A huge wave of relief washed over her as he softened and embraced her, she fell against him, her arms looping around him as she relaxed. As they broke apart she looked up at him with a cheeky grin, before pushing him down in to the captains chair. Moving to straddle him, one hand tangling in his hair she pulled him in to a kiss once more, her hips pressed in to his.
They fell about the cockpit, rolling onto the floor kissing, bodies pressed together, he kissed her, hands brushing her cheek as his lips moved to her neck, before whispering sweet nothings into her ear, hands pressed to her thighs "I think we should sell it, but on the other hand keeping it may work in our favour" He said as they got dressed, his armour fitting remarkably well, tightened to fit his bulky form. He armed up and got in the skiff with the others to go and find the parts they needed. Finding the jawas they found only 3 of the 4, but were invited back the following day to purchase more, maybe even some ship upgrades. They returned back and to the ships and got some well earned rest.
She agreed with him, knowing that the older YT1300 was too close to their hearts to sell on, even if the newer model was faster and more nimble. She pulled her clothes back on, asking Pash to help re-tighten the corset style shirt she wore. Once she'd pulled her heeled boots back on and adjusted her headband she returned to the Gamorrean to collect her blaster. She turned the gun over in her hands, looking at it with fondness. It marked so many milestones in her journey, and whereas she had once held it to Pash's head she now used it to fight side by side with him and even protect him from time to time. She holstered it and moved to where the skiff was parked. Arlak was still talking about his jetpack. Asking Pash when he would be able to fix it, and imagining using it. She smiled at Pash, rolling her eyes at the trandoshan, it was nice to see him so excited over something. The search went down without a hitch, it was a nice change to not be shot at or not having someone try and kill them.
When they returned to the ship, 2000 credits richer they were all in high spirits. Ardana was almost tempted to just take Pash's hand but she wasn't ready to reveal them to the crew just yet.
Pash didint sleep much that night, after kissing Ardana goodnight he slipped into the mechanical area and started forging, with only a tiny forge at hand he had to do a lot of the work himself but he was as quiet as possible. Using a little Electrum surrounding durasteel he worked hard on his project before using his Cousca Gem drill to complete his project he sat and meditated on it before placing it in his boot compartment and heading to sleep.
The next morning they woke early and headed to the Jawas, who had appeared near the docking bay they had placed the ships, something seemed off to Pash though, something not quite right....
She decided to sleep in the cockpit that night, reading until the small hours when she eventually fell asleep in her chair. She rose and dressed, the happiness from the previous day still hanging in the atmosphere. She moved silently through the ship, looking forward to a day dealing with the Jawas. The group moved together but as soon as she got there she knew something was wrong. Their rodian guide moved to greet the first jawas. Her blaster was already in her hand and she began to move to defend their guide. At that point the jawa pulled his cloak of, revealing a sullustan, with his blaster aimed. She wasn't quite quick enough and the bolt struck the guide, but she was there to push him away and take the next shot for him. She fired a few bolts of her own very rapidly and the sullustan stumbled back. But his next shot sent her blaster skittering from her hand, the power pack ruined. She swore and drew her knife, slashing at the attacker.
Pash was calm, this one of the many times they had been in combat, usually worse than this. He fired at a group of rodians, bringing one down, before seeing Ardana starting to slash at the Sulustun. Not wanting to even risk her being in danger he finished him off not realising Ardana had been fully prepared to finish him. Looking at Pash she frowned, a little anger flashing in her eyes before throwing the knife sideways onto a skiff where it impaled the final enemy. Eyes locked on Pash.
She had planned to keep him alive and question him but Pash's shot had ended that hope. She spun to face Pash, her arm moving seemingly of its own accord. She flicked her wrist and the knife through arrow straight through the air, before sinking itself to the hilt in the remaining enemies throat. She knew he had meant well so she wasn't really angry with him, although she did worry sometimes that he didn't believe she could defend herself. She strode over to the fallen sullustan who's body slumped over the side of the skiff. She pulled her knife free and cleaned it on his top.
Another round of gunfire sounded, somewhere in the distance. What the hell was going on? She retrieved her pistol, taking out and throwing the useless power pack away.
Arlak sprinted ahead, instantly killing those enemies around the Randy Gammorean and the Nightflyer as he tore on
"Ardana! Catch!" Pash yelled, throwing her the pistol from his wrist mount. To his surprise the nueral link still worked and he could therfore fire the pistol should he need to. he drew his swords and waited outside the entrance before running in and attacking the trandoshan inside. He did little damage and felt himself utterly battered in return, new wounds opened up all over and he could hardly move anymore, but he carried on, realising that swords might not be the way for him to go anymore.
She moved in behind Pash, knife in one hand blaster in the other. She fired rapidly, taking down the trandoshan closest to Pash, standing between him and the gunfire. Both Arlak and Yusei managed to floor several enemies, and in one last slash of her blade she killed the final one. She turned to Pash, marked with the burn marks of blaster fire.
"How you holding up?" She said softly, her own side stinging from the shot she had taken in the first encounter.
"I'll live, you okay?" he said "I really hate them, lets just kill these bastards" he said,moving round into the base, clearing a small beachead for them to secure, he wasnt sure how many "jawas" were still in the base, but he knew that there were enough.
She didn't believe he was ok, he'd taken a fair amount of damage. She dipped her head though. "I'm fine, lets just stop these bastards." The group gathered again, prepared to move forwards and face whatever lay ahead of them.
Pash awoke to sounds of mayhem, he couldnt see the others, only fire. His arms hurt, his armour ripped to shreds, his gun by his side snatched up by him and used to shoot enemies around him, troopers, always more troopers. He looked for his comrades, but they were nowhere to be seen.
"ARDANA!" He screamed, voice raw from the smoke and ash that hung in the air. "ARDANA WHERE ARE YOU!" He remembered the explosion, something about a Star Destroyer appearing and targetting them, the running, him trying to hold Ardana when suddenly it had all turned black. He was alone.
All alone again...
No, he wasn't, he would find her, the others, even get a new ship, but Pash Odir wasn't dead by a long shot, and he was angry now.
"SURRENDER TARKIN" the troopers shouted, obviously someone knew his real name, but it did not matter. Standing proud he loosed volley after volley at them, gunning squad after squad until his blaster clicked empty, grabbing one from the ground he continued, one trooper after another falling.
Pash had become an Angel of Regret, one of Anger, one of Hatred, one of Pashion. He was a knight..
And it was time for him to take up his sword, and fight for what was right.
Pash pushed hard from his legs, barrelling over trooper after trooper, each one receiving a shot in the back or the face or wherever Pash could place his blaster. He flipped one round, using him as a human sheild as he massacred, his whole body coming alive with the sound of battle. Blaster bolts pinged around him, superheating the air to tan Pash's face of anger. Suddenly he found a thermal detonator, loading it into his rifle grenade barrel he launched it into the masses.
The explosion was titanic, white light absorbing the troopers into the blast, Pash thrown backwards behind a lump of starship they had picked over for parts the previous day. His arm caught hold of something soft, it was flesh, that of a stromtroopers arm, seperated from its body, stripped of its armour and blackened to ash, the blaster pistol still somehow intact. Pash grabbed hit, his stolen rifle somewhere amongst the wreckage. He stood up and surveyed the carnage.
It was breathtaking and yet in the worst possible way, the metal around the crater had melted together, forming a bowl of plasteel, troopers lay scattered, armour ruined but with bits intact. Pash policed some of these to form a crude half-laminate armour. He stood proud, collecting a light repeating blaster, modifying it over the next hour while trying to avoid patrols of low flying TIEs which had begun to show up. He moved closer to the original point of the Randy Gammorean, trying to save what might still be left. He arrived to find it swarming with troopers, Lamda transports all around, and Ardana standing talking to an Imperial Officer. Wait why did they look more than just enemies? friends?
"Ardana..." he whispered, clicking on the com so she could barely hear "Are you okay?"
"Of course I'm okay Pash" she replied "I had hoped we would find out it was you Tarkin, i was paid a lot of money to find you, you falling in love was just a bonus"
She turned and pointed, the troopers turned with her and fired.....
And Pash died.....
His body lived on, his body screamed and shot trooper after trooper, hitting the officer next to Ardana, before turning and running.
His body managed to make it to a shuttle, kill its occupants, fly it to hyperspace and jump
Pash though, Pash will forever remain in that junkyard, the Corusca gem electrum ring discarded in the other piles of trash all that would remain of him.
Tarrir Karlo lowered his stolen ship to the floor of the Yavin base, amour now fully cannibalised from parts found on the ship, his movements calm and measured. His glance to Rency made it certain that they was no discussion. Made up to look different no one could mistake the pale skin, but the hair had been bleached almost white with gunmetal streaks, the hands were scarred and his armour looked like it was ready to win a war.
"Tarrir Karlo is the name, for now, want a soldier?"
"Actually Mr Karlo we need a squad leader, want the job?"
"Give me a few weeks taking orders ma'am, prefer it that way, I'm no Captain"
Tarrir performed well, moving with the suad through basic training to test his skills, meeting his squad, learning who they were, eventually given fireteam command of his own before setting off to do what seemed like a milk run. They were to meet with Rency and assist her with the taking of an Imperial Officer.
The trap was set, the officer stepped out of his shuttle, Pash moved forward to grab him when he realised...
It was Jetak...
"Hey Jetak" Tarrir said raising his blaster "Didnt realise youd picked up my disruptor rifle" stun to the chest sent Jetak reeling, surprised expression on his face.
It was like meeting an old friend and realising who you were at the same time. He wasn't anyone, he was a tool, one of many in this fight for freedom, and he would do anything for it, he needed to be a bigger part of something. He walked away, head held high as he played with his old rifle, resetting it to his favoured settings before folding it down to less than carbine size, this way he made it small enough to conceal in the long jacket he had taken to wearing again, small pockets inside hiding everything from his datapad to a now highly illegal weapon. He looked back as his squad leapt from a speeder to collect the fallen soldier, he hoped they were gentle but the rifle suggested Jetak had been part of at least one of the now countless betrayals. Tarrir Karlo had a stop to make, in Mos Shuuta. Borvo was going to get his things back.
Landing back on Yavin he went to see his commander, some Bail Organa about to leave for his home of Alderaan while his daughter was on some diplomatic mission. Bail looked haggered, his years starting to take a toll on him. He thanked Tarrir for his service, but asked him for one last mission before he went after Borvo. There were some plans, super secret, of some battle station or weapon or warplan that the Empire had, and they had gone missing, and Tarrir was to get them back.
Picking his squad he stood, heading out to find these damn plans.
He was about to mount up in his ship, a YT 2000 named the "Galon Outsider" (not his naming) when he recieved a file, opening it he saw the scene of himself, Ardana and the others, only this time from another perspective. It started 2 minutes earlier, showing them rounding up the others and threatening them, hurting Arlak and Yusei and threatening their death if Ardana did not accept it. Arlak was her child! She would never hurt him! THEY HAD FAKED IT.
Tarrir ran down the ramp, heading to Rency's office, busting down the door.
"Karlo what is the meaning of this?"
"If youve had any knowledge of this and hidden it from me I will burn this moon to pieces"
Turning, he put on his helmet, a relic of a bygone era, almost looking like a clone or mandolorian
Pash was angry, he had no idea who to believe anymore, but he was done, he mounted up and took off, slowly sliding the speed to cruising before dropping into his bunk to get some sleep before he got far enough away for his ship not to be detected when it jumped. He took none of his crew with him, the connections with past endevours, her,the whole thing, he was done.
He jumped into hyperspace, heading for some co-ordinates he hadnt used for a while
It was a life of chains she was born in to and it seemed to a life of chains she was destined to return. It wasn't known for Imperial officers to keep slaves, especially non-human slaves, but after her capture that was where she had found herself. The Lethan skinned Twi'lek who had once been so full of fire seemed distant, never speaking, not even when commanded too, preferring to take the beating that was inevitable. As such her slender frame was marked with bruises and the wounds around her throat and wrists where her bonds continued to cut and chafe.
It wasn't always this way, with her sullen and accepting of her fate. When she had arrived it had been kicking and screaming, fighting against anyone or anything that came near her. But when the master walked before her and told her that she had nothing left to fight for it all changed.
'He is dead you know.' The elder male said solemnly, eyeing her warily as her muscles coiled like a snake ready to bite. 'Your betrayal killed him and my Troopers found his body.' She recoiled shaking her head, doubting that someone as strong as Pash would have fallen. But the unwavering look on his angled features convinced her it was the truth.
'No...' She muttered almost inaudibly as he turned to leave her in the cell that become her home. Only once the door was firmly sealed behind him did she cry. Allowing all of the pain to wash over her, grief consuming her. That night she exhausted herself hammering against the walls, pulling against her restraints and screaming. But when the guard walked in the following morning it was clear something had changed. Rather than having to edge in to the room, wary of the crouched figure in the corner, he found her slumped on the floor, her arms bloody and bruised. She didn't move when the sound of footsteps drew near, nor when the doctor was called to come and look at her. She simply lay limp and lifeless on the floor of her cell.
This seemed to please her new master who took delight in seeing she had given up, and she became malleable, easy to work with. When he said dance she would dance, sing and she would sing. But still she would never speak.
The brand was the last test to see how broken her spirit was. A heated rod with the imperial mark, red hot before it was pressed against her lower back, above her right hip. Her body tensed as the daggers of pain shot through her and she whimpered. But she didn't fight, she just wished for death.
Pash had chosen, he unslung his rifle, loading a fresh power pack into the modified holster, loaded a second into the stock he delicately tuned the harmoics (as he called it) to increase the power output at the cost of ammunition. On his back was slung a strange weapon, a multi-barrelled weapon Pash had taken from a previous mission and repurposed. The ramp drops and out he steps, armour a dull grey, with black plates like a carapace along his chest and back. On his head a dark helmet, visor unfolding from the side over a scarred face, he breathes in the cold articial air of the asteroid, and moves towards his objective. It was time for him to make a claim on that money, and he was going to take some information too.
Over his head the shreik of a TIE breaks the dullness of the walk, the barely breathable atmosphere around Pash earily echoing as it moves into hanger. He falls prone, hands already on the rangefinder, scanning the spacedock for any sign of activity. Some things were clear
1. Prisoner population had risen since last time he was there
2. Ardana was unlikely to be here, due to the nature of the work
3. Imperial forces were thin
4. They were in for a big surprise
Pash pulls out the multi tubed gun, begins firing slow prjectiles on each of the sheild projectors. He then drops a small beacon on the ground, activating it to send a signal to the closest rebel fleet. Then he hits the detonator on the side of the projectile launcher.
Chaos ensues, explosions tear through the sheilds, the landing area and the crew as several minature suns are created by plasma mines.
"Welcome to Kessel" Pash whispers, loading a different set of tubes into the barrels, walking towards the hanger.
The life she lived was mundane and she pined for the adventure and freedom that her life on the Randy Gammorean had offered. Her days were spent lying in her cell, bought out in the evenings or when her master had guests to whom he wished to flaunt his exotic prize. As time passed she lost weight, eating the bare minimum, her already slight frame became skeletal.
She heard a lot of talk of the rebels and of pirates, information that would have once given her some pleasure in knowing, but now she barely listened. Until one day someone mentioned an attack on Kessel. She could tell that this was different because of the fury on her masters face when she was summoned to him. She moved like a ghost across the room to him and bowed low. Before she had fully risen a heavy blow sent her sprawling to the floor, her lip split and bleeding. Her green eyes, the only part of her that still seemed bright, looked up at him imploringly, questioning what she had done to deserve it.
'Why will nothing go right?' He murmured to himself, looking out of the transparisteel viewport. 'And why do you still refuse to talk.' He said moving to where she lay. She held his gaze for a moment, and he seemed to think she was going to respond. But once more her eyes lowered to the floor. He let out a shout of anger and kicked her in the ribs, leaving her hunched and whimpering where she lay.
Hallways made way to cells making way to offices as Pash holds a trooper by the throat, blaster mowing down a squad of others as the official cowared behind a desk. Throwng the trooper to the ground the official is next.
"WHERE IS SHE"
"who......?"
"RED TWI'LEK, female, former spy" blaster pressed firmly to the mans face Pash lets him down
Throwing up a few computer records a planet pops up "Wukkar, its Wukkar"
*ZAP* "That wasnt so hard was it?" Pash says to the empty room as a body slumps to the floor amongst the others
leaving the facilty Pash climbs into his ship, blasting off just as the rebels arrive to liberate the asteroid
Days passed and security seemed to tighten, although the slave girl didn't question why. She moved about the palace with the same solemn look she always had. She did take note of the face she was put back in binders, whereas she had been allowed to roam free for the past several weeks, and the triggering restraints reopened the old wounds on her slender wrists. She moved with her eyes on the ground, as though afraid of meeting the eyes of others and in truth she was. Most people saw the fire that still burned in those feline green depths that they thought she was about to pounce. Most of them having seen the way she was when bought in were not willing to risk another attack so would strike first to subdue her.
So she settled on not looking at anyone, living alone in her world of silence.
Pash had managed to slip onto Wukkar fairly easily, ever since the deathstar had exploded security had both tightened and loosened around different planets. The governer's palace on the other hand was a little more difficult, Pash was going to need help. He picked up the comlink and sent a few call out and before long he had several old squadmates from the rebel alliance. Both Godin Notakozz and his younger sister, along with a very chirpy astromech. One or two members of the San A'lor, rescued from the empire a few months previously. A contact or two was also sent to the local street gangs, recently put out of business by the new governer who objected to the weapon smuggling being carried out under his nose. It was as Pash was walking along a street that he noticed a small glint on the road, looking closer he came across a large hairy lump, fur horribly ruined, being used as a slave by a squad of troopers to carry heavy crates from one end of a tram station to another.
Pash's eye came into contact with the Wookie's
and thats when it wasnt just Ardana who was being rescued