Zoie Hart

'Floating' (Star Wars 2 BBY)

The good part about having a space all to yourself was that fact no one would be asking questions. The pilot had left along with the larger guy, more than likely getting ready for their contacts. She, however, had a bit of time. Aellyn kicked her feet up on the co-pilot seat, her data pad plugged into the panel. Her fingers, moving quickly through the holonet. More news about senate hearings, resistance fighters in the outer rim but there it was like a neon sign on Nar Shadaa. An imperial star destroyer attacked, goods stolen. Her lips formed a smirk as she read through the file. Her first real hit toward her former employer. Good. Nothing pointing towards them exactly but no doubt the Empire will have all of them pegged by now. She would have to find more info later. As she relaxed, she heard the rummaging of the crew about the ship, hearing a few beeps and boops from the old astromech. She pulled her feet back, planting them on the ground. Hunched over, her fingers working quickly as a thought came to mind. Well, a few thoughts.

Zane was a nobody, coming from a junk planet no one cared for, hence why a top star destroyer was camped there. Nothing on the kid. Jet, as much as she could muster was as clean as they come. No record, at least that she could find. Though, the Empire did tag him as an Ex-Republican mechanic. Useful on a piece of junk freighter. She shrugged and carried on. The pilot was a different story. Plenty of history with the Empire. That was a given, no need to even tell her. He was a pilot for the Imperial Navy, which spoke volumes about his piloting skills. Moved through different squadrons. “How did you get into smuggling…” Aellyn whispered to herself as her eyes continued to read. There, at the end. Dishonorably discharged. “Kriff.” Her eyes skipped over lines, nothing. The file had been altered or encrypted. She needed to know. A sudden knock against the metal frame of the cockpit made her jump. Aellyn quickly unplugged as she turned her head toward the door, at least it was only the Doc.

Aellyn leaned back in her chair as the Chiss took a seat in the Pilot chair. He still had the Imperial uniform on. Putting her datapad away, her eyes looked over the man. He looked like his life was suddenly over. The same feeling she had when she left Coruscant. Wyler would take care of him, getting him to a safe world and put the kolto to good use. She explained everything. Her contact would come here, pick him up and the kolto, taking away from the Empire. A place he can make a difference. Aellyn apologized for forcing him into coming with them but the Chiss insisted that he had made his choice, in his own right. She nodded and smiled toward him, suggesting they should probably help the others. As they both stood, she turned toward the window, seeing a cloud of dust forming in the distance. Seeing as how there is nothing out here on this rock, makes sense the exchange would happen sooner than later. As the pair exited the cockpit, the droid rolled past, beeping about something. “Go ahead…grab the crate. If my contact comes, I got a feeling it won’t be good for this bunch and your extraction will be quick.”

Aellyn stepped into her so called room, grabbing her holster and pistol. She attached the holster to her, checked the weapon before she put it away. The kid was coming back up the ramp as the Chiss was just pulling the crate of kolto out of cargo. This was going to be fun to explain. She helped move the box along, down the ramp and onto the dry unforgiving rock. Where did the pilot find these places, she asked herself as she stepped onto the dry grass. Taking the landscape while watching the dust approach rapidly. The pilot put them in a strategic position. Though, nowhere to escape, they would have to shoot their way out if it came to that. Her data pad beeped as she pulled it out of her pocket.

Kriff. Her contact just dropped into orbit.

'Floating' (Star Wars 2 BBY)

The freighter hung suspended in the blackness of space. A silent beast, against the backdrop of a million distant stars. No sound, just the subtle hum of its internal systems and the loud snoring made by its lonely passenger. The silence continued only to be disturbed by the ship's comm system. Who in the galaxy would be contacting him? The old man pressed his bare feet to the cold metal, unbothered by it, as he made his way toward the comm panel. He flipped a few switches, seeing a very familiar redhead. He didn’t have time to deal with her mess. He should have left her stranded on Coruscant. The ex-agent was getting to be a problem, however, she had a knack for finding things. He let her spill about the heist, the story lined up on what he heard on the holonet about a star destroyer. What did she do? Maybe he had trained her a bit too much. Kolto?! Hard to pass on a whole crate plus a med tech to boot. The old trooper took a moment but eventually agreed to the extraction and the comm channel was cut.

Wyler leaned back into the chair and sighed. No telling where that girl ended up and how she got aboard that star destroyer. No matter, the girl could handle herself. She would have made a fine trooper back in the day, he thought to himself. He huffed, checked the internal systems and decided that he can use some grub.

---

Somehow, Aellyn managed to find herself in the cockpit. The pilot had just killed the comms and moved back over to his seat. Perfect. She slid into the seat next to comms. “Better keep us steady. I mean, don’t want us to die after we made it this far.” Aellyn grinned toward the pilot as she sat back, letting him do his thing. The planetoid came into view. Leaning forward to get a better look, the place wasn’t at all what she had pictured. Kark. She wasn’t sure what was worse, this bare minimum of a planet or the junk one. Holding on as the ship banked, then soon settling a few clicks away from the settlement. “That was better than the last one. I’m going to pry on the settlement a bit. ” Not at all what she was going to do. She plugged her datapad into the comm panel. This ship needed better security. Easily finding the coordinates, she sent an encrypted message out to her contact. She hoped he would be here in time before the captain made his drop.

Fel returned Aellyn’s smile. He genuinely liked piloting, and there was something special about a Corellian craft. Something forgiving about the way they moved that evoked the feel of a craft responding to in-atmo input. Some pilots hated that degree of inaccuracy. Fel revelled in it. The ship somehow felt as though it was moving more naturally. In atmo itself, was another matter. Most pilots felt that CEC freighters flew like cattle-cars in-atmo, but again, Fel loved it. The amount of feedback that every creak, every groan, every rattle and shake of the airframe told him what to expect, how to react. He let it guide him. Every control surface and response was dealt with lovingly, gently. And when they touched down, if anything the smile was even bigger. ”Sensors are all yours. Not sure how much they’ll be able to tell you ‘bout Abilene. They’re pretty low-tech. Just stay off the holonet, ok? I’d rather not pop up on anyone’s ident-tracker.”

Jet sidled into the cockpit, casually bracing himself hanging off the doorframe, allowing his weight to shift with the ship. A comforting, familiar feeling reminding him of the many years he had spent flying around from one battlefront to another, and from one base to another. He stared through the glass and watched as Fel did his thing. An ace pilot if he ever knew one, and he had known plenty.

“Got it…No Holo.” Aellyn pulled her datapad from the comm panel. She got what she wanted. Now for the wait game and hoped nothing else went wrong.

---

The trooper was explaining his last mission, something about a blockade and medicine when his comm panel lit up. He knew who and what it was. Pausing his briefing he read the coded message. Urgent? Wyler scoffed at the message.
“Something wrong Wyler?” A voice from the holo mentioned.
“No, Need to help a….friend. He held at the last word. Did he really think of her as that?
“Do you require assistance?”
“No…should be simple…I’ll send a message when I’m on my way to you. Wyler, out.” The trooper killed the comms. He then stood and slid into the pilot seat, punching the coordinates into the panel. The freighter jumped to hyperspace, heading toward Abilene and its unbeknown inhabitants.

'Floating' (Star Wars 2 BBY)

The door to the cabin slid closed, the sounds of the galley muffled as the captain started on dinner. She was curious what sort of meal was there to prepare out here in space. Leaning against the steel door she closed her eyes and sighed. The mission was over and for what it was worth, they made it out alive. They nabbed their prize and even snagged some kolto. Aellyn patted her pockets as she found her datapad, pulling it out. Settling onto the lower bunk, her fingers went to work. Opening an encrypted communication channel, she began her message. She hoped that her contact would change their plans and meet her at their new destination. As the communication was sent, the waiting game began, hoping it would come before they landed. The kid's voice could be heard in the galley along with the captains. A good sign, she thought. Too much time in one's head has an effect on a person. She removed the imperial uniform, folding it neatly. An action she had performed many times before. As she pulled on her boots, her datapad chimed. Quickly picking it up, a smile formed on her face.

Stepping into the main common room, the aroma of food hit her senses. Kriff, what was he making? Rubbing her nose, she turned toward the cockpit. Food would have to wait. As she entered, Wrench was in the middle of some routine checks as he acknowledged her presence. “Yeah..I know. I’m not allowed to be in here but I need the comm panel.” She eased into the co-pilot chair and plugged her datapad into it. “It’s important. You can tattle on me later…” Aellyn mentioned as Wrench poked her side just to aggravate her. Her fingers pressed and flipped a few switches, causing a hologram to appear in front of her. An Elderly man, built much like Jet, yet he had the familiar face that any Imperial would know.

“Sorry, Wyler, had to get a message to you. I got something for you…scored big.”

The clone trooper had an expressionless face, like most of the dealings she had with him. “Whatcha got, kid? I don’t have much time.”

Wrench beeped and poked her side. “Yea, just another minute, Wrench. Wyler, I got roped into a heist. We snagged some kolto and with any luck, I can get you a full crate. It can help that camp I told you about. The supplies can last a good bit and from what I heard on the holonet, it’s bad out there.” The trooper appeared to think about what he had just heard, his hand scratching his chin. She hoped that he would bite.

“And this med tech you mentioned?”

“He defected and he helped the crew secure the crate. He needs a new home and I figured if any place needs a doc, it’s the camp.” Aellyn gave a pleading look.

“Hard to pass on kolto these days…You got a deal kid. Send me a message when you arrive. Wyler out. “

The hologram clicked off as she removed her datapad from the console. “See Wrench…nothing to it.” She patted the droid's metal head as she stood up making her way to the galley.

Leaning against the hull of the interior, her arms crossed as she listened to Jet and Fel. She didn’t announce herself, she observed like she was used to. Watching, listening, those were two powerful things. Secrets were much more easily obtained that way. As the conversation turned toward Abilene, she was curious on how the drop off would happen. She had to at least see that off plus figure out how to get the doc and her crate to her own contact, without causing trouble.

“Agreed. The goods are hers, supposedly. Though, we risked our necks for it. I would make sure what she has promised is there before the exchange, like the big guy mentioned. Otherwise, no deal.” Aellyn shrugged. “Of course, there is also the kolto, which I want a crate. You can split the rest amongst the four of you. “

Fel looked to Jet, and back to Aellyn, his mood serene face and demeanor calm. ”As for the kolto, you deserve it. That was your score.”

She moved and settled in next to Fel, making herself at home for the time being. “Thanks, but credit goes to the doc…” She smiled over to the Chiss as he nodded back to her.

Fel shook his head, no. “Doc might’ve got us access to the kolto, but he did it so he could get out, get away. Not because he’s a saint, robbing the rich to give to the downsiders. We’re even on that score. No, you were the one that brought it to us. Score’s yours in my eyes.” He turned to face the doc. “No disrespect meant, doc. We all do what we gotta do.” swinging back to Aellyn “...question is, you got a place to fence a crate of kolto, and a way to get there?”

“You take care of your own drop, Doc and I will handle it…” Aellyn's smile was mischievous. Her hand wasn’t played yet.

'Floating' (Star Wars 2 BBY)

Her stare never left him as she watched his fingers dance around the console bringing them out of hyperspace. Aellyn perked her brow as she crossed her right leg over her left. She was curious as to why he had dropped them out of hyperspace but like any good slicer, he was covering his tracks. Perhaps he wasn’t an idiot after all. As the captain stood, she turned toward the viewpoint, staring off into black void. They had really pulled the heist off. Whatever he wanted and the kolto. The kolto . Pulling out her data pad, she flipped through and found the list of planets she had cultivated before escaping home. Just one of the crates could help. Easily shipping it off to those worlds. To those that she had…upended.

“I could be mad, sure. And if something had happened to Jet, or my ship, we’d be having a different kind of talk right now …but it didn’t. We got the job done. And I realize that trust works both ways.”

“I would have blamed the droid for the ship.” She quipped.

Aellyn slipped her datapad back into her pocket, folding her arms infront of her again as she watched the pilot work. He then turned his back to her and started talking about her. Just okay? She thought to herself. Her face didn’t flitch, her thoughts were much more vocal. The kolto wouldn’t be in the cargo hold unless she tagged the med tech, who was now contemplating his choices in the main hall. Then she paused, was he giving her an option to stay? Would that be better than settling down on some other rock, far away from the Empire or could she truly redeem herself by staying?

“So that was fun, huh?”

”As much fun as one would have heisting a Star Destroyer.” Aellyn turned in the chair, toward the large man. She smiled towards the old gunner. Feeling the glance coming from Fel as she did so.

As the ship jumped into hyperspace, the cockpit fell silent as she contemplated a short rest before having anything to eat. She was about to make her exit as the droid beeped and booped. Her eyes went from the little astromech then to Fel. “Guess that settles whether or not I’m staying. He has been…busy.” Aellyn left the info with the pilot, leaving the cockpit with nothing else to say.

As she approached her room, she noticed the med tech with his head on the table, seemingly asleep or thinking but what stopped her was the sound coming from the one of the cargo holds. “Kriff..” Walking past her room, she turned, letting the cargo door hiss open. There next to a bulkhead beam sat the kid who had just left his home. His family. She stuck her hands into her pockets and leaned against a crate. Waiting for some time, she finally spoke.

“Kid… I know it isn’t easy. I left home too. Left my friends, family all behind. I know what you’re feeling. It never gets easier. I could probably tell you it does…but it doesn’t. However, if your brother is half as brave as you were today… he will be alright. You did good kid. Captain likes you at least. So.. maybe that’s something.” She shrugged, feeling sorry for him. At least he has people around him that could help him cope. “Anyway… grab an empty bunk… heard there is a meal in an hour or so…might be good?” Aellyn pushed off the crate, taking a look at the kid before heading back to her room.

'Floating' (Star Wars 2 BBY)

The vindication she felt as the cannon fire hit the streets of Junktown, aiming toward the Imperials. The white armor of the troopers stood out like a sore thumb making them easy targets. From her vantage point, she saw Fel and Zane repel down toward the warehouses below. She wished they wouldn’t have stopped but the kolto was too valuable to pass up. Thanks Viszt for the info. Won’t be long now. Seconds, then minutes passed. She had concentrated too hard on the troopers when she realized that Zane was rambling through the comms. Something about a friend? No, A brother? Both? Kriff. They didn’t have time to pick up another person but the captain had spoken. For once, they agreed on something. They needed to get the heck off this planet. No more diversions. She had clearly done enough of that on this mission.

As the UA shot toward the sky, more troopers made their presence known. Aellyn shot off several blasts from the cannon but at this range, she was hitting the dirt around them. The two were hanging banthas out there. “Wrench…get that cable going faster…they are easy targets down there…” She yelled into the comms as she heard Wrench beep back at her. At least the bucket of bolts agreed. Soon enough, all the crew and stolen goods were aboard the ship.

“Not a moment too soon, Fel. I’ve got two coming up on us. I’d say it’s time we make tracks,” Jet barked into the comm.

Aellyn leaned forward as she heard Jet in her ear. Two black specs in the distance, closing on them, fast. Just two? Figured it would be more, she thought. “Fel, going to need you to get this heap of junk out of orbit and make a jump. Any kriffing day now.”

The initial recoil of the cannons sent a shiver down Jet's spine, causing the fine hairs on his arms to stand erect. The familiar sensation of cannon fire against imperial adversaries was as welcoming as an old friend dropping by for their yearly catch-up. The shots whizzed past the TIE fighters, missing their mark. Jet pondered whether he had grown rusty after years spent pressed up underneath starships rather than engaging in combat within them. More likely, the distance was still too great to ensure a perfect hit. Regardless, the shots compelled the TIE fighters to veer off, losing both their speed and their advantage. Jet chuckled to himself, the sound carrying an edge of mania he hadn't anticipated. It was a step back into an old role that felt almost unnervingly familiar.

Fel had said his piece to Zane. There was nothing else to be done for the moment – except getting vaped if they didn’t get the kark out of there. He bolted for the flight deck, moving through the foredeck and the small galley, pots and pans clanking and swaying from their hooks above the cooktop, past closed doors to bunks, worn and chipped paint reminding him he was home – and into the cockpit, nearly vaulting over Wrench and into the pilot’s seat. Switching over to manual interface, much to the dismay of the aged Astromech, Fel got quickly up to speed on their situation. Two TIE fighters 5000m off the port quarter, and a further three TIEs breaking atmo, making for their position. To buy them a few moments, he banked the UA into a *relative* descent, and a crescent arc to starboard, with the fuselage making a roll to wing-over in the course of 25,000m or the next fifteen seconds, increasing to flank. Not that any of it mattered in the Black. There was no ‘up,’ nor a ‘down,’ neither. What it would accomplish, is make them a difficult enough target at the TIEs current range that they wouldn’t be able to score a decent hit, and at the UA’s max sublight speed, they’d begin to pull away. Wrench protested that the ship wouldn’t withstand such forces of lateral acceleration and that at the age of the airframe, metal fatigue was of primary…

…but Fel had long since ceased listening to the little droid. He swivelled to his left, calling up several pre-programmed jumps from the hyperdrive’s memory, and just to be double-sure they wouldn’t be tracked, told Wrench to randomize the first two jumps from the droid’s own memory, which served as the UA’s tertiary backup jump-drive. When he received a series of chirps, whirrs and bleeps that all was prepared, the spacer took one more look at the short range scan, and, satisfied that the TIEs were no closer and were sufficiently eating their dust, engaged the hyperdrive disappearing into the void. As the hypnotic swirl and safety of hyperspace shone through the viewport, Fel placed his boots up on the console, lacing his fingers behind his head.

As the UA made the jump to hyperspace, Aellyn sat back into the chair, pulling the comm from her ear. Several moments passed before she reached up and pulled herself up, climbing the ladder. The med tech was leaving the cockpit area as the eyes met one another. The tech looked unsure of himself, knowing he couldn’t go back. He was now an enemy of the Empire much like the rest of the crew of the UA. He slid into the booth behind the Dejarik table as she made her way into the cockpit. Wrench beeped, making her presence known as she sat in the co-pilot seat. Her arms crossed, staring out the viewport. “Well, we didn’t die.” Aellyn turned her head toward the captain who seemed relaxed for someone that pulled off a heist. “Guess I misjudged you…” It wasn’t an apology but she admitted to herself she had made things a bit too complicated. Still, the crew made it out and she hoped the pay day would be worth it.

'Floating' (Star Wars 2 BBY)

The alarm had been blaring through the corridors of the Basilisk for nearly ten minutes. Five rebels had gotten aboard one of the most secure ships and somehow managed to escape. The lieutenant stared at the data pad, then looked up to see the security officer who seemed to be shaking. As he should be, the lieutenant thought. He swung both arms behind him, grasping the opposite wrist with a hand. He paced, two troopers stood quietly next to the door.

“Sir, I sounded the alarm as soon as the incident on the med floor. The officer begged.

“Yes but you and your team seemed to have missed details when they boarded. The Admiral cannot have this again. Your abilities are no longer required above this ship.” The lieutenant turned and stepped from the room. The door hissing closed behind him. As he sharply turned, several blaster bolts muffled the pleading screams before silence fell.

The bridge was quiet, soft hums and beeps heard as the lieutenant stepped his way toward the Admiral, who seemed to have his attention elsewhere. “Excuse me, sir?” He cleared his throat, holding out the data pad toward the Admiral, which was taken with a delicate pass off.
The Admiral looked down at the report as the lieutenant started his report. ”Sir, it would seem that we had a breach in security. One of our Lab Techs must have authorized the other four onboard. A local boy. Harmless at best. A female. We are sure, she was a former ISB Agent. No doubt hired to pass our security clearances. The other two were still hidden in old trooper armor. We are working to find out who they are.”

Quiet. Delicate fingers flipped through the pages. Did they take anything? The Admiral stated.

“Two crates… ZY5-232 and ZY5-233…"

“Ah, not important. Though I am surprised, those were in my personal cache. I want them found. No reports have been detected through the blockade. That means they are still on this planet.”

The Lieutenant nodded, taking his data pad from the Admiral before he headed off the bridge.

---

Aellyn stepped onto the ramp, making her way back into her own little room. She was happy to be back on board the little pile of junk. “Never will I sign up for this kind of travel again.” The ship jolted left as she grasped the bunk above her. Stupid droid, the thought rambled in her mind. Worse than the owner. Speaking of, Fel’s voice barked orders over the comms. She wished they would get off this trashy planet already. Aellyn moved outside her room, noticing the med tech head into the cockpit. Better him than her. Grabbing the nearby ladder, she climbed down into the lower ventral cannon. Settling herself in, she pulled on the comm piece. “Not going to try to talk you out of this little side piece mission, but we need to hurry. They will already know we are still on this planet and two, tie fighters are going to swoop the area. Much like…”

Like clockwork, several storm troopers filled the streets, aiming their blasters toward the UA. “Hope that droid knows what he is doing. Keep us steady, Wrench.” Aellyn prepped the cannon and started to fire. Wrench beeped in her comms “You bucket of bolts! I am going to dismantle you at the first chance….” The UA turned ninety degrees as she slammed against the window. “Dank Farrik! Fel! Get your stupid droid working….I’m trying to not get us killed.”

'Floating' (Star Wars 2 BBY)

collab with @Tlaloc

The security office of the Basilisk was barely functioning. Several security consoles were empty of crew while a lonely officer sat in his assigned chair. The console beeped as the shift went on, the monitor above flipping to several empty corridors. Occasional a few officers or troopers could be seen roaming or patroling the hallway. For what? Nothing. The planet of Lotho had no indication that anything could happen. Even the Hutts stayed away from it. The monitors flickered again, two troopers and a maintenance worker flashed on the screen on Deck 77. It quickly moved on, the security officer didn’t think much of it. Medical floor, nothing out of the ordinary. He had received word a leak had formed and several crew were working on it. An hour or so had passed, the shift was dragging along like always. The officer rubbed his eyes, drinking what appeared to be coffee which had long turned cold. He was starting to stand before he noticed two figures on the screen. He sat up in the chair, pressing a few buttons, pulling up the footage. Two technicians were dragging bodies across the hallway on the medical floor. Then blasted the door shut. Kriff. He moved his hand to the other side of his console pressing the alarm. “Suspicious activity on the medical floor. Send a squad to investigate.”

Aellyn was more concerned that Fel hadn’t answered the comm channel yet. Thoughts ran through her mind, were they captured? Dead? This ship was a ghost town and what was so important she was risking her life for. Plus dragging in med tech who seemed to have as much trust in her as she did him. This point, they both needed each other to get out alive. She stopped at a service elevator as she looked upward, a surveillance camera turned away from their position. She knew there would be some cameras on the ship but as Viszt stated, it was a skeleton crew. Who would be watching so closely? The door to the elevator slid open and two officers stepped out. No word, they just went on down the hallway. Aellyn looked toward Viszt with a sigh of relief before stepping onto the lift. Floor 85. That was when it turned south.

The lift closed as she heard Fel on the comm channel. They had grabbed whatever they came for and were headed to floor 85. Great, at least they were on the same page. It was that moment the lift came to a dead halt. Floor 80. Kriff. The alarm rang over the intercom as the doors slid open. Aellyn stepped out, turning to the med tech. “We need another way off this ship. Or we can act like we belong here and still get to the docking floor. ”

Viszt’s pulse quickened. It seemed he would be granted no reprieve from high intensity situations on this day; in fact, he considered, he’d probably encountered more drama in the last two hours than the last year of his life. A Star Destroyer wasn’t the ideal place to find yourself in trouble with Imperials – even worse if you were one. It seemed like his decision had been made for him. Though unconsenting, he was just as implicated in this as his captors, so it struck him that he’d have to invest his trust in them, wholly, to ensure his survival. The thought wasn’t a reassuring one, given that the crew of brigands barely seemed to trust one-another, but it was the only plan he had.

The lift’s abrupt halt set the pair on edge, and as the doors opened, the familiar, dreaded sound of marching stormtroopers echoed from down the corridor. Viszt locked eyes with Aellyn. He could tell she was thinking the same thing: they were moments away from being discovered. He glanced towards the empty corridor, mind racing. Floor 85 was their goal, but now the situation had changed. The skeleton crew wouldn’t be much longer, not with alarms blaring and squads mobilizing.

”We’re not going to bluff our way out of this one,” he replied. ”We need to find a way to get to your friends. It’s our best chance. – Shoot that out.” He pointed up to the surveillance camera that was aimed in their general direction.

Aellyn watched him closely as he pointed to the camera. She shrugged, it was a plan, at least. Raising her rifle, aiming and firing two shots. “Done.” Her attention went back to Viszt wondering what else he might have thought of.

He stepped towards the elevator’s control panel and fiddled with the box, opening a small hidden compartment on its side. There, he pulled a concealed lever, and within a moment, an exhaust sound emerged from the side of the elevator, and a hatch opened out into the elevator shaft. If they were going to get to Floor 85, it’d have to be this way.

”Always helpful to keep informed on maintenance crawlspaces and emergency protocols,” he winced, glancing down into the dark, gaping pit beneath the elevator. There was a maintenance ladder running down the side, but it still looked incredibly perilous. However, as the march of stormtroopers grew closer, he inhaled, pulling himself through the gap and down onto the ladder. ”Quick – we can lose them if you close the hatch.

“Definitely useful..” Aellyn smirked, watching him climb into the shaft. The stormtroopers were drawing closer as she managed to crawl into the gap, closing the hatch behind her. She held onto the ladder hearing the boots against the metal floor as the troopers passed the elevator. One of them noted the surveillance camera but continued down the corridor. Aellyn looked up to Viszt and waved her hand to motion an all clear.

The two managed to quickly move up the five flight decks to Floor 85. Stopping shy of the hatch, they listened to any sound just outside their position. Hearing nothing, the hatch was removed as both Viszt and herself climbed out. Aellyn swiped the hallway with the rifle as Viszt placed the hatch back on. “Gotta move.” Picking up the pace she hurried down the hallway, seeing the docking bay just head.

“Hey, you! Aellyn turned and saw two stormtroopers pointing at them. Kriff. “Run…get to the shuttle..” She yelled to Viszt as she raised her rifle, shooting off a few stun shots in the troopers direction. This time, they shot back. Kriff! Aellyn turned and ran toward the docking bay, seeing their companions talking to another pair of troopers. Another few shots from her rifle. “We gotta go, now! Get the cargo on that shuttle…” She made sure the med tech boarded before she followed suit.

'Floating' (Star Wars 2 BBY)

collab with @Tlaloc

Aellyn watched through the black slits of the trooper helmet as her two accomplices and the fall guy disappeared down the corridor. Splitting up may not have been the best idea, her mind raced with thoughts of instant regret. What if their task was quicker, getting what they came here for. She would be stuck on this ship and no doubt be stranded. Aellyn felt she drew the short straw of this deal. Her rash decisions definitely put her in a bind. She would have to deal with the outcome and hope they would not leave her. As her head filled with new plans, she realized the med tech had left her side, already halfway down the hall. Kriff! She mumbled and had to jog to catch up to him.

Moving along, one step behind, the Chiss was obviously in a hurry. What was he said back in the alley? She remembered their encounter, lots of threats but ultimately nothing of interest.. The tech said something about an incident he needed to get back too. That was going to take time, an hour was not enough. Her eyes flashed toward him as she noticed he was staring at her. Did he ask her a question? Maybe? Her mind was elsewhere and she needed to get this armor off. It already clouded her judgment.

As they approached med bay, she proposed the question and he nodded toward the opposite hall. Perfect. Though they would separate for only moments, she would have to trust him to not sound the alarm. Fel, on the other hand, would reprimand her for trusting someone she had just met. Aellyn stepped to the other side, leaving the med tech to do his job. Moving down the row of lockers, she opened several until she found an older uniform that seemingly would fit.

Within moments, she pulled on the familiar uniform. She never thought she would be in one again. Desperate times. Stuffing the armor into the locker, she picked up the rifle and returned across the hall to med bay. Leaning against the doorway, she didn’t announce herself and the way Viszt peered back to her, he didn’t make her presence known. Though odd, she figured it might be a good sign. He didn’t want to be shot and she didn’t want to shoot. Aellyn stood back, watching the repair work before recognizing the chemicals they were working with. They were medical grade and definitely volatile but the good it could do. She wondered if there was a remote chance to take something for herself. Fel, might have his own agenda, but she was forming her own.

She waited. Waited more. This was going on for too long, was he stalling? She thought. She chewed her bottom lip before making another rash decision.

The rifle was already up, she figured she was going to be dead either way, four to one. She didn’t like those odds. However, three on two, she liked.

”Can we just… calm down, for a —”

The words exchanged happened fast. The movement happened quicker and her instincts kicked in. Three stuns, three bodies on the floor. That wasn’t good at all. Lowering her rifle, she looked to the technician. Her heart raced as she quickly went into a panicked explaination. It was direct and to the point, perhaps missing a few details but the idea was there. He was either going to sound the alarm where she would stun him or they were both going to leave here together. Fel wasn't going to like option two.

The med tech asked for her name. The way he had asked and his demeanor caught her off guard. Was he truly thinking of helping? Or maybe a ploy? If it was the latter, he was an excellent liar. She didn’t have time to debate. Aellyn already trusted him to this point. After all, she brought him into this mess.

”We need to move fast.” Viszt looked around. He’d made a decision, whether he realized it or not. There’s no way he’d be able to fix the leak alone; not in these circumstances. He was satisfied that the leak was stabilized enough that the whole med bay wouldn’t explode.

”Alright. Let’s get these bodies into the locker room. Can’t have someone show up and find them.”

He nodded in reply. He could tell that this woman had significantly more experience than himself when it came to life-or-death scenarios, so he seemed happy — or at least content, to follow her lead.

Aellyn watched as Viszt lifted Benaire up from under the arms, dragging him out of the room. “Sure, yea. I’ll just grab the other two….” Rolling her eyes, she shifted the rifle behind her, taking the two engineers by an arm each and dragged them across the med bay floor.

”There’s surveillance cameras watching just about every room in the Basilisk,” Viszt said dryly, choosing not to panic, huffing slightly as he dragged Benaire. ”The ship is running on something of a skeleton crew, so, if we’re lucky, they won’t notice what just happened immediately. But it won’t be long before they know what’s going on, and as soon as they do, things are going to get bad, quickly.”

Aellyn stopped, how did she end up dragging two bodies, twice her size. She huffed looking over to Viszt. “Right, well. Just like you said…move quickly…let’s get out and don’t get caught. A small smirk formed on her lips.

Together, they glanced down the hall, checking for patrols; of which there were none. Benaire and the engineers were moved across the hall into the locker room and slumped against the wall. Viszt nodded at the button panel controlling the door, and then to Aellyn’s rifle.

“Yea…give me a moment.” Aellyn responded to his nod. She went back down a row of lockers to where she stowed the trooper armor. Grabbing the helmet, she peered inside and ripped out the comlink before making her way back to the door. “Let’s hope the others still have theirs on.”

They stepped into the hall as Aellyn then aimed her weapon toward the door panel. Two shots. The door was sealed. For now, they were undetected. She looked toward her new found friend. Still unsure if it was a ploy but she had put a lot of trust into several strangers of late. No turning back. Pulling out her datapad, she hooked the comlink up as her fingers went to work. Lines of data ran across before eventually fading. Unhooking the comlink she spoke. ”Hour is up, boys. Headed back to transport…” Her head turned to Viszt. “...plus one…” The comlink went dead. Whether they heard her or not, she was getting off this ship.

“Transport? Then maybe a stop to the warehouse, get some chemicals, some kolto? Sound good?”

”I think it sounds pretty crazy. But we’re past that point,” Viszt winced. ”So — yes. Sounds good.”

Aellyn shrugged. Yes, it was crazy. Crazy she left home and crazier she is in the middle of a heist. She turned and headed back down the hallway toward the transport bay.

Extraordinarily Boring Interest Check [F for M]

Bump

'Floating' (Star Wars 2 BBY)

Aellyn held on to a grip above her as the transport left the small square heading toward the Basilisk. Fel had moved pretty quickly in the store house. The plan had gone sideways long enough and he wanted to get the job back on track. She understood that reasoning, though she should have asked more questions on the UA before she decided to take matters in her own hands. In the blink of an eye, she had her helmet back on. Following in line beside the Chiss, her mind raced with thoughts of what her plan was going to be, once on board. At least she didn’t have to deal with the kid.

The troopers in the square didn’t give them any problems. At least Fel was quick thinking, giving them answer to get them on board. Here she was, standing between the lieutenant and the med tech as the transport made its way bumpy way toward the cruiser.

"ETA three minutes to the Basilisk... so, how long you three been on LRP here?,"

Aellyn froze, was he talking to her or the group in general. Her eyes moved toward Fel but I was the Chiss that answered. She had to hand it to the guy, he was good to get out himself out of bad situation but at least he didn’t blow their cover. She would have to keep her promise about shooting him where she had no intention to keep if something does happen. As they stepped onto the ImpStar, Aellyn did what she had done up this point, make up a plan. She swiped a security pin from the Med Tech and stepped to the side. Hiding herself from plan view. Pulling out her datapad, she inserted the pin and quickly went to work. Easy enough to over ride it, this would get Fel and Jet into where ever they wanted. Hoping it wouldn’t set off any alarms. Buying them time to get whatever they came for. Tucking her pad away, she turned and passed the pin to Jet, hoping he would know what it was for.

“Hour.” She whispered to her counterparts before turning herself toward the Chiss. “Lead the way…”