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[indent][indent][indent][indent][justify][color=808080]Rishi was a quiet planet with little to offer and often overlooked like most of the Rishi Maze following the Clone Wars. Smart ex-imperialists turned themselves into the New Republic and joined the First Order. Bold ex-imperialists took their men and their ships, and set a course for the unknown regions of the galaxy, choosing to brave uncharted space rather than the judgement of the senate. Moff Vaxillion Thray was neither smart nor brave. He was a man who clung to his power like it was his life blood and was reluctant to part with it. That’s what led him to the Rishi Maze. A dwarf galaxy ignored and forgotten and conveniently close to Scarif was his definition of ‘hiding in plain sight.’

That was until Thray, in all of his wisdom, took himself, his men, and his giant star destroyer on a little jaunt to refill his coaxium stores. Giant imperial vessels never went unnoticed, even less so post Empire. In a shocking—and definitely not predictable—turn of events, the New Republic Rangers found them hidden behind the dark side of Rishi’s moon. With their isolated sect of Imperial Remnant low on supplies, men, and willpower, the battle was swift and brutal… and over before it began. 

Escape pods were filled quickly, some stole whatever ships they could get their hands on and fled, but most died in the crash. A decade later all that remained was the metal husk of the star destroyer embedded in a Rishi gorge, a permanent fixture in the mountain around it, half crushed, hollowed out for scrap, and overrun with foliage and wildlife… And Zefer.

[right][sup][sub][sup][h3][color=d6d6d6][b]2 1 [color=2e2c2c].[/color] A B Y [color=2e2c2c]...[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]...[/color] R I S H I [color=2e2c2c]...[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]...[/color] A B A N D O N E D [color=2e2c2c].[/color] I M P E R I A L [color=2e2c2c].[/color] B A S E[/b][/color][/h3][/sup][/sub][/sup][/right][hr]
The humidity on Rishi was a relentless enemy. Everything was always wet, like the planet itself was sweating under the oppressive weight of the air. Zefer had forgotten what it was like to be dry, always finding herself in a constant state of dampness. If it wasn’t from the air, or the mist that rolled off the waterfall and filled the hanger bay, then it was from sweat. Her palms were always slick, tools fought her grip, and anything electrical was a coin toss if it was going to zap her simply for existing in a permanent state of conductivity. 

It was no surprise the Empire abandoned that place long before its fall. Most of the Troopers Zefer had the displeasure of working alongside were dumber than GNK droids. Walking liabilities on a good day. Leaving a bunch of bucket heads bored and wandering around a base like that probably cost the Empire more credits than it saved. She had been living in that dank and rusted cave for over ten years and there were still days where she’d stumble upon the aftermath of where a dumb Trooper stuck their nose—[i]or finger[/i]—where it didn’t belong. Wetness, stupidity, and technology did not mix. 

The humidity [i]was[/i] unbearable, but the silence was worse. That’s why, against sound logic, when she found the base her first priority was repairing and reprogramming one of the KX security droids that had been left behind. [i]Then[/i] she worried about getting off world. K0-R3 was her only companion, even if his primary function these days seemed to be providing unsolicited commentary that often made Zefer want to shut him off and shove him in a storage closet… Which she may or may not have done on occasion. 

Two long ashen white braids hung out of the bottom hatch of a refurbished and [i]heavily[/i] modified TIE fighter that sat in the middle of the hanger bay. The high cavern walls echoed and amplified the roar of the waterfall and every [i]clink, bang[/i] and [i]clank[/i] that rattled around in the ship’s engine. After one last metallic [i]thunk[/i] and a few struggled grunts, Zefer uncurled from where she was wedged in the small compartment. Grease stained and dripping a mixture of humidity, sweat, and hydraulic fluid, she half emerged from the bowels of the machine. 

Dangling upside down beneath the ship, she wiped sweat from her brow, replacing it with a streak of oil before pointing at her workbench along the far wall. [color=884949]"Kore, hand me the hydrospanner,"[/color] Zefer grunted, then drew in a deep breath of fresh air before she started folding herself back into the tight space. [color=884949]"The lateral thruster is sticking again,"[/color] she added, her voice muffled and echoing inside the cramped engine housing.

Outside of the ship there was no sound beyond the rushing of the falls and the occasional drip of the mountain’s sweat falling from the ceiling of the cave. Zefer’s head poked back out of the hatch, finding K0-R3 standing where he was before, water dripping from his brushed steel plating, photoreceptors glowing an indifferent white. 

Zefer rolled her eyes, rocking her head back and forth dramatically. [color=884949]"[i]Please.[/i]"[/color]

[code]"Yes. Of course,"[/code] the droid replied in a flat, metallic monotone. He moved with the familiar echoing [i]tink tink[/i] of his metal feet carrying his weight across the hanger toward the work bench. He retrieved the tool and returned, his scratched and worn silver arm extending into view, dangling the hydrospanner just out of reach. 

She scowled, stretching further out of the ship and snatching the tool from his hand. [color=884949]"I don’t remember giving you manners,"[/color] Zefer huffed as she pulled herself back up into the engine compartment. 

[code]"You didn’t,"[/code] K0-R3 replied, factually. [code]"I procured an etiquette data disc when we were last on Nal Hutta."[/code]

[color=884949]"[i]Procured?[/i]"[/color]

[code]"Stole,"[/code] the droid corrected as if fixing an error in code, not admitting to stealing from one of the Galaxy’s largest crime syndicates.

There was a loud bang, a groan, the rattling of something heavy falling through a maze of metal, followed by the hydrospanner clattering to the ground beneath the TIE fighter. Zefer poked out of the hatch once again, oil slicked fingers staining her white hair as she rubbed her head. [color=884949]"You [i]stole[/i] from the [i]Hutts[/i]?"[/color]

[code]"I do not believe the Hutts intend on learning social etiquette."[/code] The observation was based on calculations, probability and basic arithmetic. The Hutts have used manners in 0.02% of their interactions… in recorded history. The likelihood was slim. [code]"The disc was also corroded… And in the garbage."[/code]

Zefer held onto the side of the ship as she leaned farther out of the hatch to scoop back up her tool. [color=884949]"I’m starting to wonder if the bounty is on me… [i]or you.[/i]"[/color] She gave her droid a sidelong glance before vanishing up into the engine once again. 

[code]"I am a machine and your property. An identifying accessory,"[/code] he explained as if she hadn’t seen the bounty pucks herself. [code]"The bounty is for a ‘gray trooper.’ Last I checked, I was not a Trooper. But if you provide me with a mirror I could check."[/code]

[color=884949]"I should switch you to binary."[/color]

[code]"You don’t know binary."[/code]

[color=884949]"... [i]Exactly.[/i]"[/color]

After a few more minutes of banging, grunting, and grumbling, Zefer untangled herself from the engine of the TIE fighter and slipped out of the hatch. As she climbed out from under the ship, she kicked the door shut and dropped the hydrospanner into her tool belt. She stood beside K0-R3, stretching and popping nearly every joint in her body before wiping her sweat and grease slicked palms off on her pants. [color=884949]"That should do it, I think."[/color] She nodded her head once, satisfied, and rested her hands on her hips. 

[code]"According to my calculations, there is a 94% chance that the thruster will explode the moment you achieve lift-off,"[/code] K0-R3 droned with his usual flat tone. [code]"It would be a very entertaining way to conclude your career."[/code]

Zefer scoffed as she started picking up the scrap that was littering the ground around the ship and carried it over to her work bench. [color=884949]"It won’t explode. I insulated the fuel injector and replaced the fuel line."[/color]

[code]"Ah, yes. You replaced an Imperial-grade fuel line with a length of reinforced plumbing hose you found in a supply closet,"[/code] the droid replied, his photoreceptors dimming to a judgemental and unamused orange. [code]"I have updated my calculations. The probability of a catastrophic explosion is now 98%. My apologies for the previous optimism."[/code]

She dropped her arm full of metal scrap onto the bench with a loud clatter that reverberated around the large cavern. Zefer gave the droid an incredulous glare before chucking a bolt at the lumbering chatterbox that [i]tinged[/i] off his metallic domed head. [color=884949]"You are very talkative for being the one that got us into this mess."[/color]

[code]"I am merely ensuring that when the Hutts find your charred remains, they will note that I provided ample warning,"[/code] K0-R3 replied with a tilt of his head. [code]"It is a matter of record keeping. Also, your technique with a spanner is… adventurous."[/code]

[color=884949]"[i]Adventurous?[/i]"[/color]

[code]"It is a polite way of stating you are hitting the reactor core with a heavy object and hoping for a miracle,"[/code] the droid clarified. [code]"Should I begin drafting your final transmission? Or shall we wait for the first spark?"[/code]

Zefer squinted and clicked her tongue. [color=884949]"You can start with charting a course for Bracca,"[/color] she answered as she turned back toward her work bench and began organizing the scrap into various containers that lined the wall. [color=884949]"I’ve heard a functioning KX droid can fetch a high price."[/color]

There was a long pause. [code]"That was uncalled for."[/code]

The lights in the hangar abruptly changed to a deep shade of red and started flashing as the loud wail of Imperial alarms signaled throughout the base. Zefer dropped everything, pivoting where she stood with her hand resting on the grip of her blaster that was holstered to her right thigh. She hurried toward the control panel on the far side of the bay, but K0-R3 was faster. By the time she reached the computer he was already slicing through security protocols, silencing the alarms, and projecting the alerts onto the display. [code]"Two unidentified starships entered the atmosphere. One is heavily damaged and on a crash course for the mountain."[/code]

[color=884949]"Their approach?"[/color] Zefer asked as she quickly grabbed the old pair of electrobinoculars that sat on the table beside the control panel. 

[code]"Calculating."[/code] K0-R3’s head cocked to the side as his scomp link turned right one rotation, left twice, then held. [code]"237 degrees Southwest."[/code]

Zefer hurried toward the side exit and threw open the door with a thrust of her hip. She stepped out onto the old rickety catwalk that hugged the side of the cliff, overlooking the gorge and the East facing side of the mountain. She stepped up to the railing and started to lift the binoculars when she heard metal creaking and felt the walkway beneath her shudder. Her attention snapped toward the exit where K0-R3 was one step out of the door. 

[color=884949]"[i]Woah, woah.[/i]"[/color] Zefer held up her hands with wide eyes like trying to calm a frightened creature. [color=884949]"Weight limit."[/color]

K0-R3’s photoreceptors turned yellow as his head turned toward her. [code]"I beg your pardon?"[/code]

[color=884949]"I would like to [i]not[/i] fall to my death. This thing won’t support us both and I’m not made of metal."[/color]

[code]"I will have you know that I am crafted from the highest quality, Imperial-grade, lightweight metals and plastics."[/code]

[color=884949]"Well, keep your Imperial-grade ass inside."[/color]


There was a series of mechanical [i]whirrs[/i] followed by gears grinding like a sad robotic grown as he pulled his foot back into the hangar. But K0-R3 didn’t leave, he remained looming in the doorway like a weathered Imperial relic. 

Zefer stepped toward the edge of the platform until her hips pressed into the rusting and wobbly railing. She squinted, scanning the sky until she found the streak of smoke trailing a dark line against the blue sky. She brought the binoculars to her eyes, zooming in as she followed the path, finding a rapidly descending mass of smoke, flames and metal. The ship was so mangled she couldn’t tell if there was life or even the ship’s model. She followed it like a meteor plummeting toward the planet’s surface, careening dangerously close to the mountain. 

Just as it vanished beyond the hills and treeline something zoomed across her field view. Zefer pulled the binoculars away just in time to see an old Z-95 fly through the gorge and disappear overhead. It passed quickly, but she could have sworn she saw—[color=884949]"No, it can’t be,"[/color] she muttered to herself. She leaned forward, torso hovering precariously over the expanse below. The only thing keeping her standing was a weathered old railing held up by rusted bolts. Her head cocked to the side like a predator listening for the signs of its prey. The rush of the waterfall was loud, muffling every other sound. She closed her eyes. Waiting. Focusing. 

Then she heard it, the roar of an engine. The second she caught sight of the starship peeking over the top of the cliff and she pulled the binoculars up to her eyes. The paint was faded and chipped, but the symbol was clear as day along the wing. [color=884949]"[i]Fuck[/i]."[/color] 

[code]"What did you see?"[/code] K0-R3 asked as he watched the ship disappear beyond the horizon.

Zefer shoved her way past the droid, forcing him to move back a step so she could get back inside and promptly closed the door. [color=884949]"Crimson Dawn."[/color]

[code]"What is Crimson Dawn doing on Rishi?"[/code]

[color=884949]"How the hell am I supposed to know?"[/color] Zefer crossed the hangar, tossing the electrobinoculars onto her work bench before lowering herself onto her squeaky stool. She rested her elbows on her knees before burying her face into the palms of her hands with a sigh. She could hide from one crime syndicate, [i]sure.[/i] It was a big galaxy. [i]But two?[/i] It had been months since she completed a bounty for them. There was no reason for them to be in Rishi. [i]Unless…[/i] [color=884949]"Don’t lie to me, Kore. When we were on Kijimi—"[/color]

There was a sharp whirr that rumbled beneath the droid’s chest cavity that buzzed like an offended gasp. [code]"I did not steal from Crimson Dawn. How stupid do you think I am?"[/code]

She groaned, running her hands down her face then slapped them against her thighs. [color=884949]"[i]Currently?[/i]"[/color]

[code]"It was two ships, not a fleet. They would have sent more."[/code]

[color=884949]"Not for me."[/color]


[code]"Especially for you. They’ve sent more for less."[/code]

Zefer snorted, shaking her head in disbelief as she rubbed the back of her neck. [color=884949]"It doesn’t matter. Lock the blast doors. Kill everything that isn’t inside the cave. We’ll just… Wait it out."[/color] She blew out a deep breath, puffing up her lips as she stood up and pushed her stool aside. The metal wheels creaked and groaned until it bumped into a crate of scraps with a soft rattle. [color=884949]"If they’re still here after two rotations, [i]then[/i] we’ll worry."[/color]

K0-R3 walked across the hangar, the sound of metal plates shifting and hydraulic joints flexing filled the silence along with the consistent roar of the falls. He stopped beside her, the soft white light of his receptors illuminating the side of her face. [code]"There is a 97% chance that the Crimson Dawn ship was pursuing the wreck. And a 62% chance that it was the cause of the crash."[/code]

Zefer pressed her tongue against the inside of her cheek and rested her hands on her hips. She studied the droid’s face as if the answer would present itself across its unchanging features. [color=884949]"What’s your point?"[/color]

[code]"If Crimson Dawn is after it, then there is a high probability that something of value is within that wreckage."[/code]

[color=884949]"I’m not trying to collect bounties, Kore."[/color] She shook her head. [color=884949]"I’ll salvage what I can from the crash site when they’re gone. And if we’re lucky the fuel didn’t combust on landing. There is no amount of credits worth pissing off [i]two[/i] syndicates."[/color] Zefer turned from him and set to tinkering with one of the numerous unfinished projects that littered her workspace. [color=884949]"Hell, I didn’t even wanna piss off one,"[/color] she grumbled under her breath as she pulled her hydrospanner from her belt. Then she started trying to fit an updated scanner module to an old KX photoreceptor that was missing the appropriate adapters… and was too small. 

[code]"There could be a survivor,"[/code] K0-R3 added.

[color=884949]"No, there isn’t,"[/color] Zefer argued with a sidelong glance and a shake of her head while she worked on bending and snapping prongs to try and custom fit the male and female ends of the socket together.

[code]"There was too much smoke to know for certain. You know I am correct."[/code]

Zefer gritted her teeth as she tried to force the two pieces together. Just when it looked like they were going to snap together the receptor cover popped off, flew across the room, and bounced off the wing of the TIE fighter with a quiet [i]tink.[/i] She sighed, frustrated with the damn mod, frustrated with Kore… But mostly just pissed that he was right. She knew he was right, and the guilt would eat her alive if she didn’t go check. 

[color=884949]"[i]Damn it.[/i]"[/color] She discarded the tool and scrap onto the table with a sharp clatter, sending two other pieces tumbling over the edge and rolling off [i]somewhere.[/i] [color=884949]"Get the speeder ready."[/color]

[code]"Right away,"[/code] K0-R3 agreed with a nod of his head before wandering off deeper into the hangar.

[right][sup][sub][sup][h3][color=d6d6d6][b]R I S H I [color=2e2c2c]...[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]...[/color] 5 [color=2e2c2c].[/color] C L I C K S [color=2e2c2c].[/color] W E S T [color=2e2c2c]...[/color]|[color=2e2c2c]...[/color] C R A S H [color=2e2c2c].[/color] S I T E[/b][/color][/h3][/sup][/sub][/sup][/right][hr]
Zefer shut off the engine to the speeder before they reached the edge of the treeline, letting it slowly drift to a stop alongside some large bushes and dense underbrush. She hopped out of the driver’s seat, boots squelching into the damp forest floor. She slipped her blaster into its holster, slung her pulse rifle across her back, then grabbed the electrobinoculars that Kore had been dutifully guarding while she drove. 

K0-R3’s head tilted sideways in apparent confusion at the lack of crashes, ships, and angry Crimson Dawn pilots. [code]"What are we doing here?"[/code]

[color=884949]"Checking for survivors. [i]Hello?[/i]"[/color] Her brows furrowed, creasing the markings along her forehead as she let out a quiet, wry laugh. [color=884949]"I’m going to climb that hill and check if there are survivors… [i]quietly.[/i] And once I have proof that I am [i]right[/i], we’re going right back to the base and becoming ghosts until the Crimson Dawn pilot is gone."[/color] Zefer nodded her head resolutely as she adjusted the strap of her rifle and started toward the treeline.

[code]"What if you’re wrong?"[/code]

[color=884949]"I’ll cross that bridge when I get there."[/color] She shrugged, flashing him an unconvincing grin.

[code]"And what am I supposed to do while you’re gone? Rust?"[/code]

[color=884949]"You have your blaster, [i]right?[/i]"[/color]

[code]"Yes,"[/code] he replied, holding up the blaster flat in his palm more like an offering rather than a weapon. 

[color=884949]"Ok then."[/color] Zefer nodded her head. [color=884949]"Stay out of sight, shoot anything that tries to shoot you, and wait for my signal."[/color]

[code]"What signal?"[/code]

[color=884949]"You will know."[/color]

[code]"Will I?... What if you die?"[/code]

[color=884949]"Then… You have my permission to rust."[/color]

Without another word, ignoring any other questions or complaints that might have been muttered at her back, Zefer pushed through the brush and stepped out of the treeline. She started climbing the steep hill, using the rising column of smoke that was like a dark tear across the sky as her heading. Just before reaching the crest, she lowered herself to her knees and crawled through thick grass and mud until the valley came into view stretched out below her. Nestled between the two sharp apexes of the mountain was a stream that cut a gorge through the slate and rock. Smoke billowed from a crumpled mass of metal and debris that was half embedded in the hillside and then landing on the bank of the rippling water was the lone Z-95.

[color=884949]"... [i]Shit.[/i]"[/color][/color][/justify][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent]

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