Rescue Responsibilities

[Qyren Leret]

The call came in on her personal comm. It had been quiet since she had taken on her place with the Alliance, so there was a moment where she didn't recognize where the sound was coming from. When she did, she immediately activated the small holophone platform on her desk and settled into the seat before it. She smiled and nodded to Fo Kthorn, one of the contacts she had made during her time with Nantaris.

"Greetings and salutations, lovely lady." Fo gave a half-mocking bow to her, and Qyren felt her smile widen. He did have a personality that evoked that sort of response, though Nantaris had always warned her to trust him no further than she could throw him (without the Force). "It's been a while. Glad to see you're doin' okay. I heard about Yag'dhul; you get what you need before it went under?"

Though her smile dimmed, Qyren felt obligated to deliver a reply of some kind. "I was there." She smiled fleetingly. "I did not get what I needed."

"Oh. Hey, uh--"

"It's fine." She smiled as she reached for a datapad. "What do you have for me?"

"Right. Got a tip for you-- certain thing for sure-- on a group of girls being moved from Ryloth. Thought you'd be interested in particular. Small job, so I didn't bother with Nantaris. You shouldn't need more'n a small squad of rangers on this one."

He didn't know that she was separated from the Rangers. "I'm actually with the Galactic Alliance at present; if anything big comes up, you'll have to contact Nantaris directly. I can take smaller jobs, especially if they're closer to me, but you can always direct them to him as well."

"No kidding. You have a falling out?"

Qyren shook her head. "No. Not at all. The more time we spend talking, though, the less time I have to prepare for this shipment you mentioned. Names and times, please."

The informant rattled off the relevant details for her, reading from a datapad of his own while kicked back in a chair somewhere. Qyren took notes dutifully, repeated the information back, and then set it aside as Fo sat up.

"Thank you. I'll see to it."

"I know you will, lovely. I've gotta go, but you let me know if you're ever back this way, right?"

"Of course."

"Good. I hope you get those girls before they get where they're going. Bye."

"Good-bye."

The image disconnected, and Qyren looked down at the datapad in her hand. It was still her responsibility to protect the denizens of the galaxy who were in need, which put this firmly on her plate. She didn't, as Fo had implied, have a deeper desire to help them just because they were from Ryloth, but she couldn't leave what was likely a group of children to the fates that would be visited upon them in the slave pens of various galactic worlds.

She might not need the small squad Fo recommended, but she woudl need more than just herself. The Alliance might help her, but this wasn't a mission priority and she wasn't comfortable asking anyone with rank to assist with a simple slave rescue mission. Alex might help her if she asked. She frowned and rose from her chair to retrieve her belongings. She had never asked him for something before, but even with the new level of their relationship she couldn't imagine him refusing her if she explained what it was for.

Mind made up, Qyren took her cloak from the peg by the door and made the short trip to his room, only to discover he wasn't there. She hesitated, almost taking it as a sign, then considered the time of day and made the trip down to their usual training room. He could have also been at a meal, but he usually invited her to go with him for food, so that seemed unlikely.

Qyren hovered in the doorway, watching the men inside spar, and lost her voice. Alex was intent on his opponent as other men in the room were on theirs. She hated to interrupt, but it really wasn't something that could wait and, if he had an Alliance mission that would interfere, she had to find an alternative and quickly. A convulsive swallow didn't quite remove the blockage in her throat, but she did take another hesitant half-step forward, drawing some attention from the few men in the room who were taking a break from their practice routines.

 

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Alex always had time for Qyren.

Was he enamored? Hell yes. Did the men know? Hell yes. Did he care? Hell no. The two were almost inseparable as of late, and the slow trickle of missions from the Galactic Alliance kept them close. Commander Ontonas was assigned to the Sullust home fleet. His job was simple; keep the planet from falling apart. It kept him busy enough, though he was beginning to miss the action the front lines provided him. The battles raging across the galaxy were being fought by his men, though he could have no part in them.

He would be put back on the rotation soon enough. Right now, he just needed to be patient. He still had a place in this war, and so did Qyren. He would enjoy the down time with her for now. They'd taken to casually dating. There was nothing particularly serious between them - not officially anyway.

Of course, she knew how he adored her. How he'd waited for her; fought to find her a place by his side within the political playing field of the military. In the end he had succeeded in no small part due to his friendship with [member="Coren Starchaser"]. He would need to give that bastard a call one of these days.

He knew the sound of her voice by now; even the muffled sounds she made when she was particularly annoyed, or in this case, trying to get his attention. The commander held up a hand for his partner to stop, and pulled a towel off one of the nearby racks.

"Sweetheart," he greeted her openly, "Something up?" Alex cracked a thin smile as he wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. She didn't normally come by during his routine unless it was something important - not that he would ever rebuke her otherwise.

[member="Qyren Leret"]

 

[Qyren Leret]

She stepped forward enough to lean back against the doorframe to increase the casual appearance of the encounter. She didn't know where Alex stood with these men-- if anywhere-- and knew how oddly some of the military behaved when a woman entered a purely male equation.

It was already in evidence in the change in body language and activity in the room. Some men "took breaks", others increased their routine with pointed ignorance. Qyren glanced around at the looks they were drawing, though few continued to stare when they saw she was about to catch them at it. Even half a room apart and there was an undercurrent there that implied everyone believed there was something illicit going on between them. She withheld a sigh of discomfort. There wasn't really a good way to address any situation in a group, especially for her and especially not when they all had those expectations. "I need a favor from you."

She heard a scoff from somewhere to her right and kept her eyes focused on Alex, though her expression settled into something less uncertain and more mild defiance and discomfort. "And it's urgent."

She felt, rather than heard, the amusement increase in the room and did her best not to let her discomfort show.

[member="Alexander Ontonas"]

 

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When ladies came into room asking for favors, men turned into boys. When those men were all hopped up on protein shakes and already talking about such things before any women entered the room, it tended to be worse. Much worse. Alex paid the boys no mind. He knew what she meant; there was a real issue that needed taking care of, and she needed his help to do it.

"Quiet boys," he snapped, and the snickering did die down a bit. He set a gentle hand on Qyren's arm to guide her away from the room and closed the door. There was the usual urge to kiss her; he was enamored in the woman after all. Of course, she had promised that she would make the next move in whatever 'they' were going to be, so he refrained.

"What's the problem Qyren? Say the word and I'll suit up." He flashed the Twi'lek a warm smile. Whatever she needed, he would try and provide. Sure, there were rules against fraternization between soldiers. But Qyren was a Jedi, and there weren't any rules about that.

Sea-green eyes narrowed curiously as he awaited her response. He gave the hallway a cursory look - they were alone. Perhaps...

No, her move.

[member="Qyren Leret"]

 

[Qyren Leret]

As soon as the door closed behind them, Qyren found her language to be coherent again. That was always the way with them; she simply found it easier to speak with him than with anyone else. Alex (almost) never judged her for her words and (almost) never questioned her sincerity. And never when work entered the picture. It was that trust between them more than their interactions in combat that told her he had respect for her as a capable combatant.

She stood fairly close to him as she laid out the situation; the topic wasn't an issue, so she didn't need to keep her voice particularly low nor was there a need to stand close to limit the potential for someone to overhear them, but he had positioned them that way, and she appreciated the soothing nearness of his body.

"There's a shipment of slaves being transported from Ryloth to the heart of One Sith space; the shipment is already off-world, so if I'm going to intercept them before they cross out of Alliance territory, I have to move very quickly." Now quickly, in fact. "I can't rescue them on my own, and I know that my former Master won't get there in time. We're closer, though that was a bit of chance. I need you. I need your help."

He would say yes. Part of her allowed for the possibility that he couldn't, but there wasn't very much doubt that he would say yes.

[member="Alexander Ontonas"]

 

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He had news for her. Nothing entirely important, other than their impending deployment to Kiffu. It seemed the alliance needed that planet for reasons, and so he would be sent as one of the regent Commanders. This of course meant that Qyren would be coming along too. He simply couldn't function without his Jedi adviser there to help him on force related matters, after all.

Fortunately, he managed to keep that news quiet for now. He was a bit caught up with her anyway; their relationship was no secret. Yet he had absolutely no idea where they stood. It was irritating. He didn't know when to keep his distance and when to embrace her these days; not that he would ever tell her such. The last thing he needed was for things to get even more complicated than they already were.

"Of course. We'll leave at once," he reached down to take her hands in his, "Y'know I'd go either way. Slavery is not something I will ever tolerate, but I want dinner in return." He leaned in, though not enough to make the Twi'lek uncomfortable, or so he thought, "And you're buying."

[member="Qyren Leret"]

 

[Qyren Leret]

His touch alone would have made her smile, but his conspiratorial and flirtatious behavior brought a grin to her face. He'd been respectful of her boundaries in the weeks following their awkward training room encounter, and Qyren had reestablished some of the original easy comfort in their relationship, though not all. Perhaps for the better. She still wasn't sure how far she wanted to take things with him-- and certainly not very far at any point in the near future-- but the simpler displays of affection she was more comfortable with. His ability to control himself also spoke volumes, though there were times Qyren had gotten the impression he was holding on to that control by tenterhooks.

"A hardship, truly," she teased back, her thumb brushing over his. The Twi'lek hesitated, then pushed up on her toes and closed the distance between them, pressing a warm, firm kiss to his lips briefly. She pulled back and fell to her heels, not wanting to lure him into anything more-- and Alex, even if she didn't intend it, would take any prolonged interaction as an invitation, even with the realization that they had other things that needed to be taken care of right away. They could deal with the repercussions of her actions later. Thankfully, her heart told her this was the right choice, so there was less worry sitting heavy on her heart than the last time. Her tongue passed over her lips as she pulled her hands from his, in spite of his slight resistance.

"Thank you. I'll meet you at the ship."

She walked off at a fast clip down the hall, making a stop to gather supplies before she found the bay where Alex's ship was docked.

[member="Alexander Ontonas"]

 

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That was more than he expected.

Alex leaned into the kiss, however brief it was, and grinned. At the very least, he knew Qyren was still interested. He lingered there for a moment, simply enjoying the feeling of her hands in his before the present issue stole him from such thoughts. As much as he wanted to continue this, there were people that needed their help. The slaves should be their top priority right now.

Still, the taste of her lips was quite intoxicating.

"I'll be there. Don't take too long, sweetheart," he cooed with a teasing lite to his voice. He watched as she went on her way, hands shovedinto his pockets. There would be no time for a shower.

Ah, well.

Half an hour later, Alex awaited Qyren near one of the shuttles clad in his armor. At the very least, he didn't smell. "You're flying us in sweetheart."

[member="Qyren Leret"]

 

[Qyren Leret]

"If you're sure," she commented as she passed him, securing her bag in the storage space in the back of the shuttle before taking the pilot's seat. She started programming the coordinates for the most likely interception point into the ship's computer. "Put a seatbelt on. I can't guarantee the timing with any accuracy, so this is going to be a bit of a gamble." Meaning they might be in for some space acrobatics. Qyren wasn't fond of them, but she had learned to use them at need; Nantaris hadn't really left her with much choice on several occasions.

She eased the shuttle out of the bay, letting the ship plot the shortest course to their destination and taking full advantage of its hyperspace capabilities to make sure they would make the designated location. A few minutes in either direction would ; the small space station she had selected would be a place to refuel. They would have to drop out of hyperspace some distance out and come in slow for 'customs inspection'. A fake stranded ship scenario, one with a pretty face calling the mayday, might be enough to lure them off the path if they already had a Twi'leki cargo on board. Her face had nearly seen her enslaved against her will on several occasions; she didn't balk at using it to her advantage now.

There was little to do other than keep an eye on the navigation, so Qyren laid out the plan for Alex as she had conceived it. If she had incorrectly estimated any aspect of it, he would tell her. If not, he would be ready for his part as the unexpected backup; slavers would be able to either take a shuttle into their bay or, at the least, connect a docking port to the ship to allow passage between the two. Either meant the slavers had to enter the confined space of their shuttle in order to drag her out; between a Jedi and a soldier, they would be safe. In a worse case scenario, she went out to them, and Alex came out, guns blazing, once they were safely onboard the slavers' ship. Qyren was unafraid; this was not like the past. There was no chance of her becoming a slave today.

[member="Alexander Ontonas"]

 

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Qyren was at risk, but that was something he had learned to accept. She was not that scared young woman he had met back on the Twi'lek colony. She'd grown into her own; gone off to become a Jedi. She was taking risks before he ever managed to find her again. Trying to hamper her now would go against everything she had strived for. So, he chose to trust her judgement.

"Hey," he strolled up to the Twi'lek as they came out of hyperspace, "We'll get those people out, but be careful. If you die, I'll kill you." His stare was intense, though the humor was clear in his voice. She'd opened up the barrier between them earlier, and he was going to take advantage of it. Before she could reply, his arm laced around her back, and his lips were pressing against hers. It was a short, brief display; something to keep in the back of his mind when the fighting started.

"Now, let's ho be heroes." He grinned and donned his helmet. The Commander went to his place in the back of the ship, finding a nice little hiding spot in one of the storage cabinets. He would be ready to pop out as soon as the pirates were aboard.

[member="Qyren Leret"]

 

[Qyren Leret]

Qyren turned the ship to face the most likely approaching vector and powered down. They would need to begin the broadcast before the ship got here, but that was always risky. Any other ship might happen across them, and they were close enough to the station that they might hear her distress call and come to her actual rescue. A balance needed to be achieved, and luck had to play a role.

She heard Alex coming and glanced back with a smile as she stood, turning off some of the switches overhead as she stepped out to meet him. His words were noticeably facetious, so she brushed them aside. They would both be careful and reckless by turns. She had to worry about him more than he did her on most missions, but he also never seemed to care for his own safety very much.

"Alex," she started, her tone playfully chastising, but his arm sliding around her cut her off. She inhaled slightly as he pulled her in for a quick kiss, and she was left tingling as much from surprise and adrenaline as affection when he left to take his place.

Still smiling, she turned back to the controls and switched to emergency power. The ship was bathed in the glow of only a few lights, and she activated a localized transmission, leaning into the microphone and pushing aside the lightness of a moment before.

"Mayday, mayday. Does anyone read me? Mayday." She hesitated, nearly tripping over her pronoun use. "I am without power. My shuttle is stranded. Mayday. Can anyone respond?"

She paused in between transmissions, each one growing slightly more panicked, and finally was gratified by a ship dropping out of hyperspace not far away.

"Mayday. Help! Please help. Can you hear me?"

"This is Sam Clark of the Lightning Nebula. We read you. Who am I speaking to, and what seems to be the trouble?"

"I'm Vanal'aosa. Vanala Osa. I had a rough exit from hyperspace and lost power. I was trying to reach the station, but I think they're too far out. Please, do you have towing cables or docking equipment? I would really appreciate the help."

"We might be able to lend a hand." Qyren watched the ship turn in her direction. The use of a Twilekki name had garnered their interest. "Where are you coming from?"

"Aikhibba. I didn't expect it to be such a rough journey; it's my first time off world."

"First time? And you're alone?"

"My teacher said I could handle it if I needed to. I wanted to see some Core worlds, and I heard Alliance space would be a safe. I'm just glad I made it before the shuttle decided to break."

"Yeah. Lucky for you. Well, it looks like we can help. Sit right; we'll bring you aboard."

"Thank you so much." Qyren cut the comms. They hadn't corrected her misconception of whose space she was in. It would be a short wait now. Sure enough, a tractor beam caught her and began drawing her into an open bay. As soon as she felt the beam detach and the shuttle settle, Qyren abandoned her seat and opted to stand in full view of the door. The bangs that were meant to be knocks didn't take long. She activated the door and ducked back behind the meager cover of a partial wall when she saw the blasters the men were holding.

"Get out here, sweetheart! Easy now and we won't hurt you. Let's go."

Qyren shrank further back, tucking herself into a corner. They had to come to her.

"Dammit, girl, I said let's go! ... Fine! Make it harder on yourself. Lyle, go get her."

The man stomped up the ramp while his friend waited below. When he reached her, grabbing with one hand and menacing her with a blaster in the other, Qyren still fought back with only her hands and feet, though her lightsaber was safely hidden beneath her dress. The memory of unarmed kidnappings past was uncomfortable, no matter how orchestrated this time was.

Qyren twisted from his grip and slid away from him, placing the pilot's seat between her and him. It was at this that his friend lost patience, storming into the shuttle with unconcealed anger.

[member="Alexander Ontonas"]

 

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Qyren could sell a lie if she needed to. Alex was not particularly pleased with using her as bait. She was, after all, far too important to lose in a firefight with a few pirates. Important to these Twi'leks. Important to the alliance. Important to him. When the men stormed the ship, he remained silent. He would wait for them to have their back to him before doing the gods' work.

Then one of the bastards put his hands on Qyren. That wasn't going to fly.

With cold efficiency, Alex stepped out from his hiding place. All the pirates had for warning was the low hum of his shattergun as it prepared a blast. A moment later, and two of the men lay in mangled heap on the floor, blood pouring from multiple holes in their torsos. Alex pumped the shattergun.

"What?" The pirate who'd gone after Qyren wheeled. His lips parted to speak more until Alex pumped him full of plasma. The man fell to the floor with a thud.

"We'll clean these up later. You okay?"

[member="Qyren Leret"]

 

[Qyren Leret]

Even ducking behind the pilot's chair didn't save Qyren from all of the gore that came as a consequence of being near a scattergun victim. She grimaced at the splatter on her clothes and skin and got up to retrieve a cloth from the bag she'd brought with her. Suddenly, she was glad she had worn a battledress where the only skin visible was her shoulders, hands and what flesh was exposed by the V-neckline.

"Yes," Qyren replied to Alex, stepping away from the body and tucking the cloth into the pocket of her leggings before retrieving her lightsaber. "We may not have time later, though." And the thought of traveling with bodies was unappealing.

What other choice do you have? There isn't any time.

Qyren shook her head at herself and passed the corpses and Alex, heading for the door. "I'll lead. There are still more aboard, though it'll take time for them to realize what's happened, even with their comrades not responding. We want to be to the slaves before they do know what's happening." Sometimes the slavers dealt with the threat, which left the slaves available for rescue; sometimes they killed the slaves and then tried to take out the competition. Qyren hated the latter situation and would do anything to prevent it.

They needed a direction; thankfully, human suffering was easy to sense, so Qyren had to do little more than open herself to her surroundings to know where to go. She twirled her hilt in her hand as she started forward and, with Alex at her back, navigated their way through the corridors of the ship toward their storage units.

"Back," she instructed suddenly, leaning aside at the last second as an influx of blaster fire came their way. Her lightsaber flared to life and deflected some of the bolts back the way they had come in movements which had become second nature to her. The onslaught stopped relatively quickly; Qyren lowered her saber and looked at the slavers on the floor behind some makeshift fortifications. She walked forward, still cautious because there were a few outliers nearby, but the men in this group who weren't dead from her attacks were incapacitated enough that they wouldn't be a concern at the moment.

"There are only eight slavers aboard. There should only be three left now."

[member="Alexander Ontonas"]

 

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And so there were.

Alex slid another powerpack into his shattergun and followed after Qyren. She did well enough for herself - thrived in the middle of combat, even. The commander was impressed, though he'd expected nothing less from the young woman. She had become a full fledged Jedi Knight recently enough, and had the skills to match it; perhaps even surpassing his own.

He cracked an amused little grin.

"There are about to be none," he quipped, heading off down one of the adjacent corridors, weapon raised. He ran a preliminary scan of the slaver ship as he passed through its halls - not the fanciest thing, but it did the job. They would have to commandeer it for private purposes. Alex had a place to hide the thing back on Sullust. One could never have too many back up ships.

A man out from the next turn and opened fire with his rifle. Plasma splattered across Alex's energy shields and melted phrik. It would have killed him, had he not unloaded two blasts of energy into the man's torso. He crumpled into a bloody heap.

"Two more. Can you sense them?"

[member="Qyren Leret"]