A New Home [ORC/Underground]

[Thane Drexel]

​

Kel'Shebbol, as backwoods as it gets...

Home to a displaced Twi'lek refugee population, and now, the Red Fleet. Formerly the grand fleet of the Rebel Alliance. Their Benefactor had taken them across the galaxy searching for a home, one that would provide safety and prosperity. Here, in the far reaches of the Kathol Sector, Benefactor had found their home....

​

Home One entered realspace before the rest of the fleet. No fighters launched, no actions were taken save for one singular transport shuttle, on board were three Alliance Marines and the Pilot, known to everyone under his command as Benefactor. The plan was to make a treaty with the people of the world below that allowed the fleet to dock in the system and provide defense for the planet in case of invasion or any other ill-found objectives.​

​

As the shuttle entered the atmosphere, ground control contacted the shuttle...​

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<<This is KS-Ground control to unidentified vessel please identify and state reason for entering our airspace.>>​

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KS-Ground, this is Benefactor of the Red Fleet, we are here under the allowance of the ORC. We seek refuge and treaty, Over.​

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<<KS-Ground to Benefactor, you are cleared on platform Alpha-Niner, Over>>​

​

Affirmative Ground, see you in a few, Out.​

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Thane Drexel"]

'Benefactor' was a loaded term, one that had plenty of history for General J.Q. Merrill. When the shuttle touched down, then, it did so in the shadow of an old Starcrest medium freighter, heavily modified. A young-looking man in faded Corellian bloodstripes sat on the bigger ship's ramp, reading from a datapad. As the shuttle touched down, he shared a few quiet words with an orange Krevaaki and came out to meet the Rebel Alliance rep.

He'd come alone and unarmed, not so much to make a statement as because he'd been hard at work until about ten minutes ago. The sounds of a machine shop percolated out from the Wretched Hive's open ramp a little ways off. As the shuttle's ramp lowered, he slipped his datapad into the pocket of his coat and hooked his thumbs in his belt.

 

[RC 212]

[member="Thane Drexel"] [member="Jorus Merrill"]

On the Ground

Things were interesting on Kal'Shebbol for sure. Hala had made a quick stop off to get fuel and resupply her crappy Scout Fighter, which resembled a blasted and beaten Z-95 Headhunter. The nose was crumpled from a crash at Taglia Station, Carbon scoring and rents were visible on each wing. One of the engines was barely patched with a bang up welding job.

And then there was her, climbing down from the cockpit and glancing around.

A short Ugnoy happened to be the first to approach holding out his hand.

He babbled something at her.

She raised an eyebrow as she removed her helmet and tucked it under her arm.

"Uhhh? What?"

Then he fiddled with something on his neck and basic translation came across.

"Welcome to the Kal'Shebbol space port. Your docking fee please."

Hala grunted, and dug into her belt, parting with her last fifty credits. No she was kark out of luck on that refuel.

Figures​

Then she spotted another vessel nearby, but more importantly it's Captain. The blood stripes though faded gave him away. As the Ugnoy ran off she approached and nodded.

"Hey there. Nice ship ya got. Not Corellian are ya?"

 

[Thane Drexel]

Thane pulled his trench coat over his shoulders, hiding the myriad of weapons he carried at all times. Not so much a walking armory, just that he liked an answer for any problem. He moved from the cockpit to to ramp, his dispatch of marines rose and exited the shuttle with barely a look of anything other than duty to protect the Zabrak following them. They lined up a few paces apart surrounding the ramp of the shuttle. They looked very unprofessional, yet seasoned beyond the need for uniformity. A particular Duro called back in his native tongue and out walked the Horn-headed leader of this rabble. A smirk on his face and flask to his lips.

"Aaah, you must be the welcoming party. My merry men and I seek asylum here. We have need for dirt under our boots and fresh air in our lungs. I am Benefactor. For now it is a sufficient name until I deem it safe and fitting to reveal my true name. You understand, I'm not exactly famous, more infamous to certain parties with whom I'd lost track of and wish to stay anonymous until my and my men's safety is secured."

The fingerless glove that swayed as he walked, shot out from the Benefactor's side and aimed its well placed movement to extend a formal greeting. His eyes showed much pride, and faith in his words, his breath showed how often that flask was stationed at his lips. The small tears, burns and grays on the jacket showed just as much wear as his marines. These men had been through some chit.

[member="Hala Jast"] [member="Jorus Merrill"]

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Hala Jast"]

"Hey there. Nice ship ya got. Not Corellian are ya?"

The point of wearing the bloodstripes, in this day and age, was summed up in moments like these: building connections between members of the diaspora. Corellia was broken, Corellians were scattered, and signs of recognition had become important. Corellian Bloodsteel, Whyren's Reserve, ryshcate, and stripes on your pants. "That I am," he said, glancing past her at the ship he was due to meet. "Captain Jorus Merrill. I'm betting you are too, yeah? Good to run into another one of us this far out."

Behind her, the Rebel shuttle's ramp began to open. "Love to talk, but I'm due to meet someone important that might get prickly. I don't mind you sticking around, just don't, you know..." He shrugged, grinned, and went past her to meet [member="Thane Drexel"].

And, apparently, Drexel's bodyguards. That was an awful lot of weapons, and the closest thing to a weapon that Jorus had on him was a hydrospanner. The Lasedri-era Rebel Alliance hadn't always been a known quantity. He stayed close to the Force in case he needed to know which way to go.

"Welcome to Kal'Shebbol, Benefactor," he said. "I'm General Jorus Merrill." As in, co-founder and leader of the Rebel Alliance that had been before Lasedri, the one that had become the longrunning Underground. The name might bridge some gaps, or might make them worse. He cracked a grin. "I'm down to offer you asylum on behalf of the Coalition, but you having that name begs a question that needs answering first. I need to know if you're being straight with me. See, there's been ways and means and mistakes over the years, and I was expecting you to be a pretty brunette with a taste for coup d'etat."

That was about as oblique a reference as he could have made, but it ought to be enough to tell Drexel that Jorus knew the identity of the previous Benefactor -- a closely guarded secret, by all accounts.

"If you're not speaking for her, we can talk."

 

[Thane Drexel]

A look of shock, followed by remembrance, followed by...lustful remembrance crossed Thane's face. He waved his hand and the marines lowered their rifles and even began talking amongst themselves.

"Well it's great to finally to put a face to the name of the man who gave me purpose in life. When you were around, I was a lowly pilot. Soon after your resignation, our mutual friend put me in Rogue Squadron. Then after our years together passed the title on to me. I miss her dearly..." he drifted off for a moment with a joyous grin. Upon realizing the pause he'd left he shook his head and took another shot from his flask.


"Well then, by all accounts, I owe you much gratitude. I am Thane Drexel. Benefactor and Rogue Two of the remains of the Rebel Alliance."

Thane looked over Jorus' shoulder to see another familiar face.

"I see you've met a friend of mine. Gave me a few good memories recently." His intention left to the eye of the beholder.

[member="Jorus Merrill"] [member="Hala Jast"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Jorus Merrill"] [member="Thane Drexel"]

Twas then that Hala laid eyes upon a familiar face herself. One whom had flown with her crew on a few missions. Thane Drexel

"Thane?" She asked, cocking her head to the side. She was surprised he was here, moreso that she was even noticed. Since leaving her smuggling life of thievery she'd had wardrobe change, lost some weight and looked a little more haggard. The dark circles under her eyes and lighter muscle tone from so much time in Zero G was beginning to show.

"Well, this is a surprise."

She moved past Jorus and grasped his arm in a Smugglers handshake.

"How have you been?"

Then she realized...

​

Whoops. Just gave away his name. Kark​

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Thane Drexel"] [member="Hala Jast"]

Jorus raised his eyebrows. "Always nice to see friends reunited," he said blandly. "Well, Benefactor, I've got no objections to you setting up shop here. Kal'Shebbol's a fairly modern place these days, so it's not wild space rules out here - but keep your nose clean, don't bring down trouble on us, and we'll be good to go. We've been tackling the First Order a bit, poking at them and being poked, same with the Imperial Remnant. Just don't get in a shooting war without asking first, is all I ask.

"So tell me about this Red Fleet of yours. I know about your flagship, but what kind of numbers you looking at? What models of ships you got, and how're you handling food and pay just now? What's your repair status? I've got a chop shop ship for modifications and repairs; I can take a look at whatever pain you've got going on."

 

[Thane Drexel]

Thane joyously took Hala's arm. She'd seen healthier days, but since they parted ways, it had been quite some time. He noticed her slip, but was not worried.

You look good darling, considering where we last left off. He brushed his forefinger under her chin, taking note of her appearance, slyly.

General, your hospitality will not go unrepaid. As for our numbers, I have hidden the majority of the fleet. We still number in the tens of thousand, save for these scraggly grunts behind me, but they don't count. The Duro chortled and replied something crude about Thane's mother, to which Thane laughed heartily. We have with us currently our carrier, RAV-005 aka Solo, destroyer RAV-006 Skywalker, Home One, one GR-75 transport and our medical frigate RAV-102 Restitution. They'll all need an oil change and a good wash. We've been travelling for three years, searching for a home.

The Duro passed forward a holopad with their stock and ration numbers...As for food, we have...nothing. We will work for food, if you would allow us a chance to refuel, eat and rest.

Turning to Hala, We may need some new squadron leaders, if you're up for it. let me repay the friendship you've given me.

[member="Jorus Merrill"] [member="Hala Jast"]

 

[RC 212]

[member="Jorus Merrill"] [member="Thane Drexel"]

"Squadron leaders eh?"

It was a tempting offer. Hala had sworn off doing anything for a legit government but the temptation was still there. Flying for a friend, who flew for a friend. Things were looking up. But then she remembered the Crew aboard the Crimson Dragon and shuddered. How they had been eaten alive by Reavers.

Am I even fit for Command anymore?

"We'll have to talk about it when your business here is finished. We have a lot of Catching up to do."

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Hala Jast"] [member="Thane Drexel"]

The old Rebel Alliance boats, Jorus knew, needed more supplies and support than anyone but an interstellar government or a major corporation could muster. It spoke well of the new Benefactor that he'd managed to keep them running on fumes this long.

"We can get some food and medical supplies out there right away, no charge. After that, I'll send up my mod ship to take a look at your most important repairs, and we can put your people to work. Kal'Shebbol has a decent little navy, but they could use some stronger training. How would your folks feel about a couple months rotating in and out of system defense ships and ground stations? They get a bit of a working vacation, the locals get some cross-training, and we fix your ships up. Sound like a plan to you, Benefactor?"

 

[Thane Drexel]

[member="Jorus Merrill"] [member="Hala Jast"]

"I'd love to catch up, yes once we have finished our business here." He confirmed to Hala.

Turning to his men at Jorus' proposal, their looks said it all. They needed a change, some time to unwind and get into a routine that didn't involve constant fight or flight mode. A human stepped forward and whispered into Thane's ear.

"Alright, General. You've got yourself a deal. We'll help this planet in exchange for your hospitality and resources. We'll even throw in some of our tech. Some fun things had been added after you left. Maybe we could make this an unofficial way station for the Outback. The Red Fleet could help with regulation and aid as a secondary fleet in times of need. My men and I will do anything we can to repay your generosity General." With that, Thane extended his hand to seal their deal.

The marines with Thane all began to breath sighs of relief as to a possibility of having found a new home.

"One more thing, we have prefabs, could we set them up as a barracks for the men to sleep on real ground?"

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Thane Drexel"]

"I'll have a talk with Coalition authorities and the locals. The leaders of Kal'Shebbol sold land to some Coalition agencies, and I know for a fact that not all of it's been used just yet. One of'em was the Judges - think free-range blue-collar Jedi with a sense of proportion thrown in. We were thinking about a Judge waystation here, but that hasn't happened yet. Too many other things to do. It's a decent patch of ground maybe a thousand klicks west of here. Once I sort it all out, I'll give you a call and you can start landing your prefabs. Welcome aboard, folks. We'll see if we can't treat you right and give you worthwhile things to do."

 

[Thane Drexel]

Thane nodded and turned to the marines, "Two of you go up to Home One and tell the medical frigate to bring anyone in need of some shore leave to come down for the day. Use shuttles, they'll be our campers for the night. We'll start shifts, alpha company from each vessel will have first leave. Tell the fleet to set up a synchro-orbital position over this location. The other four, come with me. We are going to check out the locals. General [member="Jorus Merrill"], where's the best watering hole?"

The Duro and a human turned and took the shuttle back to the fleet. From there, they'd spread the word, Alpha company from each ship in the fleet would soon follow to the surface for some much needed and well earned R&R. Roughly two hundred hungry and thirsty tourists. Each wanting to spend their wages.

Turning to face [member="Hala Jast"], "Care to join me for a drink and dinner?", he held out his elbow for Hala to hook her arm into and he'd escort her to a restaurant.

 

[RC 212]

[member="Thane Drexel"]

Hala grinned and hooked her arm in his.

"Would I ever? A drink sounds great right now. I happen to have a little local knowledge."

Instead of being lead, she tugged hard on his arm. She was an explorer, not a romantic, but still appreciated the expression. Then she pulled her arm out of the hook and grinned again. She gave him a playful slap on the back.

"Come on then. First ones on me big guy. I'd love to hear some adventure stories, got a couple good ones myself."

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Hala Jast"] [member="Thane Drexel"]

"For this many folks? You want Gape Street - tons of cantinas. Ship crews all over the place, from lots of different worlds. Kal'Shebbol is sort of the Kathol Sector's front door. Anyways, I'll comm you the location."

He glanced between Thane and Hala, and grinned. "I'll leave you folks to it. Welcome aboard. The Coalition's glad to have you, or it's gonna be. Comm me if you need anything else." He tossed them a nod and ambled back to the Wretched Hive's ramp.

 

[Thane Drexel]

Thane nodded to the General as he departed. A good start to the new life for the Rebels. It had been far too long since they'd been able to touch down for more than a mission or resupplying. Following Hala, Thane and the four marines headed for Gape Street. There the cantinas and booze were as abundant as there were bugs in the air.

"You boys have fun, stay out of trouble. Lady Jast and I are gonna catch up. We'll reconnect later."

Turning from their Benefactor, the marines jogged off towards a happening bar with music playing so loud the street was filled with its rhythm.

"Where shall we adjourn to?" He asked Hala.

[member="Hala Jast"]