Private Operation Myomar

[Maeve Linahan]

By traditional military standards, the battle was already won.

Last night, Jedi and Alliance peacekeeping forces had landed outside the capital of Myomar, where a military junta had seized control of the city and taken the planet's ruling council hostage. It had been less than twenty-four hours since the coup. Twenty-four hours, and Maeve had traveled from Coruscant without food or rest, seeking to contain the situation before it spiraled out of control.

Before this siege turned into a bloodbath.

Conventional wisdom said the insurgents and their general would now surrender, perhaps begin using their hostages as bargaining chips, but so far, those hopes had not materialized. Despite being trapped inside the capital walls, the junta had refused to give up the city and council, and Maeve already felt her patience trickling away as minutes became hours without an improved situation. She had hoped calmer heads would prevail. She'd hoped diplomacy would be the solution, but she should've known better. Sometimes, to get results, action was required.

Maeve stood outside her personal tent, dressed in armor that gleamed like silver in the light. It was rare she put aside the comfort of her Jedi robes in favor of extra protection, but the operation she was about to embark upon came with tremendous risk. She was going to need it.

With the Council's approval, Maeve had organized a squad that would infiltrate the city, capture the insurgent general, and recover the hostage government officials.

Although she would have preferred to wait for additional Jedi support, they didn't have time to waste. She would have Alliance soldiers instead, commandos, the very best of the best, to assist. But that didn't mean she doubted their qualifications. Many were up for the task. Some, even, seemed overqualified for the job.

Maeve eyed the line of soldiers standing before her. The tallest one, well built and with a jaw that could cut glass, caught her attention first. She had read his file. According to his last mission report, he'd fought side by side with the Sword of the Jedi herself, and earned her compliments as a result. She had to wonder just what it was he did to impress the Battlemaster, but she suspected she'd find out soon enough.

"You must be Alexander Hayes," she said. "I've heard a lot about you."

Alexander Hayes​

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[Alexander Hayes]

Before...​

The return from the colony mission had been a relatively peaceful one, especially compared to the craziness of the mission. Colonists were seen to safety, and Alex reported to his superior officer. He had left the meeting with a warning that he’d likely be out for the next couple days, and that hadn’t been an understatement.

He slept for two whole days.

Alex chalked it up to being out of action for so long, cooped up in a medical facility then thrown into an intense and adrenaline-filled mission. It had taken a lot out of the K’paur, who would usually only need a few hours of sleep to remain awake for days.

But after that rest, Alex was back on his feet and lively as ever. Just in time too, as he got a call on his comm a few days later. Having got dressed and ready for the day, Alex stood before the projector as the familiar face of his superior officer appeared.

“Hope you’re rested up enough Hayes, ‘cause I’ve got a mission for you. You’ve been requested.”

Alex blinked, he had been specifically requested? He couldn’t think who’d possibly even know of him other than Valery. The officer seemed to notice the confusion so he continued.

“Master Noble had nothing but praise in her report on your evaluation. Said report has gotten the notice of another, one Knight Linahan.”

Not a name Alex was familiar with, but then he had only just gotten back into Alliance space.

“What’s the mission?”

“Capture & Rescue. There’s been a coup in Myomar’s capital, their city council has been taken captive. Apparently it’s reached a point where she’s deemed it necessary for direct action. Put in a request with the Jedi Council, and requested files on suitable soldiers for a squad.”

“And mine just so happened to be in that pile?” Alex asked, catching the knowing glint in the officer’s gaze. “When do I leave?”

“In two hours. So get your arse to the barracks and gear up. A transport will be waiting for you.”

Now...​

The trip to Myomar was uneventful. A majority of the other soldiers had been on Coruscant at the time, only stopping once to pick up the remaining picks. The group talked amongst themselves, about the upcoming mission and the Jedi that would be leading them.

Alex had done his own little bit of research, learning in the process that Maeve Linahan was in fact a Shadow. The irony was not missed by the K’paur, from working with a former Shadow to an active one.

Upon landing at the assembled camp, Alex walked out with the other soldiers, directed to wait outside Maeve’s tent. The woman in question soon stepped out, and his eyes immediately fell upon her. Her armour was the first thing he noted, oddly traditional even for a Jedi. But it was a smart choice for someone who was going to be fighting up close, and likely in an enclosed environment.

She walked up to them, then in front of them. Long blonde hair flowing, piercing blue eyes looking at every soldier she passed. And then her gaze fell on him, and Alex postured straightened ever slightly.

“Hopefully all good things,” he replied with a small smile. Alex stood with his hands resting against the stock of his rifle, which was currently holstered against his chest. “What’s the current situation in the city?” His eyes shifted away from Maeve, lingering towards the capital instead.

Maeve Linahan​

 

[Maeve Linahan]

"Mostly good things," she repeated back to him, if only to keep him questioning. Truth was, Master Noble had offered nothing but high praise for the soldier. Although the colony had been lost, together they'd saved a wealth of survivors, with Private Hayes even going so far as to stay behind in order to ensure they boarded the escape shuttle. He had displayed incredible valor that day.

Now, Maeve was hoping for more of the same.

At his question, she followed his gaze to the capital, smoke billowing from behind its walls. "All of you received your briefings," she stated plainly. "But for those of you who may have slept through them, a junta led by former military general Tyre Cosanta has taken the city and its local administration hostage. His demands are simple: he wants the planet. We are to make sure that doesn't happen."

Maeve extended her hand to reveal a small, holographic device. With a switch, a static image of the city came up, offering a glimpse of what they were to expect. "Not everyone in the capital is happy about the change in government. Cosanta is seeing his own share of civil unrest and as a result, he's scattered his forces across the city to maintain order. Except for here." She zoomed in on a glass tower in the city center. "The Scythe Hotel."

"His forces are most concentrated around this zone, and likely for good reason. I'm confident this is where we will find Tyre and the city council, which is why we will be making it our drop point."

She closed the hologram, showcasing her smile in full before each man. "So, I hope no one here is afraid of heights, because the only way into the capital is above."

Maeve returned her attention to the walled city, both hands clasped behind her back like a watchful statue. "Each of you will be outfitted with high-altitude parachuting gear, courtesy of the Shadows." She nodded to the clouds circling over the skyline. "In order to pose as falling orbital debris and to avoid radar detection, we'll be making our dive at thirty thousand feet."

She turned, just as a ship roared in behind them, drawing surprise from a few of the soldiers. Wind whipped at Maeve's hair, and she cast Alexander a second smirk. "Any more questions?"

Alexander Hayes​

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[Alexander Hayes]

Alex had to refrain from grinning too much at Maeve’s response. Oh yeah, he was going to enjoy fighting alongside her. But the expression returned to neutral as he listened to her speak. She spoke almost verbatim to the briefing he had been given. Tyre Cosanta was a name he was unfamiliar with. But the fact he wanted control of the entire planet? Well that certainly said plenty about the General.

The K’paur hummed quietly as he looked at the hologram of the city before them. Maeve explained the situation, of how the usurpers were having to deal with some unrest amongst the civilian population. That was good, it meant the General’s men wouldn’t all be in one place. However…Alex pondered if that gave their mission a timer. How long would it take for them to start calling men back to the hotel?

And the fact they were located in a hotel was another concern of Alex’s, a question added to the couple he already had in his head.

The mention of a high-altitude jump brought a mirroring smile on the K’paur’s face. It had been an awfully long time since the last, and his inner thrillseeker practically hummed in excitement.

“I have a few questions,” Alex chimed in, unbothered by the ship’s arrival. “Do we have any intel on the hostage situation?” Were they being held in a secure room? Being held at gunpoint? The specifics would determine how quickly they’d need to reach them before anything happened. Hopefully, they weren’t going into this blind.

“Do we know if the hotel was evacuated before Cosanta’s takeover?” His thoughts went to any potential guests that might also be trapped inside. If his occupation of the building had been sudden, then no doubt there would be at least some.

“And finally, what do we know about the man himself? Tyre Cosanta.” In Alex’s experience, you could draw a fair summary of someone’s tactics from how they behaved. Actions outside of the battlefield often reflected back.

Maeve Linahan​

 

[Maeve Linahan]

“Do we know if the hotel was evacuated before Cosanta’s takeover?”

"I may be a Jedi, but unfortunately, my clairvoyance can only extend to a ten mile radius." She cast Alexander a long look. "That was a joke. I don't have many details to go by, only the fact that Cosanta is holding hostages and we're tasked with saving them."

"We've no idea what floor they're being held on, or if other guests are trapped inside the hotel, or the exact number of guards under Cosanta's watch. All we've got is that there's a lot of them and not a lot of us. So, we need to be quiet. Stealthy. Quick, most of all." She walked alongside Alexander towards the ship as the other men double checked their belongings and boarded. The cabin was tight and compact, a line of seats on each side, complete with breathing masks and parachuting gear. Everything they needed for the mission ahead.

Maeve came to a halt in the center, folding both arms over her chest. "As for Tyre Cosanta... the man's dangerous. He's a decorated general with twenty years of military experience on his back. Curt. Disciplined. Strong sense of justice. He fought on behalf of the councilors in a civil war a few years ago and singlehandedly kept the planet from tearing itself apart, but there's not much else we know on why he chose to stage a coup. But what more reason do we need?"

"Power. Ambition. Give someone a taste, and it's all they'll ever want."

Perhaps it was an unfair observation of the general, but it was the truth. She'd read the report and his files. The man was clearly a war hero who longed for his old glory days, back when he was important and needed. The city council had been trying to reduce his influence on the local government, trying to sideline him in favor of peace, and feeling threatened, he'd decided to strike at them first. It made perfect sense.

"Now, I hope that answers all your questions, Hayes, because I'm going to need you to buckle in." Maeve cast him a wry smile, just before the shuttle listed forward. The cabin shook. One of the men practically stumbled into his seat and another struggled to keep his balance, but Maeve simply stood there, rooted to the floor like a statue. She was used to a little turbulence.

Once everyone was settled in, the ramp into the ship began to close, the camp around them now shrinking to under their feet. They would be on their way soon enough.

Alexander Hayes​

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[Alexander Hayes]

The K’paur lips cracked into a small smirk at Maeve’s joke. If she was truly gifted in clairvoyance, then this mission would’ve been far too easy, and too boring for that matter. He did frown though when she revealed they knew little more about the target and the situation. But then, intel was a fickle thing at the best of times, especially in a scenario like this. They would have to work off what they had.

Alex walked onto the ship unfazed by the compact quarters. It was pretty much a second home to him, having seen so many familiar interiors during his time in the GADF. But while the other soldiers got themselves situated in their seats, Alex remained standing with his attention on Maeve.

The picture she painted of Tyre Cosanta was of a dangerous man indeed. Someone with that kind of experience and training? Yeah, there was no surprise how easy it was for him to perform a coup. In Alex’s mind, it almost sounded like the General felt like he was owed something for his previous actions.

“Aye, aye.” He said in response to Maeve’s final words. Alex took a spot in one of the last seats remaining, although he didn’t go as far as strapping himself in. The K’paur was sturdy and unmoving in his seat, unlike a couple of his fellow soldiers.

He did raise an eyebrow at Maeve, simply standing where she had been before and not budging an inch. Alex chuckled, a look of ‘impressive’ and a more teasing ‘show off’ in his expression.

The shuttle lifted off, immediately settling in an ascent pattern that took them as high as they needed to be. After a period of time, the vessel finally seemed to settle from its turbulence.

“Alright folks, we’ve hit our altitude. We’re approximately four minutes out from the drop off point.” The pilot’s words got some of the soldiers on edge, anxious and nervous about the impending jump they were going to make. To Alex it was apparent they had only done such in training and simulation missions, nothing involving the real deal until now. He on the other hand didn’t seem bothered by it, if anything he appeared almost excited for it.

With the shuttle now level, Alex stood up from his seat and began equipping the parachuting gear the Shadows had provided. As he did, he decided to speak some final words before they descended upon their objective.

“Be ready for potential hostilities the moment we hit the roof. Cosanta may very well have sentries posted up there.” Alex was hopeful they’d be able to land silently enough to catch them off guard.

Maeve Linahan​

 

[Maeve Linahan]

Once Maeve finished gearing up, throwing on a breathing helmet and a single, black parachute, she turned to the rest of the squad, resting both hands on her hips. Hayes, unsurprisingly, had been among the first to finish, and the look on his face told her he was nowhere near as nauseous or uneasy as the other men. Little wonder that was. He had the experience, and one look into his eyes, anyone could tell he had the resolve.

She could trust him not to fail.

"Be ready for potential hostilities the moment we hit the roof. Cosanta may very well have sentries posted up there."

"Good point," she told him. "I'll be sure to clear them out before you land."

Just then, the lights in the cabin blinked from red to green, signaling their descent. The ramp behind her groaned open, drawing in a gust of cold air. She knew what to do. Without hesitation or another word, Maeve spun on her heels and moved towards the open ramp. One leap, and she was out. Falling. Plummeting thirty thousand feet.

Wind lashed at her hair. She squinted through her mask, feeling gravity completely take hold of her, sunlight glinting off her armor. Unless Cosanta's sentries were staring directly up, they wouldn't be able to notice her as she descended, breaking through the clouds at an almost meteoric speed. In moments she could see the city sprawled out before her, then the Scythe Hotel, sticking out from it like a sword in a meadow.

Nearing the drop point, she figured now was as good a time as any to slow her descent. But when she pulled on the cord that would open her parachute, she found nothing had changed. She was still descending. Still falling. Plunging.

Her parachute wasn't releasing, and neither was the emergency safeguard.

She tugged at the cord, then yanked. Again, nothing. Her heart stuttered, and suddenly she wondered why this was happening to her now, of all times, when she was already halfway through her dive. She drew in a deep breath. There was no time to panic. Only react.

"Hayes!" she called over the comms. "I'm going to need a hand, if you've got one!"

Alexander Hayes​

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[Alexander Hayes]

Alexander watched as Maeve walked the length of the ramp, not saying a word or showing an ounce of hesitation as she leaped off it. The K’paur let out a chuckle, shaking his head slightly. What was it with Jedi making missions interesting? Or perhaps it was specific to Shadows, active or not.

“D-did she just?”

He turned his head to see who was speaking, one of the couple soldiers that had been a bit nervous when Maeve revealed their entry plan.

“She sure did,” Alex replied with a grin. “Now come on, we can’t let her have all the fun now, can we?” He secured his mask, and much like Maeve did not hesitate as he descended along the ramp and dived off it.

For a few moments, Alex closed his eyes as he felt the wind whip past him. That sensation of freefalling, of his body being at the mercy of gravity. It was a feeling he had missed for too long, even before Selvaris.

The sudden buzz of his comms caused his attention to snap back to reality. He heard Maeve and looked down towards her. From this distance he couldn’t see what she was doing, what the problem was. But there was a very short list of potentials, and he had a feeling it was the parachute.

Without missing a beat, Alex made himself small, curling up as he focused on the Force. He rotated a couple times before he felt the alignment was right, then suddenly uncurled like a spring. With the Force assisting him, the K’paur shot down faster than usual, like an arrow towards Maeve. As he drew closer he reached out towards her with the Force, using her like an anchor and magnet so that his descent slowed the closer he got.

Alex spread out his limbs to assist in the slowdown, finally settling roughly at the same level as the Shadow. Now up close, he knew for certain it was the parachute. He frowned slightly as he looked over her, trying to discern what the issue was. Hedging his bets, Alex adjusted the parachute atop Maeve’s armour. Could it have been caught on something? He couldn’t say for certain. But time was running out, they couldn’t waste it.

The K’paur grabbed the cord, he looked at Maeve giving her a small nod before pulling it.

Maeve Linahan​

 

[Maeve Linahan]

Maeve couldn't have believed her luck. She'd felt confident in the mission and their odds, but they hadn't even landed and already she was encountering problems. Whether deliberate or just a malfunction, she had no idea. The only thing on her mind was Hayes, plunging toward her.

She let him. Face forward, she felt him tamper with the parachute, trying to mend it. Even as the Scepter Hotel grew closer, she trusted he might be able to see what she couldn't, but when he pulled on the cord, nothing happened. Nothing changed.

She was still falling.

Maeve cursed under her breath. "No time!" she shouted. They were rapidly approaching the ground. Last thing she needed was to greet Cosanta with two broken legs or as a meaty puddle, so she spun around, facing Alexander, bare inches apart. She wrapped her arms around him and, searching out the cord on his own parachute, yanked it hard.

The chute exploded outward, and the air resistance whipped the two of them upwards, slowing their descent. But not fast enough. In seconds, they met the hotel rooftop, crashing and rolling against it like a pair of thrown dice.

Maeve did her best to cushion their fall with the Force, but there was no certainty they'd walk away without a few scuffs or bruises. It had been a close thing. Closer, still, that they hadn't been spotted. The two of them had landed on a secluded corner of the roof, by a row of power generators, and she saw no sign of sentries. Yet.

Huddling against the nearest generator, Maeve checked her gear and weapons. "My parachute was sabotaged," she told Alex, shrugging out of the worthless thing, fighting to keep her composure. "Our mission may be compromised."

Alexander Hayes​

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[Alexander Hayes]

The K’paur blinked, then audibly cursed when the parachute still refused to release. He tried to think of alternative solutions, but Maeve was quick to take the reins. Before Alex knew it, she had turned to face him and wrapped her arms around him. Realising what she was about to do, the K’paur instinctively did the same.

Alex braced for impact as they were yanked up by the force of the parachute. Knowing that seconds after they’d be hitting the rooftop hard. Though within that moment, Alex felt a sensation resonate through his body. He felt it as Maeve used the Force to cushion their fall, and the K’paur’s own connection added to it.

Not that it was enough mind you, Alex was confident he was gonna be sporting a bruise after all this was over.

A second after they landed, he sprung into action. He discarded his parachute and immediately moved behind the same generator as Maeve. Alex raised his rifle, ready to fire as he checked their corners. But so far there was no sign of the enemy.

“That's…” He began to speak, but realised saying ‘not good’ was understating it. Instead, he walked over to where the Shadow had deposited her own parachute. He picked it up with his normal hand, and used his cybernetic to tear into the bag. Sure enough, one of the internal mechanisms had been severed.

Alex cursed again, returning to his previous position. “If that’s the case, then who? Someone back at the camp?” He turned his head to look at Maeve. But then a thought crossed his mind, and he looked up at the sky. The other soldiers were still steadily descending towards them.

“Or did we bring them with us?”

Maeve Linahan​

 

[Maeve Linahan]

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out."

Maeve chewed the inside of her cheek. She hadn't expected this to happen, and so early into their mission. It had thrown everything on its head, and now came with a hundred questions and risks she didn't want to consider. If the team was compromised, did General Cosanta know they were coming? If so, how? The thought weighed on her like a stone.

Worse, could Hayes be involved?

She cast him a wary glance as he looked up to the sky. No, Maeve thought. She'd read his report. Master Noble had placed her trust in him before, and lauded on him a dozen praises for his valor in the field. He had no reason to betray her, let alone the rest of the Galactic Alliance. She had to believe he was innocent in this. As for the rest of the crew, she'd soon find out.

"The mission still stands," she told Hayes. "Let's move." With a nod, Maeve clutched her lightsaber and moved around the power generator. There was no sign of any rooftop sentries, mysteriously, but she couldn't complain. It made for the squad's landing a lot smoother, and for breaking into the hotel a lot more quieter. She just needed to figure out the best avenue to do it.

"Secure the stairwell," she relayed. "I'll brief the squad."

Maeve surveyed the men descending above them. One by one, they landed on the rooftop, discarding their parachutes and unholstering their rifles. There were five of them, excluding her and Alexander, and any one of them could be the saboteur. But she wouldn't let them believe they'd been found out.

For now, she would play along.

Alexander Hayes​

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[Alexander Hayes]

Alex didn’t like this, not one bit. They were already heading into a potential unknown with the hotel. Now they need to watch their back too? Because of a potential traitor, or even traitors.

The K’paur felt a dash of paranoia strike him. Had Cosanta been able to discreetly sneak one of his own into the group? Or had one of them been paid off to sabotage their efforts from the get go? Alexander wondered if it was one of the crew, but it didn’t exactly answer the question of how they’d know which set of gear Maeve would grab for the jump.

It has to be one of the other soldiers. You don’t hedge your luck on just faulty gear taking out a Jedi. You need someone with training.

He turned and gave Maeve a nod, before heading over towards the nearby door. Alex pulled out a small gadget, slipping it under the door. His wrist beeped quietly, as it scanned the otherside, detecting no lifeforms or potential traps.

Confident in the initial coast being clear, Alex reached for the handle. It was already unlocked, and the K’paur tensed up a bit as he pushed it open. Rifle in hand, he silently crept inside and peered over the railing.

Much like the roof, the stairs were seemingly left unguarded by Cosanta’s men. Alexander schooled his expression as he returned back outside. He couldn’t shake the feeling that it felt like a trap, but like Maeve he’d play along for now.

“Stairwell is secure.”

Maeve Linahan​

 

[Maeve Linahan]

Briefing the other men wasn't hard. Maeve played it casual, offering as little detail as possible on what had just entailed, surveying the squad with an undercurrent of suspicion. She watched out for looks of surprise, or interest, or just plain confusion. But in their faces, she saw nothing. Just loyal soldiers of the Galactic Alliance.

Part of her was tempted to start probing their minds with the Force, but that came with its problems, and she knew it was better to wait for the rat to reveal itself than to risk it scurrying away.

"Good work," she told Hayes once he'd returned outside. Without another word, Maeve moved past him and into the dark, empty stairwell, the rest of the men following shortly behind. Once inside, she climbed down a few flights of stairs, but without a concrete idea of where to go, they seemed lost.

Only, she had the Force at her side.

Maeve shut her eyes. Reaching out, she searched the building, each floor opening up to her like the page in a book. She hunted for feelings of fear and dread, the thoughts of hostage city councilors. In moments, she found them. A blinding beacon of panic surprisingly close to her location.

"There," she whispered.

Descending several more levels, she reached a door into the hundredth floor. With a kick, she burst it open, revealing a wide parlor, like a restaurant, fitted with curtained tables and a bar. And in the dim light, she saw them. The hostages. Mouths taped and bodies tied to several tables, complete with plates of rotting food and lit by melting candles.

She nodded to Hayes and the squad. "Secure the hostages. Quickly!"

Alexander Hayes​

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[Alexander Hayes]

He didn’t know what smelled worse. The rotten food, or how badly this whole thing stunk of a trap.

Sure, it wasn’t ever going to be difficult to track down where the hostages were being held. Untrained as he was in the Jedi arts, Alex was still familiar with their skillset. So once Maeve had used the Force to pinpoint their location, the group made a beeline towards that point.

“Cover any exit and entry points!”

The K’paur wrinkled his nose at the foul stench, but he focused on freeing the hostages. He holstered his rifle and drew his knife, making quick work of one of their restraints.

“Hey, you’re alright! We’re with the GA, we’ve come to rescue you.” Alex carefully pried the tape off their mouth. “Can you tell me where Cosanta and his men are?” He was hopeful for answers, but Alex couldn’t help but spare a glance towards Maeve.

This was definitely a trap. Question was though, when and where was it going to spring?

Maeve Linahan​

 

[Maeve Linahan]

Maeve surveyed their surroundings. The restaurant was empty and bare, the windows drawn and lights dimmed, and if one thing was clear to her, it was the glaring suspicion that they'd fallen into a trap.

Natural instinct warned her to retreat back into the stairwell. Even the Force hummed with a nervous intensity, enough for her eyes to dart between each corner, but she spotted no surveillance cameras, no wavering shadows or dark alcoves for Cosanta or his men to be lurking. It made no sense.

Maeve clutched her lightsaber and wandered to one of the curtained tables, ignoring the reek of decaying food. But then she heard it. A muffled sound. Like someone trying to stifle a shout.

Whirling, the Force now screaming at the back of her mind, she grabbed the bone-white linen laid over the table and pulled it back. There, underneath, laid two civilians, one conscious and one not, tied and bound and a gag stuffed in their mouths. Her eyes went wide. Understanding struck her like a bolt.

"We're right here," said a voice, the same hostage whose mouth Alex had just untaped, his smile as sharp and bright as the knife he had in his sleeve.

Maeve cried, "They're not hostages!"

At her warning, the men and women she'd believed were captives sprung from their restraints, cutting through them with hidden blades and a stunning quickness. One of the first, the woman Hayes had freed, lunged at him, vibro-knife aimed right for his throat.

Alexander Hayes​

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[Alexander Hayes]

The K’paur’s body was already coiled up with tension when he felt it through the Force. A second after the warning went off for Maeve, Alex felt it like a spark shooting across the length of the restaurant.

It gave him enough time to react.

As the woman lunged at him, the K’paur raised his cybernetic arm to intercept. The vibro-knife sparked uselessly against his palm, giving Alex an opening to deflect it to the side. He went to grab his own weapon, but his attacker delivered a kick to his right knee before he could.

Alex let out a grunt as he fell to one knee, giving the woman a chance to attack again. Having flipped the knife around in her hand, she attempted to stab it down into the spot between his shoulder blade.

He caught her wrist with his cybernetic hand, not hesitating for a moment to crush it. The enemy soldier screamed in pain, but it didn’t deter her. She let the weapon slip free, catching it with her free hand.

The K’paur barely had enough time to catch her wrist, stopping the vibro-knife before it could tear into his stomach. He had the positional advantage, as the enemy struggled to apply strength against his own. Alex let out a growl as he used his pushed the woman backwards.

She landed on her back, and the K’paur didn’t miss a beat as he went on the offensive. He drew his own knife and lunged forwards, plunging the blade down into the enemy’s heart.

Maeve Linahan​

 

[Maeve Linahan]

Maeve watched the restaurant parlor explode into chaos. What she'd believed were hostages broke from their bonds and leapt onto her squad mates, Hayes included. She considered dashing towards him, if only to help, but she felt the nudge of a blaster rifle against her back. The Force screamed in warning for her to stop, and she did. She didn't move an inch.

"So much as twitch, and you're dead," said a voice. From over her shoulder, she could barely distinguish them as one of her own. A Republic soldier. "Drop the lightsaber. I'd rather not blast you where you stand."

As the Force continued to ring bells in her head, Maeve complied. She de-activated her blade and let it clatter to the carpeted floor, worthless.

She should've known the spy among their ranks would reveal himself, but she hadn't expected them to have struck out at such an unexpected moment. Maeve had been distracted by the reveal of where the real hostages were, then the ensuing fight, and she'd failed to notice the man creeping up around her. The traitor who'd no doubt sabotaged her parachute.

"Hayes, isn't it?" they shouted over to the K'paur, who'd just finished off one of the attackers with a fatal blow to the heart. "Drop the knife, or your captain gets it." Once Alex looked up, he would find Maeve now a hostage herself, and the rest of their squad dead.

The scales of balance had tipped, and far out of their favor.

Alexander Hayes​

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[Alexander Hayes]

Alex’s head snapped up at the sound of the voice, one he recognized as one of the other soldiers. Only this time the voice had a more malicious tone to it. He looked over to see the man standing just behind Maeve, who seemed frozen on the spot where she stood. It didn’t miss the K’paur’s attention, that her lightsaber was on the floor beside her.

Damn it…she’s got a blaster against her back.

No matter how quick a Jedi could be, they weren’t that quick to evade a point blank blast.

Alex stood up, pulling his knife free in the process. His gaze never left the traitor, but he was more so looking at Maeve. Looking into her eyes, trying to search for a hint of something, if she had a plan. But it seemed the Shadow had truly been taken by surprise.

The K’paur growled slightly, throwing the knife down, but his body was still coiled and tense. He glanced around at the other enemies, his hand twitching close to his blaster pistol.

“Don’t be a smartass, the guns too.”

Alex bit his tongue to stop a retort from leaving his lips. He’d do no good taunting the enemy right now, not when Maeve was in danger. A glance around the room made it clear their odds were not even close to being good.

Their squad had been eliminated, sans the traitor amongst them. And now the enemy had taken up their weapons, all aimed towards the K’paur. For as much as he could be durable, Alex wasn’t bulletproof.

With a scowl on his expression, Alex unholstered both his pistol and rifle, placing them down onto the ground.

Maeve Linahan​

 

[Maeve Linahan]

Maeve cursed under her breath at how quickly everything had turned on them. First, the sabotaged parachute, and now, her entire squad, dead. Only Hayes was left, and even then she doubted if he'd stay that way for long. Part of her wanted to tell him not to listen to Alliance traitor, to keep fighting regardless of the risk on her life, but she wasn't sure what more that'd accomplish besides either of their deaths. They were surrounded.

She closed her eyes as the K'paur removed his weapons.

"That's what I thought," said the traitor behind her, who she recognized now as Giles. A marine with six years of field experience. She couldn't understand why he would betray his own for a man he'd never met. At least, not until that man stepped out from the shadows, clapping slowly, a smile on his face.

General Tyre Cosanta. The man behind the coup.

Neither young nor old, Cosanta looked the role of a weary veteran. His jaw was dusted with stubble and shadows hung under his eyes, but his posture was rigid as a knife, and he wore dual blasters and a ceremonial sword at his hip, ribbons and medals emblazoned on his uniform. He was every inch a marine.

"Good work soldiers," he said to the saluting men and women around the restaurant parlor. "Mission accomplished." His eyes flickered over to Maeve. "And you, Giles. I never thought you would be able to do it, but you actually managed to capture me a Jedi. I will admit, I'd have preferred if she pancaked on my roof, but you've given me a valuable hostage. Consider your debt to me paid."

"Thank you, sir," Giles said over her shoulder, never once removing the blaster lodged at her back. Maeve could feel his finger dancing on the trigger.

Cosanta inspected the scene around him, arms clasped. His gaze eventually fell onto Alexander and he raised a brow. "And who might you be?"

Alexander Hayes​

​

 

[Alexander Hayes]

The K’paur scowled as Cosanta made his presence finally known. Alex glanced around at the assembled men, trying to discern a possible opening. But these were all military, nothing in their positions gave way to a potential flaw in their formation.

So they’d have to create one of their own.

Alex didn’t answer the General’s question, as he was already too deep in thought. First he thought about a deceptive angle. The fact Cosanta didn’t know who he was, meant he hadn’t been given information on him. But Alex shook the idea away, it was too much of a risky play right now.

But then again, what wouldn’t be risky in their current situation? Instead, his thoughts turned towards a different idea.

What did the dossier on Giles mention? That he was particularly prideful? Yeah…I can work with that.

“One of the very few people in this room that still have morals.” Alex finally answered, his eyes settling on Cosanta’s. The K’paur’s tone was even, betraying nothing as his gaze shifted over to Maeve.

He didn’t know if she knew telepathy, was that even something Jedi were taught? Either way, it wasn’t exactly possible for Alex to reach out with his own. That kind of thing was personal to K’paur.

Instead he flashed her a look, for but the briefest of moments. One that said ‘I’m about to do something potentially stupid. Be ready to act’.

“At least I’m not the one in the room that has no balls. Isn’t that right…Giles.” He could feel the mood shift, into a mix of confusion and amusement. But Alex was focused on the soldier that was currently holding Maeve at gunpoint.

“...What.”

“You heard me, your traitorous arse was meant to eliminate a Jedi, but you didn’t have the stones to do it face to face.” Alex kept his eyes trained on Giles, but he kept Cosanta in his peripheral vision, to gauge his reactions. “First with sabotaging the parachute, then waiting until you could get behind and put a gun to her back. You’re a co-”

“Shut up! I will shoot her.”

He wouldn’t, that was Alex’s bet at that moment. While the General might’ve initially wanted Maeve dead, having her as a hostage was the more enticing prize now. And if Giles wanted to remain in Cosanta’s good graces, fatally shooting her wasn’t the answer.

“A coward. You’re proof of it right now, hiding behind a hostage because you aren’t man enough to face someone properly.”

“I said, shut up!”

And the moment struck like the hand on an old analog clock. The gun that had been pressed against Maeve’s back shifted, moving to her side as Giles fired a shot towards Alex.

Maeve Linahan​