SoleAccord

Star Wars: A Veiled Threat

Anari fully doubted that Lahana’s headstrong tactics weren’t somewhat learned from Kale, but for the sake of her wellbeing as well as his own, she chose to place her focus on the tide of criminals that continued their attack. Redirecting the bolts from their weapons effortlessly, she was left with greater opportunity to cause disarray. Maintaining her grip on the Rodian dangling in the air above the makeshift battlefield, and the Duro desperately clinging to his ankles, the cover of the enemies was continually shifted about; exposing rows of gang members to open attack, the New Republic soldiers quickly caught on to the effort made by the Jedi to aid them by focusing fire on those who were exposed, resulting in swift deaths.

As this continued, Anari felt the vibration of her holocommunicator at her waist. Instead of answering the call in the middle of a fight, she chose to let it pass on its own. Whatever it was, it wasn’t worth risking the safety of both herself and the many soldiers working to repel the enemy as one. Kale, from the sounds, also received a call and wisely chose to ignore it. Perhaps he wasn’t as reckless as she remembered.

Lahana, on the other hand, concluded her rapid descent with a skillful use of the Force to cancel out the momentum built. Those near the center of her landing were blown away strongly, left scattered around on the battlefield to be knocked unconscious or struggling to return to their feet before being blasted in the chest. A brutal kick into the face of a thug sent him crashing into another, then her attention turned towards the large vehicle that must have initiated the assault. Lahana was taking hold of the bumper and began to raise it over her head.

“Did she come up with that on her own, too?” Anari asked Kale, pestering the thugs that charged at Lahana by seizing their ankles and causing them to fall prematurely. “You and I need to have a serious conversation when this is over!”

Lahana succeeded in throwing the truck, but the resulting explosion was far beyond the power one would expect from a simple toss. Anari shielded her eyes with her saber arm, watching as flames consumed the enemies that weren’t already burned to a crisp on the ground. Through the smoke she could sense Lahana was still alive, albeit not as mobile as before, and joined Kale who moved to find her as the smoke vanished. As expected, the Padawan was alive but sorely injured from her own reckless behavior. If they could be thankful for one thing, it was that they would not need to mourn the loss of one so young from their Order.

“Stay down. It’s over,” Anari assured Lahana, witnessing Kale gain control of the surviving enemies. A reminder of the pair she left hovering in the air brought her attention high, noticing the two still flailing about. Their presence was always in the back of her mind. “After your little detonator stunt, I had to be sure there were at least a few alive to question.” Guiding the dangling pair down, Anari set them beside the ten that remained. Neither of them appeared very willing to get back up, having had their fill of being airborne for quite some time.

Extinguishing her lightsaber and returning it to her belt, Anari beckoned the soldiers that were still combat ready, urging them to move in and secure the survivors. Commander Gallowin would be able to find some place to hold them, and may even be able to gain some information at the same time. Those that were injured in the assault were aided by their brothers and sisters in arms, rushing them to the medbay where they may be treated. The attack was swift and unforeseeable, but Anari hoped that they would not need to be informing next of kin. No one deserved to die out here, not at the hands of these people.

As the shackles were placed on the prisoners and an escort was given to take them elsewhere, Anari returned her attention to Lahana. “You risked much pulling a stunt like that. Do you need medical attention?” she asked her.

The low roar of a familiar armored vehicle entered the complex, once again forcing Anari’s attention elsewhere. As it came to a stop, she knelt and brought Lahana’s arm around her shoulders to help her stand, shouldering most of her weight should she not be able to endure the pain of injuries on her own.

From the vehicle came vaguely familiar individuals, notably fewer than before. Whatever raid they involved themselves in did not go well. But more concerning than that was the friendly tone of the woman who appeared to be the driver. She was sarcastic behind a friendly façade, with little to no empathy for those who died here to make a difference for this world. Whether she meant to or not, the woman came off as uncaring. There was a time and place for stating the obvious, and it wasn't now. Judging from the soldiers rushing towards the gate that were still ready and able to fight, they were one step ahead of her on preparing for the possibility of a second offensive. This tactic wouldn't work a second time.

“Kale, take Lahana from here,” Anari stepped forward, urging the Padawan’s arm be wrapped around Kale for support. If she chose instead to play her injuries off as ‘nothing’, it was not her concern. Kale could judge his Padawan’s health for himself. “I’ll see to it that the injured are taken care of, and reach out to an old friend. Find me later.”

With that said and done, Anari turned towards the nearest fallen soldier in the base with a severe wound in their left thigh, waving down any men and women in the area who could assist in moving him to the medbay.

Star Wars: A Veiled Threat

Posting later tonight.

Star Wars: A Veiled Threat

@SoleAccord His ship hadn't arrived yet so I assumed she meant the APC. Ultimately, if @Piercing Light wants to board the Silencer, I'm fine with it, but I think we need some clarification on her part.

@mattmanganon

"Alright, R7, let's get there quickly." It had taken the APC 20 minutes beforehand. Even if it was just his fighter, they needed some rapid response support back at the Enclave. The Fighter took off at immense speed into the air and within minutes, he had arrived back. The sounds of battle were suddenly sliced open with the Unmistakable sounds of a Twin-Ion Engined craft. The control room of the Enclave would start to receive transmissions "SES-Leader to Enclave, I am here to provide air support.

@mattmanganon

Lahana boarded the ship prior to Gloopra leaving in it. Upon your initial pass over the base, Lahana would have jumped out. I know this because he told me yesterday. I think he knew that you didn't know he was in it, but rolled with it anyway because it wasn't a big deal. You can talk to him about it if you want, but I think nothing changes.

Star Wars: A Veiled Threat

@SoleAccord When did she get aboard my ship, I thought she went in the APC with the others.

@mattmanganon

Lahana examined a crooked ring finger on her right hand, she must have landed on it awkwardly. "I'll tell him myself." She said, pulling the finger back into place with a pop. She wasn't looking forward to speaking with her master, but she had no intention of hiding anything from him, she owed him too much. She looked up at the person in the bulky power armor as they spoke to her. She had expected them to be more the type to not say anything unless the needed to. She took their hand and stood to her feet. "Thank you but... A Jedi is supposed to be better than normal." She looked over to the body of the twi'lek girl whose death she caused, all because she gave into her base instinct. The least she could do was get her out of here among the common criminals. That line of thought was cut short however, as Gloopra received word that the Republic base was under attack. A chill ran down her spine, her master was there and she couldn't help but worry about him. She moved to board the ship.

PiercingLight

Star Wars: A Veiled Threat

@SoleAccord Wait, who jumped off of my Fighter?

@mattmanganon

Lahana jumped out.

Star Wars: A Veiled Threat

It was good to hear someone else’s attempt at speaking out against mindless force. Senator Ordo appreciated a degree of precision, something that the majority in the room sorely lacked. They could not adopt the old tactics of the fallen Empire and simply brute force their way through problems, not with the manpower and resources they possessed on the surface and in orbit. This operation could not sustain the kind of war that Commander Gallowin wanted to wage, and that went double for Match and the community he claimed to represent. While Senator Ordo could see the bigger picture, Anari held doubts about the diplomatic angle she insisted on working, to fight the war ‘her way’. She kept her concerns to herself regarding the smaller crime families, allowing the discussions to continue.

Match’s interest in her name was reasonable, and she was more than happy to give it, but Commander Gallowin leaped at the chance to reply first, adding his disapproval for her lack of respect for his numerous medals. The hand she kept raised towards him fell, and she only offered a glance over her shoulder at him as he came around to the front of the desk. Her rebuttal towards him would serve nothing and no one, and so her thoughts on his rank were kept within. Should he wish to bring up the point that he was in charge again soon, she’d have something to say about it. Until then, her dark eyes returned to Match just as he made mention of the slave markets.

A stronger point could be made by freeing those taken captive, she knew, and it served the people better than merely crippling a single drug processing facility. Saying such wouldn’t change the past, and so Anari kept this to herself, too.

“Neon Glow…” Anari repeated quietly. “I’ll leave immediately—”

A booming crash in the distance followed by the blaring of sirens cut both her sentence and her plans short. Her eyes remained on Match while her Jedi senses reached out to feel the commotion outside. Lives were lost each passing second, both from some members of the New Republic as well as the invaders. As she felt each connection go silent, her eyes shifted to Gallowin. The Commander was inactive; he said nothing, he did nothing, while his men and women worked to repel the opposition.

“Take command, Commander, quickly!” She insisted, nodding towards the door. Negotiating an effective partnership between their forces and Match could wait. At a time like this, the medals on his chest couldn’t be just for dramatic effect.

The Senator reached out to contact those outside the base, mentioning their location being tipped off. Anari found it difficult to imagine a military base being hard to locate, especially when there was no attempt to hide it.

“Not likely,” she muttered under her breath, just before Kale’s hand patted her shoulder. She was reminded of their time on Yavin; while she looked to expand her knowledge of the Force, it was Kale who found his time better spent dismantling training droids in the courtyards and training grounds. He wasn’t the maintenance crew’s favorite young Jedi in the temple, but he did have a way with a lightsaber that she couldn’t take away from him.

Hustling to keep pace with him and assist the soldiers outside, Anari paused in the doorway to look at Match who seemed to be doing his best Commander Gallowin impression—accomplishing nothing. “You said you would no longer wish for order and take action. Prove it. Fight with us.” Giving Match one more moment to consider his value to the New Republic and remember his earlier words, Anari left the office behind and hustled after Kale.

Joining him just as the reinforced doors parted, she only had seconds to process the lines of blaster fire and explosions that shook the base. She reached for the hilt of her lightsaber and grasped it firmly in her right hand, drawing it in front of herself and igniting it to produce a radiant yellow blade. The presence of a lightsaber changed everything. Now, attention came fervently to the pair of Jedi now on the scene, and not only because of a thermal detonator Kale casually returned to sender.

She took her place beside him and reflected bolts to the ground beneath her feet, which either served to irritate the gang members or have their attention turn elsewhere. The cover they took was rearranged one at a time; durasteel crates were parted to expose the hiding enemies behind them, forcing the aliens and humans alike to scramble for new cover, most of which were shot in the attempt. With careful weaving of her fingers, she toyed with the enemy’s sense of safety; some who dared peek out were simply grasped with an invisible hand before being levitated out of place, left to drop their weapons and flail about in the air before the New Republic soldiers saw to their deaths.

Reflecting another daring bolt aimed for her chest into the ground, Anari spared a brief glance at Kale. “Try to keep a few alive. We need to know more!” she shouted over the commotion, hoping his clever little thermal detonator trick would not be repeated until there was nothing left. In the meantime, until their numbers dwindled, she would continue to not only defend herself, but also drag the cover the thugs made use of, and if not that then the thugs themselves.

A Rodian was fluttering around in the air while a Duro took hold of his ankles and desperately tried returning him to the ground, ending up sliding by the heels of his own boots.

Anari’s senses picked up on the approach of familiar Jedi before her ears did, the screaming of an incoming ship as unfamiliar to her as it was obnoxious. Her eyes briefly looked to the skies, seeing a dark ship pass overhead after making a questionable strafing run. That was not the highlight of the battle. The dark figure that chose to descend from the ship as it sped by was, and they began a dangerous descent towards the base.

“Did you teach Lahana to do that!?” Anari asked Kale, noting that the Duro holding onto the Rodian was now leaving the ground as well.

Star Wars: A Veiled Threat

If I don't post tonight, it will be tomorrow night at the latest. May also work on my second slot in the meantime. Need some charm.

And ooooh Lahana in trouble~

Star Wars: A Veiled Threat

‘No, I wouldn’t.’

It was Anari’s first and foremost instinct to deny Match’s belief. To say that nothing would have changed was an exaggeration, one often used by those lacking foresight. If his arrival were truly dependent on the approval of those working against them, she would have to question the choice of bodyguards that accompanied him here. She then wondered if it was because he was smart enough to know that he did not want to die easy, yet Match was stupid enough to choose this course of action over anything else available to him. It didn’t add up. Nothing about this situation spelled good things for either party, that is if Match was indeed telling the truth.

After he addressed Senator Ordo with assurance—false ones, ones she herself could still not believe—Anari would quickly cut in once again, preventing the Senator from speaking over her.

“You risked your life and the lives of your people by traveling here only to doubt our ability to achieve ample results, all based on the lack of starships filling the skies and armed soldiers storming the streets?” Anari questioned bitterly. “This world is diseased. We wish to be a cure to good people here, people you claim to be part of. And the way I see it, “Match”, you have already placed your community in danger by being here. There were better ways to reach out to us, yet you chose to waltz here both bold and stupid. Now, without a doubt, people will suffer for it.”

Unfinished with the guilty parties within the room, Anari turned around, coming face-to-face with Commander Gallowin.

“As for you, Commander, I expected better from one so decorated and experienced. Our position is not solidified. Do not treat our enemies as common gangsters. They have the run of the planet. We do not. Respect that fact, or they will make you.” Unable to bear the thought of him running his mouth, Anari held up a hand to silence him before she’d seen a twitch at the corners of his mouth. The last thing she needed was to hear an argument from anyone here, least of all him.

“We need more than their drug processing facilities. Something serious. Something that will throw them off their guard.” She glanced over her shoulder to Match. “Is there such a target, something to infiltrate? To disassemble from within? If so, provide it, and we can show you that the New Republic can accomplish this mission. Not everything need be solved with a full-scale invasion.”

Star Wars: A Veiled Threat

Giving @mattmanganon 24 hours to post before I do.

Star Wars: A Veiled Threat

The perimeter surrounding the base—Enclave Zeta—appeared secure enough to withstand assault from a respectable group of enemies. Those that were not hard at work unloading supplies, managing information on consoles, or communicating with other individuals were well-armed patrolmen making rounds. Anari could not deny the Commander in charge of the base kept the men and women watchful, for not one appeared lax in the duties assigned to them. Everyone remained alert, their bodies and minds focused on the task at hand, acting with the drive she came to expect from members of the New Republic. As the perimeter check concluded, she let herself breathe easier.

Now, only the other members chosen for this assignment, as well as the Commander’s decisions, were to be critically examined.

By the time she finished introducing herself to some of the staff responsible for watching the perimeter, as well as those who maintained the defense systems in place, she stepped out to find that the gathering of unique individuals vanished, and in the place of that gathering was single, elderly man closely flanked by five armed men. They did not wear garb related to the New Republic, nor did she recall the man’s mention by description. From what she could tell based on how several men stopped to stare at the group, they were new to the base. Locals. An opportunity for diplomacy, perhaps.

Anari counted down from ten before she strode after them, noted the men watching the door, and came to a stop nearby to listen in to the conversation within, ignoring the curious and lustful gazes from the guards. Her eyes trained to the ground below her, she heard the introductions—“Match” was the name, or alias, of the elderly man within. The exchange between the two told her much, yet it brought several more questions to the forefront of her mind. Questions that no one—not the fellow Jedi within, nor the Commander, nor the other, a Senator—seemed to be asking. If there was one thing she could not stand in the galaxy, it was carelessness.

Biding her time up until the Senator concluded her introduction and attempt to relate closely to Match, Anari could no longer stand idle. Her eyes opened and she moved for the door, opening it with a subtle wave of her hand. Once inside, she contained her irritation, instead bringing her attention to the most important question she could for Match to answer for. Her desire to receive his complete attention was strong, so much that she stepped in front of him and met his eyes with a powerful stare betraying her soft features.

“Before you answer the senator, I would ask that you answer me.” Anari gave a brief pause, yet spoke again before any could intervene. “The New Republic’s presence here is not welcome by all. We have enemies both mysterious and resourceful on all sides, and they likely outnumber you and your community. There are forces here that may not take kindly to you being here and suggesting you could help us. You, who traveled with five armed men, would not have gone unnoticed. Don’t think it for a second.”

Five men armed and surrounding you made you difficult to approach, but not difficult to see. Coming here so boldly was careless. Careless and stupid. What good was an ally that lacked tact and believed only in immediate safety, rather than the long term?

“So, I ask you, “Match”, what good is an ally that cannot keep their head down—especially one that may have been followed here?” Anari asked. “You not only risk your life, but the lives of those who have confidence in you. Reckless. Foolish. Someone is going to want you dead for this.”