Chapter 35.

So I have been writing on and off again lately trying to get this done and I keep just editing it to death, so I am rejecting my own editing for the next little bit because I want to get this story out. Forgive any errors, spelling mistakes or verb tense concerns. Last edited May 24th, 2016. TT_TT Please enjoy.

Voka followed the girl with the half burned face. She was at a loss as to how to keep her team alive. The Caimber droid had ambushed them and had knocked Doga on his ass. It took both her and Kotain to drag his heavy ass along so that he could keep up with Raidre's pace. This had to be Raidre. Her burned skin was tattooed with red vines and thorns. Just like Torian had said, her eyes were sharp and they looked through you. If it hadn't been for this girl they'd all be dead.

But she hadn't said a word since they started running and that worried her.

Voka and Kotain exchanged glances between paces and she found herself yelling to the girl who lead them. "Where we going?"

Raidred held a hand up for a halt and silence. They obliged and Voka tried not to pant in gratitude for the rest. Raidre scouted their perimeter but returned and handed her a flask with cool water.

"For now, we're going away."

Voka took a swig and handed it to Doga. Doga had sweat and blood running down his face. His helmet had been shattered when he had been thrown. As had his right femur and tibia. Doga handed the flask with shaking hands to Kotain. For a moment, no one spoke. The three Mandos tried to catch their breaths as Raidre looked on and guarded them. Pretty angular face set in harsh lines. Voka could feel the rage radiating off her and dread began to coil in the pit of her stomach.

"Raidre, what happened to Torian?"

She stopped circling them at the mention of the missing Mandalorian. She sighed and looked at them. "We got separated."

Voka sighed and handed the flask back to her. "What is that thing?"

Raidre shook her head. "Infiltration and extermination droid. Bad news."

Voka laughed. "Yea, that's putting it lightly. "

Raidre squared her shoulders. "Just a little further guys."

"To where?"

"A safe spot."

Kotain took Doga's arm. "What could possibly be safe from that thing?"

Raidre smiled. "An E.M.P. field."

Voka nodded. "Is that why you guys went dark?"

"No," Raidre shook her head. "the damn droid went for my helmet first and smashed it. Couldn't call in the okay signal after that."

Voka nodded. "Or find Torian."

Raidre sighed and nodded. "Or find Torian."

Kotain's lips were pressed together in a thin line. "How do we know he's still out there to be found?"

Raidre snickered. "Because it's Torian? The atin(1) is probably hunting the damn droid while we're wasting time."

They all shared a smile at those words. This was Raidre, she knew who Torian was and how he operated. Voka eased into trust as her red eyes surveyed the area.

"Okay, where to?"

Raidre tapped off debris from her boots, Voka noted that they were in fact stabilizing elements to her jetpack. Raidre pointed.

"Up."

Voka nodded and with Kotain's help, they handed her Doga. Sweat trailed down the larger man as he looked up three stories. It wasn't all that high, but when you had a shattered bone in your leg, everything just looked like a source of pain and anguish.

Raidre gripped the taller man firmly round his waste while he gripped Raidre round her neck. She pulled her left arm up and let her retractable cable loose. It took hold and Raidre fired up her jet pack. They ascended slowly. Voka and Kotain had their blaster rifles at the ready, if the droid came by, they would distract it as best they could. Which was all they could do, the blaster fire wasn't hot enough to do more than heat up the exterior hull of the droid. They had figured that out the hard way.

Raidre whistled as soon as she was up. Voka and Kotain powered up their almost completely depleted jetpacks to join her. Raidre pulled out kolto packs from her backpack.

"This will help with the pain. Gault is with you guys right?"

Voka blinked twice. Raidre smiled.

"The guy with the horns… well the one and a half horn, really."

Voka grimaced. "Oh, yea, yea he is."

Raidre nodded. "Good, he knows Dadita(2), let him know you guys are good and your location so Mako can set his leg."

Voka's eyes widened. She hadn't even thought of that. "Yea, sure… You going somewhere?"

Raidre walked to the edge, one foot on the ledge, other still on the roof with them. She nodded as she looked back at the Mandos. "Yep, I have some unfinished business. I liked that helmet."

Gault jumped in his location when he saw the lights flashing.

Short-short, pause, short-short-long-short.

"Guys, I got something."

Corridan perked up across the comm link. "Report."

"Tell. Cor. We're. Okay. Raidre. Helped."

Draga exhaled and his whole body relaxed in that breath. Mako put a hand on his shoulder and his red eyes met her amber once. They smiled at each other. Corridan nodded as he held his ear.

"Good. Location."

Gault typed on his data pad. "Sent to you."

Corridan walked over to Lars as they surveyed the map that outlined the distance and route. Mako walked over to look it over with them. "Gault, any word on Torian?"

The comm link was an open channel. Mako realized the necessity of it, but it also meant that you could hear everything. When a person sighed or breathed or when they gulped on a dry mouth.

"No, he's still M.I.A."

Corridan nodded. "No surprise there."

Both Lars and Davain nodded at that. Mako frowned. "What? Is, Torian like the delinquent in your group or something?"

Draga chuckled. "That's one way of saying it. He's not really a delinquent, he just does things in his own way."

"Yea. "Corridan spoke as he stood up. "And his was has a tendency to be reckless and without any thought to his own security. He's focus is always on the task and never on his own safety."

Mako snorted. "Well, what else is new?"

No one answered her.

"No, really guys, how is this news to you? Hasn't he always been like this?"

Still no one answered though eyes all went to Corridan. Mako took the hint. "Jeez, okay. Tough crowd. Draga, let's get your sister. I'm sure at least one of them needs a medic if they're camped out."

Draga waited for Corridan.

Corridan looked between his team. "We'll go collect the wounded, I want you and Draga to continue on intel collection."

Mako frowned. "Okay, but shouldn't we try to rendez-vous with Raidre and Torian."

Corridan shook his head. "As much as I want to, it's hard to meet up with people who are under the radar. For now, we're going to trust that they know what they're doing and collect the wounded. If they need something, pretty sure they'll ask Gault to relay the message to us."

Mako nodded. "Well, okay then. See you."

Corridan nodded. "See you."

1 .Stubborn.

2 .Mandalorian form of Morse code.