#aby;starter

SHE’S DRUNK —- a little too much to drink despite a lack of cause for celebration. It wasn’t something that she did frequently nor did Nomi didn’t mind it much. If anything, it was a method of distracting her from the loneliness of it all —- everyone had their way of coping with loss and isolation right ? 

It wasn’t the alcohol nor the impending hangover that would turn out to be the worst part of the night —- no, it was the fact that her apartment door was locked. Nomi groaned as she fumbled to input the code, each time getting more and more frustrated as the machine continually rejected it. She would have liked to say she attempted in multiple times, but in reality her patience only lasted for a few minutes before she picked the lock herself ( something that she was more than familiar with doing after joining the Resistance ). 

Entering the establishment and ( mostly ) stripping herself of her clothes, she’d flop onto the bed before sensing another presence in the room. Hazel-stained eyes lift to notice a beautiful woman with platinum-lined hair leaning against a wall. If it was an assassin, Nomi was screwed either way. If it wasn’t, then she might as well have some fun.  

❝ You can either join me in bed, or you can get out ! ❞ It was louder than she had expected, so she inhaled deeply to calm herself —- gagging slightly at the smell of her inebriated breath. 

❝ My house, my rules. ❞

There’s a certain draw to pushing oneself past their limits —- and Nomi was no exception to that temptation. More often than not, the Lieutenant found herself soaring through the skies and strafing as close to the barrier as she could simply to get a taste of the thrill once again. But her actions and audacity had consequences, and it was often her x-wing that paid the price. Though the number of engineers and mechanics in the Resistance had dwindled and grown sparse throughout the years, there was only ever one mechanic that Nomi trusted with her vehicle. 

❝ Kriff ! ❞  She nearly screams into her communications line —- attempting to level the fiery mess that was her x-wing as she streaked towards the Resistance hanger bay. Though she never intentionally made the effort to damage her aircraft, it was a byproduct of a wanderlust that hadn’t been denied to her by her superiors. 

❝ Get an extinguisher ready, Cienna ! ❞ She continued. ❝ We’re gonna’ need it. ❞ 

She tugs back on the joystick, lurching and shooting her x-wing upwards through the skyline to level with Poe. Being with the Resistance had offered her a level of autonomy in her flying —- which was more often than not used to make bold and precarious decisions. But it was this unpredictability and bravery from the Resistance pilots that would assure Nomi of their victories. Whereas the First Order stuck to pre-set flight formations, the Resistance was consistently thinking of new methods to out-maneuver and out-smart their opponents —- a speciality of Commander Dameron. But if she was to be honest, though she trusted Poe with her life, it often took a lot out of her to go through with his plans. 

❝ Woo-hoo ! ❞ She chuckles into the communications line. Since the shield had enveloped most of Coruscant’s airspace, it became hard for pilots to take to the skies without accidentally ending up in restricted airspace. But that didn’t and wouldn’t stop Nomi from doing it anyways despite how reckless it was. 

❝ This is Red Leader reporting for duty ! What’s the plan, Chief ? ❞ 

She wasn’t going to disguise her shock from the attack — because that’s what it was even if the media was claiming otherwise. The smallest details rarely affected day-to-day operations as catastrophically as that incident, and watching the federal building burn sent Iden back to the Battle of Yavin. Whatever the Rebellion was up to, they’d certainly pay for it. 

Iden presses her shoulder onto the plasteel corner, waiting patiently for the guards to pass by on their routine patrol. It was common sense that the Rebellion would increase their security to prepare for a First Order counter-attack — but what they wouldn’t have been able to prepare for was Iden Versio. Continuing onwards a few doors, she’d catch a glimpse of a room with her objective’s name on it. 

❛❛ Hello... ❜❜ Iden hacks the door’s digital locks. ❛❛ Anybody here? ❜❜