Private Shadowed Signals

[Briana Sal-Soren]

Wearing: XoXo
Equipment: Lightsaber
Location: Undisclosed
Tag: Aiden Rennek

As the sleek X-Wing descended towards the designated rendezvous point, anticipation surged within Briana, her fingers tightening around the control yolk to try and settle herself, feeling more enlivened than she’d been in an age. The hum of the engines echoed in her ears as she expertly maneuvered her starfighter to dock a short distance from the grouping of soldiers, heightening the sense of anticipation coursing through her veins. This mission was going to be a tricky one, but she couldn’t deny that she’d felt more than a small thrill the moment since she first learned she’d be working alongside Aiden for this.

Unbuckling the crash webbing, she reached for her lightsaber before climbing down from her X-Wing, the scent of scorched ozone and burnt coolant filling her nostrils almost immediately, a stark reminder that this little corner of the galaxy was far removed from the glittering halls of Coruscant.

Cerulean eyes scanned the motley of soldiers assembled ahead of her, all wearing various expressions of intent and anticipation, each one an experienced veteran who'd been carefully chosen for this crucial task - but it was only one that she truly wished to see.

Finally, her gaze settled on him. Standing resolutely was Aiden, his rugged face contrasting with the crispness of his uniform.

A grin that she didn’t allow to fully meet her eyes, pulled at the corners of her lips as she approached, stowing her lightsaber on her belt. “Corproal Rennek.” she greeted, aiming for a more formal tone, but unable to entirely hide the subtle softness behind the professional facade, hinting of her unwavering affection for him. “It’s good to see you again.” How many weeks had it been this time? A brow perched upwards. “Master Noble asked me to send her regards.”

Gathering herself and pushing aside the swirl of emotions in her chest, she nodded towards what was obviously an improvised holotable, setup on a stack of crates. “I’ve been briefed on the mission,” she said with barely contained emotion, clearing her throat, “however, if we have a minute, I’d like to hear your plan directly so I have a better understanding of our approach.”

 

[Aiden Rennek]

​

"Come on, get those ammo crates to the transport ship, we don't got all day," Aiden told a pair of young privates who were slacking a little after a hard day of work. He knew they were tired — they all were — but the sooner they got everything ready for the next mission, the sooner they'd be able to rest assured. So he was on top of everybody, not to breathe down their necks or yell at them for every little mistake they made, but to make sure everybody remained sharp.

He wanted all of them to make it back out alive, and while he knew that was usually impossible, he wouldn't rest until he made sure that everybody was at their best, and prepared for the task.

"Sir?" Another private called out on approach. "The Jedi is arriving."

"I'll meet with them," Aiden said, before he turned to watch the X-wing come down from the sky. He wondered for a moment what the Jedi would think of him and his men. They had been out here for a while now, and looked like they had gone through quite a lot already. His beard was rougher, his hair was messier and his uniform was nowhere as nice as it should be, with rolled up sleeves and dirt stains everywhere. But most of all, his thousand-yard stare was starting to show again.

Until he saw who stepped out of that X-wing.

Color returned to his eyes, both from surprise to see her, as well as the unbreakable affection he felt for her that could cut through the most cold military gaze he could muster. Naturally, every soldier in the camp around him perked up as well, interested to see who the Jedi had sent to help. When it turned out to be an attractive woman, even more showed up but Aiden knew they'd be like this, and stepped forward to greet her. "Bri... I mean, Knight Sal-Soren," he began with a smile, but it quickly turned into a smirk, and he just couldn't stop himself anymore.

He closed the distance, placed his calloused hand against her cheek, and gently pulled her into a kiss. Short and sweet, but enough to convey his emotions, and more than enough for his men to start cheering him on. "For a minute, I was hoping the Sword herself would come to help us. But... this is way better," Aiden said rather smugly.

"Going to introduce us to your girl, Aiden?" one of his buddies called over, but Aiden just smirked and kept his eyes fixed on her instead. "Ignore those meatheads, and let's discuss the plan, hm?" He winked and looked over his shoulder now. His gaze alone got soldiers to scatter quickly — especially the privates who should be working. Aiden just shook his head with a grin, and raised his chin, "Anything else?" He waited a second. "Didn't think so. Back to work, jarheads."

"The plan isn't too complex," he then told Bri. "The Listening post has some fortifications, but we're going to move in with two squads. One from ground level, and my group will go down from the roof. You'll join me because we're going to hit the most resistance in narrow hallways, where I think your lightsaber skills can give us a lot of cover."

Briana Sal-Soren ​

 

[Briana Sal-Soren]

Wearing: XoXo
Equipment: Lightsaber
Location: Undisclosed
Tag: Aiden Rennek

The feeling of Aiden’s lips on her own was a sensation that managed to electrify and soften her at the same time. Though it was brief, a fluttering heat rushed through her core all the same, his bold gesture momentarily causing her to forget the reason she was there, until a chorus of hoots and hollers erupted from Aiden’s squad in the background. She’d been trained as a Jedi to keep her composure, but there was something about Aiden’s mischievous grin that tugged at something deep in her heart that not even all the training in the Galaxy could master. A faint smile curved on her lips, still tingling from their impromptu kiss.

"For a minute, I was hoping the Sword herself would come to help us. But... this is way better," Aiden said rather smugly.

“Flattery will get you… a few things.” she teased with a playful tilt of her head, chuckling when the crowd of lingering onlookers scattered under his stare as she followed him through the camp.

The fatigue that weighed heavily upon each weary face they passed did not go unnoticed by Briana, quickly realizing that these men had fought far longer than she initially believed, their unrelenting will to persevere undoubtedly fueled by Aiden's leadership—a thought that filled her heart with warmth and pride, furthering the admiration she already held for him.

When they reached the central area, Aiden activated the holotable, Briana watching as a crude 3D map of their objective materialized before them. Two dots indicated their separate teams moving toward the listening post they were to infiltrate soon— one from ground level and another from above.

"The plan isn't too complex," he told her. "The listening post has some fortifications, but we're going to move in with two squads—one from ground level and my group will go down from the roof. You'll join me because I think your lightsaber skills can give us a lot of cover in the narrow hallways where we're going to hit the most resistance."

"So you mean I can't just knock on the door and ask nicely to be let in?" she teased, giving him an innocent bat of her lashes before her expression turned serious again, her brows furrowing together. Studying the map closely, her finger traced along the path Aiden outlined. “This narrow passageway here,” she pointed, tapping on the table's surface and zooming into the area. "indicates there's a possible access point that we could exploit, making our entry quicker and less noticeable."

 

[Aiden Rennek]

​

"Flattery will get you… a few things."

"I know," Aiden said, his grin widening just a little bit. "I saw that smile." After a wink, he finally broke the tender moment he had allowed in this professional environment and turned around to head into the camp. The soldiers placed under his command were working hard to get everything ready for the mission, and were even breaking down the camp already. This was the last stretch, so if they were successful with this mission, they'd all finally be able to go home.

That's why a Jedi had been requested — to maximize the chances of completing this task without further delays. Because as they walked through camp, Aiden knew that Briana wouldn't even need the Force to tell how exhausted everybody is. This tour had already been longer than anticipated, and the losses they sustained were greater than expected as well. They needed some good news, and he believed that Briana's presence could inspire them, and offer the hope they'd need to push through.

It certainly worked for him.

Once at the holo-table, Aiden showed her the plan, and raised an eyebrow at the teasing comment that followed, albeit with a smirk all over his face as well. "They might let you in, babe, but I'm not pretty enough." He shot her a quick grin, but also focused on the projection again when they studied it for their approach. "It would be a death trap if it's just my squad and I, but with your cover... it could work."

He watched her for a moment, and let out a soft sigh. There wasn't anybody in the Galaxy he'd easily entrust with the lives of his soldiers, but Briana was an exception. If she felt like she could take it on, he'd always believe her.

"We could throw in some stun grenades first to make your job easier. Or do you want to keep all the fun for yourself?"

Briana Sal-Soren ​