Firecracker

[Vexen]

Vexen picked herself up off the floor. She was surrounded by fragments of glass and debris. She was exceptionally careful in placing her paws and pushing herself back to sitting. Turning her focus inwards, she used the Force to check herself for any serious injuries. There were just a few grazes and bumps.

A beam of light cut through the cloud of dust. The gunship above had descended and was lighting up the hole the deathtroopers had blown in the road. Vexen returned to the shattered window and watched as several slowly started to go down into the tunnels.

As she tried to make a plan she hears a distant roar, then another. Looked for the sound she saw two pillars of fire rising up from other districts. She ran for cover. It seemed the imperials had underestimated the rebels in bringing the gunship down. Two surface to air missiles struck it simultaneously. The light beam shook and vanished and Vexen could only listen to the whine of it going down and hope it wasn't about to land on her.

It didn't. It crashed several blocks away. But that light going away galvanised her thoughts. As the last of the black troopers dropped into the tunnel Vexen skittered down the stairs to street level to follow them.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

The others ran ahead while Jamie lingered behind in the tunnel to await the incoming troopers. The ground shook violently above, as if an earthquake had just rippled through the city followed by a thunderous rumble, likely the result of the airship crashing and exploding into a violent storm of fire. It was no more than thirty seconds before the footsteps of soldiers rushing through the passageway could be heard.

Minimal light in the tunnel made actually seeing the incoming assailants difficult, however as they rounded the corner with their flashlights illuminated atop their blasters they would see a bright flash of sun soaked yellow plasma erupt from the emitter of Jamie's lightsaber.

"Vex. Found them. The others should be on the surface shortly. Find them, get them out."

The death troopers raised their blasters as Jamie rushed forward towards the hail of fire.

[member="Vexen"]

 

[Vexen]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Vexen was already bemoaning the dust working its way into her fur as Jamie's message came through. She had just clambered down through the hole in the streets after the deathtroopers heading after the rebels.

Two of the troopers took up positions at the read of the group. They didn't fire as the Jedi came at them, but bided their time to look for an opening. They wouldn't get one.

Vexen dashed forwards. The crack from the tip of the stun baton slamming into the helmet of the first was as loud as the spark from the stun pads. She knew she probably should have climbed back out the hole, but that would have left her exposed in the street and Jamie alone and in danger. Besides, this was the direct route.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

A loud snap rang out as it crept along the inner walls of the tunnel. A quick flash of light, a few screams.

Huh? For a moment Jamie wasn't sure what was happening. Something unexpected. The Jedi hadn't anticipated the Defel leaping into the tunnel and engaging them as well.

Hesitation ended when the blaster bolts didn't come, instead she rushed forward full tilt, crashing her lightsaber against the two other aggressors that Vex hadn't yet incapacitated. "Vexen?" She called out through the dull illumination and fog created by the scuffle and shuffle of dirt as the final man fell with a paralyzed groan. "You alright?" It was hard to see, but she could make out the faint silhouette of the girl as she knelt down and brushed a hand over some matted fur.

"Chetro and his men ran up ahead. We should go."

After all, they weren't dead, and wouldn't stay down for too long.

[member="Vexen"]

 

[Vexen]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

"Yeah, yeah I'm good," she replied. Back above she could here the scrambled voices of more deathtroopers. It seemed they were determined to capture or kill the rebel cell's leader. They'd devoted several squads and a gunship already.

It brought Vexen a great deal of satisfaction to know that the imperials would be leaving empty handed. If they got a chance to leave at all. Vexen raised one paw and launched two chunks of duracrete back up out of the tunnel. It wasn't intended to hit anyone, just delay pursuit.

"How far did you get with dealing?" She asked as she broke into a run after the rebel leaders.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie beckoned Vexen to follow further down towards where Chetro and the others had begun their retreat. Just ahead would be several winding turns, some lingering debris from the vibration of the explosions that knocked free some rock and duracrete, but otherwise by and large the path was clear. Unless their pursuers had some means of heat signature tracking, it would be hard to follow or predict where else the two, as well as Chetro and his men, would wind up.

"We need to get them some weapons, explosives, access to walkers or ways to infiltrate, hack, and operate the imperials' walkers."

That would turn the tides.

"Other than that, though, we didn't have much time to chit chat."

[member="Vexen"]

 

[Vexen]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

Vexen followed along in her wake. The dust now thoroughly saturated her fur. The fine stuff wasn't actually that unpleasant. She didn't know that defels were partial to a good dust bath back on their homeworld.

They reached a set of stairs that wound back up, Vexen could sense the rebels ahead. She started up them just behind Jamie.

"Good, we can manage that. Should we wait until tomorrow to..."

She walked out into the open to find nearly twenty blasters trained on them. Mostly on her. Dusted down she was at least fairly visible as a grey shadow, though there was still an unnatural quality to her fur. She noticed that most of the weapons were trained on her.

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie froze in place as the two ascended the stairway towards where Chetro and his men would be waiting for them.

Hopefully then they could get their message off to the alliance, figure out a drop zone for the rebels, secure it for them if need be, and then get the kark off this imperial wasteland.

The young Jedi was hardly enthused about being blown up by mortars, or chased down by any more assassins.

Though as the two reached where they were headed Jamie's eyes widened in shock as dozens of blasters were trained on both she and Vexen. The girl threw her hands up and outwards, frantically shouting at then not to fire. Dying now wasn't really part of the plan.

"Woah! Hey! Hey! What are you doing!?"

[member="Vexen"]

 

[Vexen]

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

The one who had bound Jamie's hands roughly turned his had towards the Jedi whilst the muzzle of his rifle never deviated from Vexen. He tilted his head towards the Defel.

"What's that ?" He growled.

Chetro carefully appraised the situation. His men were what they needed to be. Hard, suspicious characters who could survive in this message of a city. Stopping to think wasn't for them. The Jedi seemed to be content with the canine shadow and she was in his good books right now. In fact she was his lifeline.

He placed his fingers on the top of his soldier's rifle and gently pushed it down.

"I think it's time we all left."