Chapter 32.

Last edited on January 24th, 2016. This chapter would not be writ! I'm really sorry about the delay. Short, but at least you know I am still writing and still alive. :D Cheers and enjoy.

Nathan watched Corridan pace. He had been pacing for quite some time now and it was beginning to make him dizzy. He looked away in an attempt to quell the unease, but he could still hear every step. Corridan had the flawless rhythm of parade instructor.

"Seriously, you have to stop."

All present in the rec room stopped what they were doing to stare at Nathan. Corridan stopped pacing. Nathan sighed.

"Huh?"

Nathan frowned at Corridan's laconic inquiry. "You're pacing. Driving me nuts, vod."

Corridan frowned back. "The waiting is driving me nuts, vod."

Draga, one of the few members of the team who was Chiss, rolled his eyes and looked away from his datapad.

"Just comm the guy if you're that worried he's dead."

Davain threw a piece of fruit at Draga. "Kevain is with him. Torian better not be dead."

Draga looked at the piece fruit which hung off a piece of his shoulder plate, looked back at Davain and without blinking patted it off himself.

"Kevain is a capable medic. I would be shocked if the two of them got into any kind of trouble that your young vod couldn't handle."

"Then you don't know Raidre too well."

All eyes went to the new an unfamiliar voice. Mako tried her best to hide her unease, but there were twelve sets of not so friendly eyes staring her down and sizing her up and she felt unnerved by that. She cleared her throat and looked to the man who had been pacing.

"You must be Corridan?"

Corridan crossed his arms but nodded. "Yea, and who're you and who let you in?"

Mako bristled. She took a deep breath as she felt rather than saw Gault and Blizz step in behind her.

"I am Mako, these are my associates, Gault Renow and Blizz. We're with Raidre, you know, the current Champion of the Great Hunt. Anyway, I don't have time for your, whatever this is that you're doing. We run a tight ship on the Mantis. Whenever a member of the team goes into a 'no-comm zone' we set up a timer. Within 20 minutes, that team member is supposed to comm in an 'all-okay' signal."

Corridan relaxed as worry settled in. "How long ago was that?"

Mako sighed. "I left for the rendez-vous point Torian forwarded to me with 5 minutes to spare." Her arm started glowing, Mako sighed. "It has now been 20 minutes and I never received the 'all-okay' signal."

There's always a quality to silence. Every situation has its own mass and density. This one weighed on Mako as she took in the silence of these hardened men. Corridan inhaled deeply and met Mako's eyes.

"You run a tight ship, what's the next step?"

Mako nodded as she was effectively handed command and everyone knew it. The Mandalorians whom had been seated before now stood relaxed but clearly paying attention to her. Those who were a bit younger, and had already begun to discard their gear now began to hastily put them back on, but all eyes were on her. Mako swallowed although her mouth felt dry.

"Well, typically we get our blasters and charge in after them. But that room, from the specs I have of it, look like too much for a three man rescue team." Mako jutted a thumb behind her to indicate the rest of her crew. "Which is why I am here, we are going to need your help, and considering two of the people needing rescuing belong to you, I figured you wouldn't refuse a joint effort."

Corridan nodded. "No, I wouldn't. Now, plan please?"

Mako nodded. "Gault, hook me in."

Gault went ahead and hooked up Mako's datapad to their holo projector.

"The main room only has the one entry. We have no choice but to go in the same way as the first team has, however, knowing Raidre, she will offer more than sufficient resistance to cover our entry."

"You mean, if she's still conscious, or even alive."

Mako cleared her throat. "Well, yes. So we can use the Boss' fire power as a diversion to help us clear out any wounded or dead. Gault will offer sniper fire from above while Blizz can back the boss up in case she's wounded."

"Woah, woah, woah, wait! That pipsqueak?!"

Blizz began to chitter, fast and low. Mako put a hand up, she couldn't quite follow his hyperactive Huttese when he got this worked up. "Blizz is a valued member of this team and he holds more than his own with the Boss, if you don't believe me, be my guest and find out for yourself, but now is not the time nor the place."

Corridan rubbed his chin as he looked at the schematics. "Sounds good, what about us?"

"I need your help to secure the way out and also to secure our objective. We all are going to need the creds to help repair gear and wasted ammo after this job, so we can't afford not to get the stealth systems and the targeting analyzers. I'll need cover while I recover that and the extra hand or two if anyone needs carrying out. We go in clean and fast and we are out within 5 minutes, minimize any damage and that way the medics have the best chance to save any who are injured. I need someone to pilot the Mantis as our getaway, I have a fully stocked med bay in there."

"You got it here now?"

"Who do you take me for? It's still running."

"Good. You heard the lady vods. Suit up and take what you can carry."