Log:A Tiny Hope: Part One
Jedi gain intelligence about a prison transport that might hold one of their own.
OOC Date: December 30, 2024
Location: Some planet in the Ottega system.
Participants: Rey, Qutha Buvu Pah, Yuun, Narsai Ordo, Zalon Bo, Bizz Bliptettjupp and Vega as herself and ST.
The Rise of the Sith had been a hectic time for a lot of people. It had also been an opportunistic time for those that wanted to get rid of competition, or other ventures.
The Jedi were a group that were no strangers to hardships, but being forced into hiding again wasn't something that had set well with a few. And that turned them to darker paths.
There had also been people who had just went missing without a trace of them. Vega had been one of those people. The resident Jedi Gremlin had vanished not long after the Sith reemerged. It lead to whispers of course, but none that kept up with the passage of long years.
Until intelligence intercepted a message about a transfer of prisoners that were being sent to the Ottega system to be 'euthanized'. Like they were just some sort of common pest.
One of the prisoners is flagged as a Jedi with a list of notes about them. Mostly stating do not unshackle them and a note about a bite risk. The planet is not one of the main ones that are currently being fought over in the war, so obtaining the coordinates and the time of the transfer is easy. Now it is just the rescuing of people that needs to happen.
The Location:
The Jedi and others that have come to investigate this prison transfer are given coordinates to land at on the planet and not far off from where transfers have taken place. Intelligence also gathered that there is a prison on the planet, which could hold more than just a few others that have gone missing.
When the siege of the Sith Empire rolled over the New republic, and First Order, the tsunami had seen the end of almost the entire fledgingly Jedi Order. It was a moment that hit Rey quite hard, one that caused her to rely on the experiences of Luke Skywalker, for her to make it through it. He had gone through something similar, and it had nearly destroyed him. It had nearly done the same to Rey too.
Being a Jedi was about relying on the others around you, though, and helping each other survive through hardship. The Force was your ally, but your companions in dark times were just as important to survive.
When a chance bit of intel came up that one of the former Jedi of the era just before the Sith empire fell, came to Rey, and with it the chance said Jedi was alive?
It became a top priority. An undercover transport was acquired to get Jedi to the Oettega system, where they could find the leads on where this former Jedi mechanic might be in the process of being shipped, exchanged, or sent to a grim fate.
When the acquired transport ship landed at the prison colony world, Rey disembarked, wearing a slate grey hooded robe, with a matte black metal mask over her face. It was a religious mask, for a well known Ithorian religion, known for traveling from world to world in the Ottega system, to attempt to rebuild the natural beauty of each world. A satchel of black canvas was slung over Rey's body, as she stepped out in to the larger area of the starport, and through her mask comm, she spoke in to the comm pieces of others on this mission.
"We're looking for a prisoner transport. this is the only starport on the planet, it has to be here somewhere. Lets see if we can't find any leads, and hope it hasn't already fled the system..." She spoke, knowing full well the Rebellion was making a lot of Sith forces flee for the hyperspace lanes.
Dressed in his own agriculturist attire, his 'traditional' robes having long since been modified for the manner of lifestyle of gardening and orchardist work, the Zelosian of the gatherum walked with his thumbs hooked into his belt and his haversack of horticulture tools slung to hang wrapped around his left hip.
Wide brimmed ranching hat pulled down low, Qutha's eyes swim in and out of focus, chin jutting out and his body twitching any time sunlight dapples through leaves and branches. Head turning slowly, he steps with a somnambulistic quality towards his right before he nods, speaking barely loud enough for their immediate company to hear,
"S'tellin' me we'se t'git goin' this way..." His ambling path angling towards the east, heavy boots squirting up dust to either side of them as he just begins walking.
Zalon Bo's dressed like a humble travel, as he so often is. The light material that offers the same ease as movement to others of the Jedi Order is the same garb that he wears now. He disembarks from the nondescript transport with his hands tucked away within the lip of his sleeves and his hood up to ward against the elements. He's already a noticeable figure, standing as tall and powerfully as he does. The padawan does at least move with his shoulders slouched and his back slightly hunched, throwing off those who may attempt to estimate his true height.
There's one problem with his affected disguise however. While he may wear his hood up, his robe stands open. Which reveals his digitigrade legs and the Lasat's impressive build. Hardly the build of a weary, old traveler. The entire facade crumbles when one takes note that the hunched travel looks as though he could tip a landspeeder over on his own.
It doesn't take long for Zalon to merge among the crowds, even if he does stand head and shoulders above most. It's not to the main stream of pedestrian traffic that he ventures however. Slowly but surely he begins to circulate among the crowds, seeking out the needful and loitering. It's those that credits begin to be exchanged, then fingers pointed or heads tilted. Even for a Jedi; credits speak. A few question here and there begins to net more and more information, but each time there's a chit to grease a palm and in some roundabout way make someone else's next day or two just a little easier while still accomplishing the overall objective.
Dressed in as a traveller, nothing of note that makes him stand out. Subdued color of gray, brown and white, his clothing is light and he has a backpack slung behind him and hanging down to hte middle of his back. His travel clothing does offer him a hoodie which is covering his head though a small smile shows on his face as he stands there looking around as he disembarks off the ship.
Walking to join the others and taking in his surroundings for a moment, Yuun takes the time to make sure he does sense where his friends are but somehow he stumbles a little bit and throws himself off a bit. Sighing the dark skinned Jedi does manage to control himself and start to follow the others.
Eventually Zalon returns to the loose collective and his hooded head dips down, offering a quiet remark to the cleverly disguised Rey and to those that may yet linger in her vicinity, "They're calling today an execution day at the local prison. Many around the spaceport seem quite anxious as a result of it. We've limited time to create a plan," he observes without his own anxiousness. In fact he seems rather calm, all things considered.
Narsai Ordo removes her Mandalorian Reviver Armor - Narsai.
Narsai Ordo puts on her Hod Ha'ran Robes.
Bizz is scowling as he remains aboard their ship near the boarding ramp, trying to get his aging TerexComm Datasearch Engine 12-C to interface with the local spaceport computer's network. He is dressed in some armor with a dull robe over top of it to give him some anonymity in a galaxy unsafe for holy men. The monk has informers among his slicer friends at Shiin's Library on Tatooine, so they have provided a few choice morsels of information about 'high profile' prisoners. The screen lights up as it progresses.
DATA DOWNLOADING 55%
Mandalorian armor might be more than practical for such a rescue. Hell, they'd done it before, but it also would paint quite a target on her own clan for its brazen nature. Today, Narsai Ordo, Alor of Clan Ordo and leader of the Revivers was instead wrapped in the robes she'd come to be known for, the 'Ronin' to the Jedi with her hair down as she listens, nodding her head.
"We should move fast then. If they intend to make a spectacle of the execution, they'll be more prepared but it will be open. If we hit the transport? Resistance will be concentrated, but easier to sweep through if we hit them hard enough and sudden enough."
Bizz Bliptettjupp crackles over the encrypted comlink from the ship. "<<Uh, one shuttle, 6 prisoners for transfer, 2 for execution due to using THE FORCE. Landing field close to this location but separated due to security. They will unload to a transport to take them a half mile to the prison...>>"
DATA DOWNLOADING 100
There is a sound from the ancient computing unit as it completes a process. "<<Shuttle landed NOW. It's waiting for the ground transport! 1 mile east of our location.>>"
While the people here are probably curious to see strangers, they don't ask them too many questions. The business of executions is unsavory to most. Especially with most of them being innocent in some degree.
There isn't a strong presence of guards present given most of them are spared for the prison since that is the biggest place to wrangle people in this area.
With the information coming in from other members of the team, Rey starts following Qutha, but looks over to Zalon, when he joins her. She raises a hand up to her ear comm beneath her hood, and hears Bizz. "We can't allow that transport to get to the prison complex. All of this will get more complicated, and deadly, if it does. These prisoners... they're important." She says, using a tone of voice that those who know her well would likely be able to pick up the intent behind her words.
This was important to Rey, unlike anything in recent years has been. She always takes this stuff seriously, but something felt different about this one.
"Spread out, lets find a transport. We have to be swift, but be ready, and remember your training." She stated, her masked face looking to Narsai, and nodding once toward her, an unspoken gesture indicating that 'do what you have to do' being conveyed to the Mandalorian.
Already headed easterly, Qutha's movements carry him along a path that guides him through chance gaps in the crowd, angling him when something would have crossed his path into a collision or mired him the mass of sentience. Turning sharply towards a transport speeder coasting to a halt, with repulsor sledge mounted cargo sledge being removed by loader droids.
Hand lifting and fingers fanning to make an elaborate flick against his hat brim on his approach, the orchardist nods to the Ithorian leaning out of the driver side window, looking to the progress, "Reckon we kin git use've that truck, sir?" Head canting to one side as he shoots a broad smile.
Wide set eyes blinking, the 'hammerhead' opens the door of the vehicle to slide out and land on its trunk like legs with a thud. Seeing the droids have cleared the bed of the vehicle it turns back to Buvu Pah, hand lifting with one finger raised as if to say 'wait' before it warbles and lows - a translator unit speaking in a delayed echo, "Of course... yes."
"Thankee, sai." The hand moving from his hat brim to gently pat the sentients shoulder as he keeps walking, having never stopped, climbing up into the cab and looking towards the others, reaching out in the others (yes also Bizz) to call attention to the acquired ride.
A ride acquired in good time finds the sizeable form of Zalon Bo beginning to gravitate in that direction. "It seems we've found a transport," Zalon can be heard stating calmly back at Rey as he begins to tread away with long strides. His prehensile toes reach out to caress the ground with each step and his hands remain partially concealed within the sleeves of his robes, with only the tips of his thick fingers peeking out from the rim of them. Though as the Lasat begins to stride by the Ithorian, Zalon pauses only long enough to utter a low remark in Basic toward the hammerheaded alien, "If you are questioned later, claim that it was stolen from you".
The words, despite their weighty warning, are delivered with a kindly smile and Zalon's head dips a little lower, aiding in further concealing his rather distinct features within the folds and shadows afforded by his robe's hood.
A moment later and Zalon's pulling himself up toward the bed of the truck. Once he's aboard, Zalon turns back and extend a long hand down and out to assistant those who may follow into the bed of the speeder truck.
Best not to be flying in with a very recognizable ship, whatever speed they might have. The Falcon, the Thunderheart, all of those were almost certainly too recognizable and lightly to spot their signiture coming. Hiding in plain sight was very might something Narsai could get behind.
As they make to draw themselves into the new vehicle, Narsai herself lifts her eyes up to meet Rey's own. A nod exchanged, the words from the other woman accepted as she fastened her beskar bracers beneath the sleeves of her robe.
Bizz Bliptettjupp wraps his cloak around him and hustles out of the ship, the boarding ramp rising as he goes. The plump little Ugnaught makes a bee-line for the vehicle that is being commandeered and gets up in the truck bed. "Who is driving?!"
Yuun does try to help find a vehicle though he isn't able to, he does hear the others have found a vehicle and so he quickly moves over to where they are. He loads into the truck and he grins a bit as he finds a place to sit, "Now this is what I like." he laughs. He stops when Bizz asks who's driving, he shakes his head, "Nah, I can fly not drive....." he quiets himself down at that.
Thankfully the truck doesn't stall out on the group as everyone gets piled in. It's a farm truck, so it has the room for the small team that's come here. It makes decent time as well. The prisoners on the transport are being offloaded as they approach.
"There's our truck, maybe we can get off this dump if we hand them over quicker." one of the guards chuckle as he looks over the manifest. "Two more?" he calls out.
A young man is unceremoniously pushed out of the transport after there is a bit of hanging on. Not wanting to go. His pale face is distraught as he staggers and then hits the ground. "One more!" the guard calls.
One of the grunts goes into the transport to grab the last prisoner, "Come on, Jedi." he sneers at the figure that's been seated until now. The shackles are yanked up and the moment is fast as teeth bare down on the arm of the one doing the yanking, breaking skin in anger.
"SHE BIT ME!" the guard lets go of the ghostly looking woman, shoving her towards the opening of the ship. Blood dribbles down her chin as she tries to right herself.
"That's why you drug that one first." the main guard wiggles the manifest notes at the man. Which just causes his anger to grow as he charges the downed Jedi and delivers a solid kick to her stomach that causes her to see stars.
Rey had accepted the assistance from the lasat to get up in to the truck, and found a corner to settle in to. She adjusted the quarterstaff that hung around her shoulders, and waited for the truck to get underway.
"If these intel reports turn out to be true? This will be a big win for us," Rey told the others on the shared comm network, encrypted by their expert slicers. "We have to do everything in power to ensure we rescue these prisoners." She explained, for probably the fifteenth time since they arrived in the Ottega system.
When they made their interception, and the prison transport was brought to a halt, Rey remained where she was, idly tense, ready to jump, as she waited for the others before her i nthe truck bed to move. "They believe we're their pickup..." Rey says in a whispery voice over the comms. "Work with this. Bring everyone aboard." She instructed. "Be... convincing."
Hanging an arm out of the window, a sliver of wood clenched between teeth whilst he adjusts the gear, Qutha looks out towards the transfer guards. Brows lifting over sleepy looking eyes, hand lifting in a casual wave to the guard - speaking up in a Corellian Brogue distinctly not his normal tone or cadence,
"Hey there, you're late. They're pushing up the time and I need to get them to the block or all of our heads are on it with 'em. Get 'em loaded. Now."
Stern, like a parent admonishing children he even spits the sliver of wood out the window, giving an emerald hued glare to the officer before jerking his head towards the truck bed.
The journey is a peaceful one for Zalon Bo. Where others may speak of their mission or take in the view, Zalon's golden eyes drift closed and his breathing steadies. It's into the Force that he turns, assuaging those faint feelings of growing anxiousness of his own. When lives are at stake it's easy for ones own nerves to become an adversary, but through the Force one can find solace. His large hands rest over the curve his knees and his back straightened. The hood that conceals his head blows about and shields much of his face from the day's light. For him, it is a peaceful and serene ride.
As the speeder begins to slow as their destination approaches, Zalon's eyes drift open again and his expression turns to a faint smile while he spares a glance toward Rey, nodding once toward the Grand Master of the Jedi Order before he calmly informs her, "Everything will be okay."
His voice practically brims with certainty and yet he does not rise up when the call to act the part is delivered. Instead Zalon's hands move to strip himself of his robe. He shrugs himself out of it and after dirtying his heavy hands in the dirt found within the truck's bed, he begins to smear it over his face and the dark purple and grey striped fur. He sullies himself to look the part of the prisoner and he does so well enough. A ruffling of his attire grants him something of a disheveled look while he sits with his knees draw up toward himself in the corner of the speeder truck's bed. While inside he practically exudes calm; outwardly he provides any curious onlooker with the look of a captured alien prisoner, awaiting its fateful final day with resignation.
Brother Bizz stands up in the truck bed and bluffs his way into being a guard-for-hire. "Oh a biter? We got something for her if she gets saucy!" He wields an electro-shock prod used for nerf herding, activating it so that it crackles and goes BZZZZZ ZZZZZZ ZZZZZT.
Yuun was sitting back and he was enjoying the ride, he looks at their group and he grins. Allowing a calming breath to exhale from him, Yuun closes his eyes as they ride to their destination. To know they're going to get Vega made him happy but he was upset that they've just now found her. When the Sith took over, it was hell, truly hell and they loss so many Jedi during that time.
Shaking his head, no more dwelling on the past. ONce they arrive at their destination, he sits up a bit more now actively ready for what needs to be done. He nods to himself then he looks to the others, "We know what to do." he says quietly. He scans the area looking to see where all the guards were and checking to see if there may be any snipers around somewhere.
The guard that was bitten doesn't take kindly to the offense and after following out the white haired woman he sees her winding up for another chance at biting or headbutting someone and decides to crack the butt of his rifle against her skull.
"Drugging takes too long." he spits out. "We're late?!" he looks offended as he looks to Qutha, but says nothing after that. He looks back to the white haired woman on the ground, "Get her up and get her on the transport." he snaps out at the other guards. Blood is seeping from the wound already, but no one seems to care.
The young man that was having major anxiety is prodded towards the truck with the other prisoners. Vega's limp form is drug to the back of the truck and he helps to lift her since the guards leave her there. They didn't get paid enough for this level of goblin behavior.
"Shock her a few times for good measure." one of the guards tells Bizz before he starts back to the ship.
Narsai? Well, she'd slipped into silence, not moving, not acting and certainly not engaging with the guards. After all, her hands shifted to fold in her lap...and not to acknowledge that the whistling birds on her wrist were locked to targets if things went sideways. Between that, and the flamethrower on the other wrist...
Well, Narsai was ready for a fight that it seemed luck was going to help them avoid.
Rey's covered face went forward to look in to the truck, to where Qutha had been driving them this far. She swept her masked face to look to the others in the truck bed with her, before she stood up, her gloved hands sweeping her quarterstaff around to lean against it. She watched Bizz fire up his prod, a soft exhale escaping her through the slit of her mask's mouth piece, and the lenses that covered her eyes reflected the prison guards that hauled the prisoners free.
She saw the condition that Vega was in, and though she felt a measure of elation for seeing a familiar face, from so long ago, she wanted to dismantle whatever system was able to hold Vega prisoner for this long.
Rey's metal hand clutched her staff through the material of the tight fit glove that was worn over it. She snarled ever so slightly, but willed herself calm.
If they acquired Vega, that was more than wonderful, but they had two Force Sensitives listed on the execution list, did they not?
Head lolling to the side, towards Rey at the rise in her anxiety and aggression, the orchardist offers a lazy sort of half smile, "Peace." to the truck bed riders through the rear window port, "We got'em both...". Emerald colored eyes half lidding. Gaze flicking to the young man who is clearly suffering from a near panic attack. Shifting the truck into gear once the convicts are loaded up.
"Y'all don't need to remember any of this, ken?" waving a small 'goodbye' to the transfer officers once he is looking back out the drivers side window at them, giving a small wink as their expressions seem to blank out. Turning in his seat and calling for folks in the back once more. "Git er'body tucked in snug, we're goin' on a quick-step back for our taxi out, ken?"
Bringing the controls over to turn a tight U to make for the landing area, humming to himself with a snatch of lyrics here and there, "Meet by the shallow of the stream... To ask me is to love with hesitation..."
Yep, just another lazy Execution Day drive...
The prisoners are loaded and the prisoner that is Zalon Bo maintains his position. He's settled into one corner of the the speeder truck's bed, practically hugging his legs to himself. His head down and his face practically buried into those same knees, Zalon seems quite the defeated prisoner himself. That is until the speeder begins to move. As it turns about and begins to move along in the direction that had moments ago been at the truck's back.
Zalon's head lifts and he begins to shift to his knees. He's large, so he doesn't wish to disrupt the stability of the speeder itself, but also doesn't wish to expose himself too much. From a pouch at the small of his back, the padawan removes a small medpac. Master Garo had insisted he take on more mundane duties beyond the Jedi Order and his had been medicine. Which is a boon for those prisoners freshly delivered.
"Be still, be calm. You are safe now," the Lasat reassures the prisoners calmly. "This is, as they say, a jail break," he informs them with his characteristic warmth. Those that permit his shuffling closer on his knees soon find the large alien cracking open the medpac, withdrawing the medical components that he needs, and getting to work. His first target: the humanoid with the bone white hair who had only just suffered blows from her captors.
Narsai's bracer gives a subtle, almost imperceptible noise as the weapons disarm and she exhales. Only when they start to fly away would she lift her own hood and turn her attention towards the prisoners, a nod towards Zalon as she too shuffles closer. "Allow me to help. I've got...well, more then a little practice treating the wounded."
She too moved up, but post a slip of her gaze to Vega she would make to triage other prisoners unless he needed the direct assistance.
Helping with the prisoners and loading them into the truck, he doesn't look the grunts in the face he just did what he needed to do and get the prisoners. He then moves back to the truck sitting along the side so not to crowd the wounded. He reaches into his backpack and provides another medpac, "Here take this if you need it." he says simply.
Vega's in bad shape, but she'll survive. Because she's been surviving out of spite for a long time now. The Echani doesn't wake and it's probably for the best given she'd probably come up swinging when her bonds are broken.
The young man, the second force user, looks to those in the transport, "J..jj...jedi?" he whispers to them. Then he relaxes, tears slipping down his pale cheeks as relief crashes over him. "I didn't want to die..." he whispers.
It would take hours for the prison to realize that the transport of new intakes didn't arrive. When the transport ship is called there is no one that knows what has happened and no one even recalls seeing any prisoners. It would seem like the Jedi's rescue mission had gone off with little blood shed.
At least on this one.
