Topic: The last orders of Captain Kai...

[Tamer]

ugh wait a few days before you read it Tamer... 3-5 hour writing sessions ending at... 7am in the morning mean massive typos lol. i'll try and clean it up over the next day or so.

Ok. Had it planned for this afternoon after I got done my web work. I will wait. Thanks for taking the time to share it with us.

[Rezikai]

well thats as good as it gets editing wise less me deleting the whole thing and starting from scratch...

hmmm... which might be better...

maybe the Halasia offensive or the Phosmai lore/history eluded to in earlier chapters would be better stories (I set them up as stand alone stories to) .... time to make more notes... have at it Tamer hehe!

[Tamer]

Ok, I will get this back on my read list. Hoping for a snow day soon so I can just get some internet play time.

Course its supposed to be almost 60 degrees today.

[Rezikai]

Someone reading this said they needed a refresher with so much changed/added... so here's a list of the characters and backlore.


Main and side characters and some backstory for them.

---------- GALACTIC EMPIRE ----------

Captain Kai- ISD Kumo Captain and senior ranking officer in command, former leader of Moon squadron has 2 brothers he sometimes speaks about. Listens to bands with loud rhythmic electro-stringers to the distaste of most of the other senior staff. With a fledgling appreciation for anatase crystal percussion flute orchestra's and opera pieces. Was promoted on the recommendation of Admiral Jaeger after his performance in the Halasian system campaign. Has been known to be crude and lewd at times but is fiercely loyal to those that show loyalty to him. He has an affection for one of his senior officers but his earlier crude manners as a tie pilot has all but dashed any chance of romance. He keeps to himself regarding most of his previous campaigns and missions unlike many of his fellow coreworld officers.

Lieutenant Sylvon- ISD Kumo Strategic System Operations and Intelligence. Known for her quick wit and lesser known for her taste for violence she was hand chosen by Captain Kai for her position. Her tactical prowess often helps during ship-to-ship combat but is skilled in CQC fighting techniques. A deep cynical streak runs through her from previous experiences where she had hoped and lost.

Major Gridon- ISD Kumo Imperial Ground forces Assistant Commander Under Colonel Vimoshi of the 73rd Legion. Gridon's a no-nonsense commander with little tolerance for anyone or thing not falling into imperial regulations and doctrine. His large imposing stature is only surpassed by his deep intimidating voice and level of anger he is known to go into when he sees a threat or countermanded by a superior. He does not tolerate any sort of resistance from fellow officers at or below his rank and works to destroy any chance of it encroaching on his own goals. Has been noted to cut his losses when he sees a battle or situation get out of control which has included giving ground to resistant factions at the expense of imperial material and personnel in large amounts to the ire of some of his lower ranked officers.

Major Araed- ISD Kumo Ground forces of 73rd Legion and former Official Liason to multiple dignitaries in the core worlds that garnered her favor with imperial hierarchy. She suddenly requested military service and selected Kumo as her hand picked assignment just after the Halasian campaign for reasons unbeknownst but to her. She seems cool headed in combat but like many in the scout divisions she prefers to stay silent and out of sight while events unfold. Lt. Sylvon has taken notice of this and has mentioned it to the Captain who seems to have expected this type of behavior from Araed.

Corp. Zaym TK1979- Stormtrooper 73rd Imperial Legion detached to ISD Kumo, became personal trooper assistant to Capt. Kai after Kumo's crash. TK1979 was part of the Imperial infantry detached to the Kumo for ground operations under Colonel Vimoshi. After the events following the Endor debacle he is now a go-between for assignment commanders and Captain Kai himself.

Tech-Specialist Vishar- ISD Kumo Communications Operations became assistant to Capt. Kai following the events after the failed Endor battle. A regular tavern jumper he often can be found in the enlisted lounge during is off-duty time drinking mass amounts of ale and playing cards while letting his drunken rambling become the entertainment of the others around him. He has a one sided appreciation for Technician Yazit Qwistis who noticed but had other interests.

Sergeant Atter- ISD Kumo Naval trooper assigned to internal security assistant to Cmdr. Karamat. Clone War veteran of dozens of campaigns Sgt. Atter was one of the finest soldiers under Admiral Jaeger and one of the few Captain Kai asked to stay on after his retirement. A native of Phosmai and personal friend to retired Grand Admiral Sigal who claimed him the best soldier he ever served with. Atter is experienced and well versed in the underworld of the scum of the galaxy. He is often seen as the enlisted of the 73rd and the ships crew as the best soldier among them. Graying hair and near retirement himself Atter is attached to Cmdr. Karamat as her assistant and best non commissioned officer of the Kumo's forces. Often he's seen giving Karamat and Kai advice regarding military experience and has a tendency to go out-of-regulation in procedure and material when a decisive action has to be made.


Comdr. Vareese Karamat- ISD Kumo Executive officer, Assistant Field operations Commander to Colonel Vimoshi. A very strict upbringing was the solid base upon which Commander Karamat built her stone fortress of emotion on. She technically is under Major Gridon in rank but as they are close in work to Col. Vimoshi and he seemed to favor her in the way she executed his orders she garnered the ire and envy of Gridon. Which did not go unnoticed but Karamat's cold demeanor often belies her rage towards those that undermine or try and cut her stance with leadership due to her rank. A native of the capital of Phosmai she has known Sgt. Atter from a very young age and often sees him as a mentor and one of the very few she considers a friend. She was to rotate off of Kumo but a long unplanned delay on Coruscant while seeing her husband kept her on the ISD after Jaeger's retirement. Kai didn't ask Karamat to remain on the Kumo but after learning Sgt. Atter was staying at the behest of the new captain she has not requested to rotate off.

Lieutenant Vanders-- ISD Kumo Onyx Squadron Leader. Lt. Vanders was defacto Onyx lead when the former Onyx lead was lost at the Battle of Endor. While not very experienced he does have a atitude for leadership and strives to get results rather then flying the barely qualified hours to move on to ship-duty. This is why former Onyx Leader Cliner chose Vander's as his 2nd in command of the squadron. After the Endor trap failed Cliner's tie interceptor was severely damaged and unable to limp back to Kumo before the order to jump to lightspeed was carried out. An experience Vander's blames himself for. He now wishes to prove himself a competent leader of the squadron. He was designated Banshee Lead for raid over Riptide

Lieutenant Faraday- ISD Kumo Stryfe Squadron. A coreworld officer he was trained at the pilot academy on Coruscant. He often wishes to know as much as possible about any mission or person he meets but fails to put knowledge into practice as he often gets sidetracked when doing more then one activity. Has a very overly watchful sister as they're parents died to suspicious circumstances. Was designated Banshee 2 for raid over Riptide .

Lieutenant Commander Lodd- ISD Kumo Stryfe Squadron Leader was always willing to ask questions but for the sole purpose of his cynical view on ideas others had that hadn't come to him yet as his fellow officers saw him as an officer who sees himself an Admiral by age 30 without a shred of experience nor qualifications. He was rotated in after the Halasian campaign and given Stryfe Squadron. Was designated Banshee 3 in the first assault over the Riptide

Gunner Specialist Raem- ISD Kumo Gunnery Sergeant. Rotated onto Kumo after Admiral Jaeger's retirement.

Gunner Specialist Uwer SulDae-  ISD Kumo Gunnery Sergeant. Rotated onto Kumo after Admiral Jaeger's retirement.

Captain Ryvil- ISD Kumo Flight officer for 247th Fighter Wing. Often at odds with Captain Kai regarding flight deployments and procedures he is kept on due to his politics inside the Kumo as he continues to be one of the few pilots loyal to Maj. Gridon. Ryvil survived the Halasia campaign and was promoted after the retirement of Admiral Jaeger. Noteworthy for being one of the few officers to take a second tie tour after making his initial run and refusing fleet duty. But also noteworthy for being a leader that holds back and doesn't foray into battle until it's well decided that he's on the victorious side.

Private Karva- ISD enlisted as part of the 73rd infantry. Native of Phosmai and great grand nephew to former Grand Admiral Sigel.

Squadron compliment after Endor battle and before crash of Kumo -
ONYX Tie/ln (4survivng),
MOON Tie/ln (8survivng),
GREY Tie/ln (4survivng),
STRYFE Tie/ln (6survivng),
HAMMER Tie/bomber (4survivng),
STORM Tie/Interceptor (7survivng).

5 Tie/ln fighters of Stryfe and Moon lost in battle over Riptide ... 1 survivng.

Admiral Sequa- IIC Slipstream senior ranking officer in command. An admirlal with experience during some minor action in the Clone Wars Sequa was always more interested in watching the machinazations of Imperial politics rather then shaping them himself. He has a tendency to let his junior officers take command and be the day-to-day face of operations on his vessel while he is often found in his captain's quarters going over Holo-net information on political movements. This has proven to be useful and a hinderance as it keeps his junior officers in the fast track for promotion but often means his own tactics and procedures are seen as too antiquated relegating him to a fleet cruiser and not a more lavish or lustrous position on a Star Destroyer or on Cosuscant.

Commander Faraday- IIC Slipstream 1st officer and day-to-day operations commander of the Slipstream she is often known for her overbearing attention to detail and her unwillingness to back down in the face of opposition. A former tie pilot she finished her year of combat duty and took a fleet assignment where she could be more in control of her surroundings. Which works well with Admiral Sequa's own hands' off attitude regarding the Slipstream. She is often found speaking about her younger brother of which some of her fellow officers often tire of hearing.


(mentions)
Admiral Jaeger ret.- ISD Kumo Former Captain Senior ranked officer in command. Retired after the Halasian campaign.
Colonel Vimoshi- ISD Kumo Senior Ground forces commander KIA during Kumo crash.
Commander Cliner- ISD Kumo Former Lead of Onyx Squadron presumed KIA at Endor.
Colonel Telecco- ISD Kumo Former Ground commander, replaced by Col. Vimoshi, took a new position on Brental 4 after the victory of the Halasian campaign.
Grand Admiral Sigel ret.- Former Grand Admiral retired 8 years before Battle of Endor, still very active in Phosmai planetary politics.
Captain Zaq Vuris- Great grandson to Grand Admiral Sigel currently part of ISB stationed in the Outer Rim.
Lieutenant Pliskin- ISD Kumo Former officer of 73rd detachment during the initial search of Aranae


---------- REBEL ALLIANCE ----------

Captain Barrax- Mon Calamari Cruiser Riptide Captain. Formerly a Mon Calamari cruise liner captain Barrax hadn't the most combat experience before the galactic civil war, but was known for his keen intuition and having excellent tactical skills. He also has an affinity for cooking and often uses food or kitchen references when speaking to subordinates.

Commander Vorm- Blue Lead of Blue Squadron from Riptide. Vorm was originally a courier for Shell Surf delivery on his home world and came to join the rebellion before the battle of Hoth. He has a knack for exceptional skill for flying larger slower craft, pulling maneuvers that were hard to accomplish in slower moving fighters like the Y-Wing. Eventually forming a Mon Calamari bomber group called Shell Squardon after his old jobs name. He has an abraded working relationship with the Clarion's 1st officer Commander Shellish deeming his ideas and strategy too dangerous. Fortunately Captain Barrax had a more tempered attitude towards aerial missions.

Lieutenant Percy Zovish Designated Blue 3 while on the planet Aranae, he was the veteran of the Clarion's Y-Wing squadron. Starting his pilot career after the Clone Wars with light freighter runs but eventually meeting a younger Mon Calamari pilot Commander Vorm on their home world and both deciding to join the rebellion just before the battle of Hoth.
 
Lieutenant Cashil Designated Blue 5 while on the planet Aranae the young female Mon Cala pilot joined the rebellion after the battle of Hoth. Being told the evil's of the empire since birth she couldn't wait to find an agent from the alliance to join up with their forces.

Lieutenant Adax Designated Blue 6 at Aranae. Forming up with Vorm's Shell Squadron just after the battle of Hoth Adax was glad to see other Mon Calamari joining the rebellion to defeat the Empire after Hoth.

Lieutenant Draxan Designated as Blue 8 at Aranae Drax was more following the tales of others about strings of victories by the rebel alliance leading to the dramatic assault at Endor.

Lieutenant Lisson Designated Blue 11 on Aranae Lisson is Shell Squadron's best bomb delivery pilot. She was known for her excellent targeting and also skilled in medical procedures.

Lieutenant Kradam Designated Blue 12 at Aranae Kradam is a relative newcomer to Vorm's Shell Squadron. Joining up with the squadron just before the rebel alliance amassed at Sullust prior to their attack on the second Death Star. A middle aged Mon Calamari Kradam keeps to  himself and doesn't speak unless necessary.

Commander Shellis 1st Officer of Riptide. Shellis had lobbied early during the fledgling alliance to get command of a capital ship. He has tactical ingenuity but often is seen as unwilling to listen to ideas that may be contradictory to his own plans and crews often deem him overly confident.

Lieutenant Tarris Riptide's Communication's officer

Lieutenant Klavine Designated LONGSPEAR One of the few humans assigned to the Clarion Klavine was part of Captain Dryce's spec-ops unit "Dryce's Deck". He was very dubious about the assault on the second Death Star but was glad it worked. During the imperial retreat he was recalled to the Riptide instead of the Clarion to rejoin Captain Dryce's main unit. Fortunately for him as the Clarion was destroyed in a plume of fire in the atmosphere of the planet Aranae.

Lt. Aerrel Tritan Designated SPEAR. Part of "Dryce's Deck" Tritan was a well traveled pilot and former imperial academy graduate joined up with the Rebellion after the battle of Hoth. Known as the cool head in the "Deck" Tritan has often used her experiences to guide her in battle. She hopes to live long enough see the Empire's reign end over the galaxy.

Commander Glavyn Riptide Boarding party leader of Team B (Stormie Captain)

Corporal Smoldz Riptide Boarding party member of Team B (Stormie Lt.)

Maintenance LeadSgt. Lactah Riptide Maintenance Lead

Captain Dryce Alliance air/ground unit commander assigned to the Clarion. While technically not part of Captain Barrax's crew he was assigned to the ship under orders of General Cracken. He was originally hoping to capture a wounded ISD with it's computer core intact before being scuttled which had happened by multiple Star Destroyers at Endor. While the capture of the Kumo failed Dryce's Deck will continue to assist in the rescue operations to help the Clarion and Riptide survivors.

Lt. Plosshim Riptide Defense officer Ground commander.

mentions
Uncle Hestem - Big Hes  Aerrel Tritan's uncle.


DATAPAD NOTATION: ...

Planet Aranae- Originally Aranae was part of the Assembler's colony worlds. With vast oceans and large forested areas above ground that were complimented with deep caverns and large hollowed mountains made for excellent base components for an Assembler colony to start. However the colonie's sentience all but has escaped the most elder of the Viraxen leaders without explanation that even the remaining sentient Viraxen are puzzled by.

Vokral – former overqueen of the Viraxen, neutralized by order of Admiral Jaeger.

The Viraxen- A species of huge arachnids that have a semi-hive mind. They have One Overqueen and 3 visage queens that work as a network for their mind. Rarely does one see what the others do not. Their webbing is extremely durable and very sticky. The few that have seen the Viraxen often say the race's nightmarish attributes scar their minds and senses as the fanged mouths often give a loud wailing scream when hunting. They are comprised of 4 Royal nests, 1 main 3-visage queens in charge of the others. 8 assemblers made the council of of elders to ensure a the hierarchy is kept in check.

Imperial ISD contact at roughly 1-0BBY by accident. Admiral Jaeger commanding. Those that have dealt with the Viraxen have found very little knowledge from them as they cling to old religions of ancient webs of the under and over with their philosophical views changing from the position in the hives they take. 8 elder assemblers created the original colonial council for progression of the race however they're efforts were futile as sentience started to escape later nestlings early on in their growth. Suppression and extermination of the Royal hierarchy per order of Admrial Jaeger and agreement to spare the council of assembler elders.

-
Planet received quarantine designate by order of Grand Moff Tarkin.
-
Now there is.. ."She",... the one that was awakened. She is now current Overqueen and ruler of the remnants of the 4 original nests that now exacts her vengeance on those that slain her.

[Tamer]

Great idea, let me go share this before the day takes me away.

[Rezikai]

IIC Slipstream

The bridge of the Imperial interdictor-class cruiser Slipstream was unusually quiet. It had been this way for the last day and a half following the debacle at the Endor Battle. Morale was low and with good reason. The imperials saw the second Death Star and much of their task force destroyed or captured. Not to mention the most lingering question of all, the Emperor. He was said to have been on the second Death Star with his head enforcer the Sith Lord Darth Vader. Now after the battle the gargantuan unfinished battle station and much of the fleet had been reduced to wreckage floating in space around the forest moon. Commander Telia Faraday had a frustrated look to her expression since the fall back command was given near the end of the battle.

“Battle...feh.” Faraday thought. It was supposed to be a trap to extinguish the rebellions hopes of overthrowing the Empire and had turned into a slaughter. Faraday straightened her shoulders squaring her torso to her chest and neck. Her almond colored skin with light honey shade undertones gave her face definition to the half annoyed expression she wore underneath her black imperial officers cap. She straightened her black uniform adjusting her rank plaque and cylinders. She had been strolling up and down the command walk way awaiting orders from Admrial Sequa still in his quarters on her request to follow Kumo's trail. While the standard procedure was to retreat to a fall back position should anything as doubtful as it were happen at the Endor where victory was all but a forgone conclusion. She requested waiting to the Admiral in case there were hostiles at the fall back positions waiting to pounce on damaged or distraught imperial vessels fleeing the fiasco above the Sentry moon. The true reason for the suggestion was fearful anxiety and the want to see her brother survive the previous days events. She had an obsession to protect him even when they were children and the fear of not knowing was gnawing at her core. As the battle wound down and she saw the Kumo jump away her hope raised slightly but only for a moment as she saw a pair of Mon Calamari cruisers chase after it into the hyperspace route.

That's when Faraday made the suggestion to Admiral Sequa about bypassing the fall back position for the time being and had the helm set a course to follow the trio of ships. But it had taken too long to maneuver through the wreckage of the remnants of the imperial and rebel fleets around Endor before safely jumping into hyperspace to follow the three ships. Nor was the Slipstream as fast as the larger cruisers or the Star Destroyer Kumo. When they emerged from Hyperspace to recalculate course and to trace any hyperspace trail signatures they were unable to do so and realized they had lost the trio of ships trail. There the Slipstream sat for over nearly a standard day before by chance a returning A-wing was captured in the Slipstream's artificial gravity projector fields. “At least it was something” Faraday thought. The gravity projectors were only being turned on in intervals throughout the day to conserve power and fuel. It just so happened on one of those attempts they snagged Lt. Klavine's A-wing fighter.

Faraday's memory burned with the face of the young rebel as they strapped him onto a prisoners restraining chair and went to work on him. He wasn't very forthcoming at first but after hours of interrogation he finally gave them what they needed, the Kumo's location. Klavine had mentioned the battle above some planet and the loss of one of their cruisers in orbit. He'd said only a handful of survivors in star fighters survived commenting that both the remaining rebel cruiser and the Kumo fell into deep orbits around the planet and crashed killing all aboard both vessels. Faraday gave a sneer, her brother was an experienced pilot if star fighters were the only survivors he'd be one of them. But a Tie fighter and suit only have so much fuel and breathable air to use before he'd be forced to land on the planet below. “He'll be there.” Faraday told herself. A moment later the helmsman called up from his octagonal control station in the starboard crewpit. “Ma'am, Admiral Sequa has authorized our departure for the planet the prisoner gave the info on, he says your thoughts on the rebel fighter's fuel was correct.” The helmsman a man pale skinned man wearing the standard grey imperial technicians uniform with dark black hair matching his black imperial cap. Faraday nodded as she replied but faced the large triangular window's of the Slipstream's bridge “Thank you specialist, with all due speed.” The young man nodded and started to punch buttons on his console. A moment later the starfield in front of the Slipstream stretched around the windows as they converged into the light blue cone of hyperspace. Faraday turned her back away from the windows and pointed to the helmsman, buzz me on my comm when we get a few minutes from the planet. I'm going to see how our guest is doing.” She said with a slight smirk. The technician in grey nodded with a smile on his face as he continued to click the controls on his console.

Deep in the Slipstream Lt. Klavine started to regain consciousness. His face was swollen and bruised. His red hair was dirty with sweat and soot. Klavine was dressed only in his underclothes, his uniform, helm and boots were taken after the initial struggle with the squad of stormtroopers that arrived to arrest him when his ship was snagged from hyperspace. Burn marks scorched his chest and neck where the interrogator droid's spark appendage burned his flesh badly. He coughed and the soreness of his chest made him wince and moan out in pain. A few moments later after the pain lessened but was still present he took tally of his surroundings. He sat in a small grey room no bigger then a 2 meters in length or width. A cell in the ships brig he surmised.“Not smooth at all.” he muttered to himself reflecting on his choice to not open up blasting from his cockpit when he was captured. He slowly twisted and turned in the small confined space trying to lay on his least bruised side as the room itself had no sleeping cot nor waste disposal drain. Not that he would risk trying to relieve himself in his current sore state. He groaned again as he sat up finding it slightly less painful to sit with his legs stretched out and his back against the back wall of his confinement room. Klavine was just moments from falling unconscious again when the hiss of a pressurized door was heard and the opposite wall he was facing being to rise revealing a trio of imperials. An officer and a pair of stormtroopers.

“You really like me that much,... do ya?” Klavine said through a sore cough as he looked up at the Imperials. A woman in her black officers uniform was flanked by the two white clad stormtroopers on either side of her. “We're going to discuss what happened again.” Faraday said with a frowning twinge to her lips. Her almond colored skin gave a slightly angered reddish hue to her face. Klavine lowered his head down into his chest looking between his legs as he replied. “I told you everything I knew.” he said with a tired groan. Faraday's raised an eyebrow in annoyance at his reply “Bring him.” was her only response and the pair of stormtroopers reach into the cell pulling him up and each took one of Klavine's arms over their shoulders pulling him along.

A few minutes later Klavine was back in the interrogation room. The slab of metal he was strapped to was horizontal and he felt the troopers toss him into it. Klavnie caught himself as best he could but to the floor next to it and sat next to the bed leaning against it as he looked up at Faraday. “Your bedside manner has something to be desi-” “Shut up!” Faraday interrupted him and kicked her boot onto his chest and held it there. “You're lying, you were found out.” Faraday said as she squeezed her boots heal into his pectoral muscle. Klavine gave a surprised look at her before remembering to wipe it away. “You forgot that your fighter had to be refueled for it's trip back to your destination. It's still over half full, not something that could have happened if your cruiser was destroyed in combat before that.” Klavine gave a long sigh and followed it with a smile and coughed “I suppose it'd be useless to try and use my charms to get your boot off of me.” Faraday gave a half sneer and shoved Klavine's body with her boot. Klavine fell over to the floor putting his arm up to soften his heads fall as his torso bowled over. He took a deep breath and slowly raised himself half way back up and sat upright on the floor again. “Yes.. the Riptide survived.” Faraday interjected “And the Kumo?” Klavine gave a half sideways nod trying to shrug but the pain in his arms severely hampered the motion. “They landed intact, we had some initial thoughts on survivors. But we assumed they were few, if any. The escape pods launched long before the big bastard crashed.”Klavine finished. Faraday narrowed one eye and raised her eyebrow over the other. Klavine coughed and leaned over trying to keep himself conscious as the strain of speaking and keeping himself upright was draining what precious little energy he had left. “C-can I go now.” He said in a tone just above a whisper. Faraday's face was frozen in an annoyed expression, she opened her mouth to speak when her com-link chimed. She pulled it off her belt and reach it to her mouth “Yes?” She simply said. The voice of the technician on the other bridge came through from the other end. “Ma'am. We've just crossed the ten minute mark. We should be there momentarily.”. Faraday's expression changed to a smile. She had learned the real truth of the Kumo and her survivor's. More then just fighter pilots but crew from the escape pods as well. Her relief crossed her expression for just a fraction of a second before a microphoned voice crackled through one of the stormtrooper's helmets towards her. “What are we to do with this scum ma'am.” Faraday gave a smirk to Klavine who had leaned back over on the floor trying to rest himself on one of his arms. “Bring him to the bridge with us. He'll get to see what happens to those that defy us.” She said in a more sinister tone. Klavine looked up from the floor at her as she finished her sentence “No clothes I assume?” Faraday just motioned her fingers toward him and the troopers rushed him grabbing Klavine off the floor and pulled him behind Faraday as she led them from out of the room.

On the bridge of the Slipstream Commander Faraday strode to the large traingular windows as the blue and white funnel of hyperspace reverted back to real space replacing the blue and white with the dark starfield surrounding a small blue and green planet. Faraday wasn't surprised to find the bridge without Admiral Sequa, he was still in his chambers reading the holonet news reports of the Endor engagement. Sequa was fanatical when it came to propaganda and loved to watch it unfold as much as he was part of it. Behind Faraday the pair of stormtroopers dumped Klavine in a pile about half way down the command walkway. She turned to face the crew pits awaiting the initial scanner and sensor reports. Faraday didn't have to wait long as the imperial techs started reporting strange things from the planets sun, particularly ultra violet radiation that seems to be on a very tight spectrum. It was harmless to humans but some alien species may find it severely discomforting or even hazardous. Faraday didn't care about this backwater system's environment she needed answers. A moment later the scanner information reported massive wreckage in the planet's orbit. Some fighter wreckage and some escape pods still spinning. “Tractor beam in the pods. Hopefully, someones left alive in them to tell us more information. What did you say about the fighter wreckage?” Faraday asked the short red haired man manning one of the octagon scanning consoles. He looked up in a near expressionless face as he replied “Most of it seems to be shuttles and transports very few tie fighters or rebellion snub fighters in the secondary wreckage orbit.” Faraday gave a crooked eyebrow “And the first?” she simply said to the technician who continued “A massive wreckage it appears that it was a mon-cala ship from the design of the more recognizable wreckage.” Faraday sucked in her breath and clasp her hands behind her back turning back towards the viewports. The space scape of the small planet was much larger now as the Slipstream was moving in to the area of the escape pods among the wreckage. “Number of signatures and signals?” She requested from the opposed crew pit. A pale skinned older woman turned looking up toward her “Comm-scan shows 8 among the wreckage or adrift with several beacons planetside ma'am”. Faraday didn't let the crewman's sentence hang she sharply replied “I want all eight in the hanger in the next thirty minutes. I don't care how, then we move on those planetside.” Faraday barked. Klavine raised himself up to a half slumped standing position with the pair of stormtroopers directly at his back. His mind gave a humorous thought as he realized how ridiculous he looked. After another second of contemplation he decided he'd have fun with this. Klavine came to the realization he's dead anyway he looks at it. There's no escaping them and he always thought himself quite the comedian. “It's kind of cold in here.” Klavine murmured towards Faraday. Her hands still clasped behind her back she didn't turn from the view ports and stood there watching the first pair of escape pods slowly become enveloped in the Slipstream's tractor beams making their way towards the ship. Klavine cleared his throat loudly and started to speak again “I said, it's cold in he-” THUMP. Was the next sound ending Klavine's sentence as one of the troopers kicked him in the shin from behind dropping him to his sore knees. Klavine gave a groan as the troopers microphoned voice came through his skull faced helm “Quiet scum!”. Klavine gave a nod and sat back on his calves as the pair of troopers flanked either side of him, his face coming to their mid torsos.

Just then an elder man's voice spoke up from behind him “You'd do best not to anger her young man, she becomes tunnel visioned with she is determined to get something.” Klavine turned his head slightly as the pair of troopers straightened at attention. The elder man was wearing the olive drab uniform of an imperial officer with an Admiral's rank plaque and code cylinders on it. He was much older then Faraday in his late sixties at least. A large white bushy mustache encompassed the old man's entire upper lip down the sides of his mouth touching the deep cheek lines of the man's chin and jawline. His stark white hair matched the mustache and was cut in a clean military style under his officer's cap. Klavine's gaze must have been noticed by the trooper behind him as he felt a gloved hand grab him by the neck turning him away from Admiral Sequa. “Now now, no need to be rough with the young man. Help him to his feet.” Sequa continued. Faraday for her part never turned from watching the third escape pod start to be pulled towards the Slipstream as the firs two were now being collected into the landing bays. After she heard him order Klavine to his feet she turned her head slightly and nodded back towards the Admiral with his small squinted eyes and a smile nodding back. Klavine reach his feet with some unneeded help from the stormtroopers who kept their gloves locked on his arms as Sequa walked in front of the man. “Indeed it would be cold for someone wearing nothing but small-clothes wouldn't it heh.” The old man said with a hint of humor in his voice. Klavine still sore and aching was able to eek out a feeble smile and nodded “Yes it is sir.” Sequa reach up stroking his own mustache as he looked the man up and down before continuing “I understand you're one of these fool sep-err... Rebels that Faraday brought on board.” Klavine's slight smile towards the older imperial man faded as he turned towards Faraday still staring out into the scene of escape pods being pulled in and the planet behind the wreckage before replying “I had thought about making a last stand with my blaster but my cowardice got the better of me, so yes. She did bring me aboard and gave me treatment.” Klavine said. “Heh, smart lad. Most go out in a blaze of glory spouting nonsense about the downfall of the Empire and death to the high command.” Sequa rebuttaled. That statement however had stirred a few of the crewman in the crewpits as the previous day's destruction of the second Death Star and apparent death of the Emperor had been witnessed. “Well we have a way of blowing things up.” Klavine said with a half smirk. Sequa gave a half chuckle “Indeed you do. So why were you so far from the Battle?” Klavine gave a half snort and nodded towards Faraday “I told her already even after she gave me this new massage treatment with her droids.” Sequa squinted his eyebrows and nodded “Ah yes, I see...quite thorough of her. It's why she is my second.” Klavine said nothing and just looked back at Sequa who stepped back a few steps “And what do you expect now Rebel? Sympathy? Perhaps a cup of hot cafe before we toss you out an airlock?” Klavine's humorous streak flashed as he smiled and replied “No, maybe just have her use her hands next time. If a fella has to die I'd rather be worked over by a good looking woman like her before going.”. “Hmph” was Sequa's reply but a small twinge of laughter was behind it. The thudding sound of steps were heard coming from behind the Admiral as Faraday arrived and raised a boot kicking Klavine in the stomach sending him to his knees again and then slapping him. She raised back to strike again when Sequa's voice chimed in “Enough Commander, the boy's trying to antagonize you into violence towards him.” Faraday turned and straightened her uniform “He did it well then. Troopers bring him!” Faraday ordered as the pair of troopers picked Klavine up following Faraday towards one of crewpits “Show them where the ships crashed.” She demanded. Klavine gave a wince and slowly pointed out the locations of the ships on the screen. For a moment he thought about purposely botching the locations but knew with just a sensor scan they'd be able to locate both ships and he'd be back in the cell after another round of torture. Faraday nodded and pointed to the side of the crewpit. The troopers pulled him to where she had pointed and forced him to sit. After some time had passed a tech from one of the consoles announced towards Admiral Sequa that all  of the escape pods had been brought aboard. “Good, good. Always good to bring back the leftovers I say.” Sequa said as he stroked his chin and mustache. Faraday now back at the front of the command walkway looking out among the wreckage ordered them closer to the planet into its atmosphere. A second after the order one of the technicians reported out “Ma'am the radiation and the planets atmosphere is causing havoc with the sensor's we can view anything with the scanners even from high orbit.”. Faraday frowned “Is it something to do with the system's sun?” She asked “ Possibly but there's no real in depth information on the sys-...” Faraday realized something caught the man's attention “What is it?” She asked quickly.

Just then another technician said they are receiving hyperspace signatures from rebellion ships coming into the system. “Get us into the atmosphere quickly.” Faraday ordered. A moment later Sequa walked up next to her as they watched the planet's mass fill the view ports as strange gray and red cloud formations that cloaked their sensors now enveloped them as they dove deeper into it's atmosphere. “We may be safe for now.” Faraday said. “We thought better of the fall back points, but now it may be our undoing eh?” Sequa said turning back around stroking his chin. Faraday ordered the helmsman to remain stable in the atmosphere and in as much cloud cover as possible. “What were the signatures of the ships coming into the system.” The red haired technician looked up from his data pad. “An alliance Nebulon-B frigate at least a squadron of starfighter signatures of varying types, possibly more and an old YT series light freighter.” Faraday gave a long exhale and looked over at Klavine. She had wanted to see his face when they blasted the rebels  crashed ship from orbit after he pointed them out to her. But now they would have to wait if the rebels sent starfighters to the surface to their own and saw bombardment they'd jump on the Slipstream quickly. “How many fighters do we have left?” she said towards the opposing crew pit. A young dark haired man turned form his octagon console “Fourteen, six from Web and eight from Venom squadrons remaining.” Faraday turned towards Sequa who's gaze was already upon her and crooked his head to the side with a half nod. Farady spun back towards the crewpit with ordering “Have the crews prepped and to their fighters but they aren't to launch, we'll wait and see what happens.” “Yes ma'am.” the dark haired technician said as he turned to start giving out Faraday's orders. “Good, very good.” Sequa said as he paced to the back of the command walk and stopped adjacent to Klavine before nodding towards the rebel pilot “And of him?” Sequa said towards Faraday who still had a half anxious look to her face. “Take him back to his cell.” Klavine gave a half smirk as he groaned standing up with the gloved hands of the pair of stormtroopers “I guess she likes me in small places...” he said allowed as one of the troopers gloved hands shoved his face down and moved him along through the rear bridge double doors. Faraday gave a slight sneer and turned back towards the view ports now covered in gray and red clouds as small red and white specs of dust clung to the windows and hull of the Slipstream as if the clouds were filled with a sticky dust to them. A moment later Admiral Sequa's elderly voice spoke up “Comm, find me all data regarding this planet this rebel has brought us to. I'll take it in my quarters of course.” Sequa finished nodding towards Faraday as she in turn gave an acknowledging nod. “Sir, on it.” the red haired technician said as he started to punch on his console. Nothing more was said as Sequa walked away from the bridge and like that the Slipstream's bridge was relatively quiet again except the small technical conversations among the crewpits. Faraday watched out trying to make out shapes through the red and gray clouds to see if she could see any engine trails coming towards them but the visibility was so low she gritted her teeth. Waiting was not one of her strong points.


As the small group of star fighters consisting of X-Wings, A-wings and a few B-Wings came out of hyperspace they fell into formations around the large Nebulon-B frigate. The chatter among the pilots started to kick up that they had no readings through the misty atmosphere of the planet. The chatter about searching for missing rebellion cruisers turned to frustration for some of the pilots hoping to make a quick entry and exit hoping to find the pair of cruisers disabled or surrounding the prey they were after the large Star Destroyer. However nether were the case.

Inside one of the X-wings the pilot checked his scopes trying to adjust for the planets interference but to no avail. “R5 see what you can do with it.” The young dark haired man said. The R5 astromech droid behind the pilot in the X-wing chirped a few low level beeps as it started what he assumed was a evaluation scan of the planet. A moment later another voice came through the man's comm in his helmet “Wedge, you sure know when how to pick'em.” After the initial comment Wedge Antilles gave a smile and opened his com channel “Well it may look inhospitable but I'm sure it's got plenty of casino's for you to check out.”

“Heh, me and Lando both.” The loud voice replied. On the other end of the conversation the dark haired man sitting in the YT-1300 freighter's pilot seat turned away from the comm channel button towards the pair of people next to him. The large fur covered wookiee co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon Chewbacca and sitting behind Chewy was the still dressed general garb was Lando Calrissian. Lando simply put his hands up in the air to his sides and replied to Wedge's comment “The man knows the company he keeps.” He said with a half smile towards the adjacent dark haired man in the pilots seat, Han Solo. Han gave Lando a half surprised smirk and nodded as he turned back to the pilot's controls “Maybe one of us will even the odds on this trip.” The inside comment between the two humans made them both chuckle as the slowly moved into formation with the star fighters nearing the planet.

[Tamer]

Now this is a Christmas Treat. Off to share.

[Rezikai]

Rally Point Alpha, North Peninsula...


The planets beige white beaches turned more redish orange the closer to the rally point as far as TK-1979 could see. The sands of the northwestern peninsula kicked up dust and dust swirls in the wake of the biker squad unit lead by Major Araed.

The squad raced through the morning and saw the encirclement of vehicles and supplies at Major Gridon's rally point. The unit arrived mid morning and dismounted to refuel and assess the situation. Major Araed hopped off of her speeder bike as soon as it was in line with the rest at the refueling containers. TK-1979 Corporal Zaym dismounted as well like the rest of the biker unit. A few gray jump suit wearing technicians came over and started hooking up fuel lines into the speeder bikes fuel cells. Zaym assumed he would be hungry again this morning but his appetite had left him since the close call with the arachnid beasts the night before at the campfire with the Captain. Nor did he have a want to taste the ration packs at the moment. He turned from the line of speeder bikes hovering in place awaiting refueling and noticed Major Araed was marching off in the distance. The bright sunshine showed the dirt and soot on nearly everyone from the trooper's white armor to the technical personnel's uniforms. Then the sun reflected something that caught his eye. It was the black helmet of an imperial naval trooper who had shined it back to standard. This stuck Zaym as odd as most anyone in the situation the Kumo crew had been through hadn't given much thought or care to what their uniform looked like. He noticed the naval trooper was following an imperial officer that was shorter in stature wearing battlefield armor and were coincidentally heading towards Major Araed. After a moment Zaym realized it wasn't coincidence at all, it was Commander Karamat and the shined helmet belonged to Sergeant Atter.    Zaym thought about using the comm-link the Captain had given to but held his hand after a second of reflection. Aread and Karamat were part of Captain Kai's command staff and it would be assumed they'd be in communication or reporting to each other. Yet still, something didn't sit well with him. He decided not to immediately report to the Captain but when he checks in with him before they leave the rally point he'd mention it.

   As Major Araed jogged into the rally point she had started towards the titan drop ship the intell report had said been made the command post. It sat near the rear of the rally points half circle of vehicles. There she could see the report information on what had happened to Major Gridon. She wasn't especially fond of the man but she heard he was detained by Karamat. Which made her own plans slightly less obtainable. The thoughts of her personal plans made Kai's image flash into her minds eye and the image of him in her mind wearing his cadet uniform and a half smirk still lingered all these years later. She was focusing on erasing Kai's image from her mind as she approached the drop ship. Then a woman's loud authoritarian voice called out to her “Major! Over here!” Commander Karamat gestured with waving her arm as she called out to Araed. Araed instinctively turned towards Karamat but internally cursed as this was going to delay her attempt to locate Gridon. 

Araed jogged over to Commander Karamat noticing Karamat still wearing her field armor and helm. Araed stood at attention in front of Karamat of course as the Commander was quite the stickler for protocol even in this crazed situation. She and Karamat never agreed on a multitude of points and procedures regarding the Kumo's ground forces in most aspects from previous assignments. In fact it became a point of contention until Karamat pulled rank over the Major. Nor was Karamat hesitant about being the spit and polish type of soldier in regards to do it repeatedly weather it undermined Araed's position with the rest of the command staff or her own units. Araed however did find one kindred spirit who had no love lost for Karamat or the Captain, Major Gridon. Araed and Gridon shared certain opposing views regarding the way in which Captain Kai lead the Kumo during their assignments. While she had no illusions that Gridon was only out for himself and the command positions in the Kumo's senior staff Araed knew she needed to use him if she wished to keep her own objectives obtainable.

After a quick moment Karamat waived her hand towards her to at-ease and Araed relaxed her stance and wrapped her black body gloved hands behind her white armored belt and stood eased in front of the Commander. “Major, I understand you're only here temporarily?” Karamat asked with that cool professional voice she was so precise at projecting. Major Araed mircrophoned voice crackled through her helmets speaker “Yes sir. The Captain wants us to the edge of the peninsula to find an artifact.” Karamat nodded holding up a datapad going over the information scrolling across the screen. “As I am aware, And you were diligent to come to the command vehicle without being asked, a rare occasion for you.” Now Araed knew Karamat was testing her. Araed gave a slight nod and reset her stance “Yes Commander. I wanted to ensure my report was received.”. At that reply Karamat raised one of her brownish red eyebrows under the rim of her green armored officer's helm “I find that odd as you had been in contact with the communication techs and knew the titan was the command vehicle.” Araed swallowed inside her helm. She hadn't assumed Karamat would have already been so up on reports of her small unit making way to the Rally point with so many coming into the semi-circle from the column the Captain had with him. “A, lack of forethought of course.” Araed said quickly through her helm speaker so not to let on her throat was clenched holding in her slight anxiety. Karamat's eyes slightly narrowed and Araed assumed her less then stellar answer was satisfactory to persuade the Commander. But after a moment the naval trooper next to the Commander turned towards Karamat “Comman-deah, the Major.” Sergeant Atter said towards Karamat. His phrase hung an extra second longer then normal and Araed at first assumed that Atter meant herself but a quick flash of Gridon's face came into her mind's eye and Araed loosened her grip behind her back allowing her arms to prepare in case Karamat felt she to needed to be detained. “What does that fool want now?” Karamat hissed at Atter. “He says he's getting hungry. It's been a day now.” Karamat gave a the slightest of sneers flash across her face at that comment.  A second later she ordered Atter “Go find some rations for him and the pair of troopers we locked up in his sentinel and remind him the Captain will be here... soon.” The cold demeanor she was known for became icy as she reminded Atter to make sure he knows the Captain will be here at the rally-point later today.
   After the Sergeant turned and headed away from the pair of women Karamat turned back towards Araed who was still standing at ease during the Commander's exchange with Atter. “You're going on to the northwest then?” Karamat said as more of a statement then a a question. Aread kept her poise and nodded as her microphoned voice came through her helmet. “Yes sir, I sent what details I was permitted to through to the comm station.” Karamat's icy stare shot daggers through Araed's visor as her lip slightly twitched. “He's sliding back into old habits with details it seems.” There was no mistake with her tone this time. Karamat had always been apprehensive towards the way the Captain conducted the logistics and records of mission operations often chastising him when she was assigned to the Kumo when the Captain was a flight leader, filing his reports with vague details if any details at all Araed remembered. Araed gave a slight nod as to not contribute to furthering the line of questioning. Her chance to get to the command vehicle was thwarted but Araed learned Gridon was being locked up in a Sentinel Shuttle. She'd seen a schematic layout of the rallypoint and remembered a pair of sentinel shuttles near the northern edge of the semi-circle of vehicles and equipment. Perhaps her plans to meet him weren't dashed after all. With the gears in Araed's mind turning she hoped Karamat finished with her quickly. Araed wanted to go back to the rest of her unit to escape any more of the conversation. “Get your team on it's way Major, I'll expect regular reports until your comm-links get out of range.” Karamat said. Karamat finished her statement and Araed gave an attentive nod and swiveled as best she could in the sand below her and started to trot back to her biker unit. Karamat turned and now with Sergeant Atter gone proceeded towards the Titan dropship herself.

Back at Araed's unit about half of the speeder bikes were refueled as the other six members of her unit tinkered with adjustments to the bikes systems or sat drinking and eating from ration bags. Araed arrived in a quick jog her mind still putting her plan together. She couldn't just leave herself to go to the sentinel it'd draw too much attention. She'd have to wait until the unit was moving outbound of the rally-point. She walked over and stood next to Corporal Zaym and put a gloved hand on his arm to grab his attention. Zaym turned from watching the techs refill the last of the bikes feeling Araed touch his arm. She raised her visor from her helm revealing her face showing her cheeks flushed red from the heat and small glistening sweat droplets forming on her brow and under her eyes. She spoke to him as he turned “I'm going to need you to be ready when we get moving. Making sure the unit gets through to the objective point no matter the cost. Can I count on you?” Zaym gave a nod and after a half second realized he hadn't answered verbally which caught even him off guard. “Yes of course Major.” he quickly followed his nod with. “Good, I need you to lead the squad for a few minutes after we depart. There's a second objective I'm told I need to check on.” Zaym let the words hang a second and nodded again “I'll make sure Major.” he replied. Araed gave him a smile in return and closed her visor. She released her hand from his arm and turned walking back to the rest of the speeder bikes now nearly all refueled. Zaym thought it slightly odd she'd ask him instead of one of the others in the unit. Perhaps it was because she knew Kai had attached him to the unit and she trusted him. But a few minutes away from the rest of the unit shouldn't be too hard to deal with he told himself.
   After a few more minutes the group was refueled and headed northwest to exit the rally-point. As they started to clear the last of the semi-circle of vehicles and equipment Araed stopped the squad and turned to them. “I've got a secondary mission to complete. I'll meet up with you in about 20 minutes to the northwest at .658. TK-1979 will take lead for this small departure.” There was no verbal response from the rest of the troopers but the tension could be felt from the rest giving slight nods and quick turns to look at Zaym. “I'll be back shortly, move it out.” Zaym waived a hand and with a whirlwhoop his speederbike returned to its outbound direction with the rest of the group in tow. Araed watched them exit the rally-point and turned her bike back northeast towards the direction of the sentinel shuttles Gridon was in.



Riptide survivor's...

“Are you sure it disappeared lieutenant?” Commander Shellis' said in a grave voice. “Yes sir, it was there for a few moments and vanished. Like it dropped into orbit and them jumped out of the system.”. Shellis rubbed his webbed mon-cala flippers together. An Imperial interdictor cruiser jumps into the system sees the wreckage in orbit and jumps away? He thought. “Perhaps they assumed the ISD jumped away after the battle.” the technician responded. “Let us hope so.” Shellis said. He'd wish that Captain Barraxs would hurry and arrive at the command station. It seemed to be taking him forever to arrive from his makeshift quarters in one of the mountain's damper wetter caves.
   Then the same technician gave a yelp and shouted something almost incoherent about signatures and the system. “Again Specialist?” Shellis asked. The technician at the makeshift sensor station repeated the shout she gave a moment ago surprising the rest of the technicians and Commander Shellis but slower as she cleared her throat containing her excitement “Y-yes sir, confirmed Alliance signatures are in the system they're a little ways out and fading in and out but they're there!” Shellis let his wide mon calamari mouth give a smile. “By the tides.” Then after a moment he continued “You said fading in and out? Is it possible they are Clarion escape pods in orbit?” The technician shook her fishlike head as she replied “No sir, I've been checking and the few Clarion escape pods were plotted and now are gone. These signatures are new and a lot more of them. I think they've found us!” Shellis nodded still smiling with relief. He assumed the Alliance ships found the escape pods and tractor beamed them to safety then the thought of the tractor beam meant a larger Alliance vessel “Any information on the signatures? Types and class?” he responded. The technicians were still celebrating and turned to check a different mon-calamari technician replied. “Sir, reading remnants of Red, Gold and Green squadrons as well as the frigate Harken Threat and ...” Shellis turned to the mon-cala technician as the role of ships and their captains went through Shellis' mind “Yes and... Specialist?” Shellis asked “And, a YT-1300 called the Idiot's Array?” The mon-calamari technician said with a questioning tone. Shellis nodded and smiled at him “Captain Solo's ship. He often used different signatures and sometimes forgets to change them.”. The mon calamari technician smiled back as the rest of the station techs started to whisper and pat each other with compliments knowing the famed Millennium Falcon was now here to help. “Sir should we warn them of possible hostiles from the imperial site?” One of the other mon cala technicians asked. Shellis started to nod when he suddenly turned and said “Captain! We were starting to worry!”.
   At the entrance to the cave now converted to a command station stood Captain Barrax. “I was worrying about to.” Captain Barrax said in a slow monotone voice. Shellis looked at Captain Barrax noticing his uniform was dirty and was still bootless as his lower flipper feet stood out from his off white pants. “Are you feeling well sir? I see you didn't find your boots.” Shellis said. Barrax took a moment to slowly look down at his feet and back up at Shellis “I'm fine.” He replied to Shellis casually. “Sir, we just received signatures of Alliance vessels entering the system!” The female mon calamari technician proclaimed from behind her console. Shellis turned back towards her almost forgetting the news that had just broke. Barrax stood unemotional at the younger female mon calamari and then turned back to Shellis who himself was turning back to face Captain Barrax. Barrax looked at Shellis and spoke “Is that bad?” He said in a questioning tone towards Shellis. Commander Shellis gave his mon calamari Captain a strange look as he replied. “N-no sir. We believe it's a force with Captain Solo to rescue us.” Shellis said as he gazed back at Barrax. After Shellis finished his sentence Barrax walked slow and slightly jerky towards the female technician's console. Shellis noticed his legs moved more stiffly, but assumed it was because Barrax had no boots on his feet. As Barrax reach the console he leaned over towards the female mon calamari and spoke “Show me.” Barrax simply said again in a monotone manner. The female mon calamari punched a few buttons on her control console and her small screen lit up with a list of signature identifiers. Barrax continued to look on as if waiting for something else to happen before speaking a single word “And?”. The mon calamari tech turned towards him assuming perhaps he couldn't see “These are Alliance ships and we believe they've already recovered the Clarion's escape pods.” Barrax showed no change in emotion at the mention of the Clarion's survivors. Barrax sluggishly waved his webbed flipper hand in front of the console before standing straight again “No this is not a rescue, this is a trap by some others..” Barrax's clumsy words trailed off as he turned and walked back towards the middle of the room where Shellis stood. Shellis stood there slightly taken aback by Barrax's assessment “Sir how can you be sure?” Barrax didn't turn to meet Shellis' gaze as he started to walk towards the command stations exit which lead outside where tech crews were still working on repairing the few Y-wings the Riptide's crew had left. Shellis took a few quick steps to get close to Barrax as the Captain was about to exit the cavern “Sir! Please. We should try and at least contact them.” Barrax slowed to a uneven stop as his torso slightly leaned forward as he stopped walking into the command cave's exit and turned. “No, they are dangerous, leave them to me.” Was Barrax's reply. Shellis gave a shocked look and for a moment he let the word sit and then continued “What about the mission this morning for Commander Vorm? Perhaps this is something he should know about?!” Shellis blurted out in a confused tone. Barrax simply turned his large greying mon calamari head towards Shellis and repeated “Leave them to me.” before stiffly turning around and sluggishly walking out of the cave entrance. The technicians and crewman in the command station were a bit taken back by the Captain's refusal. Even Commander Shellis thought it odd. “Commander, what-” but stormed out of the cave following Barrax.


Millennium Falcon

“Han old buddy you reading this?” Lando Calrissian's smooth voice came into Han Solo's ears as the readouts on the Falcon's display gave him the same information. “Looks like there's some weird interference coming from the planet's weather systems. It'll damn near impossible to find any survivor's from orbit without going in close to better pinpoint tracking beacon's from escape pods.” Han said. Sitting in the pilot chair Han Solo clicked the controls to try and filter out some of the interference from the planet but to no avail. Next to Han his companion and co-pilot was the wookiee Chewbacca. Chewbacca grunted a few times and a small grow showing his frustration with the readings. Behind Chewy sat Lando Calrissian still in his general's uniform “We could get closer to take a look.” Lando said suggestively. Han gave a nod and moves the Falcon's control stick sending the ship downward into the planet's orbit. As he did Han flicked a comm-channel set for Alliance chatter and started speaking “Fighter squadron's, this is Solo we're heading into the atmosphere to look for survivors be careful the weather systems are playing havoc with the sensors.” Han called out over the Alliance channel. Chewbacca gave a sigh with a bit of a throaty growl to compliment Han's actions. Han in turn replied “Well I don't know all the squadron's designations! This way they were all covered.” Han said slightly annoyed. Behind the pair Lando gave a half chuckle and watched the viewports as the Falcon started lowering from orbit into the red misty clouds covering the center of the planet's main continent.


   From the intercom Wedge heard Captain Solo's warning and clicked on his squadron's local channel “Be careful if you're following him, the weather systems go high in the atmo, some of the wreckage could be stuck in the clouds in low orbit.” Wedge said over the fighter's intercom. Some of the pilot's acknowledged and peeled off from Wedge and the rest of the group around the Harken Threat. A pair of X-wings and a lone A-wing followed the Falcon into the masses of moving red cloud coverage over the planet.


Nektulos Forrest...

Dark reddish clouds swathed across the forest canopy as the early morning grew into the midday. But unlike the previous day filled with bright skies the reddish white mist overcast hung over the forest giving it a more ominous feel. Aerrel Triton had been walking for hours using a make shift crutch she'd salvaged from parts of her crashed A-wing. She'd tried using her com-link a few times during the early morning but never received an answer. It was hard to navigate the forest floor with no navigation or tracking equipment. She knew she needed to go east towards the Riptide to see what became of the crew after the tie fighter assault the previous night.
   Aerrel chugged slowly through the the forest it was sometime before midday when she realized the sound or rather lack there of. Very little sounds came from the forest. The wind stirred up the leaves and tree branches of course but a forest this size should have wild life or insects or something to give it a backdrop to the gusts of air blowing through the tree trunks beneath the forest canopy. Twice during her hike she had spotted the beginnings of small patches of tree trunks coated in an extremely sticky residue. Like ultra thick spider webbing which seemed to crawl from the bottoms of the trunks to near the tops of the large trees themselves. Remembering the large creature from her crash Aarrel though better then continuing forward through these areas and circumvented around them traversing longer to avoid them then she wished but knew it may be for the best if more of those creatures were around.

It was a bit after midday by the position small reddish yellow dot poking through the forest canopy signifying the location of the planet's sun when Aerrel found a small path. It was generous to call it a foot path more like a place where there had once been a small meter length path years go and decades of non use let the foliage and fauna grow at the edges while grass started encroaching deeper into its middle. Aerrel thought it odd, but the planet hadn't be researched before coming here in the pursuit of the Star Destroyer Kumo, the Endor battle had taken such a dramatic turn so quickly anyone with sub assignments such as capturing vessels like Captain Dryce's Deck as she and her unit called themselves had those opportunities quickly vanishing in the wreckage of the recently destroyed second Death Star.
   Word was back at Endor two of the large arrow headed Star Destroyers were captured and Captain Dryce's unit were going after the third. Little did they know that it'd cost them the Clarion. Aerrel bit her lip at that thought. Many of her friends and fellow Alliance members were aboard when it exploded over this planet. Aerrel choked down her emotion and continued trudging along the small path noticing occasionally small blue black stones were prominent in some areas of the path where the fauna had yet to consume it. Aerrel wondered if there were sentient humanoids on this planet, which ever planet this one happens to be. Then she stopped thinking she heard for the first time this trip wildlife. But it wasn't a high sounding tweet from a bird or buzz from insects but a low rumbling sound. Aerrel started moving quicker towards the sound which was also in the same direction the weathered path led.
   After a few minutes the rumble became a low gushing sound and Aerrel gave a guess it may be river. A few moments passed and Aerrel saw the forest canopy started to dissipate as the trees thinned and the weathered path slowly faded away as the path came to a small embankment and there was the rushing water of a large creek. Aerrel gave a small sigh of relief, she was glad to be out of the forest. She looked up at the sky and the reddish white misty overcast still encompassed the sky with the small pinkish yellow sphere of the sun off showing it was now late in the afternoon of this planets cycle. Aerrel hobbled with her crutch to the edge of the creek and sat down next to the rushing water. At first Aerrel thought the water was reddish white but quickly dismissed it as the overcast. In fact it was very clear. It was very clean and the bed of the creek near the bank was very smooth as if it hadn't been disturbed in a very long time. She dipped her hand in testing it with a finger first. It was cool as if it was moving for quite a while.
   Aerrel decided to rest here and try her comm again. “Kitchen this is SPEAR, the Arrowhead was broken. Need pickup at these coordinates.” Static was the reply to her request for rescue. She cursed under her breath and then tried to move from her seated position and felt the sear of pain hit her wounded leg. Her aneth-shot must be wearing off she thought. Aerrel checked her med pack and saw she had one more in it but none after that. She hoped a rescue was coming or she was close enough to the Riptide before another wore off. Aerrel unholstered her blaster and set it down before unbuckling her flight gear and slipped out of the green suit spattered with red staining the lower half. Aerrel wore a gray pair of shorts and a white shirt under her suit. She turned the suit over and saw the large tear through it's leg where the piece of shrapnel from her A-wings fighter pinched a sliced into her thigh. A moment later she injected the anesthetic into her leg and scooted next to the water and cupped some water and cleaned the dried blood and dirt around her thigh's wound. It was a few minutes later when Aerrel finished cleaning her thigh's wound and was about to put a fresh wrap of bandage from the medkit over it when a thought crossed her mind. Aerrel gave a smile and edged herself into the water she saw the bottom of the creek and waded slowly out into the creek steadying herself against the moderate rush of water. She pulled off her shirt and tossed it back to the bank next to her crutch and the medkit.
   After watching it sail through the air Aerrel's shirt landed on her blaster concealing it. She then continued towards the middle of the creek measuring her distance. About a third of the way across and she could feel the water would easily go above her head. Deciding not to go further she held her nose and dunked herself in the water, under the water she saw the creeks bed was very undisturbed and she turned to see her steps into the creek were moving small bits of dirt being rushed away downstream. After a few seconds Aerrel resurfaced and took a long deep breath and put her hands into her blonde hair. Moving the water through it trying to wash the sweat, smoke and grease from the crash away. She remembered while moving her hands through her hair that she left the cleanse gel pack in the med kit. Aerrel walked back through the creek's water towards the bank and stopped just short of the medkit. Her attention was now on the two and a half meter high obelisk a few yards adjacent from the exit of the weathered path she had taken in the forest. It was an onyx colored structure with moss and vines growing over it. Aerrel tried to make sense of the runes on the obelisk but quickly realized it was a language she wasn't familiar with. She took note of the runes, they were very curvy with slashes and dots accenting the main stems   

 

Aerrel always categorized information in her mind when it may be important languages, runes, symbols, cultural characteristics. It was part of her training and often parts of her duties when working undercover with Dryce's Deck. Now she would place these runes in the crevices of her mind for investigation later. A few moments of looking at the obelisk passed and Aerrel took the cleanse gel from the med kit and waded back out into the creek, not as far as before stopped as the water came up past her waist. She added her cleanse gel and scrubbed her blonde lochs of hair which were stained with sweat and grease from the crash. As Aerrel finished her hair she moved on to leg wound and the rest of the grease and soot stains on her.

   A few hours of trudging the forest had put Lt. Vanders stamina to the test. He was always fit but his hikes and marches usually weren't with the cumbersome weight of a flight-suit and enviro-system.  The sweat and heat bored down on him during the early morning but by midday the reddish white overcast had dispersed some of the sun's heat. He had flipped helmet over his head and let it dangle behind his neck after reluctantly taking it off.  Vander's short dirty blonde hair was coated in sweat from his long march. His breathe was labored as he huffed through the forest he didn't notice the change in his environment for some time. The wildlife and sounds of the forest had went near mute. Vanders stopped a moment and turned around gauging his surroundings trying to assess why the wildlife had went silent. Vanders swallowed hard hoping it wasn't due to a predator near him. He had kept his SE-14C side arm and now his instincts overcame his thoughts and he pulled his side arm and turned off the safety. Vanders slowly trudged along the forest floor as the reddish white overcast let the small bits of light from planet's sun poke through. He pulled his emotions together and kept moving quicker through the forest. The adrenaline rushed through Vanders to a point where his senses were dotting he'd see a shadow from a broken tree branch dangling on the side of a trunk and nearly turned an fired on it. He cursed himself and continued southward. He really didn't care what direction he went at this point his instinct's just told him to get away from here. A few moments later his helmet's comm crackled for the first time in hours. Vanders took his free hand and pulled his helm over his head as he kept his pistol outstreched waiting for the slightest movement. He brought up the signal and replayed it while half holding his helmet over his ears and listened. “Kit-sshh-en this is xXXxEAR, the ArrowoOOo was broken. Need pickxXXx at oOOoese coordinates. Vanders let his helm slip over his head and the heat that he he sweltered in returned around his head. He transfixed the coordinates and surprisingly it wasn't in the same spot as the earlier transmission but in the same direct Southwest. More significantly the voice this time was much higher and female. Not Lt. Faraday's voice as he had hoped. Vanders pulled his helmet over his head letting it drape over the back of his neck. But the signal was much closer he thought.
   As Vanders quickened his pace he saw the reddish white light of the overcast start to take further parts of the landscape as the forest started to draw back. Vander's adrenaline was still racing to the point where he didn't hear the rushing of water until he stumbled from the treeline of the forest and took a few steps away from it staring at the rushing water of a creek before him. Vanders' reluctance to infect himself with allergens or bacteria disappeared as ran towards the creek bed and leaned over and cupped some of the clear moving water in his free hand and slurpped it out of his palm and repeated the action before taking a few palm fulls and doused his sweaty head letting the water run down his neck before pooling where his black bodysuit started. It was a few seconds of relief for him when the adrenaline in him was still rushing and he turned up and and down the creek checking his surroundings for imaginary predators his mind and instincts tolled on him. He didn't see these predators but about 75 meters down the creeks streaming water he saw a figure in the distance wading into the water. Vander's jumped back away from the water and shuffled back to forests tree line. After a moment he realized the person didn't seem to notice his presence. Vander's didn't know who it was but wasn't going to be naive enough to trot up to a person this deep into enemy territory. Vander's slowly tacked down the river bank from the forest canopy's edge. He crept along the shadows of the forest edge as the reddish white mist overcast moved across the landscape.
   Vander's stopped his stalking of the figure when he was roughly 20 meters from the figure from the forest edge. The figure had her back to him, she was a human female with blonde hair and a lithe build standing in the water up to her waist. Vander's saw her moving and leaning into the water as bubbles and foam came from her hands. Vander's thought it odd this person was cleaning herself. He looked beyond the woman with her back to him and saw her belongings on the creek's bank. It was a med kit and a crutch and then he saw it. A green pilot's uniform. One he recognized used by the Rebel Alliance. His adrenaline rushed as he drew his pistol's aim on the woman's back. As he held his aim he took step after step edging closer to the side of the creek until he was only a meter or two from it's edge. The woman had stopped moving and was standing up straight but turned away from him. Vander's emotions got the better of him as he stood there with his pistol aimed “REBEL! HALT!” Vander's said in his loudest and sternest voice. The figure in the water stood with their back to him. “Hands up! Turn! REBEL!” he shouted again. The figure in the water slowly raised her hands into the air and turned to face Lt. Vanders. Standing there in the moment Vander's emotions almost overcame him again and he felt his thick gloved hand almost squeeze the trigger to his blaster pistol. But he stopped himself trying to get a handle on his racing thoughts. His adrenaline was surging now and the woman facing him could see how enraged he'd become. “You going to kill me?” Aerrel Triton said her hands in the air. Vanders huffed threw his nose as he tried to reply “Kill yes!?” was his reply. Aerrel crooked an eyebrow at him. She gave a long breathe as Vanders held his aim at her. Vander's finally realized he was staring at the woman and shouted an order “Out! Out of the water!” he demanded. Aerrel nodded and slowly started to turn towards her suit and supplied when Vander shouted again “NO! This side!” he yelled. Aerrel gave a sigh and turned back still with her hands up. “The water in the center is too deep to wade over to you.” She replied. “Stop Lying!” he barked “Now move!”. With a long sigh Aerrel turned back towards the imperial and waded to the center and held a hand up as she swam past the middle of the creek nearly submerging at one point. Vander's rushed into the water and grabbed her raised hand and pulled her over to his side of the shallow water before letting go and taking a few steps back. Aerrel gave a few long breathes and thought the imperial would be satisfied with this but then Vander's shouted again “Get over here!” he said backing back out of the creek. Aerrel's mind raced trying to figure a way out of this as she slowly walked out of the creek towards Vanders.
   Lt. Vanders kept his weapon trained on Aerrel as she crept her way out of the water. She winced slowly as walked up the creek bank and started to ascend up the muddy ground. Her leg was slightly bleeding Vander's noticed. His eyes traced up from her leg and the water streaming down her body which Vander's tried to remain stalwart and not let his eyes roam. “Down on the ground!” He shouted. Aerrel winced hard as she bent down and and lay on her healthy thigh. Vander's kept hearing his former instructor's voices ringing in his head when it came to capturing rebels. Don't trust traitors, give them no heed, nor quarter. He tried to stay focused as he turned to see her supplies on the other side of the creek. “You're a pilot?!” he barked again. Aerrel just gave a nod before Vander's realized she had lowered her hands and shouted at her again “Hands back up!”. Aerrel had about enough of this. The young man tried much too hard to be assertive she'd known the types at the academy. But that was a dozen or so years ago, Aerrel was now in her thirties and even before joining the Alliance she had learned which young men could be bent and which could be broken. This one about 10 years younger then her she noticed had been broken before she thought. She raised her hands and gave a loud aching sound to her voice. Vanders' took his eyes off of Aerrel's supplies on the opposite bank and turned back towards Aerrel “How many others here with you?!” He shouted again. Aerrel shook her head “None, I'm stranded out here.” She said giving a light and needful tone to her voice. She played this character many times before finding her place in the Alliance she'd play it again now. “Where is your craft?” Vander's said now slightly lessening his forced authoritarian tone. “I was on a recon mission, I crashed in the forest.” Vanders let a long breathe flow from his nose before continuing his interrogation “How many in your unit?” he followed his breath now in a more standard tone. Aerrel's expression didn't change but inside her mind her lips smirked with accomplishment “Two, the other was sent back to, base.” Aerrel had thought for a moment to say the Alliance but if the imperial had communications to his other units it's possible the imps could be monitoring for hyperspace activity or even bring in a few ships for pick up and intercept LONGSPEAR.
   Vanders gritted his teeth, his mind flashed to the A-wing from last night slamming into his tie fighter. It must have been this pilot's wingman he thought to himself. And he left her here in the forest, like the scum the rebel's were. Vander's then looked back at the supplies across the creek. He wanted her supplies but wasn't about to let her get behind him. “You need something to eat?” Aerrel asked in a very nurturing tone. Vanders turned back towards Aerrel's gaze as her cool blue eyes looked at him. “You look tired, and hungry.” Aerrel's smirk in her mind was stretching to a smile as she realized the young man's want of food grabbed his attention. Not that he should really need to as she realized by the breeze her shirt was still on the other creek bank and she sat topless. “I think the war is over for us both for now.” She said sounding melancholy. “I was starting to get hungry and was cleaning up before popping open some ration packs.” Aerrel finished. She knew full well there was no food in the medkit and her uniform but this imp didn't know that. “ Vanders gave a half sneer at the mention of the war as memories of dead allies started to come to mind but then those images faded as his stomach rumbled at the rebel's mention of ration packs. He tried to think straight but his hunger mixed with his adrenaline starting to crash made him feel much more tired then he was. “Go- go get me yours.” Aerrel gave a slow nod and turned away from him and edged back into the creek water. This time as she waded out into the water Vanders followed still holding his blaster pistol on her. Aerrel came to the deeper middle of the creek and swam across it easily enough. Vander's however stopped as the water became deeper at the center and kept his gun trained on Aerrel. She reach the other side and turned seeing Vander's holding his pistol on her. Vander's tried hard to keep attentive but his exhausting feeling and his mind wandrering into placed he shouldn't made it an exercise to keep focus. Aerrel got to her supplies and held up the small medkit to show Vander's. “Toss it here!” He yelled and Aerrel nodded in compliance. As she held the medkit she looked at him and asked “Can I dress?” in a polite tone. Vanders was slightly annoyed she didn't through the medkit but his instincts that had been so rabid earlier hit him as he realized the woman was half nude and he nodded and yelled back “Through me the supplies then go ahead.” He finished the sentence with a long exhale through his nose and watched as the woman tossed the medkit in his direction. Being cautious he watched her lean over for her shirt as the medkit arced through the air. Vanders watched the medkit sail up and slightly passed him as he reach up with his free hand and knocked the small cloth pouch with a strap on it down into the water. After a moment of grabbing the small sinking pouch he pulled it to him. Holding the gun in place he looked down and rummaged through the medkit and frowned realizing there was no rations in it he could see. He turned to look up and asked “Where are-” but he stopped mid sentence to see the the creek bank empty except for a cloth shirt and a metal stake of some kind but the woman was gone. “Wha?” He lurched forward out of instinct and his feet fell considerably deeper into the water giving him enough of a fright to shout “Ah! Wha!?” he yelped as he gave a few treads of his legs and swam to shallower ground on the opposite side of the creek. He pulled himself up to the bank and struggled as his black bodysuit was now soaked and partially filled with the water making his body much more heavy and sluggish. Vanders picked up the stake made of metal and saw a piece of grav couch made up one end. He tossed it aside and picked up the small white shirt the woman and been wearing, he clenched his fist for a moment then turned 360 degrees to find her but she was no where in site. “Lying scum.” he said aloud. A half second after he muttered the words a splash came from the creek and he turned his attention and his pistol to water. Something a few meters up the river. Vanders realized it was the rebel she slipped back in the water. He almost decided to let her go, but his honor of his mind suddenly rang of his comrades and he dashed up the bank to capture the rebel. As he sprinted he noticed an obelisk structure between the bank and the tree line and then turned back to search where the splash had come. His pistol held out in front of him he gritted his teeth. When his instincts got the better of him and he quickly turned around back towards the obelisk only to see the large blue arcing waves of energy hit him and shove him back over a meter into the water. “Ungh” was his only word as he splashed backwards into the river his grip on the SE-14C let go and it splashed into the water with him as he lost consciousness he heard the rebel woman's voice say something but his burning nervous system made it unrecognizable as vision went black.
   Aerrel had watched the ambitious young man run past her as she crouched behind the rune covered obelisk. He was too inexperienced she noted to herself and when her time came she pounced. She gave the young man credit though. He figured it out just a bit too late as she shot him with her blasters stun setting. “Now what to do...” Aerrel thought to herself. She's lost in a forest with dangerous arachnids with no contact from her fellow Alliance at all and now this young imperial fellow disgraced himself for her. Aerrel chuckled at that last part, it had been a kind of slang saying at the academy. That's when the thoughts of those rough years came back and she looked at the young man laying face up and slowly starting to sink into the water. After a few more moments of contemplation she sighed and waded into the water and grabbed the young man's blaster in one hand and tossed it to the creek bank and then grabbed his suits collar and hauled him onto the dry bank as well. She noted he was a lot heavier with the water in his suit but also because his frame was heavier and more athletic then the imperial jump suit revealed. Aerrel went back to her crutch and donned her shirt and flight suit again. She tried her comm link again but this time she heard it come through the unconscious man's helmet. “So that's how...” Her mind trailed off as she realized she had given him a map to find her trying the comm-link so much. She'd wait a while from now to try again. Aerrel almost decided to leave the imperial here but her compassion weighed heavy and instead she sat at the creek bank and waited until the young man's groans of unconscious pain turned into light snoring of exhausted sleep. “The things we do... “ She said to herself as she started stripping the man from his flight suit and helmet.

[Tamer]

Wow, great update. Let me go share this. I am gonna try to read this at my lunch break and leave better comments.

[Rezikai]

Small update today as I finish the 1st battle of Rally point Alpha for next week sometime hehe.

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IIC Slipstream...

While the stormtrooper guards shoved Lt. Klavine through the corridors of the Interdictor cruiser Slipstream he almost didn't notice the thick gloved stormtrooper's hands were no longer on his back. The troopers had been holding the side of their skull like helmets to their ears to make sure the incoming orders in them were heard clearly.
   Klavine's thoughts were of his comrades back on the planet, “Which ever planet it was” he thought. He didn't even know the name of the place he had lost many of his friends and fellow alliance combatants. Klavine hoped for a second they'd shoot him already and be done with it. After another stray thought creeped into his mind he hoped the attractive first officer would be there to watch him die. He'd give her and the rest of these imps a show Klavine thought. A moment later he realized he wasn't being taken back to the small container cell he was previously inside. He was being moved to the living quarters of the Interdictor. For another second a more lewd stray thought crossed Klavine's mind about the first officer when he was stopped in front of an officer's quarters.

Klavine held in his smirk but any additional carnal thoughts were dashed when the door opened and inside the mid-sized quarters the aged white haired man with a bushy mustache sat in a chair in front of a small display console. “Ah, come in lad.” Admiral Sequa said from the chair waving Klavine and the troopers inside “You may go.” Sequa said with a nod towards the pair of stormtroopers who nodded an acknowledgment and spun on their heels and exited the quarters. “You...” Was all Klavine could get out of his mouth as his mind tried to find the words to put together a coherent thought. Sequa gave a half chuckle and pointed over towards a small pile of clothes on a desk in front of a mirrored vanity alcove in the side of the quarter's wall. As the thoughts to rush at the Admiral dulled Klavine walked over to the clothes he noticed it wasn't a pile but a grey imperial jumpsuit that technicians wore and a pair of legging socks that were too long for him but Klavine would make work. Klavine finished dressing and stood there a moment as Sequa raised an arm over the back of the chair he was sitting in looking at the back of Klavine “Well?” was all Sequa asked and Klavine gave a half nod and turned around. The grey jumpsuit fit well enough but Klavine kept the collar undone letting him look slightly more dishelved then Imperial regulation would allow a normal tech “Why?” Klavine answered Sequa's one word question in turn with a one word answer. “Because civilized people treat others like people and not animals.” Sequa said in a slightly gruff tone. Klavine pointed to the small sleeping bed with a boxy metal gray frame around it protruding from the side of the wall next to the small vanity alcove “May I?” Sequa nodded “Of course, I must say. You handled yourself better then I would.” The elder man said.
   Klavine took a seat on the edge of the bed, it was made with the coverings tightly binded to the folds and edges as imperial doctrine would demand of recruits and most young officers. Sequa as an admiral wouldn't have to worry about a superior officer condemning him for it but he seems to kept the habit all these years. “How so?” Klavine asked towards Sequa giving him a half inquisitive look and also taking note of any weapons near the small display console in case he needed to fight his way out of the Admiral's quarters. Sequa gave a stroke to his bushy white mustache and gave his wrinkled face a small squint as he replied “I'd have done what you were thinking on your capture, opening up my cockpit canopy with blasters blazing taking out as many of those clank-...err. Enemies as I could before I was torched.” Sequa said with a whimsical tone giving a small smile under his mustache after finishing the words. Klavine nodded back at the Admiral remembering when he was captured by the Imperials it was something he had seriously considered as soon as the tractor beams disengaged when Klavin's A-wing was secured in the Slipstream's hold. “Well, I have a bit of life I still wish to live.” Klavine replied as the thoughts of the previous days events took hold and the gigantic flash of the second Death Star filled the view of the ships and fighters of the Alliance fleet. Klavine for the first time felt there was truly a second chance to live life again at that moment. It was one of the things he thought about when he decided not to die guns blazing in the Slipstream's grasp. He wanted to live long enough to see the Empire fall. Sequa gave a sigh from under his mustache at Klavine's reply “You think you'd live long enough for a second life after the Empire's rule is retracted eh?” Which Klavine stayed silent for but from his surprising reaction Sequa realized he'd hit the target dead on. “Lad, your grandchildren may be able to live in a life without Imperial rule, but destroying the Emperor and his massive folly's of death won't bring the Empire to it's knees.” Sequa countered. “It's a good start!” Klavine replied quickly letting the blood rush to his head as he felt anger start to brew within him. “Come look at the holonet.” Sequa said waving Klavine over to the console display. Klavine was surprised at how casually the imperial admiral was acting. Was he so sure Klavine wouldn't rush him and wound the old man? No, Klavine wasn't that kind of person and he realized the Admiral realized that to. After a moment of thought Klavine rose and walked over to the Admiral's desk where the small console was displaying information of a battle at a Sentry Moon in the Endor system. “See, here were the reporting on details start.” Sequa said pointing to the small text on the screen. 

[[[[[[[[[[“Reports of a massive clash crippling the Rebel Alliance fleet in the Endor system has come in from the Imperial Security Bureau's announcements. It's estimated over 90% of the small rebel fleet was destroyed with the rest running into hiding from the devastating blow the Empires' best strike fleet, Lord Vader's Death's Head. The fleet's flagship the Executor was said to have laid the deathblow against the rebel's flagship. Casualty reports are estimated to be moderate to low as Lord Vader's fleet is expected to rearm and pursue the remnants of the rebel fleet.]]]]]]]]]]

Klavine leaned up from the display disgusted “Lies, someone will know.” Sequa gave a nod and a chuckle “Of course people will know the truth. But the truth is hard to decipher from facts laced with propaganda.” Klavine gritted his teeth he almost demanded the admiral send him away back to his holding cell. But he hesitated thinking of the Admiral's words about being civilized “This is what you wanted me to see?!” Klavine said with a tinge of anger in his voice. Sequa shook his head as he leaned back in his chair “Soon the reports will dwindle and in a half year the reports of the battle will have been forgotten as the hierarchy changes over with the head of the Empire finding it's footing again. You and your friends are quite the disturbers of civilized people. You may make your gains eventually but it will take more then the Emperor's death.” Sequa finished. Klavine gave a half sneer thinking this imperial was mocking him and the cause, a cause Klavine remembered was worth fighting for. The freeing of worlds across the galaxy and bringing an end to the tyranny of the Empire's rule. “Our gains will be faster then that. You imps have a habit of underestimating people who are willing to die for their beliefs.” Klavine said as dignified as he could. In the back of his mind the images of dead friends and destroyed cities filled his mind with anger. “You may be right about that. The others do have a bad habit of believing their impervious to destruction caused by you and your friends.” Klavine noticed unlike most imperials he's interrogated Sequa didn't call him a traitor, or scum like so many other imperials had done. In fact after the scene on the bridge Sequa had been quite cordial with him. “You wanted me to discuss propaganda and how long it could last?” Klavine asked in an annoyed tone as he tired of this game Sequa was playing. “Partially young man. You see, I have few humor's in my old life left and the moment I saw the you and the way you knew how to anger others around you I knew you were a man of refined tastes. Klavine crooked an eyebrow unsure of what the imperial was speaking about. He always acted cocky, most fighter pilots do. But why was it important to this admiral? Sequa reach over and punched the latch button on one of the desk's drawers and it opened in a slow mechanical motion. Inside of it Sequa pulled out a small black imperial technician cap, some data cylinders and a data pad “I want to give you a chance to live.” Klavine's brow furrowed at the notion of this admiral “You are a fool if you think I'm joining the Empire.” Klavine said coldly as he started to scan the rest of the room for something he could use as a weapon if this offer of Sequa's was one he couldn't refuse. “No no, nothing as esteemed as that.” Sequa continued “I need you to spy for the Alliance.” Sequa said reaching the datapad outward towards Klavine. Klavine took the datapad bewildered and looked at the information. “You want me to spy on the Empire? For the Alliance?” Klavine said almost lost to the turn of events in this admiral's quarters. “No, not just the Alliance and for myself. From this moment consider yourself a member of FOCI.” Sequa said in a very serious tone.
   The name FOCI rang so hard in Klavine's head he felt the chills go down his body. FOCI was the best of the best spy intelligence in the Galaxy. Not just the Alliance but everywhere into everything. They were hard to find, even harder to evade. He remembered reports they intercepted from ISB about trying to track it's members and the group was always one step ahead of the imps evading ensarement. Now as the realization that FOCI was made of possible high ranking Imperial fifth columnists inside the Empire it's slightly more clear how the members staved off capture for so long. Klavine realized his mouth was agape after a few seconds and closed it with a swallow. “H-How?” Sequa leaned over his desk and closed the drawer. Sequa simply looked up the much younger man and shook his head “A story I can't go into here nor would you want to wait the hours it would take to tell. Needless to say. You will be under my mentorship and you cannot report back to your Alliance forces right away.” Sequa said. The strange numbness washed over Klavine as he was accustomed to staying in deep cover on covert missions with Dryce's Deck but being offered such a mission while imprisoned was a first. Klavine gave a long winded exhale as he looked at the datapad filled with information on imperial armament and locations. Klavine looked up at the bushy mustached admiral as he spoke again “And I should trust you because?” he said in a monotone. Sequa gave a half smirk under his mustache and turned back to his display “Because if I had any suspicions you'd decline my offer or attack me the pair of troopers standing outside the door I dismissed earlier would come in blasters blazing for you.” Klavine remembered the troopers not questioning why the Admiral would be allowed with the prisoner, perhaps they were conspirators as well. “Are they?” Klavine said inquiring about the troopers. “No, they're good little Imperials like most of them are. A tool to be used for one purpose or another.” Sequa said almost relaying a coincidental tone to his words as Klavine understood the phrase's double meaning “I... see.” Klavine said now with that twinge of anger subdued and replaced with dread. “What if I do decline?” Klavine said in a curt tone to see how far Sequa would go along with his request. Sequa turned back towards Klavine and gave him a deathly stare with his brow lowered and his mustache slanted down on the sides showing the Admiral's frown “Then I'd have the troopers kill you and throw you out of an airlock to ensure no chance of survival now that you know what you do.” Sequa finished. Klavine realized it was indeed an offer he couldn't refuse “Well then no need to worry about the troopers. You have yourself a spy.” Klavine agreed with a slightly reluctant tone to his voice. Sequa nodded and turned pressing a button on the controls on the console in front of the display screen “6854, our guest will be leaving shortly show him to his quarters.” Sequa said aloud into the comm button. A moment later the pair of stormtroopers returned and one put a hand on Klavine's shoulder “Come along.” the troopers microphoned voice said from under his helmet. Klavine gave a long sigh and nodded tucking the datapad inside the opened front of the gray jumpsuit.
        As he turned and was lead out of Admiral Sequa's quarters he was lead down another few corridors until he was shown to a door of non commissioned officer's barracks and was lead inside. The small cramped quarters were desolate, a small sleeping bed and smaller version of the mirror vanity similar to the one in Admiral Sequa's chambers. But for now, this was where he'd have to start the next steps to getting away and back to the Alliance. Klavine sat on the bed as the door closed behind the stormtrooper escorts as they left the room, he heard their metal boots clanging on the deck hull as they trailed off. Klavine remembered a phrase Ariel would say to him whenever he would get himself into trouble and she'd have to give him advice to get out...  “The things we do...”.

[Tamer]

Time to go share.

[Rezikai]

So I've had an update but it was smaller and not too exciting like the last one. So i'm deciding to instead wait and release it with a larger portion of the story with more blasters and pew-pewing.

Since I love action figures (This is ISY of course) I plan to set it up for a PN. Not sure if I should condense the story or just post a few images for each wall of text.. meh ill figure something out.

Here's some of the human cast (no mon cala's nor Arachnid beasts customed yet- but the base items have been started heh) most of those painted up have already shown up in the story so far.

[Tamer]

They look great to me.

Off to share the update.

[Rezikai]

Blue Lead in flight Top Secret...

The comm chatter had faded away a few minutes earlier as the Koyensayer Y-wing had sped out of range of the crashed Alliance ship Riptide. Once the Y-wing's home, the great ship now rested at the edge of a ravine on the side of a forest covered mountain.
   Inside the low flying Y-wing Commander Vorm went over the plans again. It was a very dubious plan created by Captain Barrax but it was marked essential and with the Imps laying off the Riptide after the pasting they took the previous night he doubt they'd be so quick to try again. As Vorm toggled through the flight plans some static came through his comm-channels on the emergency frequency. “Zzzzzt.... sshhhhh ---liance personnel on planet please respond. This is Alliance flight to any Alliance personnel on planet please reply.” The initial shock of the message quickly faded from Vorm's mind as he reach for the transmitter to reply. After another quick milisecond he stopped himself. Vorm had almost let his mission go and broke transmission silence as was per the Captain's orders. “Please respond. Alliance surviving personnel, please respond.” The voice said however this time more faded then the first time. Perhaps the scout ship was moving away from his location Vorm thought to himself.
   The thought of him not responding because of orders and the Riptide's crew missing it's chance to get off his rock was a not a chance he was willing to take. Vorm reach over with his webbed hand and clicked on the transmitter “This is Blue Lead from Riptide calling out for pick up of Alliance personnel including senior officers. Glad you found us!” Vorm said with a smile starting to form on the edges of his mon cala mouth. The voice came back through the comm speaker slightly faded “Good to see you're still alive Blue Lead! Send us coordinates for dust up and we'll grab any and all from yours and the Clarion's group.” The other Alliance pilot's mention of the Clarion caught Vorm offguard. None from the Clarion seemed to survive its explosion except Dryce and his tactical squad. It was a shame he thought as he clicked his comm speaker to reply “Sending pick up coordinates now!” Vorm announced. Vorm knew he'd could be reprimanded for breaking orders but he was pretty sure in regards to the situation the other senior Alliance officers will overlook it. Vorm looked at his krono and saw he was only a few minutes from his target area. He'd need to find a small clearing to set his Y-wing down.
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Alliance ships...

After a few minutes of sweeping over parts of the half mist covered continent Wedge Antilles was getting anxious. A large red and white gray cloud formation had descended over most of the continent and was playing havoc with his sensors. As if hearing his thoughts his astromech droid R2-A3 chimed and beeped behind him “No, I don't know why the cloud cover is blinding the sensors. I wish I did.” he replied back. The green domed astromech droid swiveled it sensors around trying to rescan the surrounding red and white misty clouds starting to stick to its body and the body of Wedge's T-65 Incom X-wing when suddenly it stopped. Wedge was in the middle of a half turn when R2-A3 started chiming and whirling excitedly “What is it A3?” Wedge asked. A few seconds later the information came across Wedge's screen showing other alliance ships have made contact with the Riptide survivors “Thank the skies, lets recall everyone and get down there quick.” Wedge finished his sentence with his astromech as it started beeping compliant sounds.
   Wedge clicked on his intercom and transmitted out “General Solo, I think we've got a reading.” he said anxiously, the gruff sounding voice of fellow Corellian captain of the Millennium Falcon came back through Wedges' speakers “I know, we're already heading that way. Lets get them and get out of here.” the agitated voice of Han Solo replied. Wedge noticed the slight annoyance in Han's demeanor. Han and everyone were still on edge since the destruction of the second Death Star but something sounded off with Solo he thought as he clicked back his reply in the comm-channel “Everything alright sir?” he said in a half questioning tone “I don't know, I got a bad feeling about this.” Han replied as he held his words a moment and then continued “Wedge stay off the ground as long as you can, Chewy, Lando and I will meet with the alliance survivors and make pick up runs. I want to make sure we have someone in the air with experience. There's no signs of imperials but that doesn't mean they aren't here.” Han said quickly back into the comm. Wedge gave a nod to the statement of Han's and replied “Right with you boss.” he acknowledged and turned his comm to the squadron's channel. “Red, Gold, Grey and Green squadrons form up. I want Red and Gold running umbrella cover for the Falcon and any shuttling of survivors found. Grey and Green will be escort duty for the shuttles and Falcon in question.”
   Wedge winced as he said the words knowing the responses he'd get back through the channel as audible groans and curses came through as pilots of the squadrons learned they wouldn't be going back to the frigate or the fleet anytime soon. “Sir Green 4 and 5 are still in the middle of that dense cloud cover moving west across the continent.” The voice of a young pilot said through the intercom. Wedge's mind clicked to remember the pilot, a young man named Jezter from Corellia was his name Wedge remembered because as a fellow Corellian he appreciated pilots coming from his and General Solo's home planet as someone to set an example for. Wedge replied back through the com-channel “We'll go without them, if they can't be reach through normal channels when they come out of the mist clouds we'll give them their orders.” He said confidently then turned his X-wing to form up with the rest of the Red and Gold squadrons heading to the eastern part of the small continent for cover flying.


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ICC Slipstream...

The view ports were so densely covered in the small red and white cloudy dust particles that Commander Faraday could barely make out shapes of the misty clouds the Interdictor cruiser Slipstream hid inside. Out of the cloud system an Alliance light frigate and few patchwork squadrons of Alliance fighters had swarmed into the system in search of their missing comrades. Much like Faraday brought the Slipstream to this planet in search of her brother. A pilot aboard the now crashed ISD Kuomo.
   “Commander... look.” a red haired technician wearing a light gray suit and black cap said pointed to the barely visible exhaust fumes of a Y-wing slowly tracking out of the cloud system. Faraday turned and gave the young man a nod before her gazed returned to stair through the heavily covered viewports. Faraday's eyes tracked to the left as she saw the white-blue power exhausting from the alliance fighters engines as it tracked away slowly getting smaller and smaller in the distance. Faraday thought for a moment and turned to the technician again “Where was the other one? The A-wing.” she said in quick questioning tone. The technician gave a hum and shook his head unable to locate it. Faraday turned back to the mist covered viewport and watched as the pair of whiteblue lights from the Y-wings engines flew out of vision into the mist. Suddenly the loud hum pair of engines zipped past and over the viewports as the pair of engines of the other alliance fighter had come so close to the Slipstream it had nearly collided with it. Faraday instinctively bent half over as the triangular shape of the A-wing buzzed by and continued its exit vector following a similar path as the Y-wing had just moments earlier. “It, it didn't see us.” Faraday said with a slight relief to her tone. “N-no ma'am. It's sensors and scanners are just as blind as we are so unless it saw us and even then with all the particles of this cloud system attached to our hull, it wouldn't be easy to tell us apart from the rest of the clouds unless he knew what to look for.” The technician replied with his long winded explanation. Faraday winced at the image of the A-wings white blue engine exhaust zipping out to the edge of the clouds much quicker then the Y-wing had. “Fine...” was all Faraday replied with as an annoyed expression draped over her face.
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Northern Rally point...

It had been roughly 10 minutes since Commander Araed had departed the other 7 members of the biker scout squadron on what she said was secondary objective she'd been given Araed told TK1979 Corporal Zaym. The coordinates she gave for a rendezvous point was quickly approaching and Zaym realized that the group would have to stop momentarily to wait for Commander Araed to reassemble with the rest of the squad.

Aread raced across the red sand. The few rays of sunlight still uncovered by the forming red and white clouds peppering the small red sand dunes as she zipped across the landscape heading towards the pair of sentinel shuttles at the northern section of the Rally point. She had thought the time would be on her side but realized too late the sand dunes constant sliding and moving under the speeder bikes' repulsor's slows its speed allowing the bike to compensate and adjust itself for the moving ground beneath it. Araed cursed as her timer for the 10 minute mark chimed in her helmet. She could see in the distance the pair of large tri-winged troop carrier shuttles that was her destination. “He's in one of them.” Aread thought to herself. As Aread reach the pair of shuttles she took note of their orientation. Each shuttle sat about 20 meters apart facing inward to the wide lengthy encirclement of vehicles and equipment.
   Araed noticed that the shuttles were nearly isolated from the rest of the vehicles and equipment as the nearest eyes to watch the shuttles were only a heavily damaged Tie Fighter on a portable rack and a large area of container crates.  Araed assumed the shuttles would need a large area to lift off with considering their large wingspans and that place would work to her advantage she thought. Araed sped to a stop between the pair of shuttles one turned slightly adjacent to the center of the rally point. Araed saw a pair of footprints leading to and from one of the shuttles platform ramp and deduced this was where Gridon was being held. Araed zipped her bike around the back end of the damaged tie fighter in its P.L.R. cradle vehicle and dashed quickly back to the sentinel shuttle's in question boarding ramp. She pulled out her small boot blaster in case of trouble and made her way up the ramp to the sentinel's hatch and keyed the controls opening it.
   Inside Araed stopped slightly concerned as the body of an imperial trooper wearing a black uniform and recognizable black mushroomed helmet lay just inside the shuttles opening face down on the hull. A scorched blaster shot in the middle of his back and a tray of rations was strewn about the small loading area of the shuttle. Araed also took note that the dead had trooper had an empty blaster holster.
   Aread quickly shook off her surprise and stepped deeper into the shuttle passing the cargo area and troop seating. As she neared the cockpit another pair of bodies laid strewn out just before the cockpit. The pair of men were wearing black body suits and half dressed in pieces of stormtrooper armor. Each had taken a blaster shot to their head.
   Araed gave a small frown as she continued to the cockpit. The soft sounds of buttons and switches being activated and the electric whir of the shuttle's internal controls coming to life. Araed held a moment as a pair of figures in each of the pilot seats came into view. Another imperial trooper with his large mushroom shaped helmet sitting on the control panel in front of him. He was a young man with dark brown hair wearing a blaster in his holster as he leaned forward in the pilot's chair clicking on the shuttles' controls in what Araed assumed was the start up sequence. Sitting in the copilot's seat sat the olive drab uniformed figure of Major Gridon who also had a blaster holstered on his side that Araed realized was the dead imperial trooper's at the shuttle's entryway. Aread eased her blaster and reach over to the hull of the shuttle and gave it a few loud knocks.
    The trooper in the pilot seat turned around quickly and reach for his blaster as fast as he could but stopped when Gridon's hand reach quickly over and grabbed his arm. The trooper looked up and Gridon shook his head at the younger man “No need.” Was Gridon's order to the trooper. “Why are you hear Fajro?” Gridon said in a slightly bemused tone. Major Araed gave the slightest of smirks hearing her given name “I came for information.” She said in a very monotone voice as she kept her hand holding her blaster at her waist but ready to use if needed. “Information?” Gridon gave an almost surprised reply “You're not here on Kai's orders?” Gridon asked her. Araed shook her head as she replied “He never trusted me, nor did you.” she finished. The words washed over Gridon as he suspected the double meaning behind them. “What do you want?” Gridon replied in a slightly annoyed tone. Araed felt a warm feeling rush through her cool demeanor. She was unsure why but the feeling of hatred boiled her blood as she felt the words start to come from her lips “I want to know where Kai's brother is.” Gridon gave a long hard look at the flushing red cheeks of Araed as her nose flared finishing the words. Gridon always found the woman very attractive with her bright blond hair and round dimples. But now he saw her features turn to that of scorn that passed through her cheeks and eyes. Gridon gave a quick look to the trooper in the pilot seat and nodded towards the controls letting the younger man know to continue the start up sequence.
   As Gridon turned back towards Araed he almost thought about telling her outright. But it seems her intelligence connections have revealed his identity to her. “Kai's older brother is still on Couscant he's stationed with---” “NO!” Araed said in a short loud shout catching the attention of the trooper again as he turned back looking at Gridon and Araed. “Where is his younger brother!?” She demanded “Where is Rezikai!” Gridon gave a defeated huff. Gridon let his expression soften as old thoughts of Araed's previous imperial intelligence work come to mind. He gave a long sigh as he replied “You were adored among the imperial hierarchy and set on track to be a powerful agent for multiple figures on Coruscant. Why?... Why worry where a worthless pirate is?” Araed felt the heat inside her face draw to a numbing pain as she gritted her teeth trying to hold in her hated thoughts flowing through her mind “My vices are mine own. Yours as a procurer of information for your... organization. But information doesn't help one get off this rock. Or give you enough rations to survive trekking this continent or fuel to jump to a safe system.” She huffed.
   Gridon took a long inhale at Araed's words. She was correct of course but under normal circumstances her openly speaking about FOCI even in an indirect way would mean her immediate death by any means necessary. However in this very stressed situation Gridon understood that a shootout in the middle of the shuttle cockpit could wound him and worse damage the cockpit controls. He weighed his options for half a second and decided to give his friend what she wished “He's part of some small time pirate group working the Vedel belt caravans.” Araed gave a sigh and she nodded as she kept her hand on her blaster “I appreciate that Mal.” Gridon nodded a reply as Aread used his given name as well and what it meant “If we never see each other again, I thank you for this.” Araed finished and started to back away without turning her back. Gridon nodded and called out to her “You waste your talents on vagabonds and brigands Fajro.” Gridon finished as Araed backed into the darkness of the shuttles troop area and then he heard the rampway and door retract and shut.
   Gridon turned back towards the trooper finishing the start up sequences and ordered him to take off when the shuttle is ready. For a split second Gridon thought he heard movement from the darker rear of the shuttles troop area. He gave a measured inhale as his mind tracked on what it could be. He didn't believe Araed had stowed away but one of the bodies may have been moved as she left. Gridon thought for a moment on the conversation with Araed and the use of their given names and not ranks. Somewhere deep in his consciousness he was glad she was leaving imperial service. He always liked Fajro Araed, but not for imperial military. She was too used to using others for her own pleasures and gains at her level to be effective as a combat leader he thought to himself. As the thought passed Commander Karamat's face and voice flashed through his mind and he gritted his teeth in disgust. “Get us airborne soon, we'll have a rendezvous point already waiting for us once we're airborne” Gridon ordered to the trooper in the pilot seat.
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Kumo survivor's column...

As the midday sun was continually being darkened by the red and white cloud overcast Vishar let a small feeling of dread become a large one. He turned towards Captain Kai where both men and nearly a half dozen others rode atop an imperial troop transport's hull. Vishar's dread must have come across his face as Kai finally broke his silence and remarked on it “You're right to be worried Vishar. The overcast will eventually allow our arachnid friends to move from their holes to come out into the open if the overcast becomes thick enough.” Vishar gave a nod from under his black cap. He was amazed that the captain could be so calm about the possible threat of those horrific creatures returning. “We'll be safe once we hit the peninsula, the beasts won't follow us passed the rocky crags leading into it.” Kai said. “They won't?” Vishar said asking. Kai kept his eyes towards the quickly approaching rocky crags and ridges leading the sandy beaches and adjoining grasslands into the red sandy peninsula “The creatures won't tread into the red sands, it's toxic to them.” Kai finished. Vishar gave another nod and turned towards his view towards the east where the savannah grasslands were slowly transitioning to more dry cracked ground of the craggy ridges they were quickly coming up to. Vishar wondered how the captain knew about the creatures weakness but not dared question him openly. Perhaps not at all.
   Kai noticed Vishar's worried look and gave a wince as he continued speaking towards the seemingly frightened crewman looking into the grasslands “I'd be more worried about the rebel ships retaliating from the tie fighter raid.” Kai said. Vishar turned back towards Kai nodding. Kai continued speaking as Vishar seemed to take to the conversation change “Long ago this planet was inhabited by a sentient race that went extinct and the arachnoids here were not originally part of this world's history. They assumed this would be one of the worlds they would colonize should the Old Republic find their homeworld. The planet however has some strange attributes, with sun rays that damage the arachnoids exoskeleton and certain areas of the continent itself that has massive drains on fuel and power not to mention our friend above.” Kai said pointing up at the red and white overcast. Vishar gave Captain Kai an inquisitive look and Kai nodded “It's alive to a certain point as well. One could say the draining ebb of the planet itself may be a form of life itself, but that's a tale for another time.” Kai finished. Vishar gave a confused look but Kai turned back towards the oncoming scenery.
   A moment later Captain Kai's small hand communicator chimed and Kai held it up to his face. On the other end was Commander Karamat. An expression of relief washed over Kai's face but Vishar couldn't tell if it was due to the knowledge they were in short range communication's range or that Karamat was contacting them.
    Kai's facial expression would have been humorous to anyone watching as he tried to hide his satisfied look on his face. After a few moments of listening to her report he told the Commander to wait a moment and he'd reply via the troop transport's communication transmitter. Kai opened the ITT's top hatch and climbed down the ladder in measured movements as the ITT jolted across the now cracked ground under it. Kai reach the inside of the transport and turned towards the cockpit ordering the driver to hail the Commander's com-channel as he did. Kai waved Vishar to follow and the technician climbed down the entry ladder as well leaving the mass of troops and crewman still riding on top of the ITT's hull.
   Inside the ITT Kai made his way to the cockpit. Once there he punched up the communication channel that was audio only. After a half second Karamat's strict breathy female voice came over the speaker. “Apologies Captain.” Kai shook his head as he stared out the high and horizontal view-ports of the ITT. He reach down and clicked on the transmitter to reply. “None needed. So this IIC disappeared after the Rebel ships entered the system?” Kai said replying to the information Karamat gave over the hand communicator. Karamat's voice came in a more annoyed tone “It did, we got a partial reading on it with our limited sensor sweeps before we lost it.” she replied. “What did you pick up?” Kai asked. Karamat's tone didn't change as she gave her response “Apparently it was the IIC Slipstream. But why an Interdictor is out here is unknown to me. Perhaps an ISB op we weren't cleared for?” Karamat said.
   Kai shook his head as he turned towards Vishar who had a blank look on his face as well. But Kai knew why, just by the name “No, Commander it's not gone. At least not far if it is. I suspect it has something to do with the odd cloud cover engulfing this small continent.” Karamat gave a half second pause before replying “You think the commander of the vessel took it into the overcast for cover?” Karamat said with an enlightened tone. She obviously knew from the sensor sweeps she had tried to do that the cloud cover was reeking havoc with their readings. Kai gave a nod as he replied “I do. It's in there, it knew better not to get ambushed by some curious Rebel ships coming into the system.” Kai countered. Karamat continued with a twinge of anger in her icy tone “Yes, we read them. However they seem to be heading towards the far end of the continent where the rebel cruiser crashed. They may miss us all together.” Karamat replied. Kai gave a nod as he spoke back to the command station speaker “They may, but the rebels at the crash will tell them we're alive enough on our side of the continent to launch a small raid on their position with tie fighters.” Karamat gave an audible exhale through the speaker “That's why he needed to be reigned in years ago.” Karamat said letting that twinge of anger in her voice start to pierce through her words. Kai gave a half frown as he replied “Believe me, I tried. But old grudges are not an issue we have the luxury of taking care of today. I want you to move your armor into the east end of the peninsula where the sand meets the rocky crags leading into the grasslands. We'll be traversing passed you as you do. Then I want every available fighter craft prepped for combat should the rebels decide to come finish us off.” Kai said in a authoritative tone.
   Vishar took note of the easy laid back tone Kai had usually kept was now changed into that of a commander over troops stressing his words towards subordinates. Karamat gave a quick reply back “Understood do we launch for counter attack now?” She asked. Kai put his hand to his mouth in thought and replied “All but old Moon 1.” he finished. The next few seconds of dead air of the speaker seemed like hours to Vishar it was odd for Karamat not to reply to an order “Are you sure about that... Captain?” She replied as if the message had an underlying meaning to it. Kai gave a have smirk as he retorted to the speaker “Of course. Make sure your armor has good defilade from their aerial support.” Karamat's voice started to say something when another chime came in over Kai's communicator. Kai clicked it on as he held it to his face. The voice on the other end was TK1979 Corporal Zaym. “Hold a moment Commander. Go on corporal.” After a few moments of information being relayed to Kai his face flashed a rare glimpse of visible anger and he replied quickly into the communicator “If she's not back in 10 minutes you push on without her. Kai out!” he clamped onto the communicator as he turned back towards the speaker “Commander, make sure Gridon is secure. Also find Lieutenant Faraday for a briefing when I arrive which will be momentarily. After those are complete take your armor into position.” Kai finished. Karamat's voice gave a slight twinge of confusion “Understood Captain.” she finished in a monotone voice. Kai gave a half wince at the confusing orders he had to give and replied “We'll wave as we pass you on the way in.” he said. Karamat didn't respond to the humor the Captain tried and her icy tone had returned “Karamat out.” as the speaker crackled back dead. Kai gave a long frustrated sigh and turned to Vishar “Arm all personnel we can as we come into the rally-point.” he said towards Vishar who nodded an acknowledgment but had an unsure expression on his face. “With any luck, nothing will happen.” Kai finished.
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Riptide crash site...

“Sir! Please! Captain Barrax!” Commander Shellish pleaded towards Captain Barrax as the Captain walked from the command station's cave entrance into the open midday air. Shellish followed closely behind slightly unintentional as Captain Barrax was taking slow measured steps. “We have to make contact with any Alliance vessels regardless if LONGSPEAR has sent them back or not!” Shellish shouted as Barrax slowly tread his bare webbed feet onto the grassy sloping ground that protruded from the edge of the cave leading down towards the Riptide's crash. But Barrax jerked his knees and weight as he took steps down the mountain side. “No need, our help is... coming.” Barrax said in a monotone emotionless voice. Shellish couldn't believe what he was hearing “Sir respectfully, if this is about FOCI again we already have the information of Alliance ships in the system.” Shellish said slowly following Barrax into the grass. “They are enemies! I will hear it... no long..er.” Barrax said as he continued passed pieces of equipment and technicians moving parts and materials into the mountains caves. It was more difficult to hear Barrax as he didn't rase his tone even out in the open where the sounds of crewers working on equipment with welders and spanners and technicians shouting instructions to each other on repair work.
   Shellish gave a frustrated huff and stood there stunned at the Captain's actions. As he stood there Lieutenant Plosshim came over with a few ground crew carrying equipment. The Moncalamari officer Lt. Plosshim had been recovering damage parts from Riptide since the Tie fighter attack the night before. “What's going on?” he asked Shellish. Shellish stood there stunned until Plosshim's request jolted him back to reality. “Th-the Captain won't let us contact the Alliance ships that entered the system a few minutes ago so we can be rescued.” Shellish said in a dry tone as he kept his gaze on Barrax now walking passed the corner of the Riptide's aft hull and strode into the shaded area near the treeline. Plosshim was unsure of the issue “If the Captain says not to contact them, he's probably got a good reason for it. Imp trap to get a fix on our site maybe.” Shellish shook his head “You don't understand something's different.” Shellish said with a grumble. Shellish trotted after Barrax leaving Plosshim and the technicians behind. He strode quickly, easily covering the ground Barrax had traversed in a few moments. As Shellish got within a few meters of Barrax he shouted out to the Captain “Sir! Why?!” Shellish contested. Barrax didn't seem to even hear the first officers barking request and turned his large fisheye head back and forth reviewing the treeline. It was when Barrax scanned his eyes back towards the Riptide he saw Shellish yelling his demand. Barrax's ignored the first officers request and simply turned back towards the treeline and his large squidlike head nodded towards the tree trunks.
  Just as Shellish was about to scream at the Captain he was stopped by a shout behind him as communication officer Tarris came running out of the cave sprinting down the grassy hillside. Her beige mon-cala uniform getting grass stains on her white boots as she passed by Lt. Plosshim chasing after Barrax and Shellish “Captain! We've received word from the Alliance ships! They made contact with Lieutenant Vorm on his way out. They're confirmed friendlies!” She pleaded towards Barrax as she came to a stop next to Shellish, Plosshim and the pair of technicians with him also came across the grass hillside to stand behind her and Shellish. “Sir please!” Shellish added to convince the Captain. “I don't trust LONGSPEAR they will harm us!” Barrax replied now with a loud voice that sounded scratchy and airy in his tone. Shellish gave a confused look, did he think Vorm was designated LONGSPEAR ? No. He knew he had sent Vorm on a mission to pick up an imperial ally. “Sir, with respects. Are you ill?” Shellish replied back towards Barrax. The request brought nothing but silence from Barrax who had his attention towards the tree line as the shadow of the overcast red and white mist was slowly pulling a shadow across the grass from the treeline to the Riptides hull. “Sir, we have Alliance ships inbound. Multiple fighters and General Solo's freighter will be here momentarily.” Tarris said to Commander Shellish. Shellish nodded towards Tarris thanking her for the information “Well that's it then. They'll be here for pick up and get us off this rock.” he said towards Barrax who had turned away from them and started walking into the treeline. Shellish shook his head “He's lost it, Plosshim go back and start the evac procedures for our personnel. Tarris make contact with the General Solo's ships and bring guide them in.” “Yes sir.” Tarris said turning and sprinting back towards the command station's cave. Plosshim and the pair of mon-calamari technicians with him stood askew to Tarris as she sprinted passed them before Plosshim spoke up in a confused tone “Is the Captain going to be... “ Plosshim trailed off as Shellish held up a webbed hand towards him. “Go get started. I'll get the Captain. We're getting out of here.” As he finished his sentence Shellish marched off towards the shaded area stretching out from the treeline and entered it following Barrax's steps. Plosshim turned to the pair of techs with him “C'mon. We have to let everyone know to get ready.”
   Inside the command cave Tarris put the comm-channel on speaker so the rest of the technicians in the cave could hear the gruffy voice of General Solo come through. “Good Morning!” Han Solo's cracking and slightly distorted voice came through the speakers as the mon-cala techs smiles and patted each glad and relieved that help had finally arrived. “General Solo, we've got you on the scopes just ride the beam tight.” Tarris replied into her headsets microphone. “Good lets get you folks back to Home One.” Han's said as his voice became much clearer over the speaker. “General, we have birds in the air we'll try and recall them. But keep your eyes and ears up the far side of the continent has plenty of Imp activity from the crashed ISD that went down.” Tarris finished. A few long seconds passed and then a different voice came over the speaker “We logged it when we did a flyover the imps are quiet for right now.” The quick and acute voice of Wedge Antilles chimed in. “Hopefully they stay that way.” Han's voice came through the speaker and a few moments later the loud hum and roar of incom X-wing engines and the Millennium Falcon were heard outside the cave.
   As Tarris and the other technicians came out of the command cave she saw the disc shaped ship of General Solo, the Millennium Falcon started to come down along the hillside near the southern side of the mountain away from the Riptide's crashed hulk. The smaller X-wing and A-wing fighters didn't land but instead went into umbrella covering routes over the landing area. Tarris and Plosshim walked over towards the trio of crew coming out of the Falcon a dark haired Corellian known throughout the Rebellion as General Solo and his co-pilot the tall wookiee Chewbacca. Behind them on the Falcon's loading ramp stood General Calrissian. “Good to see you.” Plosshim called out as them and a small thrawn of Riptide crewers came over to the pilots. Han heard Plosshim call out and waved a greeting towards the group of mon-calamari crewmen coming to meet them. “Alright.” Han shouted as they mon-cala's came up to him. “Are you in command?” Lt. Plosshim shook his large squidlike head “N-no sir, Captain Barrax and Commander Shellish are here but the Captain... strode off somewhere.” Han's neutral expression changed to one of confusion “Strode off? Where to?” Plosshim shrugged “We don't don't exactly know.” Han tilted his head slightly with an annoyed look covering his face “Well why don't you go find out.” Han gave a quick frustrated order. Plosshim nodded and turned back towards the direction of the Riptide's hulk. Communication officer Tarris stood there looking at Han and Chewie as Plosshim turned to walk away before interjecting “Sir, Captain Barrax may be mentally unstable. He was acting in a daze as if he had no care about your caravan of ships arriving.” she blurted out. At this point Lando had walked up to stand between Han and Chewie as he heard Tarris's  statement. “Maybe he's lost it mentally?” Lando said in a low measured tone towards Han. Solo gave an agreeing nod before replying back to Tarris “The first officer was also around somewhere?” Han said in a more inquisitive tone. Tarris nodded and started to speak again “Y-yes he went after the Captain arguing to bring you in. The Captain was sure you were imps setting a trap when we told him you had made contact. The captain wondered into the woods and Commander Shellish went after him.” As Tarris finished her words a half dozen Riptide surviving crewers started to walk up to the Falcon and Tarris, some holding equipment others bare-webbed handed with dirt and soot stained uniforms. “Chewie, get as many as we can on the Falcon and when we're full we'll get them to the frigate.” Han said not turning his eyes from the mon calamari officer. Chewie gave an affirmative roaring moan and waved the mon calamari crewers closing in on the Falcon as the wookiee turned starting to walk up the loading ramp.
   Han and Lando walked up to Tarris flanking each side of her and asked her to show them where the Captain went. Tarris turned and pointed towards the wooded treeline slightly down the sloping hill from the hulk of the Riptide. “C'mon we'll give it a look around but if we can't find them we'll get them last.” Han commented Lando gave an agreeing nod as the three of them started towards the Riptides crashsite. Lando was the next to speak as the trio walked past the edge of Riptides  hull “The ship sure was lucky. Another twenty meters and it may have went over into the ravine.” Lando said pointing down the hull of the Riptide towards its bow. Tarris nodded as she replied “Yes, it was rough, Captain Barrax's quick thinking kept us from being totally destroyed in the crash.” Han gave a half frown and chimed in “Well he had his mind a day ago. I wonder what changed.” Tarris gave a sigh and shook her squid like head “I wish I knew General.”. As Tarris finished her statement the trio reach the edge of the treeline. Han and Lando both took long looks across the the shaded woods and the much darker shadows stretching deep into the forest. The second of silence was accented by Lando giving a measured whistle “I dunno old buddy. I've heard some bad things about what lives on this place.” Han gave a half measured nod with a fearful expression starting to creep into his face. “Well lets just take a quick look and if we don't find anything we'll head out.” Lando gave a nod in Han's direction. Han turned back towards Tarris as he gave her orders “Go back to the rest of the crew and tell Chewie to get the shuttles from the frigate started down here for the rest of the survivors.” Tarris gave a nod and turned striding off towards the command station cave.
   As Han and Lando took a few more steps into the forest treeline both men's eyes darted across the treetops and into the shaded forest floor. The fact the red and white mist cloud overcast was blocking out much of the sun making a red and black shadows in the forest gave it an ominous feel. Lando was the first to draw his blaster from his holster and a milisecond later Han pulled his DL-44 from his holster as well. “Han, I got a bad feeling about this.” Lando said a moment later. “Yea, me to.” Han replied. The pair of men moved deeper into the wood with an uneasy feeling starting to drift into their thoughts.

[Tamer]

Cool deal, I am gonna make sure my  next snow day I get a nice cup of coffee and just sit down and catch up on this. Thanks for sharing and off to the front page.