Private This Was Not Part of the Plan

[Xian Xiao]

Xian should have known the job was going too smoothly, because nothing involving an abandoned military research vault, a mysteriously generous employer, and a partner who smiled a little too easily at danger ever stayed simple for long. The approach to the compound had been effortless, almost suspiciously so; the exterior panels had sliced open under her touch without protest, and the security feeds died so neatly under Jerrik's careful interference that she almost believed, for a fleeting moment, that the Force was doing her a favor.

The vault door itself—an enormous slab of reinforced durasteel covered in dust thick enough to write her name in—had opened with barely more resistance than a polite sigh.

She should have run right then.

But instead they stepped inside, retrieved the encrypted datapack pulsing softly in its containment cradle, and turned to leave… only for the entire undercity facility to wake like something startled out of a long and unpleasant sleep.

The first alarm didn't ring—it howled, an echoing metallic wail that rattled her teeth and sent a shock of cold adrenaline straight down her spine. Red emergency lights flickered to life in jagged pulses, painting the corridor walls in violent shades of crimson as blast shutters slammed down in rapid succession, their booms shaking dust from the ceiling like falling ash. The ground beneath their boots thrummed with power as dormant systems surged online, one after another, like dominoes falling in reverse.

Xian skidded to a halt, boots scraping against the metal grating as she threw a look over her shoulder at Jerrik. "Oh stars—Jerrik, run!"

They didn't need to discuss direction; instinct and panic made that decision for them. They sprinted down the corridor, the datapack thumping against her hip in a relentless rhythm that matched the frantic beat of her pulse. Whatever information they had stolen—whatever their employer wanted so badly—it was very clearly something this place was willing to kill for.

She didn't get time to study the old insignias lining the hallway—tattered banners depicting a forgotten unit, peeling paint spelling out half-dead warnings—because one of the symbols unfolded itself into a ceiling-mounted turret and immediately greeted her with a bolt of blasterfire that sliced the air beside her cheek.

"Fantastic," she hissed as she dove behind a pillar, landing hard enough to bruise her knees as sparks snapped across the floor. "So the building wasn't abandoned."

Another bolt exploded against the stone near her face, showering her hair in grit. She pressed herself flat against the pillar, heart hammering, the scent of scorched metal thick in the air. The lights flickered once—twice—before stabilizing into a dangerous red glow. Somewhere deeper in the facility, something massive groaned awake, the kind of mechanical rumble that suggested more limbs and weapons than she felt remotely comfortable imagining.

A cold shiver crawled down her spine. Whatever had powered on wasn't a simple turret.

She peeked around the pillar just long enough to confirm that the weapon was still tracking them, then glanced across the corridor to where Jerrik crouched behind a half-collapsed support beam. Even through the haze of smoke and flashing lights, she caught his expression—the unmistakable spark of someone who had just realized that a mildly interesting job had escalated into something spectacularly life-threatening.

Their eyes met in the brief quiet between blaster bursts.

Xian exhaled once, steadying herself, willing the subtle currents of air at her fingertips to gather enough force to carry her through the next mad dash. Not flight, not yet—but motion, speed, a breath of wind pushing her toward survival.

"Okay!" she called out, voice low but firm, letting the Force sharpen the edges of her focus. "New plan." Three fresh lines of red targeting lasers slid slowly across the walls, finding their positions like predators settling into a hunting stance. "Run first," she added, a crooked grin tugging at the edge of her mouth despite the chaos around them. "Figure out the brilliant part on the way out." Behind them, another blast shutter slammed into place with a metallic snarl, sealing the corridor like a tomb. Time was no longer on their side, if it ever had been.

She didn't know if the facility's reactivated defenses were automated or controlled by something worse. She didn't know whether the footsteps she heard in the distance belonged to droids, guards, or something she didn't have a name for. But she did know, with a strange sense of calm blossoming in her chest, that running for her life beside Jerrik was still better than running alone.

Xian tightened her grip on the datapack, feeling the wind coil eagerly around her ankles.

"Hope you stretched," she murmured, more to herself than to him.

Then she bolted from cover. The undercity roared awake behind them as the chase began.

Jerrik Molten

 

[Jerrik Molten]

This heist was just the beginning of something more but for now, it seemed as if their every action was impeccable, allowing Jerrik and Xian to advance through the Military Research Vault with ease and little security to deal with. If everything were to go correctly, both Xian and Jerrik would make it out with extremely valuable information that would allow them to likely retire early. But, if things were to go south, then both of them could end up in some galactic prison for the rest of their lives. Would this mission be worth it in the end?

Jerrik knelt down at the vault door, placing the data spike within, then began to access the proper codes to ensure the door would open without causing any of the alarms to be triggered. Numbers crossed the screen display, showing exactly the correct code to get inside. "Almost done.." He muttered quietly, while sweat began to form at the brow of the young man. Within a few seconds of waiting for the codes to lock in, the vault made a few clanking sounds before ripping open. Both Jerrik and Xian entered the room without wasting any time at all, and Xian quickly grabbed the device from its resting place. That was the first mistake made by the duo..

The alarms rang out, echoing throughout every hallway, every office, every corridor within the facility. "And the fun begins." He said playfully, while exiting the vault with one hand on their lightsaber that was attached at the hip of Jerrik Molten. He was more than prepared for anything that may come their way, but even more prepared to protect the very thing they came for from the start. The encrypted datapack was Jerrik’s way to escape his former life and to become something larger than just a thief that is Force Sensitive.

When Xian yelled out to him, Jerrik knew that the time was now. He pushed off the grated floor with their right foot, darting into a sprint directly beside Xian. Neither of them seemed to know where to go because of the adrenaline bouncing through them from the excitement of not only stealing something, but the fact that they were now on the run because of the alarms being set off. Being caught was not an option, so Jerrik continued on with one thing on their mind, and that was to escape with Xian and the encrypted datapack.

Just when they thought the escape would be easy, mounted turrets hung from the ceiling of the room in which they made it to. Both of them breathing heavily from the long sprint to their current location. What caught Jerrik’s attention was the sound of the turret firing directly at the female. Luckily, Xian was barely phased from the blaster bolt that nearly took their head off, but she managed to duck behind a pillar safely, so Jerrik did the same just in case the turrets were going to open fire on him next. They did, unleashing a few blaster bolts in his direction. The young man managed to fall forward into a roll, then slide to the pillar he was now sitting behind with their back against the cold stone.

As the turrets continued to open fire at both pillars simultaneously, shattering pieces of stone across the room from the sheer power of each blaster bolt that made contact with the pillars, Jerrik glanced over at Xian as she made a suggestion for him to run first. Was she crazy?! At that very moment, Jerrik thought so, but then again, Xian seemed to have some sort of plan. With a confident nod from Jerrik Molten, his heart pumped furiously and his mind raced, but in a split second he twisted his body around, jumped to his feet, and darted across the corridor in hopes of not being struck by one of the turrets hanging from the ceiling.

Death began to fill the air, chilling the warmth to a subtle chill that caused the hair on each of them to stand up straight at attention, as if the force was warning them of something to come. Whatever it was, Jerrik knew that he had to keep pace, or he would be blasted in the back. Blaster bolts were flying past him, nearly grazing his ear, shoulder, and right leg. Unfortunately, the young man was struck directly upon the buttcheek, causing Jerrik to fall forward behind yet another pillar. "GAH!!" Escaped their lips, as he laid up behind the pillar with one hand covering the new wound.

Jerrik had a feeling something would eventually go wrong, but he never thought that he would end up being struck on the ass by a blaster bolt, and the worst part was the fact that he was only wearing his black robes with no real protection, even the cortosis coated helmet was left at the ship. The pain pulsated throughout their buttcheek, causing him to wince from the pain. He didn’t give up, though. Jerrik looked back to see what Xian was doing to escape the turrets, hoping that she would not end up with the same fate as him.

Xian Xiao​

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[Xian Xiao]

Xian didn't panic when the alarms screamed to life.

The sound hit her like a spike of ice down the spine, sharp and instant, but her mind snapped into motion just as fast. The datapack was already in her hands, its weight insignificant compared to the sudden pressure flooding the corridors. She didn't waste time looking back at the vault door. What was done was done.

When the turrets descended, metal arms unfolding from the ceiling like predatory insects, Xian felt the shift in the air immediately. Heat-tracking. Of course they were.

She skidded in behind the pillar as blasterfire tore into the stone, fragments exploding outward in showers of sparks and dust. The impact rattled through her bones, but she stayed low, breathing hard, dark eyes flicking toward Jerrik just long enough to see him take cover as well. His shout a moment later made her stomach twist, sharp concern flaring through the Force.

Idiot, she thought—not unkindly. Brave idiot.

"Okay," she muttered under her breath, more to herself than anyone else. "Then we do this loud."

Xian closed her eyes for half a second—not to retreat, but to listen. The hum of the facility. The crackle of overheated barrels. The way the turrets adjusted, recalibrating toward the strongest thermal signatures in the room.

She smiled grimly.

Her free hand lifted, palm open, fingers flexing as she reached outward—not pulling, not forcing, but inviting the heat to gather. The air in front of her warped, shimmering as the temperature spiked violently. With a sharp exhale, she hurled a compact fireball down the opposite end of the corridor, then another, and another—each one a dense knot of heat designed to scream louder than any living body ever could.

The effect was immediate.

Turrets whined as they pivoted, barrels tracking the sudden surge of thermal mass. Blasterfire redirected in a furious storm, bolts shredding the far wall as Xian broke from cover, sprinting hard across the corridor while their attention was split. Stone cracked behind her, debris raining down, but she kept moving, boots pounding, lungs burning.

She slid in beside Jerrik behind the next pillar, skidding on one knee before snapping upright, one hand already reaching out instinctively to steady him.

"You good?" she asked quickly, breathless but focused, eyes flicking to the scorched wound before snapping back up toward the corridor. There was no time to linger, but the concern was real, immediate.

The turrets were already recalibrating again, their movements sharper now, angrier.

Xian glanced past him, then back, firelight still dancing faintly around her fingers. "Next break I make is bigger," she said, tone steady despite the chaos. "When I throw it—run. Don't stop."

Another wave of heat gathered in the air around her hand, brighter this time, hotter, ready.

"On my mark," Xian added, eyes locked forward, the Force coiling tight around her as the facility tried—and failed—to pin them down.

Jerrik Molten

 

[Jerrik Molten]

The pain only lasted a short time because as Jerrik held onto the wound, the force began to heal the wound from the turret’s blaster bolt. When Xian asked if he was good, the young darksider nodded confidently before speaking. "Yeah, just needed a moment, that’s all." He admitted, while pulling their hand away from the newly healed wound. Jerrik was still behind the pillar, listening to the chaos around them. The turrets quit firing because both Xian and Jerrik were unable to be seen at the moment. This was the perfect time to recuperate and plan ahead.

With the turrets recalibrating their systems to mark their next heat signature, Xian had a plan and it involved the force. It was risky, but it would ultimately give the duo enough time to exit the corridor, then try to find another way to escape. It felt as if the entire undercity was looking for them both and Jerrik absolutely loved the thrill that missions like this gave him. The feeling alone was intoxicating, almost having him wanting to come back for more, but the young man wasn’t as dumb or greedy as most thought. There was always a cooldown for things like this, especially if they wanted to remain unnoticed from prying eyes.

Xian’s suggestion was not their last hope, nor did they feel as if they were trapped because of the sheer power that both of them possessed. Things could easily turn with the guidance of the force and that was exactly what they would use to make it through the corridor and into the next part of the facility. The main goal was to get back to their ship now that the datapack was in their possession, so a couple of turrets would not hold them back from getting away with the prized device. "You do know that I haven’t seen anyone so calm in such a situation before. Takes guts, I dig it." He called out from behind the pillar, hoping that Xian would hear the compliment given during such a wild situation.

As the young woman prepared to conjure the force as some sort of distraction, Jerrik finally stood up from behind the pillar, making sure that he was still hidden from the two turrets hanging on the wall. He grabbed the lightsaber hilt from his waist, pulled it from the utility belt, and held onto the weapon tightly. Whatever was about to happen inside this facility, Jerrik and Xian were about to make a break for it on her call, so he nodded to the female and waited patiently for the signal to run. For a moment, it felt as if time was still and the attempt to escape dragged on forever, but that was not the case entirely. The force was guiding him, pushing him to sense what was to come from the other side of the facility…

Xian Xiao​

​

 

[Xian Xiao]

Xian didn't answer him right away.

They were moving again—boots striking metal, alarms still howling somewhere deeper in the facility—but there was a lull between corners, a stretch of corridor where the noise fell back just enough for words to exist without being swallowed. She kept her eyes forward as she ran, breath even, stride measured, as if they weren't fleeing a military vault with half the undercity waking up behind them.

"You said I was calm," she said at last, voice level, almost conversational. Not breathless. Not rushed. She flicked her hand once, a small guiding gesture to keep left at the next junction, then continued without looking at him.

"It's not because I'm fearless." The admission came easily. Too easily, maybe. "I've seen what panic does," she went on. "I grew up around people who didn't have time to stop being afraid—worlds where the sky burned, where soldiers moved through streets like storms and nobody bothered screaming because it didn't help."

A brief pause. Her jaw tightened, then eased. "The Jedi taught me how to breathe through that. How to stand still when everything around you is loud and broken and falling apart." She exhaled slowly as they cleared another turn. "Not because it makes you stronger. Because it keeps you alive." Another flicker of Force-sense rolled out ahead of them, checking corners, counting threats. The turrets behind them were already fading into irrelevance.

"And I've been in real fights," she added, quieter now. "Ones where people didn't miss. Ones where you didn't get a warning hum before the shot." She glanced sideways at him then, just once, dark eyes steady, almost gentle. "So when it's just machines? Predictable ones?" A faint, wry edge touched her voice. "It doesn't make sense to panic. They don't hate you. They don't improvise. They just react."

Her focus snapped forward again as they reached another access split. "Fear's useful," Xian finished. "But only if you're the one holding it. Not the other way around." She raised a hand, already preparing the next move, the next distraction, the next escape. "Now run," she said calmly. "I'll tell you the rest when we're not about to get ventilated."

Jerrik Molten

 

[Jerrik Molten]

The running never really ended for Jerrik Molten. Even as a young child he managed to escape the grasp of the Jedi. They knew what he was capable of and wanted to mold him into one of them, and the young boy wanted nothing to do with it. A mere Padawan learner with a life of greatness ahead of them, but he squandered it because of selfish reasons. Family. A family that wanted nothing to do with him when he returned mysteriously, so he did the unimaginable. Jerrik killed them without any remorse, causing him to be alone for as long as he could remember. It was a terrible choice, one that he has to live with the rest of their life.

As the alarms began to fade into the background, Xian was able to speak freely now, responding to Jerrik’s statement about her ability to remain calm in such situations. Their response was detailed, to say the least, and it was enough to bring chills down the spine of Jerrik Molten. This girl knew what she was talking about when it came to the force, but Jerrik was nearly clueless, barely even knowing how to use it. It would only come and go in times of need, just as it did earlier when the young man healed himself. Xian on the other hand was trained well, precise with their actions and words, almost enough for anyone to follow their lead, and that was exactly what Jerrik was doing for the time being.

The mere mention of the Jedi caused Jerrik to quickly jerk their attention towards Xian, putting together exactly why she was this way. Their training was rigorous, intellectual, and spiritual all in one. Something that Jerrik could not get used to, which eventually caused him to flee the temple altogether. That is exactly why he took on stealing things for a living. It was easy pay and he was too good at it to just not get involved with the big guns, because that is where all the bigger payouts would have been. Bigger names, bigger payouts. It was simple, yet Jerrik always found himself in a bit of a mess.

When Xian put their hand up, preparing for what was to come, Jerrik stopped dead in their tracks right next to the female, waiting for the signal to sprint off through the access point. "I sense your experience and respect it. For I am not the same. I fled from the Jedi." He responded in a firm tone, while continuing to wait for Xian to give instructions on what to do next. But as she said to run, Jerrik pushed off the ground with their right foot into a sprint down the corridor, racing to the next point, which was getting closer to the exit. The ship on the other hand, may have been tucked away from their current location, meaning that they would not only have to escape the facility, but make it back to the spacecraft as well.

Something was wrong, though. A sense of something dark coming their way pressured down on the shoulders of young Jerrik, causing him to slow his pace just enough for Xian to gain distance ahead of him. "Something isn’t right..I don’t know if this is the right way." He spoke in a confused voice, losing his sense of their current location, as if something was trying to lure him away from the exit. Whatever it was, Jerrik shook off the feeling and pressed forward in hopes of catching back up to Xian to inform them of what he was feeling.

Xian Xiao​

​

 

[Xian Xiao]

Xian didn't slow when he spoke.

If anything, she adjusted her pace just enough to keep Jerrik in her peripheral vision, boots striking the corridor floor in a steady, controlled rhythm that never quite tipped into panic. The alarms had faded into a distant wail behind them; the turrets were dealt with for now, and momentum carried them forward on instinct alone.

At his words, I fled from the Jedi—she let out a short, breathless laugh. It surprised even her, the sound sharp and fleeting, torn away by the rush of air as they ran.

"Yeah," she said, shaking her head once as her dark eyes flicked back to him for half a heartbeat before returning forward. "That's where you're wrong about me."

She vaulted a low obstruction without breaking stride, landing light and clean, pace never faltering.

"I haven't been with the Jedi for years," Xian continued, voice steady despite the sprint. "I didn't run from them like you did—but I didn't stay either." Another huff of laughter slipped out, softer this time, edged with something thin and tired. "Turns out the Order doesn't really know what to do with people like me."

They rounded a bend, emergency lights stuttering overhead. Her expression tightened—not with fear, but with memory. Burned-out streets. Screaming comms. The kind of chaos that made a couple of automated turrets feel almost insulting by comparison.

"I've seen war," she added more quietly, breath even. "Real war. I've been shot at by things that didn't bother with warning sirens. I've had to keep moving when people around me didn't get back up." She glanced back again, this time longer, meeting his eyes as they ran. "So no," Xian said. "I'm not calm because I trust the Force or the Jedi. I'm calm because panicking gets you killed."

Another turn. The corridor split ahead.

"And for the record," she went on, tone lightening just a fraction, "I don't answer to the Jedi anymore. I'm apprenticed to Diarch Rellik." That earned a brief, almost amused shake of her head. "Which means I'm very used to situations going wrong," she finished. "And very good at getting out anyway."

Then, as if the words had loosened something deeper, her voice shifted—not softer, but more honest. "I didn't leave because I hated the Jedi," Xian said, breath still steady. "They just kept leaving." The admission landed heavier than the sprint.

"I had five masters," she continued. "Maybe more, depending on how you count the ones who disappeared before they ever bothered saying goodbye. Reassignments. Deaths. Transfers. 'Temporary' postings that became permanent absences." A thin edge of humor touched her voice. "So I learned not to expect anyone to stay."

She lifted a hand, signaling sharply toward the left path. "Rellik found me on Castell. Didn't promise salvation. Didn't pretend the galaxy was kinder than it is. Just offered me a place where people stay."

They pushed forward together, boots pounding in unison.

"So when alarms go off, and things start shooting?" Xian added, a faint grin cutting through the seriousness. "I don't panic. I've already lived through worse than automated defenses."

She leaned slightly closer as they ran, voice low and certain. "And whatever you're feeling pulling at your instincts right now?" Her eyes stayed forward, unwavering. "Trust me. It's not the right way out. Run faster. We'll—"

She stopped short. Not abruptly—never that—but sharply enough that Jerrik nearly collided with her shoulder as she skidded to a halt. Xian's hand snapped up, palm out, a silent command to stop.

The corridor ahead had changed.

A figure stood between them and the exit, framed by flickering emergency lights and drifting smoke. Tall. Armored. Not a turret. Not a drone. A man—broad-shouldered, helmeted, a heavy blaster already raised with practiced ease. The kind of presence that didn't rush, didn't shout, didn't need alarms to announce itself.

Xian's stance shifted instantly, weight settling, center of gravity dropping as the Force coiled tight and ready beneath her skin.

"…Okay," she said under her breath, a calm edge returning even now. "This is new." Her dark eyes flicked sideways to Jerrik, sharp and assessing. "Change of plans," she murmured. "When I say run—don't hesitate."

Jerrik Molten

 

[Jerrik Molten]

As running continued throughout the massive facility, both Xian and Jerrik were holding a meaningful conversation, all while they tried to escape any type of danger that may come their way. The fact that Xian was no longer a Jedi had Jerrik a bit surprised, but his focus remained on the constant running and attempting to follow Xian in the process. Both were cutting corners, sprinting down the long hallways, and making their way through several different corridors within the building. Escape was the only thing on their minds, besides the small conversations that were going on in the process of it all.

When Xian explained their reasoning for leaving the Jedi, Jerrik knew they already had a lot in common, especially with their masters leaving them in the middle of training them. It was one disaster after another and Jerrik was sick of being trained by several people, rather than the one that was supposed to train him from the very start. It was annoying, which started to turn to anger. Eventually, the young boy felt a deep hatred, which resulted in him fleeing to live on their own. Was it another mistake, yes. Would Jerrik regret his decision on that day, not at all. It was a spot in his life that helped develop him to become stronger by surviving on their own.

The moment Xian mentioned her current master and what they had offered, it felt that destiny was finally looking realistic. Maybe their meeting would lead to Jerrik training with someone who actually cared about their growth, without having to worry about them leaving unless something bad were to happen. Regardless, he felt a sudden sense of relief, knowing that his future would not be shrouded by complete darkness. "I have a feeling that we will be talking more when this is finished." He finally replied, keeping things short because of what was to come.

The feeling deep in the pit of Jerrik’s stomach was the force warning him of the danger ahead. It wasn’t an ability the young man knew he possessed, but it was one that would prove useful in most situations, especially when his life was on the line. What he felt was a large man, broad shoulders, like he never skipped a day in the gym their whole life. Jerrik and Xian were tiny compared to this man and what made it worse, is the mere fact that this armored warrior was equipped with a heavy blaster, aimed directly in the duo’s direction. "Oh, great, another obstacle in our way." He said, as Xian motioned for them to stop, so he did exactly as he was asked.

It felt like an eternity that they both stood there, waiting to come up with some sort of plan to either escape this armored being, or take it down as a team. Either way, Jerrik remained nearly as calm as Xian in the moment. She demanded he run on her call, so he nodded happily, before crouching into a defensive stance just in case the warrior would open fire on them. "If that thing shoots, I will do my best to distract it so you can find an opening for a surprise attack." He mentioned quickly with both eyes still on the armored warrior.

Xian Xiao​

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[Xian Xiao]

Xian didn't answer him right away.

She slowed with deliberate control, one boot sliding half a step back as she settled her weight and let her breathing even out, despite the burn still singing through her legs from the sprint. The corridor felt wrong in the way she had learned to trust long before today—too narrow, too focused, the Force tightening around a single point ahead of them like a held fist. She felt him before she fully saw him: dense, anchored, disciplined, a presence that didn't roam or hunt but held. A wall that had decided it was the law.

Her dark eyes flicked once to Jerrik, quick and assessing. His stance was low, ready. No panic. No wasted motion. Good. He was listening. That mattered more than power ever did.

"Don't distract him," she said quietly, not unkind, but firm in a way that left no room for debate. "He's not chasing ghosts."

The armored man stood squarely between them and the exit, weapon steady, posture unchanged. He didn't shift his feet. Didn't test angles. Didn't react to noise, heat, or threat. His focus was them, and it didn't waver. That told her everything.

Xian exhaled slowly through her nose and let her weight sink into her heels, shoulders loosening as the Force coiled inward instead of flaring out. No spectacle. No fire. No tricks. Just pressure, alignment, intent. She met the man's visor levelly, without challenge and without submission, and felt his attention lock onto her center mass exactly as she expected.

"He's trained to hold a line," she murmured under her breath. "Which means he's committed."

Her gaze cut past him to the door behind—distance, hinge placement, the way the air currents bent faintly around the frame. Then she glanced to the side corridors, narrow and long, perfect channels for force to move through.

She shifted her shoulders once, fingers flexing as if shaking off nerves. In truth, she was grounding—syncing breath to muscle, muscle to space, space to flow.

"I'm not going to bait him," she added, almost amused. "I'm going to relocate him." She took one measured step forward. Not a rush. Not a threat. Just enough. The man tracked her instantly. Weapon followed. Focus narrowed. Good. "When I say run," she said to Jerrik without looking at him, voice calm and razor-clear, "you don't hesitate. You don't look back. You go through."

The Force gathered—not as heat, not as flame, but as wind under compression. The air around Xian thickened subtly, pressure building in invisible layers that made the hair on her arms lift and the lights hum faintly. She rolled her neck once, slow and loose, eyes never leaving the armored figure.

"I'll make the door," she finished quietly. "You take it." Then she moved. Not forward. Sideways.

Xian pivoted sharply, planting her back foot and twisting her torso as both hands cut through the air in a smooth, brutal arc. The Force answered immediately. Air didn't rush—it collapsed, snapping sideways in a concussive blast that hit the armored man like a freight speeder at full burn.

The impact wasn't explosive. It was overwhelming.

The man's feet tore free from the floor as the compressed wind slammed into his flank, lifting and hurling him bodily down the adjacent corridor. Armor shrieked against durasteel as he crashed through a railing and vanished in a thunderous clatter of metal and flesh, carried by the roaring current Xian drove after him to keep him down.

The doorway behind him stood suddenly, violently clear.

"NOW," Xian barked, already sprinting.

She caught Jerrik's sleeve as she passed—not pulling, just ensuring momentum—and drove straight for the exit, boots hammering the floor as the last of the displaced air howled down the side passage and died out in a fading roar. They burst through the door together, alarms echoing behind them, cold air slamming into their faces as the facility fell away. Xian didn't slow until they'd cleared the threshold and the door sealed behind them. Only then did she risk a glance back at Jerrik, breath finally sharp with exertion rather than restraint. A quick, feral grin cut across her face.

"You were right," she said between breaths. "We are talking after this." Then she turned forward again, already moving, already focused. "But first," she added lightly, "we make sure we're not standing in front of someone who doesn't know how to fall."

Jerrik Molten

 

[Jerrik Molten]

Whether Jerrik Molten liked it or not, Xian was in complete control of the entire situation, disagreeing with his suggestion to distract the armored being. He did not take any offence to what was said because what was most important right now was getting out alive with the datapack they stole. The facility was armed with defenses up and down the entire building, giving the duo very little chances of escape. The odds may have been against them both, but they worked together, like a well-oiled machinery ready to obliterate anything in its path.

As plans seemed to change from a distraction to letting Xian conjure up the force to help them clear a path to the next corridor. Jerrik stood right beside the woman, listening to their every word carefully. She was clearly more intelligent than Jerrik and definitely outweighed the man in pure strength, along with their control of the force itself. Their training showed and it was alluring, to say the least. Jerrik would cling to Xian. Not for power, or even knowledge, but because of the experience she showed. It meant everything in dire situations and Jerrik wanted to be exactly like that. "Do as you please, m’lady." He responded with a nod, watching them carefully from the corner of their eye, while focusing on the exact moment Xian would signal for him to run.

Every movement Xian made in the process of controlling the force at their will, pushing the armored being aside with ease, crushing them against the durasteel, then watched as the body bounced off the railing, falling into the dark abyss below. It was amazing, especially the sheer power and force the young woman used to get rid of the armored man. The sound of her voice was the signal, and it caused Jerrik to slightly slip on the grated metal under their feet, but he managed to get the proper footing and darted straight through the door as instructed. Xian was at his side and the door slid shut behind them as they finally made it out. "Every time we do something like this, everything seems to go wrong. I fuckin’ love it!" He spoke with adrenaline bursting through their body.

What followed for Jerrik was heavy breathing from the constant running and worrying if they would escape unharmed. Fortunately for Jerrik Molten, he was able to heal the wounds suffered from the hanging clanker. He felt pathetic, unworthy, and defeated all at once, even if they were to escape fully, it felt like a small part of the young man was broken from taking such a minor injury during a life-or-death situation. Training was needed and it was also something the young man craved more than anything. Why? He wanted to learn how to control everything. His emotions, the power he would gain, the knowledge absorbed, even the force itself.

Once Xian began to trek forward once more, Jerrik was quick to follow, knowing that she was the core reason for them getting this far. In the end, he would make sure that she knew exactly how he felt. But as for now, he listened to her words and smiled warmly. The mood changed instantly at the light-hearted joke she made, which eventually caused him to chuckle lightly. "Thank you," He said, while making his way right beside the female. "It it weren’t for you, I would have been fodder back there." He admitted, looking forward at where they were currently going.

Xian Xiao​

​

 

[Xian Xiao]

Xian didn't answer him right away as they moved together across the open landing grounds, the heavy structure of the facility already falling away behind them into the darkness as though it had never tried to swallow them whole. The air outside was cold and sharp after the recycled sterility of the corridors, carrying the distant hum of machinery, the low vibration of traffic lanes, and the faint metallic scent of industry that clung to the edges of the city even at night. No alarms followed them, no shouted orders or blaster fire tore after their retreat, and that absence was almost louder than noise, a fragile quiet that felt earned but not yet secure.

Their pace naturally slowed from a sprint into a measured walk, boots crunching softly over frost-dusted gravel as they angled toward the shadowed silhouette of their waiting ship, half-hidden among stacked cargo containers and service pylons. Xian didn't need to look long to know where it was; familiarity and the Force alike guided her, her awareness stretched outward even as her posture stayed loose, unhurried, giving no indication of how closely she tracked the space around them. The Force felt calm in the way a sky did before weather shifted, not peaceful, not dangerous, but poised, as though the galaxy itself were deciding what came next.

When Jerrik spoke, she glanced sideways at him, taking in the lingering adrenaline that still rode him hard, the tension that hadn't yet bled out of his shoulders, the way his attention kept drifting between her and the darkness ahead. She recognized it immediately, because she'd worn it often enough herself.

"You're welcome," Xian said at last, her voice steady and unstrained, carrying easily through the open air. "And you're wrong about one thing."

Her gaze slid forward again, dark eyes sweeping the space ahead not out of fear but out of habit, measuring angles, distances, and the kinds of places trouble preferred to hide.

"You weren't fodder," she continued calmly. "You listened. You moved when I told you to move. You didn't freeze when it mattered." She paused only briefly, just long enough for the truth of it to settle. "That's how people stay alive."

They fell into step beside one another without comment, their strides aligning naturally as the silence between them shifted into something steadier, no longer strained or awkward but shaped by shared danger and mutual understanding. It was the kind of quiet that didn't demand filling, the type that came after surviving something that could have gone very differently.

"We work well together," Xian added after a moment, still not looking at him as she said it, as if she were stating a simple fact rather than offering praise. "That doesn't happen often."

A faint trace of amusement touched her expression, subtle enough that it might have been missed if one didn't know how to look.

"And yes," she went on, that edge of humor threading a little more clearly into her tone, "I would do it again. Preferably without automated defenses and badly placed turrets."

The outline of the ship grew clearer as they approached, its familiar shape resolving between the cargo stacks, lights dark and quiet, close enough now that escape felt tangible rather than theoretical. Almost there, close enough to believe they might actually leave this behind them.

Almost.

That was when she felt it, not danger itself, but the suggestion of it, a faint pressure brushing against her awareness through the Force, like the distant roll of thunder that warned of a storm still gathering out of sight. Whatever waited next wouldn't rush them here or announce itself with alarms and flashing lights; it would wait until they believed the worst was over.

Xian didn't slow, didn't turn her head, didn't allow that awareness to show in her posture.

"Don't get comfortable," she said quietly, the words meant for him but born of experience rather than fear. "If something's coming, it won't hit us back there. It'll wait until we think we're safe."

Her eyes stayed forward, her movements composed and deliberate as she continued toward the ship, every part of her ready even as she allowed the quiet to exist for the moment.

"But for now," she added, letting the stillness stretch around them like a fragile gift neither of them could afford to waste, "we have this."

And she kept walking, fully aware that this calm was not an ending, only the narrow space between one danger and the next.

Jerrik Molten

 

[Jerrik Molten]

With the military facility fading behind them, both Xian and Jerrik continued with haste because there was still the possibility that they could get caught. It was highly unlikely with the way they worked together, but they both always knew to never say never. The Landing Grounds is where they ended up, walking through carefully in order to keep away from any remaining security. It was silent for the time being, the only thing making any noise was the sound of their boots bouncing off the frozen gravel beneath their feet.

As they began to walk past some cargo containers that were lined up against a railing, that was when Xian finally responded. His eyes shifted in her direction, but his feet continued to trek forward through the uneven gravel. When she finished speaking, a warm smile drifted across his face because of how she praised the young man’s actions just a short while ago. "Yeah, but we made it out because of your poise, determination, and the ability to lead. Without that, I would have certainly been fodder." He admitted sheepishly. Jerrik lacked confidence and other things, which would have caused him to fail this mission alone. Thankfully, Xian was by his side, commanding every situation with ease, allowing them to escape the facility with their lives.

After Xian mentioned the fact that they worked well together, Jerrik nodded right away because he felt the same thing. Xian commanded every situation, but Jerrik listened and they both were able to escape without either one getting seriously injured. Jerrik did get shot on the ass cheek, but the young man managed to heal the wound with the help of the force. Something that rarely happened, but it was the situation that brought out the ability to heal for him. "Maybe that’s why we were brought together in the first place. To keep this going." He spoke, pointing to Xian and himself in the process.

When they could begin to see the ship more clearly in the distance, Jerrik looked over at Xian and noticed that something was wrong. It was their expression, almost as if something bad happened without him knowing. Either way, the young man didn’t waste time finding out what was bothering her. "Aye, Xi, everything good?" He asked curiously, closing the distance between the two to allow the woman to feel a bit more at ease. Whatever it was, Jerrik did not recognize the look she had on their face. Jerrik had no idea what was going to happen because his thoughts were clouded by the sheer fact that he knew something was on the mind of Xian..

Xian Xiao​

​

 

[Xian Xiao]

Xian didn't answer him immediately.

Her pace slowed by half a step—not enough to stop, not enough to draw attention—but enough that Jerrik would feel it if he was paying attention. Her gaze stayed forward, fixed on the dark outline of the ship ahead, on the empty stretch of landing grounds that felt too empty. The silence pressed in around them, thick and watchful, and the Force tugged at her awareness like a warning whispered just below the surface of thought.

"Not bad," she said at last, voice low and measured. "Just not done."

She exhaled slowly through her nose, breath fogging faintly in the cold air as her fingers flexed at her side, grounding herself in the moment. The feeling wasn't panic. It never was. It was the same instinct that had kept her alive through battles far worse than this—through ambushes, through chaos, through the kind of violence that didn't announce itself with alarms.

"We cleared the building," she continued, glancing sideways at him now, dark eyes steady. "But places like this don't just let people walk away clean. There's always a second layer. Someone whose job it is to make sure the story doesn't end well."

Her gaze flicked back ahead, scanning the containers, the shadows between them, the long stretch of open ground they still had to cross.

"I can feel it," Xian admitted quietly. "Not a direction yet. Just pressure. Like the air before a storm breaks."

Then she looked at him again, and this time, the edge softened.

"But," she added, a faint, genuine smile touching her mouth, "I'm glad you're here for it." She didn't dress it up. Didn't turn it into bravado. "You kept pace. You listened. You didn't freeze when things went wrong," she said. "That matters. Most people don't realize how rare that is until it's too late."

She adjusted her stride so they were walking shoulder to shoulder now, close enough that their arms nearly brushed.

"So no," Xian finished calmly. "We're not clear yet. But whatever's waiting? We'll handle it. Together."

Her eyes lifted again toward the ship, posture subtly shifting, not tense, not aggressive, but ready.

"Just don't be surprised if this gets loud again."

Jerrik Molten

 

[Jerrik Molten]

Both Jerrik and Xian continued on towards the silhouette of the ship ahead of them, but Jerrik knew that something was bothering Xian, even noticed the pace of her walking slow by just a hair. He didn’t bother to go on about, only to sense exactly what was ahead. Jerrik couldn’t make it out, nor did it have a sense of familiarity to him, but it was enough to shift things in the air, almost as if something was warning him of what was to come. He ignored it only because his mind was more focused on what thoughts Xian was currently having.

Xian’s voice filled the cold air, reassuring Jerrik that they were not done yet. He knew exactly what she meant and the only thing he could do at the moment was to keep pace with Xian, and focus on how to get back on the ship without dying beforehand. "Right," He replied to how Xian explained the feeling she was having. It could only mean one thing and Jerrik may have not been completely prepared because of what happened earlier, but the young man would do his best to ensure they would make it back alive and well.

Together was the only way they would make it out of this and Jerrik was not afraid to admit that he needed Xian. She zipped through the facility with ease, commanding them both to safety in the end. But for now, it felt like Jerrik would have to do better than before to prove to Xian that he wasn’t just good at taking orders. Pride, honor, and Jerrik’s dignity was on the line, none of which he wanted to lose, especially in the presence of someone like Xian. For the time being, he remained vigilant, focused, and determined on allowing this feeling to guide him. That feeling was the force, trying to teach the young man not to control the feeling, but follow it with their heart. "Together." He reassured, pressing forward slowly with Xian by their side.

Xian Xiao​

​

 

[Xian Xiao]

The landing grounds stretched open around them, a broad expanse of frost-dusted duracrete broken up by cargo pylons, fuel lines, and stacked containers that cast long, skeletal shadows beneath the perimeter lights. The cold out here was sharper than inside the facility, unfiltered and honest, biting through fabric and breath alike. Somewhere overhead, a patrol beacon swept the sky in a slow, methodical arc, its light never quite touching the ground where they walked.

Their ship waited ahead, unmistakable now—dark hull. Familiar lines. Close enough that Xian could already feel the echo of safety it promised, sealed bulkheads, humming systems, a place where pursuit became harder, and decisions could be made with air in their lungs instead of alarms clawing at their backs.

And still, she slowed. Not from fatigue. Not from doubt. Because the Force had tightened.

It was no longer a warning brushing at the edges of her awareness, but something denser and more deliberate, anchored like gravity bending toward a single point ahead of them. The night itself seemed to lean in that direction. Sound dulled. The air thickened just enough that her next breath felt measured instead of automatic.

She adjusted her pace by a fraction, just enough for Jerrik to notice if he was listening.

"Yeah," she answered quietly when he reassured her, voice low and steady. "Together."

They took three more steps. Then the shadows moved.

A figure separated itself from the darkness near the outer cargo pylons, not emerging so much as resolving, as if he had been standing there long enough for the world to forget him. He was tall and broad through the shoulders, built with the kind of dense efficiency that came from function rather than vanity. His armor was a layered composite rather than heavy plate, flexible and worn, marked by repair rather than decoration. A long coat hung open over it, shifting with the breeze, its hem whispering against the frozen ground as he advanced.

He did not rush toward them. He did not square his shoulders in an aggressive display, nor did he snap his weapon into place with impatience or threat.

That restraint told Xian more than any shouted challenge ever could.

This was not a guard arriving late to an alarm, nor was it brute muscle sent forward to slow them down through sheer force. The way he stood there, centered and unhurried, made it clear he had been deployed deliberately, positioned ahead of their escape route with the expectation that they would eventually arrive here. He had not been sent to chase them.

He had been sent to wait.

She felt his attention settle fully onto them, calm and exacting, like the weight of a sight picture locking into place. The Force around him was quiet in a way that prickled her skin, not empty or dead, but disciplined and contained. He was not reaching outward, not broadcasting intent or emotion. He was present, aligned, and certain.

And of course, the exit lay directly behind him.

Xian came to a stop, boots crunching softly on the frozen gravel. She did not reach for her saber. She did not raise her hands. She shifted her weight and met his gaze, letting him see that she was not startled, not scrambling, not trying to bluff her way past him.

Her voice stayed low, meant only for Jerrik.

"This is the last gate," she murmured, tone steady and sure. "He isn't here to chase us or drive us back. He's here to decide whether we get through."

Her eyes flicked once to the man's stance, then to the space behind him, the open stretch of duracrete leading straight to their ship, the angles of the containers, the way the wind curled and rebounded between structures.

"He's organic," she continued quietly. "Trained. Focused. And he knows exactly where we're going."

She shifted her stance just enough to open her body to multiple lines of movement, presenting a smaller target without retreating. Her shoulders relaxed as her breath slowed, the Force threading through muscle and bone without flaring or spectacle, simply present and ready.

"I can move him," Xian said honestly, without embellishment or pride. "Hard and fast."

She let the pause settle, long enough for the option to exist without forcing it.

"But that's not the only way out of this."

She remained aware of Jerrik beside her, coiled and ready in his own way, and she did not overwrite that. The Force was not asking her to command him, only to coordinate.

"If you want to draw him," she added softly, "or split his focus, or test him before we commit, do it. I'll adjust."

The man finally raised his weapon, not snapping it into place, but lifting it with deliberate control, the barrel tracking between them as if weighing which of them mattered more.

Xian inhaled once, slow and steady, and took a single step forward. Not aggressive. Not submissive. Just enough to claim presence.

"Whatever you choose," she said quietly to Jerrik, certainty woven through the words, "we don't freeze." Her eyes sharpened, calm settling into her posture like the stillness before a storm. "We act."

And she waited, not for permission or rescue, but for Jerrik to decide how he wanted to meet what came next.

Jerrik Molten

 

[Jerrik Molten]

The ship was now closer than ever and both Xian and Jerrik could feel its safety with every step they made forward. But that safety would soon be replaced with danger, one that would give them both a run for their money if they didn’t work together like before. When Xian said the word ‘together’ it gave the young man the confidence he needed to keep pushing forward. "Good, then we kick some ass again, then get the hell out of this place," He replied, pressing forward with Xian directly by his side.

When they took three more steps from when Jerrik last spoke, that’s when the shadow in the distance moved, a large figure moved deliberately in their direction, making sure that he was finally noticed by the duo to hopefully scare them off. But that was not the case. Instead, Xian and Jerrik stood their ground, watching the man move closer with each step. That was when Xian explained the figures' intentions, just by how they held themself, showing no fear, no hesitation, and not a care in the world if they make it away with their life.

Xian commented on how she could easily move the man with the help of the force, but the female didn’t want to take the fun away from Jerrik, asking if he would like to do things his way. "That might work if my lightsaber wasn’t trashed. I mostly just flash it around and people run away, like I am some sort of god or something." He finished speaking, with a slight panic in their tone of voice.

Whatever they were to do, it had to be done quickly because the being was closing the distance much faster than Jerrik anticipated. "Instead of pushing him out of the way, pull him towards us as fast as you possibly can. I am going to take their head off with my feet." He demanded, pressing each boot onto the grated steel beneath their feet to ensure better grip for what was to come. It may have not been the brightest plan, but Jerrik had some built up anger that needed to be expelled through a nasty beating.

Xian Xiao​

​

 

[Xian Xiao]

Xian didn't interrupt him.

She listened while he spoke, really listened, tracking the shift in his posture, the way his weight settled into his boots, the edge of anger sharpening into resolve. The ship was close enough now that she could almost hear its systems humming, close enough to taste escape, and that proximity made the tension in the air feel sharper rather than easier. The enforcer was closing the distance with deliberate confidence, every step measured, unhurried, as though he already believed the outcome belonged to him.

When Jerrik finished, Xian let out a slow breath through her nose, the faintest hint of a smile touching one corner of her mouth. Not amusement. Approval.

"That's not panic," she said quietly. "That's commitment."

She shifted her stance, boots finding purchase on the frozen durasteel as she angled her body slightly, opening herself to the Force without flaring it outward. The air around them began to change, subtle at first, the way pressure shifts before a storm breaks. She could feel the enforcer's mass through the Force, dense and anchored, a presence that resisted being moved because it was used to holding ground.

Pulling him would be harder than throwing him.

Harder meant interesting.

"I won't rip him apart for you," Xian continued, voice calm and even, pitched low so it carried only to Jerrik. "But I can unbalance him. Fast. Enough to bring him exactly where you want him."

Her eyes flicked once to the man's center of mass, then to the space just in front of them, already calculating angles, timing, how much force it would take to break his perfect control without turning him into a projectile they couldn't predict.

"When I pull," she added, grounding the words in certainty, "he's going to fight it. He'll plant, brace, and try to counter. That's your window."

The air thickened another degree, invisible but undeniable, pressure coiling around Xian's core as she let the Force gather inward rather than explode outward. Her hands remained loose at her sides, fingers relaxed, betraying nothing of what was about to happen.

"Don't aim for where he is," she said softly. "Aim for where he's going to be when his balance lies to him."

The enforcer was close now. Too close for speeches. Close enough that Xian could see the scarring on his armor, the calm certainty in his movement, the absolute lack of doubt in his approach.

She rolled her shoulders once, slow and deliberate, eyes never leaving the target.

"On my mark," Xian said, the Force humming just beneath her skin. "Make it count."

And then she waited, coiled and ready, letting Jerrik decide exactly how he wanted to meet the moment she tore the ground out from under their enemy's certainty.

"Three, two...one."

Jerrik Molten

 

[Jerrik Molten]

Jerrik stood grounded, both feet planted onto the frozen grates under their feet, while preparing for what was to come. Xian didn’t interrupt the young man, only to complement their commitment to the plan. He ignored the words for now, eyes staring forward on the figure that continued to come their way. Whoever it was, Jerrik wanted to end the conflict with haste and finally make their way back to base. With an obstacle of sorts in their way, both Xian and Jerrik would have to make sure their teamwork was on point, no mistakes to possibly keep the thing in their alive.

As Xian explained exactly what she was going to do in order to peel away the opening needed for Jerrik to strike, the young man let a soft nod confirm that her plan was perfect. "Don’t worry, this won’t last long." Jerrik spoke calmly, allowing the force to wrap around him once more, preparing for what he was about to do. His eyes glared forward with only one thing on their mind, and that was the absolute end to this man trekking forth. He wanted nothing more than to just got him where he stood, but the idea of trying to decapitate him felt a bit more comforting to Jerrik in the moment.

Before Xian started counting down, Jerrik could feel that familiar sense of comfort swirling not only around himself, but it flowed strongly around Xian, as if the young woman trained their entire life with it by their side. He didn’t let that distract him. Instead, it was a motivator that made Jerrik Molten want to push themselves to the limit, or even further if it was possible. Nothing bugged him more than the sheer fact that he was untrained, unwanted, and not worthy of proper development. Jerrik may have felt lost in such a huge galaxy, but deep within the young man, he also knew that his destiny was more than just craving what he did not have.

Three, two, one. Jerrik’s pulse increased heavily the moment he heard those words, but it was the adrenaline, the force, and his will to follow through that had him feeling such things. Before Xian could even tell him to go, Jerrik pushed off the ground, nearly slipping in the process, but managed to regain their footing, and sprint straight towards the man walking their way. The sound of Jerrik’s boots bouncing off the durasteel beneath them was heard, echoing through the distance of where all this was going down. Instead of pouncing for the attack, Jerrik waited for the moment Xian would use the force to pull them, that was the opening he needed to ensure this would end now.

Xian Xiao​

​

 

[Xian Xiao]

Xian felt the instant Jerrik committed.

Not when his boots slipped and recovered, not when his stride lengthened into a full sprint, but in the subtle way his presence sharpened in the Force, intent crystallizing into a single, forward-driving line. He was no longer hesitating or measuring himself against what he lacked. He was moving, and that was enough.

She did not repeat the count. She did not need to.

The moment his weight fully left the hesitation behind, Xian released what she had been holding.

The air around the enforcer collapsed inward.

Not as a visible blast, not as a dramatic shockwave, but as a sudden, violent distortion of pressure and direction. Xian pulled laterally and forward at the same time, twisting the currents around the man's center of mass instead of yanking him cleanly off his feet. She felt his discipline immediately, the way he tried to plant, to root himself through muscle and training, boots grinding against frozen durasteel as he resisted the pull.

Good, she thought. Fight it.

The resistance gave her exactly what she needed.

She tightened the vector, not increasing raw force, but changing the angle, letting the enforcer's own counter-effort work against him. The air hooked around his shoulders and hips, dragging his balance forward and to the side, forcing his upper body to move faster than his legs could follow. His weapon came up a fraction too late, stance breaking as his weight betrayed him exactly as she had predicted.

Xian stepped once to the side, clearing the lane without ever taking her eyes off the man, her focus locked and precise. She kept the pull active just long enough to deny him recovery, just long enough to make the world lie to him about where the ground was.

"Now," she said, voice sharp and perfectly timed, cutting through the rush of displaced air.

She released the Force a heartbeat later, not because she was finished, but because Jerrik needed the opening clean. The enforcer staggered forward into empty space, momentum carrying him precisely where Xian had shaped the moment to place him, his center exposed, his certainty shattered.

Xian remained grounded, coiled, ready to react again if she had to. But she did not interfere. This part was Jerrik's. And whatever choice he made in that split second, she would be there to adapt, to reinforce, to finish it if needed. For now, she trusted him to step into the opening she had torn out of the air itself.

Jerrik Molten

 

[Jerrik Molten]

As Xian began to muster the force around the incoming man, Jerrik could see the being jerk slightly in such an odd way that the young man knew exactly what was going on. He cracked a smirk and continued to run forward as fast as he possibly could until it was the right moment to attack. He was closing the distance immensely, waiting for the man to drop their guard from being shifted around suddenly with the help of the force. Xian may have not been the one doing the damage, but without their help in this very moment, Jerrik would certainly have his hands full.

The moment Xian alerted Jerrik to attack, he unknowingly used the force to push off the ground, causing him to leap forward in the blink of an eye. He quickly turned his body in position so that their feet were now aimed directly at the man’s head. But before contact was made, Jerrik managed to spin in circles, like a football being thrown down the field. It was a beautiful sight, indeed. It felt like he was in the air forever, spinning in circles over and over again. Normally Jerrik would get sick from spinning so much, but it was like his entire body let out every weakness, while trying to destroy this man in one quick attempt.

BOOM!! Jerrik’s boots scraped against the face of the unknown man only for a split second, then the young man passed by and landed several feet behind their last obstacle. The man seemed to wobble around for a few seconds, before finally flopping forward onto their face. Blood poured out on the durasteel and their heart stopped a couple seconds later. "Is it over?!" He shouted, hoping that everything had come to an end. Whether or not their little heist was over, Jerrik began to walk towards the lifeless body to inspect it.

As Jerrik began to rummage through the being’s belongings, he came across a small patch that was stitched upon the side of their leg. It was a Mythosaur symbol, meaning that this man was a Mandalorian of some sort. "Xi, come check this out." He spoke with urgency in their voice, hoping that Xian may have some information on what they may have gotten themselves into. Regardless, Jerrik remained calm and waited for Xian to put their opinion on the matter.

Xian Xiao​

​