Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side...

Ensuring that the weapon was ready to go, Terrin looked around even as Cel and Yaoksi gathered weapons of their own choosing. He spared a moment to look in Galen’s direction, unable to keep completely straightened the lopsided grin of pride pulling at the corner of his mouth as he took in her confident, assured stance.

Damn, you are a lucky man...

Sobering at that, then, he looked once more towards the others. And like it had been said many times before, there no time like the present. They were armed, and he knew where they were going even as everyone huddled back up, now with weapons at the ready, and began moving.

“That way,” Terrin said and pointed in the general direction of the docking bay, even as one or the other of his compatriots fired a weapon, and with the steady hum of a lightsaber, occasionally shifting its position.

No one wasted any time, growing interference be damned. Soon the corridors of the ISSD, becoming more and more busy with people running to and fro to address the systems failures, widened further, widening until they at length arrived in a blessedly large hanger bay...

...one which housed the tractored Challenger...

...and their one way ticket out of this mess.

[ 03-06-2019 07:46 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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Which certainly did not take long, as there was simply nothing there.

It fleebled, sending the results of that analysis back to the Squad leader, who with his wing was waiting somewhat impatiently in hyperspace. From there that information was sent back to Satyr.

The captain was alerted. He smile at the alacrity with which his order had been carried out; indeed that wing must have flown to arrive at the side of Relentless so quickly. A quick order that the probe itself try contacting the ship was a dead end, however; he sighed when that little tidbit came along for him to process.

Now he rose from his seat, clasping his hands behind his back as he paced a little in thought. Back and forth, back and forth; at length he came to a halt.

"There is certainly something out of order here," he said aloud. In response, all his bridge officers straightened at their posts, ready and willing and able to implement with lightning speed the order they sensed was soon forthcoming.

The captain came to a halt, now focused on his Communications Officer. "To Squad Leader Alpha One: you are to enter realspace, and set up a defensive perimeter around Relentless."

Waiting for that order to be implemented he waved a hand at the Squad leader's acknowledgment. Knowing it was being carried out at that moment, he murmered aloud, "Sometimes the enemy is not the one you see without... but it is the one within.

"I believe they may possibly come to need further assistance; Lieutenant!"

The Communications Officer straightened.

"Open a channel to Scar. I believe she is fairly close in position to Relentless."

This was done with alacrity. An open channel was waiting for him as he retook his command chair.

He punched a button, and a gruff voice acknowledged, "Scar". He did not leave the owner of that voice hanging.

"Captain Elim of ISD 'Satyr' here," he began easily enough, allowing himself the very briefest of smiles in response to the look of sheer surprise he knew was passing across the recipient's face. Generally speaking only the fleet commander made personal contact ship-to-ship, captain-to captain. With this understanding he likewise knew that details were not necessary at this time. Just the mere fact that it was he himself who was contacting Scar spoke volumes.

"I have diverted a wing of interceptors to Landarian's last known position, as contact with Relentless has been lost. Initial data from a launched probe-droid indicates nothing untoward in her immediate vicinity; however we all know how to play sandcat-and-womprat, don't we.

"To utilize the better part of valor, I am requesting you likewise send off a wing, to assist mine should the need arise. This should still leave enough ships and droids to continue with our current mission.

"Over."

The answer came quickly.

"Acknowledged, and affirmed. Scar out."

Captain Elim smiled, and settled in his seat. However that smile segued into something of a frown as he pondered just what in all the known universe could be happening aboard Relentless. Thinking back to the disappearance of an entire blockade under the command of General Tarnus, he couldn't help but think that there was, perhaps something more afoot than someone trying their hand at yet another silly rebellion.

He couldn't help but hope he'd done the right thing by sending merely two wings to assist Landarian with his current troubles.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

It did not take long for the second wing of interceptors to pop out from hyperspace near the strangely silent Relentless. Joining with those from Satyr, the group formed a defensive perimeter around the huge SSD, with a select few of their best marksmen hanging back facing the ship itself.

Standard protocol in the event that the nearly improbable possibility occur, that being someone inside the ship would be trying to get out..

[ 03-07-2019 11:38 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by The Empire ]

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All my stealth, all the stealth that Link had used, all the quiet and sneaking and tippy-toeing we'd all had to undertake... all nearly negated in its entirety by my husband's nearly pellmell rush through this huge ship, one whose corridors were filled more and more by more and more people as we practically raced through her. I swear it was only by dint of me and Kyan herding our group into this shadowy nook here, and that tiny alcove there, that we managed to make it as far as we did, as fast as we did, without being seen.

Well, may I amend that. Without being stopped, that is. We'd littered the deck behind us with more than one body; I could only hope we'd vacated the premises quickly enough so as not to be associated directly with them.

Now plastered against yet another tiny bulkhead in the even tinier alcove Master Kyan shoved us in, I paused for breath and shot a look Terrin's way, even though I know he wasn't able to see it one bit due to my having put on my helmet once again. I now turned That Look to Captain Joao, who was likewise trying to make himself and his charge invisible, his eyes just as wide as mine but perhaps not filled with quite the same emotion.

Turning my head now toward Master Kyan resulted in a brief nod of his head, assuring me that we both were on the same page here. But no sense beating a dead ronto; what was done was done. Terrin couldn't help it if dodging bad guys wasn't his forte; he'd not ever been in a solitary physical position in which to do so, at least not in any that came to mind. It's amazing the extent of how one's ninja skills can develop, and how quickly, when one is placed in such positions but utterly alone, relying entirely on themselves to escape.

I couldn't help but think back to Ambria, and scaling Actar's little Shangri-La facility. To coming out from absolutely nowhere to rescue Sorben right out from beneath the very nose of a Jedi gone bad, to all the times in the past few years when I had to survive by my wits alone.

Said wits having gotten me this far in my life, I wasn't about to risk it in the face of brute force combined with extreme eagerness. That particular combination analyzes superficially at best; we were damned lucky that most of the military people who were running about pellmell, in their uniforms, appeared to pay less than scant attention to a group likewise running pellmell, said group incongruously enough consisting of a two human males dressed in mufti, two Mandalorians, and a Ryn.

I pressed my back against the wall, panting a bit as I tried my best to push all the it could have beens down, and focus instead on Huzzah, we got this far.

But... this far, while a major achievement in and of itself, wasn't quite enough to claim total victory. With the greatest of care I peeped my head out, took a gander at what just had to be the biggest docking bay I'd ever seen in my life. And not that it was filled with people scurrying here and there to quite the extent that the corridors had been, it still held entirely way too many uniforms and armored Impys for my liking.

Oddly enough, there weren't any ships aboard.

Not. One. Ship.

Well, I take that back. There was one, way in the distance, sitting there all alone. Surrounded by those infernal men in their gleaming white armor. Holding their blasted blasters.

I now focused on Master Kyan again, recalling the last three words he'd spoken before we'd taken off under Terrin's well-meaning but perhaps not well thought out auspices.

"Mandalorian Jedi Master?" I breathed in the barest of whispers, knowing that our eyes met each others' behind our mutual masks. I gave my head a brief negative shake.

"More like Mandalorian Warrior with Jedi equipment and fighting skills. Much better if you ask me, and we're going to need it."

Exactly how in Hell's Seven Circles we were going to get to our ship was beyond me, and I've been known to pull off a remarkable array of improbable stunts. But even with the gloom of emergency lighting assisting us, as far as I was concerned the odds were simply against us. It was too far, there were too many soldiers...

And dammitall to Hell and back, but the Jedi who was with us was broken.

[ 03-07-2019 02:18 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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“Blast,” Kyan cursed. “Several fighters have jumped in taking up defensive positions around the SSD, they are watching the hangers as well.”

Okay, the Challengers shields should hold long enough to jump away, none of those ships out there should have the crew complement to warrant a tractor beam or gravity well generator. That still leaves us with these troopers. What can we work with in that hanger, what compelling reason would those troopers have to abandon their post? A more immediate threat to the ship of course. Now what is in there that would be an imminent threat to the ship, what does a hanger have? Ships… only ours, weapons racks… no it appears this was not intended for fighters or bombers, fuel… no wait FUEL!

It appeared in their haste to get the SSD operational again that the tanker carts had been left unsecured, if one blew the chain reaction could blow out the hanger. It could cripple the ship and force an evacuation. Possibly tying up those new ships with rescue efforts. It was crazy, more important it was suicidal, but as far as he could tell it was their only option.

“I can get those Stormtroopers to move,” Kyan said. “When they do you run, get on that ship, and get out of here as fast as you can, do not wait for me.”

Kyan removed his helmet and stripped out the comm link placing it over an ear and toggling it for all channel open communication. There was growing concern that he could feel in his companions and obvious objections to whatever crazy idea they thought he was concocting, but before they could vocalize those concerns he cut them off with a hiss.

“There is no time to debate this,” Kyan commanded. He unclipped his lightsabers and tossed them to Galen and his helmet to Terrin. Reaching down he took up a blaster and thermal detonators from one of the Stormtroopers they had been forced to kill along the way. “Gal’ika, I may be a half baked Jedi, but what makes a Jedi is not skill, or aptitude. But commitment and a good heart, both qualities you have in abundance. Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum my daughter.”

He shoved them back and tripped an emergency bulkhead, it slid into place blocking them from taking his entrance into the hanger bay. There were others that they could utilize but now they didn’t have a means of stopping him. Not wasting the initiative Kyan rushed the hanger, and once inside fired a quick burst with his blaster. His shots hit one, grazed another, and the rest dove for cover. Snatching up a thermal detonator he tossed it wide, his intent was to merely let them know he had them. So when it exploded in a clear area of the hanger Kyan faked surprise at the number of trooper, he grabbed the remaining detonator and thumbed the dead man switch before running the other way toward the defenseless fuel carts. Keying his comm for anyone and everyone to hear he yelled out the one thing that would rattle their cages.

“Death to the Empire,” He shouted. “Remember the Republic.”

Even with their moment of hesitation all but two of the troopers now sprinted to stop him, realizing the suicidal plan. As Kyan grinned at their predictable response he silently pleaded to the others.

"Goodby buir. Akay vi projor urcir..." I whispered even as the great bulkhead slammed into place, preventing our immediate entry into the docking bay. Followed immediately by the deepest, longest, and most ominous kind of thrum I had ever felt in my life.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to recognize an explosion when they felt one.

Fear for his life filled me, seguing immediately into raging anger that not only had he had been brought to this, but it was by my very own actions. Both high-charged emotions roiled around in my head, creasing my face with pain, and more than undoubtedly expressed themselves in my very body language, which in turn I strove mightily to overcome.

I settled on sheer determination.

If he had to die in there, by Hell's Seven Circles it wasn't going to be in vain!

Quickly then, I drew everyone back into the tiny alcove, and for a moment or so merely held them there with a silencing, restraining arm. Moments passed while I stood thus, one finger raised to my mask, by this small action telling everyone else to just stay put!. We all stood thus for what seemed a lifetime, letting those who of course were coming to assist the new ruckus Master Kyan was creating come racing up, only to grind to a halt in front of the stubbornly closed bulkhead, mill about for a bit, and then take off elsewhere.

After a bit of time had passed in which the number of arriving personnel finally shrunk to zero, I stuck out my head and took a gander.

"C'mon!" I whispered tersely, now moving silently out to begin creeping down the corridor in search of another entrance to that docking bay. "He's got to have done something pretty spectacular in there, something that would get troopers to-"

My words were cut off by the approach of booted footfalls coming up from a side corridor. I dove us all into another one luckily nearby; luckier still, those boots resolved into a small phalanx of armored troopers who took off in the opposite direction that we had been heading mere seconds before.

That only supported my supposition. Letting a few more precious seconds pass, and I pulled out again, dragging Terrin and Yaoksi and Link along with me. We were immensely lucky in that we did not run into any more personnel, and before we possibly might be had come upon a small facility entrance to the docking bay. I poked a head inside; yanked it back quickly.

Inside an inferno was raging. But it was raging alone. That is, save for the image of the ship which sat there waving at us through the flames, promising us salvation if we would just get our butts in gear and move.

The problem was, that meant moving through roiling black, oily smoke, more than likely toxic. The fact that doors were not automatically slamming closed to contain this only gave testimony to Link's skills; however it did present the dilemma that perhaps, just perhaps now mind you, even more troops would be coming in hazmat suits to try and contain the yowling Beast.

"We have to make a run for it," I said, as after another assessing peek I again pulled back and focused now on Terrin and Yaoksi and Link.

"That's all there is to it. Master Kyan gave us the final distraction we need; I- I don't want him to have died in vain."

For indeed it seemed there would be no way in Hell's Seven Circles that he could possibly have survived the conflagration he'd set in motion.

"It's going to be hot, but I think we can do this." I yanked off my helmet then, and handed it to Link.

"Here," I said, both the tone of my voice and That Look brooking no denial. "You need this more than I do, kiddo!"

She took the helmet; honestly I didn't know what it could provide for her without being hooked up to Mandalorian armor in it's entirety, but perhaps it would at least protect her face and allow her to breathe.

I looked to Terrin, who was standing there, his big blue eyes wide and dear, holding Master Kyan's own helmet somewhat awkwardly between his hands. I reached out with both of my own, grabbed him by his face, and planted the biggest kiss I could directly on his lips.

"No time to argue love; you moved us fast enough a moment ago, now let me return the favor."

With that, and with the realization that far too many precious seconds had been wasted I took off, making a somewhat angled bee-line for Challenger, trying to skirt the edges of the fearsome fire rising in its own brand of challenge between her and our little group by aiming toward the leftside bulkhead of the hangar bay. I've never sent more fervent prayers to Khaandon than I did then, pleading that against that distant wall we would be able to find a few miraculous molecules of air somehow still hanging about, enough air to sustain us al as we ran across those final and tremendously frightening meters necessary to travel in order to get to that ship.

[ 03-07-2019 04:29 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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It was Havoc who's most outlaying fighter's outlaying probe-droid picked up on it. Hyperspace came to life as brilliantly as Tatooine on Boonta Eve as messages flashed between ships, and computers whirred and likewise shared information. While it was worrisome that said information could not then be relayed through proper channels to Landarian on Relentless, that certainly did not mean it would just hang about waiting while he woke up his ship again to say hello.

It was Elim on Satyr who made the final decision.

"Triangulation points to Admiral Actar's ship being placed at..." He rattled off a final set of coordinates, ignoring the looks of amazement coming across the faces of his bridge officers when they quickly did the math and came up with the final location as being somewhere out in the Unknown Region, well below the galactic plane. Their amazement did not interfere in them all executing their various duties however; soon every destroyer was aware of the whereabouts of their leader.

Elim thought a little, and sent out his recommendation that perhaps some of the ships should hasten to Relentless, in case Landarian needed more firepower than the two squads of interceptors all captains by now knew had been sent.

"Satyr will go to the aide of the Admiral; I suggest all others remain at stations in the event that..." He paused ominously.

"In the event that something untoward is in the middle of happening. Elim, out."

With that he gave the order to recall his own squadrons of investigative interceptors and fighters, and gave helm the order to lay in a course for that point where the Mandalorian ship was expected to be found. A quick crunching of numbers informed him their Admiral would be rescued within the hour.

"Make it so," he said the moment an announcement informed him all ships were once again safely docked aboard his Star Destroyer. Without his ship the spacelanes then grew into impossibly infinite streaks of converging light as, with a dump of waste, Satyr took off to go rescue Actar.

Undoubtedly earning her captain acknowledgement, accolades and awards as a result.

[ 03-11-2019 04:25 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by The Empire ]

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Looks like that worked.

Struggling to sit up he could sense the chaos around him people to occupied with containing the reaction before they lost the hanger. Off in the distance he could barely make out the others making a beeline to the now guard less Challenger. He laughed through the pain that his crazy plan was actually working. But there was one thing left for him to do, to ensure nothing of importance was left behind. He fumbled with his belt, opening a small compartment and pressing a set of buttons on the inside. A high pitch whine began to emanate from his armor, and he began to recite out what was on his mind.

“Emotion, yet peace.
Ignorance, yet knowledge.
Passion, yet serenity.
Chaos, yet harmony.”

I’m sorry I couldn’t do more, but I did what I could. Gal’ika, Kan’ika watch out for each other.

“Death is not the end,”

The high pitched whine reached a crescendo, light began to escape through cracks in his armor as the capacitors glowed white hot. Off in the distance he saw the Challenger rise and rocket away. A smile grew on his face as Kyan slowly closed his eyes.

“We are the Force.”

The baradium charge hidden within his armor went critical. And soon where Kyan rested was engulfed in a 3 meter sphere of light. When it receded nothing was left it its wake.

I literally fell to the deck of Challenger, nothing more than a limp pile of noodles, and gave myself over to tears of grief and pain and loss.

Not again... not again...!

[ 03-07-2019 05:23 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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...who had both suffered far too much for a decision he had made already...

...and handed Kyan’s helmet off to Yaoksi. He let his blue eyes flick into the other man’s eyes. “She needs you,” he said simply, nodding to Cel.

Then with nothing further, Terrin turned and ran, along with his wife, and along with his friends. Even as he did an upwelling of the most damning words of self-recrimination haunted him.

You were so critical of Kyan. Of all he did. And look, what happened to him happened because he took the final step to save you all. And in that he lost his life. But you were the Captain, Danner. You made the choice which lead you all to this place, Kyan included. It should have been you.

But as they finally made it to the Challenger, Terrin no longer had any time for his own thoughts and feelings. For no sooner had they entered the living space of the ship did the most soul-rending scream issue forth from Galen’s lips as she crumpled to the ground, sobs wracking her, tears streaming from her eyes.

While in the background the Challenger’s systems were coming blessedly to life, Terrin simply fell to the deck along with her, reaching out to hold both her gloved hands. For he was keenly aware that Kyan had been more than just a teacher to Galen, but indeed, a Father. His blue eyes darkened and deepened with sorrow, Kyan’s sacrifice at the very forefront of his mind and soul...

...never to be forgotten. For greater love hath no one than this....

So Terrin remained with Galen for a brief few moments, wanting more than anything to give her the time to grieve...

...but likewise knowing that they were not entirely out of this. For even as the Challenger rocketed into the sky Terrin remembered what Kyan had said about other ships being out there, having most likely come to this ISSD’s aid.

He drew Galen up to her feet, letting his blue eyes lock on her browns a moment, firming. ”We aren’t out of this yet, love,” he said, the words soft but broaching no argument at the same time.

Saying no more than this, then, Terrin let one hand drop while letting the other remain where it was as they headed to the cabin of the Challenger.. For while Terrin had nothing but utter faith in Yaoksi’s piloting abilities, he wanted to be ready if and when they came against any opposition, for certainly the Challenger would be noticed when it was the lone ship coming out of the main hanger bay of this ship...

[ 03-07-2019 07:57 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Terrin Danner ]

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I didn't even feel.

Numbly I followed Terrin, not even being really aware of his presence, not to mention that of the bulkheads we passed along as we headed to Challenger's little bridge. We must have gotten there; I didn't notice.

I could only see black in front of my eyes.

Something niggled for attention, and with a small shiver I let a bit of reality swim into focus. We were standing just back of Captain Joao's pilot's seat, from which he was beginning to raise himself to his feet.

Darkness descended again.

"Just get us into hyperspace..." I whispered. With that I woodenly shook off Terrin's grasp, pivoted with unconscious military precision and proceeded back the way we had come. Along the way reality interjected itself for one small moment, grinning horribly as in that quick bit of time it revealed the pair of lightsabers which, remarkably enough, lay unnoticed on the deck where I had dropped them. My movements even more stiff, I retrieved them and kept going, letting my body find the way my eyes were not seeing, until I finally came to the tiny berth Terrin and I had shared so briefly together aboard this ship.

I entered, let the door close, locked it.

Moved to the bed, and standing there quietly started removing the armor Kyan had given to me, piece by shining piece. I laid these in a tidy pile on the bed, piece by shining piece, arranging them just so, until at length I was divested of them entirely and had created a little cairn. Carefully then, oh so carefully, I lifted the cairn and carried it to a corner, where I laid it almost reverently upon the deck. I topped it with the two lightsabers, laid neatly side by side.

For a moment I simply stood there, staring at the cairn, allowing full release to those tears Terrin's obviously well-meaning action had truncated, and when they had finally taken what I was sure to be every drop of excess moisture my body possessed, I drew in a breath and returned to the bed. There I plopped, sitting on the edge, my hands limp against the silky undergarment worn beneath Mandalorian armor...

And let The Black return.

There it was again: a pale arm, grasping a sharp rock fragment, rising and falling, rising and falling, shattering his life away blow by horrible blow.

Segue to the still-dear hard planes of Sorben's face, now marred by the cover worn by an Imperial General.

The image of Terrin now, without an arm, without his life...

Of sweet little Link, whirling in a midnight dress, her fur glistening and white now suddenly burned and dirtied and once again in possession of only one arm...

Of a Dark Lord of the Sith's face abhorrently close to mine as he... which led to...

Other images pushed in, vying vehemently for attention with each other. I let them come, let them play out in all their noisome darkness, each leading to this endpoint or that, before the entire lot simply fused together in flames and smoke of such intensity it was as if a sun had gone supernova inside my eyes.

And then from nowhere, eyes of purple and chrome ghosted into view. Whether this was reality, driven by memory, imagination or madness, I really had no clue.

"Hunch Central" had gone silent. My army of geese had gone to roost.

The eyes disappeared... and I fell back on the bed, now raising an arm to cover my face and just... remained there. I stayed thus for what some would tritely say seemed to be an eternity, but which strangely enough was not.

It was as if Time itself had stopped for me. And to tell the truth I didn't give a womprat's fuzzy behind if it ever started up again.

[ 03-09-2019 11:17 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Galen ]

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He and I exchange worried glances; I just shoved myself back into the seat and reached for the controls.

"I've heard this has been done before, and since we just don't have the time to decide our destination in a committee, I'm taking us back to Dagobah.

"We can alter our course later!"

The timing of events was excruciatingly close.

We'd gained entry. I'd flown to the controls, got us blessedly airborne, and was heading toward the even more blessedly open docking bay doors when something went thoomp behind us, rocking the ship. This was followed shortly thereafter as Captain Danner made his appearance behind me, his wife in tow. I started to rise from my chair; she paused, murmured that directive, left; I plopped down, reached for controls, hollered our unthinking destination into Danner's ears.

By then we'd left the SSD hanger bay. Before us, too many Imperial interceptors for my liking.

That's when I shouted, "I've heard this has been done before!" and with no further ado punched it. Proximity to the great ship be entirely damned.

A heartbeat ticked by. I peeped open one eye, quite surprised with myself that I had closed them. That I'd even had time to close them.

In front of me streaks of light converged into a single point.

It was only then I took my second breath of air, and allowed my body to try and regain a modicum of relaxation. For sure as there's Sand People on Tatooine, every muscle in my body had been coiled into one massive and intertwined knot.

"We're out," I announced quite unnecessarily before falling silent for a moment, and in that moment just giving myself over to the relief which had suddenly begun washing over me in great and soul-cleansing waves.

The moment passed. I let my head swivel.

"Everybody ok?" I called out before directing my focus to the navigator's chair, in which sat the wide-eyed form of Link, right where I had hurriedly set her before going to the controls to start our final bid for freedom.

Which, even with the slight glitch that had occurred, seemed to have worked.

Thank the Universe.

[ 03-09-2019 12:01 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

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At much too high a cost....

He let his eyes meet Yaoksi’s, trying his damnedest to look as thankful as he truly was but possibly failing entirely...

...his mind focused on The Look in Galen’s eyes. Something not all that deep within him ached and yowled to see it there...

...and for the moment all he would have really liked was to throw something, to curse the Fates and whatever else for what had brought That Look into her eyes, of the sorrow and pain and loss that she was suffering.

Dammit. She’d lost her father, and had pretty much lost her sister. Darra had been taken from her, and before she had even been born. She’d been chased after by one nasty or another- Wicked, Actar, and even her own sister, just to name a few. Too many of her loved ones had been killed or almost killed by said nasties as well...

...and then there was That Which Is and The Game...

...and now Kyan was gone. Dammit, how much more was one person supposed to take???

With effort, Terrin tried to shake himself from these dark thoughts, pretty much to no avail. He closed his eyes a few brief moments, knowing that she’d need space and wanting to give her that, at the same time wanting to fix it...

...and keenly aware there wasn’t a damn thing he could do other than be there when she was ready.

“I’m ok,” he answered then belatedly, knowing that the words themselves sounded entirely stupid and were not all that accurate. He then considered how Yaoksi had been moving a bit timidly, clearly in some pain. “You?” Then he looked at Cel. “You were amazing back there,” he then said. “Thank you.” He paused then, not quite knowing how to say what he wanted to as he considered the obvious torture she’d endured. “And I’m sorry.”

But it was then that something in the back of his head niggled for attention. Only then did he turn his worried eyes Yaoksi’s way once more. “I wonder if they could be tracking us,” he then said simply. He then almost literally cringed at the final words about to come out of his mouth. “That might have been too easy.”

--------------------

"No,I'm not alright." Link typed then waved at the screen for them to see.

She was coming down from her adrenaline high, combined with her faster than human metabolism the ineffective painkillers were wearing off as well. Already she could feel the shakes of her muscles protesting and the pain from multiple bruises and whelts.

"Nothing that puts me in immediate medical need." Link followed up with. "I'll tell you later what happened just not now."

She had been beaten before, usually she knew why: disobedience, being too slow, being too loud... this was the first time that she could recall it was because she wasn't human. And those doling out the beating only did so because of the pleasure it brought them. Link shuttered at the memory and her breathing quickened.

No Link keep it together.

She deliberately took deeper and slower breaths calming herself before she had another panic attack. Seeing the concern the others had for her condition she went back to typing.

"I'm not fine, but I'm not dying. As for tracking us, they could have bugged the ship. But their ship was damaged after what I did and after what Kyan did they may need to tow it to a ship yard. Get us somewhere a maintenance crew can scour the ship, like Terrin's SSD."

--------------------

"We're going to get you fixed up," I promised her. "However, mine is not to reason why, mine is but to pilot the ship. And scan it."

I turned to the controls again, this time initiating an internal sweep. Luckily it found nothing... but that was just the interior.

"There's nothing inside that I can find, at least not superficially. And that doesn't mean they didn't put a homing beacon on our hull somewhere; we didn't exactly have the time to give her a good once over before we, ummm departed the premises. However, something rocked us pretty hard just before we cleared the docking bay; if there was a homer onboard, maybe it got displaced?"

I turned to Terrin then, pausing in Link's direction just long enough to give her what I hoped was a hope-fortifying wink.

"I agree. We're not going to be able to assist Link or give this ship a really good scrutiny on that swamp-pit of a planet. I think Hornett sounds like the best port in the storm we've gotten ourselves into for both situations. And I just don't have her coordinates handy."

I paused, letting a smile now crease my features.

"And even if we do have a homer, what are a few interceptors going to do against her? We can zip off safely into hyperspace before anyone else can act, should they actually follow us, or even should other star destroyers pop in.

"We're moving now... and they have to get their acts together. We do have a bit of time on our side."

[ 03-09-2019 02:13 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

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“Yeah, I can contact Aaron and get coordinates. And while we’re there you can get the medical attention you both need.”

He paused then, his mind going elsewhere once again, feeling horribly for what Yaoksi and Cel had suffered, angry that in the process they’d lost Kyan....

That she had lost Kyan....

And wanting to do something, anything, to rectify any of this.

“If I can borrow the comm, I can contact my partner so we can get headed in the right direction.”

The right direction. Is there even such a thing after something like this...???

Yaoksi nodded Terrin’s mention of the comm, motioning towards the comm station in invitation. Terrin moved to it, keying in Aaron’s familiar and highly encrypted frequency.

He paused a moment, pursing his lips a bit as he considered just what he was going to say. “Aaron it’s Terrin. It’s a long story, but we are all safe....”

Here he paused, again inwardly cringing, hoping Aaron would read betweeen the lines what he wasn’t saying. “But I need to bring everyone and the Challenger back to the Hornett.. Please forward coordinates, and we can all fill you in when we arrive. And Aaron...”

Here he trailed again, frowning once more to think of what had been done to Cel. “Have the medics prep replace Link’s prosthetic arm, please.”

Leaving the message at that, Terrin sent it along the secure frequency and waited, knowing Aaron was always fairly prompt in replying,,,

...and not having to wait long at all. In only a few standard minutes a single light indicating an incoming message lit up on the Challenger’s comm unit.

Terrin flipped the “accept” switch.

“She’s currently in hyperspace ennroute to Mon Calamari space, at .....” Here, Aaron rattled off a few coordinates. “I’ll be awaiting your arrival. And I’ll have the med team ready as you’ve requested.”

Terrin clearly heard the concern in his partner’s voice, but he also knew that Aaron would understand his current vagueness.

He turned then to Yaoksi and Link, knowing the other man was probably already keying in the coordinates Aaron had rattled off. “In the meantime, this ship should be equipped with a basic first aid kit with some pain killers that might at least make the trip to the Hornett a little more bearable.”

--------------------

Not more than about six standard hours after Aaron Barnes sent off his message to his partner, Terrin Danner, regarding the reversion coordinates for the Hornett in Mon Calamari space, he could feel the hyperspace engines of the Super Star Destroyer spread out her wings, and with an almost audible sigh revert to realspace. As she did, Aaron sat in his office, frowning to himself, wondering exactly what had happened that Terrin clearly wasn’t telling him. Aaron was certain there was something; he could hear it in his partner’s voice...

...and he didn’t like the sound of it one bit.

He’d long since contacted the med team as Terrin had reequested, and knew they would have everything in place when the Challenger arrived. Likewise he had already secured a landing platform for the Challenger.

All was in place, and Aaron kept his eyes keenly on his computer for incoming messages and on the business of selling ships. He chewed his lip thoughtfully then, keying something into his keyboard to figure out the possible arrival of the Challenger, at least per its last estimated location, somewhere in the heart of the Jewel Cluster. Accounting for the 6 standard hours that had already passed, Aaron figured another twelve standard hours, give or take an hour or two.

Of course, that was all supposing he was even close regarding their location, or if said location hadn’t already changed somewhat. They had, after all, been tractored into an ISSD per one of Terrin’s communications, so they might have been moving at some point.

Aaron frowned, again not really liking how any of this was sounding. Nevertheless, the Hornett was ready for their arrival.

(((OCC: Follow Aaron and the reverting Hornett to The Eagle Rises Amidst the Storm in this same forum, thank you.)))

[ 03-09-2019 05:34 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aaron Barnes ]

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He prayed to all the Fates that nothing else would happen to her that That Look would ever fall into her eyes again.

“I’m going to go check on Galen,” he then said a bit abruptly, but perhaps not to the surprise of anyone else in the cabin of the Challenger.

Then he stood, helmet still in his hands...

...realizing that Kyan had given It to Galen, taking her as his daughter. With that in mind, Terrin felt entirely uncomfortable leaving it just laying around, knowing its meaning. So he departed the cabin with it, holding it respectfully. He moved aft, finding the door of the little berth he and Galen had shared some time before closed, and stopped just in front of it.

He knew she’d need time. He intended to give her that. But at the same time, he wanted her to know he was there when she was ready.

He didn’t fiddle with the door, but knocked softly...and then laid his hand along the metal of the door, as if by that touch alone he could somehow reach inside to support her in what she was going through.

“Galen, when you need me...” he started, his words soft yet clearly concerned. “I’m here.”

[ 03-09-2019 07:56 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Mara1Jade ]

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“I’m getting some food, and some clothes if I have any extra. If you need me I’ll be in the galley, I’m glad your okay Papa.”

She made sure Yaoksi saw the message on screen then departed first to her own quarters. Someone had gone through her things, her blaster and datapad were on the floor and the mattress from her bunk laying up against the wall. Sighing inwardly Link checked her cabinets and found nothing else to wear, so improvising she first took her gun belt and reequipped her blaster, then took a discarded blanket and draped it over herself. Not that she needed it for warmth having a layer of fur and all but it was better then the shredded garments her tormentors left her with.

Those drugs must be kicking in, it still hurts to speak but at least its not inhaling fire.

Link knew that when they got to the Hornett they would all get full medical checks and could pin down why it hurt so much to talk. For now, Link knew her body needed food even if she didn’t feel hungry. She grabbed her datapad, ease of communication and all, then headed to the galley. Thankfully it was empty at the moment so no one had to see Link struggle to not only make a sandwich, but discover it also hurt to eat solid food.

Kriffing Imperials and their blasted shocky sticks, I hope that explosion not only killed them but burned those pigs to death.

Setting her sandwich aside Link instead warmed up some nerf broth. It still stung, but not like the solid food. Slowly Link managed to get a bowl of the stuff down all the while she fired up her datapad checking over the Challenger’s systems.

Looks like they just downloaded our computer core, not too much there for them to work with.

She knew it would be some time before the Empire got around to checking up on that lead. So with not much else to do and not wanting to think on what had just happened Link began to a shopping list of things they would need.

1. Clothes.
2. Med droid.
3. Medications for ryns.
4. Spare arms.

Link continued working on her list and working down a second bowl of soup.

--------------------

About ten standard hours came and went, most of which the parties aboard the Challenger were striving to rest and recoup as best as they could, all things considered. Terrin entered the cabin of the Challenger, where Yaoksi was busy checking to ensure everything was in order. Terrin sat in one of the passenger’s seats, pursing his lips, raising his hand then and rubbing his chin.

“Hopefully we should be revert—“ he started, the words truncated by a proximity indicator, along with a hyperspace reversion indicator. Terrin knew the proximity indicator was due to the Hornett being nearby, but he mentally got the image of coming in on the ISSD they’d all so recently escaped from....excepting one.

His eyes darkened at that, even as Yaoksi tended to the business of getting the Challenger into realspace once more. Starlines shifted to space, the familiarity of his SSD a welcome sight. He looked to Yaoksi, quirking a brow first at him then at the comm unit. Then, seeing a slight nod from the other, Terrin opened a channel to the Hornett’s docking crew.

“This is Captain Danner incoming on the Challenger, identification code 010315. Captain Barnes should have a docking bay ready for our arrival. Please inform him we are docking, and give clearance.”

A few moments passed after Terrin sent the message out. A return message lit the comm unit red, and Terrin toggled the switch to accept.

“Captain Danner, we have informed Captain Barnes of your arrival and he will meet you upon your landing. Docking port 100 in the main hanger bay is prepared for your arrival. Hornett docking crew, over and out.”

Even as the message finished, Yaoksi began the business of docking the ship in the Hornett’s main hanger bay.

--------------------

--------------------

"Sweep from this point a full 360 degrees. A signal should be--"

His order was interrupted before he could even finish it.

"Sir, we have received a strong but extremely short-lived signal half a lightyear from us, coordinates affirmed as being..." A series of values were rattled off as the Communications Officer attended to his console.

Elim nodded with satisfaction. "Helm, lay in a hop to the source of that signal," he ordered even as the Communications Officer sent the coordinates to the appropriate station. A second ticked past, and Satyr popped into realspace once again.

"Let me see it."

Forward screens burst into life, presenting a shadowy black image of something silhouetted against the background stars. Sensors reached out, the data was read and passed to Elim.

"Sir, our sensors show a ship of apparent Mandalorian profile, somewhat different in appearance than what our databanks currently show, dead ahead. The ship is yawing all over the place; it is emitting a single frequency signal, but I can't raise anyone aboard her.

"Sir."

Elim nodded; this information came as no surprise since along with all other captains in this particular fleet he had already been alerted to the predicament their Admiral's ship was purportedly in. Seeing it now on Satyr's viewscreen, reading the incoming sensor data for himself only supported that speculation, in fact turning it into veritable reality.

"Get a tractor on that ship, and bring her into our main docking bay. I'll be needing an Honor phalanx; make sure I'm met there with one."

With that he rose from his command chair, and headed off the bridge.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

By the time Captain Elim had reached the docking bay, the strange little ship was already aboard. As he moved directly toward it he saw other troopers had beaten him in reaching it. Already troopers had pushed scaffolding up to the hatch, alerted to the fact that since this ship hadn't made so much as a peep and had indeed been found silent and disabled, to say alacrity was of the utmost importance would be sheer understatement. One trooper stood directing, pointing occasionally to a place on the hull, while another one operated something similar to a vibroblade. BUT one capable of cutting through durasteel as cleanly as it would butter.

Elim drew up to the scaffolding, climbed it. He reached the top just as the hatch fell to the deck of the docking bay, the resounding clang it made ringing in his ears. Without turning his body he simply raised one hand, and behind him the Honor Phalanx stiffened in twin-rowed salute. The two troopers at the now-open hatch stiffened as well; nodding his head in approval Captain Elim made so bold as to enter the ship himself.

"Admiral, it is indeed an honor to welco-" he began, even as logic suggested that perhaps his Admiral might not be in quite the physical condition to actually respond. However he was aware of the apparent magick the man could wield, his resurrection of Reborn troops being the lastest in the Galactic Commander's repertoire of abilities.

Surprise, however, creased his features for a second time in one day as not only did silence answer him, a quick search of the ship showed there was nobody aboard.

Nothing.

He called for assistance; immediately the two troopers at the door entered, followed by a few more sent from the docking bay. A most intense scrutiny involving ripping up of deck plates and forceful opening of locked panels and doors revealed nothing... other than one item that looked as if it might be some kind of self-destruct device. Quickly then, they removed it, placed it an an even more quickly requested bomb-proof container, and sent it off for safe-keeping elsewhere.

Elim raised his brows at this little discovery, and now directed his men to rip into the bridge console, starting a tracing of which lines led to the ships engines so any further self-destructive capability could be negated.

And as if that wasn't surprise enough, in addition to this they found the remains of a dismantled lightsaber, sitting on the deck beside the yet-ice encrusted communications console, from which water pooled and ran and dripped as the results of Cin Vehti's experience in the deep freeze of space began to slowly melt.

Elim left the cold of the ship then, ordering the troops to continue their search but in the process to not rip into anything mechanical or electronic or computer-driven unless they were as certain as possible it could be construed as something self-destructive. More experienced men than they would soon be crawling over this ship with a fine-toothed comb; it wasn't every day that a Mandalorian ship was up and handed to the Empire, after all.

He released the Honor Phalanx from their positions even as he passed through them, heading back to the bridge, his brows bunched in thought as he moved. Mouse droids twittered up to him, only to duck for cover as his booted feet hastened him in the quickest and most direct path there.

Entering the bridge, he went directly to his command chair. "Have we gotten anything from Relentless yet?" The words left his lips in more of a tersely barked statement than question, and were immediately answered in the negative.

"Open a channel to Imperial HQ on Coruscant, General Tarnus eyes only."

Moments later, and his Communications Officer had a line open, coded, scrambled, the whole enchilada.

Elim settled a bit in his chair.

"General Tarnus, this is Captain Barroz Elim, aboard ISD Satyr, currently assigned to investigatory fleet commanded by Captain Landarian on Relentless, orders to find the missing Mandalorian ship in which Admiral Actar was reported to have last been seen, this sector.

"Sir. Regret to inform you that Relentless has gone incommunicado, and has been so for approximately the last--" He shot a look to his Communications Officer, who mouthed something at him. "--eleven standard hours. Regret as well to inform you that while the missing ship has indeed been found, and indeed apparently seems to be of Mandalorian origin, she was absolutely devoid of any life. All that was found was the remains of a lightsaber which was found dismantled, laying on the decking of the bridge near her communications station.

"Am by-passing standard protocols due to lack of communication from Fleet Commander.

"Orders, Sir?"

He flipped the switch, sending the message winging through the Holonet and into Imperial HQ, and from there into the direct eyes of Lt. General Tarnus. He hoped the man was in his Ready Room to receive this; there was something about this entire situation he didn't like in the least little bit, and he wanted nothing more than to get his ship and his men back to the relative safety of the blockade around Coruscant, from which they had been diverted in seeking the whereabouts of their still-missing Admiral.

((OOC: Message goes off into Back Into the Fire in the Empire/New Republic forums, thank you.))

[ 03-11-2019 04:27 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by The Empire ]

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"Satyr, General Tarnus.

"Congratulations on a job well done; suggest you return directly to Coruscant with the ship you found. Nothing is to be removed or altered inside unless you find something to be of danger to your ship or your men.

"Consider this as a--" I paused the barest fraction of a second. "crime scene. I will have Intel go over it in the detail only they can; in the meantime, I will be ordering--"

"--ISSD Dianoga to assist Landarian, and to provide a possible tow for Relentless. You are relieved of any responsibility other than getting that Mandalorian ship to HQ main docking bay.

"Tarnus, out."

[ 03-11-2019 01:48 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Sorben Tarnus ]

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Pausing only long enough to recall the wing of interceptors sent to Landarian's aid, Elim now directed his helmsman to lay in a course for Coruscant.

The wing flew in to roost. The ISD responded by divesting herself of yet more accumulated waste before taking in an acknowledging breath to Elim's raised finger. Reply to that came in an exhalation spit out in the rising thrum of engines as, after the barest nanosecond of a pause, Satyr adjusted her accoutrements and launched herself into the ravening improbabilities of hyperspace. The sight of things which send men mad meant nothing to her as, shooting straight as an arrow, she sped along the fastest vector possible, to the Inner Core worlds where her home Coruscant awaited her.

--------------------

The Empire is not stupid, nor am I. There is nothing to be gained by picking a fight with them other than to sour the Intel we have on the vong. The key is how do I get them not to pick a fight with us.

Bes’in had some thought on that, going on a hunch or whatever droids called them, Bes’in had dispatched smaller scouting teams to other locations that might indicate a vong buildup. The site Kyan had discovered yielded much information. DNA analysis revealed that the strains of vong bioform differed from that originally in many key areas. Evidence also indicates that the vong life was only seeded within the last two years, something that could not be left over from their first incursion. With that in mind his scouts reported most suitable sites showed no signs of life or vong bioforms consistent with their first incursion. One interesting note was one potential site had evidence of once sustaining vong bioforms but was picked clean, possibly in the last three months.

All evidence seems to indicate that at least advanced forces are already present in our galaxy, possibly ready for a second incursion. This could be promising, we can use this with some careful planning.

A blinking light interrupted Bes’in’s calculations as a the helmsman's voice came in on the ship wide comms.

“Emerging from Hyperspace in five… four… three… two… one… mark.”