FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

_ "This is some rescue- you came in here, didn't you have a plan for getting out?" _

~Leia Organa

Not a single moment was wasted with introductions. Within minutes all four of them were out the front entrance and sprinting across the snow, as another roar of rage echoed from within the museum- one that could barely be heard over the snowstorm that was only now descending upon the city. The starport where the Gold Rush was docked was not exceptionally far, a mere five miles that one could circumvent via underground transit, yet it seemed Kajex was intent on taking no chances, yanking Syrra to one side once they'd cleared the gate.

She let out a yelp of surprise but did not argue, at once seeing what he was doing; the four-seater speeder was still parked. "Is that your ride, Professor?" she shouted.

"<The brutes took my activator, we won't be able to get it running,>" he panted, clearly not used to running.

"Not a problem," the wolf told them, tossing his rifle to the Trianii. "Syrra, keep us covered, I can hotwire this."

She looked to the Amaran, who seemed to be awkwardly looking between them all- the lack of introductions meant she had no idea who he was or why he was here. "What about this soldier?" she asked. "Why are we taking him with us?"

"We're going to need answers and I'm expecting this kid to give us some," the wolf told her as he drew up the speeder's driver-side door and pulled out a pair of tools from beneath his coat. "Do _not_unbind him!" the wolf added as he dove under the driver's wheel. "I don't want him shooting us in the back!"

Syrra regarded the soldier curiously; his ears were pinned back, yet she could not sense any ill intent from him so much as a desire be anywhere else but here. "I thought only humans were accepted as recruits for the Stormtrooper Corps. What's an Amaran doing in their ranks?"

"It's not like I wanted to be selected for this mission," the fox frowned. "I don't even know any of the other guys in this unit."

"I don't care what your working relationship is like with the Imps, kid," Kajex replied, still face-first underneath the driver's console. "I'm not stupid enough to give you any chance to put a bolt in our backs. Now shut up, I'm working here!"

A flare of warning burned through the Trianii's nerves and her arm shot out. "Down!" Syrra shouted, grabbing the Amaran by the shoulder and pushing him to the snow just as a blaster bolt sailed right above his head. With a curse the Trianii braced against the hood of the speeder and spotted her first mark, as a trio of stormtroopers rounded the gate and opened fire. She opened up at roughly the same moment, a three-bolt burst spewing from the barrel. The first spray narrowly missed it's mark, the second finding it and leaving the nearest stormtrooper dead in the snow. The remaining two fired, their bolts popping off the hood of the vehicle and forcing her to duck behind it.

"How long?" she shouted over the din.

"It'd be faster if this model were older- just give me twenty seconds!" he hollered back.

"We don't have that long!" she pressed him, as another trio of soldiers joined the remaining two. Knowing how risky it was she popped back out and opened up again, her shot exploding into a trooper's helmet just as a bolt sliced past her shoulder. With a cry of pain she tripped back, the rifle clattering on the hood as a barrage of energy sprayed above the vehicle.

She rolled over, ready to tell Kajex to scrap his plan and run, only to see the professor cowering next to the fox- who was in the middle of maneuvering his cuffed paws beneath his feet. His eyes flicked to her prone form, their eyes locking for a fraction of a moment that seemed to spread into half a minute. Time seemed to freeze for her, realizing just how vulnerable she was.

When Kajex backed out of the speeder to turn to them, the scene resumed- the moment passed and the fox wrenched his paws under and up in front of him, lunging towards Professor Hovin and grabbing the blaster pistol out of his hands with a look of desperation. The wolf swore and made a grab for him, missing as the soldier ducked and shouldered into him, knocking him over and leaving him defenseless. With her nerves singing to react Syrra leapt to her feet just as the fox raised the weapon.

She got to him first, grabbing him around the waist as he tried to lunge out of the way in front of the speeder. They tumbled out of cover, Syrra clinging to the front of him and now fully aware that her back was to the approaching stormtroopers, panicking as her paw slapped at her hip for her pistol.

It was halfway raised when the fox rolled over her, his body now between her and the soldiers, raising the stolen weapon and firing. Syrra watched as five spears of lethal energy spat from the weapon, bursting against each soldier and dropping them in the space of three seconds, a smoking black hole in each of their chestpieces. Not single one stirred once they fell, leaving the world around them silent, save for the growing howl of the storm.

Syrra stared at the scene, stunned by the display of deadly marksmanship from the fox in front of her, his gaze cool and calm- for a moment. The weapon in his grip was steady for a few seconds more, before his body started to tremble violently and the pistol fell from his paws, his breathing unsteady.

"No...shit this is bad," he whimpered with a look panicked regret. "I shouldn't have--"

"Hands up, kid!" Kajex snarled, causing Syrra to jump in fright. The wolf had grabbed back his rifle and was aiming it at the fox's head with a look that told her he was moments away from shooting. Despite still trying to process the scene the Trianii quickly got back to her feet, getting between the both of them.

"Kajex, put it down!" she shouted.

"I told the kid to--"

"Put it down!" she snarled back, grabbing the barrel and wrenching it away from the vulpine soldier. "He could have shot either one of us if he wanted to, but he didn't!"

He gave her a bewildered look, as if looking for a response to give her. "He... but we can't--"

She grabbed his shoulders firmly, looking into his eyes. "You asked me to trust you not to put yourself in danger. Now I'm asking you to trust me. Uncuff him."

For several seconds the wolf was silent, his brow furrowed looking torn between doing as she asked and refusing. He cast his eyes to the fox, who was still curled up and shaking, having not even bothered to pick the pistol back up and attack. After a few moments more, and a look of hesitation, he finally sighed and nodded.

"Alright... but if he tries anything, I'm putting him down."

"He won't," she insisted, ready to argue on the fox's defense- until the wolf looked to the side and his expression changed to one of alarm.

She followed his gaze, swearing as they sighted more stormtroopers pouring out of the museum entrance, quickly jogging towards the group.

"We need to move," she said, quickly getting to the fox and helping him sit up. "C'mon, you're coming with..." she trailed off, noticing his face was streaked with tears.

His eyes widened. "N-no, I-I can't come with you!" he yelped, looking panicked. "They'll know I was taken, th-they'll--"

"I promise I'll keep you safe!" she told him firmly, getting him back to his feet and pulling him to the speeder as Kajex unsealed the rear passenger hatch and tossed the rifle in; Hovin had already dove into the passenger seat. "If I leave you here they _will_kill you- you need to come with us if you want to live!" She cut off any attempt for him to reply by pushing him into the vehicle and jumping in with him, just as Kajex pulled the speeder out from its space.

"If he's coming with us, and if you think you can trust him, then undo his binders and give him a blaster," Kajex said with a clear tone of hesitance, steering with one paw while handing the cuff key to Syrra. "As for you, kid- do your buddies have any vehicles on them?"

The fox looked up, wiping his face and swallowing before he answered, allowing Syrra to uncuff him. "Ah... yeah, we came in low during the last snowstorm to hide from the city's sensors. We deployed in a pair of MAATs and came in below the cliffs, then landed behind the building."

"Why here?" Syrra asked, as she tossed the cuffs aside and pulled out a burn patch from her satchel, slapping it against her upper arm with a slight hiss. "What kind of op needs over a dozen stormtroopers to raid museum?"

"I-I dunno," the fox insisted. "I guess because they knew a Jedi would be coming? And that big one leading us is... he doesn't seem to get the concept of subtlety. I think he was hoping there would be a big fight."

"Well we're not going to give them one," Kajex told them, ducking his head out the window for a moment before peeling out onto the streets- at a less-than-impressire speed. "Leastways I hope we won't need to- this model isn't exactly high-performance. Professor, you'll need to guide us to the spaceport, we got here on foot but if we can get there faster--"

"<The province lanes are clear, but too out of the way,>" Hovin cut him off. "<Taking the surface streets will get us there marginally faster, but this is still a tourist hotspot, we may end up getting stopped by traffic.>"

It was here Syrra glanced behind her and out the window, her eyes widening- two dark spots were rising into the air, barely visible past the falling snow, but with shapes she recognized too easily.

"Kajex, take the outer lanes- we have company and we'll need to space," she told him quickly, as the MAATs started to fly in their direction. She grabbed the rifle and offered it to fox. "I saw you with the pistol- how are you with a longarm?"

The fox winced at the sight of the weapon, but took it with no shortage of reluctance in his expression. "What the hell... it's not like I can't get into any more trouble today."

"How close?" Kajex called back.

"Just step on it!" Syrra shouted back- one of the MAATs was already on approach.

The speeder lurched and revved as they banked onto the on-ramp of the city's province-lane, screaming past another pair of speeders that buzzed angrily as the wolf cut them off to get ahead. There was no cover for the weaponry, Syrra knew, but there was plenty of room to maneuver with very few speeders both ahead and behind. Once it was nearly within range she lowered the window and leaned out, pistol in paw, knowing full well how ridiculous it was that she and another gunner were going to fight these things off with blasters.

A beam of hot-green energy spewed from the port-side turret pod, carving a line of light into the road next to them by several meters. Both she and the fox started returning fire, peppering the ship with trivial pops against its sturdy hull. Such a ship was built to deploy troops into a combat zone, such weapons were never effective directly- yet still she fired, hoping to hit something.

"Stop!" the fox shouted, and she looked over the roof of the speeder at him. "Aim for the nose below the pilot's cockpit; we need to disrupt their targeting system!"

"Doesn't look like they can hit much now!" she shouted back, adding her shots to his firing as another beam lanced clear over the speeder and knocked out a light-pole ahead- the speeder swerved and narrowly avoided the toppled fixture, forcing the firing pair to stop until it righted itself.

"We're too low to the ground and in poor weather conditions- they can't see well as it is!" he told her, pouring shot after accurate shot over the nose of the craft. The combined assault, while still lacking sufficient punch, was peeling the durasteel plating away with every second- only now did Syrra realize that the ship had not been active long enough to build its shields, sacrificing it in lieu of speed to intercept them.

A third beam spat from the starboard turret and Syrra dove back in, heart hammering as the beam glanced against the frame of the speeder and nearly took her head off. Steeling herself she leaned back out and aimed- despite the close call a strange calm seemed to sweep over her, aided by steady breathing as she squeezed the trigger.

A bright flash flared from the nose of the craft, followed by a high-pitched whine as the ship lurched unsteadily and banked too far to the left- a head-sized hole was now burning at the nose of the ship, black smoke issuing from the damage as the barest hint of flame flickered within.

"That got it?" she shouted.

"We're good- the side-pods won't fire without an active sensor!" he shouted back.

She scanned the sky, brow furrowed as the companion ship was nowhere to be found. "Where's the second MAAT?"

"No idea, I lost track of it," he called back. "Watch it, they're getting to the side!"

The Trianii swore as the vessel seemed to shake off the damage and right itself, getting low to the driver's side of the speeder, a good thirty feet of space between them. The side-hatch of the vessel slid back, revealing a dozen stormtroopers in a two-row firing position aiming directly at her and the wolf.

"KAJE--"

But she was robbed of the warning as the wolf hit the brake and decelerated rapidly, narrowly avoiding the barrage of lethal energy spraying from the ship. With a curse Kajex swerved to their right, giving them more space and a better angle to return fire. Syrra had only just leaned back out to attack when two shots flew overhead from behind, sinking into two separate stormtroopers- the lifeless pair dropped, one of them tumbling out of the ship and onto the road.

It was more than enough time for the squad to readjust their aim, now peppering the speeder with blaster bolts as Kajex swerved back left, hoping to get behind the ship. Perhaps anticipating his movement the ship moved in tandem with the speeder, keeping its open deck within a good firing angle.

"Tunnel ahead!" the wolf warned. Less than a quarter of a mile before them was a short tunnel dipping below the surface with a public transit rail overhead. Syrra ducked back into the speeder, staying low as the barrage continued. Pieces of glass and hot metal rained over her and the fox as they waited out the storm, the Trianii stealing at glance at their driver- although he was keeping his head down, Kajex looked focused and calm, barely flinching each time a blaster bolt smashed against his side of the speeder.

Suddenly their surroundings darkened and the barrage stopped. With a sigh of relief Syrra got back up, seeing they had made it into the tunnel, the howling of their speeder echoing off the walls.

"Shit," Kajex growled. "They keep this up they'll blow this thing's engine." He nodded ahead to the hood of the speeder, which was already sporting several shallow blaster holes. He slowed the speeder down to a cruise. "Any ideas?"

"You're a Jedi, right?" the fox asked, nodding to her lightsaber.

"If you're asking if I can deflect blaster bolts, then yes- but not that_many," she told him. "I don't think _any Jedi could do it. And assuming that second MAAT is running ahead to cut us off at some point, we still need to neutralize this one, or we're dead."

The fox glanced between them, looking as if he was steeling himself before reaching behind him and pulling a cylindrical object from the back of his belt and handed it to the Trianii. "Baradium-core thermal detonator," he told her. "The arming key is 82721."

Syrra frowned at it, noticing the device looked off- there was a jury-rigged keypad attached to the frame in place of the unlabeled buttons on the standard detonator most Imperials carried. "What's with this? Is it stable?"

"It's stable," he assured her, frowning at it. "Standard-issue bullshit is too complex to deal with, I jury-rigged this one myself. Just key it in and get ready to throw it."

She gave him an unsure look, keying it in. "Where do you want me to chuck it?"

"Into the MAAT- if you're a Jedi and you can call out when you're going to toss it, I can do the rest. C'mon, not much time left!" he told her, pushing her to the window and getting back into a firing position.

"Sixty feet!" Kajex told them, punching the accelerator. "Get ready to come out swinging!"

The Trianii braced herself, unable to keep herself from visualizing the thousands of ways this could go wrong in the ten seconds she had left. The light at the end of the tunnel flared and she tensed, raising the detonator with her thumb against the trigger and ready to toss it.

The cold air burst against her fur as they flew out the other end of the tunnel- what had been a moderate snowfall before they had entered had now become more intense, thick flakes of ice making the view difficult. Had it not been for the MAAT flying alongside them and blasting away the precipitation with its presence, she might not have seen it in time- nevertheless the stormtroopers did not fire immediately, readjusting their aim for the difference in distance and waiting until they were both level and to the side of the speeder.

It was enough time for her. The moment she spotted them her thumb clicked the activator and she heaved it ahead, the device arcing and curving into the air. For a tense moment she feared she'd thrown it too short, and indeed the distance was too shallow. With a panicked shout she thrust out her palm, a burst of the Force propelling the grenade directly into the open transport.

Though they had been prepared to fire the stormtroopers did not miss the thrown detonator, their shouts of dismay audible even with the roaring of two vehicles; nor were they lax in dealing with it, one of the troopers stooping quickly and grabbing it, ready to throw it back.

Had she more time Syrra was sure she could have shot him before he could return it to them. Her pistol was halfway up as he started to pitch, just as a lance of red energy sank into the detonator.

Had the Force not told her to look away she was sure she would have been blinded. As it was she saw bright red through her eyelids as she turned away and covered her face, a deafening explosion erupting to their side. The speeder swayed violently and though she could not hear the wolf's swearing she could feel his agitation and dismay as his internal facade seemed to crack. With a groan she sat back up, just in time to see the badly damaged MAAT.

The interior was filled completely with black smoke, and otherwise completely empty; sections of the ship were exposed, both its thrusters damaged and the starboard side itself completely neutralized. Her eyes widened as the ship pitched too far towards them, smashing against a sturdy illumination pole and descending rapidly. Whether the ship was too damaged for the pilot to correct its angle, or because the pilot was dead, it was heading right towards them.

Sound seemed to return just in time for her to hear Kajex swear clearly, the wolf wrenching the steering yoke to the right, sliding the speeder across the road and narrowly avoiding the wreck as it smashed into the left-most lanes, tearing apart the traffic barrier until it caught a sturdy point and flipped the remnants into the air, metal and fire strewing across the roads as the speeder roared ahead.

"Holy_shit_ what is wrong with you!?" Kajex snarled to the back seats.

"I had it under control!" the fox snarled back, looking both harried and angry that he was being shouted at for it. "And it worked!"

"I-I don't... what was that?" Syrra stammered, still trying to process the scene. "He had at least two more seconds to--"

"I shot it the moment he raised it," the fox told her. "I would have shot it earlier, but you came up short and I wasn't expecting you to use the Force or whatever to get it the rest of the way."

"Nevermind that," Kajex cut in, looking around. "That was one, where's the other o--"

"UP AHEAD!"

It was the Amaran who had pointed it out, the MAAT swooping from overhead bringing both its side turrets to bear on the speeder. One line went wide, carving a nearby pole short; the other glanced against the back of the speeder, scoring a direct hit against one of the thrusters. Almost immediately the wolf started displaying a more extensive vocabulary of curse words in Trianii, Corellian, and common trade languages while the speeder jostled around and pitched heavily to the left.

"Damn Imps took out the starboard thruster- we're about to be dead in the water!" he growled, struggling with the yoke.

Syrra leaned out, spotting an off-ramp quickly. "Get us off the lanes and back into the city- we'll have to go on foot, but we're not that far!"

With a grunt and a wrench of the yoke he peeled to the left, the speeder letting out a whine and a crunch as it barely made it into the off-ramp and grazed against its traffic barrier, the damaged vehicle sputtering down the way until it reached the streets. Ahead was the entrance to a mall integrated with a casino, the illness-inducing neon lights casting silhouettes of people between them- all seemed calm compared to the insane excitement they'd just been a part of.

"Don't people even care what's going on?" Syrra asked, as the speeder pulled up to a space along the street. Only half the people nearby took note of the speeder's damaged state, while the rest and those beyond did not appear to realize anything was amiss. Even a pair of law officers passing the vehicle only gave it a look of mild interest before moving on- they did not appear to spare a second glance at the moderately-armed group, one of whom was adorned in stormtrooper armor. "Did they not hear the chaos we just avoided?"

"Over the shiny lights, loud music, and incoming snowstorm?" Kajex pointed out as he exited the vehicle, looking back at the off-ramp. Somewhere in the distance, detectable only by Syrra's keen hearing, the sound of sirens could barely be heard. She looked to both Kajex and the fox- they had clearly noticed it as well. "Well, _some_of the local authorities know, at least."

"You guys can't--" The fox stopped himself. "We... can't rely on the city's law-enforcement here. Recon tagged the police force on this planet as Class-E threats; they're as good as paper house against a turbolaser compared to stormtroopers."

"Sounds like an exaggeration," Syrra frowned, throwing the rifle to Kajex.

"Maybe not," the wolf said skeptically. "The ones here probably only ever need to deal with the odd thief or tourist getting kicked out of a shop or casino- they wouldn't be trained to take on military. Either way, we need to leave now." He turned to Hovin. "We'll try not to run, but we need to keep a good pace to stay ahead."

"<I'll try my best to keep up,>" the Ithorian sighed, nodding.

"As for you," he said, looking to the fox and taking the rifle away from him. "I'm going to let you go uncuffed and armed- but you're staying in front of me. You're doing alright so far, but if I see you acting funny I'll have to put you down. Got it?"

The fox nodded. "Yes, sir."

The wolf flinched at the title, but said nothing about it. "Let's go."

They'd only crossed the street when the roar of the MAAT began to echo down the off-ramp. Syrra's blood ran cold as the transport sailed into view, banking into a landing slide with its side hatches opening. Where only seconds earlier the tourists around them had not a care in the world for anything not themselves, now there were shouts of alarm, becoming louder once the stormtroopers began to disembark with their weapons raised. Behind the vessel a siren followed, a black and white speeder screaming down the ramp towards the MAAT.

Fear and panic erupted in the Trianii as she forsaw what would happen next. "No, pull back!"

One of the side turrets turned and fired, scoring a direct hit that carved through the speeder's windshield like a lightsaber through durasteel. The vehicle swerved to the side without the direction of its now-dead occupants, crashing into a nearby building and bursting into flame as its fuel cell ruptured. Syrra watched in horror as the flames licked outwards, the flammable cell contents draining across the pavement and street, setting nearby onlookers alight.

"Move it!" the wolf shouted, grabbing Syrra by the arm and dragging her behind him.

Equal parts anger and grief stirred in her as she looked back. "We can't leave them like thi--"

"They're going to do it whether or not we fight! If we keep moving then they_have_ to follow us!" Before she could pull away from his grip she caught sight of his face, seeing the look of anger and regret in his features- he was no more comfortable about it than she was.

She would not say it aloud- but she knew he was right. The best they could do was lead the Imperials and hope they did not take needless lives.

It was like a reminder of early days with his fathers, to Kajex. Nerve-wracking moments of death and destruction as the trio sought to lend aid to innocent civilians, trading fire with pirates and marauders while trying to minimize the loss of life. Even with two experienced fighters watching over him, it was difficult. The years he spent alone continuing their work were sometimes worse- for while one man or woman could make all the difference in a fight, usually that one man or woman was just another potential casualty.

But there were solutions to that.

"Keep to the streets!" Kajex shouted again.

"We need cover or they'll gun us down!" the fox shouted back, ducking as another barrage of blasterfire sprayed overhead.

The wolf cursed, vaulted over a speeder and turned with his rifle up using the vehicle as a base, sparing only half a moment to squeeze off a trio of shots and catching one soldier in the arm- not enough to drop the troop, and the pause gave them time to retaliate, peppering the speeder with a flood of bolts.

"Then keep something between you and their aim, but we need them out in the open, it'll give civilians time to get inside!" he shouted back, grabbing the fox by the collar of his armor and pushing him back to his feet. "Double-time, kit, we're not to the starport yet! I don't want you guys falling behind!"

Syrra had insisted that she bring up the rear, a suggestion he shot down with the tone that would brook no argument. He didn't want to say it, but there was some comfort in remaining in the back so he could keep everyone else in sight that seemed to negate the risk of being last in line and thus closest to the danger. Even now he felt better knowing the fox was at least in front of him and not being forgotten, strange as it was- even through the growing flurry of snow he could still see Syrra clearly enough. He shook it off as he saw another two squad speeders move in and swerve into a halt.

The fox watched the as the officers poured out of the vehicles and began to open fire with cheap blaster pistols- the Imperials barely slowed their pursuit, trading fire and dropping one officer within seconds, forcing the others to take cover. It gave the group time to get ahead, though all four of them couldn't help but look back at the pitifully lopsided firefight.

"These guys are getting slaughtered- shouldn't we..." Pain lined the fox's voice.

Kajex glanced to the fox curiously, noticing the way his ears were pinned back with worry. Deciding it was best to keep moving he put a paw to the fox's back and gave him a firm push, waiting until they rounded a corner before replying.

"I don't like it either," Kajex admitted with a slight sigh. "But we've got maybe another thirty troops on our asses and my girl is only a Padawan. A great one, but still a Padawan. If we stand and fight, we're likely to lose. Even if we won, still have that big bastard leading them to deal with- and that's a battle we will lose."

The fox winced and nodded. "Yeah... I know. We should find a building, though- find some cover."

Kajex shook his head. "No, we need to keep moving, draw them towards us. If we hide, they'll slaughter everyone in the way and do more damage. At least this way, there's a chance the police here might surround them."

Syrra called back to them, having holstered her pistol and now holding her inactive lightsaber. "Halfway there, you guys! Any sign of the giant?"

Kajex spared three seconds to look back- there Sith giant was nowhere to be found. "I'm not seeing him."

"You'd know if he were around," the fox told them grimly. "Trust me."

"What do you know about Large-and-In-Charge back there?" the wolf asked.

"They call him Knight Ulfric," the fox shuddered. "He's supposed to be a member of the Circle of Syn- a 'Sith Juggernaut' or something, whatever the hell that means. I'd only heard rumors about his strength and abilities until now, but he's violent and possibly insane. It's on record that he killed half his subordinates during his last operation, then wasted the other half during the mission."

"You believe those rumors?" Kajex asked.

"The strength and power rumors were true- the deaths were on record," the fox replied, shaking his head. "I'm surprised he didn't kill any of us the entire operation- but he's wasting manpower doing this, too. A job like this needed stealth, not strong-arming."

The wolf felt a chill in his back, the idea of a fight breaking out near the Gold Rush not at all pleasant to dwell on. "Then we need to hurry- I don't want a freak like that anywhere near my ship." He turned his attention behind him, heart skipping as he saw the Imperials round the corner- the local law had lost the battle. "Heads down, they're starting to gain on us!"

They doubled their pace, boots crunching through the fresh snow, the under-dressed Ithorian in particular wheezing as the cold and exertion took a toll on his elderly form. Much as the wolf did not like pushing Hovin to his limits, they had little choice but to press on despite the discomfort- they only had a few blocks left before they reached the starport, a casino and a betting parlor to either side of them.

The roar of a speeder drew his attention and he turned a wide-eyed glance back- half of the stormtroopers were still on foot, yet the other half had commandeered the law's speeders and were now screaming down the street in their direction. With maybe seconds to react Kajex sprinted ahead, grabbing the fox by the shoulders and pushing him faster.

"What the--" the fox yelped.

"They've got a ride, get to cover!"

It was all he had time to shout before the stormtroopers opened fire, their shots smashing against the walls, windows, and nearby parked rides around them. Hoping he wasn't about to make a mistake he shoved the younger man through one of the shattered panes of a panicked casino before jumping through it and rolling to the floor. He had just gotten to his feet to tell Syrra to get in when Hovin stumbled through the front entrance, Syrra tailing him slowly as she held her active lightsaber up. The wolf watched as she angled her blade in rapid succession, blocking three blaster bolts and deflecting them away before dodging to the side and avoiding the rest of the barrage, glancing at him.

"You alright?"

"We're good," he confirmed, helping the Amaran soldier back up and looking around. So close to the starport, he was certain this casino had to be connected to it as a next-door tourist trap; there would have to be directions to the starport proper nearby. Within seconds he spotted an otherwise easy-to-miss sign, pointing to it. "C'mon, this way- the ones on foot will be here any second."

The sound of blasterfire lingered outside, accompanied by more sirens- no doubt the security officers were still putting up a fight. As before Kajex trailed behind, letting Syrra take the lead down the noisy, nauseatingly bright gambling machines. Every so often Syrra would stop and direct a fearful tourist to the back, or sidestep (and frown at) the two or three visitors with an obvious gambling addiction; about as often as the wolf would keep looking behind them, counting the seconds before the soldiers would inevitably come in and cause chaos again.

They reached what had to be the middle of the building, a flight of stairs leading upward with a starport sign above the foot of the steps. There seemed to be nobody in sight, save for a lone spacer in a long overcoat and a thick facial scarf and hood, their goggles glued to a slot machine right next to the stairs. They were halfway to the stairwell when a voice rang out.

"Stop right there!"

The four of them halted at once, tensing up as no fewer than a dozen armed security officers poured down the steps with their weapons raised, all of them wearing black and white uniforms. The human leader of the group stepped forward, towering over Syrra with his rifle aimed at her head, the rest of them aiming at the other three. The gambler off to the side seemed to not notice, inserting another coin into the machine and cranking back the handle.

The human twitched his barrel at the Trianii. "You- ditch the laser sword, alien."

Syrra's eyes widened for only a moment before they narrowed into a hard look; had the situation not been so dire Kajex was sure he would have had coarse words to share for referring to her that way. When she spoke, however, it was with a calm and diplomatic tone.

"My name is Syrra. I am a Padawan of the Jedi Praxeum, and I'm in the middle of a rescue operation." She deactivated her weapon and clipped it to her belt. "We need to get to the starport, to my partner's ship, before the Imperials catch up to us."

"Should've figured it was some damned non-human stirring up trouble again," the leader growled. "You really expect me to believe that, hairball? Maybe you'll explain why your fellow runt is decked out in stormtrooper armor." He shot a look at Kajex, who glared right back. "If you aren't Imperial spies, then smart money is you're a bunch of thugs- your buddy in the longcoat looks like he's killed for money before."

In any other situation Kajex would have bit back- facing humanocentric racism was not new to a non-human mercenary captain living on the fringes of the Corporate Sector Authority regions. By the look on Syrra's face it was something she was used to as well, as she put her paws on her hips and matched the human's glare with her own.

"We really don't have time for your experienced assessment," she informed him with a calm, cool tone. "Whether or not you believe us, you hardly don't have time to waste on us four when there's a battle out in the streets."

"I'm not going to let some Jedi-wannabe alien bitch tell me how to do my job," the leader snapped. "I'm placing you four under arrest right now."

"There's no need for--"

But he'd had enough. Without warning his hand lashed out and caught Syrra across the muzzle with a loud crack, generating a pained chirp from her as she staggered back half a step. The tension Kajex had been feeling flash-flamed into anger as he strode forward with a fist ready to connect to the leader's nose.

He was a second too late, a step away from punching distance when Syrra let out a snarl and lunged, bringing her own fist crashing into the leader's jaw with an audible crack. Kajex gaped as the leader swayed on the spot and stumbled backward, landing on his ass with a dazed look.

It was not without reaction- the other officers turned their weapons to her and aimed, just as she drew her lightsaber again and held it in a defensive pose, ready to block in an instant.

"Hold your fire."

The wolf looked back down at the leader, who was struggling back to his feet with an empty look in his eyes. At the order the officers looked to each other in confusion, before complying one by one.

"Sir?" one of them asked.

"That's... enough," the leader muttered in an almost neutral voice. "The Trianii made her point. This is a waste of our time."

Now there was a murmur of unease. "You're... sure, sir?" the same soldier asked.

There was a moment of silence in which Kajex got a strange feeling- somewhere, almost beyond the threshold of his sensitive hearing, he could have sworn he heard a low voice. His glanced off to the side again, spotting the gambler. For a moment it almost looked as if he had been looking at the scene, yet he was putting in another coin and ignoring them as if nothing had happened.

"I just want them gone," the leader replied tonelessly. "If they're going to the spaceport then it won't matter, the ships will be under tractor lockdown anyway. Continue on to the front, we need to be ready for the stormtroopers."

Before any protest could be made another figure descended the staircase, a human wearing a black-colored chestplate with a white scarf and combat trousers, his eyes concealed behind a pair of goggles and a heavy rifle slung to his side. "There you are! Your boss said you came down this way, I was hoping I'd catch up." He looked to the group of four with an arched eyebrow. "Is... there a problem?"

Kajex frowned- something about that voice was... familiar.

The leader's expression brightened as he turned and spotted the newcomer. "Finally, someone I can probably trust," he said- his tone was back, no longer subdued. "You a bounty hunter?"

"I'm on vacation, but yeah- I've worked with law enforcement before," the man said with a grin. "Figured you might need a hand with those Imperial bastards out there, your boss gave me the go-ahead."

The leader nodded, his expression now clear instead of vacant. "I'll have to check after this, but I'll welcome any help from a human at this point." He turned his gaze back to Syrra, the look of disgust returning as he jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "Go on, get the hell out of here- I've got real problems to attend to."

She glared back and watched him leave, though Kajex could see the hint of confusion mixed in with her resentment. Once they were gone she traded a look with him and their Amaran ally.

"... What was that about?"

The fox shrugged. "Maybe you actually knocked some sense into him? He sounded kind of dazed from that punch you gave him."

"I don't think that was it," the wolf said, about to gesture to the nearby gambler.

But they were gone.

"Wait... where did..."

He whipped around, looking for the longcoated spacer. It was movement in the corner of the eye that drew his gaze to where the security officers and bounty hunter had left, a flicker of black and white that disappeared behind a slot machine. Kajex stared for what seemed like hours, the confused final image of the spacer's jacket flickering in his mind.

There had been white mixed in with it.

... No. Couldn't be. You're just seeing things.

He shook his head clear, turning back to the other three; Syrra was giving him a querying look.

"You okay?"

He chuckled uncertainly. "Yeah, I'm just... seeing things, I guess. Excitement's just getting to me." He straightened up, gesturing to the stairs. "And on that note, we need to keep moving- before 'excitement' catches up to us."

Syrra nodded and led the way up, now tailed by a not-so-winded Hovin. Halfway up the stairs, Kajex stopped and looked back, hoping the higher vantage point would give him a chance to see the spacer once more- there was nobody.

... Stop it. It's a huge galaxy- you were just seeing things.

He sighed and followed a few moments later, his steps feeling a little heavier as he climbed.

Kajex had been concerned that more security would attempt to stop them before they could enter the starport- even with Syrra giving them assurance that she was on Jedi business, the local security had not regarded it as any kind of meaningful authority. At worst it would mean a few minutes of waiting while the Sith Knight or Imperials closed the gap between them. To their surprise, however, the security station was bare- the news of an Imperial presence in the city had prompted the rest of the security officers to run past them completely to meet the threat. Thus they met little resistance getting to the docking bay beyond a flurry of panicking pilots and swoop-race aficionados.

They reached the hangar before long, an inch of fresh snow having collected on top of and around the ship. Syrra and the Ithorian sprinted ahead to the hatch while Kajex took the fox aside to the stack of cargo crated lining the walls. "Syrra, fire up the engines! Hovin, which one of these crates has the artifacts?"

"<The blue crates marked MSM-INV-1!>" he called back as he and Syrra headed up the ramp.

Kajex nodded, waiting until Syrra was out of sight before grabbing the fox by the shoulder, yanking him close and giving him a hard look.

"Wha- ow! What are you--"

"Shut it, kit," the wolf growled. "So far you've done good, but that still doesn't mean I completely trust you. So listen up kid, because I'm only saying this once. You're going to help me bring this cargo container into the ship and then sit your ass down in the lounge- or I'm going to lock you outside the ship and let the big guy have you back, savvy?"

The Amaran swallowed and nodded. "Alright, alright," he replied timidly. "I-I won't cause trouble, I promise."

"You'd better not," the wolf repeated. "Let's get this onboard and get the hell out of here."

They each took a side and lifted, the slim, long case surprisingly heavy- no doubt well-armored to protect the valuables within, Kajex guessed. The two carried the cumbersome crate and hauled it along as the Gold Rush's engines sounded, the warm-up sequence now initiated.

They had nearly reached the ramp when it froze between them.

Kajex had been rushing ahead to ascend the ramp first, yelping as he nearly dislocated his arm still clutching to the now-immobile case- the Amaran grunted as he walked into stomach-first, holding his midsection for a moment. Both lupine and vulpine gaped at the case, Kajex cursing rapidly as it refused to budge, suspended in midair.

"What the fu--" He stopped short, looking up fearfully.

Standing at the entrance to the docking bay with his hand outstretched, pure malice in his eyes, was Knight Ulfric.

Within moments the crate began to hover inexorably toward the Sith, even as the two men struggled to stop its approach. Both men dug their heels into the snow, trying to hold it back, to no avail- the situation was dire enough that Kajex almost didn't notice the fox reach for the wolf's holster, pulling out his blaster pistol. For a horrible second Kajex was sure the younger man was going to turn the weapon on him, perhaps gunning the vulnerable wolf down to placate and appease the murderous-looking Sith Knight- it was enough that he tried to grab at the fox's wrist, hoping to direct the shots away. Instead, the fox swung the weapon around, aimed, and fired three accurate shots at the armor-clad giant.

Both of them gaped as he merely stretched his other giant hand out and caught the shots in his palm, suffering no ill effect.

"Oh...shit," the fox whimpered.

"Just keep shooting him!" Kajex pressed with in a panic, trying to yank the container back up the ramp.

He grimaced and raised the pistol again, opening fire as Kajex whipped his rifle up and fired as well. With a speed neither of them expected, the knight drew his lightsaber and ignited it, the massive scarlet pole of energy far thicker than any ordinary lightsaber, its hilt far longer than any traditional weapon- their blaster bolts bounced uselessly off the knight's weapon as he continued to amble towards them, twisting his weapon around with unprecedented finesse.

A yelp sounded as one bolt ricocheted off the energy blade and slammed into fox's left arm, sending the fox sprawling and groaning in pain. Now on his own Kajex poured a barrage of bolts in the knight's direction- another deflected shot exploded against the barrel of Kajex's rifle, rendering the weapon useless.

He stared at the weapon in shock. "Are you kidding?!"

Another jerk of the case drew his attention back to the struggle, forcing him to toss aside the ruined rifle and grab the case with both paws. Even without the encumbrance, his effort amounted to little in the face of the Sith Knight's powerful telekinesis. With only a few meters left between them, the wolf fumbled around his belt his paw closing around his remaining concussion charge. It took his only a second to press the switch in, toss it to the giant, and dive into the snow, covering his ears and shutting his eyes.

A flash of light filled the dim docking bay interior as the explosive went off in front of the knight; moments later a heavy weight slammed against the back of the wolf's head, disorienting him for a few precious seconds- stars flickered in and out of his vision as he spotted the crate ahead of him, the hinges now busted and useless with the top half completely wide open.

His eyes fell on a bright yellow cube the size of his fist.

"... A holocron...?"

Without thinking about it he grabbed it, just as the cube started to float into the air, now dragging him along with it through the snow. A hard curse burst from his muzzle as he saw the knight still standing, looking completely unfazed despite having his concentration broken, his lightsaber raised above his head as the wolf slowly slid right in front of him.

The Sith Knight pointed to the cube, his voice rumbling a single word.

"Mine."

It was only one word, said almost as if delivered by one mentally impaired; but it was enough to send a shiver of fear through the wolf's spine. The grin curling on the human's face was nothing short of malicious as he stepped forward to strike, just as a challenging snarl sounded near the wolf.

He was a half-second away from abandoning the cube and rolling away, stopped only as he saw a rod of bright blue angle over his head.

Ulfric's lightsaber stopped short, flashing and cracking against the Jedi weapon. To Syrra stood above the wolf, weapon angled horizontally above her head and holding her enemy's weapon in place- the knight reacted wordlessly with a look of fury. The holocron ceased to move as if drawn by an invisible cord and remained unaffected as Kajex crawled away from the two, spotting their vulpine ally climbing to his feet, looking injured and shaken, but alive.

Seeing very little choice otherwise, he chucked the device towards the fox. "Get that into the ship now!" The vulpine caught the holocron easily with his uninjured arm, staggering into the Gold Rush.

Kajex returned his attention to Syrra, who had engaged the knight in earnest with a rapid, acrobatic assault against the giant. Though the wolf had seen her practice Ataru back at the Praxeum, he'd never once seen her cut loose and put full effort into the fight, and thus could not help but watch in amazement as her offensive locked the knight into a guarding stance, offering no means to counter her assault that she could not dodge.

But the Sith Knight did not look fazed so much as annoyed, as if curious that someone so small could be such an irritating obstacle. It almost seemed as if he was waiting for an opening, lashing out and catching her in a saber lock.

With mounting anxiety, and looking for some way to help, he glanced back at open case, spotting the three lightsabers Hovin had promised. Scrambling for the crate he grabbed the nearest one, tossing it to the feline. "Syrra, catch!"

The Trianii kicked the knight hard enough to knock him back a step, twisting around and snatching the second weapon cleanly. A second blade, this one a deep purple, snapped from the elaborately-designed hilt, the elder weapon joining the younger as they dueled against their scarlet foe. Knowing full well she would still need his help he grabbed the remaining two and charged toward them, activating both weapons and finding himself with a green energy blade in each paw as he rushed to join in.

Without warning, and just as the wolf was a foot within striking distance, a second beam of scarlet energy snapped from the other end of Sith's hilt, revealing itself as a saberstaff. Syrra yelped as he spun the weapon around, ducking just in time to avoid her head being removed and staggering back. Free from the heavy assault, the giant turned his attention to Kajex, charging at the wolf with a lunge. The power behind the blow was immense, such that the wolf found himself staggering as he cross-guarded a stab with both weapons, grimacing as he struggled to keep the saber lock in place. With a deep, mocking laughter, the human winded Syrra with a kick to the midsection while simultaneously shattering past the block, knocking Kajex away as he advanced on him; but Syrra intercepted and batted away the followup strike before it could carve him in two.

Weeks of sparring with Syrra had paid off as Kajex blocked and counter-struck with superior agility, but even while coordinated with Syrra they could not breach his defenses- he was far better trained than either of them, able to duel and coordinate a defense against four blades at once despite his enormous size. It took little more than an eventual decision to knock back Kajex with the Force to take the wolf out of the fight, both weapons clattering away from him.

Syrra continued the duel, her endurance slowly ebbing away as the knight put her on the defensive, battering against her blocks until a well-placed slash grazed the ancient lightsaber across the hilt and deactivated it. Another push, and Syrra slammed into the thin blanket of snow next to Kajex, panting and giving him a fearful look.

"He's... too strong," she groaned, struggling to get up. "I don't think we can beat him."

He could only agree silently, getting to his feet and steeling himself. If it had to end here, he would not let the Trianii pay for it. "Get into the ship, Syrra- I'll try to distract him while--"

"Wha- No! You promised me!" she snapped, giving him a glare. "No unnecessary risks!"

"Making sure you get out alive makes this a necessary risk!" he shot back. "I'm not going to let you throw your life away and ignore innocent people!"

A muffled voice behind him drew their attention away to the ship's port-side. Seated at its cannon, behind a thick pane of transparisteel, was the Amaran stormtrooper.

"If you two are done arguing- get the hell out of the way already!"

All three of them spared a moment to stare at the port-side mounted turret as it sprang to life. Kajex and Syrra dove out of the way into the snow, leaving the Sith Knight with only enough time to glare at the heavy cannon before the guns went off. A deafening, rapid-fire flurry of energy tore the space around the knight, gouging deep marks into the floor and wall as each shot burst. Though initially concealed by the barrage, both the wolf and Trianii watched as Ulfric was thrown to the other end of the hangar.

Deciding it would be best not to wait to see if the attack worked Kajex got back to his feet with a grimace, taking a moment to help Syrra up and grabbing the still intact lightsabers he had been using before they sprinted for the ramp. A swooping feeling of dread filled the pit in Kajex's stomach as he glanced back briefly and noticed the knight stirring.

"How--"

"Don't ask, just hurry up!" Syrra told him.

He shut the ramp behind them and the pair sprinted for the cockpit. "We good to lift off?" he asked quickly.

"I came back out to tell you that we're locked down by a tractor beam- someone doesn't want us leaving," she told him.

Kajex growled, staring up at the tractor emitter near the lip of the docking pit- the racist security leader had indeed mentioned the starport was on lockdown. "Fuck it. I'm not above causing property damage. Hey kid!"

"Yes sir!" the fox called back.

"Do me a solid and shoot the fuck out of the tractor beam emitter overhead, or your boss is going to share a seat next to you!"

Armored footsteps clanked through the ship as the vulpine left the portside turret, sprinting to the center of the ship. The wolf watched with growing anxiety as he saw the knight stagger to his feet, looking murderous and relatively unharmed as he approached.

"Those blasts would have ripped apart a TIE fighter- how is he still moving?!" the wolf cried out in dismay.

"Some way to strengthen his body through the Force?" she suggested uneasily. "I have no idea. What do we do?"

Thinking desperately for anything to buy a few more seconds he started to input ship commands, a blast of snow blowing out from under the vessel as the repuslorlifts strained against the tractor beam's influence- the force of the blast was enough that the knight was having to lean into the buffeting blowback, still approaching.

"Strap in, this is going to get bumpy!" Kajex shouted.

The_Gold Rush's_ roof cannon sprang to life, spears of hot red light lancing into the forward wall of the docking bay, striking the tractor emitted directly. Syrra yelped and fell out of her seat as the ship, no longer restrained, shot up and out of the pit, the starboard side of the craft clipping against the lip and causing the ship to pitch dangerously. Kajex struggled to regain control, grabbing the flight yoke and wrenching it around, steadying the ship as it sailed upwards, as Syrra climbed back unsteadily into the co-pilot's chair.

The wolf let out a sigh of relief as they shot into the atmosphere, putting his face in his paws. "Fuck, that was far closer than I liked..."

His feline co-pilot and student nearly melted into the seat as tension left her, letting out a sympathetic and tired groan.

"I think we stumbled into something big, love."

Syrra left Kajex to tend to Hovin's and and the Amaran's wounds, while the wolf plotted out a course for Yavin 4 and put them into hyperspace. Thankfully they had not encountered any Remnant ships in orbit trying to cut off their escape, which struck the wolf as odd- he had expected there to be at least some attempt to get the stormtrooper forces off the ground or prevent any ships from escaping. In fact, it seemed rather unusual that no other stormtroopers had shown up to support the knight as they attempted to leave- he wondered if perhaps the knight had knowingly left this men behind simply to pursue the group as they escaped.

He shook his head, waving his thoughts away- he'd talk to Skywalker about it. Now more concerned about the well-being of his passengers he got up, stretched to relieve some of the lingering tension in his body, took off his coat and walked down to the lounge. Syrra was treating the Amaran's injured arm carefully, a nasty, gaping wound centered where the blaster bolt had hit. Kajex grimaced, knowing the fox was incredibly lucky the bolt hadn't blown his arm off completely. Now that the fox had stripped all his upper armor off, Kajex could see his lithe but toned body; evidence that he had indeed endured and completed training expected of most stormtroopers. The fox looked up sadly at his captor, staring for a few moments before casting his eyes back down. In his left paw he still held the holocron.

The wolf ignored him for the moment, turning to Hovin, who despite looking exhausted greeted the captain happily. "<I have you to thank for saving my life, Master Jedi.>"

Kajex sighed, though he still smiled. "I already told you, I'm not a Jedi Master."

Hovin cocked his head curiously "<No? You wielded two lightsabers rather well.>"

Kajex arched an eyebrow. "I did. I wouldn't be the first non-Jedi to handle a lightsaber with a little skill. My partner here has been helping me learn, she's the real Jedi here," he added with a grin, which Syrra returned. "Anyway, I need to speak with you if you're up to it- after that I will gladly let you have as much rest as you would like."

"<My dear lad, I would endure a week without sleep if I could give you the answers you need. You may ask me anything.>"

Kajex nodded. "That's good, because New Republic Intelligence is also going to want to talk to you and figure out what's going on, as will the Jedi Order. That goes for you too, kid," he added as he glanced at the fox- the youth said nothing in return, staring distantly into the floor. "I need to ask first if you know the contents of the holocron you were offering us."

The Ithorian shook his enormous head. "<I'm afraid not. I have great admiration and respect for most Jedi, and I sought only to safeguard their knowledge- but I am not Force-sensitive. Only one who could influence such power could access its secrets.>"

"What about the lightsabers?" he pressed. "The Jedi Order has plenty of them at their disposal. And while I'm sure they would value most other Jedi relics, I can't imagine any lightsabers being a big deal."

"I don't know about that," Syrra interjected. "The one you tossed to me was fairly elaborate. Purple lightsaber gems aren't exactly common, and the weapon itself looked like it was created by an artisan."

"<Two of the lightsabers pre-date the Cold War- one belonged to a man named Ven Zallow, a Jedi Master who fought and died during the Sacking of Coruscant, over 3,500 years ago. The second belonged to the archivist and Jedi Master Gnost-Dural, a Kel-Dor who lived and fought during the Great Galactic War and Cold War. Both were well-known and respected by both Jedi and Sith,>" Hovin explained. "<As you can imagine, these artifacts would be of great value to either Jedi or Sith, if only for extensive research purposes.>"

"Why?" Kajex asked.

"The crystals," Syrra answered abruptly, looking surprised at herself for her immediate insight. She cleared her throat and returned to applying bacta to the fox's arm. "From what I've read, traditional lightsabers used Ilum and Adegan crystals in their construction; but after the Jedi Purge the Emperor banned all trading and possession of lightsaber crystals and had blockades on planets that possessed them. He even went so far as to destroy such caves so nobody could utilize them. Any kind of crystal or gem can be used in a lightsaber if it resonates with the user, but they'll possess different effects- on the surface they'll seem subtle, but they can be fairly extensive and varied in their effects. I can only imagine how lightsabers back then worked."

Kajex nodded. "I see. And the last lightsaber?"

"<It was the weapon of Jedi Master Mace Windu, a highly skilled human and member of the Jedi Council who fought during the Clone Wars, and died shortly before the war ended.>"

The wolf frowned. "I remember the name. He was the Jedi Master that led a coup against the Emperor and failed, wasn't he?"

"<The very same,>" the Ithorian acknowledged. "<I'm told that former Senator Sano Sauro came into possession of a lightsaber he claims was wielded by the Jedi Master- he is a liar and a fool. Master Windu's lightsaber possessed very specific characteristics and distinctive elements that would allow those who have studied the weapon to know the real deal; in particular are the electrum finish, the violet blade, the high-quality construction and the letters BMF engraved on the activation switch.>"

"BMF?"

"<Some personal touch, I imagine. Nevertheless, these key identifiers confirmed that the weapon belonged to Master Windu, thought to be lost when he was defeated by the Emperor.>"

Syrra sighed, pausing her work patching up the Amaran. "Well, it's useless now. That knight sliced through the emitter and I got tossed away from it."

"<Do not worry about it, young Jedi. The holocron is the true prize here, or at least I hope it will be depending on what secrets you discover from it.>"

Kajex stood up and strode over to the fox, whose arm was now properly bandaged. "On that note, let's have a look at it, right?"

The younger man said nothing, still staring aimlessly at the deck.

Kajex waited, trading a look with Syrra, before crouching and carefully grasping the cube, pulling it away- the youth did nothing to react, even as he set it on the table next to them. Curious, he leaned forward. "What's eating you, kid?"

The fox didn't look at him.

"Nothing."

"Sure doesn't seem like 'nothing'. Spit it out."

Syrra glanced at Kajex briefly before putting a paw on the fox's shoulder, giving him a kind smile.

"What's your name?"

A pause, then a sigh.

"Talrik. Talrik Lye."

She nodded, putting a paw on his wrist. "You did a great job, Talrik. You saved our lives by suppressing that knight with the turret, and for that I thank you."

Talrik nodded, still not looking at either of them. "Don't mention it."

Syrra looked up to the wolf, gesturing to him. Catching the hint Kajex nodded, clearing his throat. "Syrra's right. You didn't have to turn on your soldiers, but you did. I don't think any of us would be standing, if not for your help. We owe you a big one."

The fox flinched, his gaze hardening. When he spoke, it was louder and clearer.

And angry.

"... You're damn right you do. You owe me my family."

Kajex arched an eyebrow, standing and scratching his head. "What do you mean? I thought you said you didn't know those other soldiers."

At this, the fox looked up, meeting the wolf's confused look with a hard glare. "Tell me, captain- how many Amaran do you think serve the Imperial Remnant?" he asked harshly, a quiet growl in his throat.

Taken aback by the youth's sudden aggressiveness, Kajex narrowed his eyes and stood his ground. "Did they lessen their humanocentric policies after Endor? Because I'd still say the answer is only a handful."

"You'd be right," Talrik replied, his voice tense. "I'm the only one I know of who actually served the Remnant. Got registered like everyone else. So when the Remnant arrives and notices that one of its own soldiers was captured instead of killed, and forced to fight his own fellow soldiers, what do you think will happen?"

Syrra looked apprehensive. "You'll be hunted, I don't doubt- but I sense this isn't what's at the core of your anger and fear right now."

"Oh that's very insightful from a wise and powerful Jedi," Talrik snapped at her- the tone and look on her face took her aback. "Do you have any idea what the Remnant does to the families of those who are captured, just on the suspicion that one of their own soldiers will talk?"

Angry for the Amaran's abrasiveness towards his lover, Kajex grabbed the fox's collar and growled in response. "What the hell were you expecting, kid? You should've thought of that before you joined the Remn--"

He was halfway into speaking when the fox swung at him, his fist catching him in the muzzle. A moment of dizziness ended when the soldier jumped up and shoved the captain to the floor, a wild rage in his eyes.

"I WAS CONSCRIPTED, YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!" the fox snarled in anguish.

Whatever anger the wolf would have felt from getting decked completely froze at these words.

"You... what?"

"I didn't walk into a Remnant recruiting center, fill out an application and waited for a response via holonet! I was one of the thousands of non-human conscripts forced to serve the Imperial military in order to bolster their ranks after the end of the Thrawn campaign!" He walked past Kajex, the words pouring from his muzzle as he spoke while Syrra helped the wolf up. "I had to undergo everything that all stormtroopers endure, with the added 'bonus' of getting targeted for my race and my size!"

"'Targeted?'" Kajex repeated, guilt forming in the pit of his stomach as he guessed at what the fox meant. When Talrik turned back to them that feeling doubled, the Amaran's eyes now filled with tears.

"Do you know what they do to the runt of the barracks at Teeva Academy?!"

"I... I didn't--"

"No?! Here's a hint- it's long, dry, rough, and they don't kiss you goodnight afterward!!!"

It was as if liquid nitrogen had filled Kajex's stomach, his ears pinned guiltily against his head.

"I couldn't care less about any of the soldiers you killed trying to rescue this old man! I'm glad you killed them, and I would've been happy enough if you had decided to kill me too! Do you think I'm some sort of brainwashed kit, some moronic fox that got in over his head and believed the Empire's lies, even as its own recruits pinned me down and raped me?! Do you think I wanted_to aim my weapon and kill innocent civilians because they had the balls I lacked to stand up and reject Imperial control?! Do you think I spent every single day comfortable and happy, knowing if I slipped up, said something wrong or disobeyed a command that my mother and little brother would pay with their _lives!?"

"I-I didn't kn--"

"Of_course_ you didn't know!" he shouted, tears streaming down his face. "Nobody outside of Imperial control would know! There are only a handful of decent folk in the high positions of the Empire, people who try to look out for my kind! But they're not going to be enough! B-because you decided to capture me instead of k-killing me, my mother and brother are as g-good as... as good as dea--"

He broke down with an anguished howl, sinking to his knees and sobbing into his paws.

Completely at a loss for words, and knowing full well nothing he said would help, Kajex turned to Syrra. The Trianii had covered her muzzle in shock, tears rolling down her cheeks as she whimpered, then knelt beside the sobbing Amaran and wrapped her arms around his trembling shoulders.

Kajex could only watch, filled with regret.

The threat of the Imperial Remnant, the struggle between the Sith and Jedi seemed so far away now in the face of the fox's torment and anxieties. He wondered sadly how long this had been bottled up for, and who, if anyone, he confided these things to. Now Talrik's earlier behavior- his lashing out at another stormtrooper for his words, his regret for gunning down stormtroopers, his reluctance to come with him and Syrra even after being promised safety- all made sense in context. There probably wasn't a moment where he worried about dying in action.

All that mattered was that the lives of his family, the only people who mattered to him, were at stake.

The wolf sighed, approaching the weeping soldier and crouching next to him. With only the barest amount of hesitance, he put a paw on the soldier's head.

"I'm sorry, kid. I really am."

"I-it doesn't... m... matter," he choked out. "Y-you wouldn't..."

"Understand?" Kajex guessed. "No, actually- I do. I'm sorry because I understand that kind of love for a family that you'd do anything to keep them safe, and that your love is the only reason you got stuck in this situation." He paused, brushing away thoughts of his fathers before continuing. "I lost my family a long time ago. I know how bad that hurts. So that's why I'm gonna offer you a chance to save yours."

The vulpine looked up, face wet and confused. "H-how?"

"First you have to tell me what you'd be willing to do in order to keep your family safe." He glanced at Syrra, who seemed confused but hopeful that he had some sort of plan.

"Absolutely anything," the fox answered without hesitation, his breathing shaky but his words filled with certainty.

"Good, because I'm almost certain your family isn't dead. Not yet. Because like you told us earlier, this operation was being led by a Sith Knight, right?"

Talrik nodded, snuffling.

"That means it wasn't an official Imperial Remnant mission. I've seen the CSA do this with some of their black-ops from a decade ago- they hire or assign expendable soldiers who can keep their mouths shut or be coerced to. It's the kind of secrecy that doesn't file swift paperwork. The Sith wouldn't want the common rabble to know their own dealings and projects. They're going to hide as much as they feasibly can, which is going to take time for them to fabricate excuses."

The fox froze, hope starting to filled his eyes. "Then I still have time?"

Hoping it would encourage the younger man, the wolf reached out and grabbed his shoulder- and smiled.

"You said you'd do anything to save them. I'm holding you to that. So here's what's going to happen- you're going to go into the crew quarters and get some rest while we're en route to Yavin 4. When we get there, you're going to plead amnesty and asylum, and offer the Jedi Order and the New Republic whatever information you can about the Imperial Remnant and this Circle of Syn you mentioned; in exchange for getting your family out of Imperial-controlled space. I may not have a lot of pull, but as it involved the Sith I'm sure Master Skywalker won't object."

"And you'll... get them out, for sure?" he asked uncertainly.

"I'll do one better," Kajex offered. "I'll go myself to make sure your family gets back, even if nobody else does."

"Kajex is experienced with solo rescue operations," Syrra added supportively. "He helped rescue some of my own people, I'm certain he can get your family out if he knows where they are."

Talrik said nothing, his body trembling as he looked on the verge of tears once again.

"So... are you willing to coopera--"

He cut himself short as the fox leaned in and hugged him, his bushy tail wagging as he trembled and sobbed into the wolf's chest. Kajex sighed, but smiled gently as he patted the vulpine's back.

"It's a deal, then."