Log:The Irregulars: The Refuge

{{LogBox | LogTitle=The Irregulars: The Refuge | Location=Kalarba | Participants=Nova Korell, Jax Greystorm, Sesti Greystorm, Rial Het, Dyannah Nerus | OOCDate=November 26, 2019

The ship pings and ticks as it cools down after the long low descent from orbit into a valley fifty kilometers from Kalarba City. Outside the ship, vines and new growth trees have begun to fill in the spaces between the shells of buildings, the remains of the desolation of the First Order invasion just this past year.

Dyannah speaks pacing the holoprojection platform that the others are seated around. "The ideal scenario has you driving up, handing over your credentials, loading the children and returning to this ship without any alarms being tripped." Nervousness makes her more solemn than usual. She turns to the projection.

"You will be going in with two buses, one will have the children on it, the other will be a decoy. Rial will be driving the decoy bus, Jax, Sesti and Nova will be on the children's bus."

Dyannah pulls up a holoprojection map showing the Children's Refuge marked in green. Two sinuous routes lead away from it. One, the decoy route, leads from the Refuge to the Starport. The second, the children's route, is a winding little used road leading towards their present site.

"Our team on the planet already have buses and uniforms for us. Sesti you will have to stay out of sight. I would like you to drive disguised in a uniform and cap for obvious reasons," Dyannah nods at the woman then turns back to the projection. "Rial has prepared the packages for you. Children's team you will find packets with your credentials, badges, detonating keys, maps for your reference." The first hint of a smile slips on her face when she says to Rial, "You have your package."

"Both roads have been mined in case there is land pursuit. Each team will be carrying the detonation switches for them. Needless to say, we don't want pursuit."

"Any questions."

"Will we be meeting anyone there on our side?" Nova has to ask, frowning at the mention of uniforms. She'd frankly hoped she'd never see a uniform from the First Order again, bureucrat, trooper, or otherwise, but the galaxy hasn't been very accommodating in that regard.

Rial Het nods at several points during Dyannah's briefing, acknowledging key details and generally making it clear that he is paying close attention. He sends a glance between the others of the team, acknowledging familiar faces, before shaking his head to the invitation for any questions. When Nova speaks up, his eye turns to her, but the rogue holds his peace. " "We have an on world team that has furnished us the buses and uniforms, Nova," Dyannah responds. "Glad you are with us to make sure we have the small details we might overlook taken care of. I will be staying on the ship. This is in your hands, the four of you."

Unlike some zabrak, Sesti's jotaj do not involve any scarring, so, a good layer of pancake makeup has managed to cover up her tattoos, and with the curling hair left down, her horns are mostly obscured. She raises one eyebrow at being told her role, but remains impassive otherwise. One brief glance is exchanged with her husband, before she listens to the others, no questions are raised from her.

Jax was wearing his uniform and looking at his cap oddly, "Dyannah, You do realize Sesti's only had the basic Dagger Squadron combat vehicle operation training. She's not a proficient combat vehicle operations driver." He reaches up to rub the back of his neck. "And why can't the First Order have any thing that doesn't look horrible?"

The Kalarba Children's Refuge is located at the bottom of the cliffs of Kalarba City. Like their landing site, the road leading to the Orphanage shows the still fresh scars of battle. The bus is a City Bus with Special Transport in digital letters on its front. They can be changed. Just like the appearance of the bus can be changed - the windows can be opaqued. There are seats for 40.

The Refuge looks like a prison. No effort has been made to soften its appearance. Blank concrete walls march around the perimeters, security camera bubbles are at intervals along the walls and the windows are covered in electric screening.

There is a guardhouse that waves the bus through. The bus can be pulled up in front of the facility leading to the front office.

The front office is a large room with a desk on the right, a screening apparatus in the middle of the room and a large security door that is electronically sealed leading to the back of the facility. The children, ages seven to seventeen, will be brought through it. The group's first hurdle is explaining why they are early and to get the children on the bus without tripping any alarms.

INSIDE THE BUILDING

A man and a woman, human base line sit behind the desk. Bureaucrats from first appearance in the employ of the First Order, both in their thirties in jumpsuit uniforms with shock sticks at their belts. The woman, hatchet nosed and thin, eyes the group, "Badges and orders. Put them on the screener here." She points to a pad on the desk. The man might be a recruit from the planet, he has something indefinably less military about him. He looks up from a manifest he is reading, "You all are a few hours early. Weren't expecting you till the afternoon. We will have to give them to you without the noon day ration." He turns the pad around here. "Sign off here."

It's easier to get into the uniform than to readjust to the mindset that genuinely wearing it would take. Nova nonetheless does it, taking a few deep breaths and squaring her shoulders, adopting the demeanor most would recognize as The Sergeant. It's served her well on the battlefield, and though this is a different place, it will still be a battle for her.

Coming into this place takes nerve, that's for sure. It looks like a prison, and feels like one on the inside, too. Orphans seem to be considered as much of cannon fodder as Stormtroopers, judging from the decor.

She steps forward, flanking Sesti. She's still never gotten the hang of pretending to be someone else, other than the ditzy contractor she's played a few times in the past, so she opts for the supporting role, letting Sesti do the talking. Subconsciously she goes into parade rest, her body pseudo-relaxed, but ready to move at a split second's notice.

Rial Het moves up to the desk with crisp steps on Nova's non-Sesti-side, straight backed and stiff necked. He inhabits the First Order uniform with joyless aplomb, as the rogue answers with a sniff, "Let the Order's next cadets learn quickly that they must always be prepared, and that early is better than late." AA curt nod is his only response to the kids missing their midday meal, as he accepts the pad and stylus in a gloved hand, and makes a small-lettered, precise, and fake signature. "If any of the cadets are experiencing any illnesses, inform us now. Then, we shall begin transport."

The blue contacts that Jax put in Sesti's eyes to cover the purple gives the barest of twinkle to the man with the clipboard. She plays the good cop to Rial's bad cop. "I was not sure how steep the road would be getting here... gave myself some extra time in case we had to get out and push this beast up a hill. Glad there was more downhill than uphill." She shrugs at the mention of lack of noon rations. "Then they will not have anything in their stomach to throw up, right? Nothing worse than having to smell that sick in the middle of a trip when a brat cannot keep their food down. And once one starts..." She adds the last in an undertone, half to Jax and half to the two prison guards.

Jax produces his badge and his code cylinder with his orders on them. He looks like he had some military bearing but seems to be relaxed a bit more "Great, they're going to be moody and grumpy. Well best we get the brats loaded. This is going to be a FUN trip with them hungry and acting up. I still say we should store them in carbonite." He shrugs at Rial at being the boss. "I, err mean, the new cadets will learn discipline and to eat on the Order's schedule."

The data pad is taken back and scrutinized. The man that had passed it to them can be heard on a com conversation, "Yes, the bus came in earlier than planned. No, it all checks out. Just headquarters making a mash of it and coming in early. Get them out here. No. They can eat at the space port."

A buzzer announces the door opening, a light flashing over the door as a man in the same uniform as the two guards, shock stick baton dangling from his belt leads out the children. The youngest are first. Their hair has been uniformly cut short, buzzed short on the sides, longer on top making it hard to tell the girls from the boys. They are not well nourished, the plump cheeks of childhood thinned. Most of the children are caramel colored, some darker and some lighter, brown eyes huge in their thin faces. It makes the occasional dark skinned child stand out as much as the blondes. None of them smile, though among the youngest, some cast a veiled hopeful glance at the people come to fetch them. The oldest are last. Lanky, thin with no traces of hope in their eyes. One girl, taller and thinner than the others, stands out for the anger that makes her clench her fists. Two guards, a man and woman, follow them with their shock batons held in their hands.

The group bunches up in the room waiting for orders and to be taken to the bus.

Nova watches impassively as the children are escorted out. She has to bite her lip covertly; she was younger, but not too many years ago this would've been her. She steps in front of the kids and comes to relaxed attention. "Attention! You have been selected to become part of the glorious First Order! Stand up straight for inspection!" she commands, motioning the two guards aside.

She steps down the row, hands clasped behind her back save for once or twice, when she stops to correct a child's posture. She can't return the hopeful looks, much as she'd like to, keeping the icy chill in her green eyes for the sake of the mission.

It's like rolling her heart across a field of sharp, broken lava, scorching and cutting all the way.

The tall, angry girl is the hardest: Nova has a few guesses as to why she's uptight. She reaches over, correcting the girl's posture with quick, efficient gestures if the girl doesn't resist, catching hold of her with a painful grip and forcing her up straight if she does. "Open your hands," she commands, not loud but with a subtle ring of command. "And all of you, if it helps? Think of it as the trip to a better life, a life of discipline, glory, and respect. A life of useful service! For the First Order!"

She awaits their response.

Rial Het draws out his own datapad, and takes a position at the rear of the group, leaving the leading of the children to Nova, Sesti, and Jax. He is visibly keeping count of their charges as the Kalabrians pass, adding a note to the datapad once the end of the line is reached. As Nova addresses the children ouutside, Rial is turning back around. He offers to the desk clerks with a crisp air, "Long live Order," making a subtle show of eyeing the less-military desk clerk with thinly veiled suspicion, to gauge the enthusiasm of his response. Thereafter turning smartly on a boot heel, he walks toward the waiting transports as if on a parade ground. His act is too firm to allow for any looks of sympathy, toward either the children, or toward Nova.

As the children troop out, Sesti pulls out her own baton,showing her solidarity with the other FOA (First Order Asshats) and willingness to use the same force as necessary as they. She eyes the angry girl as Nova addresses her. She straightens a bit as the children are corrected, as if to give an example of proper military posture, or proper zabrak in melee class posture, not much difference. "For the First Order," she repeats after Nova, then takes up a stance at the open door of the bus, still on the ground, to herd them as they are marched over towards their new life.

Jax mouths, "For the First Order." He looks at the kids as Nova barks her impressive motivational speech, "Listen up, you little pukes. You're a squadron now. There's no Momma and no Daddy but the First Order. You're each others brothers and sisters. Load up on the bus. Single file. Older Cadets help the younger cadets. From this day forth you share the reward and the pain. One of you step out you all get it and if one of you succeed than we all succeed. Now load."

"To the glory of the First Order!

The chorus of voices, high pitched with a melodic base of tenor from the older children, responds raggedly. They have been taught roughly but well. The silence that follows is broken by the hiccup of a child suppressing his tears after Jax's tirade.

Under the watchful eyes of their disguised saviors and their captors they walk outside. Just as the last child is loading outside, inside a dated chimes and chimes but goes unattended in the chaos of getting the children onto the bus. It can just be heard through the doors outside.

Nova leads the way out to the bus, pausing to open the door. "Step lively, cadets! It's a long drive, and the sooner we start the sooner it'll be over," she says, stepping into the bus and leading the way. She gestures the 'cadet's to seats, two on each side, then two on the other side, and so on. "Take your seats and strap in! Hustle now!"

Rial Het marches right up onto the second transport, orders the driver to depart, and continues speaking as if addressing a bus full of future cadets, informing them of what their schedule will be for the remainder of the day, en route to the prestigious academy of Carida. His words reach beyond the darkened windows as the transport glides along the road toward the Kalarba City spaceport. Onlookers wouldn't know that he's alone in the vehicle.

Once the last cadet is on the bus, Sesti's eyes narrow slightly at the sound of the datapad ringing. She looks at her husband as she settles into the seat and starts up, taking the alternate route. "Might want to be ready for company," she suggests as she drives out of the compound and then swings onto their route, opaqueing the windows once they're out of sight and then working at the signage.

Jax takes up a secured spot in the back of the bus so the kids can't miss behaved. He quickly straps himself in as Nova instruct the cadets to do. Though as they get to moving, "Maybe." He calls up to his wife. "Lets hope we can run this by the book. Then get the cargo off planet." He wasn't dropping act just yet. His eyes scanning for trouble and a tail.

The hatchet faced woman looking harassed leaves the loading to the others and returns to her station. Just as the doors on the bus close, the engines already started she runs outside with the datapad in her hand. The buses pull away. Angry voices rise among the guards who jam themselves in the doorway trying to get back inside and set a pursuit on the buses.

The police are called but they will mysteriously not be quick responding. From a nearby First Order office four men on speeders are dispatched. One of them sights the taillights of a bus disappearing on a turn as it zig zags up the road towards Kalarba.

Nova switches seats with Sesti, and pushes down the accelerator on the modified speeder-bus. "That chime we heard, just before we left? It was Transport Corps standard, probably from the real transporters," she says, keeping her voice down so as not to give the game away to the children just yet. "That's what that woman was yelling about. They know we're fakes, I'm sure. They just don't know where we are." She smiles faintly. "And they're looking for a speeder with First Order markings. Let's just hope Rial can keep them guessing for a while."

Rial Het opens the encrypted comm channel to the non-decoy bus, right on cue. His voice is no longer the crisp, clinical orderly affectation, and is once again his familiar, thickly accented lively lilt, <"On our merry way, and not a tick too soon, aye? Got a few of the local constabulary after me, but oughta give em the slip right soon. You lot haven't any tails, have ye?">

Sesti willingly gives over the wheel. "I hate driving," she mutters for Nova's ears only. "I usually let Jax do it." She taps a few more buttons on the computer and chooses their new identity, nodding to the information. "I knew it was not anything good for us, that is why I started driving as soon as we were in." At the voice on the channel, she takes off her cap, setting in on the back of the driver's seat and responds <No tails, yet. Do not have too much fun playing hide and seek>. She straightens and turns to look back towards Jax, bracing her hands on the backs of the two front seats. Her eyes go over the rows of children, and she exhales, wondering just when they should break the news to their passengers. "The road gets a little rough through the pass to Kalarba," she tells them, deciding to keep up the pretense just a little longer. "Hang onto the seats in front of you, and do NOT get sick."

Jax looks over at the little kid sitting next to him and crying. It's the one that cried after his speechifying. His voice low, "Hey kid. You want to know something? All that back there. It was a lie. We're not with the First Order. We're going to get you away from them." He puts his finger to his lip. Then turns to look out the back window and watch. "You're right as always. NOthing I can see." He mumbles to himself, "May the force be with you Rial, you insane monkey lizard."

The decoy bus accomplishes its mission. The road ahead splits left and right one leading to the city and the starport. The other meanders into the back country. Three of the speeders take the city road. One takes the country road racing to see if anyone by chance took that road. On the children's bus, the children look at one another. One voice, the angry young woman asks, "Who exactly are you?"

From the Compass Rose an encrypted call crackles over the com channels on both buses asking for status. The Compass Rose will be sitting with engines hot waiting to load the children on and hyper out of the system past the RSD Dusklight and then onto freedom.

Nova glances back, handling the wheel like a pro; the bus has likely never been run so fast in its life, but it's perfectly under control. "Who we are doesn't matter," she says calmly. "But we're /not/ the First Order. You won't..." She shakes her head fiercely and tries again. "You won't be turned into monsters by them. We're taking you someplace a lot safer than this world, out of their reach."

Rial Het laughs quietly to himself as he spots the running lights of the trailing law enforcement speeders vanish around a curve in the road. <"Got three of the lads after me. Tis a curse to be popular, innit? Truly it is."> Dyannah is answered, <"I'm well and good, truth be told. They were on us sooner than expected, more's the pity, so the lot of ye might need to dance off before I get back. Will settle in for a bit of a vacation on the cliffs, aye? Take a nice holiday.">

Reaching into a pocket, Sesti takes out a little case, and then takes out the contacts. "Who I am is not important." She places the contacts into the case, then tucks it back away again. "Hate those things," she mutters under her breath, then takes an elastic from her pocket and pulls her hair back into a low ponytail, her horns poking through, now. "What is more important is who I am not. I am NOT First Order." She unbuttons the collar of the restricting uniform, and looks the children over and nods to Nova as their sentiments match. Her lips quirk at Rial's curse. < I would not know such a curse, but I am sure you are able to bear up under the burden. I expect a souvenir when you come home>. She rubs her forearm across her forehead, the tattoos there barely showing through the thinner makeup, some of which is now on her sleeve.

"Listen to them." He juts his jaw towards Sesti and Nova. He says to the angry young woman. "Now things are going to be dangerous. I was serious about helping each other. I'm Ryinner, what's your name?"

A whisper of hope rolls through the bus from seat to seat as children sit up and look at these strange adults. They are not like the ones they had lived with since the First Order marched across their planet taking their homes and parents from them. It is the young woman who dared to speak up that stands, swaying with the motion of the suspensors as they climb a hill.

"Are you saying that you are not First Order?" Her voice breaks with incredulity. "Where are you taking us?" There is a fierce tone to her voice now, she is the one that had tried to protect the children and comforted them in the barracks when they cried at night.

Over coms Dyannah announces < I have you on my scan. You are 4 K out with one in pursuit behind you.>

Privately to Rial, <You have three on you, love. Take care. The children are almost here.>

<Copy, Dy. We're coming as fast as we can,> Nova replies. <Hope you've got cookies and blue milk waiting; we have a lot of kids on board, and they didn't get to eat lunch before we carried them off!> She pushes the pedal down again, picking up speed. She can't look back, of course, but she still addresses the courageous girl. "That's what we're saying: We're not First Order. I don't know where we're taking all of you, but I do know it's a lot better than where you would've ended up if we hadn't come along. Please, trust us. This /is/ a rescue."

<"And a souvenir ye shall have,"> Rial agrees, with a light chuckle. There is the sound of a muttered epithet, before he explains, <"Swerved a bit, there. Getting out of a uniform while driving isn't as easy as ye might think. Nearly flashed me backside at the whole of Kalarba City, just now. Right, going to abandon the speeder; about to reconfigure the shell and scramble the transport's comms, so I'll be out of touch after. Luck be with you all, until I am again,"> he bids in parting.

"Yes, that is what we are saying," Sesti tells the girl, but she gives a pointed look to the girl's seat. It's not as nasty, abusive as the orders she's used to receiving, but still with calm authority. "And please sit back down. We do not need to have you spoiling our rescue efforts by breaking a limb or a nose if the driver has to swerve suddenly." She smirks at Rial's response, then her expression goes more solemn. "Force with you, monkey lizard," she murmurs, using Jax's nickname for him instead of his real name at the moment.

Jax pulls a credit chip out of his pocket, "Nah we're not the First Order. " He holds out his hand with the credit in it and try to levitate it and fails. He gives the girl a smile. "Fine. Fine. We might be with the Good guys."