Burning Summer

[Adder]

[member="Naomi Carolina"]

Adder was…

...to her shame…

...playing office pong with fellow wingmates.

(And winning.)

They were stuck floating in the black of space, as black ops do, and bored senseless. Unlike the agents of SIS, most of the Wraith pilots weren’t bulked-out killing machines of stealth and efficiency. They didn’t have rigorous training regimens to return to when they left their cockpits, and there were only so many hours you could rack up in the flying simulator before either your mind or your stomach gave out.

Adder had long reached her limit (with the mind, not the gut), and resigned herself to reaffirming her status as binball champion for what felt like the hundredth time.

“Not fair!” Wilson cried out when she hit dead center off two walls, the crappy caf machine, and over Jay’s balding head. Near-on shaved off the last of his hair.

A quip was at the tip of her tongue when her commlink came to life. When she saw unknown contact light up her datalogger, her brow immediately furrowed. Not many people had this number and knew the passphrases to actually make the secure connection. Chewing her lip, Adder accepted the call.

Immediately, color drained from her face.

“Freckles – where are ya?” she stood up and left the mess hall, leaning on the wall as the door hissed close behind her. “I’ve been worried sick since Primeday. What happened?”

 

[Naomi Carolina]

[member="Adder"]

Legs drew up, arm encircled around them. Back jammed against the bed's headboard as her hazels swept between the double-locked hotel door and the blinds drawn down the window. For some reason she felt more comfortable calling on Adder versus Asmus. Adder had been there when they'd gone to Barkesh and seen her home razed. Adder was always around the the young redhead couldn't help but bond with her fellow redhead pilot.

Strong role-model. Well, minus all the partying and drinking. Naomi was pretty sure Adder could guess Naomi was underage too. Like Asmus probably guessed it by now.

"Bastion. I-I was on a mission. Supposed to pick-up a jedi here and be their transport. Jedi never showed. Somehow...I dunno...Inquisitors got me."

Hazels squeezed closed, one hand pressed against her freckled-face.

"I dunno what to do or how to get out."

What was protocol for this?

 

[Adder]

“You wha— fethin’ Akala’s tits, Freckles! What were you— no. No.” Adder cut herself off, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Command’d never approve a retrieval that far. Or that deep. Too many risks, too many Sith, too many everything. Pickup was different. Pickup meant they didn’t know you were coming.

But if Naomi had gotten caught… Oh, hell.

“Okay. Okay. You can do this.” Was she talking to Freckles or herself? Who knew. “Where are you now? Planet, yeah, but tell me your locale too. What’s around you? What resources have you got?”

With deep breaths, Adder shoved away the mounting dread in her gut. Her wingmate needed her, and damned if she wouldn’t help. Cop instincts kicked in, driving over the lingering terror.

The fear could wait.


[member="Naomi Carolina"]

 

[Naomi Carolina]

[SIZE=10pt][member="Adder"][/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Palm pushed into her freckled forehead. Fingers moved down to pinch the bridge of her nose, trying to shake off that drugged feeling. “I don’t know. Some hotel. Wait…I can transmit the coordinates to you. I was assigned this mission by command!”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Lips pulled into a frown.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“Do you….think this was a set-up the entire time?” A mole in the SIS? “And supplies,” head swiveled, looking around the dilapidated room. “I dunno. They took my blaster. But I don’t understand. They injected me with something and they just…let me go. Why would they do that Adder?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Panic and fear edged the teen’s tone.[/SIZE]

 

[Adder]

“Okay, yeah. Do that. Send me the coordinates.” She closed her eyes. “Think of something happy, like…” your family? Kark no, remember Barkesh, stupid! “...like how it feels when ya fly, yeah? Can you do that for me, Naomi? Talk to me, Freckles— describe that feeling, take yer time.”

Adder was already walking – no, running – towards the operations deck. Cryptos, they called them; SIS folks serving directly on the Subversion to assist Wraith in their counter-intelligence ops. Now who could she use...

Wade, last month in the supply clos— “Wade!” she called out the second she got through the sliding door. A couple agents looked up, shrugging. Adder tried again, and this time, a curly brown head poked out of the fresher. “The one and only, babe. What can I do ya for, Red?”

Normal day, she’d give him the stink eye for the name, but there was no time. “Wade, I need you to, ah…”
“Is it illegal?” He sniffled, running a hand through his hair.
“I don’t know, Wade. Is jacking spice into your elbow from a hot spoon illegal?”
The man went from chocolate to milk in a second, jerking forward to clamp a hand over her mouth. “Are you crazy?! People could hear!”
Adder just stared at him, quirking a single brow. Wade glanced over his shoulder, but everyone was too busy listening to logs and monitoring feeds.

“Okay, okay, fine. What is it?”
“Get me a clean copy of Carolina’s file. All her missions, all her orders.”
“Oh, ‘course, piece of cake. Anything else while I’m committin’ treason?”
“Yeah. Don’t get caught, Wade, or we’re both going out the airlock with no suit on.”

The man shook his head, stalking off into his office. Adder retreated back into the corridor, thankful for the lunch hour. Everything was empty.

“Freckles, I need you to follow my instructions very carefully. Can you do that for me?”


[member="Naomi Carolina"]

 

[Naomi Carolina]

[member="Adder"]

The teen felt braver with Adder on the line. Just the sound of her voice. With a creak, she stood from the bed and let herself slide down the wall, hunkering by the window, hazels glued on the double locked motel door. Fingers of her free and flexed then wrapped around the pant leg of her thigh, squeezing slightly.

Had to stay grounded.

Other hand pecked out her coordinates and hit send along an encrypted line. She couldn't help but feel paranoid. Was that Arkaitz jerk tracking her now? Had he let her go only to mess with her and break her will - only for her to realize she'd never been freed? How the feth had he known she'd be on planet in the first place?

Had to be something off. Made her stomach churn to think the SIS might've been compromised. Or maybe one of their informants had set them up so easily.

Adder's voice brought her back. Hadn't realized hazels had been squeezed closed. Eyes cracked open and she took a quick breath. "Describe flying? I mean. It's like nothing else I've ever...wait. Did I just hear someone call you babe?"

Made the young redhead feel a little better.

"Okay, okay. I'm listening."

She could do this. Hopefully. Maybe.

Voice was little as she asked the next question.

"You don't think Asmus will be mad, right?"

Of course nothing had been the young pilot's fault but for some reason she still felt like she'd disappointed everyone. Not somehow seen this coming.

 

[Adder]

[member="Naomi Carolina"]

“Okay. Hotel room. Gotta have a bathroom – check that for anything useful. Razors, medication, anything. The drawers too, and the wardrobes. Go through everything, and you’ll find some stuff for sure.”

Adder breathed out, rubbing her forehead. Could feel a headache coming on already. Kinda wished she were back to being bored in the mess hall with the squadron.

“Asmus?— shet, Freckles, just… don’t worry about that right now, okay? The only thing that matters is getting you out safe and sound.” If they got lucky, Wingcom need never find out about this.

If ‘an unfortunate accident’ was all there was to it, of course. Adder had a crawlin’ feeling in her gut, instinct screaming at her. She had her doubts.

Was just about to close her eyes when someone hissed from the corner. “Adder.”

She snapped up, gaze zoning in on Wade. He was peeking out of his office, looking an unhealthy shade of pale. “Come in,” he near-whispered beckoning with a nervous hand. The redhead slipped inside, and the agent locked the door.

“Okay, so I couldn’t getcha a copy – don’t get mad – best I could do is a clean view. We got maybe five minutes before someone figures it out, so…”
“That’s enough.” Adder sat down in the chair, poring over the dossier with wide eyes.

“Uh, so… we’re good, right? The supply closet and all that…?”
“Never saw you.”

He let out a nervous chuckle. “Yeah. Uh… thanks. I guess.”

 

[Naomi Carolina]

[member="Adder"]

It had been easy to put on a false face of bravado during her interrogation. Even with that probe droid and that sharp needle. But now that it was over. Or, well, now that she wasn't so sure if it was over, she felt very real emotions threatening to take over. Teeth gnawed down lightly on her tongue, using the pain to ground herself a bit.

"Well I am worried and you still didn't answer my question about the whole babe thing," she grumbled even though there was a nervous tremor in her voice. Naomi was trying to be brave. Being smart-arsed was better than being scared. Wasn't it?

Okay, okay. I can get up. I have to get up.

Take a deep breath, she pushed to her feet and wobbled slightly. Catching herself on the bed,she pushed off and stumbled to the bathroom, looking through the drawers. "Found a razor. And...um...lots of toilet paper and soap bars. One dirty towel. Ew."

 

[Adder]

[member="Naomi Carolina"]

“Awesome. Cheap hotels use cheap razors. You oughta be able to break the…” Adder’s eyes widened as she opened the dossier, “... the… uh… top. Off.”

She blinked. Went to rub her eyes – dropped her hand back on the desk. Cybernetics didn’t get cloudy. What the kark.

The birth date screamed at her from the screen. Adder just stared. Wade leaned in, frown in his brow. “Hey, you ok? You look a bit—”

“Yes! I’m… I’m fine, Wade. Thanks”.

She shook it off, waving the man away as she moved down to the mission section. If – when – Naomi got home, they’d deal with that. Didn’t matter now. Of course it DOES, you shet! She’s a child! Adder rubbed her forehead, drawing her features in a grimace. Thankful for her fake eyes for once – made it real hard to cry.

Last karking she needed right now.

“Okay, Freckles. Fix that razor up, and go through the rest of the room.” A pause as she accessed the last mission report. “And, uh, forget the babe thing,” she side-eyed Wade, who shot her a weak smile, “just some crypto ass. Jay’s a better choice if you gotta pick between shades of bad.”

“Hey!”

“Now let’s see…”

 

[Naomi Carolina]

[member="Adder"]

Wobbly lips formed into a smirk despite how she felt. Adder was lying out her arse. Heat went to her face soon after. "HEY. Jay doesn't like me like that and I'm not into him. OKAY?"

The teen was getting flustered.

Voice lowered as she heard footsteps pass by her door. Hands pocketed the razor. Some floss too. Couldn't help the small shiver run down her spine, though. Killing someone in a starfighter seemed different than by hand. Something more detached about flying. The Barkesh teen had never killed anyone with her own hands before.

She gulped.

"Got everything I could find. Um...I think I should check the starport. Right?" Crawling to the front door, hazels squinted out the gap between the bottom of the door and the floor.

 

[Adder]

“Oh yeah, smartass?” Adder felt the desperation lift for a moment as a chuckle escaped her. “He’s got a bunch of flowers with your name waitin’ on them for when you get back. I’m sure Jay’d be— ...Jay’d—”

Whatever she was going to say next got stuck in her throat. “Freckles.” She swallowed. “Shet. Shet shet shet shet shet shet!”

Wade glanced from the door he was nervously staring at, eyes wide. “...Adder?”

The pilot just shook her head, lips drawn into a thin, mute line. She closed down the dossier and logged off, then simply sat there, frozen. Talk about a thousand yard stare.

A hand on her shoulder snapped her from it, and Adder shot up from the seat. Wade let out a little yelp of surprise – office operatives. “What the hell?!”

“Wade— shut up. Seriously. Sit your ass down, do your job, and don’t say a single karking thing about this. To anyone.”
“What the hell’s going on, Red?” he stared at her with angry black eyes. Adder shoved him down into his chair. “Sit. Work. You never saw me today.”

Before he could get another word in edgewise, the redhead was out the door and sprinting for the nearest turbolift. Good karkin’ thing they were black ops already.

Because what she was about to do was so illegal that she could practically feel the heat of the magma cell under her ass.

“Starport, Naomi. Now.” Heart-in-gut, Adder punched in the code for the hangar, praying it was still empty. The numbers flew past the display, and the woman chewed her lip raw. Ding.

Too fast, too slow – she crept across the mess of wires and past a technician with his head in the engine. She tip-toed around a pair of engineers chatting over a disassembled inertial damper. She ducked and weaved through the hangar, all the way to the back where her bird sat.

Green eyes flicked left, right, above – empty. A shaky breath snuck out of her lungs as she pried her locker open, dragging the flight suit over her limbs like it weighed a thousand pounds.

By the time someone heard the hum of thrusters kicking in, it was too late. Adder barely afforded the shouting dockers a glance as she rose from the deck, nose tipping the slightest degree forward.

“I’m comin’, Freckles. Hold on.”

And then the vessel and the pilot were gone, a phantom in the void of space.

[member="Naomi Carolina"]

 

[Naomi Carolina]

[member="Adder"]

The small smile on her freckled face disappeared as Adder let out a string of curses on the other end. Sure Adder swore all the time. But her tone seemed different now and that's what scared Naomi.

"Okay. I'm gonna go fer it."

Seemed like her turn to be brave even though she felt the farthest from it. Barkesh accent came on a bit stronger.

"I'll see you soon," the teen managed, digging deep for resolve. She pocketed the comm. Lying on the floor, took her a few more seconds.

I can do this.

She breathed.

I have to do this.

Get off this forsaken planet.

Palms pushed against the stain spotted and grungy carpet. She bounded to her feet, clutching the razor in her pocket. Hand pushed open the door and she was off. Not running but walking quickly with head ducked low. Flaming coppery hair hidden beneath a stolen cap.

 

[Adder]

[member="Naomi Carolina"]


Phantom Limb was something of a fierce and rowdy ride, even if you knew how to tame her. Adder could – hell, she’d built the damn thing – but it was a fighter. End of the day, it was meant for speed and agility and vanquishing the enemy.

It wasn’t made for comfort.

Her pants were somewhere up ass creek, her skin was all sweaty, and the pilot didn’t give a flying kark.

Or, well, a kark, anyway. She was flying whether she wanted to or not.

Bastion merged into view from the blue streaks of stars – an ominous orb of grey and green, orbited by stations and ships and so many Sith.

She flashed herself a nervous grin. Yeah. This was a brilliant plan.

“Aight Freckles. Where are ya at?”

 

[Naomi Carolina]

[member="Adder"]

Head ducked behind a shipment of low-grade blasters. Sith troopers patrolled the areas in small squads. None of them really seemed to be looking for her. So, that was good.

Then again, they'd let her go.

Even more disturbing.

Tight-gripped fingers brought the comm up to her lips. "I-uh, I'm at Spaceport Two A. Coordinates transmitting now. E.T.A? Should I go somewhere else?" Mind was a bit fuzzy at the SIS training for recovered agents. She was pretty sure it was, take the cyanide pill. Standing, she tugged the smashball cap further over her coppery-hair and hands went in her pocket as she moved to a foodcart. Maybe she'd look less suspicious there.

 

[Adder]

[member="Naomi Carolina"]

“No— no. You move around too much, someone’s bound to notice.” No credentials, no identity, and in the middle of karkin’ enemy territory? Yeah, brilliant. The vein in her temple throbbed hard as Adder guided her craft into the port.

“Hold out, Freckles. I’m almost here.”

Like any Wraith worth her salt, the redhead had a computer chock-full of enemy IFF codes. As the spaceport below pinged her vessel, Adder simply chose the right response. And if her palms were sweating – well, that was just from the crazy flight over.

Her ass was so karking sore.

A tinny voice flooded her ears with confirmation, and the pilot exhaled her bated breath. “Alright, Naomi. I’m in. Gonna be landing in…” she paused, waiting for instructions from flight control, “Hangar F-3, seems like. Can ya get there?”

 

[Naomi Carolina]

[member="Adder"]

Lifting her head, hazels searched the terminal map. A squad of troopers walked by and she had to keep herself from visibly cringing. They didn't give her a second glance. Somehow that seemed worse. Things felt more...off.

Comm came up to her lips.

"Yeah I can get there." Head ducked and she fell in line with a group of rodian tourists. Really? Seemed like the sith empire still needed alternative sources of funding for their conquests. Or maybe they were all being enslaved at the end. Comm was buried back in her pocket. Wasn't long before she entered the hangar. Hazels swept the area anxiously for a friendly redhead.

The group of tourists meandered on ahead of her.

 

[Adder]

[member="Naomi Carolina"]

The less suspicion they attracted, the better. Adder casually perused her datalogger even a few moments after she noticed Naomi in the crowd of rodians. Quietly, she began the countdown in her head.

The group chattered away, glossy black eyes gleaming in the reflectors of the hangar. Freckles appeared every now and then between their shifting bodies, looking just as nervous as Adder felt.

Finally— she lifted her gaze from the screen, letting a slow smile spread across her face. Even if she felt anything but.

A sense of deep relief flooded her veins, but she stamped it down. They weren’t out of the woods yet. “Giiiirl!” she called out with the typical high-pitched voice, hastening towards Naomi.

Everything would go according to plan. They’d embrace, blabber about inconsequential shet, get into the ship, and kark off to the stars.

Yes.

Everything would be fine.

 

[Naomi Carolina]

[member="Adder"]

Heart nearly leaped in her throat at the familiar voice and then the familiar face. Hazels stung. She gulped and tried to keep her lips from trembling. Small shoulders squared and she managed a wobbly smile. They were just two girl friends meeting up. Right?

"Hi!" She tried to beam but faltered. A haunted look she couldn't quite shake off her freckled-face and that nagging sense to look over her shoulder.

"Glad you could make it," she tried to steady her voice as a squad of troopers walked by.

She drew closer and whispered.

"Stars can we leave now? I just want to go. I just want...," there was a gruff voice at their side. A patrol agent stopped, eyeing the pair up and down.

"Papers please."

Standard check but made her stomach drop.

The Inquisitor took everything she had.

 

[Adder]

[member="Naomi Carolina"]

Without a moment’s hesitation, Adder drew Freckles into a fierce hug. “Thank kark you’re alive,” she whispered, giving the girl’s shoulders a firm squeeze as they pulled apart.

Green eyes flickered up to meet the flat face of the patrolman a beat before—

“Papers, please.”

The pilot froze, fingers digging into Naomi’s skin. Shet. Shet. Adder had an alias on her, ‘course, every Wraith carried at least two anywhere they went, but Freckles… kark. Didn’t have to meet her blue gaze to know she didn’t have two credit chits to rub together.

Sithspit.

“Certainly,” she breathed out, offering the soldier a shaky smile. A brief glance to the left as she rummaged around her bag – her ship was close enough. They’d just have to make a run for it.

“Here,” was what Adder said; but instead of ID, the redhead clasped a stun spike into his open palm. The man seized up, and she was sprinting, one hand clutching Freckles’ wrist as she tugged her along.

“Get in the back and start the turret!” she hissed out, releasing the younger girl to leap into her chair.

 

[Naomi Carolina]

[member="Adder"]

"Gah," she gasped as the man went down like a crashed starship. Feet stumbled and whiplash threatened to travel through her spine, red-hair went flying as her hat flew off in the mad-sprint. The ship. Just had to make it. A part of her wanted to collapse in relief as the ship's doors sealed behind them.

Was she that wobbly from the interrogation?

Adder's sharp voice broke through the teen's daze. Training kicked in. She was a soldier. She had to focus. Or, that's what she told herself. "I'm on it," feet scrambled beneath her and she clambered into the turret chair. Power-revved up. Hazels searched the area as the controls powered up.

There were a few troops scrambling to the one knocked-down guard. Headset was was pinching against her ear. "Where are all the guards? There's barely anyone around."