Chapter Two
[Outer Rim- Eighteen Months later]
A dark, dimly lit street on some dismal planet city, was interrupted when a blast blew the heavy doors off the back alley exit of a cantina. Men and women of all species suddenly darted in every direction, some jumping to find cover while the others ran to escape the blaster bolts that sought to stop them short.
A slightly older, slightly dirtier and far less pristine Kayl Tyris was amongst those escaping the blaster fire. Along with him, a sturdy Nautloan male with a heavy box under his arm and an armour clad warrior brazen enough to retain his Mandalorian armour despite the politics of the past few years.
"Dergen?!"
The Nautloan hoisted the box up, so Kayl could see it more clearly, answering his unspoken question. It was grazed by a blaster bolt as he did so, but quickly hidden once again. Their objective was safe, they could move out when they had the chance.
Ducking to avoid a shot to the head, Kayl lifted his communicator to his mouth and shouted a few orders, accompanied by a very rough location. Within minutes, a small ship appeared above the streets and started firing upon the back entrance of the cantina, sending those huddled there to turn their attention from the group and focus their attention on finding cover for themselves. Using the confusion and panic to their advantage, Kayl and his friends escaped into the adjoining streets.
With their opponents otherwise occupied, if not dead, the ship withdrew just as quickly it had appeared and disappeared into the night sky.
Once he was sure they were not being followed, Kayl lead his companions though the streets, taking several extra turns before they had their eyes on the edge of town. Just as an extra safety measure. Waiting for them there was a rather large freighter, flanked by four guards standing outside. Each one accepted the group as they approached and kept a close eye on the town behind them. Their keen eyes trained for questionable stragglers. One, atop the freighter with a sharp shooter, clipped an enemy in the shoulder as he appeared on a nearby wall with the General in his sights.
As the shot rang out across the clay field between them, the other guards quickly moved forwards, surging towards the town as to deter anyone from setting up a position.
"Save your ammo, lets get out of here." Kayl ordered quickly, watching as Dergen handed over the chest to one of the guars who met them.
The lead guard nodded, recalling his men to follow the General into the ship. They did so, backing into the ship behind everyone, just as the loading ramp closed. The freighter, all powered up as they had approached, now slowly rose into the air as soon as the door was closed.
Inside the ship, everyone gathered in the main hold. The sharpshooter, a fiery redhead with a rifle slung over her shoulder, climbed down the ladder in the corner and approached as the guard laid the box upon the table. Everyone stood around anxiously for Kayl to announce the job done or spring some new phase on them.
Kayl went to the box and surveyed the locking mechanism. Without a word, he held his hand out and someone laid a programming pike in his hand. He applied it to the lock but it resisted.
With a hardened smile, he looked at the cylindrical protocol droid waiting patiently with the others.
"How do you feel about breaking into confidential records on our behalf, Raith?"
The little droid with chipped green paint chirped happily and rolled forward as Kayl moved away, to take a drink offered to him by a beautiful Cathar female. He wet his lips only and handed it back, as Raith expertly cracked the passcode and unlocked the box.
Everyone seemed to inch forward anxiously as the small crate was cracked open. Everyone was curious s to what was worth all this trouble. It was filled with datapads.
Kayl picked up the top two and switched one on before handing the next to Dergen, who appeared at his elbow. He inspected it and smiled, a sharp toothed grin.
"Perfectly serviceable, General." He declared, generating a sigh of relief from everyone assembled.
Kayl dropped the datapad back into the box and regarded his crew.
"Nice work everyone. Clean yourselves up and get some food and drink into you. Tomorrow we'll be back home and I want this freighter scrubbed before heading out to Dellat."
Everyone dispersed with idle chatter and normal jovial behaviour, except Dergen and a rough looking kiffar man. Kayl made sure to give Varin, who'd been perched atop the ship wth the sniper rifle, a pat on the back first. He hadn't told her to hide out on the ship and cover their exit but he was glad to have her watching their back, as always.
"So…" Kayl remarked, once the three were alone. "Can we use any of these?"
Dergen, still inspecting the data pads, nodded after careful consideration. "I don't see why not. We'll need to run it past Lia and her team but we should be able to copy these without evidence of tampering."
Kayl nodded. Glad to hear it. He turned then to the Kiffar man and headed towards the bridge with him trailing along behind.
"What's the news?"
The large man smirked, wondering how Kayl always knew.
"Not good." Rinn replied, sobering considerably. "Telos was hit."
Kayl stopped in the corridor. What?
Rinn handed him a datapad containing the news coverage. He felt oddly hollow seeing the headline right there. Evidence of something the knew had been coming. It was inevitable.
"They weren't selective." Rinn remarked then, gesturing to the datapad. Kayl scrolled through the news, scanning the document for numbers. Hard data.
Rinn was right. It had been hit generously, leaving much of the surface lanced by heavy fire from space. A capitol ship, or ships, had been there to make a point.
Kayl handed the datapad back. "We should reach out to our contacts. See if anyone was there. I'd appreciate a first hand account, so we can assess the situation."
Rinn nodded but hesitated a moment before glancing over his shoulder towards the main hold. "You might want to check in on Skidder before you do anything else. He did his best not to show it but the news shook him pretty bad."
Kayl cursed under his breath. How had he not thought of this already? He ran his hands over his face and sighed.
"The kids' family was there."Kayl confessed quietly. "Thani."
Rinn cursed in his native language, looking visibly distraught for the youth. "There wasn't a sector of Thani that wasn't effected."
Kayl thought about the homeless child he'd picked up on Coruscant not six months before. He didn't know much about him, but he did know that he had been born to a family on Telos. The planet where Kayl himself had been born and raised. It had been that simple link along with the memorable first interaction that had given Kayl no choice but to invite the youth offworld. Now, the very home Raynar had wanted to go back to, was no longer there.
"Which means we go there, instead of home." Kayl declared, picking up his feet again and heading for the bridge, now with purpose.
Entering the bridge, Kayl gave his pilot a pat on the shoulder with his heavy hand. "There's been a change of plans. Reroute our course by way of Telos."
"Telos?"
Rinn appeared at Kayl's side. "How do you expect us to gain access to the surface? The Republic has it all shut down for relief and asylum only."
"We'll offer both."
"It's not going to be that easy boss. Not with your name on the order." The pilot replied, him being an ex-military himself.
Kayl thought about it. They were right. A disgraced General would have zero sway in this situation. There was no way the news of him hadn't reached the TSF, especially him being once a famed son of Telos.
He cursed, there had to be an easy way they could slip in and get to the surface without causing trouble.
"There is one way."
Everyone turned and looked at the droid standing by the communications centre.
"The General might offer an invitation to accompany Miss Urela Olenta to the surface. A public display of charity in war times are often sought after by the elite, especially given Alderaan's ties with Telos."
Without a word, everyone glanced at the General for his opinion. From what they knew, Kayl had not seen nor spoken with the famous actress since he had left his position in the Republic Navy.
"Shall I send an invitation?" The droid questioned.
Kayl quickly held up a hand, stopping it from doing so. The ex-General half turned to his friend and exhaled a somewhat nervous sigh.
"What are the odds that she'll be kind?"
Before Rinn could even answer the droid piped up- "The odds of Urela Olenta being favourable to a request of this nature are 836 to 12."
Kayl and Rinn exchanged and weighing look. Kayl gave a shrug, forcing himself to muster at least the resemblance of boyish charm he'd once greeted Urela Olenta with the day they'd met. Those were pretty good odds, but he had to at least try his best not to ruin them.
Kayl gestured to the droid. "Send an invitation to meet."
"Do you have a location in mind, sir?" The droid queried.
"Leave that up to her."
"Should you conceal the reason for the meet, after so much time has passed?"
Kayl glowered at Rinn, who no doubt made sure their relationship had been recorded for whatever reason.
Rinn held his own. "The droid has a point."
"Just say Telos." He growled, his tone a gentle warning.
The droid nodded, however stiffly and recorded the data. "Message sent, sir."
"Now we wait?" Th pilot queried, eager for a destination.
"Now we look after our own."
Kayl gave Rinn's thick arm a tired slap as he walked past him, leaving the bridge for whatever hiding spot the kid had chosen for today's sleep.
The General found the youth after some searching, where he checked in with his other crew members. He was holed up on some shelf in a holding bay with a mess of blankets and a datapad. He looked actually quite comfortable.
"Rinn tells me you heard about Telos." He offered, gently offering a nudge to Raynar's thin frame. "I'm sorry kid."
Raynar shrugged, staying quiet. He wiped his nose off on the back of his sleeve and discreetly wiped a tear from his face. He was trying so hard to be tough.
"Hey." Kayl peered down at his face but he turned it away from him. Kayl took the hint, he inched back and just looked at the kid more carefully then before. "Your family was still there, weren't they? In Thani?"
Raynar looked at Kayl. Tears blurred his vision but he didn't let them fall.
Kayl's stomach knotted. Raynar had never said as much, but it must of been true. They had been there.
"I saw the holos. It's all gone now. No one would of survived that. Not even them."
Kayl frowned. "What do you mean? Not even them?"
Raynar's chest rose and the fell. He looked like he wanted to say more but he merely muttered "My parents and Trask."
Kayl stood up.
"I told you I was from Telos." Raynar reminded him.
"Yeah but you left out the fact that your family was alive."
"Not anymore."
Kayl looked at the kid. Not funny.
Raynar frowned, and wiped his eyes again. This time more furiously with his sleeves, evidently angry he'd even tried to joke about any of it.
Kayl's heart went out to him. "Kid. I'm sorry."
Raynar shrugged like it didn't matter.
Kayl went to him and squatted before him, so he had no excuse not to look at him.
"In case you've missed the last few weeks but we don't believe everything we see on the holos. We're going to Telos, and we're going to find out for a certainty that your family isn't there." Kayl held up his hand, gently stopping his sudden flood of questions. "I have an idea of how we might get in but the plan isn't in motion yet. I'll need you when it is, so until then I want you to stop watching those holos and get some rest."
"I can't sleep." Raynar mumbled, closing his eyes tightly before opening them again squeezing out a tear, which he expertly caught.
"Then get out of this hold and get something hot to eat. Sit with the men. If you don't want to talk, just sit close enough to hear them." Kayl ruffled Raynar's hair affectionately then cupped his cheek in a rough hand and gave it a pat. "We don't hide from our brothers. Especially when we want to. They're the only ones who will see you through whatever comes. Trust me on this Skidder."
Raynar blinked his eyes suddenly clearer. He managed a half smirk, just for him. "Yes, boss."
Kayl smiled and left him be for now. He was just about to leave the hold when Rinn found him.
"Urela sent a location and time."
Raynar appeared at Kayl's side uncharacteristically quick. "Isn't that your girlfriend?"
"Not anymore." Kayl replied with a little grumble
"What'd you call her for?"
"We need to get to the surface, once we reach Telos." Kayl offered, reading the message to himself before handing it back to Rinn. "I assume you set a course?"
"Just waiting on your order."
Kayl nodded and Rinn headed off, shouting to the pilot in his comm. Kayl turned to Raynar.
"I still have to meet her, not to mention get her to listen to me before anything else, so don't get your hopes up just yet."
"You think she'd say no? To whatever plan you have?"
Kayl thought abut it. Actually no. He didn't think she would say no to what he was planning… but that had been a younger Urela, he was thinking of. A women who hadn't been walked out on without warning. He honestly couldn't imagine her any differently but he braced himself for the contrary to be true.
"We'll see." Kayl mumbled.
"Have you even seen her since the day we met?"
Kayl frowned at him, questioning what he was talking about.
"That was her you were watching, when I robbed you, wasn't it?" Raynar inquired, following him out.
"Tried." Kayl adjusted with a laugh. "I don't recall you succeeding."
"If she'd stayed longer I would of." Raynar quipped but when he received a funny look, the youth just shrugged. "What? I'm just following your orders. Food and company."
Kayl sighed. Try as he might, he couldn't be annoyed at this kid for anything. He was far too much like himself.
"No. I haven't spoken with her since that night." He confessed, the truth coming easily to his tongue with only Raynar for company. "I left the Navy shortly after that in disgrace, remember?"
The young man frowned. "I don't think it was like that."
"They all saw it that way." Kayl countered. "It doesn't matter anyway. I don't expect anything to come of this besides getting to the surface to find out what we can."
Raynar hesitated, his eyes fixed on the man he'd met a short time ago but had come to love and admire more than anyone before him.
"You called her just to help find out about my family?"
Kayl stopped and turned to the youth. His surprise caught Kayl off guard. He had to remind himself that Raynar was still new here. He wasn't used to their way of doing things after he'd been on his own so long.
"We could use Urela's connections to pose as a relief unit. We gain access to the surface, dig up whatever information we can and even hopefully find someone alive. We need to move quickly though. The longer we wait the more likely that we miss an opportunity. What if your family is still alive? What if they are moved off world? What if looters take all of your family's belongings, which could be your only link to family that was lost?"
Raynar stared at him. Deep down he knew everything was lost but he felt a glimmer of hope, which told him that Kayl was right. Maybe not everything was lost… yet.
"Thank you."
Kayl blinked. Surprised by the child's sincerity. "I'll find you after I speak with Urela. We might not get the response we want."
Raynar gave his head a little shake. "I think you're underestimating her."
Kayl smiled, lightly. "I'm not getting my hopes up. Neither should you.. There's a difference."