The Empire IC

[Shade Leshyr]

"Shade Leshyr. You're already familiar with Vargo." Shade gestured to the dragon. The shuttle entered the ship's hanger and immediately sealed for a jump. Shade stood as the shuttle's door opened. The pilot stepped out, a rather tall vixen chewing on a cigar.
Her fur had been dyed a cyan color and her contacts made her eyes an unnerving violet. She stared at Kyle, "So kid, what're ya wanted fer?"
_______

Ria's pilot calmly worked his controls, keeping pace with the leader. The Hodori frigates closed the gap and proximity alerts went off in the small craft. The fighter off to their left suddenly froze as the Hodori tractor beam caught it.
Hodori fighters shot into the air, taking shots at the rebel fighters. Ria's pilot swore, "Oi! You ever worked a gun?!"
____
Archer was silent for a moment, then he sighed, "Understood Leah, transmitting jump coordinates. Sasha? I'm deeply sorry for your loss. We'll get them for this. Archer-001 clear."

[Crusadra]

"Yeah, sure. Like a demolitionist knows how to shoot a gun." Ria's words were nervous and somewhat sarcastic as she spoke and looked out at the Hodori fighters.

[Brome Teks]

"Well, apparently they didn't know this or would have killed me on the spot, but I've been attempting to reverse engineer some of their technology. Which is why I fled when I thought they had found out."

[Buzzwolf]

Sasha nodded in response to Archer "Coordinates recieved" Leah said and went through the motions of keying it in and prepig the jump nearly on instinct. "Firing Jump drive" a final sequence on the console and the connection to Archer severed as the stars stretched as the ship slipped into FTL. an unerving silence held the air as the ship soared toward the rendevu point, Sasha disappered into the back after a little bit to the crew quarters, leaving Leah at the controls alone. she kicked her feet up and her command chair tilted back slightly in response

An alarm suddenly pulled Leah from an unrealized sleep, the lines of lights returned to points as the ship dropped from it's FTL at the coordinates. she pulled her feet down and started to key the shutdown procedure that would've been normal to most other cargo runners like this, only to find it had already run all the algorithms on its own "This ship keeps getting better and better" she smiled and Keyed the comm "Sasha, we're at the coordinates and--"

"I know, I heard the alarm" she pushed the door aside and dropped into the Pilots chair, immediately pulling up readings one the holoscreens around her

"You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine" a screen flashed and a warp gate showed on the screen, invisable to the naked eye, but plain as day to the sensor "There's our ride" she tapped the screen with a claw tip moments before the immense ship slipped into existance, easily dwarfing the Comet in moments, a bay door immediately began opening "And there's the door" she guided the ship in and were barely in as the door began closing again, presumably preping to return to warp. she nimbly manuvered the Comet across the hanger, the deep thrumming of it's engines echoing across the hanger, into it's docking clamps and shut down the engines "Leah? Can you take care of making sure the cargo gets to...whoever it's supposed to go to? I think there's a division marked on the crate" she grabbed her jacket and gloves and headed for the side hatch

"Sure, Where're you off to?" she grabbed her jacket as well, and the datapad sitting next to the cargo hold, starting to skim for the division that was expecting the package

She ran a hand over the control panel for the door "I'm going to get my wolf back"

[Shade Leshyr]

The vixen's ears perked up as Kyle spoke, "Really now? Tha's damn impressive, being able to keep under their masked noses for this long," she tapped a hand against the shuttle's side, "well come on then, you're under rebel protection now. If that doesn't sound good to ya, then maybe an actual working piece of Hodori weaponry to play with? We'll be linking up with The Raging Heart, and they apparently have a package that would interest you."

The vixen turned without another word and began walking away as Shade sighed, "Sorry 'bout that Kyle, Rebbeca can be a little... awkward in the real world. She hasn't been the same since a few weeks ago. Don't ask her about it, she's... still shaken," he shook his head and looked at Rebbeca's retreating back, then back at Kyle, "So, out of mild curiosity, did you have any success with your reverse engineering? None of the guys in the tech division can even figure out how to open the damn things without causing it to self-destruct."

Vargo nodded, "Indeed. Did you work alone, or with a group? How did you obtain your materials: scrap, stealth, something else?"
________

Ria's pilot tightened his grip on his controls, "Well, then hold on tight, cause I'm gonna have to pull some hard turns to get out of this." Yanking up on the controls, he shot straight up between the two frigates. The pilot kept glancing at his radar as he continued evading the swarms of Hodori fighters that were intent on putting a round through his wings.

The pilot was muttering under his breath as he turned and ran parallel to the nearest frigate. Almost immediately the fighters pulled off, going after the other rebel ships. Taking their place, several small turrets slid almost seamlessly out of the hull of the frigate, taking aim. The pilot took a deep breath and was counting slowly, "1...2...3," the ship's lock-on alarms blared, "4...5...6..." The turrets began glowing as they reached firing charge, "7...8...9...10!"

He yanked on his controls, pushing the throttle to max as he angled straight up. The heat of atmospheric exit surrounded the craft and just beyond the gravitational pull, the shape of a Prowler-Class vessel waited. The pilot was laughing excitedly, "We're gonna make it, we're gonna make it! So damn-" he broke off into agonized yells as two large, needle shaped rounds pierced the cockpit in an X, impaling him.

The rounds kept the ship's oxygen flow stable, but blood poured onto the rounds from the pilot's body and his breathing was almost non-existent, each ragged intake resulting in a violent coughing fit of blood, but the pilot's eyes were focused on the open hanger as rounds fired around them at the Hodori fighters that had chased them, "Always...complete... the mission..." he gagged out.

The ship entered the ship slowly, falling like a stone to the metallic floor, skidding to a halt several yards into the hanger. The pilot turned ever so slightly to look back at Ria, the twin needle rounds slowly grew lighter as they turned into a gas, letting more and more blood flow out. He looked straight into Ria's eyes with glazed over pupils and mumbled, "Mission complete..." With that, he slumped over his console in death.

Above her head, technicians were already opening the cockpit.

______

Just outside the Comet, a massive tiger stood waiting for them. His fur was a deep red with black striping and a white underbelly. The biggest cloths the Rebels had sat tight against his body as he scanned the two vixen's with his green eyes. He spoke and the voice of Archer escaped from between his white teeth, "Sasha, Leah, welcome to The Raging Heart. Our technicians will take the package from here, if you are so inclined to allow them onto your ship."

He looked at Leah and smiled sheepishly, "But dear me, where are my manners today," he extended his hand, "Ventrenius Maxamillian, at your service my lady," he lifted her hand gently and kissed it gently, "and I must say, the pleasure is all mine."

[Brome Teks]

"I managed to steal a Hodori Hoverbike. Lots of stuff to look at, a couple weapons, an engine, and some other good tech. Unfortunately, I've had almost no progress In getting it apart. I manged to get the big pieces apart from each other, smaller than that I lack the equipment to crack open. I was going to try an idea I had with using an ultrasound machine to see what I could learn about the insides while I try and make or buy some better tools. With you guy's resources, though, I might be able to make some progress."

[Crusadra]

Ria sat in her seat shivering with a bit of blood splattered on her. Ria's eyes would gaze up to the technicians, . "He... he..." Ria's eyes water up as she begins to cry.

[Buzzwolf]

"I....I..ah..." Leah looked ot Sasha in desperation, it'd been years since someone had made a sincere pass at her like the tiger just had. and frankly, she'd forgotten what to do next and panicked

"Alright, that's enough ya horndog" Sasha said, stepping between them and pushing the tiger back, a small smirk on her face "We have some things we need to discuss" she turned to Sasha "I assume you know how to operate the loading clamps?" she nodded "Alright, help teh techies get that gear off the comet and stowed" Leah nodded and keyed a command into teh data pad she was still holding and the rear hatch issued a warning and decended to the floor, she disappeared around behind it as Sasha turned back to the Tiger "Max, You know I don't ask you for much, but I need a Favor, I need a Squad and a Ship. I'm going back for Corbin"

[Shade Leshyr]

Shade nodded, "Yeah, we could really use your help. You have more experience with taking that stuff apart than most of our staff combined, even with the tools we've been able to get," he stood and motioned for Kyle to follow, "well come on then, we already have a place set up for you." Shade lead him out of the hanger down a series of hallways to a corridor lined with rooms.
He looked at Kyle, "Well, this place is dedicated to rooms for... uh, rescued individuals. You're the only one we saved this time, soooo... you get first dibs on a room," he laughed dryly, "do you want some time to settle in or would you prefer I took you to the labs?"

_________

A technician pulled Ria out of the cockpit carefully and lead her to a nearby bench. He spoke soothingly to her, "Alright, chin up now, you're safe. Are you hungry? Thirsty?" The technician put himself between him and the ship as the others dragged the dead pilot out to be given what ceremonies could be afforded in space...

_______

Max became stern and serious, rising up to his full height above Sasha, "Sasha, as Corbin's friend I CAN NOT allow you to do something foolish. If Corbin's alive, then he'd skin me and sell my fur for gas money and if... the worst has come to pass, he'll haunt me for the rest of my days. Request denied."
He tried desperately to maintain his composure, but finally let out a sigh and knelt down to look Sasha in the eye, "Sasha, I really, really don't want to say it, but... he attacked a Hodori. We both know their penalty for that. He's gone Sasha, I'm sorry. And going on a damned crusade isn't going to bring him back."
He stood, ears laid back sadly, "For your own good Sasha, I'm putting you under ship arrest... I'm sorry..."

[Crusadra]

Ria begins to take deep breathes calming herself down, seemingly ignoring the Techie and walking away a bit, "Its okay, its okay... just another mining incident, just another mining incident." Her frame would quake as she held herself, her furs on end making her look a bit bigger, with a few blood spots here and there on her clothes.

[Brome Teks]

Kyle makes a bit of an odd face at getting first dibs on the room. "Uhh, no thanks, it's not like I'm going to be competing for rooms. Which way is this lab of yours?" He follows Shade closely, tail twitching ever so slightly.

[Buzzwolf]

"No..." she wore a stunned look "You...you can't...Max...You can't do this to me..." Her eyes began to well with tears, and she hit the second phase "He's alive Max! I know he's alive! Corbin wouldn't let a silly thing like a...Titan...beat him" the words sounded hollow as they slipped her lips, even to herself they seemed as such. she was grasping at dust.She Collapsed against the tiger, sobbing softly into his chest "Please Max..." She got out between sobs "...he's all I've got..."

Leah chanced a glance around the back edge of the ship. it hurt to see the vixen like this. she'd known Sasha for years, and for her to lose Corbin, was like watching a very piece of her soul be torn from the vixen. She sighed and looked away, returning her attention to the cargo to try to get her mind off of it. "Alright, sign he--" she cut off as she caught the techie snooping on Max and Sasha rather than paying attention to his work "Hey!" she smacked him upside the head with the data pad "Show a little respect would ya?!" the small dragon creature muttered an apology "Good, now sign here or I'll do it again" the techie jammed a thumb on the pad and verified the DNA signature of the creature. the pad beeped in conformation and she handed the pad over to the techie "Shipments all yours...do try not to get distracted and drop it" the techie grumbled and attached the carrying hooks to the sides of the container, along with three other techies, and the four of them took the container off to it's destination.

Leah watched them till they disapperaed from sight down a hallway, then chanced a glance toward Sasha and leaned on the still warm hull of the Comet to wait.

[Shade Leshyr]

Shade patted Kyle's shoulder softly, "Relax man, we don't bite. Labs are this way." He lead Kyle down a series of slowly enlarging hallways, sometimes needing to dodge around power-lift mechs and the mechanics that followed them, screaming about random odds and ends.

Shade looked at Kyle and shrugged, "We've had a rough time as far as our own supplies go. Most of the mechs we use are in bad shape and falling apart," he stopped near a heavily sealed door and ran through the series of identity checks. The door slid open with a slight hiss.

Inside the area was a pastel, clean white with a few scientists here and there, mulling over little bits of Hodori technology. Nothing big, and mostly broken: a small datapad, fried beyond usage, what appeared to be a half destroyed boot, and a pistol charge-clip.

Shade smiled sheepishly, "Yeah, not much to go on, but I've heard rumors that we might be getting a full rifle."
________

The technician approached Ria, gently placing a hand on her shoulder and leading her away from the hanger, "Hey, come on now. Let's get you to the med-bay, I'm sure the doc can help ya." He lead her down empty halls to the small med-bay.

Inside, a young feline sat behind the desk. Her fur was light orange and as she looked up, her green eyes focused intently on Ria. She jumped up and rushed over, "Occasion?" she demanded from the technician. His response was quiet, "Post Traumatic Stress."

She nodded and took Ria's hand gently, leading her over to a fold-down bed, sitting her down, "My name is Gammea, what's yours?"

_________

Max looked uncomfortable for a moment before he gently rubbed Sasha's back, "I'm... I'm sorry Sasha. I can't let you go on a suicide mission," he held her out at arms length, chewing at his lip for a moment, "listen, I'll organize a search and rescue team, my top agents, to find Corbin, but I need you here."

He made a gesture at the rebels around, "Sasha, I still don't understand why you didn't go into command, but we need someone like you here to coordinate our assaults."

[Crusadra]

Ria was lead easily to the location, she wrapped herself up as they walked, hugging tightly.

Ria's eyes glance about the room, before staring at Gammea, shaking a bit.

Ria takes a deep breathe, "I-I'am Ria... l-look, I'm just a miner... I have no idea of whats going on..." A fresh bout of tears would come to her eyes.

[Brome Teks]

Kyle nods. "Not bad. They've probably already seized the hoverbike I stole earlier, so I'll take what I can get." He looks over and walks to the pistol charge clip. "If there was something like this on the hoverbike, I hadn't made it to it yet. It'll be interesting to study one up close and with a decent set of tools..."

[Buzzwolf]

[[Blarg...]]

It helped a little, but not much, that he agreed to send a team, and she seemed to relax some. Then almost visably flushed pink under her white fur as she realized how much of a scene she was making. she quick made a step backward away from teh tiger "I'm sorry Max...I..." She wiped some of the tears from her fur "I know better than this..." She flopped down on a nearby crate and buried her face in her hands for a few moments, then looked back up to Max "And you know me better than that" she smiled a little "You know I can't sit on the back lines. that excitement is what makes this all the worthwhile...aside from the obvious of course" Rebels save the universe from teh Empire, the usual "...and I'd never have met Corbin if I hadn't. we always saw one another as equals, if I'd been 'in command', I can't possibly imagine how things might have turned out differently..." She sighed and put her face in her hands again "There I go again...I believe you had a 'proposition' for me?" She gave him a weak smile "Maybe it'll help me get my mind off this whole thing for now..." something made teh vixen think to look in the direction of the Comet, and remided her she hadn't arrived here alone "Hey, think you might be able to find something for Leah too? she kinda got caught up in this mess a little more than she was supposed to. Think you can make use of a 'runner'?"

[Shade Leshyr]

Shade smiled at Kyle, "Yeah, the higher ups will probably love you forever from what you've told me. We'll be bringing all of this stuff to the outpost with us and you'll have your tools," he looked up as a small alarm went off, "ah, faster than I thought, we're coming out of hyperspace."

The ship lurched slightly as it dropped out of its jump. Shade lead Kyle down a hallway with a window looking out into space. The station they were heading to was the best technology allowed under Hodori authority, but Shade pointed out, "The Hodori don't really check more than the superficial appearance before moving on. The inside is a lot more impressive."

The ship docked quietly and Shade lead Kyle into the unloading bay, "I have to make a quick stop before I take you to the big guys, I'm supposed to bring all rescued before him together."

_____

Gammea smiled sweetly, "You have a gorgeous name Ria. I know you're feeling stressed right now and you have every right to be, but for your sake, I need you to calm down," she sat next to Ria and held her, "tell me what happened, ok? It'll help to talk about it.

_____

Max slid back into his commanding persona, "Last week, we lost our top combat analyzer and tactical captain each. Our efforts have suffered greatly, we only now dared to pull of the move we did today and from the reports I'm getting, it didn't go well for us. My proposition is that in return for the dispatching of a team to find Corbin, through any means necessary, that you join the rebels officially to fill both slots."

Max shifted nervously as he looked in Leah's direction and lowered his voice, "And I'm afraid that at this point Leah is under investigation. We did some digging and found out that they've been after Leah herself for little over a year now. They could have had her a long time ago, but someone leaked that she could lead them to the Comet. We still don't know why they wanted her, or why they wanted any of the others they've abducted, but it's a very good chance that Leah will be interrogated if she stays here."

Max held up a hand to stall Sasha's outburst that was threatening to come out, "So to spare her that, I had her recommended to a small task force that's being put together, headed by Shade Leshyr, the rookie you took to messing with the last time you were here. Reports indicate that Hodori forces have taken their newest hostages and are massing at the border of the Nebula, but the funny part is, they aren't jumping galaxies, they appear to be heading into dark space. The task force needs a pilot who can fly a stealth cruiser. I recommended her for the position."

[Crusadra]

Ria looks to her, before giving her a great hug, bawling, "T-the Hodori forced m-me to go to th-their offices!" Her hug is tightened to near crushing.

Ria's tears flow freely, "Th-then the bombs w-went off and made the place l-like a hornet's nest!" Her weight would nearly be crushing the doctor.

Ria continues to cry loudly and quite a length.