ships. Some of those were even less keen to be inspected by imperial troops. That first round of blaster fire was enough to send the tension spilling over.

"Shit."

Asmus couldn't even guess where Kaile and their 'fugitives' were. He headed back into the Solaris. The shop didn't look like your typically smuggling rig and he hoped that counted for something. Instead of rushing out, the six troopers took up a position in the hangar.

By now, the imperials would have launched fighters to spread the blockade.

"So much for quiet," Asmus muttered as he reached the cockpit. He left the twin laser cannons hidden in the underbelly of the ship, but he set an opening target. The canon wouldn't pierce the heavy armor of an assault shuttle, but it could turn its own cannon to slag.

"Come on Kaile...where are you..."

The moment he saw them, he would open fire.

 

[Kaile Vera]

"Dammit!" Kaile cursed under her breath, sending another volley of coverfire toward the Sith imperial troopers. At this point, the Lorrdian could see they were dealing with four.

Feth. Feth, feth, feth!

"Go! Move, now!" Kaile's voice cut through the chaos, her urgency driving the pair to sprint for safety. Lucy stared wide-eyed at Kaile, but it was Chaz who finally did what he was told. Chaz seized Lucy's arm, pulling her along as Kaile pivoted, ready to provide cover fire against the encroaching Imperial troopers.

By now, her heart was thundering in her ears, adrenaline pumping through her veins.

Just need to get out of here.

Kaile narrowly avoided blaster bolts as they ricocheted around her as she returned fire, each shot calculated to create a barrier between the Sith troopers and her charges. But the odds were against her, four Sith Imperial troopers closing in, their determined advance threatening to halt the escape.

[ They are fleeing! Get them! ]

Summoning the Force, Kaile focused her energy, a power surge emanating through the overhead lights. The hallway flickered then the lights exploded, plunging the section into momentary chaos and darkness, offering a temporary diversion and cover for Lucy and Chaz's escape into the docking bay.

Yet, amidst the tumultuous display of power, a searing pain tore through Kaile's side as a blaster bolt struck her abdomen. Gasping, the air escaping her lungs, she stumbled backward, collapsing to the ground, the acrid scent of burnt flesh invading her senses.

Her vision blurred, agony coursing through her; Kaile fought against the overwhelming pain. Asmus's face flashed before her eyes. Bix.

Nope. Not here. Not now.

Determination etched on her face; the Lorrdian attempted to rise, the sting of the wound hindering her movements. Despite her efforts to dodge incoming fire, the injury had debilitated her, causing her to stumble anew.

She vaguely saw Lucy point, but Chaz shoved her through the exit. They were through.

Get up. Get up. Get up.

With each shallow breath, Kaile gave a grunt, face blanching of color but determination lining sharp lines across her face. She reached deep into her training, using the Force to fight through the pain and remain conscious.

A sudden shove of the Force sent the console she used as a barrier, metal grating and groaning under sheer pressure before being flung towards the closest two troopers.

On the other side of the docking bay, Chaz and Lucy ran in, unaware of the other six troopers that awaited them.

Asmus Janes

 

[Asmus Janes]

Lucy and Chaz emerged into the hangar bay. It was over a year since he had seen them. Lucy had been on the technical team of their squadron, Chaz had flown beside him.

They had flown out of hidden bases scattered across GA space as it fell to the First Order. They had struck key targets and vanished before fighters could be scrambled.

Kaile wasn't with them. Asmus froze.

The sith troopers were pointing and shouting.

"No."

"Come on, come on Asmus."

He needed to act, no matter what.

The laser cannon dropped from the belly of the Solaris. One burst struck the turret of the assault ship before he skewed it around to the squad of six troopers.

Under a hail of blaster fire without cover, five of them fell.

"Where is Kaile?" his voice rang out of the intercom across the hangar, protocol broken in the heat of the moment.

 

[Kaile Vera]

The echoes of blaster fire and distant footsteps resonated within the buzzing shell of Kaile's ears, the Lorrdian struggling to maintain consciousness as she sent another volley of fiery red blaster bolts down the hall.

She used the chaos of the darkness, along with the sudden lug of the console, as the distraction needed to stumble to the exit.

In the dim-lit bay, pain flared within Kaile's abdomen, a searing reminder of the blaster's searing damage. Gritting her teeth, she staggered her steps, a testament to her resolve, each footfall echoing defiance against the agony gnawing at her core.

She heard Asmus then — breaking protocol. There was no hiding edge of alarm in his voice.

Asmus. Alive. How his voice, even through the intercom, gave her such a rush of adrenaline. He was waiting there in the Solaris, their passage to freedom. With a guttural breath, she called upon the Force, a lifeline to push beyond the torment, to steel herself against the haze at the edges of her vision.

She'd lived through worse.

Amidst the chaos, Chaz and Lucy darted forward, determination etched upon their faces as they sprinted towards the vessel.

Yet, amidst the frantic rush, a shadow caught Kaile's sight — a lone Sith stormtrooper, the last barrier before those regrouped behind them. Jaw set, Kaile summoned her strength, arm arcing upward in a graceful snap, unleashing a flurry of crimson energy toward the trooper. Each bolt crackled with her determination, a fierce rebuttal to the encroaching threat.

"Get… on… the ship now!" She yelled out, doing her best to catch up. Behind her, she heard the Sith Troopers yell.

In her mind, she kept chanting one thing over and over.

Don’t be a hero Asmus.

Don’t be a hero.

Asmus Janes

 

[Asmus Janes]

Another burst of laser fire cut an arc over Kaile's head. If she could keep going, she had a clear run. She wasn't running right. She was hurt.

Asmus very, very nearly left the controls. If he hadn't felt the need to keep manning the laser cannons he would have rushed to her.

"Chaz, get the fuck up here I need you! Lucy, stay down there and help Kaile to the med room."

If there was one part of the Solaris they hadn't taken apart and sold it was the hi-tech medical unit. The tools, scanners and droid brains could carry out a number of operations and kaile had been very pregnant on a low technology world.

Keep going, keep going, he recited to himself.

 

[Kaile Vera]

"Chaz, get the fuck up here I need you! Lucy, stay down there and help Kaile to the med room."

Kaile had ducked her head instinctively to avoid the laser fire overhead. Good thing she did as behind her, the two Sith Troopers that survived the blast of laser fire from the Solaris began to send volley after volley of red blaster fire.

The Lorridan spun on her heel, stumbling, eyes searching for another thing to throw. With a grimance, her hands flared from the blaster, outstretching over to a series of cargo boxes. The Force surged as telekinetic tendrils shot out, lancing to the containers. They shook, quivering for a half second before suddenly rising to be flung one after another towards the troopers.

Kaile didn't even bother waiting to see if they hit. She did her best to do the awkward shuffle run towards the Solaris. Lucy ran towards her, face drained of color, the redhead reaching round to assist the Lorridan to move as fast as possible towards the ship.

"We need... to get out .... of here now!" Kaile shouted, huffing and grimacing in pain. It hurt. But she could work past this. She'd had the torture of chagrin training at Omega Pyre.

She went through worse.

Worse.

Then everything went black.

 

[Asmus Janes]

"You shouldn't have sent Lucy to get her. Where the hell did Vo find you two?" Chaz asked.

"Intertial dampeners to one hundred," Asmus hissed. "Then get down and help Lucy get Kaile onto the stretcher.

The red haired engineer had carried Kaile over one shoulder to the ramp. Asmus wanted the inertial dampeners much higher than he would normally set them so Kaile wasn't moved. She was currently prone on the ramp.

Chaz did as he was told. Asmus had been commanding their cell as they struck enemy targets from hidden bases. More than that, the tone in Asmus' voice permitted no question.

The Solaris pulled backwards out of the dock and he swung it around. The engines purred as they accelerated away.

There were several squadrons of TIE fighters flying, but a handful of other freighter making a break for it.

Asmus turned his nose towards the closest cruiser and accelerated. Gentle nudges of lateral thrust threw the targeting of its cannons off, whilst the Solaris had a slim profile from the front.

"Lucy, Chaz, how are we looking down there?"

Two red dots on the holographic display broke off and stared to take an intercept course.

 

[Kaile Vera]

"Are you crazy?" Lucy yelled at Chaz, clearly upset of the series of events that occurred. Chaz had come down with purposeful steps, heading to the redhead to help the prone woman.

"I got her." The Fondorian replied firmly, not responding to Lucy's cries. It wasn't the time. He bent down to grab Kaile, hooping one arm under her head and knees. He couldn't find the stretcher but he could at least carry her. From the looks of it, it had been a blaster shot.

"We could have helped her back there!" Lucy continued with her barrage. "I could have --"

Chaz swung his head over to her, "You are important to me. Your life is far more important to me than anyone else. I had to make sure you were out of it. She told us to leave. She made her choice."

He began to walk through the bay, the ramp hissing shut. He gave a look around, impatient, not sure where to go.

"Lucy, Chaz, how are we looking down there?"

"Where exactly am I supposed to take her?" he called out, Lucy stunned into silence for the moment.

 

[Kaile Vera]

.