The nondescript building sat at the far edge of the ranch, and from the outside just looked like a storage area. But that was just fine with the ones who'd built it. They preferred it to be written off, just another outbuilding on a ranch that had many different structures on it. It wasn't large, but the outside dimensions were deceptive, as the inside of the building went underground as well. They'd decided to build it here primarily because it was almost exactly equidistant from each of the couple's houses. It also bears noting that the inside contained a nursery and playroom, at odds with its main function. This was the home of Advantages, a military consultant agency that was comprised of the Chantalle sisters and their spouses.
The building was unique in design and incorporated many handy features in its structure. The outside walls were a bland, boring beige that blended into the landscape, but were constructed to be noise dampening and impenetrable by both ground radar and all but the most sophisticated listening devices. The communications inside had been specially designed for their company, and were more advanced than the Republic military used, and most like the Empire's troops as well.
The main function of Advantages was to take an impossible objective, devise a way into or on it, and then detail the weaponry and tactics that would be necessary. They absolutely did not carry out any of these plans, but in the six months this fledgling company had been in existence, they'd successfully crafted some of the biggest military operations that the Republic army had ever undertaken, all with five very creative and dedicated individuals.
A multi-person speeder approached the building, activated its multipurpose door in the end, and parked inside the structure. Miriah Riggs-Chantalle stepped gracefully down to the floor and reached back to unfasten the harness on the child seat carrying her son, Devin. Her arms screamed with the effort of pulling him to her, sore from the previous day's exercise and testing of some rappelling equipment that had come in. She swung the baby around, laughing as he smiled at her, and put him on her hip, carrying him into her office. She sat him on the floor and watched as he picked up a toy hammer and began to gum it, his first tooth imminent. She hung up her bag, and went to her computer terminal. Good, she thought, no new intel to sort through. She'd been thinking that she'd take Devin to see the new calves on the ranch if she wasn't needed here. Corso would be happy to see them, she knew.
She spotted her brother in law, Aric, across the hall and picked up the baby to go see him. "Good morning, Spitfire," he teased her, reaching out his arms for his nephew. "Maura should be here this afternoon, but really, after that last successful op, we need to lay low for a bit. We made enough to run this place for a few years with that one, and we don't want our anonymity broken." Miriah agreed. It was calving season on the ranch and Corso had been in the barns day and night the past two weeks. He needed a break from both of the jobs he held.
"So, since we're kinda coasting here, how bout we cook up some ronto on the grill tonight?" she asked him. They always had fun together, and now that Devin could actually play with the twins somewhat, they all enjoyed these cookouts.
"That sounds like an excellent idea, darlin', " Corso said, striding in from the other entrance. He grabbed his wife and kissed her, his son already reaching for him. "Hey, Dev, got that tooth yet?" Devin just grinned, and proceeded to put his hands in his mouth, to the laughter of the adults.
Of the five adults involved with Advantages day-to-day, Aric was undoubtedly the leader of the group. His specialty was as a sniper and military strategist and he loved the challenge of multiple areas of opportunity. His wife and Miriah's sister, Maura, had resigned as the leader of a special ops squadron, and primarily functioned as the group's urban strategist and counterpoint to Aric's military strategy. Her reputation as Havoc's leader had paved the way for their first jobs, but the success they'd generated had quickly built a reputation for the group. Miriah was the tactician, always thinking up new ways to get stuff done. Corso was the undisputed weapons expert and Tanno Vik, from Maura and Aric's old crew, the demolitions expert. Corso and Miriah also owned their ranch, where the office was located.
"The last of the calves arrived this morning, so we now have thirty two more ronto than we did last month," Corso told them, his son sleepily snuggling his shoulder. Aric repeated his idea of laying low for a couple of weeks and Corso grinned. "You just want to sneak off with Maura," he teased.
"Damn straight," Aric laughed. They'd always enjoyed each other's company, but now the whole family had grown closer. Aric clapped Corso on the back as he walked to the door, "see you guys late afternoon?" Miriah nodded, taking her sleeping son from his dad and walking toward her parked speeder.
"How did you get here, sweetie? Riding with us home?" she looked at her husband, who caught her mouth with his again, humming with pleasure.
"Riding with you guys, I left a speeder at barn 3 earlier." They buckled Devin in and took off for their house, about three minutes away. There were definite pluses to working so close to home, Miriah thought. They'd taken advantage of slow afternoons to picnic or swim, or just be together in their porch swing. On the way to the house, Miriah called her oldest sister, who'd just had a baby daughter last week.
"Mags, how are things?" Miriah grinned at her, noting her very organized sister in a very disorganized state.
"Mir, how did you ever do this? Michi doesn't sleep but about an hour, then she's up again crying. I'm tired, that's how things are." Mags sat heavily.
"Bring her over, we'll be at home, and I'll take over for a bit." She smiled at the relieved look on Mag's face. "We'll figure it out." She signed off, and looked at Corso, "You need a nap too, love, it's been a busy couple of weeks for you." He nodded, and took her hand, kissing her fingers.
"Is that a proposition or are you telling me I look tired?" he grinned at her. She smiled back, he knew very well she was always willing to sleep with him. She was right though, he'd been napping in the barn more than his bed lately. He'd missed her every second, and they'd started to use their old relays to keep up with each other. It was only her voice that kept him going some days. At least they were done with major ranch work for a bit now, just checking the newborns would be easy after all the births.
He parked the speeder and lifted his son out of his child seat without waking him and took him inside before grabbing some beers and cookies to take out to the swing, where he knew Miriah would be. She indeed was already in the swing, their favorite spot outside the house.
"I feel like I've missed so much in the past couple of weeks," he told her. "After Michelina was born, feels like I haven't seen Mags and Felix."
"Michi is a handful, evidently. I actually think Mags would have had an easier time if Michi was force sensitive instead of force blind. And Mags is so tired she's not centering herself. I don't think the feeding is going well, and I ordered some special bottles to try instead." She settled back against him, her body fitting perfectly. She was still thinner than before she'd had Devin, but she was fit. He was telling her about one of the calves who'd followed him around the barn when they saw Mags and Felix coming up the long path from the main road.
Miriah walked off the porch to greet them and take the fussy baby. She saw immediately one problem, her niece was wrapped up, but too loosely. She took the baby girl, laid her in her lap and tightly wrapped her, burrito fashion. When she lifted the infant to her shoulder, she heard a loud burp, and the baby girl went almost immediately to sleep.
Mags just stood there, her mouth open. "Oh crap, why didn't I think of that?"
"Because you're too tired. To the guest room, woman, and do not return until you've napped." Mags turned to Felix, expecting him to back her up, but he knew Miriah was right. He shrugged at his wife, and she went inside, more tired than she'd wanted them to know.
Felix sat across from them, grabbing a cookie from the pile. "Thanks Mir, they've both been miserable the last few hours. We're all worn out." He yawned and stretched, then grinned at them both. "So, when are you guys going again," he asked, pointing at his daughter. Miriah just laughed. Corso blushed, but told his brother in law they were in the practice stages.
"Practice stages," snorted Miriah, "he'd have to at least be home some to practice." She nudged Corso with her elbow. Michi slept on, and so did Mags, and Felix was glad to have them rest. He and Corso went to see the new calves while Miriah fed Devin, who'd woken up. He was holding his own bottle now, and grinning around it at his mom, who was making silly faces when Maura and Aric and the twins arrived.
When Michi woke, and Mags was still sleeping, Miriah tried the new bottles she'd ordered. They worked very well, and for the first time since she'd been born a week ago, Michi was full. Felix hugged Miriah hard, his eyes almost damp. Evidently, this had been a struggle for the infant, and the poor thing was just hungry. They agreed not to tell Mags that her daughter had been hungry for a week, and instead just tell her that these bottles worked great.
They enjoyed dinner together and were sitting afterward when Aric told them he'd planned to lay low for a couple of weeks, but he'd gotten a recorded, secure message just before they'd come to the ranch about a job. He had read the message and it seemed like a desk job, but he put it to a vote to see if they'd accept. They did, and of course they accepted the job. Maura and Miriah would look it over together in the morning and start the planning part.
The next morning, when Miriah arrived and saw that Maura hadn't yet, she grabbed a cold drink from the break area and went to her desk, where she saw the data chip Aric had left there. Absently she grabbed the chip and slid it into her terminal. She expected to see a request, or at least a note, with a specific objective or goal, but all she saw was static. She frowned at the screen, then moved over to Maura's terminal, thinking hers might need a swift kick later. Same thing. So why would Aric leave her a blank data chip?