"Honey, I'm not objecting to your plans for a while after you came through this time!" Neta had been cursing in streams as they had passed the blockade, hoping and praying that the girl's plan would work. When it did, she gained even more respect for the girl...but then again, this was ROAN'S daughter. It shouldn't have shocked her that Aria displayed the same kind of resourcefulness he did. It was now time for Neta's own abilities to kick in, the former spec ops soldier scanning planetside for a landing spot before settling on a rather uninhabited stretch of desert that lay about a few hundred yards away from the tombs. It just so happened that this was one of the meeting places she and Roan had used a couple of months ago, so taking the ship down stealthily wasn't a problem. Once on the ground, Neta returned to the map room, where Janika was hugging herself tightly while Manso stood next to her, hand on her back.
"What?"
"It's so cold, here."
"Oh please, the ship isn't THAT bad."
"No, no, it's the planet. So empty, devoid of anything..." Janika shook her head.
"I don't know if we can go out there." Neta sighed, looking between Ari and Yerbol, the latter turning his attention to the Padawans.
"I'll take the lead with these guys. We'll need to get directions to the hangars, but once we're there, we should be alright."
"Yerbie..."
"We've got this. We'll make sure to stick to the shadows, take detours, whatever we need to do to make it there and back without alerting a single person on this planet that we're here." He looked to Aria as he continued:
"Get us directions to the hangar and you can go search for survivors."
"She's not going alone." Neta told the young Knight, adding:
"I'll help Aria make her way through wherever she needs to go. It'll be nice to stretch my legs." Yerbol wanted to change course, to have Neta lead the Padawans, but Yerbol had a sneaking suspicion that the younger ones would need a familiar face to help them one of, if not the most difficult tasks they've ever been asked to do.
"Ari, if that's good with you, it's settled."
"Sun just set, so we'll at least have some cover. Should probably get moving when it's a bit darker, though. Give it an hour and we'll hit the ground running."
The next hour saw Yerbol coaching the Padawans through meditative breathing techniques, focusing and channeling the primal fear they were experiencing into stores of energy they could rely upon during their small scale operation. To their credit, they did well, their energies now not AS much of a swirling vortex of stress, nerves and terror. In some small way, Yerbol thought he knew what it was like when Masters saw their pupils effectively practice what they taught. It was rewarding to see how they calmly suited up, making adjustments to their blades, encouraging each other to stay together. As long as they could keep this up, they had a shot. Maybe. Admittedly, he was nervous himself, leaving the Padawans about ten minutes before their agreed upon departure to mentally prepare himself, going to the rear of the ship and kneeling on the impersonal metallic floor. He half closed his eyes, breathing deeply...
"She's going to be fine." Neta stood in front of him, arms crossed over a ebony colored vest that was laid over a long sleeved black undershirt.
"What?"
"Oh stop it. You know what I'm talking about." She got down on one knee as she continued:
"I'll make sure she gets back alive. I've fought Sith before...not that hard to take down if you ask me.'
"I trust your abilities, Neta, I've never-" She held up a hand.
"Look here, baby face: I see the way you two look at each other. You may say you're 'just friends' or that you're 'partners', but that could change reaaalll quick. Take it from someone who's been around a while: if you two keep this up, you need to take that little girl in your arms and never let her go." Yerbol's brow rose, heat flushing his face.
"Neta, I..."
"Now you're going to protest, I know, tell me I'm all wrong, but...but I know what I'm talking about." She wiped the corner of her right eye, sniffling as she rose.
"Remember what I just told you. Sooner or later, you'll know I'm right." Yerbol came to his feet as Neta clicked away, her presence replaced by the Padawans.
"Are we ready to leave?" Manso asked, his lekku twitching in anticipation.
"I suppose we are." On cue, the loading ramp began to descend, Neta calling out over the comm system:
"Good luck, guys! We'll be following you here in a minute!" Yerbol swallowed hard, looking to the Padawans before reaching out to Aria, who he unfortunately hadn't had the time to talk to before their departure:
Be safe out there, Ari. I want you back in one piece, ok? I don't want to take all the credit for taking the Sith down.
The ramp connected with the ground, Yerbol motioning for the group to follow him.
"Slow and steady, right?"
"Right."
Member
El Taco Taco
The Elvenqueen