So, nobody asked, but here's a little insight to my creative process (if I haven't brought it up before, and I don't think I have) – when I'm writing a character, I'll usually be inspired by certain pieces of music – for example, much of the Transhuman Ascendancy was thought up after listening to the soundtracks of Deus Ex Human Revolution and Mankind Divided, Kyra was thought up with many of the 'calmer' tracks in the OT and PT in mind, Lexi was created after drowning myself in dark synthwave (Perturbator, Dance With The Dead, Carpenter Brut), etc. All except for Nax, who I could never find a track that would fit him. Sure, I had old gunfighter country like Marty Robbins in mind during Tatooine, but those don't really fit him anymore since he's less of a frontier lawman and more of a mercenary now.
Or at least, that was the case until Cyberpunk came out. Now, I find that The Rebel Path (which is Johnny's theme) fits him extremely well when he's suffering from a total nuclear meltdown, which is just a really long way of saying that he's pissed and ready to kill anything that looks at him wrong.
Anyways, read and review.
Nax and Lexi were sat in the lounge, watching Sawei train Kyra. Neither of them really had any idea what the Force was like, and figured this was a good opportunity to find out. "Let's start with moving objects, Kyra." Sawei said as she placed a small metal ball on the ground. "Reach out through the Force and pull the ball into your hand." Sawei requested, making it sound as if that was a task as easy as breathing.
Kyra was perplexed at how exactly to do that, but that didn't stop her from making an effort. Closing her eyes to try and focus, she reached her hand out towards the ball, trying to will it into her hand. Straining herself in her efforts, Kyra opened her eyes to see the ball hadn't moved in the slightest. "Blast." she simply cursed.
Sawei crossed her arms, clearly not impressed, but she had a determined look about her, and she clearly wasn't about to give up on Kyra. "Alright, let's try this; close your eyes and focus on your desire to pick the ball up, not on the action of picking it up – the desire." she suggested.
Again, Kyra closed her eyes and reached her hand out, focusing as Sawei directed. She felt something tugging at her, but ignored it and focused on her desire to move the ball to her hands. Little by little, the ball started to move in her direction, until it quickly lifted off the ground and shot into her palm. Kyra let off a yelp as her concentration broke from the sudden impact, and she looked to her palm, seeing the ball resting there. Nax and Lexi were equally impressed. "Did I just-?" Kyra questioned, in shock of her abilities.
The ball began to float out of her hand, and then shot over to Sawei, who easily caught it. "You did." she said, seemingly proud of Kyra achieving what was likely a menial skill for Sawei. "You're a little heavy on the effort you put into it, but it looks like you don't have much trouble moving things, so let's move on to precognition." Sawei continued, before reaching over to the table and picking up a pilot helmet with an opaque mask. "Put this on." she said, offering the helmet to Kyra.
Kyra grabbed it and examined the faceplate briefly, thinking it may have been a one-way visor, but quickly realized that it was completely opaque on the inside once she had it on. "How am I supposed to see anything?"
"You're not." Sawei answered, only confusing Kyra. "The Force will guide your movement. I will warn you now, though, this might sting a little." she cautioned as she turned the ball over, flicked a switch, and then floated it over to Kyra, before letting it move under its own power. The ball darted around Kyra as she tried to track the sound of its repulsors, and then the ball began to open fire at her feet, striking her several times as she was caught unaware. Kyra did her best to avoid the shots, but the drone was simply too quick for her, and she ended up flat on her back, the drone still pelting her with its training bolts. Sawei reached her hand out towards the training droid and flicked her wrist, remotely turning it off, but keeping it held in place. "You're not trusting in the Force, Kyra." she chastised as Kyra got to her feet.
Kyra slipped the helmet off and shook her head to fix her hair, before giving Sawei an annoyed look. "What's that supposed to mean? 'Trust in the Force'?"
"It means that you need to let your natural reflexes take a backseat, Kyra." Sawei advised, putting her hand on her hip and gently brushing over her lightsaber. "This is a process that takes years for younglings to even grasp, Kyra – I'm amazed you're catching on as quick as you are. Regardless, are you ready to try again?" she questioned, reaching out to the training droid and holding it in position.
Kyra cracked her fingers and then put the helmet back on. "Ready as I'll ever be." she replied, getting herself into position for the droid. With a flick of her wrist, Sawei turned the droid back on, and it started shooting at her feet. Initially, it was making its shots connect with her, but Kyra wasn't overwhelmed. Instead, she actually started avoiding the shots cleanly, and began predicting the droid's movements, and it wasn't long before the droid wasn't connecting its shots. Seemingly just for flair, Kyra dropped to the ground, and the droid followed her before she promptly kicked it, disabling the droid and sending it flying across the room. Once she did that, Kyra got back to her feet and pulled the helmet off, looking like she just had an incredible time. "How'd I do?" was all she said.
Sawei looked to the side, towards the cracked droid. "Well, you weren't supposed to break the droid." she chastised, before crossing her arms and giving Kyra a warm smile. "But, you seem to have a handle on precog, so that's sorted, although I will say it's strange that you're catching on so quickly. You said you've had no prior experience with the Force, right?"
Kyra sat down next to Nax and rested her arms against the table. "Like I said, this is all new to me." she answered honestly. "I'm not sure if it's part of the Force, but I've seen these… I dunno, cracks in things. Twice, actually – once in a wall, and another on a hill. Both times I punched the cracks, and whatever it was attached to would shatter." Kyra recalled.
Sawei's eyes widened. "Those are part of the Force, yes." she revealed, moving next to Kyra. "They're called Shatterpoints – an untrained Force sensitive wouldn't be able to perceive them." she continued, suddenly appearing thoughtful. Sawei then offered her hand. "Take my hand, Kyra. I have a suspicion that you have, in fact, interacted with the Force before."
"You think I'm lying?" Kyra pushed.
Sawei shook her head no. "Please, just take my hand." she requested. Kyra pursed her lips briefly, and then decided to do as was asked of her. Sawei's eyes immediately shut, and Kyra felt an energizing sensation coursing through her. Sawei's lekku briefly floated on their own, as if a fan had been placed beneath her. Then, just as soon as it started, the sensation stopped, and Sawei opened her eyes, seemingly disappointed with her findings. "It is as I suspected. Your connection to the Force was severed, and it's only recently started healing."
Nax raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Severed? How?" he asked, causing Sawei to shift her attention to him.
"Usually, severing one's connection to the Force is done willingly, however, there have been some… outlier cases." Sawei answered, hesitating slightly while Nax's expression implored her to go on. "These outlier cases usually come from intense trauma inflicted upon a Force sensitive, and the process is typically painful enough that one can suffer permanent damage, generally in the form of amnesia." she explained, and then looked to Kyra, who looked like her soul just vacated her body through her mouth.
"...My earliest coherent memory is of waking up on a slave ship several months ago. I was lashed and beaten for the smallest thing. I wouldn't have made it out alive without Lexi and Arfive." Kyra said without any prompting from Sawei. "I don't remember who I was before barely escaping that hellship with my life, Sawei."
Sawei nodded in understanding. "I wish I could help you recover your memory, Kyra, but this does more or less confirm my suspicions that you had some level of training with the Force prior to your… enslavement." Sawei hesitated again, trying not to set Kyra off. "However, I must ask – what of the incoherent memories? What can you glean from them?"
Kyra shut her eyes in focus. "I see… flashes, mostly. Usually, they go too quick for me to register anything. Sometimes I'll see a vague outline of a man or a woman, maybe a place, but rarely any more than that." she recalled, before clasping her hands together and looking to Sawei. "What I do feel with my memories are emotions – fear and anger are the most common. Hopelessness is another." she continued, and Sawei now seemed to be deeply concerned with her charge. "Is something wrong?"
Briefly considering telling her about the dark side of the Force now, Sawei shook her head no. "Nothing you need to be concerned with yet, Kyra." she responded, and Kyra was intrigued, but chose not to press her curiosity. "I would also like to test you for another ability, if you would let me – do you have anything that sparks feelings of familiarity?"
Nax sat straight up. "We've got a painting in the cargo hold of an older woman that looks like Kyra – says she looks familiar to her. Should still be intact after the crash." he chimed in.
Sawei nodded and went to the cargo hold, returning a few minutes later with the painting in question, which was remarkably undamaged. "Place your hand upon the painting, Kyra, and try to feel it through the Force – where it's been, the feelings of who made it, and so on."
Again, Kyra closed her eyes and touched the frame of the painting, letting the Force flow through her and into the painting. There was a brief flash of light, and when the light faded, she found that she was now standing in an elegant room befitting royalty. There was a large window to her right letting the air from outside flow in, and she could faintly hear birds chirping. "What do you think, Kyra?" a woman asked in a refined tone of voice behind her. Kyra immediately spun around to find the Kyra she saw while she was stuck in limbo several days ago standing next to a woman of similar height with much neater white hair. She had a white top with faint pink floral pattering, and a light purple skirt that went down to her ankles, the both of them looking at the actual painting hung up on the wall.
The other Kyra rubbed her chin in thought. "...I think it looks wonderful, Vandra." she said, and the other woman, apparently Vandra, gave a hum of approval. "...Although, I will say that it makes mother's eyebrows look a little large." the duplicate added.
Vandra crossed her arms and glanced at the painting, now highly critical of it. "Thank you for your input, Kyra." she said, and the vision ended right there.
Unknowingly, Kyra had started shaking, and she had Sawei's immediate attention. "Did you see anything?" Sawei questioned as Nax and Lexi moved in to help Kyra, provided she asked for it.
"I saw… myself, and another woman. She had the same white hair that I do, and looked more… elegant. We were looking at a – this painting." Kyra revealed, taking her hand off the frame and putting her head in her hands, clearly unnerved. "I knew this woman was familiar for a reason, I just never knew why until now." she continued, cupping her hands together and looking at Sawei. "This is a painting of my mother. I saw and felt everything in perfect detail – from the wind blowing in my hair from the open window to the makeup on the other woman's face."
Sawei stroked her chin, impressed. "Amazing, You have the rare gift of psychometry..." she mumbled.
Lexi suddenly shot up in her seat. "Wait, that's your mom?!" she shouted, her attention rapidly darting between the painting and Kyra, mentally putting their features together. "I remember now, her name's Beleza something..." Lexi tried to think, snapping her fingers rapidly. "...Beleza Moryne, that's it! That makes you... Kyra Moryne..?" she continued, quieting down as the implications slowly set in.
"...You're a noble!?" Nax and Lexi said in a unified shout. Kyra was still processing this thought, and she had a blank, expressionless look about her.
"I'm related to nobility..." Kyra quietly murmured, half-dazed at the very idea of her social status suddenly being elevated by several magnitudes. Of course, that was worth exactly jack and squat on the rings, but once they got off, they could suddenly have an easy life for themselves. No more private detective work or busting up criminal groups – just easy living on Alderaan, being pampered and looked after for the rest of their lives.
Sawei politely bowed. "Allow me to excuse myself until you collect yourselves." she said gracefully, before disappearing into the corridors and presumably leaving on the boarding ramp.
Nax, however, wasn't so optimistic about this sudden revelation. Putting his hand on Kyra's shoulder, Nax shook her slightly. "...Kyra, you know what this means, right?" he inquired, earning nothing but a curious look over the shoulder from Kyra. "Your family – they're not going to like what you've become, Kyra. Hell, they probably won't even like me – we'd be lucky to even talk to each other, let alone stay together."
Kyra just gave Nax a loving smile, before pulling him into a kiss. "Who cares what they think about you?" she said after pulling away, gently bumping heads together. "If they don't like you, then they can shove it up their exhaust port, because I do."
Nax chuckled and brushed some of Kyra's hair out of his face. "I don't think thats how that works, Ky, but sure." he replied, kissing her back. The sweetness of the moment instantly evaporated when Lexi made several hacking noises, looking over to the happy couple sitting next to her. Her face was flushed, and Lexi was clearly embarassed. "Oops. Sorry, forgot you were there." Nax apologized with a snicker, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.
Lexi huffed and crossed her arms, looking away from the pair. Kyra moved off of Nax, but otherwise kept close to him. Just then, Sawei came running back into the ship with a panicked look on her face. "The Dropstorm is under attack!" she shouted, and the trio jumped to attention. "Natives breached the main gates!"
Nax and Kyra quickly reached for their helmets, while Lexi checked and charged her pistol. Gearing up was quick, and just as soon as they heard the call, they were out, bringing Knockout along while leaving Arfive and Katy to guard the ship.
"Any idea how many there are?" Nax questioned while running and triple checking his blaster.
Sawei pulled her lightsabers from where they were dangling on her belt. "Best guess? Around a company's worth, and from the sounds of it, they're lightly armed. No heavy weapons from what I can hear."
"Lightly armed?!" Lexi shouted back in surprise. "How the hell did they breach the gate without heavy weapons?!" she continued.
"Maybe they brought a seismic charge?" Nax opined, quickly glancing around at the confused civilians before refocusing on the destroyed gate. There was no way they were going to get there fast enough on foot to be of any use, so Nax whistled and flagged down a passing Saber tank, and the group mounted up on the side flaps. Finally moving at a respectable speed, they got to the gate before the dust from its collapse cleared.
For whatever reason, there were no Rakata storming the broken gate, or even native fauna breaking through. In fact, the only indication that they were still under attack was intermittent weapons fire from beyond the wall. The commander of the Saber let them all off a short distance from the improvised barricades the guards had set up, before joining up with a small column of other armored vehicles directly in front of the gate. Multiple transport speeders pulled up to the barricades, bringing reinforcements, E-Webs, and towed anti-vehicle cannons. Whatever was there when the dust settled would be in for one rude awakening.
Slowly, the dust disappeared, growing thin enough to make out the wall on the other side, as well as the titanic hole where the gate used to be. Weapons were readied the second they heard heavy stomping approaching their position. "Steady!" a clone shouted as they mentally prepared themselves for whatever may come through. Suddenly, the stomping stopped, and for a few brief moments, their hearts felt like they were pounding through their ribcage. Then, the stomps rapidly picked up, and a Gargan burst through the hole in the gate, giving off an enraged roar. "Fire! FIRE!" the clone commanded, and the roar was instantly drowned out by a hail of weapons fire, both energy and kinetic. Impact after impact, explosive round after explosive round – were the Gargan any smaller, nothing would be left of it.
Yet, when the smoke cleared, the Gargan was still there, looking positively pissed. Moving to charge ahead again towards the tank column, Sawei vaulted the barricade and ran directly at the Gargan with breakneck speed. "HEY!" a woman shouted after her. "Get back here! That thing'll..." she continued, cutting herself off when Sawei ignited her lightsabers. "...Oh. A Jedi." she said, sounding a little dazed.
There was another roar from beyond the wall – not from another Gargan – it was a battle cry, and a huge wave of Rakata flooded through the damaged gate while Sawei engaged the Gargan. Blaster and slugthrower fire erupted as the two forces engaged each other. Sawei, meanwhile, jumped onto the Gargan's arm, managing to keep from falling off. "Alright, decade and a half on ice. Hope I've still got this." she mumbled, before putting her hand to the Gargan's side and feeling its thoughts through the Force, locking the beast from charging the tanks.
The Gargan was angry – confused. It didn't know why it was here, other than the Rakata that had been following it would kill it if it didn't perform what was demanded of it. Yet, that wasn't all there was to the beast's rage. There was something far more sinister clouding its thoughts, and upon further probing, Sawei recognized it as part of the Dark Side, keeping the creature enraged and ready to kill at the whim of whoever subjected the poor thing to this torture. "Hello." Sawei spoke through the Force to the Gargan, already calming the creature down considerably and cracking at the Dark Side influence. "I'm not here to hurt you." she reassured, managing to keep calm even with bolts and bullets pinging off the ground below. "But those who did are using you. Please, let me help you." she continued, before focusing her efforts on purging the Dark Side from the mind of the Gargan.
It took some effort, but she felt the Gargan's mind clear up, free from the influence of its enslavers. The Gargan then moved its arm and head to look at Sawei, its glowing red eye seemingly peering into her very being. Any other person would have cowered in fear, but not Sawei. She sensed no ill intent from the creature, and sure enough, it set her down on the ground, turned right around, and charged at the incoming Rakata horde, claws open and ready to burn them to crisps.
Sawei ignited her lightsabers and followed the Gargan closely, wiping up any Rakata that escaped the giant's wrath, artfully dodging every slug and blaster bolt that came within a hair's length of her. It didn't matter what the Rakata fired at her – most were too terrified of the rampaging Gargan to even consider being accurate, let alone land a shot on her. That, and combined with the artillery and gun emplacements firing on the groups the Gargan didn't get to, meant that the invaders were relatively quickly wiped out. Once the Rakata were all dead or fleeing, the Gargan turned to face Sawei. "Go. Be free." she spoke through the Force, and she could swear that the Gargan gave her a knowing nod, before it looked to the sky and roared triumphantly, and then stomped off through the hole in the wall, returning to wherever it came from.
A stunned silence washed over the soldiers who repelled the invasion, and that turned to hushed murmurs. The clones among the defenders had a good idea of what happened, but those who were too young to remember the Republic and the Jedi had no idea how to process what they had just seen. To them, a Twi'lek with laser swords showed up from nowhere, jumped onto the arm of an angry alien that would have killed the tank column, and then turned it against the invaders, before letting it go free. Soon enough, LAATs showed up to quickly patch the gate shut, and another LAAT, bearing markings indicating that it was a command vessel, landed not far from where Sawei was standing.
The side door slid open, and out stepped the clone commander from the bridge of the Dropstorm. "Sawei Klorr!" he bellowed, and there was a gasp among the clones. The commander approached Sawei, seemingly pissed. "You are seventeen years late to report in. Were I a commissar, I would have you shot for dereliction of duty." he threatened. "Do you have anything to say in your defense, Klorr?"
Sawei nodded. "I was an ice cube for the better part of those seventeen years, sir." she answered, holding her arms at her back, fully at attention.
The commander scowled briefly, and then his angry expression faded, replaced with a smirk. "I see you haven't lost your wit, Sawei." he remarked, and then extended a hand to her. "Welcome back."
Sawei shook hands, and then saluted. "I wouldn't be here without Kyra and Nax, sir. They're the ones that unfroze me." she said, and the commander looked into the crowd, spotting the two fairly quickly. "But me coming back aside, there's a lot that we need to talk about with them. In private." she emphasized, and the commander nodded, signalling for the defenders to pack it up.
"Of course, Sawei. I'm sure we have many questions for each other. More that we probably don't have answers to." he replied, leading her inside the LAAT.
Kyra, Nax, Lexi, and Sawei were all sat around the tactical map in the right bridge of the Dropstorm, and the commander was with them, his previous, serious demeanor from the scouting mission completely gone and replaced with a more friendly, open way of speaking. "I suppose we should start with the dewback in the room – why were you frozen in carbonite all these years, Sawei?"
It took her a while to answer. "...After we crashed here, my master and I were put on a scouting mission to secure a forward operations base. To cut a long story short, we were separated, I was knocked unconscious, and I woke up in the care of a native – Apprentice was his name."
The commander's expression immediately soured. "So, you've been compromised by the enemy?" he questioned, slowly reaching for his holster.
Sawei sensed this, but remained calm. "Apprentice may be a native, but he is not the enemy. Quite the opposite, in fact – he could be a very useful ally." she responded, and the commander furrowed his brows, quietly demanding further explanation. "The natives of these rings, the Rakata, are in something of a civil war. From the time they first settled here to a few years before we arrived, they were lead by a Rakata named Virgilius, the creator of the rings, but he was overthrown and killed by one of his pupils, Dantinian, a Force-sensitive Rakata."
The commander was following, but not exactly sure of the significance of this. "So what if he has access to the Force? It's not like he has Jedi training." the commander responded, and Sawei straightened up.
"You're not understanding, commander. It's significant because the Rakata are dead to the Force." Sawei revealed, and now Sawei had the commander's full attention. "Dantinian seeks to restore the old Rakatan Infinite Empire, and to bring the Force back to his people. That would mean enslavement and genocide for every sentient being in the galaxy. Imagine a wave of unstoppable Force users washing across the Republic's territory, and how slow the response would be." she continued, her resolve not wavering in the slightest. "They'd barely be able to muster a Legion in time, let alone mobilize the Jedi."
The commander's mouth was ever so slightly agape. "Sawei..." he started, figuring out how to break the news to her. "The Republic's gone, and so are the Jedi."
The revelation didn't immediately hit Sawei. "Gone? How can they be gone, Blackwall? Did the Confederacy win the war?" she questioned in total disbelief.
Commander Blackwall sighed and reached under the tactical map for something, and pulled out a datacard. "I think it might be better to let our dear old Supreme Chancellor do the talking for this one, Sawei." he said, before slotting the datacard in. A hologram of the Emperor appeared on the table, and it began to replay through his speech declaring the transition of the Republic into the Empire, and the extermination of the Jedi.
When the speech ended, Kyra understood what this likely meant for her were she ever discovered, and Sawei was completely mortified, however, her expression quickly turned to one of resolve. "I see." was Sawei's initial response. "Regardless of whether the Empire considers us an enemy or not, we can't just let innocent people die, Blackwall."
Blackwall smiled and pulled the datacard from the table. "Glad to see you haven't changed a bit, Sawei." he remarked, and then got serious. "So, how do we make use of this rebellion? I doubt we can just walk up to their front door and ask for their help. In fact, odds are they'll just shoot at us." he opined, wondering what exactly Sawei had in mind.
Sawei looked out towards the bridge's viewport. "Apprentice never told me how to contact the rebels, and I doubt he told Kyra, either." she admitted, turning back to Blackwall. "But, he did tell me about certain caches of technology Virgilius left behind from the days of the Infinite Empire. They're all over the rings, and they can only be tracked through the Force, but something in those caches might be able to help turn the tide against Dantinian."
Lexi cleared her throat. "I'd like to suggest something." she said, and all eyes were on her. "It might be possible to use probe droids to spy on the rebels and Dantinian's forces, and then figure out where to contact the rebels, going off of any skirmishes they may have."
Stroking his chin in thought, Blackwall nodded. "That's not too bad of an idea. Of course, we'll need to figure out how to communicate with them. Apprentice obviously spoke Basic, but I doubt the same can be said for his kin." he reasoned, and then looked to Sawei. "What do we do if the caches don't pan out?"
Sawei pursed her lips. "Did we ever confirm the Odynaro as being destroyed?" she eventually asked, confusing Nax, Lexi, and Kyra as to what exactly she was talking about.
Blackwall, however, knew immediately what she was getting at. "...No. It's probably still up there, but I doubt it's in full working condition." he responded, and then noted the trio's confused look. "The Odynaro is – was the reason why an entire legion was brought into the Unknown Regions. It's a modified Lucrehulk, turned from a carrier into a factory ship, meant as a testbed for plans to move Separatist production facilities away from the Outer Rim and begin a campaign of guerilla terror in the Core and Mid Rim. Damn thing could pump out a practically endless swarm of fighters or Supers with the materials from just one asteroid." Blackwall explained, and while he had everyone's attention, Lexi in particular was utterly fascinated with it.
"A factory ship? Why didn't you ever try to recover it?" Lexi questioned.
Blackwall turned his attention to Lexi. "For one, we don't know how active it is. If we send in a survey team and they trip the alarm, the Odynaro could very well wake up and bomb us with turbolasers. No more Dropstorm, and the 52nd dies with her." he replied grimly. "Second of all, there's Hu'an and Mu'an to deal with – the Star Reaver-class interceptor droids that like to shoot down anything smaller than a corvette that comes too close to the Odynaro – your ship included. They need to be dealt with before anything can be done with the Odynaro."
Nax raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said the Odynaro wasn't operational? How are Hu'an and Mu'an still flying after all these years?" he pressed.
"I said it wasn't fully operational. I imagine the servicing gantries are still operational, and with plenty of salvage around, it's not hard for whatever's left to repair those two, especially with the wealth of parts it likely has." Blackwall corrected, and then looked off into the distance, clearly trying to formulate a plan to deal with the interceptors. "Given our options, I'd rather start with the Odynaro than these caches that, for all I know, are rigged to blow at a moment's notice. I'll work on putting a plan together to bring her down to us, but in the meantime, I'll have probes sent out to figure out which side is which."
Sawei nodded. "I assume I'll be part of the insertion team?" she questioned, and a quick glance was all that she needed to confirm her place. "What about these three?"
"Nax and Kyra will be with you, yes." Blackwall said, notably leaving Lexi out. "She, however, will be staying behind. I doubt she'll be of much use up there."
"Odds are most of the ship is on lockdown, so you'd need an expert slicer to break through, of which I just so happen to be." Lexi suggested, earning Blackwall's attention. "Unless, of course, you wanted to risk using detpacks, which just might set off a fuel line, or activate an army of droids, and then the whole mission goes pear shaped."
Blackwall looked to Sawei. "Is she lying?" he questioned. Sawei shut her eyes and focused through the Force, and then shook her head no. "Looks like you've just bought yourself a ticket to the insertion team. Better not be exaggerating." he cautioned. "You three are dismissed. I need to have a word with Sawei." he finished, and the trio left the bridge, quietly wondering what Blackwall wanted to discuss with Sawei.
Several hours later, they were back in the Knight, waiting around for something, anything to happen. Lexi was in the crew lounge, giving the droids a maintenance pass, while Nax and Kyra were in their quarters sitting together, trying to figure out how to open the cube with the Force, although 'trying' would be an exaggeration – they were actually mostly just idly chatting amongst themselves, while Kyra held the device in the air with the Force.
Nax was honestly still in total disbelief with his luck – to bag someone as gorgeous as Kyra, and for her to be able to use the Force, was truly something incredible for a guy who was really just a hired merc from a backwater shithole. If he was still around, dad would probably be proud of him - Trax, too, although he would be competitive about it – he'd probably try to pick up Lexi or someone else. Regardless, Nax was hit with a sudden pang of remorse, and Kyra perked up. "Something wrong?" she asked in a concerned tone, letting the cube float down into her hand.
Nax let go of a sigh he didn't know he had been holding. "Just… thinking of my brother and dad." he answered, and Kyra set the device aside to wrap her arms around him.
"You still miss them, huh?" Kyra asked, hugging Nax. "I remember you telling me how they died, so, why didn't you chase after the bandits that killed them?" she pushed.
Nax appeared pensive, considering her question. "I wasn't in any state to do anything about it for at least a week, and by the time I grappled with their murders, the trail was cold. At that point, it would have been wasted energy looking for them. Odds are they got shot by Stormtroopers or Tuskens, maybe double crossed by the guy they stole the vaporators for, or better yet, they got swallowed by a krayt dragon." he revealed bitterly. "At the time, I preferred moving on than dwelling on pointless revenge when the dunes would take care of that for me."
Kyra gently stroked Nax's cheek. "Is that why you were trying to act distant to us all the time? You just wanted to be able to move on if Lexi or I bit it?" she asked, and Nax's eyes widened a little bit. "Lexi told me – not that I never figured it out for myself." Kyra added, and Nax quietly nodded in response. "So, what changed?"
"...It wasn't actually something I decided on my own." Nax said, looking down to Kyra. "When you told me everything you felt on the roof the other day, I finally realized that staying detached from everyone isn't the smart or sane thing to do. I need to treasure every moment I have with you." he continued, returning the hug. "So, thanks." Nax finished, giving Kyra a kiss.
Kyra blushed. "Can't believe it took me telling you to your face that I loved you for you to realize that, Nax." she teased, before letting go of Nax and moving to take her duster off. "You're such an idiot. A big, dumb, lovable idiot." she continued, before pushing Nax onto the bunk, climbing onto him, and pulling him into a deep kiss. At this point, her body was moving faster than her mind, but they both knew what was going to happen as they grappled with each other and tried to get a grip on whatever they could find, scrambling to lose as many articles of clothing as fast as possible.
Then, as if to ruin the moment, the door opened. "Master Kyra, Miss Klorr is here to-" Zeethree started, before suddenly being startled by the sight of Nax and Kyra half-naked on the bed. "Goodness gracious!" Zeethree shouted, before turning his photoreceptors off to give them at least some semblance of privacy. "I am terribly sorry for the intrusion, Masters, but Miss Klorr is here to speak to Kyra." Zeethree stated, before shutting the door out of embarassment.
The mood ruined, Kyra sighed and gave Nax a quick peck. "...Next time, okay?" she whispered, before getting off of him and quickly dressing, and then leaving just as fast.
Nax, however, was still dazed from the sudden turn of events. "...Next time..." he mumbled.
Kyra didn't have to walk far to find Sawei – she was standing at the entrance ramp, her eyes blank and devoid of emotion, mouth hanging slightly agape. However, before Kyra could question her on what was wrong, Sawei corrected herself and acknowledged Kyra's presence. "I apologize for the interruption, Kyra. If you don't mind, I'd like to resume your training."
"Sure thing, Saw-" Kyra started, only for Sawei to suddenly dart over and grab her necklace, startling Kyra.
Sawei stared at the gem she held in her hands with an intensity Kyra hadn't seen from anyone. "Where did you get this?" Sawei questioned as she moved the gem around with her thumb.
"Nax's ex-girlfriend gave it to me before she died." Kyra responded, taking the necklace off and holding it by the string. "He got it as collateral from a job, and he kept it instead of selling it. I keep wearing it because it's pretty, if I'm being honest. Why do you ask?"
Sawei gave Kyra a confused look, and then remembered that Kyra likely had no idea of the value of the gem in her possession. "Kyra, this isn't just some ordinary jewel. This is a kyber crystal – the heart of a lightsaber, so to speak." she said. Kyra, naturally, was confused, so Sawei pulled out her lightsaber and disassembled it with the Force in record time, and then floated the blade's crystal to Kyra. "If we knew where Huyang was and could get off this ring, we could get you your own lightsaber." she continued.
"Huyang?" Kyra echoed.
"The professor that helped younglings make their lightsabers when they got their crystals. Every single Jedi met him." Sawei responded, looking somber for a moment. "...Or at least, before the Empire, they did." she woefully added, and then regained her resolve. "That's enough about the Jedi. Come, I'd like to measure your other abilities with the Force." Sawei beckoned, walking down the ramp, and Kyra followed.
Several days later, and the plan to capture the Odynaro was ready to be put into motion. Nax, Kyra, Lexi, Sawei Knockout, and several others, mostly pilots and whatever qualified for the 52nd's SpecForce, were in the briefing room of the Dropstorm, waiting for commander Blackwall to clue them in on how things were going to go. Blackwall was mentally performing a headcount, and then crossed his arms behind his back. "I see we are all here, so allow me to begin." Blackwall started, gesturing to the map behind him, displaying a Lucrehulk-class battleship. "This is the Odynaro. As some of the veterans among you may remember, destroying this was our original objective during the Clone Wars."
A clone in the back raised his hand. "Are we finally destroying that eyesore?" he questioned.
"No, actually." Blackwall answered, earning a unified groan of disappointment from the clones. "We're in a much, much tighter situation than we've believed for the past several years, and I will make a formal announcement within the week regarding this, but for the time being, know that capturing the Odynaro is crucial if we are to survive." Blackwall continued, and the projection changed to a diagram of a decently sized interceptor craft. Much like the Thundercats on the Dropstorm, this craft was much closer to an atmospheric fighter than one meant for the vacuum of space, with its oversized thrusters, forward-swept wings, and overall aerodynamic design. "This is a Star Reaver-class interceptor droid. The Odynaro was prototyping them on its mission, and while most of them were destroyed or otherwise disabled by our forces years ago, there are two Star Reavers still operational, Hu'an and Mu'an. These are not the standard models – their piloting AI is so far beyond anything the CIS could have accomplished, and they likely carry additional weaponry not found on the regular Star Reaver. These two must be dealt with before the insertion team can work to capture the Odynaro." Blackwall explained, his tone overly commanding, and then his gaze fell to the pilots. "Pilots, you will work to draw out Hu'an and Mu'an – your Thundercats are currently being fitted with ion torpedo pods, in addition to your standard armament. Avoid destroying Hu'an and Mu'an if possible – they are likely to be valuable assets once the Odynaro is under our control."
A young Rodian in the back raised his hand. "What about the insertion team?" he inquired, earning Blackwall's attention.
"The insertion team will be sent up in a YT-2400 once Hu'an and Mu'an are confirmed as neutralized." Blackwall answered, and the display changed back to the Odynaro. "Once the insertion team is in the air, they will land in either hangar and proceed to the reactor and engine room at the rear of the ship. From there, the insertion team will head for the central control core and make for the bridges and report on the overall status of the Odynaro. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir!" the soldiers shouted proudly in unison.
The display shut off, and Blackwall gave one final look over the men and women in the room. "Then go. You all know your roles – we're not getting any younger, and the galaxy isn't waiting around for us."
"This is Patriot 1 to all fighters, form up behind me." Deadshot ordered as his Thundercat broke atmosphere. Various voices cracked through his commlink confirming the order, and gradually, the other Thundercats appeared in formation on the scopes. "Maintain course for the probe droid's beacon to the Odynaro. Break formation and engage at the first sign of Hu'an and Mu'an." he ordered, and again, his squadron confirmed the order.
"Hey, Patriot 1," Patriot 3's voice, that of a young woman's, crackled over the comms. "Do you think the Odynaro is still in working condition?" she asked innocently, and Patriot 2's astromech rudely chimed in, deriding her. "Hey! It was just a question!" she yelled in response.
Patriot 5's commlink flared up on the HUD. "Fraggin' better be. We lost a lot of good men trying to destroy that thing, and for what, getting stranded in the ass middle of nowhere for so long that most of us are too old to fly now? Great."
There was an alarm from Deadshot's scopes as they approached the debris field. "Cut the chatter, we're being engaged." Deadshot alerted, and the squadron split off into the debris field, while Deadshot proceeded straight ahead towards the beacon, watching his scopes. Hu'an and Mu'an both appeared to circle each other briefly, before splitting off to intercept the two groups of fighters. Forced to make a decision, Deadshot pulled to intercept the one that was heading to the right. "Artee, full power to engines!" Deadshot ordered, and his droid chirped over the comms to comply with the command, kicking the engines to max and flying to intercept through the debris.
"I can't shake him!" Patriot 7 cried out over the comms, blaster fire audible over his end. No sooner did his message get out than did an explosion light up the scrapyard, and 7's link turned to static. Grimacing, Deadshot stayed on course for intercept, breaking through the shattered hull of a Recusant to find Patriot 9 being tailed by one of the two droids.
Artee toggled the ballistic computer autonomously, and Deadshot barely had time to get the guns on target, let alone a missile lock, but he pulled the trigger regardless. It happened so fast that it didn't even register he'd hit, but Artee let off an alarmed screech as the drone changed targets from 9 to Deadshot. "Break off and get to the others!" he shouted. "I can handle this one!"
Any possible support he could have had quickly flew off to save the others in the squadron, leaving Deadshot all alone with the drone currently tailing him, letting off blaster cannon round after blaster cannon round without any regard for overheating its capacitors. Dodging and weaving, it was impressive how agile the Thundercat could be when pushed to the limit. Evidently, though, the drone wasn't enjoying the game of chase Deadshot had been giving it, and fired off a missile from a ventral compartment. Artee quickly deployed countermeasures, and Deadshot broke hard to the left, diving into the hangar of a split Lucrehulk, the drone following close behind. Knowing that his maneuvers inside were nonexistent outside of an unlikely Culbat, he switched the targeting computer on and warmed up a missile, targeting a Vulture droid hanging from its spot in the ceiling. Locking didn't take long, and the missile was away, but the Thundercat kept pace with it, only surpassing it moments before impact, and the destroyed Vulture rained down shrapnel and fire onto the drone chasing Deadshot.
However, that wasn't enough to do the drone in, and it burst through the cloud of flame like a scorned dewback. "Does this thing ever give up?!" Deadshot shouted out loud, before making a break for a split in the hangar and returning to the debris field outside. Despite the overall ineffectiveness of the attack, the drone seemed to have been hit in one of its thrusters, and was losing speed, giving Deadshot some breathing room. When the chase came to the burned out hulk of an Acclamator, Deadshot got an idea. "Artee, warm up an ion torpedo and vector engine thrust downward on my mark." he said, and Artee chirped in confirmation as Deadshot flew underneath the Acclamator, the drone trailing behind him. "Mark!" Deadshot yelled the second he was out on the other side of the Acclamator, and he instantly jerked the stick back, performing a partial Culbat to maneuver out of the drone's line of sight. Then, he fired the ion torpedo, and right on cue, the drone came out, detonating the torpedo's proximity fuse and getting disabled. The drone drifted ahead a short distance, and then came to a halt. Carefully, Deadshot approached the craft, lined up his guns, and shot a burst into each thruster, just to make sure it was disabled for good. Then, he pulled away and re-linked to the comms channel the squadron was on. "One target neutralized – how's the other one?" he questioned as he started his craft towards their IFF signatures.
Patriot 2's voice broke through the comm static. "Bricked his ass with a gun run. Both of his powerplants blew up, so he's shit out of luck." 2 said, clearly exhausted from the fight. "Three, Five, and Six got vaped by some laser pod it had, but everyone else is alive."
Deadshot swore under his breath. Four pilots dead, and four Thundercats lost. "Copy, rendezvous at the beacon and secure the area." Deadshot ordered, before cutting the link and looking back towards Artee. "Give them the signal."
The insertion team was set up in the hold, biding their time, waiting on the green light to take off for the Odynaro. Some of them were reviewing the plan, and others were sitting on crates, triple checking their weapons and ammunition. Several members, mostly clones, stole a glance at Sawei, shocked that she had finally returned to the 52nd after so many years. Then, as if to save them from boredom, the ship's intercom crackled to life. "This is your captain speaking." a voice that was intensely familiar to Kyra and Lexi said. "We've been given the green light for takeoff, so you'll be at that shithulk in orbit in about five minutes."
With that, the repulsors kicked on, and the insertion team readied themselves, performing final checks on their equipment and objectives. "That voice..." Kyra mumbled as she checked the power packs for her '44. "Is that who I think it is?"
"Ask him when we get back." Lexi replied, giving her blaster a little slap to get the capacitor flowing.
The flight to the Odynaro was extremely smooth – there wasn't a single deviation of the plan during the flight. Then, there was the distinctive hissing sound of the ship sliding past a magshield, and then a heavy thunk as it landed in the hangar, signaling for the team to form up and get out.
The hangar was in obvious disarray – parts of the interior plating look like they'd been stripped off, their wires exposed, some even sparking. Discarded war materiel littered the hangar proper, between unfinished AATs and MTTs, to the bodies of B1s lying all over the place. The place was a complete and utter mess.
What worried Sawei, though, was the lack of defenses. Lucrehulks normally had interior turrets mounted on the ceiling, so they should've been shot at from the start. In fact, there wasn't even as much as a boarding alarm. The Odynaro was completely silent.
"Hey, look at this." one of the clones said, kicking over the body of a B1. "No blaster scoring." he remarked, cautiously keeping his finger near the trigger of his weapon if the droid suddenly activated.
"Must be out of juice." Lexi replied, before kneeling down and attaching one of her suit's tools to a port on the droid, and then pulling her sleeve back to check the readout. "That's exactly what's wrong with it. Power cell's dead." she said, pulling the device from the port and setting it back where it belonged.
Relieved that the droids wouldn't suddenly activate and ruin their evac, the team pressed further into the hangar, and found more Star Reavers, seemingly lined up and ready to fly were it not for the vast majority of them missing large chunks of their parts. Entire thrusters missing, parts of the weapon hardpoints stripped away, and so on. Kyra ran her hand along the front of one of the more intact droids, and then noticed the cockpit dome, covered in dust. "Hey, aren't these things automated? These all have cockpits."
Nax moved over and brushed some dust off from the cockpit. "Who knows?" he replied, only to be interrupted by shouting coming from deeper in the hangar. They both readied their weapons and ran to the source of the commotion to find a snub-sized drone taking off and getting ready to leave the hangar. Nax and Kyra were about to open fire, but the drone started struggling against something invisible. Sawei then jumped on top of a pile of crates, her hand held out towards the drone, and she balled it into a fist, crushing the plating and disabling the drone, before gently setting it back down in the hangar.
The team carefully approached the wreckage, regarding it with suspicion, especially for having taken off for seemingly no reason. "Looks like some kind of salvage drone. Look at the plasma cutter and storage compartment in the back." a Duros said, pointing at the strange layout of the drone. It looked if someone took a vacdroid and turned it into a ship, with its wide 'mouth' and manipulators off to the side, clearly not built for combat.
"Would explain why all those other interceptors had parts taken off." a clone chimed in, kicking the hull of the drone and receiving a rattling from inside in response. "Light, too. Probably empty." he continued, looking to another clone near him. "Hey, Slagweaver – stick your head in there, see what happens." he jokingly suggested, receiving a rude gesture in response.
After examining the drones further, and making sure they wouldn't take off again, the team pressed ahead, moving into the halls that ran parallel to the hangar. For whatever reason, the halls were in better condition than the hangar – no missing plating or damaged doors, but plenty of dead droids. Lights were out, though, so the team had to switch over to low-light vision. Gradually, the hall turned more industrial and less sanitized, like they were walking into a factory on some developing world that lacked hyperdrive access, and they eventually came across a wide security door, with a terminal next to it that looked five decades older than the Odynaro. "Slicer, you're on." the squad lead called out.
Lexi ran to the front of the team and plugged her suit in to the port. "Shit on a mynock, this tech's old." Lexi coarsely remarked as she started her work. "Watch the hallways, don't know if there's some security trap-nevermind." she continued, interrupting herself.
"'Nevermind?'" the squad leader questioned as the team turned around, weapons pointed down the corridor. "What the hell do you mean 'nevermind'?"
"Just disabled the security lockdown across the ship." Lexi replied, continuing to slice away at the door. The lighting also gradually returned to the hallway, and the squad lead was about to question her, but the door started to open. "Don't ask me how I did all that. Ask the laserbrain who decided to give this terminal master-level access to the ship."
Not complaining, the squad leader had the team form up, and they pushed through the door, finding themselves in a sort of hybrid control and observation room. There was a long pane of transparisteel to their direct left, and past that was a massive factory floor, stretching across where the hangar bay normally would be and, presumably, running down the length of the ship to the reactor at the back. "I can see why you guys were after this thing during the war." one of the Twi'leks in the team noted.
Right as the team entered the room, the door behind them shut and locked, immediately causing concern. "Hello, clones. Mandalorians. Jedi. Traitor." a robotic, monotone voice said over a hidden speaker. "I have been observing your little settlement since our battle concluded seventeen cycles ago, and have come to the conclusion that you want something from me. Feel free to take a look on the factory floor for a guess why." the voice continued. "Shockingly, I have little wish to fight you. Down the hall from that door in the observation room is the Odynaro's transport system. I will send a tram and bring you to the bridge. There, we can talk." the voice concluded, opening the door.
All were suspicious of the droid's intentions, but unless they wanted to pick a fight, this would work just fine. Following its directions, they found the tram platform, as well as the tram itself waiting for them. There was just one issue – the tram car was too small, so they'd have to draw straws for who was going. "I'm going, and taking these four with me." Sawei said, gesturing to Nax, Kyra, Lexi, and Knockout. "If anyone would like to object to the Jedi, feel free to do so." she continued. There were no objections, so they boarded the tram, and it quickly left, travelling across the Odynaro at a respectable speed, before turning in sharply and accelerating, and then coming to a dead stop at a new platform with a turbolift at the end of it.
Disembarking, the group found the turbolift ready and waiting for them. "I've got a bad feeling about this." Lexi murmured as they entered the turbolift and Knockout pressed the button to go to the bridge.
"Master Sapphyra, do remember that it's part of my directives to protect you, Master Strag, and Master Kyra with all assets at my disposal, and that is a task I am very capable of." Knockout boomed, reminding her of his tri-shot, micro-missiles, and energy shield. "We also have a Jedi with us, and while I wasn't paying attention to her combat skills during the breach, all Jedi I have faced were formidable opponents." he continued, earning a worried look from Sawei. "You are in good hands, Master Sapphyra."
Lexi nodded, and readied herself as the turbolift came to a halt. When it opened, they were greeted with two Magnaguards flanking them, electrostaves off, but otherwise combat ready. Leery of the guards, they approached the droid standing with its arms behind its back, and it turned to face them. "Sawei Klorr, was it?" the droid said, pitch shifting its normally monotone voice slightly higher. "I was informed that your legion would be likely to attempt to apprehend us, and it seems that you are many, many years behind schedule. What an interesting predicament we've both found ourselves in, hmm?"
Lexi stared at the droid, slackjawed. "...I've never seen a Super Tactical Droid like you before." she remarked noting the strange, uniform bar the droid had for a photoreceptor and its faded, dirty black and yellow hazard paint. In addition, the droid had strange protrusions coming from its torso and arm that looked like control surfaces.
The droid focused its gaze on Lexi. "How perceptive. I am ST-043, designation Foreman." the droid said, introducing himself, and rather politely at that, considering he should have been openly hostile. "So, Sawei Klorr, I doubt you would come all the way out here for chatter with an old enemy, especially after blowing up my dearest Ravens. Tell me, what exactly do you want?"
Sawei hesitated momentarily, figuring out how to convince the droid to do this willingly. "Before I tell you that, indulge me on something." she eventually said, earning the gaze of the Magnaguards behind her. "You've sat up here for seventeen years. With everything the Odynaro is capable of, you could have destroyed the surviving Helljumpers at any time, yet you didn't. Why?"
Foreman's photoreceptor flickered back and forth as he processed the question. "Why, you ask?" he eventually echoed, unfolding his manipulators. "I have run that exact scenario trillions of times over the cycles. In most simulations, I won a crushing victory against the survivors, and the only simulations I would have lost involved you and your master – the 'Jedi Factor', as I have taken to calling it." Foreman continued, turning around and approaching the transparisteel viewport, looking over at the glittering stars that managed to poke out through the wreckage in the debris field. "Yet, after each simulation, I projected a ninety-nine point four repeating chance that I would experience no satisfaction from victory. By my calculations, the Clone Wars ended sixteen cycles ago with a Republic victory, and thus, we are no longer enemies, so I have found more enjoyment in simply designing equipment and refining it more than I ever have from combat engagements." Foreman explained, before putting his manipulator against the pane, sounding rather somber for a droid. "I simply wish to be left alone, to my own devices." he finished, and then turned back to the group. "Now, tell me, why are you here?"
"...The natives below, the Rakata, they plan on conquering the rings, and they don't intend on stopping there." Sawei answered, a determined look in her eyes. "They're going to go beyond, start conquering the Unknown Regions, and start breaking into the Mid Rim, too. We need the Odynaro to even have a chance at fighting back and preventing that from happening."
Foreman's photoreceptors dimmed ever so slightly. "My probes have been noticing unusual activity from the natives recently, that is true, but why would I help you? You already know I wish to be left to my devices with the Odynaro." Foreman replied.
Sawei raised an eyebrow at the droid. "Let's say you don't help us, and the Rakata win. Do you really think they'll let you stay up here, minding your own business?" she questioned, and Foreman's photoreceptor changed to a light orange, scanning side to side as he processed a simulation. "No. They'll scour this whole debris field, and the Odynaro would be the perfect asset for them to take, especially if they can pull the designs you've supposedly made." she continued, growing more assertive over the droid.
Foreman's photoreceptor stopped scanning, and it changed color to a neon green. "I have run the simulation, and I regret to admit that you are correct. If I wish to be left alone, then I cannot sit idly by and wait for death to come knocking." Foreman said, crossing his manipulators behind his back. "What would you have me do?"
Instead of responding, Sawei pressed down on her commlink. "This is Sawei to the Dropstorm. We have secured the Odynaro and found out its Super Tactical Droid is still operational. I've convinced him to help us, and am awaiting further orders." she said into the device.
There was a brief crackle on the other end, and Commander Blackwall's voice came through. "Copy that, Klorr. Get the Odynaro to set down in a field one four klicks downspin of the Dropstorm, and then bring him to me for a little chat. I'll order Patriot squadron to escort you." he ordered.
Sawei looked up to Foreman. "Is that possible?" she asked, and Foreman nodded in response. "Understood, Dropstorm." she finished, closing the connection.
If I were you, I would find something to hold on to. This is likely to get very bumpy." Foreman advised, and his guards approached the group, engaging their magnetic locks and offering their arms. Nax and Kyra grabbed on to Knockout, who followed in the footsteps of the Magnaguards and engaged his magnetic locks. Lexi chose to grab hold of a nearby console, and Sawei stayed put. Foreman, meanwhile, approached the command terminal and fired up the engines, causing the whole ship to shake from the sudden force being put on it after so many years spent idle. The debris in the viewport lifted away, and the Odynaro pulled from its resting spot for the first time in seventeen years.
The rings rapidly grew closer and closer, and the heat of reentry was quickly upon them, rapidly covering the viewport and blinding everyone. Fearing such a reckless maneuver, the group braced for impact, only to feel the ship slow down and for the flames to fade away, revealing a slow descent to the field. It wasn't long before they landed safely, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. "That's one way to bring a ship down." Sawei quipped, checking her bearings.
"With the right skills, one can fly anything like a snubfighter. Even a capital ship." Foreman replied, sounding more matter-of-fact than he probably intended. Now, would you be so kind as to take me to your commander?"
Making sure the rest of the team didn't shoot Foreman was one hell of a task, but Sawei somehow managed to keep them all under control. Once the 2400 returned to the Dropstorm, Sawei and a couple others escorted Foreman away under heavy guard, but Nax, Kyra, Lexi, and Knockout weren't part of that group, so instead they were sat outside the boarding ramp on some crates, waiting around on the pilot to come out so Kyra could verify her suspicion. "Kyra, I don't get why you're making a big deal out of this." Nax admitted, looking over to her.
"I'm making a big deal out of it because if the pilot is who I think he is, then he's the one who saved your life on the Bantha." she replied, poking him in the side to make her point. "He was gone when you woke up, and I never got to thank him, you dolt!"
The couple went back and forth over pointless speculation, and Lexi watched them go at it, amused. "Man, that Super Tactical is fraggin' crazy. Only a droid would do something so reckless with a capital ship!" a distant voice said, coming down the boarding ramp.
"I know! Imagine if the metal seal didn't latch!" his friend said, making a whooshing noise. "Boom, evac's gone!"
The pair came down the ramp, each of them digging into a small snack. Nax and Kyra were so engaged with their little spat that they didn't even notice, but Lex immediately recognized the pair as Bolthead and Dav Foss, meaning Kyra's suspicion was correct. They were both about to walk past the group, but Foss stopped, doubled back, and looked Lexi square in the eyes. "Oh, shit, it's you three. Didn't expect to see you all in a hellhole like this." he blurted out, breaking up Nax and Kyra's discussion and bringing all attention to him.
"Hello!" Bolthead said in a cheery tone, giving them all an excited wave "I'm happy to see you three doing well!" he continued. Foss was still blindsided, staring at the group.
"Wanna grab some caf and catch up?" Lexi offered, before gesturing to Nax and Kyra. "I think these two want a word with you anyways, Foss."
"Slag it, I'm down." Foss said, gesturing for them to follow him.
And that's this chapter, released just in time for the two year anniversary of Pulsar Company! It's been a fuckin wild month too, from the Capitol Building getting stormed, to a massive shitshow on the stock market over Gamestop that fucked over a bunch of boomer-ass hedge funds and might even cause a second recession, all for shits and giggles. Fucking wild. By the way, if you bought GME stocks, wait until Monday for the squeeze to get rich and crash the economy epic style.
Anyways, moving away from talking about this month being a fucking rollercoaster, the Star Reavers are quite literally just ADFX-01 Morgans. Hu'an and Mu'an have the TLS as well, and they were also named after Hugin and Munin, the ADF-11 Ravens from the end of Ace Combat 7, which were in turn named after the Hugin and Munin of Norse mythology, which also inspired me to name their mothership the Odynaro.
Until next time everybody!
-Tweak