[center][img]https://66.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzm3bjiq401r3kvzio1_400.jpg[/img][/center] [center][h1]The Chase Through Bothawui[/h1][/center] [center]collab w/ [@Honesty Crow][/center] [hr] The split-second look at a pistol pointed in her direction made Nareia withdraw inside, narrowly avoiding the bolt that connected against the doorway. Inhaling sharply, she peered out again and leveled her pistol towards the Quarren’s back, then discovered that they were no longer fleeing on foot but hovering off the ground. Her finger froze on the trigger, and she then opened the door entirely before running outside to try and spot some kind of dropship—anything that could pick them up and provide them a hasty exit. All she saw was the forest they started retreating further into, followed by the explosion of several X-wings from the corner of her eye. The only X-wing to avoid destruction was her own, which hovered over to her with the ladder and landing gear still extended; Peethree went to her instead, a shrill whistle of alarm heard over the roar of her own engine. Thinking fast, Nareia looked back towards the forest before glancing at the idle speeders left close by. They sabotaged the X-wings belonging to Zaid as well as the turbo lasers, but the speeders appeared unscathed. [color=a187be][b]“Peethree, follow my signal over the forest!”[/b][/color] she yelled, stowing her DL-44 and retrieving her comlink once again as she hustled to one of the speeders. Hurriedly examining the chassis, no evidence of tampering or sabotage was found. Still, she couldn’t believe she was about to do this. [color=a187be][b]“I’ll follow them from the ground.”[/b][/color] Nareia waved her companion away. [color=bc8dbf][b]“Stay with me, then get to the place the others—”[/b][/color] She cut herself short, nearly forgetting they were attempting to rendezvous here. Mounting the speeder and withdrawing her comlink once again, she took the controls with one hand and shifted forward; with a lurch she was off and Peethree followed above the treeline, returning the landing gear and ladder within the ship. [color=a187be][b]“Rogue Group, stay on the ground!”[/b][/color] she yelled into the comlink, following the group of three—no, four as they flew through the forest. The Zabrak, of course. [color=a187be][b]“Does anyone read me!?”[/b][/color] [color=fff79a][b]“We read you,”[/b][/color]Rayce replied loudly.[color=fff79a][b]“We haven’t lifted off yet, are you positive?”[/b][/color] [color=a187be][b]“Yes, they didn’t take any of the ships like I suspected they would, and everything Zaid had in security is disabled or destroyed. I think these men are heading for the capital!”[/b][/color] Nareia roared over the rushing wind as she blew past countless trees, ducking and dodging as necessary while attempting to keep pace with the four men. [color=a187be][b]“Gold Group needs to get airborne and circle the city; I don’t know where they’re going but I want ships up just in case they have a shuttle to escape in!”[/b][/color] [color=fff79a][b]“They’re on the move,”[/b][/color] Rayce said, waving off Gold Leader and the other Y-wings. He could be heard powering down his own X-wing and it could be assumed that Kyrin and Alara were doing the same. [color=fff79a][b]“What do you need from us!?”[/b][/color] [color=a187be][b]“I’m on a speeder bike following them, but I can’t shoot and give you orders right now, so listen carefully: one of you needs to alert whatever counts as Drev’starn’s security forces to four criminals who robbed Zaid and stole something vital to the New Republic. The other two need to rendezvous with me and prepare for a fight, I don’t think they’ll hand the chip back peacefully!”[/b][/color] [color=fff79a][b]“Understood, Kyrin and I will find you,”[/b][/color]Rayce assured her, exchanging looks with the gunslinger who retrieved two pistols from his cockpit before moving to exit his nearby ship. Alara ejected Zee from his slot on her vessel and hovered to the ground with twin rockets emerging from his ‘legs’. As for him, he grabbed the S-5 heavy blaster from his ship’s compartment before exiting it. [color=fff79a][b]“What do they look like?”[/b][/color] Nareia thought back to their races. She didn’t ignore the pile of clothing they left behind after leaving the compound, but she didn’t get a good enough look at their newer getups to properly describe them. And judging from an emptied case left on the ground not far from them, they might’ve rearmed with heavier, stronger weaponry. [color=a187be][b]“I can’t give you clothing, but I can give you their race: A Twilek with—”[/b][/color] Nareia described the tone of his skin [color=a187be][b]“—a Quarren with—”[/b][/color] his skin tone was also described [color=a187be][b]“—a Zabrak with—”[/b][/color] skin tone and hair—if any—were mentioned like the others [color=a187be][b]“—and a furry one, not too different from a Bothan, but more wolfish.”[/b][/color] [color=f6989d][b]“Shistavanen!”[/b][/color] Alara quickly surmised over her comlink, hustling out of the hangar with an energetic Zee rolling right behind her. [color=f6989d][b]“Twi’lek, Quarren, Zabrak, Shistavanen!”[/b][/color] She announced loud and clear for the others. [color=f6989d][b]“I’ll find people to alert. Everyone, please be careful!”[/b][/color] [color=fff79a][b]“Understood!”[/b] [/color]Rayce said, hustling after Kyrin towards the city entrance that was closest to the compound. [color=fff79a][b]“Nareia, we’re gonna try to cut them off. Keep your head down and keep pushing them towards us if you can!”[/b][/color] [color=a187be][b]“Already on it!”[/b][/color] Working the comlink back into her pocket, she could now assume more control of the speeder bike without crashing. Accelerating after the group of four, she released several shots behind the group that were to be narrow misses. In truth, all she wanted to do was encourage them to run until the others could try and cut them off. And failing that, if Drev’starn’s security was made aware of what went on, they would be able to help the New Republic apprehend the thieves. Alara, Rayce and Kyrin didn't take too long to get to one of the city gates. The city was bustling with people, the majority of which were Bothans. Unfortunately for the trio, spotting the runaways with their skin color and race alone would prove difficult. There were aliens all over the place here and it didn't help that the streets were filled with speeders. Right by the entrance were two Bothan guards being entertained by a couple of Bith street musicians. Next to them was a small crowd of Bothans and other aliens enjoying show. While the cops didn't look 'reputable', it was their best shot at alerting the Bothans. Meanwhile, Nareia had to put a stop to her speeder as soon as she hit the first entrance. The streets were filled with speeder cars, occupying most of the roads. She saw as the trio cut in between the vehicles and split up once they hit the first intersection. Things had now gotten worse. From her position, two of them, the blue Twi'lek and the Shistavanen had gone left toward a series of towers in the distance while the Quarren and the Zabrak continued toward the center of the city. [color=f6989d][b]“Hey, hey!”[/b][/color] Alara shouted over the Bith musician’s rousing performance. She stopped directly in front of the Bothan guards with Rayce and Kyrin beside her, weapons and comlink at the ready. [color=f6989d][b]“We need your help. A gang of criminals is on the loose. They’re—” [/b][/color] With precise detail provided to her by Nareia just a minute prior to now, Alara perfectly described not only the race of the assailants, but also the tone of skin each had. A firm mention of Zaid being attacked was given; if the guards didn’t care about the struggles of human visitors, maybe they would care about one of their own being attacked by this gang. Kyrin watched the guards with a keen eye while Rayce continued to communicate with Nareia close by. The guards listened, though reluctantly. One of them spoke up the moment Alara finished talking. He wasn't all too pleased that these three humans had interrupted his entertainment. [b]"Right."[/b] He replied, a smile forming on his face. [b]"And I'm the Queen of Naboo. Listen, girl if the Vas'Ah's got robbed, whoever did it is going to have bounty hunters up their ass for the rest of their lives. If you're smart, you'll let this go. Now, if you excuse us, we were enjoying our break."[/b] The Bothan security guards moved around Rebel pilots to find a spot as the Bith musicians began to play another number. At that moment, Alara caught the form of a Shistavanen and a Twi'Lek running across the nearby intersection. Both of them matched the description Nareia had given them. Dumbfounded, Alara tried to say something, anything that would convince these men that Zaid Vas’ah was indeed attacked in his own home. Nothing—not a care in the world, those guards disregarded them without a second thought. [color=f6989d][b]“But—”[/b] [/color] [color=f26522][b]“Forget them,”[/b][/color] Kyrin said firmly, glaring at the men as they passed. [color=f26522][b]“They make the same credits standing around doing nothing as they would doing their jobs. It’s up to us.” [/b][/color] [color=fff79a][b]“They split up,”[/b][/color]Rayce announced; in the direction Alara was looking in, Rayce caught sight of two men—a Twi’lek and Shistavanen— running by. They were exactly as Nareia described, and in the exact same pair she mentioned them splitting up into. [color=fff79a][b]“There!”[/b][/color] Focusing up again, Kyrin nudged Rayce before starting to sprint after them. [color=f26522][b]“Get the other two, I got them!”[/b][/color] Before Rayce could argue that going alone was a bad idea, Kyrin was already on their tail. [color=f6989d][b]“Wh-what should I do?”[/b][/color] Alara asked nervously. [color=f6989d][b]“I-I don’t have a pistol.” [/b][/color] [color=fff79a][b]“Find other guards, better ones!”[/b][/color] Rayce said hurriedly, giving Alara a nod of support before turning around and moving to cut off the Quarren and Zabrak before Nareia engaged them. When the Rebel pilots left the guard's side, one of them turned to watch them leave. He gave his companion a knowing gaze and he reached for a commlink in his belt. [b]"Omega, the runners are being chased by interlopers."[/b] The Bothan said, making sure his voice was drowned out by the music and the sounds of the speeders behind him. [b]"They look like Rebel pilots."[/b] [i]"Good to know."[/i] A male voice said on the other side. [i]"Inform the Senator. He'll want to know about this."[/i] [b]"Understood."[/b] The two Bothans nodded at each other and sprinted across the street to their own speeder. Turning on a pair of sirens, they sped down the street toward the center of town. Meanwhile, Kyrin began to catch up to the Shistavanen who was the slower of the two. The moment the wolf-like alien saw Rayce he turned and crossed the street trying to avoid being caught in between the two pilots, however when he crossed a speeder ran him over sending the beast into the air and down to the ground with a loud thud. The Twi'lek took the chance and ran into the city center's market. Kyrin saw as the Twi'lek began to push through the crowd. In between the vendor kiosks and tents he spotted the recognizable sigh of a spaceport in the distance. The group was heading toward the city's spaceport for sure. They probably had a ship on standby. All those years running in Nar Shaddaa’s streets made keeping pace with the aliens in a crowded environment easier. Kyrin weaved between people without stumbling, and to those that couldn’t be maneuvered by he simply barreled past with both blasters visible in hand; if they wanted to complain, they’d best think twice. As expected, they tried splitting up again. Kyrin closed in on the slower of the two, the Shistavanen, and raised his left blaster to take him out of the picture before he lost sight of the Twi’lek entirely. A speeder barreling by knocked the man airborne and he landed painfully hard. If nothing was broken, then surely something was bruised. He shouldn’t be getting up after that kind of a hit, but just in case… Leveling his blaster to the fallen man’s nearest thigh, Kyrin loosed two blaster bolts into the exact same spot. Whether he was still conscious or not, the gunslinger didn’t much care. But if the Twi’lek wouldn’t wise up, they needed at least one of these punks alive long enough to question. Satisfied, Kyrin continued his sprint into the marketplace. Following the curious and startled gazes of the Bothan people, he caught the Twi’leks back just as the spaceport came into view. He raised his right blaster, took aim at the Twi’lek’s back, and—when absolutely certain he wouldn’t hurt those he ran past—fired a single shot. Not enough to kill him, but enough to make him panic, stumble, and be more likely to give it up while he still could. The Twi'lek shrieked as the blaster bolt hit him in the back. Aliens and Bothans who were around panicked as soon as they heard the gunshots. It made the crowd scatter in random directions, leaving Kyrin and the injured Twi'lek alone. When Kyrin approached, the Twi'lek turned himself over to look at the man who had shot him. [b]"You're too late..."[/b] He said, panting. [b]"You are picking on an enemy you can't hope to defeat!"[/b] [color=f26522][b]“This enemy have a name?”[/b][/color] Kyrin asked the fallen Twi’lek. He stowed his left blaster and crouched beside him, pressing the barrel of his other blaster to his nearest lekku. He patted him down with precision, searching for any hidden pockets in his clothing that might have information that not even the threat of torture would bring him to reveal. [color=f26522][b]“Or are they cowards just like you and your buddy back there?” [/b][/color] He was thorough; if there was something—anything—that might be hidden on this Twi’lek, his gang experience in the past might enable him to find it. Kyrin found nothing of note other than his dual blasters and a commlink. Before Kyrin could question him further, he heard a loud crunching sound and before he knew it, the Twi'lek was having a seizure and foaming at the mouth. A crowd of concerned onlookers stared at Kyrin and the dying Twi'lek, while some reached for their own commlinks and called the police. Kyrin began to hear sirens in the distance. It was best he link up with the others before the Bothan cops caught up with them. Kyrin sucked in air between his teeth and shook his head in disappointment. He heard the crunch in his mouth, then stood up with the Twi’lek’s comlink in hand. Suicide—and not the way he’d ever want to go out. [color=f26522][b]“That answers my question,”[/b][/color] he muttered, examining the comlink. [color=f26522][b]“Cowards working for bigger cowards.”[/b][/color] Moving his way past the growing crowd, he hustled back to where he remembered leaving the Shistavanen. It was good to be thorough before he called this in. When Kyrin arrived, the street had been cordoned off by Bothan security. There armed guards and three police speeders blocking off the road. From where he stood, he could see the Shistavanen's corpse. Same cause of death. Suicide. Standing on the street were more than a dozen cops, armed and armored, seemingly ready for a fight. Lucky for him a crowd had gathered to watch and they were able to hide him from the officers on the street. The Bothans responded fast when they were motivated, Kyrin thought. He looked past the many shoulders ahead of him, catching sight of the Shistavanen lying dead; some foam was at the mouth, the same as his buddy who was likely still twitching back in the marketplace. The smoke from his thigh wound hadn’t even stopped smoking yet. Fingering the comlink he lifted from the Twi’lek, he backed away from the crowd and holstered his pistol before starting to hustle back the way he came. He flicked it on. [color=f26522][b]“Not sure if you third party scumbags can hear me, but your friends are dead. The second I see you, either start getting chatty or start foaming at the mouth like they did. I’m on my way.”[/b][/color] He cut it off and stowed it away, retrieving the comlink shared between Rogue Group and Gold Squadron’s frequency. [color=f26522][b]“The Twi’lek and the Shista dropped dead from suicide. Where are you two?”[/b][/color] On the other side of the city, nearing the spaceport, Nareia and Rayce had caught up to the Zabrak and Quarren. These two were remarkably faster than their counterparts. As they ran, they used their repulsorlift shoes to float over obstacle and stay ahead. The two Rebel pilots were able to catch up them as soon as the guys they were chasing started running on their feet alone. However, by then it was probably too late. They were going to have to catch them before they got to their ship. Going inside the spaceport, Nareia and Rayce had to jump over crates and pass by engineers and pilots working on their ships. As they ran deeper inside the complex, they started hearing sirens behind them and soon, as group of Bothan security was chasing them down. The spaceport building was large enough to accomodate more than a hundred vessels. It was laid out to give ships and pilots their own small hangar while leaving a large space in the middle to accomodate cargo and small speeders. At one point, the Zabrak and the Quarren split up. They both took cover behind crates and opened fire on the pilots with their own guns. Not too far ahead, the Bothan security agents were starting to catch up, effectively pinning them in between the two. [color=a187be][b]“In the spaceport and taking fire!”[/b][/color] Nareia cried over her comlink as she retreated behind a nearby wall, Rayce huddling up against a crate adjacent to her and hunkering down. Blaster bolts peppered his cover, forcing him to keep his head down. Nareia peered out to get a better look at the enemy’s new positioning, then retreated her head as a bolt hit her cover. [color=a187be][b]“Follow the sound of blaster fire,”[/b][/color] she continued, looking back to see a group of Bothans on their way towards them. Multiple sirens blared in the distance. [color=a187be][b]“And sirens, too.”[/b][/color] [color=f26522][b]“I’m on my way!”[/b][/color] Kyrin said through pants and frustrated grunts just before the signal on his end closed. [color=fff79a][b]“We need to get the Quarren!”[/b][/color] Rayce told her, risking a peek around the corner of his crate and sending a few green bolts towards the Zabrak and his chosen cover. Nareia followed up by loosing shots at the Quarren behind his own, red bolts colliding against his crate to keep the pressure up. [color=fff79a][b]“And we don’t have time to explain ourselves to the security forces!”[/b][/color] [color=a187be][b]“I know!”[/b][/color] Nareia ducked low and darted from her cover behind a wall towards another crate, moving just past Rayce and advancing as closely as possible to their adversaries. [color=a187be][b]“I don’t think they plan to surrender, so negotiating isn’t going to be an option!”[/b][/color] [color=fff79a][b]“And we can’t wait for Kyrin to get here,”[/b][/color] Rayce quickly pointed out; he followed after Nareia, exchanging fire between both the Quarren and the Zabrak before shuffling behind another set of conveniently placed crates. Spaceport personnel must’ve panicked from all the commotion and scattered these miscellaneous crates about. [color=fff79a][b]“Cover me!” [/b][/color] [color=a187be][b]“Go!”[/b][/color] Nareia peeked over her crate and fired both wildly and unpredictably at both sets of cover in the hopes of keeping the aliens pinned. As she attempted this, Rayce maneuvered around his cover and crouch-walked past her, attempting to get as close as he could beyond the Quarren’s chosen place of cover and take a shot. More than a dozen Bothan security officers swarmed the spaceport, forcing many there to either flee and seek cover. From where Nareia and Rayce were sitting, they spotted another group of officers coming from behind them. They cops were pinning the two groups down. Soon, there were police drones floating above them recording their every move. Deploying shields, the guards took defensive positions, aiming weapons at both groups. [b]"This is the Metropolitan Guard! Put your weapons down or we will open fire!"[/b] Yelled one of their commanders. The Quarren and the Zabrak looked at each other and placed their weapons on the floor raising their hands in sign of surrender. Surrounded just as Rayce was moving in position to take the shot, Nareia ceased fire as the announcement was made. The Bothans should understand her side of the story; if Alara was good at anything, it was retelling things she’s read or heard before. With her blaster growing uncomfortably hot and the stress of the situation making her sweat, she didn’t surrender her position until she noticed the third party emerging from their hiding places with hands up and weapons lowered. She peered at Rayce who peered right back at her. They nodded and did as asked; Nareia’s DL-44 rest on the crate she took cover behind, while Rayce’s S-5 was lowered beside his right foot. Their hands were up, and they would comply. Behind them, Alara and Zee managed to catch up to the rest of the Bothan security forces and stood by. Kyrin hustled up beside her and quickly read the room, holstering his blaster once witnessing Nareia and Rayce apprehended. Bothans, wearing armor and shock batons tackled the Quarren and the Zabrak to the ground and did the same for Nareia and Rayce. At that moment, the police line broke and in between the officers emerged Bothan Senator Borrsk Fey'lya along with his security detail. He looked furious. The old Bothan marched toward Nareia and Rayce, recognizing them instantly. [b]"You!"[/b] He shouted, walking up to them with a raised accusatory digit. [b]"What in the world were you thinking!? Who's mission was this? I want to know who caused this... chaos in MY city! Speak!"[/b] Nareia’s eyes lit up, recognizing the old Bothan from Senate meetings on Yavin IV. Choosing to let go of the fact she was tackled with gritted teeth behind her lips, she kept her squirming to a minimum. Rayce knew the drill when it came to a security force just trying to do their job; he wouldn’t complain about their protocols, aggressive as they might be. [color=a187be][b]“Our mission—[i]my[/i] mission—was to get information that only Zaid Vas’ah could give us. It was from a chip with security measures I believed no one else could bypass. It was going well until those two assaulted Zaid and fled with the chip,”[/b][/color] she said earnestly, then nodded over her shoulder towards the aliens not too far off. [color=a187be][b]“One of them should still possess the chip on their person. That information is of great importance to the New Republic, Senator Fey’lya. Neither of us wanted it to come to this, I assure you, but they left us no choice.”[/b][/color] Rayce struggled to nod in agreement over the many bodies on top of him. Fay'lya's right ear twitched as he walked over to the aliens across from the them. [b]"Do you think I'm stupid, pilot?"[/b] The Bothan Senator drew a pistol from one of his nearby bodyguards and proceeded to shoot the two alien criminals in the head. Returning the weapon to his bodyguard he ordered the officers to search the bodies until they produced the chip. It didn't take long for one of the cops to find it tucked away in a hidden pocked inside the Quarren's coat. Taking it, Fay'lya inspected it and walked back to the pilots. [b]"Now, without insulting my intelligence. You are going to tell me what is in this chip. Don't test my patience."[/b] Said Fay'lya, glaring at both Nareia and Rayce. He was becoming more agitated by the minute. Not only had these two created chaos and panic in Drev'starn but also dared to lie to his face. Nareia flinched after the execution was done. Quick, efficient, and seemingly without any remorse; Fey’lya spoke to Rayce and herself as if he didn’t just end two lives in half a second. His glare intimidated her, for a moment forgetting that he was on the side of the New Republic. Judging by how his men still kept them pinned to the ground, he had a funny way of showing his allegiance to them. She wanted answers from those men. Too late for that. Her eyes wavered from his own and rest on the chip in hand. The contents of it were only a debrief, but it suggested something conniving and dishonest—the values opposite of what the New Republic should stand for. What they hid from the men and women who went to try and save it, what Kale and his apprentice were kept in the dark about, it almost made her retch to speak the New Republic’s deceit into existence. It occurred to her that the mission to Onderon was from the top, going far above Madine to those in the Senate—a Senate that Fey’lya belonged to. She eyed him with suspicion. Overthinking things was becoming a new hobby of hers. If he knew already, telling the truth here would only confirm his suspicion of them. But if she was wrong, if he didn’t know the exact details of the mission on Onderon, then he would have reason to approach the Senate and bring this to light. The fracture would grow if not split the New Republic’s leadership completely. If Wedge told the truth before she left, coming to blows would be the best outcome for them all. [color=a187be][b]“Senator Fey’lya,”[/b][/color] she said quietly, just audible enough so that he might hear it. There was no getting out of this without giving him something. Neither answer bode well for the New Republic’s crumbling foundation. [color=a187be][b]“I came here after taking that chip with men and women I trusted to get some answers. What’s on that chip suggests something very awful behind the Onderon operation.”[/b][/color] She swallowed dryly. [color=a187be][b]“Let me return to Yavin IV in your custody. Allow me to confess to my actions here, take full responsibility for any damage and trauma I may have caused to your people, indirectly or not, and I will tell you what I saw… with the Senate present, if I may.”[/b][/color] It wasn’t what the Senator wanted, but it was something at least. Her only wish was to protect her friends and try to keep this New Republic from breaking apart any further. Whether Fey’lya would agree to these terms or not didn’t matter; he had the option of returning to Zaid’s compound himself and demanding the stunned codebreaker to access it again. He knew this, as did she. The threat of imprisonment didn’t frighten her as much as the Alliance crumbling. Either all of them knew, a select few, or just one in particular. Both Mon Mothma and General Iblis came to mind. One of them didn’t know about this, she was almost positive. The older Bothan scoffed at the suggestion, stuffing the chip in the pocket of his expensive silk trousers. [b]"What you and your friends are going to do is keep your mouth shut. I will handle this. You have caused enough destruction and chaos already. There is no need for you and your band of misfit [i]humans[/i] to cause even more damage."[/b] Fey'lya spat those words out with disgust. He truly was still angry over what had happened in the city and was holding back from outright executing the pilots. No, he was better than that. They were necessary assets and useful tools when the time came. He commanded the guards to release them and Nareia and Rayce were promptly freed by the Bothan guards. [b]"I'm sure you can make up a cover story over why you were out here. And, I don't think I need to warn you over double-crossing me, pilot. I have a great many contacts and friends in the Republic. People who can ensure that you and your friends are demoted to lowly janitors."[/b] With a smug smile, he dismissed him with his hand. [b]"Go on. Get out of my city"[/b] Rayce was the first to return to his feet and approach a stunned Nareia, holding out his hand for her; after a pause, she took it and rose. The two exchanged mixed expressions, worry and suspicion the most discernable, but understood the situation enough to know that arguing with a testy Fey’lya wasn’t beneficial to anyone. Nareia broke her stare with Rayce and nodded at Fey’lya. [color=a187be][b]“Thank you, Senator,”[/b][/color] she said softly, allowing his threat of demoting them to remain unchallenged. [color=a187be][b]“We’ll take our leave.”[/b][/color] She kept her head down and retrieved her weapon in silence, noting that Rayce already retrieved his. Holstering it, she stepped past the Senator and his entourage while attempting to appear as meek and intimidated as possible. Past the furred faces and scowls of armed guards looking for any reason to tackle her to the ground again, she caught Kyrin’s hand easing away from his blaster just as the watchful guards begun turning towards him. Alara’s dark eyes darted from Nareia to the Senator. [color=f6989d][b]“Wa—”[/b][/color] A firm hand shot to her shoulder and squeezed; she turned and followed it to Kyrin’s look of warning before he brought his entire arm around her. [color=f26522][b]“Not right now,”[/b][/color] he warned through his teeth. Nareia and Rayce gestured in the direction of their hanger bay, and he followed with Alara still wrapped in his arm. An anxious warble left Zee before he rotated and joined the others. [color=f26522][b]“There’s a time and place for this and it’s not here,”[/b][/color] he whispered. [color=f26522][b]“You get me?”[/b][/color] [color=f6989d][b]“Right…”[/b][/color] Alara muttered back with flushed cheeks. No wonder everyone was so silent. [color=f6989d][b]“Sorry.” [/b][/color] [color=f26522][b]“You’ll learn.”[/b][/color] Patting her back, Kyrin released his grip around her and glanced back at Zee strolling behind them. Through his peripheral vision he spotted a handful of Bothans keeping step; a wide berth was given, but their watchful eyes wouldn’t miss it if they turned another corner and remained on Bothawui. [color=f26522][b]“Keep up, shorty. We’re outta here.”[/b][/color] Chirping nervously, Zee accelerated past each Rogue and took the lead in getting them back to their hanger bay. The Bothans behind them dispersed and returned to their stations once confirmation that they returned to their hanger was given. But even then, Alara noted, no one seemed any more comfortable than before. They quickly and quietly looked their ships over, checking with their R2 units to see if anyone had come inside while they were gone. Each unit said the same thing: no one had come, all was as they left it. After getting Zee remounted on Alara’s X-wings, the Rogues lifted off one by one. It was only when they cleared Drev’starn and reunited with Gold Leader and the rest of the Y-wings outside the city limits did tension start to lift from their shoulders. Something about Borsk rubbed each of them the wrong way. They were about four klicks out from Drev’starn when Nareia pitched her X-wing up, with the Rogues and Gold Squadron rising up after her. [color=a187be][b]“Sorry to waste your time Gold Leader,”[/b][/color] Nareia started soberly. [color=a187be][b]“Nothing down there went as I thought it would. None of it. It’s best you know as little as possible about what went on just in case this comes back to bite me. I hope you understand.” [/b][/color] To her relief, Gold Leader understood the circumstances; while he wouldn’t know about the Senator and the loss of the chip right away, something told her that Borsk would make it known when it best suited him. They could all be coming home to more than a disheartened Wedge. She’d rather be on janitorial duty than face him right now. A notification for a private channel was received which she promptly accepted. [color=a187be][b]“Private channel, go ahead.”[/b][/color] [color=fff79a][b]“We can all agree that Senator Fey’lya killing those two was strange, can’t we?”[/b][/color] Rayce asked; in saying “we”, Nareia inferred that she was speaking with only the Rogues. Honoring her request, Rayce wouldn’t include the bomber unit in the conversation. [color=fff79a][b]“They surrendered just like we did. He could have gotten something out of them, only he didn’t try. Why?”[/b][/color] [color=f26522][b]“Before we get into that,”[/b][/color] Kyrin interjected, [color=f26522][b]“the other two died foaming at the mouth and shaking before I could get anything out of them. They were willing to die for whoever sent them in—something about an enemy we can’t hope to defeat. Cryptic stuff.”[/b][/color] [color=fff79a][b]“You said suicide earlier, right?”[/b][/color] Rayce asked. [color=f26522][b]“Yeah, nasty business.”[/b][/color] Kyrin shrugged in his seat. [color=f26522][b]“Could just be Zann or Black Sun having a new policy on failure.”[/b][/color] [color=a187be][b]“What makes you think either of them are behind it?”[/b][/color] Nareia questioned. She had a different theory entirely, but it pained her to even consider it to be true. [color=a187be][b]“We know the Empire isn’t a big fan of diversity, but how could either of those pirates know about the chip and be there precisely when I was to nab it?”[/b][/color] The atmosphere of Bothawui left behind them, the openness of space was laid bare. Coordinates for lightspeed were keyed as they left the gravity well. The return to Yavin wouldn’t be so quiet this time, Nareia believed, as she very much wanted to hear everything her friends gathered for themselves. She spoke about what she saw on the ground; the scowling Zabrak, the scores of men surrounding Zaid, and the moment her host was betrayed and left unconscious. They each entered hyperspace as the explanation was given. Theories and suspicions continued to formulate and grow. [color=a187be][b]“I think Borsk was behind it,”[/b][/color] Nareia said at last, bringing life to her treacherous thoughts. [color=a187be][b]“Those men cleared the way for an aerial retrieval, but they ran back to the city—to the spaceport, with all those people around. Kyrin, you said the other two took their own lives?”[/b][/color] [color=f26522][b]“Yeah…”[/b][/color] Kyrin muttered thoughtfully. [color=f26522][b]“I don’t think they were in the mood to talk.”[/b][/color] [color=fff79a][b]“Because Kyrin got them first,”[/b][/color] Rayce continued, just as speculative. [color=fff79a][b]“But the other two were happy to put their weapons down.”[/b][/color] [color=a187be][b]“Because they were comfortable enough to throw down their weapons surrounded by the city’s lawmen, but not Kyrin, not someone they knew they couldn’t sway… or couldn’t count on to get them out of that jam.”[/b][/color] She knew it was a reach but a damn good one. Unless, of course, this incident was absolutely rife of coincidences. Coincidentally only two could take their lives, coincidentally the two that remained were more than happy to talk. Or maybe, just maybe, they weren’t running to escape, only to buy time for Fey’lya to intervene so they might hand the chip off. They didn’t suspect him of a double-cross, which led to the only payment Fey’lya ever intended to give them: a swift death. [color=f6989d][b]“An enemy we can’t hope to defeat…”[/b][/color] said a monotone voice. Alara spoke up for the first time since leaving Drev’starn’s spaceport, her tone low and absentminded. Processing all the information given to her like a droid, she blankly stared at the blue hue of hyperspace beyond the X-wings ahead. [color=f6989d][b]“Senator Fey’lya kept the chip… an enemy we can’t hope to defeat…keep your mouth shut, I will handle this—”[/b][/color] [color=a187be][b]“Alara?”[/b][/color] [color=f6989d][b]“I don’t think it’s him.”[/b][/color] Emerging from her trance, Alara exhaled as though she held her breath for an entire minute. She couldn’t deny that everything pointed towards Senator Fey’lya, but Kyrin’s encounter with the Twi’lek—the final words he gave him—pointed to something they may never have seen before. [color=f6989d][b]“I think that…”[/b][/color] she trailed off. After several seconds of silence, Rayce cut in. [color=fff79a][b]“Go on, what’ve you got?”[/b][/color] Alara swallowed. [color=f6989d][b]“I… I just think that Senator Fey’lya could be using the outrage to make a political move. He took the chip from that man and kept it, and he didn’t want us to talk. He might use the information on that chip to devastate the Senate. It’s not just about what we did, it’s what he can do with that information. And—and the part about having contacts and friends…”[/b][/color] [color=f26522][b]“What?”[/b][/color] Kyrin asked. [color=f6989d][b]“Did Wedge get seen taking that chip?”[/b][/color] Alara asked aloud. [color=f6989d][b]“Contacts and friends in the New Republic… what if… what if Senator Fey’lya isn’t the only one with contacts and friends in the New Republic?”[/b][/color] [color=f26522][b]“You think we’ve got a leak?”[/b][/color] Kyrin asked. [color=f26522][b]“Credits talk, but the guy I chased—”[/b][/color] [color=f6989d][b]“He believed in the power of whoever sent him, not the credits,”[/b][/color] Alara countered. [color=f6989d][b]“At least I think so. Senator Fey’lya is probably going to act on what happened with the Senate, that’s why he didn’t want Nareia to talk first. But I think there’s a third party here we might not be considering.”[/b][/color] [color=f26522][b]“And you don’t think it’s Zann or Black Sun?”[/b][/color] [color=f6989d][b]“No… maybe, I’m not sure,”[/b][/color] Alara shook her head. [color=f6989d][b]“Nareia, that word associated with the Holocron. What was it?” [/b][/color] [color=a187be][i][b]“Sith,”[/b][/i][/color] she responded. The name alone made her shiver just saying it. [color=a187be][b]“The holocron was related to this [i]“Sith”[/i] thing, or people. Do you recognize it?” [/b][/color] Another several seconds of silence followed. [color=a187be][b]“Alara?”[/b][/color] [color=f6989d][b]“Sorry,”[/b][/color] Alara said, in the same monotone voice she did before. [color=f6989d][b]“I think I remember it from a book, but I need to be sure. I need to speak to someone when we get home.” [/b][/color] [color=a187be][b]“A Jedi?”[/b][/color] [color=f6989d][b]“And a new friend.” [/b][/color]