Blitzkrieg Bop

[Sannika Brynn]

They say a good pilot is measured by how many times he can crash and still survive. Well, this would be twice in two months for Lieutenant Brynn (also known as Rogue Three).

They say a Rogue always pulls through. Juwiela always claimed that the odds never mattered for a Rebel, and Sannika had done her best to follow bravely. Taking up this escort mission was in itself a risky venture, and the veteran fighter pilot (crazy to think that she could now safely apply the title of 'veteran') was plummeting towards whatever qualified as a surface these days on battered and wrangled Coruscant, T-65XJ3 fighter screaming and writhing as the winds buffeted the S-foils and rattled the entire hull. Maybe this was the end.

They say a Rebel never gives up. Sannika was no quitter, to be sure, but sometimes the situation could feel so grim without the support of her Alliance comrades. To be falling like a burning chunk of coal towards the urban landscape below was nothing to take lightly, in death or as the bringer of death. The twi'lek aviator's stomach would not behave, leaping into her throat and knotting to her esophagus as gravity's talons wrenched the ship faster and faster toward its demise. The sensation added only misery to her already sorrowful apparent fate. "Okay, don't give out on me for one last hurrah," the tukian whispered to her fighter craft through gritted teeth, rapidly flicking switches to adjust trim on the S-foils' ailerons and elevators.

"Rogue Three is down. Just Eff-Why-Eye," she called over the comms before shutting down all but auxiliary power. Her X-Wing was now quite the spectacular meteorite trailed by a heavy plume of white smoke--essentially a flare signaling the Sith forces exactly where a Rogue had fallen. If she survived this crash, Sannika would need to make a run for it with no hesitation and get as far away from her ship as possible.

The only thing that worried her besides the fact that she might just have run out of sand in her hourglass were the people below she would have to avoid. Crashing was never pleasant for anyone involved.

[member="Poy Luroon"]

 

[Poy Luroon]

[member="Sannika Brynn"]

Poy was leading Scourge Squadron on another sortie when she saw smoke and flames, and a lone T-65XJ3 Starfighter going down nearby. Her Galactic Alliance Navy squadron was out on an interdiction mission and felt a strong desire to help a fellow aviator in distress. "Scourge, hold it here. I'm going to check it out," the Twi'lek said over the comlink to her squadron as she pushed her Starfighter closer, to see where the Rogue Squadron craft would land. And all of a sudden, there was an almighty explosion and everything in Poy's cockpit went dead. She too had taken one major hit and her craft too had been turned into a flying meteorite. Hitting the ejection button, the canopy blew off and her ejection seat was fired upwards. She saw the Rogue pilot doing the same thing and silently hoped she would land nearby, so they could work together to get back to friendly lines.

The ejection seat fell away and Poy's parachute opened and blossomed above her Lekku. She grabbed hold of the steering lines and went for a clearing on the outskirts of Coruscant, next to a bombed warehouse. She landed safely and watched her spare T-65XJ crash in flames, and explode in a massive fireball, from those weapons it was still carrying onboard at the time. R2-Q2 would be beside himself back at base, but her comlink had been fried when the anti-aircraft missile was sent her way. Watching from below, she ran as fast as she could to where the Rebel pilot might land, so they could avoid the Sith. "Come on, bail out!!"

Poy watched in horror as the burning Starfighter sped down towards the rubble of Coruscant...

 

[Sannika Brynn]

Beyond the shields and below the anti-aircraft lasers' firing arc, Rogue Three was still in a freefall with only a few seconds left to make any sort of final prayers or gestures. But Sannika was still clutching for that final gasp of hope that could maybe, possibly save her.

Having trimmed her stabilizers to what she thought might be enough to regain some semblance of control on her rattling X-Wing, Sanna punched the emergency retro rockets into full thrust and yanked her yoke to starboard. The dying spacecraft abruptly righted itself out of its harrowing spin and pitched up slightly--but it would not be enough to save the fighter. She had only bought herself a few precious seconds to eject. Please don't be anyone down there... Shunting the safety hold and nearly simultaneously flicking the emergency switch, Rogue Three's canopy was popped and the pilot shot out of her cockpit and watched as her latest weapon plunged into the duracrete below.

The ejected pilot found herself covered in soot as she floated through the debris cloud and downwards to the pavement. Her heart thumped wildly beneath her breast with each passing second, knowing that was one step closer any Sith troopers would be to catching her upon touchdown. Coruscant was a big place, but it would not be hard to locate her point of landing. The twi'lek had already made up her mind to not try to recover the parachuting emergency care box that had been jettisoned after her. It would stall her too long, and she had little time to spare if she was intending on avoiding capture. She had heard what happened to Oddball when he had been taken prisoner by the Sith, and Sannika doubted she could survive that.

With a dulled thunk, the tukian was dropped to the Coruscant streets. She snapped off her restrainers in record time, and leaped out of her chair and into the crowds without hesitation. She needed to find a hiding spot fast. It would not be long before everyone was searching for a short twi'lek with charcoal skin.

[member="Poy Luroon"]

 

[Poy Luroon]

[member="Sannika Brynn"]

Poy watched Rogue Three coming down, so she sprinted even harder now, running through the narrow streets, hoping and praying that she'd get there before any Sith stormtroopers arrived. She caught a glimpse of a Twi'lek, also wearing pilot gear, running away down a narrow street and Poy deduced that this must be Rogue Three in the flesh. She barrelled her way through the crowd and kept the fellow Twi'lek in her sight; looking behind her, she saw stormtroopers on patrol. They would find both crash sites in a few minutes them and then be directed to fan out and hunt down the starfighter pilots, and bring them to Levans Hold; one of the most notorious One Sith prisons on the planet. Poy kept up with the other Twi'lek and closely followed her trail through the city. "Where are you going?" Poy said quietly, as she continued the chase.

Eventually, the other Twi'lek pilot came to a deserted part of the city and Poy decided it was time to let the other know she was there. "I know you don't know me, but I saw you being shot down by the Sith and I tried to intervene and save you, but they got me right after..." she had never seen another Twi'lek fighter pilot before, so it was good to be with her own species. "Quickly! Let's hide before the stormtroopers come!!" she dragged the charcoal-coloured Twi'lek by her hand and pulled her into an abandoned house and locked the door behind them. Poy pulled out her emergency care box and put it onto the table. "Did you loose yours in the jump?" she asked, as she nibbled on rations and looked over a map of Coruscant proper, with a handful of probable escape routes marked out on it. They would have to move quickly before they were discovered and taken prisoner.

 

[Sannika Brynn]

She knew it would be no easy task to simply run away and hide from the Sith after crashing on their home base, but she never fathomed that it would be this quick before she was discovered by one of the goons. Someone was already on her tails, and she could tell by the frantic pattering of feet from behind that would not abate. Where to? Think, Sanna. Think!

She had made it out of the crowds by this point and was searching for something convenient to catch her breath behind and watch her predator from the shadows. Despite her awareness of being followed, the ash-covered pilot was quite startled when the voice spoke up. And yet it was not the ice-cold, commanding threat she expected it to be, but a soft, disarming one. No sooner had the other twi'lek explained to her the 'story' before she had taken the Rogue by the arm and shoved into an empty apartment, abandoned for who knew how long. It was a little too fast of a change in events for the tukian to completely register, and she sat with her back against the closed door for a few moments and watched the rutian eating from her own care package.

Brynn was hardly xenophobic, but being around another of her kind was always sort of special to her. After realizing that this strange pilot likely meant no foul play in pulling her into this mysterious place, the Rebel flygirl eventually picked herself up off the floor--which amusingly did not alter her stature much, considering how short she was--and sauntered over to the other and flicked her lekku a bit in a silent 'thank you' before helping herself to a ration bar from the case. "Where'd you come from?" she asked, voice muffled as she clamped the ration bar between her teeth and she stripped out of her bright orange flightsuit and emerged in her gray leggings and sports bra.

With no sleeves on anymore, her natural green skin was now clearly visible, and the Rebel Alliance emblem tattooed on her shoulder would be quite obvious an indicator of her loyalties. She tapped her inked skin and smiled slightly at the much taller pilot before glancing down at the map as well. "I'm Sanna. Rogue Squadron."

[member="Poy Luroon"]

 

[Poy Luroon]

[member="Sannika Brynn"]

"I came from a Galactic Alliance battle carrier, the Illustrious," Poy replied, munching on an apricot and yoghurt bar. "I'm Flight Lieutenant Poy Luroon, Black Squadron, Galactic Alliance Navy," Poy stripped down to her waist, and tied the arms of her flight suit in a knot in front of her - she showed off several tattoos she had received; a hound on her right shoulder and a butterfly on her neck. She also showed those intricate combat tattoos on her lekku and flicked "my pleasure" back at Sanna. They had all been tattooed on after every confirmed kill she had been awarded by the higher ups. "I know my squadron mates, and Commanding Officer, won't be pleased with me breaking orders though..." she said rather quietly, knowing that, if she got through this, she would be in for a right telling off when she got back to her battle carrier.

"I was out on a reconnaissance mission over Coruscant when I saw your X-Wing get hit. Luckily, if they do find my craft, they will only find a bunch of photographs looking at empty fields and mountains," Poy sat down on a chair next to the window, and tutted - she had heard of a famous Twi'lek in Rogue Squadron and was now meeting her in the flesh. "And your tattoo means nothing to me. I have friends in the Rebel forces and some of them are fighter pilots just like you. In fact, I have been following your escapades for quite some time now," she got out some photograps from her suit pocket and showed them to Sanna - they were of Poy and another Twi'lek, who was wearing Rebel flight kit and said this was one of her best friends, who had been shot down and killed only several months previously while flying on a trench run.

"They told me they will never find Kalcrate's body and her X-Wing. It was blown to pieces just after she completed her trench run, and destroyed the target," tears began to fall down her cheeks, so she'd wiped them off with her arm. "Plus, another Twi'lek Rebel pilot that I know, Tawvida, has been missing in action for a year now, and her sister, Kotkico, is being held prisoner somewhere within the system," she dried off her tears once more and then turned back to the escape map. Their main escape route was through a system of underground tunnels away from Coruscant, and then out to an abandoned settlement, where they would both find food, clothing and shelter and would then wait to be rescued.

 

[Sannika Brynn]

Sannika was surprised to find there was another twi'lek pilot like her, with kill tallies inked into their lekku. Maybe it was not the most unique thing ever, but it was exciting to discover that she was not alone in this little game. She stroked her lekku carefully to remove all the dust and show that they had a lot in common already.

"I was escorting a defector out of Coruscanti space before the Sith blew up his transport. I don't know if he made it." She hoped he had, because if she was going to have this crash on her record, she at least would rather it not be for the sake of an entire failure. "But no need to worry about that now. We've got to work this out ourselves."

Sannika was surprised that she had such a fan, and wondered how she had ascended to such fame--or infamy. She was hardly a legend and still had many things to learn before she truly would be a great pilot. But the mention boosted her confidence all the same, and the short young woman bowed her head and smiled sheepishly at the compliment.

The Rogue was not aware of the pilot known as Tawvida's predicament, but she had indeed heard about Kalcrate and Kotkicko. The fraternity of Rebel pilots was rather tight-knit and they were always on guard for each other, even when they did not know each other by name. It was painful to watch Poy cry over them, and Sannika was not sure what to do in such a situation so soon. No, she was not insensitive, but they had just met--and, besides, she did not really like too much physical contact. Still, she reached out and brushed the rutian's arm briefly in a nervous effort to comfort her.

"I've only been on Coruscant once before," Sanna divulged as they returned focus to the escape plan. "I really don't know how to get underground here.

"I'm gonna need to clean up, though. And we'll need new clothes." the short twi'lek glanced at both of their varying tattoos. "We'll be easy to spot if they can see all our art."

[member="Poy Luroon"]

 

[Poy Luroon]

[member="Sannika Brynn"]

Poy nodded and dried her eyes once more. "We will. Actually, I saw a clothing store just back the way you came. Maybe we could go there and try to round up some sort of outfit, so we can slip away unnoticed....." she waited for the Twi'lek to finish washing up, and kept an eye out on the streets surrounding the abandoned home for any sign of Stormtroopers. Thankfully, none were to be seen at this moment in time. After she had finished, Poy took the other Twi'lek by the hand, packed up her escape kit and took her down the narrow street to the clothing store.

It was unlocked and no one happened to be around, so Poy pulled her inside, and locked the door. "Now, I think we might need something that will cover us from head to toe," she saw two long dresses that came with a hood, cape and face covering - this might do the trick. "What do you think about those outfits there?" Poy said, pointing over to those dresses. She approached the stand and she picked up the ruby red dress, and then removed her flight suits and flying boots, now standing in her bra, briefs and socks, before slipping the dress on over them.

It was the perfect fit and she saw some red flat-soled shoes to go with it, so she slipped into them. "What do you think? Could we get away in these?" Poy gave a little twirl and showed of her escape outfit. "Would you like to try on the blue one to see if it fits you?" Poy took it off the hook and handed it to her fellow Twi'lek and watched her looking it up and down.

 

[Sannika Brynn]

Lieutenant Luroon sure was quick at decision-making. She seemed to have an idea forged with little deliberation, and her observation skills proved that she was likely a good spotter in the skies. Sannika had little time to consider the proposal before she was once again hustled across the street and into a quiet little shop where colorful garments abounded.

The green twi'lek placed her hands against her hips and grimaced. It was true that they needed to cover their decorated skin up extensively, but Sannika was not exactly a fan of dresses and bulkier clothing. She was short, small, and liked to have plenty of freedom of movement with her attire, hence her wardrobe consisting mostly of athletic gear. (Besides, she had grown up with just Dad around, and dress-up was never in his itinerary.) Poy may have looked good in a flowing dress like the one she had just tried on, but Sanna was not so sure about the blue dress. "I might need to try the kids clothes," she joked, although it was the truth. Being short had its advantages, but then there were times when it could be embarrassing. If she were not so 'gifted', she could arguably have passed herself off as a tween.

Brynn realized that there was little time and few options to dismiss the dress if it fit, however, so she reluctantly accepted it and slipped it on over her top. She held out her arms awkwardly to her side and glanced down at the skirt of the dress uncomfortably. "I don't know..." It fit over her bosom well enough, but it seemed so long. "Do you think it looks alright? I've never worn something like this." The Rogue was not certain if it looked pretty on her, but it certainly did not scream 'pilot', so it would be a good disguise as long as it fit well enough.

[member="Poy Luroon"]

 

[Poy Luroon]

[member="Sannika Brynn"]

"It looks perfect on you. I don't think we could have worn the other clothes here, they might have given us away. And hang on, I'll just go and find something to fix it up for you," Poy said, rumaging through a daw and finding some pins and then fixed up the skirt for Sannika. "There! I think that will do," she seemed pretty happy with her quick handiwork on the dress. Poy then hid her flight suit and boots inside a closet and locked it with a padlock - hopefully no Stormtroopers would come this way and venture into the clothing store and find her flight suit there.

Poy pulled out the map, and she took another look at the escape route; the entrance to it was located under a safe house just north of where they were located. In a shoebox, Poy found a pair of matching shoes for Sannika, so told her to put them on and then they were almost ready to begin the escape."Seems the entrance to the tunnel isn't far. If we move quickly, we can make it there and then get down inside the tunnel before anyone comes looking for us," Poy was silently hoping that her plan would go off without any hitches and that they could make it.

Poy took Sannika's hand once more and she unlocked the door and then lead her outside into the hustle, and bustle, of the city. Poy walked calmly and slowly beside Sannika and tried not to attract any attention. They were just two Coruscant women out for one of their daily walks around this part of the city. They received some stares from people, but no one paid them any mind. Making their way through to the house, the two Twi'leks managed to avoid many of the barricades and security checks that had been set up, so they were going good so far.

 

[Sannika Brynn]

Perfect? The tukian slid her palms down the sides of her waist and appraised the figure it presented to get an idea of what exactly perfect was. Poy seemed to know a lot more about clothing than Sannika did, and it intrigued her quite a bit. The Galactic Alliance fighter seemed every bit as much a pilot as the Rogue flygirl, but she had a softer femininity to her as opposed to Sanna's sporty side. It made her wonder what aspects of life she may be missing out on. Was wearing a dress so bad an occasion? Well, she had survived it so far, and she should be able to do better as soon as her newfound comrade had managed the fabrics so they no longer dragged on the floor.

"Thanks," she said after Poy retrieved a pair of shoes for her, though she was just as dubious about them as she had been about the dress. These were not the kind of shoes she was used to, nor was she confident she could run in them very well. They did match her dress, however, unlike the boots she was wearing. And so she put these on in accordance to Poy's bidding as well.

It was so strange, how Sannika had been trained by the Rebel Alliance for wilderness survival but had no idea how to simply survive in a normal environment in such delicate situations. She found herself relying far too often on Poy's guiding hand in this whirlwind escape through Coruscant. But without the other twi'lek, she might not have gotten far. "Is anyone going to notice us going into the tunnel?" the shorter of the pair worried, trying to act as graceful as she could in this dress. As they strolled through the street and a hint of the dusk sun flickered its beams through spires and across her garments, Sannika realized she liked this color of blue. Though she was as yet convinced in the dress itself. "I mean, we are wearing dresses... Not really good for exploring sewers." At least they did not look like the stereotype twi'lek strippers--although Sanna had her own set of dance moves that could put those girls to shame.

Maybe they would have been served better that way. But hindsight was always a lot easier to judge choices by. "Psst," she whispered to the rutian after noticing some peculiar shadows marching at their pace. "I think we're being followed."

[member="Poy Luroon"]

 

[Poy Luroon]

[member="Sannika Brynn"]

Poy looked behind her. Stormtroopers!! And they were all approaching rather rapidly, talking to themselves quietly... Poy tried to walk as normally as possible, but she was worried that something might give them away. "Ladies, would you stop for a moment?" one of the troopers asked - he stood in front of them and halted their escape plan, for the moment at least. Poy took hold of Sannika's hand and did as she was told.

"You know that you are both out past the curfew time?" Poy looked at him from behind the veil and mask rather confused and began to ask what curfew, but the Stormtrooper held up his hand to silence her. "The curfew finished several hours ago, so you will have to be taken to the local garrison barracks to be held and for us to decide what to do with you..." he directed for them to follow him back through Coruscant.

"I'm sorry Sannika. I didn't know this would happen," Poy said to Sannika, using her carefully hidden lekku to transmit the message. The two were escorted back through Coruscant and then to a foreboding military barracks and were ushered inside and taken to a small room, where they were told to sit down and wait for the commander to come and interview them for their innocent "crime" and then make a decision.

Poy took her seat and heard a voice outside of the small room, saying that the barracks commander would hate having to be called away from some important business to attend to two Coruscant women who had accidentally been out past the curfew, or had done it on purpose in total defiance of the First Order. If it was the second, they would be sent to a reception jail, where they would be processed, before being moved.

 

[Sannika Brynn]

'I know,' Sannika signaled back, more annoyed than angry with anyone. The stormtroopers were simply doing their jobs, and Poy had simply been trying to get them out of enemy territory. At least she had a hand to hold through this ordeal.

After being brought to the barracks, the short twi'lek waited for the stormtroopers to be distracted by the call from their commander before whispering to her new friend. "They don't know who we are yet. There's still a chance we can get out if we just keep quiet and behave." It was not too hard to imagine. They had only been caught walking after hours, after all, and she doubted they would do much to the young women if things proceeded as they were so far. The only problem with that was that Sannika had a bounty on her head, courtesy of the Sith. Poy might be able to go free without much of a thought, but if they checked the bounty database, they might figure out exactly which green twi'lek they had just taken in.

Time to get dramatic, then. Sannika made her best fake tears and sniffled very loudly so they were sure to hear. "Please don't take us to jail! It was a mistake, for real! We didn't realize how late it was. We didn't mean to break the rules. I just wanted to get home. It's all my fault. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry!" Sannika cried, hugging Poy tightly and burying her head into the other pilot's neck for more effect. She hoped her ruse would work. She was not the best of actors, and there was no way to gauge the reaction from behind the troopers' masks, so there was no telling if she had sold it or not.

[member="Poy Luroon"]

 

[Poy Luroon]

[member="Sannika Brynn"]

"Rules are rules!!" exclaimed the Stormtrooper lieutenant loudly, as he watched the scene unfolding before him. "I cannot let you go until our commander has decided what your punishment will be," Poy decided to get in on the act as well. "Please! I know deep down inside, you are good men and do not want to harm us," the Stormtrooper lieutenant just shifted his stance and did not say anything. The door opened and it was time to come face to face with the commander. He sat down opposite the two ladies and went over the preliminary report that had been written up about their minor crime. "Being out after curfew is a very serious misdemeanour," he told the two ladies in a serious tone of voice.

"Please accept my apology. We just lost track of time, that is all," Poy said, holding tightly onto Sannika and sniffling loudly, hoping to get the commander to feel sympathy for their plight. "That is the one hundredth time I have heard of that excuse..." he muttered, as he looked over a pair of women who, in his judgemental mind, had done this on purpose to openly defy the First Order. "I feel you have done this on purpose to show your distain for our regime," Poy took her acting up a gear and went into full apology mode. "Please believe me, we woul never defy the First Order. We just want to be on our way and go home, please!" the Stormtrooper commander said nothing and ordered in two guards.

"Alright ladies, you will be spending time in one of our holding cells, until we can decide what prison to send you to, after we have sent our report up the chain of command," those words sent shivers down Poy's spine. She just had to hope they would be sent to a civilian prison and not a military one - the military prisons were much more barbaric and she had heard horror stories of prisoners being experimented on and turned into "toys" for the sick and twisted surgeons to play with. The guards ordered the women to stand up and they were taken out from the interrogation room, down a long corridor past many cells, and stopped in front of Cell E2-506. Those guards unlocked the door.

"Now stay here and don't move!!" the first Stormtrooper guard yelled, as he pushed the two disguised Twi'leks into their new home, all be it for the time being, and locked the door behind him. Thankfully, the cells did not have CCTV cameras, because this was the civilian section - the guards knew that civilians would have no idea about military secrets, so they had no need to monitor them digitally. The inside of the cell was somewhat more than sparse; it had two comfortable beds, a built in refresher, a table, some chairs and a small fridge that held some of the pre-packed meals and drinks for the incarcerated. Poy removed her head-dress and slumped down onto her bed, tears falling softly.

"I am so sorry Sannika. I had no idea that they were following us. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me..." Poy curled up into a ball and thought about what might happen - that main plan that she hoped would come into play was that the Stormtroopers would not see right through their disguises and send them to a civilian prison, where rules were much more relaxed and thus would be easier to escape from. But in the back of her mind, if they found out who they really were, they would immediately be sent to a military prison and experimented on, due to their race, by an army of cruel and sadistic doctors. The thought of them touching her body and experimenting made her feel rather sick.

"Great Mother Kikalekki, please protect two daughters of Ryloth in their hour of need. Please let us keep our pretense and escape and return to our loved ones," Poy looked out of the window and up into the sky - she hoped that Kikalekki had heard her prayer and would answer it.

 

[Sannika Brynn]

There was a moment in which the tukian thought maybe--just maybe--their charade was working, and the stormtrooper overseeing their detention would grant them sympathy and let them leave without any trouble. But it was not to be, as she would soon find out. When the commanding officer stomped into the room, she knew things were only going to get worse. "Please," she begged. "It's all my fault! I ran out and my big sister had to come find me. Please let her go." But they would not listen. The law was a hard one, and the commander obviously was not going to budge.

The Rogue hung her head dejectedly when the two airwomen were ushered to their prison cell. Fortunately, it was low-security and more for 'misbehaving citizens' rather than prisoners of war. But it was only a short jump from this frying pan to the fire. Sannika itched at her shoulder after they were locked up, looking down at it nervously to make sure that the sleeve was still covering her tattoo. Maybe it was a bad idea for her to have such an emblem ingrained into her skin, considering such situations as this one. If their captors ever saw it, she would be done for. But all hope was not lost... yet.

It was indeed a bad situation, and neither of them could be certain they would make it out alive in the end. But it upset Sannika to see how Poy blamed herself for all of this, and the Rebel pilot knelt down beside her compatriot's bed and patted her back in spite of her aversion to touching. "Don't talk like that, Poy. You came back to save me when I was shot down. I know you did your best. It's my fault for letting my fighter get hit."

She had not been born on their people's world, but she was proud to be called a daughter of Ryloth. They were not just fellow pilots. They were family. And so she folded her hands, closed her eyes, and bowed her head out of respect for Poy and this apparent twi'lek tradition. "Great Mother," she murmured, nodding in affirmation of her comrade's prayer. Might as well support any way of escape, be it from their own ingenuity or some mysterious being that she had never heard of before.

When the prayer was over, she reopened her eyes and continued to rub her friend's back. "I have never heard of this Great Mother before," Sannika confessed. "When we get out of here, will you teach me about the Great Mother and our people?" She was just trying to be positive now. Hopefully it would lift Poy's spirit to think of a future back home.

[member="Poy Luroon"]

 

[Poy Luroon]

[member="Sannika Brynn"]

Poy finished her prayer and then opened her eyes, taking Sannika's hands in hers and squeezing them tightly. "Of course my darling Sannika. Kikkalekki is the Mother Goddess of all Twi'leks. Ever since I joined the military at fourteen years old, I have said a daily prayer to her and she has helped me in my moments of greatest need. This is another time where I know she will help us," she pulled Sannika up onto the bed and kept her close to her. "We shall wait and see what she will come up with this time to protect us," Poy looked at Sannika and cupped her face gently. "I can feel you are nervous - is there something wrong?" she was not Force-sensitive, but was highly sensitive to other's moods.

She removed two of the pre-packaged meals and two drinks and set them on the table. "You look hungry. Let's go eat," Poy took her by the hand and sat down at the small table and took the foil off the plate. It looked something as far away from food as you could get, but it was a meal nonetheless, and would have to do for the time being until they were moved or freed. "So, would you like to tell me your story? I always find it interesting how others became involved in this time of work," Rogue Squadron was one of the most well-known Rebel units in all of the galaxy, such as Black Squadron being the most well-known Galactic Alliance squadron that took on those most dangerous of missions.

I hope Great Mother can influence this turn of events and put us on the path towards freedom and returning home...

 

[Sannika Brynn]

It was a quick turn to see how Poy Luroon could change from being the one being consoled to becoming the consoler. Upon being pulled onto the bed with the other airwoman, Sannika's eyes snapped wide open, and she wriggled a bit uncomfortably with Poy's hands on her cheeks--yet it was strangely comforting all the same. She was a grown woman by this time in her life--well, grown to her full capacity, at least--but there was a soothing energy radiating from Poy's voice and her touch that calmed her down, and the short pilot decided not to resist. "I'm okay," she answered, giving a silly smirk. It was hard to find her usual, energetic and fun-loving personality in such a grim situation, but sometimes it showed through even the dark times. "I've never been in a place like this before. But Rebels always pull through. That's why we're rebels, I guess.

"And I hope you are right. I will pray to the Great Mother too, if you show me how." Sannika was not entirely sure that she believed there was such a thing, but it would not hurt at this moment.

They would get out of here. The stormies did not know who they were so far, and imprisonment for being out past curfew could not last too long. If they could not escape beforehand, they would probably be released in a week by behaving well enough--at least, when the guards were looking. The one thing that mattered most was hiding their true identities. Until then, they would have to rely on each other to keep composed and inconspicuous. So eating dinner was a good idea. Besides, Sanna was hungry anyway.

After taking her seat next to Poy and unwrapping her bland meal, the Rogue pilot humored her prison buddy and let her in on some of her tale. "I always wanted to be a pilot. Dad and I would watch war holos all the time, and it looked like it was pretty spiffy to fly super fast and powerful spacecraft that no one else is allowed to fly. And it was looking like war was on the horizon." She paused to take a bite out of her sandwich. It was not impressive. "I joined the Republic Navy and was hoping to fly, but they said I was too small and didn't have any experience. So I ended up working the hangar.

"Then, when the war started, the Rebel Alliance started recruiting to fight the Sith inside their own territory, and they were desperate enough to take someone like me, I guess. I didn't really care why they needed me. It was just exciting to get the chance at my dream. Now I've been in Rogue Squadron longer than almost anyone, and I've done some really scary stuff, like bomb the Sith Temple and fly through blockades.

"I've been shot down once before, but this is the first time I've been caught."

[member="Poy Luroon"]

 

[Poy Luroon]

[member="Sannika Brynn"]

“And I will be glad to show you,” Poy replied, as she sat down cross-legged on the cold floor of the cell and pulled Sannika down into the same position. Poy held her hands out in front of her in a prayer position and closed her eyes tight and began to chant. “To start a prayer to Great Mother, we silently repeat her name several times before starting our prayer properly,” Poy focused on her prayer and then she spoke slowly, letting every word flow out of her body.

“Great Mother Kikkalekki, please protect two daughters of Ryloth in their time of great need and help us to return home to our loved ones,” Poy opened her eyes and placed her hands back at her sides. “And that is how I pray to Great Mother when I feel the need to let her know how I am feeling at any time,” The Twi’lek smiled and she heard the sound of the Stormtroopers performing their rounds and looked out of the slit in the cell door - they had been forgotten.

“I’ve done several reconnaissance flights over prisons on Coruscant and have had to locate civilian prisons, where the Alliance would perform rescue raids to save the lives of citizens who’d helped them in regards to operations,” Poy wondered what tomorrow would bring and what would also happen to them. It was going to be a sleepless night, as the blue Twi’lek’s mind began to race; at night, she would wonder if their captors had decided where to send them.

 

[Sannika Brynn]

Sannika did as Poy did, crossing her legs and holding her hands out with palms raised, and closed her eyes as the chant began. Quietly, she repeated the words Poy said in prayer. "Great Mother Kikkalekki, protect your daughters." It sounded so silly to her at first, but pilots were used to all sorts of superstitions. The green-toned twi'lek had little trouble adapting to such rituals, and she was eager to discover something of her people's tradition anyway. Tell Dad I am okay.

The day was drawing to an end by now, and the Rogue Squadron flyer could not yet determine if that was for the better or the worse. Sanna had no doubt that it would be a restless night for both of them, on hard cots and worried about what would become of them tomorrow. At any moment, they could be found out and ordered off to the military prison camps, and that was one place she did not want to be. "Coruscant has been under enemy control for years now. It's getting depressing to the Rebels and especially the Republic. I'm grateful that my home has not been taken by the Sith. But it's so sad to think of all the other people who are not as fortunate."

Sannika scrunched up against the cold wall of their cell, resting her chin atop her knees and wrapping her arms around her legs to keep cozy. "I think I may be praying to the Great Mother a lot tonight. I hope she really hears us." If she was real at all.

[member="Poy Luroon"]

 

[Poy Luroon]

[member="Sannika Brynn"]

Poy helped Sannika into her cot, and then she tucked her in. “You need to get some sleep. We will need to have our strength for tomorrow,” she lay down on her cot and looked up at the cell ceiling. By tomorrow, they might be shifted to some horrific military prison after they are found out by the Stormtroopers, but the Rutian Twi’lek had to hope that they would still not be able to see through their disguise and keep them on the pathway for a transfer to a civilian prison.

She clasped her hands together in prayer, and then she said one more for the night. “Dear Great Mother Kikkalekki, please allow your daughters of Ryloth to make it through tomorrow and please help us on our journey in imprisonment and help us in any way you can...” Poy looked at the ceiling with tears welling up in her eyes and she wiped them with her arm. She hoped that Kikkalekki, in her infinite wisdom, would influence all of the coming events in their favour.

Drifting off into a deep slumber, Poy dreamt that she was back home on the planet of Ryloth with Talik and her loving mother and father. The tears fell on her duvet cover and then she finally went to sleep, and then tried to forget the events of today. But, overall, she was glad to not be alone in her ordeal, and would do everything in her power to get the two of them home and also alive - the One Sith and First Order would be sorry that they had messed with them; those factions would, in her grand scheme, be utterly humiliated and shamed.

Mother, father and Talik, I want you to know I am alive and well. Kikkalekki is watching over my companion and myself. She will look out for us, and I know that she’ll protect us and get us home safe and sound. I miss you so much...