Devil's Backbone

[Tanaski Yumi]

"Whooa that was close", pulling on the control stick the speeder just managed to doge another obstacle as Tanaski speed through the tunnels, 'note to self practice swoop racing in spare time, can't afford to get myself splatted against the walls on this trip'. The path through the tunnels was tight with a lot of twist and turns, forcing the youngster to take said turns and other maneuvers slowly, despite being a reckless person he was not dumb and staying alive was number one priority over getting to the bottom of what ever he had come across.

'how long does this tunnel go for? the other side of the planet', the trip seemed to be taking forever, and having no prior knowledge of the tunnels system meant he didn't really have an idea of its length or were it lend. The only destination that made sense would probably be an underground settlement to stay away from the FO, or some sort of smuggling hide out. 'this better not be a wild goose chase'.

Moving the controls again the speeder moved to the side again avoiding another obstacle in the way, slowly but surely the young assassin made his way towards the underground settlement, and subsequently copper ridge, unaware of the new threat posed by the FO.

[member="Chubs"] / [member="Naomi Carolina"] / [member="Adder"]

 

[Kyrel Ren]

Kyrel was on the hunt for Jedi on the world of Barkhesh. He had heard rumors of Jedi that were hiding out within the system following the Ceasefire. Much had changed following the Battle of Hoth, he was now a Master of Ren and since the Ceasefire, he had spent most of his time hunting down Jedi in Hiding, or dealing with Rebel Incursions such as the one that was encountered on Thakwaa.

He had found such things a waste of his talents, and even though at times he found the tasks undeserving of what he had felt was unworthy, he felt that if such tasks would promote the stability of the systems in the Outer Rim that were now First Order territory then so be it.

He was in the middle of his hunt on the other side of the planet, far from the monotonous dealings of Rebel Cells, or unhappy poor folk that chose not to embrace a better life, It was during this hunt was then he had received the transmission from Central Command requesting his assistance. He knew from he had read of the planet through several reports of hearing of the Rebel Cell known as the Righteous Legion. A cell that had cropped up in response to the new place had Barkhesh in the First Order. He had stopped his hunt and requested a shuttle to him, and within moments one came to him. He was then was off to Copper Ridge. The Site of where the latest attack was coming from, throughout the entire trip his anger boiled as he looked forward to crushing these traitors.

The shuttle touched down, and the landing ramp extended, the sound of Breathing and heavy boots clapped against the durasteel as he walked down. Anger slowly boiling within him he walked towards the Commander, his figure intimidating to most. He said coldly as he looked around the surrounding area, filled with flames, smoke, and stormtroopers. "I am Kyrel Ren emissary of the Supreme Leader. I have heard you have a most troubling situation with the Rebel Cell here."

[member="Tanaski Yumi"] [member="Naomi Carolina"] [member="Adder"] @Chubs

 

[Chubs]

Kurtz waited in the town square, and watched as the shuttle arrived. He could feel his spine running cold. The stormtroopers who'd been formed into a phalanx, stood tall, as if their lives depended on it. The colonel saluted as the black clad figure marched down the docking ramp. "Uh, mister, uh, Ren?" The officer began, privately wondering if he was some relative of the illustrious Supreme Leader. "I'm Colonel Kurtz, as you uh, may be able to tell, we have had an issue." He paused, "Any rebel members here have fled long ago, what we need is, well, someone with your talents."

"Our usual methods for search and rescue have been limited." He informed him, "Our infa-red equipment is practically useless with all the fires blazing. We're not able to distinguish between residiual heat and life readings." He paused, "From the Central Command briefing, you're someone who can detect lifeforms. Every second counts, I'll give you every resource available, just try to save as many people here as possible. A large portion of the town is still missing here, and we want to get those numbers down."

[member="Kyrel Ren"]

 

[Adder]

“Well—” he didn’t get far.

“Greg! We gotta leg it, Jimmy just spotted a Ren landing topside. Some bigshot, got a personal shuttle an’ all.”

“Shet, squirt. We gatta get you two outta here. I’ll—” he ran a hand through his beard again, worried eyes flickering to his companions. “I’ll find out about yer Ma, okay? Figure something out.” His smile was wane, barely wrinkling his cheeks.

Adder shared that sentiment, as was evident by the lock of her hand around Naomi’s wrist. “Come on, Freckles. Greg and his folks can handle this. We stay, we’ll just get them all killed.”

This was an off-the-books mission of two clandestine operatives who flew in a squadron comprised of dead people, for a section of the military that didn’t exist.

If they got caught, they were done for.

Greg nodded as his people cleaned out the tunnel, clearly used to this kind of operation. “There’s an emergency side-tunnel to the northeast. You girls can get outside that way. We’ll close off this section, there’s a latch from the old sewer system that still works. Should buy us all some time.”

“Thanks,” Adder spoke, shaking his hand before she dragged the stubborn redhead back to the speeder. This time it started without a single complaint, and before Carolina could utter another word of protest, they were off.

The refugees indeed closed the hatch, preventing anyone from getting in from the south entrance. The only way coming out the city would be to head west, where another entrance opened up directly in the main square of Copper ridge.

[member="Naomi Carolina"] | [member="Tanaski Yumi"] | [member="Chubs"] | [member="Kyrel Ren"]

 

[Tanaski Yumi]

The tunnel was coming close to an end, the way being more smooth wide giving a rather good hit towards that hypothesis, the only problem was the new dark signature that engulfed the area, hate an annoyance, who ever they were was not very glad to be here, or saw it as just a little side mission from what they were usually doing.

"That must be a Ren, Sith don't usually run around First Order spare, but if their here, that means this tunnel was more important than I though, I wonder wer..". Before he could finish the train of though the way up ahead seemed to close all of a sudden, blocking the path he was currently speeding down, Tanaski slammed on the breaks turning the direction of the bike in hopes to slow down, but such action was not going to work in time.

He braced for an impact and subsequently being thrown off the bike, only to be heading up a path towards the surface, the bike came to a stop, in the middle of a town, smoke still billowing from the ruins, bodies and most certainly the Ren he could feel in the distance. It didn't take a genius to know that who ever locked the door to the tunnel did so to keep him and this Ren away, could it have been those girls he tracked doings, such events seemed to coincidental to say otherwise.

They must have know he was following them, remembering the knocking on the door back at the shop confirmed that fact in his mind, had they use him as a sacrificial lamb to keep the Ren busy while they escaped?

/ [member="Adder"] / [member="Chubs"] / [member="Kyrel Ren"] /

 

[Naomi Carolina]

[member="Tanaski Yumi"]
[member="Adder"]
[member="Kyrel Ren"]
[member="Chubs"]

The short stack redhead was in shock more than anything. This sudden change of events and finding her people only to lose them again. And her Ma....the whole reason she'd come back home in the first place was still an open-ended question. "But what if I just stay here. YOU can go." Wrist struggled in Adder's iron-like grasp as she found her boots being dragged along the tunnel floors.

In the back of her mind, the teen knew Adder wouldn't take leaving her wingmate behind as an answer.

Naomi felt numb all over again. Caught between duty and trying to keep back a tidal wave of emotion with a rice-paper thin wall of reserve. With Adder half directing her and the folks of Copper Ridge getting ready to hide more from the oppressive reach of the First Order and their phony terrorist groups, she somehow managed to mount the speeder. Freckled-face whipped back to Greg before he disappeared and her voice rang out, raw, pesky moisture curving its way down the contours of her cheeks.

"Greg. Remember your promise. Let me know about Ma. No matter what."

Hard to tell if his head nodded before they were closed off. Naomi gulped and gripped the speeder support behind her back as Adder took off. The back of her hand pushed at her cheeks but there was no need as their speeder pushed air to dry any evidence left there. Silently, she managed to do something Korr had taught her, to mask her presence in the force.

 

[Asharad Graush]

Over the last several weeks the Supreme Commander had practically lived on Barkhesh. The planet was a border world, one that was seemingly the victim of multiple issues. The most dominant issue being terrorist cells. The Sith Lord glanced over the reports of what had occurred since he had arrived. The reports varied, and it didn't help that they were mixed in wit hthe status reports on the Citadel that was being constructed in the Valley of Temples, after clearing the land of some of the surrounding temples, the others being transformed into outposts, but... That wasn't entirely important.

"Uh, Supreme Commander, Sir..." Someone marched into the young Graush's command tent, reserved for him and a handful of others whose loyalty were sworn directly to him. Bissell, Mixius, Atrisha, and others who had yet to truly prove themselves to the Sith Lord and his House.

"What is it?"

The metal mask rotating around as the Sith Lord's sulfur orbs glowed through the mask of the Sith beast.

"There... Uh, was an attack, on Copper Ridge... The planetary defense force stationed in the town were, uh, massacred." The private was clearly horrified of the Supreme Commander. Even as a Colonel the Sith's command was ruthless, men 'disappearing' for merely back talking in a public theatre.

"I see." Graush said, his movements suddenly frozen as his inner circle appeared to look amongst each other. Atrisha had red skin, she was a Pureblood, but was a hybrid - like A'sharad, but instead of Epicanthix, she was human, despite the policies of the First Order, she tended to captain the Supreme Commander's flagship. A flagship that had yet to even make an appearance in the First Order- Galactic Alliance War, and with it coming to an end, it was even less likely to appear. In the back of A'sharad's mind, he had promised to give her a taskforce to wreak havoc with, probably against the Ssi-Ruuvi Imperium. It was likely there wouldn't be many survivors. "Arouse the Sixth Legion," Graush said. Of course, an entire legion wasn't going to be woken up to deploy, solely multiple platoons. A company or two.

"Who is in command at Copper Ridge?" Inquired Bissell.

"Colonel Kurtz," came the reply from the private.

"Notify him... The Supreme Commander is on the way."

[member="Naomi Carolina"], [member="Tanaski Yumi"], [member="Adder"], [member="Chubs"], [member="Kyrel Ren"]

 

[Adder]

The sewer spat them out into the night several klicks out from Copper ridge. A quick glance over her shoulder – Adder’s heart clenched. The whole town was on fire, flames licking towards the starless sky. Dark figures, ant-sized, milled about, overturning ruins and parading with guns.

Fethers.

Didn’t say anything, though. Too busy driving through the dark, too busy holding the budding weight of guilt at bay. Couldn’t even imagine how her friend felt. Not sure if she wanted to.

It was only thanks to her enhanced vision that they didn’t end up plastered around some tree. Rocky ride for sure, a couple of near-misses too, but Adder was Wraith squadron for a reason. Even under pressure, with hell going on behind her eyes and cold fear in her gut, the redhead could beat the Coruscant Lowracer record. On the night track.

They drove on in silence, each lost in their own memories. Adder finally pulled over at the mouth of a small canyon, well west of the capital.

“Come on, Freckles,” she said, softer than usual. She slid off the bike first, offering a shoulder for the smaller girl to lean on. After what they’d seen, her squadmate would definitely need it.


[member="Naomi Carolina"] | [member="Tanaski Yumi"] | [member="Chubs"] | [member="Asharad Graush"] | [member="Kyrel Ren"]

 

[Naomi Carolina]

[member="Adder"] [member="Vicard Heyn"] [member="Chubs"] [member="Tanaski Yumi"] [member="Asharad Graush"]

Hazels widened and jaw dropped. Coppery hair whipped around her freckled-face in the wind. Bone-white knuckles grip remained on the speeder rail. The night air smelled like home...and ash.

Death.

The speeder jerked and she felt like she wouldn't care if she fell off. Adder said something. But the teen sat numb and unmoving as she looked out over yonder, her home in smoke and flames. Anger sparked in her belly and traveled up to the depths of her swirling blue and green hazels.

The First Order did this.

Gaze remained focused on the burning horizon. Something inside her snapped and she stumbled from the speeder. Logic flew from her mind and she went to run toward her home.

"NO!" Strangled cry yelled into the night air where only canyon lizards heard her. Adder must've anticipated this wild move because before she could get two steps there was a sudden sharp tug on her upper arm. The teen flew from her feet and found herself being dragged toward the ship.

"No, no, no," desperation clung to her voice as all other concentration failed her. Each step she was dragged closer to the ship, the fight in her began to fade into something much more muted and numb. "No," she whispered one more time as her boots transitioned from canyon dirt to the cold metal of the ship's ramp.

 

[Adder]

[member="Naomi Carolina"]

Tears blurred the edges of her vision as she dragged the teen to the ship. Her heart squeezed when shrieks faded to mumbling – Adder would rather wrangle ten stubborn Naomis than deal with this.

Numb.

Fethin’ hell if she didn’t know that all too well. Still, they had a shetshow to exit, stage left. The redhead clipped her friend in, sealed the cockpit, and snapped on the Nerve helm. The ship blinked out into the sky, a silver-blue star streaking the wrong way across the firmament.

Didn’t matter if the imperials groundside saw or not – no vessel this side of Alliance space could so much as sniff the Phantom Limb’s contrails.

“Freckles,” she breathed out, voice tight with worry. “Freckles, talk to me.”

 

[Naomi Carolina]

[member="Adder"]

Silent tears streamed down her freckled, dirt-smudged face. Head rolled to the side, catching one last glimpse of the fiery glow on the horizon before they blasted into the pitch-blackness of space above. Red-hair stuck against her cheeks and fell across her hazel pools. The teen made no move to move anything. Her body felt weighted to the chair. Shoulders slumped.

Eyes squeezed closed for a moment, a raw swallow sliding down her throat.

"I'm not going to let them get away with this Adder," she finally croaked out. "I'll come back. Alone if I have to."

Defiant, youthful face finally looked toward her friend and squadmate.

 

[Adder]

[member="Naomi Carolina"]

“I know, okay? And we’re not, Freckles—” Adder grunted, cutting a wide left to avoid a half-assed shot at her tail. The turbolaser bolt pierced the pitch black on their right, breezing up into the sky.

“You ain’t comin’ alone, kiddo. Get that outta yer head. Don’t make me knock it out, ‘cause dammit – I will if I hafta, Naomi.”

White heat licked across the hull as they pierced atmo, and then all noise was gone. Just like’d you flicked a switch. Adder liked the quiet on any other day – now it just felt oppressive, when the only other noise was Naomi’s sniffling in the back seat.

Fethers.

“We’re gettin’ ya back to Subersion and to bed. An’ then tomorrow, we’ll see where we are, ‘kay? Just focus on somethin’ good for now, kiddo. Ah know it’s hard but yah can do it.”