Chapter 2: Forges of Ithyari

[Mara 29]

He silently handed her the holo he held in his hand, hoping to all worlds that it wasn't a mistake.

It showed a beautiful young blond woman with sparkling blue eyes.

[Vergere 1]

Brier smiled softly, watching the holo for a time before handing it back. "She's beautiful."

[Mara 29]

"Yes, she is.." He took it back from her and looked at it a moment before replacing it back in his sack.

[Vergere 1]

"I'm sorry you lost her. She looks like she was an amazing girl." She smiled faintly, reassuringly.

[Mara 29]

He merely nods.

[Ayingel 24]

Lost in thought, Szen got up from the group and wandered around outside their little encampment. Come on...relax. Every little noise she heard caused Szen's hand to fly to her blaster, only for her to look the direction and see nothing. Just some animals, I guess. She looked back at the Revenants in their small groups of friends. She smiled, but it just wasn't all there within her. I don't want to get close to them. I can't. Anything could be compromising.

"Just remain focused."

Szen jumped at the sound of her own voice. She looked back again and realized she was much further from the Revenants than she wanted to be. Drawing her blaster, she started walking back towards the camp.

[Vergere 1]

"Everything will turn out okay in the end." She smiled softly again, her voice still a soft whisper so that the others wouldn't overhear. She looked around the camp, saw most of the troup all in one cluster, minus Szen, Brier and Kaden.

[Ayingel 24]

Szen finally made her way back to Brier and Kaden. As nonchalantly as she could, she sat down and acted as if nothing had happened. "What did I miss?"

[Vergere 1]

"Nothing, nothing I'm aware of at least. Nice walk?"

[Ayingel 24]

"Yeah...Well..." She thought of her words carefully. "It was...a little unnerving, but I was able to relax at least..."

[Rogue 4]

"You might not want to wander outside the camp alone though, Officer Braenen." Nat Riamor's accented voice came from behind her. "Who knows what kind of native predators are lurking around the forest."

Edited October 2, 2007 by Rogue

[Vergere 1]

She thinks before nodding. "Fair enough. Relaxing is good. So what's up? Just chilling out now?" Brier looked over at Lt. Riamor, tensing slightly, but keeping it out of her voice. "I'm sure Ms. Braenen will watch herself next time, Lieutenant. Am I right?" She returned her ice-blue gaze to Szen.

Edited October 2, 2007 by Vergere

[Ayingel 24]

Szen kept her voice soft. "Of course. I was just lost in thought." Szen's thoughts wandered again.

[Vergere 1]

"It was a long day down here, Lieutenant. We're all a bit fried. I'm sure you can understand. It was also Ms. Braenen's first mission. I think she did pretty well, and will remember not to wander again."

[Rogue 4]

"I would appreciate that." Nat nodded, his yellow eyes looking from one woman to the other. "I dislike reporting casualties to Coruscant very much, so let's all try to make my job easier." He looked to Szen. "I'm glad to hear you've done well so far though."

Edited October 2, 2007 by Rogue

[Ayingel 24]

Szen nodded and looked down.

[Vergere 1]

"She did a very good job for a first mission. She'll do well in your unit, I'm sure."

[Ayingel 24]

Regrouping, Szen smiled and put on a game face. "You will come to expect good things from me, Lieutenant. I wouldn't be here if that wasn't the case."

Edited October 2, 2007 by Ayingel

[Rogue 4]

"I am glad to hear that." Nat nodded to her, the slightest of smiles parting his lips.

[Drake 53]

Takeshi looked over and that Lieutenant Riamor had finished talking to the Captain and was now, most likely, pestering Szen, Kaden and Brier. Aeric was now alone.

"The good Captain requested a debriefing from me," he said to Layla. "Since I havn't had the chance to get one from you on what happened in the facility, would you care to join me now?"

[Rogue 4]

Layla looked from him over to the Captain. "Sure. I'd rather do it now when the good Lieutenant isn't there to criticize our unorthodox methods, which he would certainly know from interrogation."

[Drake 53]

"That is a fact."

They walked across the clearing to where Aeric Tunon was sitting on a stump, reading over a datapad.

"Captain," said Tak, offering a salute.

Aeric looked up from his work and returned the salute. "Ah, Lieutenant Beskar, Officer Nasrin. What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if perhaps now was a good time for that debriefing, sir."

"Yes, it is." Aeric glanced at Layla.

Tak noticed the action and said, "I put Officer Nasrin in charge of completing our primary objective while I aided in a tactical distraction. Since I have yet to debrief her, I figured we might as well get it all done together."

Captain Tunon nodded. "Fair enough. Let's hear it, Lieutenant."

"Yes, sir."

Takeshi relayed the entire tale of his team's mission, starting with their entrance to the system and covering the details of how Jaim got them into Yarin City, the aquisition of a hotel room, spying on the relay building, and the events occuring at the southern gate of the facility.

"That was when the new model of wardroid showed up, sir," Tak said. He handed the Captain the datapad containing information Aston had taken from the Imperial systems. "This details the droid's specs, most notably shielding and armament. It also reveals the location of the factories producing them. The Iriya droid foundaries are located deep in a mountain range on the western continent."

"They will need to be destroyed, of course," said Aeric with a nod.

Tak smiled. "That would be my recommendation, sir."

"Good. And your report, Officer Nasrin?"

Edited October 2, 2007 by Drake

[Rogue 4]

Layla stood at attention. "It was a clean insertion, sir. Officers Braenen, Kendall and myself lured some of the relay station's crew from a local bar and relieved them of their clothes and consciousness. We then had a quick costume change, and headed in as the Lieutenant's group created a diversion. We then headed upstairs to the relay room unnoticed in plain sight, and took care of the workers there. Officer Braenen saw to it that they were all stunned and disarmed while Officer Kendall sliced the system. We also obtained that information you're viewing now."

She paused. "Our extraction was a bit more difficult. We were confronted by one of those new HAX droids just as we reached the door, and he managed to affiliate both of my fellow officers with the NRDF before another, malfunctioning droid appeared and dealt with the first, enabling our escape."

[Drake 53]

"I see." Aeric looked thoughtful, then said. "This other droid, it fired on the first? That seems odd. Perhaps these droids were just the prototypes."

Tak nodded. "I believe so, Captain. However, we most certainly should not underestimate them, prototypes or not."

"No indeed, Lieutenant. Thank you for your report. You as well, Officer. You are dismissed. I will address the squadron in a few minutes."

"Thank you, sir."

Tak and Layla turned and walked from the Captain. Once out of his hearing range, Tak said, "I appreciate Teroch's random bouts of saving our lives but it's getting more and more difficult to cover for him."

[Rogue 4]

Layla nodded. "Let's just hope that one doesn't blow up in our faces like a bad motivator."