Living Like Roaches

[Jounin]

Rugs

Syla paced back and forth within the quarantined medical office. "Come on Janak, I needed these kolto tanks ready yesterday, what is taking so long?" Her selkath supplier grumbled as he finished filling up the last portable tank.

"You can't rush good kolto, just because you are trapped on Nar Shaddaa does not make it okay. Quit making deals so fast, and you will have your supplies on time." At this he capped the tank off and placed with the others. Syla rolled her eyes at this as she began loading the tanks into a pack. "Well I hadn't expected to be stuck here due to some sort of sentient fungus that has been throwing my force connection off the charts." The umbaran shook her head as she threw the pack on. "We're at war again, and war means profit. This also means the Jedi should be off my back for now- so I'm forging alliances while I can." Janak leaned back on his chair nodding along.

"Right, so when the Exchange come and kill me for ill prepared kolto, that blood is on your hands." Syla gave him a clap on the shoulder and threw Janak the closest an umbaran could to a disarming smile. 

"You've been supplying me for over a decade, I won't let anything happen to you. If I did, then there goes our whole business." With that she slid her robe on, walked to the door before stopping. "Oh, and to make up for the extra work you've been putting in, I'll stop by the cantina for you. That's if there's one left." Janak rolled his eyes, not bothering to look up. Instead he was too focused on setting up a holo game of sabak. The only indication he had that Syla left was the sound of the door re locking. Now back out into the violet hell that has become Nar Shaddaa, Syla set out to the rendezvous point for her Exchange contact.     

[Rugs]

“Really? Going alone, Io’an? Are you sure about that?”

Io’an scowled at Reflex’s voice in his ear as his speeder zipped through the haze-filled skies. “Last I checked, we don’t exactly have a lot of hands to spare for this sort of thing, and we can’t send one of the robots to meet a new contact, now can we?”

Something exploded in the distance with a low rumble that echoed out over the city. Io’an’s gaze followed the noise to the east, where a tall, thin skyscraper crumbled into the cityscape below in a cloud of ash and dust. The new Spire loomed behind it, towering for miles and miles out of the hole the Archeri had blasted into the city. What had once been the Cerbozz pit — a disaster area by any metric — was a huge crater and home to the largest structure Io’an had ever laid eyes on. He throttled his speeder a little higher, eager to get away from the Archeri stronghold.

“-so if you think about it that way, it could work.” Reflex was still going on in his ear, Io’an realized as his attention snapped back to the here-and-now.

“Reflex, trust me,” he said. “I can handle this. It’s just a kolto pickup.”

“And if this ‘just a kolto pickup’ goes tits up?” Reflex asked, pointedly. “What then, Io’an. I don’t have to remind you you’re half-dead do-”

“I can still kick your ass,” Io’an said casually. A wry smile split his face at the silence that followed. The Herglic seemed unsure how to deal with that kind of jape.

“Not without your Force bullshi- you know what?” Reflex seemed agitated. Io’an bit back a laugh. “You have fun out there. And don’t go calling me if you need help.”

“Love you too, bud,” Io’an said dryly, but Reflex didn’t answer.

It was all as well, he supposed as the speeder ducked down out of the upper levels to the city down below. For all his bluster, Reflex wouldn’t ignore a call for help. For all the good that would do, with Exchange forces stretched so thin.

The undercity was as dim and dirty as ever. But it seemed to be the one place the Archeri’s brutal invasion hadn’t touched. At a glance. On a closer look, even that solace was giving way to the Archeri’s grip; pale spores rose to the air as Io’an guided the speeder in to land.

He pulled on his surgical mask as he stepped out, and checked to make sure his lightsaber was in place within his jacket. His disruptor pistol easily visible, holstered at his waist.

Everything seemed calm to his too-sensitive senses, honed beyond a razor’s edge since the infection. He staggered as he rounded a corner near the meeting place — putting a hand against a grimy wall has a fit of violent coughing shook his body. Come on, he told himself, just a simple pick up.

He entered the arranged meeting area — a warehouse whose proprietor had agreed to keep it clear for a transaction. He leaned against the wall, head back and eyes closed, listening to the Force as he waited.

[Jounin]

While Syla made her way to the warehouse, she couldn't help but notice the staunch similarities between what Nar Shadda and Nal Hutta have become compared to her homeworld of Umbara. All three are overrun with giant violet fungus and plant life- the only difference is her homeworld wasn't infested with sentient monstrosities. Well not since the planet broke free from the Republic that is. That, and she didn't have to wear a re-breather wherever she went on Umbara.

As Syla closed distance towards the warehouse, an eerie sense of calm washed over her. Even before the Hutt planet fell under siege that was an abnormality. The solitude could either be a major advantage or disadvantage given how this went. Hopefully the prior or else Janak would never let her hear the end of it.

As she approached the door, Syla threw her hood up and kept the empty kolto tank obvious at her hip. Both stingbeam and light saber hidden and at the ready.

Then something strange happened. Her force sensitivity may have just been extending further than usual, a common occurrence lately, but something was off. Syla swore that she could sense a force user from the other side.

Tentatively, she opened the door. Her saber hand twitching for a quick grab. Upon entering she eyed the gang member leaning against the wall. Definitely Exchange, definitely the force user. If SIS sent a Jedi undercover to capture her during this siege, well then she'd honestly be flattered.

"So you're the pickup?" Syla spoke out, keeping her voice calm, and her emotions masked.

[Rugs]

Io’an felt the other person approaching long before she entered the room. Eye closed, head tilted back against the wall, he listened to the Force, waiting. It was easy, most of the time, to get lost in the chaos sweeping over the Smugglers’ Moon as the Archeri strangled it. Even here, away from the worst of the fighting, he could still feel their pollution on the Force.

That the infection sharpened his senses did little to help.

But if he drew back, focused on the area around him instead of casting a broad net, he could feel her. She was a pinprick of Force energy, approaching through the depths. Her path could only take her one way, and so Io’an lifted his head, wiping a thin sheen of sick sweat from his forehead before the door creaked open.

A woman, short from Io’an’s perspective and bald with gaunt features, entered. He eyed her measuringly, arms still hanging loose at his sides. No one mentioned a Force-sensitive, he thought. Idly, he wondered at what Reflex would say to that particular wrinkle.

There wasn’t anything to be done about it now. Doesn’t matter as long as she doesn’t start anything, he thought, standing up from the wall.

“I am,” he said, voice raspy from a sore throat. “And you’re here for the delivery, I take it?” He nodded at the kolto tank at her hip.

Bits of dust drifted lazily from the ceiling as the lights flickered dimly. A distant rumble signaled something else collapsing in the far-away chaos above.

[Jounin]

"You would be correct." Syla scanned the room to see if her contact brought friends with him or if a nosy eavesdropper was at the wrong place at the wrong time. After making sure everything was clear, the umbaran unveiled her pack out from under her cloak.

"A couple dozen portable kolto tanks right here." Syla slowly brought the pack down to the ground, zipping it open to reveal its content. "I will hand you the bag as soon as the credits are transferred."

Within moments after she spoke, something in the Force felt wrong. Syla turned on her comm link for a split second. "Janak keep an eye on the account- I'm going dark, something isn't right."

"Ha! I told you..."

She cut Janak off before he began reveling in his own ego again. The umbaran quickly turned her attention to the gang member. "Listen, I know you are force sensitive, and I know you felt that disturbance." A rumble echoed above them, much louder than the distant one prior.

Syla looked at the ceiling as bits of debris floated down. "We have to move before mortars or worse get us both killed." She ordered with a sense of military calmness.

Without hesitation she re-zipped and threw the pack back on in one fell swoop. "Ready to relocate?"

[Rugs]

The Umbaran woman’s confirmation was a relief, if a small one. Of course she was the kolto runner. Why would she be here if she wasn’t? “Good,” he said flatly, fishing around in his interior coat pocket for a small datapad. As he did the woman displayed her goods — portable kolto tanks.

Too bad that can’t help me, he lamented silently. For all kolto’s wonders, it had proven ineffective in treating anything but symptoms of the Archeri Plague. Even that relief was temporary, at best.

But the Exchange had a war to fight, and medical supplies were dwindling. Some kolto, even just a bit, could go a long way toward keeping the fight going. And for what? he wondered, not for the first time. What if we fail?

“Payment, as agreed will be delivered to the account you indicated,” Io’an said, hiding inner turmoil between a flat, transactional demeanor. His fingers began to dance across the screen, but stopped as another rumble, much closer than the last, shook the warehouse.

His blonde brows knit in concern. The Force — tainted by the Archeri touch — moved in strange ways up above. It moved in ways Io’an did not like.

“Yea,” he said to the Umbaran woman. “I felt that.” He swallowed hard, feeling a rush of nausea. Instinctively, he reached into his coat to brush his fingers against his lightsaber hilt. Far above, he could feel them, if he stretched his senses out. Crawling over the cityscape like a storm surge over a shore.

Worse, he could not shake the feeling that they were focused on him.

Io’an looked with sudden worry at the woman. She was an uninfected Force user. If the Archeri found her...

“We have to go,” he said abruptly,” walking for the door. “We’re in danger. You’re in danger.”

[Jounin]

Syla raised an eyebrow at him at the extra urgency. Was there something that he knew that she didn't, and more importantly why specifically was she in danger?

Without question, she followed the Sephi. Normally Syla would be more wary in these cases. If the planet wasn't being conquered by an unknown enemy, then she would say that his reaction was hooking her into an ambush.

As another rumble shook the warehouse, a large chunk of the ceiling dropped with a earth shattering thud. "That can't be good..." Syla's colorless eyes warily watched the hole which revealed the level above. "I assume whatever I'm in danger from is going to descend upon us? Lets make sure they miss us then."

With that she quickened her pace and passed the Exchange member. Now outside of the warehouse she scanned for all exits, noticing far too many open areas for her comfort.

"We are not in a strategic position." The Umbaran's scan finished when Io'an's speeder caught her eye. "I assume that's yours. Does it have room for two?

[Rugs]

“There aren’t any strategic positions left here,” Io’an said, frustrated. This wasn’t going as planned. It should’ve been the easiest job in the world — meet the contact, grab the meds and go back to the Blind Eye. Instead he could feel the Archeri closing in around them.

“You cannot hide,” the voice said in the scolding tone it loved to use on him. “If you will not willingly submit, then you will be made to listen.”

“Shut up,” he muttered, ducking as the building trembled again and more debris shook loose from the ceiling. “No one asked you.”

Laughing answered him. ”You will not corrupt another with you mewling, Marked One. She, like you, will be ours.”

Io’an grit his teeth and tried to close himself off from the Chorus. A fool’s tast, as long as he held his connection to the Force but he would not give it up; not with Force only knew how many layers of Nar Shaddaa threatening to crash down on them.

“This is mine,” he said, eyeing the speeder. That was true, to a point. The speeder belonged the Exchange, but he’d ridden it there. “It’ll be a tight squeeze, but it can fit.” The Archeri wouldn’t give up on a hunt just because they got away in a speeder. They’d pursue them both with the same single-minded determination they were using to burn Nar Shaddaa to the ground. But if I can get us to a safehouse...

The speeder revved to life as they approached. “What’s your name?” Io’an asked. “We’re going to have to trust each other if we’re going to live through this.” He looked back, meeting her eyes for a moment before breaking his gaze. “I am Io’a-

Something boomed overhead and the block of buildings began to rattle as if being shaken about. Io’an barely had time to shout as the far side of the block began to cave in. “Get in!” he yelled.

[Jounin]

As soon as there was confirmation in the speeder, Syla sprinted towards it. She normally would not introduce herself to a client. Especially one of a gang that could easily track her if she got on their bad side. Albeit this scenario is definitely an exception, especially if he put in a good for to the Exchange.

Before the gang member could even finish his own introduction, the cacophony of a cave in resounded in the perimeter. Syla hopped on the speeder and examined the aftermath of whats already collapsed. "I'm Syla," she said, not at all focused on Io'an anymore

A series of violet fungoid beings rise from the rubble. A strange tugging, almost tearing sensation ripped through her mind. She had never been so close to something so force abundant. "They're here..." the Umbara more to herself than to Io'an.

Looking back ahead of her, she made sure to keep the Acheri in her peripheral vision. "They're here! We have to go! Now!"

[Rugs]

The warehouse came tumbling down in on itself under the weight of dozens of floors below cascading into the undercity. Io’an decided that it was better to live and leave full introductions for later than to die knowing a stranger’s name and vaulted into the speeder.

As soon as the Umbaran—Syla, she said was her name—was in, he maxed the accelerator and the speeder lurched into motion with an angry roar of its engine. A hail of purple crystals whizzed through the air after them, some coming so near that Io’an instinctively ducked as they whizzed by his ears.

“Io’an,” he said as he took the speeder into a dive. The building continued caving in behind them, with a plume of dust and ash and fire on their tail. “My name is Io’an.”

Blocked off ahead—another urban block rose like a wall out of the depths. Bits of debris bounced off the speeder’s hood and windshield like hail. “Sorry I didn’t pick a better time for our meeting.”

He took a sharp turn into a narrow alley. Sparks jumped as the driver’s side of the speeder scraped against the wall, but he forced the thing on anyway.

”You cannot escape,” the Chorus’ voice echoed ominously in his head. ”We will not allow it.”

Io’an grit his teeth and forced the speeder on. The engine whined in protest, and he wasn’t unaware of the heat levels starting to get to uncomfortable levels. If they could just push through the alley...

They broke through, into an old, run-down industrial district.

“We made i-“

The speeder lurched suddenly as an Archeri jumped onto it from a nearby ledge. Io’an had enough time to scream in horror as it jammed a sharp limb into the engine and sent them tumble, crashing to the street below in a spray of sparks and smoke.

[Jounin]

As the gang member who finally was able to fully introduce himself as Io'an flew the speeder, Syla kept watch, making sure none of those purple crystals did anything. "I would say it's a pleasure, but the circumstances forbid that as an option."

She guarded herself from any sparks while the unfortunate Exchange member pulled a literal narrow escape. "You do not need to apologize for that, I sense this would have happened no matter the time."

Syla fiddled with her comms trying to see if the Archeri were jamming any signals, but upon her technological endeavors being unsuccessful,she brought her attention back to the companion in front of her. Something was wrong with him in the force, he was struggling, battling in his own head. The Umbaran made some mental notes, but did not bring it up.

Luckily the duo emerged from the alley. The area looked like one of the not so thriving districts of Nar Shaddaa, well if one could call any district on this planet thriving right now.

Just as Io'an began to drop his guard, and Archeri made sure to prevent him from doing that again. With the crash, Syla took a moment to sit up. Covering her mouth to prevent smoke inhalation, she attempted to stand up, but piercing pain in her right leg prevent that from happening.

Her typical stone face had begun to crack. Her colorless eyes darted through the refuge trying to find her only ally in this situation. "Io'an! Give me a sign you're not dead!"

After calling out to him, Syla had decided to spend who knows how many free moments getting a small kolto pack ready- praying that there would be enough time to use it.

[Rugs]

The world around Io’an faded in and out of focus. It seemed to lurch drunkenly to one side one moment and settle in disquieting stillness the next. The sounds of Io’an’s own breathing reverberated in his ears. He felt dizzy.

What’s going on?

His memory came back slowly, in fitful jumps and starts. The kolto pickup. Warehouse cave-in. Running from the Archeri.

One had landed on the speeder. The last thing Io’an remembered was panic sweeping thorugh him as the speeder careened into the street. With a groan he sat up, muscles aching in protest. His head ached, pounding with his hurried pulse. Fingers, pressed gingerly to the side that’d been laying against the ground, came away dry, thankfully. But even so, he winced at the sharp pain that knifed across at his touch.

"Io'an! Give me a sign you're not dead!"

Syla, he thought dully, using the side of the speeder to prop himself to sitting upright. That was her name.

“I’m here,” he called weakly. His throat ached with the effort. “I’m... alive.”

Gritting his teeth, Io’an forced himself to his feet. It took considerable effort just to get up, let alone to keep from breaking down as pains, old and new, wracked his battered body.

The speeder was ruined. It lay on its side, with the front end crumpled in on itself and blue-grey spoke rising from his engine. Io’an wasn’t sure he could save it in the Eye’s repair bay; it was a hopeless cause in the field.

Syla was sitting on the ground nearby, clutching a kolto canister. She looked roughed up, but not too much more than he. Io’an didn’t want to think about how much worse things could have been if the speeder had gone just a few meters further--the sidewalk dropped off suddenly into the depths of the city.

“Are you okay?” he asked, taking slow, staggering steps to Sylva. He dropped down beside her with a groan. “We’ve gotta get out of here. If they find us like this...”

He shuddered to think what would happen. Where did that one go? He looked at the speeder again, and the long burn mark it’d left on the duracrete. There was no sign of their attacker.

“Reflex,” Io’an said, pressing at the comm device hooked over his ear.

“I was wondering where the hell you disappeared to.” Reflex’s words couldn’t hide the relief in his voice. “You damn idiot, I swear every ti-”

“Listen,” Io’an cut in, voice shaking as a shadow passed overhead. “I need help. The Archeri attacked and... We’re stranded here Reflex, and if we can’t get out of here, we’re going to die.”

There was a pause from the other end of the line. “We?” Reflex sounded indcredulous. “Doesn’t matter. Listen, I’ll get help on the way. We’re stretched then, but I can manage it. Faine would skin my ass if I let you die on me.”

Another shadow passed over them. Io’an looked up to see Archeri crawling down one of the buildings. Slowly, like a cat circling prey. “I’ll send you my location. Tell them to hurry. Please.”

The line clicked dead.

“We’re not out of this yet,” Io’an said to Silva. He eyed the kolto pack in her hand. “Can you move?”

[Jounin]

“I’m here, I’m... alive.” Syla's ears perked up at this. Well at least it wasn't just her against this dark horse enemy. This gave her enough vigor to try another attempt to stand up. Albeit the effort was to no avail

She could see the speeder, or more accurately what remained of it and couldn't help but wince. There was no way they were using it to escape again, and more credits going to repair meant the Exchange would have less to spend on her.

Amidst the wreckage, Syla spotted Io'an approaching. Her knight in street clothing.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine." She used him as a support to finally stand up. "You're right we need to find another means out of here."

While Io'an reached out on his comms, Syla figured she should do the same.

"Hey Janak the Archeri crashed the deal, Exchange is still interested and and helping me get out. If you get my coordinates it'll probably be for my corpse."

"W-what?! Syla are you seriously going to keep me in the dark after tell.." She cut the comms before his complaining screwed her over.

In response to the question and implication Syla used her kolto pack. She proceeded to crack her neck before taking a step. "Yeah, feeling brand new right now. Where to?"

[Rugs]

“Where to?”

“I...” Io’an started, but the words died unspoken before they found his tongue. The Archeri kept crawling down, watching the two of them. Io’an would have liked to think it was being wary, but that seemed unlikely, given their current situation. Another Archeri emerged higher up, staring at them with its eyeless, pockmarked face. There would be more. Soon.

“I don’t know,” he muttered, shoulders sagging, “but we can’t stay here.”

But how far can we go? With reinforcements on the way, if they fled too far, it might only make getting out of the fire more difficult. But Io’an knew, as surely as he knew anything, that staying in the open would get them both killed if the Archeri started swarming.

Around them, the factory district sprawled out in all directions, save the narrow alley the speeder had squeezed through. Warehouses squatted near the street in one direction. In the other, a lone factory belched dark smoke into the air amidst a field of sibling facilities long abandoned in the fighting.

“That way,” he said, jerking his head toward the factories. “Maybe we can hunker down until help gets here.”

He took a half-step forward, pausing to look at the Arhceri closest to them. The big creature had nearly reached the ground. Now it crouched on the wall, watching them intently. Io’an felt a quivering in the Force that made him nervous.

“Run,” he whispered to Syla.

He jolted into motion himself. Behind them, a howl echoed out through the Force. He turned to see the Archeri lunge at them through the air. A blast of the Force knocked the creature down, but only temporarily.

Io’an ran harder.

[Jounin]

As Io'an stopped, Syla looked around to see what caught his tongue. Nothing good. They're surrounded, with seemingly more on the horizon. Honestly not the way she pictured her last moments to be.


“I don’t know,” It looks like he's loosing hope too. He's the expert here so that's not a good sign. “but we can’t stay here.”

Syla scanned the perimeter once more. Io'an is right, they're just a couple of sitting ducks here. She had no shame running and hiding, better to live on your knees than die standing against this kind of enemies

Io'an looked like he had some gears turning in his head. Soon enough he pointed out an abandoned smoking factory. Literal smoke screen protection, not a first for her.

Syla promptly agreed to do so, albeit she felt a ripple in the Force as Io'an approached. This isn't good, they are ready to attack at any moment.

Io'an whispered for her to run. He didn't need to say that twice, she immediately booked it behind her ally. As one lunged and got launched away, Syla resisted the feeling of all the disturbance assaulting her in the Force. She did what she could for protection, but in the end she followed and ran harder until they finally made it to the abandoned factory.

"Well we have a breather, but not much." She listened in for any more movement approaching towards them. "How long until extraction?"    

[Rugs]

A pair of heavy durasteel doors blocked them from the abandoned factory. Io’an swore as they reached them and pulled with all his strength, every muscle taut with the effort to get the doors — which stubbornly refused — to budge. With an agittated growl, he turned to the Force, pulling them open wide enough for them to pass through one at a time. He waved Syla through and followed, waving his hands to close the doors shut.

The factory’s entrance yawned around them, massive and dark with the power down. Io’an ignited his lightsaber, throwing out a pool of pale lavender light.

All around them lay the signs of a business hastily abandoned. Here, the entry foyer was littered disturbingly reminiscent of a business mid-operation — down to a mug still sitting atop the receptionist's desk — without any of the people to give it life. If you ignored the dust and cobwebs.

Io’an leaned against the wall and slid down, ignoring the dust that wiped away in a smear on the back of his jacket.

“It won’t be long,” he said, panting heavily. He felt exhausted; running for his life, and then drawing heavily on the Force was taking its toll on him.

The door banged loudly, rattling against its frame. Io’an closed his eyes, feeling dread in the pit of his stomach. Again, a bang on the door, this one hard enough to leave a dent in the thick metal. Something skittered up along the outside, quick scratching noises that made him think of an oversized bug.

Then, silence.

“Come on,” he said, pushing himself to stand on shaky legs, “we should get deeper in before they get in here.”

”Your ride is almost there,” Reflex’s voice buzzed in his ear. “Just another minute or two.”

I hope they brought guns, Io’an thought as they went into the factory’s depths. Massive machinery, dusted and thick with cobwebs, surrounded them. The light from Io’an’s saber threw sharp, uneven shadows across the walls that, to a wary mind, seemed to be monsters waiting for them in the dark.

The sound of shattering glass echoed through the building.

[Jounin]

Syla eyed Io'an carefully as he attempted to open the door. She watched him first hand channel the force to pry it open. A technique still odd to her coming from someone who was not herself or an enemy.

As he light the way with his lightsaber, Syla held back from using hers. Omitting too much light could become a detriemnt to the duo.

This place looked like it had been ripped right out of a horror scene. She's used abandoned factories as hideouts before, but the stillness of each object told her that this place was left before its time.

As Io'an slumped against the wall, she circled over, keeping guard for him.

“It won’t be long,” that's what he promised. She tried to focus in once more through the, but the presence overwhelmed her senses. The surrounds sounds, subsided, but focusing in hurt more than ever.

When her companion mentioned delving in deeper, Syla promptly nodded and followed swiftly behind.

As the cacophony of shattering glass blasted throughout the building, Syla chose now to draw her lightsaber. "This better be your reinforcements, or else I doubt we'll see another face again."

[Rugs]

“You and me both,” Io’an said, voice shaking. If there weren’t too many Archeri, they might be able to hold out; he’d fought the creatures before. They could be killed, with effort. But if they swarm in here, we’re doomed. He looked around. No side exits to go through that weren’t sealed off. Nowhere to run, even if they had the option.

And if we did, how far could we get? Not very.

Another loud bang pierced the silence, shaking the walls and the floor. Io’an heard metal twist and buckle and swore as something thumped loudly on the floor back near the entrance.

“Oh Force, no” he whispered. Every instinct shouted to kill his lightsaber, but it didn’t matter; the Archeri didn’t see with normal eyes. To them, two Force users together might as well be a beacon. “Have you ever fought one of them? You have to make sure they die. You can’t just assume...”

A boom echoed through the building, shattering glass, followed by shouted curses and blaster fire.

“Put the fucking thing down!” Lovelace’s shouting broke over the din. “Draco! Where the fuck are you?!”

Io’an might have kissed the woman. “That’s me,” he said to Syla. Lovelace had used his slicer name, which doubled well enough as one of the code names the Exchange’s agents liked to use.

He led Syla back to the front, where Lovelace stood with a rifle leaning on her shoulder. A knot of enforcers stood behind her, with one watching the Archeri corpse on the ground. “Thanks for the assist, Lovelace,” Io’an said.

“There you are,” she said, pausing to eye him, judging his condition. “You look like shit, but that’s better than dead.” She gave the same look to Syla. “Reflex said someone was with you. Come on. We’ll get you two to a safehouse before more of the bastards show up.”

A pair of speeders awaited outside. Io’an never felt so relieved in his life.

[Jounin]

As the perimeter shook and twisted under the unknown assailant, Syla prepared for the worst. She never expected to live long, but she assumed a gang member or some fore user would get to her first. Now she finds herself allying with a gang member who happens to be a force user fending for her life against some hardly known alien species.

Both with sabers out, he asked about the enemy. "Sorry, can't say I have. A blessing in any other situation, but I'll take your word for it."

After series of noises that assaulted her, an unfamiliar, but very much welcome face appeared. The name Draco confused her though, presumably a code name, if not, then these reinforcements were not for them.

While she had just nodded at the quick confirmation, Syla had internal relaxed by a tenfold.

The duo exchanged conversation before this Lovelace directed attention towards her. "Yeah...that sounds like a plan. Anything is better than here."

Syla took no time to hop on the speeder, and looked towards her would have been buyer. "Heh, Io'an, Draco, whatever you want to go by, I'd say this kolto is on the house. Now, lets get get out of this poodoo hole."

[Rugs]

Io’an staggered to the speeder. As he slumped into a seat, he exhaustion rush over him as the adrenaline in his system began to wear off. Once Lovelace and the rest of the fireteam sent to his rescue retreated from the old factory and piled into the speeders, finally felt at ease enough to relax.

“I won’t say no to that,” he said resting his head on the thinly-padded seat behind him. “But we can pay if we need to. Deal’s a deal.”

The speeders pulled up and away from the industrial sector. As they darted off into the flame-reddened sky, Io’an stole a glance at the speeder he and Syla used in their doomed attempt to escape the Archeri. It was still smoking and leaking blue-grey smoke into the air. Some more of the Archeri had gathered and were nosily prodding it. He wondered if simple curiosity drove the creatures or if they still searched...

”We don’t need to search for you, Marked One,” the voice of the Chorus boomed in his head. Io’an winced as pain lanced through his skull. “You are never beyond our reach. In time you will see our way. You will join our song. You and all the others who fruitlessly resist.”

“Where are we takin’ her, Io’an,” Lovelace asked from the front?

Io’an glanced at Syla from the corner of his eye. “Safehouse A,” he said. It was the safehouse closest to the Blind Eye, and the most secure. He saw Lovelace looking at him sidelong, but she didn’t say anything as the speeder shifted course. She’s earned it, he told himself, as if he needed justification for the decision. Sylva could have tried to run off on her own when everything went to hell, but she didn’t.

“Syla,” he said, sounding as weary as he felt. “I don’t know what your arrangement now is but... once this is all past, get in touch with me. We might be able to work out something for the benefit of us both.”