Private Rebel Path

[Resh]

Late Afternoon - New Plympto
Acier Moonbound ​

The planet of New Plympto has traded hands many times throughout galactic history. Though its era of economic dominance had long since faded, the native Nosaurians now found themselves walking a precarious geopolitical tightrope. New Plympto marked the edge of Imperial space; A recent regime change that began just as strained as it had with the Empire of old. The system remained flanked by Alliance holdouts on either side, still exerting pressure on the southern Core in hopes to reclaim what was lost.

Though the Empire dare not let itself be encircled by the Alliance entirely, their focus was undoubtedly given to more strategically critical worlds, and thus New Plympto became a hotspot for those hoping to find a way out of Imperial space before they manage to fortify the borders.

Resh had fought imperials of a different kind before, on Lazerian. It didn't go very well. But he was older now. More capable, or at least he hoped. Perhaps this time it would be different. As much as Resh feared what might happen, he resolved that the only way to help himself would be to help others. Others who might be even more afraid than him. Others who couldn't help themselves.

That had to be worth something, right?

---

Resh's mission started simple enough. All he had to do was escort a band of refugees to a rendezvous point with the Knight-Errant, a Jedi vessel that would extract them from New Plympto to more democratically-inclined territory. Imperial activity was supposed to be quiet in this corner of the world. They weren't supposed to meet any resistance.

But before Resh and the refugees had even left their encampment, a squadron of scouts had descended upon them. Military bikes and other hovercraft zoomed back and forth, corralling their targets like lambs to slaughter. A few of the more militant refugees tried to fight back; Even fewer managed to get off more than a shot or two. Resh drew his lightsaber with shaking hands, the indigo blade immediately drawing the attention of nearly every imperial scout present.

Thankfully for Resh, the imperials weren't the only ones keeping an eye on this encampment.

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: New Plympto

Equipment:
Training Jumpsuit | Lightsaber | Modified DL-27 | Tic

From the tree line, Ace had been watching. Hidden Path scouts had flagged Imperial movement near New Plympto, but he wasn't here on anyone's orders. The council would've said "observe, report, wait." Ace was tired of waiting, analyzing, being cautious. If he saw people about to get crushed, he wasn't going to sit on his hands.

Perched between his shoulders, Tic gave a low, anxious chirp, photoreceptor flickering as it leaned forward against his back plating. Ace smirked faintly, patting his little friend reassuringly.

The skeletal hilt slapped into his palm, the red ignition stud flaring. A pale-blue blade snapped to life, cutting a line through the late-afternoon haze.
He hit the slope in a rush, boots churning dirt, cloak snapping behind him. Blasterfire found him almost instantly, streaks lancing through the haze. His lightsaber worked hard, a blur of angled parries and tight deflections that forced him to twist and shift with every shot.

Ace didn't slow. He shouldered into the first scout, slamming the rider off his speeder before pivoting to cut the barrel off another trooper's rifle. A boot slammed into his hip, he staggered back, teeth bared, then came up swinging, lightsaber carving a wide arc that sent the next attacker reeling. On his back, Tic squealed and clamped down tighter as the fight pressed close.

It wasn't clean. It wasn't calculated. But that was the point, he thrived in the chaos, every heartbeat syncing with the clash around him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught some Pureblood. Lightsaber lit, hands trembling, holding ground between the refugees and the ring of Imperials. The unique thing about him though? He felt ancient in the Force, like... it clung to him, but didn't belong to him.

Unexpected. But it meant he wasn't the only one standing in the way.

Resh​

 

[Resh]

New Plympto
Acier Moonbound
​

A surging presence in the Force revealed itself to Resh before the lightsaber did. The owner of both rushed onto the scene with experienced efficiency. He knew what was happening, and he knew what to do about it. Already troopers were turning their focus to the clearly bigger threat, leaving Resh a moment to lag. He wished he had the sense to slap himself back into action, but he was stunned by the danger, and the fortuitous turn of fate that followed. It wasn't until the other Jedi looked his way that Resh seemed to re-inhabit his own body. The look on the stranger's face was difficult to parse. Resh had gotten plenty of looks from his peers, after all Sith Purebloods didn't exactly have a reputation as adherents of the Light. But this look didn't seem particularly distasteful, just... uncertain. Resh supposed he could live with that for a change.

The crescendoing whine of a speeder engine got Resh to turn around. The rider was charging toward Acier to intercept, coming just past Resh in the process. In an instance of quick thinking, Resh raised his lightsaber, and swung downward, cleaving through the front of the bike just as it zoomed by. The rest of the machine flipped forward, launching the scout several yards into the air and into a tree. The speeder tumbled, ignited, and blew up in a shower of sparks and flame, causing a few other troopers to go scrambling in the process. Resh couldn't help but grin. That went better than he thought it would.

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: New Plympto

Equipment:
Training Jumpsuit | Lightsaber | Modified DL-27 | Tic

The speeder's explosion lit the treeline, the shockwave snapping at Ace's white locs as he planted his boots hard against the dirt. He spared the Pureblood a glance, just enough to catch the grin tugging at his mouth after the strike.

Ace's own expression didn't mirror it. His eyes were sharp, more measuring than scowling. The Jedi wasn't useless, that much was clear., but the way the Force clung to him, heavy and old, kept Ace's gut uneasy.

Tic shifted on Ace's back, giving a sharp trill that snapped him forward again. More stormtroopers regrouped past the fireball, speeder bikes weaving into a staggered line to cut the refugees off.

Ace's eyes tracked one as it screamed past him. He lunged, lightsaber flashing out and the bike veered, clipping his shoulder hard enough to spin him half around. Gritting his teeth, he caught the edge of the chassis with his off-hand. The trooper shouted, jabbing an elbow back into his ribs. Ace answered by slamming his forehead into the man's bucket, dazing them both. But it was enough, he ripped the rider loose and dumped him hard into the dirt.

Clambering up was ugly, Tic screeched in panic as the bike bucked beneath them. Ace was able to wrestl into the seat, throttle under his hand.

The speeder screamed as he tore back toward the line, blaster bolts snapping at his flank. Ahead, the Imperials shifted formation, half their rifles swinging toward the Pureblood holding the refugees' line.

Ace cut across their path, blade raised high, and barked over the roar of the engines:

"Watch out!"

Resh​

 

[Resh]

New Plympto
Acier Moonbound ​

The scene had quickly spiraled into chaos. Resh's focused turned to regrouping the refugees in the few moments he could spare. Some had panicked and run, others could do little more than huddle in a meager attempt at self-preservation. Resh tried to-

"Watch out!"

Spinning around, he saw that the imperials had regrouped, most of them targeting him now. Resh felt fear plunge into his stomach, but swallowed the sensation and stood tall. What he saw in front of him brought flashbacks to Lazerian IV. The moment he nearly died. The moment he lost control...

Blaster bolts rang out. But the troopers hadn't fired yet. Resh glanced back once more to see some of the refugees fighting back again on his behalf. A few troopers fell to the ground. The rest took their turn. Determined to keep the others safe, Resh rushed between as many shots as he could, his lightsaber moving in precise, tight motions. Bolts were deflected without any rhyme or reason, simply flying skyward or hitting the dirt. It was all he could do to keep them from hitting the refugees. He made a sharp turn, and in the process, found himself struck in the upper leg. Resh fell onto a knee, unable to stop the next bolt, which hit one of the civilians.

Indignation flashed in his eyes. Anger, like that he'd felt back on Lazerian. But it wasn't for his own sake now. It was for those he was supposed to protect. This time, he kept that anger in control, redirecting it not in a wild surge of energy, but a precise counter attack. The padawan raised his hand, launching several of the imperials back with a telekinetic wave. Those who weren't knocked unconscious by the concussive force were left disoriented and reeling, giving Acier a useful advantage to exploit.