With So Little to Be Sure Of | First Order

[Caid Centurion]

Caid had been on the flight deck of the shuttle. He was not the original spacecraft commander, but he'd rather insisted on aiding in the approach profile to the ground. Translation: He'd basically commandeered the vessel. There was rarely ever any arguing with a Knight of Ren. The moment they were skids down, Caid had flipped the toggle to alter the lighting in the main cabin, indicating all personnel were clear to disembark. From the cockpit of the vessel, Caid watched as the team approached their primary insertion point into the compound before turning to the other pilot. "Things are going to go sideways pretty fast. Once bodies start dropping, the focus of the personnel in this base will be on combating our people and conversely attempting to prepare the hostage for an expedited evac."

Caid's fingers danced over the joint tactical display between their respective seats, calling up the latest recon map of the area. "There. Re-position to that ridge. The weather should help to conceal the vessel's presence. Just enough power to keep medium-range communications intact. Bundle up because it's going to get real cold, real fast without life support active. I'll be in touch. You see vessel's start to depart, you power up and get on the line with command."

Without bothering to wait for a reply, Caid departed the flight deck and slid down a ladder into the troop bay. The flight crew still onboard were already tending to gear in the main compartment as Caid pulled the fur-lined hood of his cold weather gear over his head. "Stay vigilant, gentlemen." Depressing a button, he cycled open the loading ramp, allowing a bone-chilling gust of freezing air to rush into the compartment. Pulling goggles down over his eyes, Caid darted out into the elements and towards the entrance to the facility. He'd made it no more than a handful of steps before the blast door was blown open by [member="Cyran Khun"].

Ducking just inside behind the last soldiers, Caid silently pulled off his goggles and stowed them. Likewise, he discarded the heavy cold-weather coat he was wearing, stowing it behind a series of containers. It would merely hinder his movement the deeper they went into the facility, and it would inevitably contribute to over-heating of his body. Beneath the heavy coat, Caid had merely been wearing a pair of warm-weather black fatigues and a long-sleeved thermal white base-layer that conformed to his athletic frame for ease of movement and layering.

Silver-green eyes danced briefly over the man that quickly searched a body. Caid recognized him...government official of some sort? Didn't really matter. Their purpose here was limited in scope, and they had already announced to the entire base they were here. "We are all going to die if we linger in any corridor for too long. This facility is undoubtedly massive, and we have precious little intelligence."

A pause.

"We don't have enough personnel to make splitting up very effective just yet." Casting a sidelong glance at the alluring redhead, Caid indicated [member="Isla Ashen"] before completing his thought. "We can do our best to stay ahead of the power curve a bit, but we need some solid information." Shifting his gaze to the others, Caid posed a quick question. "Any of you adept at slicing?" Immediately, Caid decided no response was required, so he waved a dismissive hand. "If you are and we come across a terminal, a facility diagram would be rather helpful. If you can localize the location of the objective, even better."

As if on cue, Caid felt it, the approach of more troops. Blaster fire erupted just as the silver-blade of Caid's weapon came to life, attempting to block what errant bolts he could as he moved towards cover briefly. Forcing himself to focus, Caid inhaled before emerging from his temporary cover from a different position which he used to enter. The silver-blade danced in front of his eyes as he moved from position of cover to position of cover, attempting to advance upon the newly arrived troops.

[member="Itaska Relens"] | [member="Natasi Fortan"]

 

[Isla Ashen]

An unfamiliar voice rang out behind them, Isla turned just slightly to see that [member="Caid Centurion"] had joined them. His imposing presence would likely have been fearsome to most, but Isla was not easily intimidated. Isla noticed that his gaze was green like hers, but his eyes had a silvery sheen that set him apart. He was right, they needed to keep moving.

Isla let her gaze find Caid out of the corner of her eyes as he spoke, she agreed that they would do well to find strength in numbers and stay together. She nodded slightly to acknowledge his statement. When the topic turned to slicing, Isla’s forefinger found Agent Kuhn, she assumed that he would be the best suited for that job. But there was no time left for more words.

Her head turned sharply as she felt it, the presence of more troops. There were images of boots and blasters in her mind, and she ignited her saber again. Blaster fire marked the start of their second brush with the Resistance fighters, and she joined Caid in attempting to deflect what fire she could. Hopefully their combined effort had allowed enough time for the others to ready their weapons, collect themselves, or to find cover.

It was clear that the group had their work cut out for them, but they needed to push steadily forward.

Isla had caught sight of a silver blade blazing a path, attempting to advance. She sent a glance over her shoulder, just to make sure everyone behind her was still fit. However, this momentary distraction had nearly cost her dearly – she felt the heat of a blaster bot cutting through the air next to her right cheek. Too close.

[member="Max Fel"], [member="Cyran Khun"], [member="Itaska Relens"], [member="Natasi Fortan"]

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Captain Arandil stood over his monitors and grimaced as static overtook the guards' voice lines. He knew he should have kept some of the better men for this. The newer, greener ones that High Command had reluctantly allowed him to keep were not as useful as the others would have been. Damnation. Still, he would not turn this base over without a fight, that much he was sure of. "Someone get me some intelligence," he shouted into the channel. "Aurek and Besh, seal off that tunnel. Do not let them reach the command center!" He himself couldn't stay there, and he didn't want to face them until the Fortan situation was dealt with...

He scurried out of the command center with his personal guards, but in his haste, left behind a datastick plugged into the computer.

The sound of gunfire echoed off the walls, giving lie to just how small the base was with so much of its interior in ruins. He checked his blaster pack and nodded. Good enough.

Meanwhile, Besh squad which had been in the command center improvised a barrier with the chairs and movable desks in the command center to block off the corner of the tunnel, which would force the First Order team to either overcome it, or cut through the small supply closet-turned-shortcut, which they would be covering from relatively good vantage points a short way down either cavern.

[member="Max Fel"] | [member="Cyran Khun"] | [member="Itaska Relens"] | [member="Isla Ashen"] | [member="Caid Centurion"]

 

[Cyran Khun]

[member="Natasi Fortan"] | [member="Isla Ashen"] | [member="Caid Centurion"] | [member="Max Fel"]

Cyran sat in the snow for a while longer before confirming the troops were dead. Advancing behind the Dark Jedi, the Agent kept his weapon level and steady, eyes shifting around the tunnel with experienced routine. Sure, every base was different to some extent, but the Resistance was predictable. Their asset was the recycling of ex-military bases, abandoned by either the Galactic Alliance, or the Republic. Their guerrilla tactics gave them an edge, in most cases, but it meant they were generally unaccustomed to defending their own turf. For an offensive unit like Cyran, that was good. It made his job a lot easier.

"The terminals won't do us any good unless we either capture the command centre, or the server room." He announced, walking in on the newcomer's plan. For whatever reason, the First Order had sent another force-user to cover them. He had a regal look to him, and somehow, he doubted that ornate lightsaber was decorative. "They'll either cut us out of the system, or keep locking these damn doors-"

As if on cue, a large thumping echoed through the facility, and blaster fire lit up their small chamber. Cautiously, Cyran stepped back behind the Knight, using him as a sort of pseudo-cover. In a pinch, they deflected blaster bolts as well as any energy shield. Taking a few potshots at his enemies, Agent Khun grit his teeth together, frustrated with his target's upper hand. He wasn't used to these sort of assault missions. He didn't like shooting with a squad, or engaging soldiers. In this he was inexperienced, and uncomfortable. The only thing keeping him alive were vague memories of Stormtrooper training, and his allies.

"Keep advancing!" He called out, clearly fed up with combat. "We can't hold this place for long, and we don't know how many soldiers they're willing to sacrifice to stop us!"

 

[Caid Centurion]

Caid hadn't the time to respond to [member="Cyran Khun"] before the blaster fire erupted, but he would have, no doubt, heartily disagreed with the man. That type of determination could not possibly be made without already being in the system. And unless they knew where they were going, reaching a command center or server room was as much a shot in the dark as anything. It seemed as though the only real option they had now was to focus on the highest concentration of bodies and hope they weren't walking into an armor full of troops waiting to cut them down.

As the silver-blade continued to rotate and flourish in front of his body, Caid grunted as two soldiers attempted to isolate him into something akin to a pincer-move. Spinning to his right and reverting to a one-handed grip briefly, Caid deflected a blaster bolt as he narrowly avoided another. Free hand reached out at the end of his rotation, hurling a wave of Force energy into one of the soldiers. Not bothering to stop at that point, Caid allowed momentum to carry him along a direct-line trajectory towards a new soldier that emerged from behind cover.

Realizing he was about to be pinned down again, the Neophyte collapsed on to his back, allowing momentum to send him sliding slightly. With the Force, Caid effected a quick pull against the new combatant's body. The soldier came flying at him uncontrollably and Caid placed the pommel of his lightsaber hilt against his chest. The soldier impacted with the extended blade, dying almost instantly. Deactivating the weapon, Caid heaved the man's armored body off to his left side, using him as a shield to the soldiers in that direction.

Silver-green eyes flicked back in the direction of [member="Isla Ashen"], whom he presumed to be advancing down the other side of the corridor. Quickly, Caid began to force himself back to his feet to assist his fellow Ren. Once they cleared out these reinforcements, they needed to get the hell out of this room.

[member="Max Fel"] | [member="Itaska Relens"] | [member="Natasi Fortan"]

 

[Isla Ashen]

Isla could hear Agent [member="Cyran Khun"] calling out, over the din of battle. He was right, they did need to keep going, but it a task much easier said than done. The armed men of the resistance seemed kept coming, appearing from behind cover, or rounding corners suddenly. Their actions may have spoken of bravery, but Isla could sense fear, and she could see it in their eyes. It only fueled her fight, and made the dark smile on her face grow wider.

Blaster bolts were flying past, she could sense the presence of [member="Caid Centurion"] nearby, and occasionally she caught sight of his silver blade moving swiftly. But there was no time to coordinate with her companions. Two men rushed towards the redhead, their blasters firing relentlessly. Isla reached within, gathered the darkness around her, and then released it with a simple flick of her wrist. The energy wave pounded against the two men, causing one to stumble and the other to lose his footing completely.

Her saber found the soldier that had been knocked off guard, but remained standing. She watched as his eyes turned blank, and his body fell down by the next. Isla was reveling in thrill of her kill, and a moment of lost focus cost her. She felt her feet coming out beneath her, and then she felt the hard floor against her back. Isla turned to see that the second soldier’s weapon had slid out of his grasp during his trip to the ground. Now his fingers were desperately reaching, and then touching upon the fallen blaster.

“Not so fast,” She growled, using the force to push it further from his grasp. With Isla now upon him, he lunged forward, a blade in his hand. It was almost too easy. He dropped a moment later, but Isla did not escape totally unscathed. Though his small knife was no match for a saber, he had still managed to cut her left arm. The pain was there, but not so much that she was unable to use her arm.

Isla’s feet continued to carry her forward, and she saw the tall form of Caid suddenly next to her. It was not long before the First Order team had dispatched the remaining men. Now it was time to move, and move quickly. They sped through the corridors, until they were met with what appeared to be a crude blockade. Green eyes fell on a tangle of office furniture, it was a tell-tale sign that they were close to something...

[member="Natasi Fortan"], [member="Max Fel"], [member="Itaska Relens"]

(OOC: Let's blow through this and get to the command center! XD)

 

[Arahael]

Max slung his rifle over his shoulder, then unholstered his pistol. With the touch of a button, a blue glow grew as external shielding was deployed from his armour. He raised the pistol and approached the stockade, then after a brief moment of holding down the trigger, a large, bright bolt launched forwards. A bright wave exploded over a metre in diameter behind the stockade, with a Resistance member flailing over. After vaulting over the obstruction, Max entered the room swiftly, however he was met suddenly with a surviving member. The enemy took aim, to which Max reacted with a panicked raise of the hand, resulting in them being flung across the room. A simply placed shot left the threat neutralised.

Walking over to the main consoles, Max scanned over the screens to find anything of use. Looking at the dataport, a datastick had been left there. Removing it, he glanced back at the screens to see the image of a woman in a bacta tank. "This should be useful. I believe Fortan is held in this room" he pointed to the screen.

[member="Natasi Fortan"] | [member="Isla Ashen"] | [member="Itaska Relens"] | [member="Cyran Khun"] |

 

[Caid Centurion]

Caid watched one of the member's of their party vault over the litany of obstacles presented before them and into the command center. What in the blue hell is this dude... Grumbling to himself, Caid followed after the man to keep him from ending up in an unknown room completely on his own. Clipping the hilt of his lightsaber back to his belt, the Ren held his hands mere inches apart as a visual manifestation of raw energy began to form in a small ball. As Caid pulled his hands apart slowly, the size of the kinetic ball of energy began to expand.

When the sphere of kinetite was roughly the size of two shockballs combined, he threw it towards the barricade, causing obstacles in its path to disintegrate completely. The resultant path was just barely wide enough for Caid's large frame, but it would hopefully be plenty big for the others. Arriving in the command center a few moments behind [member="Max Fel"], Caid's silver-green gaze immediately tracked in the opposite direction. There were more people in there somewhere.

Withdrawing the hilt of his lightsaber once more, Caid activated the weapon as he surged forward to deal with the would-be ambushes in the vicinity of the supply closet.

[member="Natasi Fortan"] | [member="Isla Ashen"] | [member="Itaska Relens"] | [member="Cyran Khun"]

 

[Isla Ashen]

Isla’s eyes shifted quickly as the form of [member="Max Fel"] went swiftly over the blockade. She straightened up slightly, doubting that she could have managed such a move. Just when she was about to go slashing through, she caught sight of [member="Caid Centurion"] out of the corner of her eyes. Her head turned in his direction to find that he was forming a ball of energy between his palms. The redhead could not help but watch with wonder; she had never seen anything like it. A moment or two later, there was a way carved into the barricade. She noticed that the path was just wide enough for Caid’s broad shoulders, so she followed easily through.

Now she joined Moff Fel and Caid in what seemed to be a command center, and she cast a glance over to Agent [member="Cyran Khun"]. Surely the First Order agent would be able to use his skills here, there were blinking screens and various scenes of Echo Base displayed for them. She stepped over next to Max, looking at the image of a woman in a bacta tank.

“Yes, but where is this room?” She tilted her head, “We need a map.”

But then, her attention was drawn to the supply closet and she found that Caid was already in motion. Isla’s saber hilt had never left her hand, and she ignited it once more to join the other Ren in dispatching those that remained behind.

[member="Natasi Fortan"]

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Arandil strolled into the hangar cavern. "Guard this door," he shouted at nearby troopers. "They mustn't get through and this is the only way." He turned and watched as the Echo Base personnel went about their way, loading up the required equipment into their ships. By now the First Order must have known the Resistance was there, at least in part, and so they had to get whatever they could and get it out ASAP. He ran along the wall before ducking back into the corridors. Instead of ducking down the torture corridor, he stopped and glanced down the passage. There was a bloody trail leading from Fortan's room down the corridor and around the corner that he now took. "This is not going to look good at my war crimes tribunal," he muttered as he raced along the bloody passage.

Meanwhile, the Resistance troopers were beating a hasty retreat, not having expected them to blast through the barricade. They fell back, firing wildly down the corridor, their shots not aimed particularly well into the smoke, but generally at knee-to-chest height. How embarrassing for them that a small First Order task force could overwhelm the Resistance's -- well, if not finest, than certainly 2nd-finest. They pulled back down the corridor to the corner, part of the group ducking into the command amphitheater, the others turning round the corner to make their last stand.

[member="Isla Ashen"] | [member="Caid Centurion"] | [member="Max Fel"] | [member="Cyran Khun"]

 

[Caid Centurion]

Caid didn't even break stride as he expanded his senses through the Force. The rapid beating of hearts and slightly-heavier-than-normal breathing of the troopers lying in wait was almost audible to the innate senses of the Ren raised as a warrior in the jungles of Dathomir. Raising his free hand into the air, Caid motioned it down to his side, probably with more emphasis than was really necessary. Bodies that had already begun to reposition as First Order elements entered the command amphitheater were ripped into plain view. Ciardha Ren offered no words as his dark features became blurred by flashes of red and silver as he cut through the men alongside his fellow Ren.

Turning his attention back to [member="Isla Ashen"], Caid indicated the main entrance through which they had arrived. "I'm not even sure we have time to search for a map right now. We'll have to rely on senses. By now, I'm sure they're trying to evacuate her. We focus on the highest concentration of presences and hope to get lucky. They wouldn't have merely left her behind after all this time. She is the only bargaining chip they have."

Briefly, Caid's bright gaze shifted in the direction of [member="Max Fel"]. "That woman in the bacta tank could very well be her, but we're going to have to split up. Take some soldiers with you to try and find the medical ward." These were not orders. The effort to retrieve Natasi was a collaborative one, and Caid was still a bit new to the organization to have any real pull even among the Knights of Ren. He'd made his suggestion, however. In a flurry, Caid darted back out the room and into the main corridor. He kept his lightsaber activated, prepared to cut through whatever hasty defenses he encountered.

[member="Natasi Fortan"] | [member="Cyran Khun"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Caid Centurion"] | [member="Natasi Fortan"] | [member="Isla Ashen"]

Some men were men bred for war. They were warriors, theirs was the reckoning of blood and the song of battle. Relens understood this instinctively, while instantaneously recognizing tnat his gifts laid in a different direction. He wasn't necessarily small or fragile, far from it - his stocky build and the qualities imparted on him by his racial heritage gave him an edge in a fight.

But there was just this little voice at the back of his head that kept whispering. It was this same voice that led him to quietly disengaging from the main group, and going in the other direction. No one saw him, because he didn't wish to be seen.

See, that was his skill.

The silence and shadow came easy to him. So whilst his fellow Ren cut a path through the scores of Resistance fighters, Itaska simply slipped past his resistance. A whisper here, some echo of imagery there, drowning in the shadows or hiding in the shimmering, there was confusion, but they were much too focused on the raging sounds of battle out there... to pay attention to shadows right here.

"Relens here." His voice cracked through their comms as they exited the theatre. "Found Resistance plans for an attack on the capital, no sign of Fortan yet, though."

He backed up the data and then stepped over one of the corpses in the room as he exited. They hadn't divulged their knowledge willingly.

"Any luck on your side?"

 

[Isla Ashen]

Isla’s saber came down upon a trooper, she watched as the crimson blade went through his armor, cutting him from shoulder to hip. His body fell unceremoniously, and there was a brief moment of reprieve. Her gaze shifted back to Caid, she listened closely as his deep voice found her. He was right; they did not have time to spare now. It was time to focus – Isla would let her instincts be her guide, and she would follow where the force told her to go.

As she watched [member="Caid Centurion"] move back out of the room, she heard the voice of [member="Itaska Relens"] in her earpiece. Isla’s foot lifted off the ground, and she moved to follow her fellow Ren. Of course, they would not be allowed to move about without opposition. Reaching out, Isla could feel the members of their party, and she could also sense the presence of men hiding around the corner. Shots came down the corridor to meet them.

“There’s a woman being held in a bacta tank –” She said quickly, pausing to deflect a blaster bolt. “We think it’s her.”

Isla’s tall form ducked out of the way of a second shot.

“We need to cut them off, before they move her.”

The flame-haired Ren’s hand shot out, her open palm held in the direction of the troopers down the corridor. A wave of force energy crashed against them, knocking them off their guard for a short moment. But it was enough time for them to push forward. Isla concentrated, her senses flowing outwards, and she could feel the collective presence of many. Images of ships, arms carrying equipment, and panicked steps came to her mind.

A cavern – their hangar. They were getting close.

[member="Natasi Fortan"]

 

[Caid Centurion]

Caid's silver-blade twirled in front of his eyes briefly as he deflected a few errant blaster bolts before cutting down the shooters. There was a brief lull as the Force continued to pull his entire body in the direction of the hangar. He couldn't identify specific individuals, but he could certainly sense the fear that wafted through the Force. He heard [member="Isla Ashen"]'s comments, but he disagreed. Rather than continue to voice his disagreements, Caid simply acted. It didn't make any sense that while the facility was under siege, the enemy would keep their ace stationary in a Bacta Tank. They would do one of two things, attempt to extract her from the facility or simply kill her. If they killed her, putting her in a Bacta Tank was pointless.

No...the woman in the Bacta Tank was the exact kind of trap he imagined a hurried Rebel would set to shift the focus from the massive ex-filtration of forces from the secret base. The light jog he'd adopted to continue traversing the corridor came to an abrupt halt as he encountered a blood trail. Silver-green eyes glanced down at the liquid. For a moment, he'd wished he had elected to learn the secrets of Blood Tail from his mother's family. A brief moment.

Deactivating his weapon, Caid took off at a sprint as he tapped a button on the communication controller on his wrist. It immediately changed the frequency connected to his earpiece to the command net. "Charlie Romeo Two Eight. Request alpha strike my position." He didn't wait for a response, but this facility had to come down. If they failed to locate the Governor, that was another matter. Greater good...the Resistance could not remain in existence. He estimated they had maybe ten minutes to secure the Governor...and be on the move.

Switching back to the tactical frequency for the mission, Caid reached the end of the blood trail, eyes registering the entrance to the hangar just as several blaster bolts raced towards his location. With a grunt of exertion, the Ren sent a crushing, repulsive wave of the Force in the direction of the hasty defense erected in front of the corridor's entrance to the hangar.

[member="Natasi Fortan"] | [member="Itaska Relens"]

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Arandil had begun to panic.

Whoever this First Order team was, they were good. And they weren't going to stop until they had their objective. Arandil paced in front of the bacta tank, staring up at his prey. "Can she survive if we take her now?" he asked the medical technician who was monitoring her vitals. The technician shook his head. "Probably not. The bacta can only do so much in the time you've given it, and her injuries were... severe." The note of reproach in the technician's tone seemed to have no impact on Arandil, who only nodded and made a snap decision. "Fine. She wasn't going to give us anything anyway. Kill her and give the evacuation code signal once my ship is away."

The Captain turned and left the medical center, leaving the technician gaping after him. Coward, he thought.

Arandil raced into the hangar and surreptitiously hurled himself into a starfighter and began to warm the engines. He had no intention of being captured by these fascists. Outside the canopy, he saw a few troops turn and see what the noise was, only to see indignation on their faces. Normally he would have been bothered, but they were all going to be dead soon, so it didn't much matter what they thought. He punched the ignition and the ship launched onto its repulsorlifts, then streaked out of the hangar.

Meanwhile, in space...

Sioux heard the order from [member="Caid Centurion"] and went stiff. She wanted to ask whether they had achieved their goal, whether they had secured Fortan, but instead she simply turned to the weapons team and nodded. She touched her ear. "Affirmative. T-minus-ten minutes."

[member="Isla Ashen"] | [member="Itaska Relens"]

 

[Caid Centurion]

Caid was capable of admitting when he was wrong, and that thought slipped into his mind for but a moment as the blood trail he'd been following suddenly veered off to the right and into another room. Stopping just short of the threshold, the Ren cast his silver-green gaze in the direction of the hangar in the distance. He could feel the masses of bodies gathering a short distance away. For a moment, he was conflicted. Yes, he had joined a rescue operation, but he knew that his first loyalty had to be to the Supreme Leader and the greater good of the First Order. Was this woman so vital, so irreplaceable?

The answer formed in his brain almost the second the thought had. There was no reason to expend so many resources when the base could have simply been leveled from orbit if that were the greater priority. With an impassive expression, Ciardha Ren ducked into the medical room and immediately saw a technician hovering near a Bacta Tank. Silver-green eyes quickly confirmed that the blood trail did indeed end at the tank before swiveling in the direction of the technician. The Ren would hear no protests and lazily through his left hand away from his body, sending a moderately strong wave of energy into the technician. It wouldn't kill, but it would probably force the technician in to the opposing wall if enough force to knock them unconscious.

Stepping forward, his gaze lingered over the form in the Bacta Tank. It was indeed [member="Natasi Fortan"], and she pretty much looked like crap. Speaking into his communicator, he relayed instructions. "Objective located. We'll be bringing one Urgent Surgical back with us." A glance at the chrono strapped to his wrist confirmed the remaining time. Eight minutes... Without turning to look for her, Caid yelled through the Force at his fellow Ren. Ashen! Clear a path back the way we came. The shuttle should still be in place where we left it. Dustoff in five.

Caid placed his hands against the glass and vibrated the molecules through the Force until it shattered. With his hands already raised, he caught Natasi's collapsing form with relative effort given her much smaller size. Connections in place to aid her breathing and other bodily functions were removed as delicately and expeditiously as possible. In less than twenty seconds, he darted back into the corridor with great speed but not so much as to potentially cause greater damage to the Governor. "Hang on. This is going to hurt like a mother..." The jarring from rapid turns and speed changes as he zipped around corners would have been brutal on even the healthiest of sentients.

[member="Isla Ashen"] | [member="Itaska Relens"]

 

[Isla Ashen]

Isla dashed after [member="Caid Centurion"], boots hitting the ground swiftly, and the trail of blood beneath them had not gone unnoticed by her emerald eyes. They kept moving. She could see the scarlet marks on the ground curving into a room, and Caid’s dark form soon disappeared inside. Isla moved to follow, but footsteps behind her made her halt. A few stray men made their way in from the hangar, they were alert, but perhaps had not expected to find trouble waiting for them there in the corridor. There was something different. This time, Isla felt panic deep within these men. They were afraid, and they wanted out of the base. Their blaster rifles leveled, and shots soared towards the flame-haired Ren.

However, instead of waiting to make sure that they hit their mark, the men turned tail and began to run. In the distance, there were sounds of ships taking off. Were they evacuating? The thought was not allowed to linger, for Caid’s voice resonated through the force. She took it to mean that he had located [member="Natasi Fortan"].

His words were clear, and Isla knew what needed to be done.

The atmosphere inside the base was frantic, most bodies still left inside were moving towards the exits. They were like frightened animals, and it made an eerie smile grow on her pale face. Most were caught unaware, her crimson blade cutting into their backs as they ran. It was almost too easy. But the chase was only part of the hunt, and she continued to pursue her prey with hungry eyes. A trail of bodies would tell Caid that the corridor outside the medical room was clear.

Isla darted forward, using the force to power her movements, feeling it flowing through her limbs. A brave soldier halted near the exit, shaking but seemingly determined to make a last stand for his cause. For a moment the two looked at each other, and the last thing he saw was the green of Isla’s gaze burning into his. She had leapt upon the soldier; her saber came down in a swift motion to drop his body upon the ground. Isla peeked outside, the cold air immediately upon her face. It was quiet now, save for the thundering steps of Caid coming her way.

Now, they just had to get back to the ship and be on their way. Isla slipped outside, she would blaze a path through any that still remained behind.

[member="Itaska Relens"]

 

[Caid Centurion]

I estimate...six and a half minutes... Caid naturally did not have the time to check his chrono as he cradled [member="Natasi Fortan"] in his arms and charged through the remains of the base. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a level of approval at his fire-haired associates work bubbled up to the surface, but his thoughts quickly shifted to the next big obstacle. Natasi was wearing...well...she wasn't really wearing much of anything having just been extricated from a Bacta Tank. No time to worry about that right now.

As he approached the exit behind [member="Isla Ashen"], silver-green eyes immediately registered their shuttle dropping into position just outside the exit to expedite departure and reduce the amount of time the party had to expose themselves to the elements. Caid had...literally no idea where the rest of the team was, but he'd hoped they had heard his radio transmissions. Probably less than six minutes now before the base was going to be glassed from orbit.

"Get in!" It was undoubtedly an unnecessary statement. Several more long strides and Caid found himself within a reasonable distance to the shuttle. Gritting his teeth, he forced the power of the Force to surge through his lower extremities as he jumped the remaining twenty feet onto the extended loading platform of the hovering shuttle. The added body-weight of Natasi, infinitesimal as it was, forced the Ren to land in a bit of a crouch before practically sprinting to the room that had been set aside for her.

Even though she'd been exposed to the elements for less than half a minute, the temperature in the base itself had dropped significantly due to all of the Resistance departures. With her body still covered in fluid from the Bacta Tank, there was no doubt she was already nearly hypothermic. Cold Weather training immediately kicked in as the Ren forcefully stripped off the wet clothing covering the Governor's body. "Just stay calm, we need to get your body temperature stabilized."

As Caid wiped excess fluid off of Natasi's nude form with dry coats in the room, he could feel the shuttle beginning to gain speed during its ascent. Once Natasi's body was dry, Caid pulled his personal medical kit from the back of his belt. After opening the small pack, he pulled out two compressed space blankets and unfolded one on the floor. After relocating Natasi's body on top of the space blanket, he wrapped it around her form and utilized the second to cover any remaining exposed skin.

Taking a seat on the floor beside her, Caid kept his silver-green gaze fixed on the woman as his own body temperature began to steadily return to something more normal.

[member="Itaska Relens"]

 

[Isla Ashen]

There was a feeling of relief at seeing their shuttle setting down nearby, and Isla turned back to see that [member="Caid Centurion"] was now there, carrying the small form of a woman. But Isla did not wish to wait a moment longer, and she filed into the shuttle just before the others. She crouched slightly inside the shelter of their craft, and watched as Caid closed the gap in a dramatic fashion. Isla was impressed, for she doubted that she could have done so, especially with the added weight of an additional body. Though she felt the shuttle taking off, Isla was too distracted to even feel uncomfortable in the small space.

She moved closer to Caid, viewing the pale woman from behind his shoulder. The woman’s life was dangling on the edge, but there was still a heart beating inside – Isla could feel it. But if not for the knowledge that came to her through the force, she might have guessed that the Moff had slipped away, for her skin was still wet and slightly blue from the cold. Her fellow Ren took charge of the situation, and he spoke to in an even tone to the woman. As the wet garments were removed, Isla let her eyes shift away, not that she was necessarily bothered by nudity. But she felt that it was perhaps, polite to do so.

Once [member="Natasi Fortan"] had been wrapped in blankets, Isla reached up and unclasped her cloak. Her pale hands folded it and she placed it gently beneath the Moff’s head, letting her hand graze across the woman’s forehead. A small gesture of comfort, as if to silently say ‘you are safe now.’ It was a surprisingly tender touch, especially coming from a woman that generally lacked tenderness.

Isla sat cross-legged on the floor, her eyes looking to the faces of her teammates. All of them looked cold but accomplished; after all, they had done exactly what they had set out to. She let her eyes close, merely waiting to arrive.

[member="Itaska Relens"]

 

[Caid Centurion]

Silver-green eyes watched [member="Isla Ashen"] with a mild level of interest, eyes lingering over her form for but a few moments. Within five to ten minutes, Caid felt rejuvenated enough to extract himself from the room. Wordlessly, he swept out of the room and up the ladder leading to the vessel's cockpit. Once inside, he clasped the copilot on his shoulder. "You've done well. I will keep your name in mind for when it is time."

"Uhh time for what sir?"

Caid smiled thinly as he settled into the open seat, eyes gazing at the heavens. "You will know when you need to know...and not a moment before, Lieutenant."

The rest of the flight passed uneventfully. By the time the vessel had landed, Caid had returned to the main cargo bay, leaning against a bulkhead and out of the way. Silver-green eyes watched as medical teams and a handful of command personnel rushed aboard to the blanket-wrapped Governor's location. Silently, Caid slipped from the vessels cargo bay and crossed the large hangar bay at a measured pace. In less than a minute, he ascended the loading ramp to his own vessel and departed shortly thereafter.

His work here was done.

[member="Natasi Fortan"] | [member="Itaska Relens"]