â
Keni
Cosmic Funnies
trying on a metaphor
TVSTRANGERTHINGS
almost home
Kiana Khansmith
⣠Chile in a Photography âŁ
Discoholic đȘ©
wallacepolsom
ç„æ„ / Permanent Vacation
Mike Driver
#extradirty
One Nice Bug Per Day
Origami Around
h
Not today Justin
Stranger Things
seen from United States
seen from Chile
seen from Russia
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia
seen from Australia
seen from Belarus
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from France
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
seen from United States
@nova-squad
Forged In Star Dust
Indie, Minorly-Selective, OC RP.
Nova Squad, Second Platoon, Cascade Company, Carnivore Battalion, 501st Legion
Special Operations Unit
Character Descriptions: #search tag
(I couldnât get anything else to work)
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Order 66 had come and gone.
The Jedi were gone.
The Clones were bringers of fear.
And six cloaked men sat sporadically around a cantina, silently eyeing the stormtroopers all watching the Imperial Holonet Broadcast.
- @nova-squad
On a faraway planet, a (former) Jedi sat in the corner of a cantina, hood pulled low, trying to avoid attention.
The cloaked man in the far corner tapped the table twice, then pointed his pinky at the door.
A second one with a particular tall hood two tables away stood up and walked quietly towards the door. When he got there, he pulled a small plasma torch from underneath his cloak and pulled the doors closed before beginning to seal them shut.
One stormtrooper noticed the strange noise and the odd figure at the door, nudged his buddy, and the two walked over to investigate.
âHey, citizen, what are you doing?â
No response. The plasma torch cut off.
âCitizen, turn around and show me your hands.â
No response.
Four more cloaked men stood up during the exchange, and a fifth slid towards the two next to the door-man.
The stormtrooper raised his weapon⊠and the entire cantina exploded into motion. In a matter of seconds, the door cloak had taken down one stormtrooper, and his compatriot took out the second.
The other four opened fire on the crowd of stormtroopers with Clone Wars era weapons, and a moment later the other two joined the fray.
It was over in a matter of seconds, a dozen stormtroopers on the ground from 6 men.
One problem? One of the hoods had fallen, revealing a clone helmet. With purple markings.
âCap, weâve gotta go!â
The one without his hood nodded sharply, and within seconds they were hurrying out the door.
Against her better judgement, the jedi checked her holo-communicator.
In the several months since Order 66, Athene had done her best to stay off the map. To the best of her knowledge, anyone she'd communicated with before was either under Imperial control or dead, and it was better they assume she had been killed as well.
However, she left it on just in case.
And surprisingly, it beeped. One singular time. A text message, not a holo-vid.
21:00. Dantooine. Coordinates attached. Be there, General. - R
âââââââââââââââââââââââ
Meanwhile, the purple-striped clones were running quickly through the streets, dodging civilians and blasterfire alike.
Occasionally, one trooper would stray a little too close and one of the clones would take them out. Either with weapon, or by hand.
âCirc, ETA on extraction?â
Leo asked over their comm, keeping the question helmet-interior online.
Circuit didnât answer for a momentâlikely checking his chrono against the extraction window. Then:
âForty five seconds, go, go, go!â
And sure enough, seconds later the warbling sound of a Low Altitude Assault Transport sounded as it roared out of the cloud layer and down to the street. It didnât even land, just dropped low enough for all six men to fire ascension cables at it and then fly off as it pulled up again.
Hearing the clicking of a new message, Athene opened it and froze. She had assumed Nova squad had gone Imperial, but if there was a chance... No. Well, maybe?
Placing some credits down on the counter, she left the cantina and walked to the nearby spaceport. "Do you have any transports to Dantooine coming soon?" Taking a ticket from the droid attendant, she made her way to a gate.
Just to be safe, a crushed communicator was left lying in an alleyway.
What she found at the sent coordinates on Dantooine⊠was an abandoned auto-farm. Crumbling buildings, abandoned vehicles⊠and a LAAT resting in the center of the compound.
If you knew what to look for, you could see firing ports and observation sensors along the perimeter.
And as Athene neared the compound, an armored figure came walking out of the troop bay of the LAAT. Blue paint.
Followed by one in purple.
Order 66 had come and gone.
The Jedi were gone.
The Clones were bringers of fear.
And six cloaked men sat sporadically around a cantina, silently eyeing the stormtroopers all watching the Imperial Holonet Broadcast.
- @nova-squad
On a faraway planet, a (former) Jedi sat in the corner of a cantina, hood pulled low, trying to avoid attention.
The cloaked man in the far corner tapped the table twice, then pointed his pinky at the door.
A second one with a particular tall hood two tables away stood up and walked quietly towards the door. When he got there, he pulled a small plasma torch from underneath his cloak and pulled the doors closed before beginning to seal them shut.
One stormtrooper noticed the strange noise and the odd figure at the door, nudged his buddy, and the two walked over to investigate.
âHey, citizen, what are you doing?â
No response. The plasma torch cut off.
âCitizen, turn around and show me your hands.â
No response.
Four more cloaked men stood up during the exchange, and a fifth slid towards the two next to the door-man.
The stormtrooper raised his weapon⊠and the entire cantina exploded into motion. In a matter of seconds, the door cloak had taken down one stormtrooper, and his compatriot took out the second.
The other four opened fire on the crowd of stormtroopers with Clone Wars era weapons, and a moment later the other two joined the fray.
It was over in a matter of seconds, a dozen stormtroopers on the ground from 6 men.
One problem? One of the hoods had fallen, revealing a clone helmet. With purple markings.
âCap, weâve gotta go!â
The one without his hood nodded sharply, and within seconds they were hurrying out the door.
Against her better judgement, the jedi checked her holo-communicator.
In the several months since Order 66, Athene had done her best to stay off the map. To the best of her knowledge, anyone she'd communicated with before was either under Imperial control or dead, and it was better they assume she had been killed as well.
However, she left it on just in case.
And surprisingly, it beeped. One singular time. A text message, not a holo-vid.
21:00. Dantooine. Coordinates attached. Be there, General. - R
âââââââââââââââââââââââ
Meanwhile, the purple-striped clones were running quickly through the streets, dodging civilians and blasterfire alike.
Occasionally, one trooper would stray a little too close and one of the clones would take them out. Either with weapon, or by hand.
âCirc, ETA on extraction?â
Leo asked over their comm, keeping the question helmet-interior online.
Circuit didnât answer for a momentâlikely checking his chrono against the extraction window. Then:
âForty five seconds, go, go, go!â
And sure enough, seconds later the warbling sound of a Low Altitude Assault Transport sounded as it roared out of the cloud layer and down to the street. It didnât even land, just dropped low enough for all six men to fire ascension cables at it and then fly off as it pulled up again.
Order 66 had come and gone.
The Jedi were gone.
The Clones were bringers of fear.
And six cloaked men sat sporadically around a cantina, silently eyeing the stormtroopers all watching the Imperial Holonet Broadcast.
- @nova-squad
On a faraway planet, a (former) Jedi sat in the corner of a cantina, hood pulled low, trying to avoid attention.
The cloaked man in the far corner tapped the table twice, then pointed his pinky at the door.
A second one with a particular tall hood two tables away stood up and walked quietly towards the door. When he got there, he pulled a small plasma torch from underneath his cloak and pulled the doors closed before beginning to seal them shut.
One stormtrooper noticed the strange noise and the odd figure at the door, nudged his buddy, and the two walked over to investigate.
âHey, citizen, what are you doing?â
No response. The plasma torch cut off.
âCitizen, turn around and show me your hands.â
No response.
Four more cloaked men stood up during the exchange, and a fifth slid towards the two next to the door-man.
The stormtrooper raised his weapon⊠and the entire cantina exploded into motion. In a matter of seconds, the door cloak had taken down one stormtrooper, and his compatriot took out the second.
The other four opened fire on the crowd of stormtroopers with Clone Wars era weapons, and a moment later the other two joined the fray.
It was over in a matter of seconds, a dozen stormtroopers on the ground from 6 men.
One problem? One of the hoods had fallen, revealing a clone helmet. With purple markings.
âCap, weâve gotta go!â
The one without his hood nodded sharply, and within seconds they were hurrying out the door.
Reblog if it is totally, 100% fine to send anonymous comments to your muse pertaining to the events in your RP
Example, if your muse kisses another muse, it is totally fine for you to get on anon and congratulate my muse, or to say that the other muse isnât right for them. I will answer ic.
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Holding a small box behind her back, Athene grinned and tapped her husband on the shoulder. âHey, cyare. Happy anniversary.â
@nova-squad
CC-2805 looked up from where he was cleaning his blaster and raised an eyebrow when the Jetii spoke.
Good soldiers-
Captain Leo Tasana of the Grand Army of the Republic beamed at his wife, casually tossing his blaster asideâafter enduring the safety was onâand easily swept his wife into his arms, lifting her up by the hips and kissing her as he span around slightly, then pulled back. âHappy anniversary, Athâika.â
*a 501st trooper shuffles into Leo's office* Sir, I wonder if it would be okay for us to talk? I heard a rumor you're in a relationship with someone planetside. You've been great at hiding it, but brothers talk you know. Point is, I got a girl on Coruscant and I love her more than anything. How do you make it work?
Leo blinked up at the trooper from his chair, then after a moment he sat his datapad down and crossed his gauntleted hands over his armored chest. âTake a seatâŠ.â Leo paused, examining the manâs armor for identifying markings- ah. âRomeo.â
He twisted his wrist slightly to press a button on his vambrace that automatically closed the door behind Romeo. âFirst off, donât believe everything you hear. Second, no I havenât, people in this galaxy are just oblivious. And Iâm aware of that.â
He sighed quietly, then sat up and rested his forearms on the edge of his desk and interlaced his gloved fingers. âHypothetically speaking of course, itâs extenuating circumstances that save me too much trouble, Iâll say that much. My advice? Keep something. Something you look at before every battle. Remind you of what youâre fighting to get back too. A flimsi-pic. Holo-pic. Hell, call her every chance you get.â
âOrâŠâ He paused, weighing his actions before pulling off his left glove and gauntlet and holding up his hand with fingers spread to reveal his ring. âThat.â
Is Tova home yet?
âNow that I think about it, itâs odd she hasnât returned yet.â
Shifting Flare to one arm, Athene turned on her comm and dialed the mechanic shop Tova worked at. âR4? Is Tova working late tonight?â After a series of confused beeps, she shut off her comm and opened the nursery door. âDid Tova mention she was heading somewhere different today?â
@nova-squad
âGood. Itâs cold,â she commented, her eyes following him as he broke the binders. Tova was too tired to protest as she was picked up, and curled as comfortably as she could against the plastoid of Circâs chestplate.
As the group walked towards the speeder, rapid lightsaber clashes began to be audible.
âIf I only I could feel it through the armor.â Circuit teased softly, returning his knife to its sheath. He couldnât help but smile when Tova curled up in his arms, squeezing her amicably.
When the Novas clocked onto the lightsaber sounds, the ones with Mirialans who could walk let them go and drew their blasters, quickly making their way towards the speeder.
âhmpf. Lucky,â Tova pouted.Â
The clashes came to a sudden stop. Athene, slightly beat up, had a large Zyggerian backed up against a storage container, a lightsaber inches from his neck. An electro-whip clattered to the ground.Â
Several paces away, Ameqse kneeled behind a crate for cover.
Circuit snorted.
Leoâs eyes widened at the scene before them, both blasters snapping up and popping off two shots straight into the Zygerrianâs chest. (Is that me setting up for an âIâm no Jediâ? Maybe.)
Circuit spotted Ameqse out of the corner of his eye and scoffed, gently squeezing Tova again as he reached the speeder. âYou ok, Athene?â
The Zygerrian snarled down at Athene. âI have no weapon. You know a Jedi cannot kill an unarmed ma-â
He crumpled to the ground before he could finish his sentence. Athene retracted her blades, looking at the body with distaste.
âI found their contact, at least. Howâs Tova?â
Leo snorted as the Zygerrian spoke. âIâm no Jedi.â Then scoffed when he crumpled in a heap.
He walked up to Athene, not caring for their audience, and hugged her. âObviously. Ask Circ.â
Circuit hummed in response. âWoozy. Bruised. But overall ok. Honestly, itâs adorable.â
âGlad to hear itâs not that bad,â Athene commented, tucking her head under Leoâs chin.Â
Seeing the Zygerrian defeated, Ameqse scrambled out from behind his hiding place and ran over to the group. âIs she alright?â
âAgreed.â Leo nodded best he could with Atheneâs head under his chin, tilting his head slightly to nuzzle her hair.
Circuit grunted as Ameqse entered his line of vision. âBruised. Couple of cuts. Tired. But sheâs fine.â It genuinely felt like swallowing poison even talking to him, but it was necessary. Annoyingly.
Without preamble, Circuit climbed into the back of the speeder and sat down, followed by Leo as the others went to the other speeder.
Is Tova home yet?
âNow that I think about it, itâs odd she hasnât returned yet.â
Shifting Flare to one arm, Athene turned on her comm and dialed the mechanic shop Tova worked at. âR4? Is Tova working late tonight?â After a series of confused beeps, she shut off her comm and opened the nursery door. âDid Tova mention she was heading somewhere different today?â
@nova-squad
âGood. Itâs cold,â she commented, her eyes following him as he broke the binders. Tova was too tired to protest as she was picked up, and curled as comfortably as she could against the plastoid of Circâs chestplate.
As the group walked towards the speeder, rapid lightsaber clashes began to be audible.
âIf I only I could feel it through the armor.â Circuit teased softly, returning his knife to its sheath. He couldnât help but smile when Tova curled up in his arms, squeezing her amicably.
When the Novas clocked onto the lightsaber sounds, the ones with Mirialans who could walk let them go and drew their blasters, quickly making their way towards the speeder.
âhmpf. Lucky,â Tova pouted.Â
The clashes came to a sudden stop. Athene, slightly beat up, had a large Zyggerian backed up against a storage container, a lightsaber inches from his neck. An electro-whip clattered to the ground.Â
Several paces away, Ameqse kneeled behind a crate for cover.
Circuit snorted.
Leoâs eyes widened at the scene before them, both blasters snapping up and popping off two shots straight into the Zygerrianâs chest. (Is that me setting up for an âIâm no Jediâ? Maybe.)
Circuit spotted Ameqse out of the corner of his eye and scoffed, gently squeezing Tova again as he reached the speeder. âYou ok, Athene?â
The Zygerrian snarled down at Athene. âI have no weapon. You know a Jedi cannot kill an unarmed ma-â
He crumpled to the ground before he could finish his sentence. Athene retracted her blades, looking at the body with distaste.
âI found their contact, at least. Howâs Tova?â
Leo snorted as the Zygerrian spoke. âIâm no Jedi.â Then scoffed when he crumpled in a heap.
He walked up to Athene, not caring for their audience, and hugged her. âObviously. Ask Circ.â
Circuit hummed in response. âWoozy. Bruised. But overall ok. Honestly, itâs adorable.â
Is Tova home yet?
âNow that I think about it, itâs odd she hasnât returned yet.â
Shifting Flare to one arm, Athene turned on her comm and dialed the mechanic shop Tova worked at. âR4? Is Tova working late tonight?â After a series of confused beeps, she shut off her comm and opened the nursery door. âDid Tova mention she was heading somewhere different today?â
@nova-squad
âGood. Itâs cold,â she commented, her eyes following him as he broke the binders. Tova was too tired to protest as she was picked up, and curled as comfortably as she could against the plastoid of Circâs chestplate.
As the group walked towards the speeder, rapid lightsaber clashes began to be audible.
âIf I only I could feel it through the armor.â Circuit teased softly, returning his knife to its sheath. He couldnât help but smile when Tova curled up in his arms, squeezing her amicably.
When the Novas clocked onto the lightsaber sounds, the ones with Mirialans who could walk let them go and drew their blasters, quickly making their way towards the speeder.
âhmpf. Lucky,â Tova pouted.Â
The clashes came to a sudden stop. Athene, slightly beat up, had a large Zyggerian backed up against a storage container, a lightsaber inches from his neck. An electro-whip clattered to the ground.Â
Several paces away, Ameqse kneeled behind a crate for cover.
Circuit snorted.
Leoâs eyes widened at the scene before them, both blasters snapping up and popping off two shots straight into the Zygerrianâs chest. (Is that me setting up for an âIâm no Jediâ? Maybe.)
Circuit spotted Ameqse out of the corner of his eye and scoffed, gently squeezing Tova again as he reached the speeder. âYou ok, Athene?â
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Is Tova home yet?
âNow that I think about it, itâs odd she hasnât returned yet.â
Shifting Flare to one arm, Athene turned on her comm and dialed the mechanic shop Tova worked at. âR4? Is Tova working late tonight?â After a series of confused beeps, she shut off her comm and opened the nursery door. âDid Tova mention she was heading somewhere different today?â
@nova-squad
âGood. Itâs cold,â she commented, her eyes following him as he broke the binders. Tova was too tired to protest as she was picked up, and curled as comfortably as she could against the plastoid of Circâs chestplate.
As the group walked towards the speeder, rapid lightsaber clashes began to be audible.
âIf I only I could feel it through the armor.â Circuit teased softly, returning his knife to its sheath. He couldnât help but smile when Tova curled up in his arms, squeezing her amicably.
When the Novas clocked onto the lightsaber sounds, the ones with Mirialans who could walk let them go and drew their blasters, quickly making their way towards the speeder.
Is Tova home yet?
âNow that I think about it, itâs odd she hasnât returned yet.â
Shifting Flare to one arm, Athene turned on her comm and dialed the mechanic shop Tova worked at. âR4? Is Tova working late tonight?â After a series of confused beeps, she shut off her comm and opened the nursery door. âDid Tova mention she was heading somewhere different today?â
@nova-squad
âNo. She didnât.â Circuit replied from his position by the table on the far wall, scrolling a datapad. âI already clocked onto the problem. Leo is rounding up the Twins, Doc is fueling up the speeder.â
His voice lacked its usual comedic tone, instead it was short, sharp. His helmet was resting on the table next to him, as was a DC-17. The other rested in the holster on his belt.
âDonât say Iâm overthinking it. Seppies couldnât possibly be here, and even if they were they were, they wouldnât take a single person. The city nearby is well known for criminal activity. Itâs a starting point.â
Flash training plus reading up on local history had its uses.
Ameqse walked in from the other room. âIf she is missing, youâll need to wait until morning. Nights are deadly cold, especially for off worlders like your kind.â
Athene sighed. âI hate to agree, but heâs right about the weather. I might be able to find her through the Force, but thatâs a very big if, and Iâm not sure itâs worth the risk.â
Circuit immediately grabbed his helmet and pulled it on to hide his glare, followed by grabbing his DC-17 and holstering it. âAthene, youâre forgetting that we grew up on Kamino. The Aiwha-bait kept it colder than the vacuum of space, plus the insane amount of cold from the rain. And the cold from aquatic training. Weâre used to it. Plus our armor is climate controlled.â
He turned towards the door. âWe already have a search pattern planned.â
âIf you say so. I know Leoâs not the biggest fan of leaving Flare with the med-droid, but we donât know what weâre walking into and I want her safe.â Athene placed Flare down in her crib, wincing slightly as she made grabby hands up at her.
Grabbing a cloak and her lightsaber, she looked back at Ameqse, who had made no movement since the cloneâs outburst. âGrab a coat if youâre coming.â
âSo, whatâs the plan?â
âHeâs just paranoid.â Circuit replied, stepping out onto the porch. âAnd that is a good idea. This is most definitely a dangerous task.â
Oh please donât come, I couldnât stand that.
âWe start at her shop, and expand the perimeter street by street until we find a lead. Leo took the others down already, weâll be on our own while they take the other street.â
âSounds good to me. I called her shop, but her old R4 was the only one there. Said she popped out right before lunch and hasnât been back since. Didnât lock up or anything.â Now wearing a thick coat and holding a flashlight, Ameqse stepped between the two.
âAnd who put you in charge, again? I know this region of Mirial better than anyone else here, and you both know it.â
âThatâs not how she works. Sure, sometimes sheâll take off early, but Iâve never seen her not lock up. If she vanished in the middle of the day, weâre more than likely dealing with someone bold. I highly doubt she got lost for 7 hours, so itâs a hypothesis.â He stated as he walked towards the speeder, then stopped when Ameqse spoke.
His gloved hand flexed microscopically against his holstered DC before it tightened into a fist again. âThere is no âin chargeâ. Thereâs having a plan. You do not have anything to say to me today.â
âBoth of you, cool it. Ameqseâs understanding of the area may prove useful, and Circuitâs strategy is the best plan we have right now. Emotion clouds judgement.â Athene sat down in the speeder, her Jedi upbringing clearly having taken over for the occasion.
Ameqse sat down behind her with a huff.
âMm.â He grunted as he climbed into the speeder, flicking a few switches before taking the wheel and shooting off towards the city. âThat is the single most hypocritical thing you have ever said, âThene. Itâs not a good luck.â
He reached up with one hand, flipping his rangefinder down and blinking into his HUD to active thermals again, casually scanning the horizon as he drove.
âJust because I donât adhere to the full Jedi Code doesnât mean I donât take from its teachings. And Iâm right. The more you two squabble, the longer Tovaâs out there.â
The speeder stopped in front of the familiar mechanicâs shop, the door ajar. Athene leapt out of the vehicle and ran her hand along the doorframe. âR4 was right, the shopâs been empty for hours. Looks like nobody took advantage of the place being wide open, which is a pleasant surprise.â
âYou sound like Skywalker.â He replied as he climbed out of the speeder. âAnd for the record, we never stopped moving even when he talked.â
Circuit stepped into the shop, kneeling down and increasing the magnification on his rangefinder. Duracrete was a surprisingly good heat absorber. He was hoping Mirialâs natural cold had rendered the shop as cold as possible. Because of the rest of the shop was cold, warm footprints could be picked out. The colder it was, the longer any prints would be obvious for.
âLow blow,â she teased, stepping over by Tovaâs work station and kneeling down. âIâm going to meditate, see if I can pick out her Force presence.â
Immediately upon stepping into the shop, a purple patterned R4 unit sped out of the shadows and circled around Ameqse, beeping frantically. âLeave it to her old rust bucket to try and scare me half to death. Anyone here speak binary?â
âVery.â He agreed, pressing himself to his feet and continuing to scan the floor. âThatâs actually a thing?â
Circuit whirled around when R4 darted out of the shadows, right hand lowering to the holster on his hip. Then he realized what (who?) it was, and swore. âKarking clankers.â
âYeah, I do.â He sighed, stepping slightly closer to R4. âCalm down. One more time. Slowly.â
âThe Force can do things other than smashing droids and giving people a superiority complex, you know.â Athene smirked, closing her eyes.
The droid sped over to Circuit, stopping immediately in front of him.
< Thank the Maker youâre here. There were some very rude people standing outside the shop all morning, and I couldnât stand it. Master Tova went to âgive them the bootâ at 1108, and I heard a crash when she left. She wonât even pick up her comm. Very unusual. Very.>
Circuit raised an eyebrow. Definitely sounds like Tova.
He blinked into his HUD to connect to Novaâs private channel, ensuring he still had his external mic on so Athene and Ameqse could hear. âLeo.â
âGo.â
âLast known visual was 11:08 out front according to her clanker. Apparently there was a group of unrulies causing trouble.â
âHow many?â
Circuit paused, looking down at R4 and tilting his head slightly. âCould you pick out any distinct voices?â
< All organics sound the same, but the dialect of Mirialan they used was from the region two clicks to the East. Close the door when you leave, please. Master Tova takes lots of pride in her work, you know. She wouldnât be happy if the shop was left unlocked. Not happy. >
Athene opened her eyes. âI think I have a clue. Her signature feels.. subdued somehow, but itâs very much there. Whatâs the droid say?â
âGood place to start.â He nodded at the droid, patting its dome. âThanks little guy.â
Then he stepped out into the street again, walking towards the speeder. He blinked into his HUD so the others could hear what he was saying as he explained. âApparently her assailants spoke in a dialect common roughly two klicks east from here. No idea how many.â
The droid beeped contentedly, whirring back to its charging station.
Athene stood up, locking up the various cabinets left ajar. âGot it. I was able to get a good feel of her presence while meditating. You drive us, I should be able to do the rest.â
âUnderstood.â Circuit replied, climbing into the speeder and flicking the same combination of switches as last time.
Whatâs the motive? He wondered. Even a small time gang would know thereâs no ransom money in it from her. Just a mechanic. Maybe weâre just dealing with a few idiots who made a very stupid decision.
Oh please, just a mechanic? There was his inner-Dust.
I donât have time for this.
Sure you do. Two klicks worth of it, in fact.
Sometimes he really hated his inner-Dust.
Yâknow what fine. Of course sheâs not just a mechanic. Not to me at least. Sheâs is one of the very few people to be worth my time. Who understands me. Who actually likes with me.
Was that so hard? Really, inner-Leo now?
I hate both of you.
Ameqse looked out the side of the transport. âThe area R4 described is known for its shipping and transport industry. We should start out by the shipyards. Plenty of cargo containers,â
âAnd perfect for smuggling people off-planet.â Athene finished his thought, squeezing Leoâs hand tightly.
Circuitâs grip on the wheel tightening considerably. Heâd dealt with traffickers before on a joint-op with a team of Shadow Troopers. Theyâd been ordered to take prisoners.
They didnât.
âLeo,â He started, activating his comm again, ensuring his mic was on so the two with him could hear. âAO is a shipping yard. Hostiles likely. Traffickers.â
âWhat did you just say?â Leoâs voice came back over the comm.
âYou heard me. Just like the time on Duran.â
âRight.â Then the connection cut with a click, and Circuit let out an annoyed growl.
Athene turned to Ameqse. âI havenât been on Mirial this often since I was a toddler, you know anything about this that we donât?â
He scoffed. âIâve heard rumors about operations being run out of the Ulchllu ports since I was a kid. You all are the closest thing this regionâs had to a Republic presence in years, so nothingâs been done about it.â
âEvery planet has its scum.â Circuit added lowly, modulators in his helmet barely picking it up.
He flicked another switch before taking his hands off the wheel to pull a blaster from its holster and check its charge. He nodded to himself, then did the same with the other blaster. After that he pulled a vibro-knife from his bracer and examined it, running the blade along his gauntlet and nodding when he saw the gouge it made. Then he took the wheel again.
Athene patted her belt, making sure her lightsabers were safely secured.
âYou bring a blaster, Ameqse?â
âWe donât keep weapons in the house.â
âThatâs fine, Iâm sure you can pick one off of the scum weâre bound to find.â
Ameqse paused awkwardly.
âYou canât shoot?âÂ
More silence.
âOf course,â she sighed, turning to look at Circuit as well. âIâm betting Tovaâs not the only one they took. Stick with Circ and I, Iâm sure youâll end up useful for one thing or anoter.â
âYou really are the single most useless person on this planet, arenât you?â Circuit snapped at Ameqse before he could stop himself.
âYouâre right. She probably isnât.â He said to Athene as they pulled up to the outskirts of the shipping yard.
âCool it, or Iâm taking this as you volunteering to teach him personally,â Athene quipped, jumping out of the speeder. âI can sense a group of people, maybe 20 or 30, out over there.â She pointed out by a larger group of cargo containers.Â
âThatâs where the cargo ships bound for Hutt Space typically land, so that checks out.â
âYou wouldnât dare torture me like that.â Circuit shot back as he climbed out.
âAlright, you stay back and take care of him.â The pronoun dripped off his tongue like poison. Then he glanced to his right as a second speeder pulled up and the rest of Nova climbed out.
âI donât need to be minded like a child,â Ameqse sputtered.
âThat remains to be seen. Stay by me, and get to safety if they start shooting.â Athene spoke in an even tone, unclipping her lightsabers from her belt. She didnât particularly feel like playing the babysitter today, and the sooner Tova was back the better.Â
âWhatâs the plan?â She spoke to the larger group. Ameqse got out of the speeder and trudged to her side, grumbling under his breath.Â
âYeah, you do.â Circuit shot at Ameqse before lifting his forearm and projecting a holographic map of the surrounding area.
âListen up!â Leo barked, mainly to Nova. He wasnât exactly used to working with non-clones. âWe have an estimated 20-30 biological hostiles on-target. No idea how many VIPs aside from VIP Trill. But we will get everyone out. Dead or alive. Shredder, give us a POS estimate.â
The Weapons Specialist of the team nodded, turning on his heel and flicking down the macrobinoculars on his helmet and activating their thermals before starting to scan the area. For every heat signature he spotted, he pressed a button and they appeared as a small red dot on Circuitâs map. A good ten minutes of marking later had them all marked, and Shredder said so. âThatâs all, Boss.â
Leo pointed at the large blue dot on the map. âThis is where our VIPs are being held. Shredder counted ten. Couldnât tell where VIP Trill was. Weâll split into two teams. Kill Team and Point Team. Killâs objective is to remove the threat from the port. Pointâs job is to reach our VIPs and asses their condition. Questions?â
âROE?â Dust asked.
âConfirm identity.â Leo responded. âAnyone else?â
None spoke.
âGood. Letâs move.â
âWould you mind translating to Basic?â Ameqse shifted his weight to one foot, the briefing going entirely over his head.Â
âYes, in fact. All you need to know is youâre staying with me. Try not to cause trouble.â Athene turned back to Leo.
âUnless there are objections, I can take point team. Force might come in handy for whatever locks or binders hostiles are using.â
âBecause youâre the only thing keeping his sorry ass safe you should stay out here. And trust me, it really hurt to say that. If it were up to me Iâd just shoot him and be done with it.â Circuit prompted as he drew both blasters.
// Is that just an excuse to make a separate piece of writing of the Novas kicking ass? Yes.
âExcuse me?â Both Ameqse and Athene spoke in unison.Â
âThis is my wife.âÂ
âAnd this is my sister weâre talking about. Iâm not just standing by while sheâs in danger.â Athene stepped forward, glaring daggers at Circuit.
//Â đ
Multiple hours later, ARC-3185, aka Circuit, walked up to the storage container that the entirety of the trafficking crew had been defending, blasters drawn and stepping over bodies.
Leo was hot on his heels, both DC-17s in hand with the remaining three Novas trailing behind them.
Circuit stood in front of the door, crouching ever so slightly and yet remaining loose. He was⊠used to be absolutely furious when fighting. Leo lined up behind him, holstering one blaster and resting a hand on Circuitâs shoulder.
Dust and Shredder set up on either side of the two, each gripping a door handle.
Doc placed his DC-15A against the lock, and then blew it off.
The Twins instantly threw open the doors, allowing Leo and Circuit to flow inside, sidestepping more Mirialans who were laying on the ground and heading towards the sound of voices.
The pair rounded a corner, and were met with the sight of a Zabrak kneeling over an unconscious Tova, only for him to look up when the two neared.
The Zabrak drew a blaster, and time slowed down.
The Zabrak fired. So did Circuit.
Circuit knew how to aim.
The blaster flew out of the Zabrakâs hand, and he snarled, then charged at Circuit.
Circuit growled, lowering his shoulder and driving it into the Zabrakâs stomach before standing up and completely flipping him over onto the ground. Then without hesitation, put a blaster bolt straight through his head.
Then he turned to look at Tova, and raised his eyebrows under his helmet when she blinked blearily up at him.
âHeyyy.â Tova smiled, speaking sluggishly. Worse for wear was a bit of an understatement. Bruises littered her arms, and binders dug into her wrists and ankles. âYouâre loud.â
Behind her, several of the other captured Mirialans shifted away in caution, whispering amongst themselves. Â
Circuit couldnât help but smile sadly when Tova spoke, walking over to her and kneeling down. âSorry, cyare. Youâll be home soon.â He muttered quietly, pulling his knife from its sheath and using it to break the binders Tova wore.
As Circuit slipped one arm under Tovaâs knees and the other under the small of her back, the rest of Nova started helping Mirialans outside.
Circuit followed just behind them, carrying Tova bridal-style with her head resting on his chest.
Is Tova home yet?
âNow that I think about it, itâs odd she hasnât returned yet.â
Shifting Flare to one arm, Athene turned on her comm and dialed the mechanic shop Tova worked at. âR4? Is Tova working late tonight?â After a series of confused beeps, she shut off her comm and opened the nursery door. âDid Tova mention she was heading somewhere different today?â
@nova-squad
âNo. She didnât.â Circuit replied from his position by the table on the far wall, scrolling a datapad. âI already clocked onto the problem. Leo is rounding up the Twins, Doc is fueling up the speeder.â
His voice lacked its usual comedic tone, instead it was short, sharp. His helmet was resting on the table next to him, as was a DC-17. The other rested in the holster on his belt.
âDonât say Iâm overthinking it. Seppies couldnât possibly be here, and even if they were they were, they wouldnât take a single person. The city nearby is well known for criminal activity. Itâs a starting point.â
Flash training plus reading up on local history had its uses.
Ameqse walked in from the other room. âIf she is missing, youâll need to wait until morning. Nights are deadly cold, especially for off worlders like your kind.â
Athene sighed. âI hate to agree, but heâs right about the weather. I might be able to find her through the Force, but thatâs a very big if, and Iâm not sure itâs worth the risk.â
Circuit immediately grabbed his helmet and pulled it on to hide his glare, followed by grabbing his DC-17 and holstering it. âAthene, youâre forgetting that we grew up on Kamino. The Aiwha-bait kept it colder than the vacuum of space, plus the insane amount of cold from the rain. And the cold from aquatic training. Weâre used to it. Plus our armor is climate controlled.â
He turned towards the door. âWe already have a search pattern planned.â
âIf you say so. I know Leoâs not the biggest fan of leaving Flare with the med-droid, but we donât know what weâre walking into and I want her safe.â Athene placed Flare down in her crib, wincing slightly as she made grabby hands up at her.
Grabbing a cloak and her lightsaber, she looked back at Ameqse, who had made no movement since the cloneâs outburst. âGrab a coat if youâre coming.â
âSo, whatâs the plan?â
âHeâs just paranoid.â Circuit replied, stepping out onto the porch. âAnd that is a good idea. This is most definitely a dangerous task.â
Oh please donât come, I couldnât stand that.
âWe start at her shop, and expand the perimeter street by street until we find a lead. Leo took the others down already, weâll be on our own while they take the other street.â
âSounds good to me. I called her shop, but her old R4 was the only one there. Said she popped out right before lunch and hasnât been back since. Didnât lock up or anything.â Now wearing a thick coat and holding a flashlight, Ameqse stepped between the two.
âAnd who put you in charge, again? I know this region of Mirial better than anyone else here, and you both know it.â
âThatâs not how she works. Sure, sometimes sheâll take off early, but Iâve never seen her not lock up. If she vanished in the middle of the day, weâre more than likely dealing with someone bold. I highly doubt she got lost for 7 hours, so itâs a hypothesis.â He stated as he walked towards the speeder, then stopped when Ameqse spoke.
His gloved hand flexed microscopically against his holstered DC before it tightened into a fist again. âThere is no âin chargeâ. Thereâs having a plan. You do not have anything to say to me today.â
âBoth of you, cool it. Ameqseâs understanding of the area may prove useful, and Circuitâs strategy is the best plan we have right now. Emotion clouds judgement.â Athene sat down in the speeder, her Jedi upbringing clearly having taken over for the occasion.
Ameqse sat down behind her with a huff.
âMm.â He grunted as he climbed into the speeder, flicking a few switches before taking the wheel and shooting off towards the city. âThat is the single most hypocritical thing you have ever said, âThene. Itâs not a good luck.â
He reached up with one hand, flipping his rangefinder down and blinking into his HUD to active thermals again, casually scanning the horizon as he drove.
âJust because I donât adhere to the full Jedi Code doesnât mean I donât take from its teachings. And Iâm right. The more you two squabble, the longer Tovaâs out there.â
The speeder stopped in front of the familiar mechanicâs shop, the door ajar. Athene leapt out of the vehicle and ran her hand along the doorframe. âR4 was right, the shopâs been empty for hours. Looks like nobody took advantage of the place being wide open, which is a pleasant surprise.â
âYou sound like Skywalker.â He replied as he climbed out of the speeder. âAnd for the record, we never stopped moving even when he talked.â
Circuit stepped into the shop, kneeling down and increasing the magnification on his rangefinder. Duracrete was a surprisingly good heat absorber. He was hoping Mirialâs natural cold had rendered the shop as cold as possible. Because of the rest of the shop was cold, warm footprints could be picked out. The colder it was, the longer any prints would be obvious for.
âLow blow,â she teased, stepping over by Tovaâs work station and kneeling down. âIâm going to meditate, see if I can pick out her Force presence.â
Immediately upon stepping into the shop, a purple patterned R4 unit sped out of the shadows and circled around Ameqse, beeping frantically. âLeave it to her old rust bucket to try and scare me half to death. Anyone here speak binary?â
âVery.â He agreed, pressing himself to his feet and continuing to scan the floor. âThatâs actually a thing?â
Circuit whirled around when R4 darted out of the shadows, right hand lowering to the holster on his hip. Then he realized what (who?) it was, and swore. âKarking clankers.â
âYeah, I do.â He sighed, stepping slightly closer to R4. âCalm down. One more time. Slowly.â
âThe Force can do things other than smashing droids and giving people a superiority complex, you know.â Athene smirked, closing her eyes.
The droid sped over to Circuit, stopping immediately in front of him.
< Thank the Maker youâre here. There were some very rude people standing outside the shop all morning, and I couldnât stand it. Master Tova went to âgive them the bootâ at 1108, and I heard a crash when she left. She wonât even pick up her comm. Very unusual. Very.>
Circuit raised an eyebrow. Definitely sounds like Tova.
He blinked into his HUD to connect to Novaâs private channel, ensuring he still had his external mic on so Athene and Ameqse could hear. âLeo.â
âGo.â
âLast known visual was 11:08 out front according to her clanker. Apparently there was a group of unrulies causing trouble.â
âHow many?â
Circuit paused, looking down at R4 and tilting his head slightly. âCould you pick out any distinct voices?â
< All organics sound the same, but the dialect of Mirialan they used was from the region two clicks to the East. Close the door when you leave, please. Master Tova takes lots of pride in her work, you know. She wouldnât be happy if the shop was left unlocked. Not happy. >
Athene opened her eyes. âI think I have a clue. Her signature feels.. subdued somehow, but itâs very much there. Whatâs the droid say?â
âGood place to start.â He nodded at the droid, patting its dome. âThanks little guy.â
Then he stepped out into the street again, walking towards the speeder. He blinked into his HUD so the others could hear what he was saying as he explained. âApparently her assailants spoke in a dialect common roughly two klicks east from here. No idea how many.â
The droid beeped contentedly, whirring back to its charging station.
Athene stood up, locking up the various cabinets left ajar. âGot it. I was able to get a good feel of her presence while meditating. You drive us, I should be able to do the rest.â
âUnderstood.â Circuit replied, climbing into the speeder and flicking the same combination of switches as last time.
Whatâs the motive? He wondered. Even a small time gang would know thereâs no ransom money in it from her. Just a mechanic. Maybe weâre just dealing with a few idiots who made a very stupid decision.
Oh please, just a mechanic? There was his inner-Dust.
I donât have time for this.
Sure you do. Two klicks worth of it, in fact.
Sometimes he really hated his inner-Dust.
Yâknow what fine. Of course sheâs not just a mechanic. Not to me at least. Sheâs is one of the very few people to be worth my time. Who understands me. Who actually likes with me.
Was that so hard? Really, inner-Leo now?
I hate both of you.
Ameqse looked out the side of the transport. âThe area R4 described is known for its shipping and transport industry. We should start out by the shipyards. Plenty of cargo containers,â
âAnd perfect for smuggling people off-planet.â Athene finished his thought, squeezing Leoâs hand tightly.
Circuitâs grip on the wheel tightening considerably. Heâd dealt with traffickers before on a joint-op with a team of Shadow Troopers. Theyâd been ordered to take prisoners.
They didnât.
âLeo,â He started, activating his comm again, ensuring his mic was on so the two with him could hear. âAO is a shipping yard. Hostiles likely. Traffickers.â
âWhat did you just say?â Leoâs voice came back over the comm.
âYou heard me. Just like the time on Duran.â
âRight.â Then the connection cut with a click, and Circuit let out an annoyed growl.
Athene turned to Ameqse. âI havenât been on Mirial this often since I was a toddler, you know anything about this that we donât?â
He scoffed. âIâve heard rumors about operations being run out of the Ulchllu ports since I was a kid. You all are the closest thing this regionâs had to a Republic presence in years, so nothingâs been done about it.â
âEvery planet has its scum.â Circuit added lowly, modulators in his helmet barely picking it up.
He flicked another switch before taking his hands off the wheel to pull a blaster from its holster and check its charge. He nodded to himself, then did the same with the other blaster. After that he pulled a vibro-knife from his bracer and examined it, running the blade along his gauntlet and nodding when he saw the gouge it made. Then he took the wheel again.
Athene patted her belt, making sure her lightsabers were safely secured.
âYou bring a blaster, Ameqse?â
âWe donât keep weapons in the house.â
âThatâs fine, Iâm sure you can pick one off of the scum weâre bound to find.â
Ameqse paused awkwardly.
âYou canât shoot?âÂ
More silence.
âOf course,â she sighed, turning to look at Circuit as well. âIâm betting Tovaâs not the only one they took. Stick with Circ and I, Iâm sure youâll end up useful for one thing or anoter.â
âYou really are the single most useless person on this planet, arenât you?â Circuit snapped at Ameqse before he could stop himself.
âYouâre right. She probably isnât.â He said to Athene as they pulled up to the outskirts of the shipping yard.
âCool it, or Iâm taking this as you volunteering to teach him personally,â Athene quipped, jumping out of the speeder. âI can sense a group of people, maybe 20 or 30, out over there.â She pointed out by a larger group of cargo containers.Â
âThatâs where the cargo ships bound for Hutt Space typically land, so that checks out.â
âYou wouldnât dare torture me like that.â Circuit shot back as he climbed out.
âAlright, you stay back and take care of him.â The pronoun dripped off his tongue like poison. Then he glanced to his right as a second speeder pulled up and the rest of Nova climbed out.
âI donât need to be minded like a child,â Ameqse sputtered.
âThat remains to be seen. Stay by me, and get to safety if they start shooting.â Athene spoke in an even tone, unclipping her lightsabers from her belt. She didnât particularly feel like playing the babysitter today, and the sooner Tova was back the better.Â
âWhatâs the plan?â She spoke to the larger group. Ameqse got out of the speeder and trudged to her side, grumbling under his breath.Â
âYeah, you do.â Circuit shot at Ameqse before lifting his forearm and projecting a holographic map of the surrounding area.
âListen up!â Leo barked, mainly to Nova. He wasnât exactly used to working with non-clones. âWe have an estimated 20-30 biological hostiles on-target. No idea how many VIPs aside from VIP Trill. But we will get everyone out. Dead or alive. Shredder, give us a POS estimate.â
The Weapons Specialist of the team nodded, turning on his heel and flicking down the macrobinoculars on his helmet and activating their thermals before starting to scan the area. For every heat signature he spotted, he pressed a button and they appeared as a small red dot on Circuitâs map. A good ten minutes of marking later had them all marked, and Shredder said so. âThatâs all, Boss.â
Leo pointed at the large blue dot on the map. âThis is where our VIPs are being held. Shredder counted ten. Couldnât tell where VIP Trill was. Weâll split into two teams. Kill Team and Point Team. Killâs objective is to remove the threat from the port. Pointâs job is to reach our VIPs and asses their condition. Questions?â
âROE?â Dust asked.
âConfirm identity.â Leo responded. âAnyone else?â
None spoke.
âGood. Letâs move.â
âWould you mind translating to Basic?â Ameqse shifted his weight to one foot, the briefing going entirely over his head.Â
âYes, in fact. All you need to know is youâre staying with me. Try not to cause trouble.â Athene turned back to Leo.
âUnless there are objections, I can take point team. Force might come in handy for whatever locks or binders hostiles are using.â
âBecause youâre the only thing keeping his sorry ass safe you should stay out here. And trust me, it really hurt to say that. If it were up to me Iâd just shoot him and be done with it.â Circuit prompted as he drew both blasters.
// Is that just an excuse to make a separate piece of writing of the Novas kicking ass? Yes.
âExcuse me?â Both Ameqse and Athene spoke in unison.Â
âThis is my wife.âÂ
âAnd this is my sister weâre talking about. Iâm not just standing by while sheâs in danger.â Athene stepped forward, glaring daggers at Circuit.
//Â đ
Multiple hours later, ARC-3185, aka Circuit, walked up to the storage container that the entirety of the trafficking crew had been defending, blasters drawn and stepping over bodies.
Leo was hot on his heels, both DC-17s in hand with the remaining three Novas trailing behind them.
Circuit stood in front of the door, crouching ever so slightly and yet remaining loose. He was⊠used to be absolutely furious when fighting. Leo lined up behind him, holstering one blaster and resting a hand on Circuitâs shoulder.
Dust and Shredder set up on either side of the two, each gripping a door handle.
Doc placed his DC-15A against the lock, and then blew it off.
The Twins instantly threw open the doors, allowing Leo and Circuit to flow inside, sidestepping more Mirialans who were laying on the ground and heading towards the sound of voices.
The pair rounded a corner, and were met with the sight of a Zabrak kneeling over an unconscious Tova, only for him to look up when the two neared.
The Zabrak drew a blaster, and time slowed down.
The Zabrak fired. So did Circuit.
Circuit knew how to aim.
The blaster flew out of the Zabrakâs hand, and he snarled, then charged at Circuit.
Circuit growled, lowering his shoulder and driving it into the Zabrakâs stomach before standing up and completely flipping him over onto the ground. Then without hesitation, put a blaster bolt straight through his head.
Then he turned to look at Tova, and raised his eyebrows under his helmet when she blinked blearily up at him.
Tova, you take care of Flare when Leo and Athene are offplanet right? Have you and your husband considered having kids?
Tova put her hand behind her head, shifting slightly.
âI wouldnât say weâve considered it. But you know how parents and in-laws can be sometimes. Besides, weâre pretty busy already with Flare, with how often âThene and Leo are offplanet,â she laughed half-heartedly.
// Circuit says: MURDER!
Is Tova home yet?
âNow that I think about it, itâs odd she hasnât returned yet.â
Shifting Flare to one arm, Athene turned on her comm and dialed the mechanic shop Tova worked at. âR4? Is Tova working late tonight?â After a series of confused beeps, she shut off her comm and opened the nursery door. âDid Tova mention she was heading somewhere different today?â
@nova-squad
âNo. She didnât.â Circuit replied from his position by the table on the far wall, scrolling a datapad. âI already clocked onto the problem. Leo is rounding up the Twins, Doc is fueling up the speeder.â
His voice lacked its usual comedic tone, instead it was short, sharp. His helmet was resting on the table next to him, as was a DC-17. The other rested in the holster on his belt.
âDonât say Iâm overthinking it. Seppies couldnât possibly be here, and even if they were they were, they wouldnât take a single person. The city nearby is well known for criminal activity. Itâs a starting point.â
Flash training plus reading up on local history had its uses.
Ameqse walked in from the other room. âIf she is missing, youâll need to wait until morning. Nights are deadly cold, especially for off worlders like your kind.â
Athene sighed. âI hate to agree, but heâs right about the weather. I might be able to find her through the Force, but thatâs a very big if, and Iâm not sure itâs worth the risk.â
Circuit immediately grabbed his helmet and pulled it on to hide his glare, followed by grabbing his DC-17 and holstering it. âAthene, youâre forgetting that we grew up on Kamino. The Aiwha-bait kept it colder than the vacuum of space, plus the insane amount of cold from the rain. And the cold from aquatic training. Weâre used to it. Plus our armor is climate controlled.â
He turned towards the door. âWe already have a search pattern planned.â
âIf you say so. I know Leoâs not the biggest fan of leaving Flare with the med-droid, but we donât know what weâre walking into and I want her safe.â Athene placed Flare down in her crib, wincing slightly as she made grabby hands up at her.
Grabbing a cloak and her lightsaber, she looked back at Ameqse, who had made no movement since the cloneâs outburst. âGrab a coat if youâre coming.â
âSo, whatâs the plan?â
âHeâs just paranoid.â Circuit replied, stepping out onto the porch. âAnd that is a good idea. This is most definitely a dangerous task.â
Oh please donât come, I couldnât stand that.
âWe start at her shop, and expand the perimeter street by street until we find a lead. Leo took the others down already, weâll be on our own while they take the other street.â
âSounds good to me. I called her shop, but her old R4 was the only one there. Said she popped out right before lunch and hasnât been back since. Didnât lock up or anything.â Now wearing a thick coat and holding a flashlight, Ameqse stepped between the two.
âAnd who put you in charge, again? I know this region of Mirial better than anyone else here, and you both know it.â
âThatâs not how she works. Sure, sometimes sheâll take off early, but Iâve never seen her not lock up. If she vanished in the middle of the day, weâre more than likely dealing with someone bold. I highly doubt she got lost for 7 hours, so itâs a hypothesis.â He stated as he walked towards the speeder, then stopped when Ameqse spoke.
His gloved hand flexed microscopically against his holstered DC before it tightened into a fist again. âThere is no âin chargeâ. Thereâs having a plan. You do not have anything to say to me today.â
âBoth of you, cool it. Ameqseâs understanding of the area may prove useful, and Circuitâs strategy is the best plan we have right now. Emotion clouds judgement.â Athene sat down in the speeder, her Jedi upbringing clearly having taken over for the occasion.
Ameqse sat down behind her with a huff.
âMm.â He grunted as he climbed into the speeder, flicking a few switches before taking the wheel and shooting off towards the city. âThat is the single most hypocritical thing you have ever said, âThene. Itâs not a good luck.â
He reached up with one hand, flipping his rangefinder down and blinking into his HUD to active thermals again, casually scanning the horizon as he drove.
âJust because I donât adhere to the full Jedi Code doesnât mean I donât take from its teachings. And Iâm right. The more you two squabble, the longer Tovaâs out there.â
The speeder stopped in front of the familiar mechanicâs shop, the door ajar. Athene leapt out of the vehicle and ran her hand along the doorframe. âR4 was right, the shopâs been empty for hours. Looks like nobody took advantage of the place being wide open, which is a pleasant surprise.â
âYou sound like Skywalker.â He replied as he climbed out of the speeder. âAnd for the record, we never stopped moving even when he talked.â
Circuit stepped into the shop, kneeling down and increasing the magnification on his rangefinder. Duracrete was a surprisingly good heat absorber. He was hoping Mirialâs natural cold had rendered the shop as cold as possible. Because of the rest of the shop was cold, warm footprints could be picked out. The colder it was, the longer any prints would be obvious for.
âLow blow,â she teased, stepping over by Tovaâs work station and kneeling down. âIâm going to meditate, see if I can pick out her Force presence.â
Immediately upon stepping into the shop, a purple patterned R4 unit sped out of the shadows and circled around Ameqse, beeping frantically. âLeave it to her old rust bucket to try and scare me half to death. Anyone here speak binary?â
âVery.â He agreed, pressing himself to his feet and continuing to scan the floor. âThatâs actually a thing?â
Circuit whirled around when R4 darted out of the shadows, right hand lowering to the holster on his hip. Then he realized what (who?) it was, and swore. âKarking clankers.â
âYeah, I do.â He sighed, stepping slightly closer to R4. âCalm down. One more time. Slowly.â
âThe Force can do things other than smashing droids and giving people a superiority complex, you know.â Athene smirked, closing her eyes.
The droid sped over to Circuit, stopping immediately in front of him.
< Thank the Maker youâre here. There were some very rude people standing outside the shop all morning, and I couldnât stand it. Master Tova went to âgive them the bootâ at 1108, and I heard a crash when she left. She wonât even pick up her comm. Very unusual. Very.>
Circuit raised an eyebrow. Definitely sounds like Tova.
He blinked into his HUD to connect to Novaâs private channel, ensuring he still had his external mic on so Athene and Ameqse could hear. âLeo.â
âGo.â
âLast known visual was 11:08 out front according to her clanker. Apparently there was a group of unrulies causing trouble.â
âHow many?â
Circuit paused, looking down at R4 and tilting his head slightly. âCould you pick out any distinct voices?â
< All organics sound the same, but the dialect of Mirialan they used was from the region two clicks to the East. Close the door when you leave, please. Master Tova takes lots of pride in her work, you know. She wouldnât be happy if the shop was left unlocked. Not happy. >
Athene opened her eyes. âI think I have a clue. Her signature feels.. subdued somehow, but itâs very much there. Whatâs the droid say?â
âGood place to start.â He nodded at the droid, patting its dome. âThanks little guy.â
Then he stepped out into the street again, walking towards the speeder. He blinked into his HUD so the others could hear what he was saying as he explained. âApparently her assailants spoke in a dialect common roughly two klicks east from here. No idea how many.â
The droid beeped contentedly, whirring back to its charging station.
Athene stood up, locking up the various cabinets left ajar. âGot it. I was able to get a good feel of her presence while meditating. You drive us, I should be able to do the rest.â
âUnderstood.â Circuit replied, climbing into the speeder and flicking the same combination of switches as last time.
Whatâs the motive? He wondered. Even a small time gang would know thereâs no ransom money in it from her. Just a mechanic. Maybe weâre just dealing with a few idiots who made a very stupid decision.
Oh please, just a mechanic? There was his inner-Dust.
I donât have time for this.
Sure you do. Two klicks worth of it, in fact.
Sometimes he really hated his inner-Dust.
Yâknow what fine. Of course sheâs not just a mechanic. Not to me at least. Sheâs is one of the very few people to be worth my time. Who understands me. Who actually likes with me.
Was that so hard? Really, inner-Leo now?
I hate both of you.
Ameqse looked out the side of the transport. âThe area R4 described is known for its shipping and transport industry. We should start out by the shipyards. Plenty of cargo containers,â
âAnd perfect for smuggling people off-planet.â Athene finished his thought, squeezing Leoâs hand tightly.
Circuitâs grip on the wheel tightening considerably. Heâd dealt with traffickers before on a joint-op with a team of Shadow Troopers. Theyâd been ordered to take prisoners.
They didnât.
âLeo,â He started, activating his comm again, ensuring his mic was on so the two with him could hear. âAO is a shipping yard. Hostiles likely. Traffickers.â
âWhat did you just say?â Leoâs voice came back over the comm.
âYou heard me. Just like the time on Duran.â
âRight.â Then the connection cut with a click, and Circuit let out an annoyed growl.
Athene turned to Ameqse. âI havenât been on Mirial this often since I was a toddler, you know anything about this that we donât?â
He scoffed. âIâve heard rumors about operations being run out of the Ulchllu ports since I was a kid. You all are the closest thing this regionâs had to a Republic presence in years, so nothingâs been done about it.â
âEvery planet has its scum.â Circuit added lowly, modulators in his helmet barely picking it up.
He flicked another switch before taking his hands off the wheel to pull a blaster from its holster and check its charge. He nodded to himself, then did the same with the other blaster. After that he pulled a vibro-knife from his bracer and examined it, running the blade along his gauntlet and nodding when he saw the gouge it made. Then he took the wheel again.
Athene patted her belt, making sure her lightsabers were safely secured.
âYou bring a blaster, Ameqse?â
âWe donât keep weapons in the house.â
âThatâs fine, Iâm sure you can pick one off of the scum weâre bound to find.â
Ameqse paused awkwardly.
âYou canât shoot?âÂ
More silence.
âOf course,â she sighed, turning to look at Circuit as well. âIâm betting Tovaâs not the only one they took. Stick with Circ and I, Iâm sure youâll end up useful for one thing or anoter.â
âYou really are the single most useless person on this planet, arenât you?â Circuit snapped at Ameqse before he could stop himself.
âYouâre right. She probably isnât.â He said to Athene as they pulled up to the outskirts of the shipping yard.
âCool it, or Iâm taking this as you volunteering to teach him personally,â Athene quipped, jumping out of the speeder. âI can sense a group of people, maybe 20 or 30, out over there.â She pointed out by a larger group of cargo containers.Â
âThatâs where the cargo ships bound for Hutt Space typically land, so that checks out.â
âYou wouldnât dare torture me like that.â Circuit shot back as he climbed out.
âAlright, you stay back and take care of him.â The pronoun dripped off his tongue like poison. Then he glanced to his right as a second speeder pulled up and the rest of Nova climbed out.
âI donât need to be minded like a child,â Ameqse sputtered.
âThat remains to be seen. Stay by me, and get to safety if they start shooting.â Athene spoke in an even tone, unclipping her lightsabers from her belt. She didnât particularly feel like playing the babysitter today, and the sooner Tova was back the better.Â
âWhatâs the plan?â She spoke to the larger group. Ameqse got out of the speeder and trudged to her side, grumbling under his breath.Â
âYeah, you do.â Circuit shot at Ameqse before lifting his forearm and projecting a holographic map of the surrounding area.
âListen up!â Leo barked, mainly to Nova. He wasnât exactly used to working with non-clones. âWe have an estimated 20-30 biological hostiles on-target. No idea how many VIPs aside from VIP Trill. But we will get everyone out. Dead or alive. Shredder, give us a POS estimate.â
The Weapons Specialist of the team nodded, turning on his heel and flicking down the macrobinoculars on his helmet and activating their thermals before starting to scan the area. For every heat signature he spotted, he pressed a button and they appeared as a small red dot on Circuitâs map. A good ten minutes of marking later had them all marked, and Shredder said so. âThatâs all, Boss.â
Leo pointed at the large blue dot on the map. âThis is where our VIPs are being held. Shredder counted ten. Couldnât tell where VIP Trill was. Weâll split into two teams. Kill Team and Point Team. Killâs objective is to remove the threat from the port. Pointâs job is to reach our VIPs and asses their condition. Questions?â
âROE?â Dust asked.
âConfirm identity.â Leo responded. âAnyone else?â
None spoke.
âGood. Letâs move.â
âWould you mind translating to Basic?â Ameqse shifted his weight to one foot, the briefing going entirely over his head.Â
âYes, in fact. All you need to know is youâre staying with me. Try not to cause trouble.â Athene turned back to Leo.
âUnless there are objections, I can take point team. Force might come in handy for whatever locks or binders hostiles are using.â
âBecause youâre the only thing keeping his sorry ass safe you should stay out here. And trust me, it really hurt to say that. If it were up to me Iâd just shoot him and be done with it.â Circuit prompted as he drew both blasters.
// Is that just an excuse to make a separate piece of writing of the Novas kicking ass? Yes.
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Is Tova home yet?
âNow that I think about it, itâs odd she hasnât returned yet.â
Shifting Flare to one arm, Athene turned on her comm and dialed the mechanic shop Tova worked at. âR4? Is Tova working late tonight?â After a series of confused beeps, she shut off her comm and opened the nursery door. âDid Tova mention she was heading somewhere different today?â
@nova-squad
âNo. She didnât.â Circuit replied from his position by the table on the far wall, scrolling a datapad. âI already clocked onto the problem. Leo is rounding up the Twins, Doc is fueling up the speeder.â
His voice lacked its usual comedic tone, instead it was short, sharp. His helmet was resting on the table next to him, as was a DC-17. The other rested in the holster on his belt.
âDonât say Iâm overthinking it. Seppies couldnât possibly be here, and even if they were they were, they wouldnât take a single person. The city nearby is well known for criminal activity. Itâs a starting point.â
Flash training plus reading up on local history had its uses.
Ameqse walked in from the other room. âIf she is missing, youâll need to wait until morning. Nights are deadly cold, especially for off worlders like your kind.â
Athene sighed. âI hate to agree, but heâs right about the weather. I might be able to find her through the Force, but thatâs a very big if, and Iâm not sure itâs worth the risk.â
Circuit immediately grabbed his helmet and pulled it on to hide his glare, followed by grabbing his DC-17 and holstering it. âAthene, youâre forgetting that we grew up on Kamino. The Aiwha-bait kept it colder than the vacuum of space, plus the insane amount of cold from the rain. And the cold from aquatic training. Weâre used to it. Plus our armor is climate controlled.â
He turned towards the door. âWe already have a search pattern planned.â
âIf you say so. I know Leoâs not the biggest fan of leaving Flare with the med-droid, but we donât know what weâre walking into and I want her safe.â Athene placed Flare down in her crib, wincing slightly as she made grabby hands up at her.
Grabbing a cloak and her lightsaber, she looked back at Ameqse, who had made no movement since the cloneâs outburst. âGrab a coat if youâre coming.â
âSo, whatâs the plan?â
âHeâs just paranoid.â Circuit replied, stepping out onto the porch. âAnd that is a good idea. This is most definitely a dangerous task.â
Oh please donât come, I couldnât stand that.
âWe start at her shop, and expand the perimeter street by street until we find a lead. Leo took the others down already, weâll be on our own while they take the other street.â
âSounds good to me. I called her shop, but her old R4 was the only one there. Said she popped out right before lunch and hasnât been back since. Didnât lock up or anything.â Now wearing a thick coat and holding a flashlight, Ameqse stepped between the two.
âAnd who put you in charge, again? I know this region of Mirial better than anyone else here, and you both know it.â
âThatâs not how she works. Sure, sometimes sheâll take off early, but Iâve never seen her not lock up. If she vanished in the middle of the day, weâre more than likely dealing with someone bold. I highly doubt she got lost for 7 hours, so itâs a hypothesis.â He stated as he walked towards the speeder, then stopped when Ameqse spoke.
His gloved hand flexed microscopically against his holstered DC before it tightened into a fist again. âThere is no âin chargeâ. Thereâs having a plan. You do not have anything to say to me today.â
âBoth of you, cool it. Ameqseâs understanding of the area may prove useful, and Circuitâs strategy is the best plan we have right now. Emotion clouds judgement.â Athene sat down in the speeder, her Jedi upbringing clearly having taken over for the occasion.
Ameqse sat down behind her with a huff.
âMm.â He grunted as he climbed into the speeder, flicking a few switches before taking the wheel and shooting off towards the city. âThat is the single most hypocritical thing you have ever said, âThene. Itâs not a good luck.â
He reached up with one hand, flipping his rangefinder down and blinking into his HUD to active thermals again, casually scanning the horizon as he drove.
âJust because I donât adhere to the full Jedi Code doesnât mean I donât take from its teachings. And Iâm right. The more you two squabble, the longer Tovaâs out there.â
The speeder stopped in front of the familiar mechanicâs shop, the door ajar. Athene leapt out of the vehicle and ran her hand along the doorframe. âR4 was right, the shopâs been empty for hours. Looks like nobody took advantage of the place being wide open, which is a pleasant surprise.â
âYou sound like Skywalker.â He replied as he climbed out of the speeder. âAnd for the record, we never stopped moving even when he talked.â
Circuit stepped into the shop, kneeling down and increasing the magnification on his rangefinder. Duracrete was a surprisingly good heat absorber. He was hoping Mirialâs natural cold had rendered the shop as cold as possible. Because of the rest of the shop was cold, warm footprints could be picked out. The colder it was, the longer any prints would be obvious for.
âLow blow,â she teased, stepping over by Tovaâs work station and kneeling down. âIâm going to meditate, see if I can pick out her Force presence.â
Immediately upon stepping into the shop, a purple patterned R4 unit sped out of the shadows and circled around Ameqse, beeping frantically. âLeave it to her old rust bucket to try and scare me half to death. Anyone here speak binary?â
âVery.â He agreed, pressing himself to his feet and continuing to scan the floor. âThatâs actually a thing?â
Circuit whirled around when R4 darted out of the shadows, right hand lowering to the holster on his hip. Then he realized what (who?) it was, and swore. âKarking clankers.â
âYeah, I do.â He sighed, stepping slightly closer to R4. âCalm down. One more time. Slowly.â
âThe Force can do things other than smashing droids and giving people a superiority complex, you know.â Athene smirked, closing her eyes.
The droid sped over to Circuit, stopping immediately in front of him.
< Thank the Maker youâre here. There were some very rude people standing outside the shop all morning, and I couldnât stand it. Master Tova went to âgive them the bootâ at 1108, and I heard a crash when she left. She wonât even pick up her comm. Very unusual. Very.>
Circuit raised an eyebrow. Definitely sounds like Tova.
He blinked into his HUD to connect to Novaâs private channel, ensuring he still had his external mic on so Athene and Ameqse could hear. âLeo.â
âGo.â
âLast known visual was 11:08 out front according to her clanker. Apparently there was a group of unrulies causing trouble.â
âHow many?â
Circuit paused, looking down at R4 and tilting his head slightly. âCould you pick out any distinct voices?â
< All organics sound the same, but the dialect of Mirialan they used was from the region two clicks to the East. Close the door when you leave, please. Master Tova takes lots of pride in her work, you know. She wouldnât be happy if the shop was left unlocked. Not happy. >
Athene opened her eyes. âI think I have a clue. Her signature feels.. subdued somehow, but itâs very much there. Whatâs the droid say?â
âGood place to start.â He nodded at the droid, patting its dome. âThanks little guy.â
Then he stepped out into the street again, walking towards the speeder. He blinked into his HUD so the others could hear what he was saying as he explained. âApparently her assailants spoke in a dialect common roughly two klicks east from here. No idea how many.â
The droid beeped contentedly, whirring back to its charging station.
Athene stood up, locking up the various cabinets left ajar. âGot it. I was able to get a good feel of her presence while meditating. You drive us, I should be able to do the rest.â
âUnderstood.â Circuit replied, climbing into the speeder and flicking the same combination of switches as last time.
Whatâs the motive? He wondered. Even a small time gang would know thereâs no ransom money in it from her. Just a mechanic. Maybe weâre just dealing with a few idiots who made a very stupid decision.
Oh please, just a mechanic? There was his inner-Dust.
I donât have time for this.
Sure you do. Two klicks worth of it, in fact.
Sometimes he really hated his inner-Dust.
Yâknow what fine. Of course sheâs not just a mechanic. Not to me at least. Sheâs is one of the very few people to be worth my time. Who understands me. Who actually likes with me.
Was that so hard? Really, inner-Leo now?
I hate both of you.
Ameqse looked out the side of the transport. âThe area R4 described is known for its shipping and transport industry. We should start out by the shipyards. Plenty of cargo containers,â
âAnd perfect for smuggling people off-planet.â Athene finished his thought, squeezing Leoâs hand tightly.
Circuitâs grip on the wheel tightening considerably. Heâd dealt with traffickers before on a joint-op with a team of Shadow Troopers. Theyâd been ordered to take prisoners.
They didnât.
âLeo,â He started, activating his comm again, ensuring his mic was on so the two with him could hear. âAO is a shipping yard. Hostiles likely. Traffickers.â
âWhat did you just say?â Leoâs voice came back over the comm.
âYou heard me. Just like the time on Duran.â
âRight.â Then the connection cut with a click, and Circuit let out an annoyed growl.
Athene turned to Ameqse. âI havenât been on Mirial this often since I was a toddler, you know anything about this that we donât?â
He scoffed. âIâve heard rumors about operations being run out of the Ulchllu ports since I was a kid. You all are the closest thing this regionâs had to a Republic presence in years, so nothingâs been done about it.â
âEvery planet has its scum.â Circuit added lowly, modulators in his helmet barely picking it up.
He flicked another switch before taking his hands off the wheel to pull a blaster from its holster and check its charge. He nodded to himself, then did the same with the other blaster. After that he pulled a vibro-knife from his bracer and examined it, running the blade along his gauntlet and nodding when he saw the gouge it made. Then he took the wheel again.
Athene patted her belt, making sure her lightsabers were safely secured.
âYou bring a blaster, Ameqse?â
âWe donât keep weapons in the house.â
âThatâs fine, Iâm sure you can pick one off of the scum weâre bound to find.â
Ameqse paused awkwardly.
âYou canât shoot?âÂ
More silence.
âOf course,â she sighed, turning to look at Circuit as well. âIâm betting Tovaâs not the only one they took. Stick with Circ and I, Iâm sure youâll end up useful for one thing or anoter.â
âYou really are the single most useless person on this planet, arenât you?â Circuit snapped at Ameqse before he could stop himself.
âYouâre right. She probably isnât.â He said to Athene as they pulled up to the outskirts of the shipping yard.
âCool it, or Iâm taking this as you volunteering to teach him personally,â Athene quipped, jumping out of the speeder. âI can sense a group of people, maybe 20 or 30, out over there.â She pointed out by a larger group of cargo containers.Â
âThatâs where the cargo ships bound for Hutt Space typically land, so that checks out.â
âYou wouldnât dare torture me like that.â Circuit shot back as he climbed out.
âAlright, you stay back and take care of him.â The pronoun dripped off his tongue like poison. Then he glanced to his right as a second speeder pulled up and the rest of Nova climbed out.
âI donât need to be minded like a child,â Ameqse sputtered.
âThat remains to be seen. Stay by me, and get to safety if they start shooting.â Athene spoke in an even tone, unclipping her lightsabers from her belt. She didnât particularly feel like playing the babysitter today, and the sooner Tova was back the better.Â
âWhatâs the plan?â She spoke to the larger group. Ameqse got out of the speeder and trudged to her side, grumbling under his breath.Â
âYeah, you do.â Circuit shot at Ameqse before lifting his forearm and projecting a holographic map of the surrounding area.
âListen up!â Leo barked, mainly to Nova. He wasnât exactly used to working with non-clones. âWe have an estimated 20-30 biological hostiles on-target. No idea how many VIPs aside from VIP Trill. But we will get everyone out. Dead or alive. Shredder, give us a POS estimate.â
The Weapons Specialist of the team nodded, turning on his heel and flicking down the macrobinoculars on his helmet and activating their thermals before starting to scan the area. For every heat signature he spotted, he pressed a button and they appeared as a small red dot on Circuitâs map. A good ten minutes of marking later had them all marked, and Shredder said so. âThatâs all, Boss.â
Leo pointed at the large blue dot on the map. âThis is where our VIPs are being held. Shredder counted ten. Couldnât tell where VIP Trill was. Weâll split into two teams. Kill Team and Point Team. Killâs objective is to remove the threat from the port. Pointâs job is to reach our VIPs and asses their condition. Questions?â
âROE?â Dust asked.
âConfirm identity.â Leo responded. âAnyone else?â
None spoke.
âGood. Letâs move.â
Circuit deserves to punch Ameqse. As a treat.
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