Novgorod

[General Dan]

Slipping away from the vicinity, Dan kept low and found a vantage he could use to keep an eye on the situation without being seen. Already, the Empire was at work looking for the guerrillas. He heard the throaty repulsors of a LAAT/i growl across the night sky as it cleared the ridge, a spotlamp on it's skids illuminating a broad swath of ground as another gunship dropped to the ground to disgorge a fire team. Dan retreated back even from his tenuous vantage, knowing that he didn't have a chance at making an entry this way again.

The beacon blinked back to red.

"Lok..."

He looked out in the distance. What was happening in there?

[s'Il]

With a new determination in her eye, s'Il stared up at the yawning mouth of the ravine high above her. Search crews dotted the edge as they continued to sweep searchlights down into the darkness below them, but her cover remained safe, and the Lupine took stock of her surroundings while keeping aware of the Crystals' call. They were the most wondrous sound her mind could fathom.

One of the beams passed by overhead, and s'Il watched as it continued on, her muscles tensing as she pulled on the Force, using it to aide in the sudden leap she made. Like a silent wraith, the Jedi moved from one outcropping to another on a careful path upward.

The ringing in her ears had stopped, and the closer she got to the top the clearer the voices of those above became. They spoke of how no one could survive the blast, let alone the fall. Some even joked that the ghosts of their own unfortunate comrades may have helped her soul along to the Maker.

The Maker.

What a strange concept.

Pausing on the last ledge, she waited for only a moment before springing upward into the air. One of the lamps caught her as she sailed over the edge, her lightsabre bursting to life and cutting a precise path in front of her. Men scattered, some even stumbling over into the abyss with screams that echoed along the walls as they fell. The brilliant blade swung in tight arcs, deflecting the wild blasterfire that was mostly directed her way.

Their counterattack was ineffectual however, as s'Il cut her way back through their ranks to break away, her stride lengthening into a dead run.

It wasn't long before she came to the fork, and without hesitation she veered into the leftside tunnel. This one was cut wider, the walls and ceiling bigger, offering more room.

The call of the Crystals was becoming almost deafening now, and throwing herself forward, s'Il ran headlong into the unknown.

[s'Il]

Scattered shouts trailed behind her as she barreled onward. Up ahead, she could feel them. They were close, and her gait quickened. Her eyes closed as she felt before her, seeing through the Force the thick metal door that was fast approaching. Her blade came up in a two hand grip, angled so that the tip was pointed forward. The Jedi steeled herself, and with a nimble hop, her right shoulder hitched back only slightly before she thrust forward as her own momentum was stopped by the door.

The blade burned through instantly, and with her eyes still shut tight, s'Il pressed the hilt in until it was flush with the riveted metal plating. She waited only a moment, twisting the handle before thrusting to the side in a motion that cut a molten line, tracing about in a circle. Her muscles strained as she pressed in, and as she completed the cut, she pulled her blade free.

A half step back, and her hand lashed out to send a push through the Force that sent her opening crashing inward.

The instant it clanged to the ground, all song from the Crystals stopped. They knew she would come for them, and as she stepped into their cell, they no longer needed to call her.

s'Il opened her eyes, her gaze tracking down to a small wooden crate - it had been nailed shut. A flick of her fingers ejected each nail with ease, and deactivating her sabre, the Jedi took a knee while reaching out to lift the lid.

Nestled safely inside was a small, single-strap leather bag. There was no need to guess what was inside. There was also no time to treat the contents with as much reverence as they'd been given back at the Temple, and without ceremony the Lupine slung the compact pack over one shoulder, tightening it down so that it was snug on her back.

A glance upward revealed an air vent in the ceiling, and as the sounds of approaching footsteps grew to a crescendo, she sprang up. Her arms went out, fingers hooked to catch the grooves in the inner linings, and she pulled herself up.

It was a winding shaft, but far more direct a route than the one she had taken to get in.


Outside, all throughout the encampment, there was a frenzied call rising above all others, and as more Imperials seemed to pour down into every opening that would take them underground, a whole new host of spotlamps lit up. It was as if night had become day as their blinding beams showered the once moonlit base in brilliant light.

[General Dan]

Something's happening.

It was the only thought in Dan's mind as the entire momentum of the Imperials seemed to shift. Their search outside was suddenly aborted. The LAAT/i gunship recalled its fire team, and the ships returned to the perimeter of the base to aggressively scour the interior for what had to be Lok.

The corners of his mouth ticked up into a smile. Whatever she was doing, it was getting under their skin. He only hoped that she'd be able to live long enough to tell him about it.

With the troopers withdrawn, Dan pushed a bit closer to the base, hazarding closing distance. With their attention most-certainly inward, he wondered how well he could do with taking a more direct peek inside.

He started to scale the ridge itself. Hopefully, Lok raised enough hell to make this less than a suicidal act.

[s'Il]

In no time at all she shot up, out into the night sky. Her exit had been thankfully placed away from where most of the activity was happening, but s'Il knew that it wouldn't stay that way for long. Clipping her sabre to her belt, the Lupine darted into the shadows as a squad of clonetroopers ran by, their weapons in hand and orders from their superiors acknowledged with filtered grunts.

The wall was close enough that she could get a decent run before scaling it. Once more her eyes closed, her nostrils breathing in the night air, waiting for the Force to guide her.

There.

Heels dug into the ground, leg muscles bunched, and like a blasterbolt she was careening forward, weaving between each spotlamp that moved its' way across the ground. A sidestep turned into a jump that turned into another leap to the side. One hand went out to help guide her movements, and in less than a second she had scaled the perimeter wall.

But...

Eyes still closed, her senses attuned to the Force all around, s'Il felt a familiar presence; smelled a familiar smell. As she cleared the upper rampart and began her descent, her arm lanced out, hand closing around Dan's arm and pulling him with her as she began her aerial descent back to terra firma.

[General Dan]

"Aah!"

Completely caught off guard, Dan tumbled back down to earth, carried down by somebody he only recognized halfway down.

"Lok! You made it!"

Relief would have to wait. She'd only made it in the sense that they were in acute danger, instead of near-certain death.

[s'Il]

Her grip on his arm tightened, and as both landed in a crouch, s'Il gave him a stern look with a finger to her lips.

"Later," she hissed.

A quick look over her shoulder, and the Lupine was up and running once more, her hold on Dan as strong as a rancor's bite as she dragged him with her.

Even with her escape unnoticed and all Imperial activity shifting inward, s'Il wasted no time in scaling the lowland hills that surrounded the encampment. They reached the upper ridge, and without even a single look back she pulled him with her. They crested the top, disappearing into the night.

* * *

Once more they stood at the mouth of the cave that they'd spent the previous afternoon within.

s'Il, her breathing deep and long to catch her breath, looked first to the direction that they'd fled from, then to the sky that was just beginning to show the first hints of a rising sun. It was still faint, and the darkness still shrouding them, but the bare haze of dawn could still be seen.

With one hand lifted to grasp idly at the strap, she gave one last long exhale, turning to tiredly make her way into the cave.

[General Dan]

The amphetamine-like effects of adrenaline running thin once more Dan felt every step like it weighed a hundred pounds. He was completely exhausted, but still distantly guarded. What prevented the Empire from tracking them down, even in their supposed victory.

"I saw your monitor."

He spoke at last, leaning against the wall of the cave as he sat, legs splaying out across the sandy cave floor in front of him.

"For a while, I..."

He looked to her to open his mouth and talk again, but words didn't come. Frustrated, he looked away.

"Don't ever do that to me again."

[s'Il]

Slowly, her steps heavy and weighted by exhaustion, s'Il moved to stand in front of him. She crouched low, features unreadable as she reached out, a hand going to place two fingers beneath his chin and turn his head back to face her.

Her impartial mask became soft then, brow knit in concern. She let here eye travel over his features for a few silent moments before she spoke. Her voice too was soft, words quiet and whispered.

"I am sorry."

[General Dan]

He softened under her apology, nodding and waving his hand weakly to dismiss his concern.

"Was it worth it, in the end?"

He noticed the pack she was carrying, and hoped she found what she was looking for.

"What exactly do you plan to do with your prize?"

[s'Il]

"Something that does not involve the Empire," was her resolute answer.

She shifted her position, lowering her body into an odd half-kneel half-sit, groaning lightly as she did so.

Shoulders slumping, the Lupine let her fatigue overtake her as she thought more on his question.

"I will hide them - " she slowly lifted the strap over her head, pulling the pack down to rest in her lap. One hand rested protectively over the cover flap that was still tightly buckled closed.

"Once I have finished using them."

She was quiet then, half-lidded eyes falling to look at the pack she held. Reaching out with her free hand, she took hold of his own, weaving her fingers with his.

"I used them - before - to heal myself. Now, I must use them to heal your home."

[General Dan]

Dan searched her face for any sign as to what she meant. Heal his home? Would she use them to somehow drive the Imperials out?

"How?"

The issue on Duravant was still so very much in doubt. The Empire wasn't leaving.

[s'Il]

s'Il gave his hand a squeeze, lifting her gaze and leaning forward to place a gentle kiss to his cheek.

"You'll see."

[General Dan]

Dan's brow knit. Sometimes, he figured the cryptic responses he got from his Jedi companion would be the death of him.

"Well, until then, I don't suppose you have an idea about the gundark's nest we kicked in back there? I imagine the Imperials will be out in force, looking for what you stole."

He glanced to the mouth of the cave.

"It could get a whole lot worse before it gets better, Lok."

[s'Il]

He was right, in that they could not stay for much longer. What she'd taken would without doubt bring the wrath of the Emperor down upon them all, and s'Il knew that it would start with a thorough search of all surrounding areas.

"Let me worry about that," she sighed, rocking back to bring herself to her knees - then up to her feet. The pack she slung once more over her shoulder.

She extended her hand down for him to take.

[General Dan]

"We're moving again, then?"

They couldn't stay, he knew that. His body protested, as he was exhausted.

"What about everybody else? The last thing I want to do is bring the Empire down on this place harder than when we first found them. Can we prevent that?"

[s'Il]

"Let me worry about that," she repeated once more, the emphasis in her voice calming yet firm all at once.

As she helped him to his feet, the Lupine cast her eye to the mouth of the cave. They didn't have much longer before the Imperials began to move outward, to the land around them.

She licked parched lips, realizing for the first time that it had been a long time since she'd last had a drink; or even anything substantial to eat. Placing one foot in front of the other, she started forward.

"None who live here will need pay the price of their freedom with their blood."

[General Dan]

"I wish I had your idealism on this, Lok. I really do."

He followed her, leaving their cave to head in a roundabout fashion back to Brody's camp. If the two youngsters had followed his orders, they'd be waiting for them already.

A couple of times on the trip, they had to seek cover to avoid LAAT/i gunships. The Empire, now aware of it's missing prize, sent gunships far and wide to track down the culprits.

[s'Il]

Their time was short, but the serene and calm feelings she felt coursing through her allayed any misgivings. She knew what she had to do now. And she would not shy away from the path that lay before her.

In the shelter of a small rock overhang, she watched as another gunship receded from view, its' scouting vector taking it in another sweep away from them.

Her eyes still turned skyward, she watched as the sun peeked over the mountains in the distance, and her voice remained quiet as she spoke.

"Trust me."




... continued here.