Star Wars: Fate's Edge

2 years prior to The Force Awakens...
A persistent and interactive galaxy set shortly before the events of Episode VII

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Star Wars: Fate's Edge

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Ord Mantell
1500 Hours...


Blasterfire interrupted the usual hustle and bustle of the city as a squad of stormtroopers raced down the streets of Ord Mantell City chasing two freedom fighters. Gabriel Raines and Ruby Wren fired their blasters over their shoulders in response then ducked down a side alleyway out of sight. Gabriel clipped a dumpster on his way that caused him to lose his balance. He stumbled and fell but managed to use his momentum to roll back up onto his feet and keep running.

"I told you we were too close," Ruby shouted as she ran.

Gabriel just rolled his eyes. "Yeah, hindsight," he grumbled as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small grenade. He used his thumb to arm the weapon then tossed it behind him.

Three stormtroopers came into view as they ran into the mouth of the alley. The blast from Gabriel's grenade incinerated two of them and sent the third flying back out into the street. The two freedom fighters continued their flight down the alley into the street beyond only to run into another squad of stormtroopers. The two groups stared at each other in surprise for a moment before both Gabriel and Ruby opened fire on them, killing two instantly and then they bolted down the street with the rest on their heels.

"Well, at least we know that the First Order is here now," Gabriel shouted back as they ran, "So grade A scouting work, am I right?"

"Scouts usually don't get caught," Ruby shot back.

Gabriel just shrugged, "We're not getting caught. We're just--improvising!"

"Well, why don't you just 'improvise' us a way out of here?"

"I'm working on it," he said as the two of them turned the corner onto the main avenue of the city.

Hover speeders raced by them at breakneck speeds and the crowds on the street slowed their progress as they tried to push their way through. The stormtroopers spilled out onto the street behind them, shouting as they went for people to clear out of their way. One of them raised his blaster rifle and took a shot at Gabriel only to miss and strike an innocent passerby. Shouts and screams followed and the crowd panicked. People ran every which way, some of them out onto the street. Others ran right into the stormtroopers only to be beaten aside as they chased the rebels.

"In here," Gabriel exclaimed as he grabbed Ruby by the arm and pulled her into a nearby cantina.

A short time later the stormtroopers followed them inside and when they couldn't immediately find their quarry they began to fan out. Meanwhile, off to one side of the room hiding under a table Ruby was giving Gabriel a dirty look. Or at least he thought it might be a dirty look, it was difficult to tell under her Mandalorian helmet.

"This is stupid," she whispered, "They're going to find us."

"Probably," Gabriel admitted, "but give it a moment."

He reached up above the table and wrapped his fingers around a half empty glass of Corellian whiskey. He took a sip of the stuff and smacked his lips appreciatively. "Ah, that's good stuff."

Ruby backed up further under the table when she caught sight of a stormtrooper on the other side of the room passing their position. "Whatever you're about to do you better do it."

Gabriel made a face. "Didn't your mother ever tell you 'patience'?"

Ruby rolled her eyes under her helmet but said nothing. A stormtrooper nearby was getting closer and closer to their position and Gabriel waited until he was almost on top of them before breaking from cover and throwing his glass at a nearby Nikto. The glass shattered against the man's horns and showered him with whiskey. He spun around and looked for the man he threw it shouting, "Who threw that?"

The man across from him growled. "Sit down, you pantywaist, we're trying to play cards here."

"What did you say," the Nikto snapped at him, then he reached down and grabbed the table before flipping it over in a fit of rage. "I'll show you 'pantywaist'!"

The two started fighting and shortly after the entire cantina burst out into a barroom brawl. The stormtroopers were caught in the middle of it and Gabriel reached down and grabbed Ruby, pulling her out into the open. "Now's our chance," he said and the two of them made a beeline for the exit.

The stormtrooper in their path tried to stop them but he was pushed aside by a Gamorrean falling into him. Gabriel grabbed his blasterrifle then slugged him with it before he and Ruby ran out the door and onto the street. They dove into the crowd and were swept along out of sight before the other stormtroopers inside were able to make it out. Once they were out of sight of the cantina Gabriel turned back and looked at Ruby with a confident smile.

"See, no problem," he said then the two of them turned a corner down a street heading back to the starport and ran right into a group of four more stormtroopers.

"You were saying," Ruby said as she held up her arms in surrender.

"Karabast," Gabriel muttered as he dropped his guns and held up his hands.

Two of the stormtroopers stepped forward with a pair of cuffs in their hands to arrest them. That's when something completely unusual happened. A figure dropped down on them from above, landing behind one of the stormtroopers then grabbing him under his arms and twisting him about over her body and onto the ground. The woman twisted the trooper's arm, wrenching the blaster from his grasp then swinging it like a club at the trooper that was standing next to him. The second trooper found his blasterrifle battered away as he tried to bring it to bear. Then the figure, spinning about with that same momentum, clubbed the trooper over the side of the head sending him head over heels onto the ground.

She continued to spin in that same direction, getting down onto her knees and firing the rifle at the third trooper hitting him in the leg and sending him into the dirt. The fourth trooper dropped his cuffs and tried to raise his rifle but before he could fire the woman threw the blaster rifle at him, staggering him slightly. She used that moment to quickly close the distance with him then she grabbed his arm and spun around his body one, two, three times before she twisted her hip and flipped him over onto the ground with tremendous force.

By now the third trooper was clawing his way up onto one knee as he tried to aim his rifle at her. She simply twisted about and grabbed the rifle with one hand, pushing it to the side. Then she kicked the man in the side of his head and laid him flat. Gabriel and Ruby just stood there watching the whole scene unfold. Gabriel had his jaw agape slightly and Ruby reached out to close it for him.

"That was--pretty incredible, Miss um--," he finally said when words found him.

The girl turned to look at them but before she could say anything they heard more shouts from down the street. Both Gabriel and Ruby turned to look. The stormtroopers from before were trying to push their way towards them but they were still some ways off. When they turned to look back at the mysterious girl she was gone, disappeared into the crowd. Gabriel tried to look for her but found no sign.

"Quick, we need to get back to the Spectre," Ruby said, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him along side her as she ran.

Gabriel looked behind him as she pulled him along, still wondering where exactly did that girl come from and more importantly who was she? A woman with skills like that would be invaluable in their fight against the First Order. He had to find her, one way or another...
Last edited by Pryde on Mon Sep 26, 2016 12:26 pm, edited 6 times in total.
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Re: Star Wars: Fate's Edge

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Felicity was stuck scrubbing the floors again in Grell's shop. It was a dirty job but it paid her enough to make somewhat of a living here on Ord Mantell. At least enough to clothe and feed her, shelter was another matter though Grell was 'nice' enough to allow her to stay in the shop, though her 'room' was little more than a box in the corner. It sort of made her feel more like a pet and less like an employee and considering that Grell wasn't human that might have actually been true.

"You there, girl! How much for that piece?"

Felicity glanced over at the shop's only customer then followed his gesture to a beaten up old generator in the corner. She looked at it then shrug. "If you want it make an offer, but not to me. I'm not allowed to negotiate prices."

"Then who is? May I speak with him?"

"He's in the back with another customer right now," she said simply then she went back to scrubbing the floor.

The man grumbled something to himself then went back to examining the machinery in front of him. A moment later a rotund Besalisk entered from the back door followed by a scrawny human. "Five hundred, that's my last offer," Grell grumbled as the human tried to keep step with him.

"Four-fifty," the scrawny man replied and Grell gave him a hard look.

"Five hundred or no deal."

The man considered it a moment then groaned. "Fine, alright. Five hundred it is."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the credits Grell had asked for and handed it to him. Grell took the money and counted it then shoved it into his pocket. "I'll have it ready for you to pick up within an hour. Come back around then."

The man nodded then turned to leave. As he walked out the door the other man who had addressed Felicity turned his attention to Grell. "Sir, I must speak with you about the dreadful condition of your shop. First of all these pieces here are haphazardly strewn about the table and none of them are labeled. Secondly, your 'help' here has poor manners and even poorer customer service."

"I don't pay her to serve customers," Grell said simply, "As for my shop if you don't like it then you don't need to be here."

The man's eyes widened. "Well, I never," he exclaimed, "I am a paying customer and I have a right to complain."

"You have a right to shut up or get out," the Besalisk told him then he moved over to his chair behind his desk and sat down.

The man just looked at him with his mouth agape then he straightened up and stormed towards the door. "Well, I won't be coming back here again," he said.

"Good," Grell's voice followed him as he shoved the door open and stormed out onto the street, "make sure the door doesn't hit you in the ass on the way out! The girl just cleaned it!"

Silence followed after the man had left. Grell was busy working on his inventory while Felicity continued to scrub the floors. After a moment Grell's chair creaked as he turned to look at her. "That's enough, Girl," he said, "Go ahead and take a break."

"Thank you," Felicity said, then she put her brushes away and retreated to her box in the back of the shop.

The room was tighter now that she was older but there was still enough space for her to stretch out. The Besalisk, Grell, had never referred to her by her actual name, not for as long as she'd known him. He had said if he did then that would humanize her and he preferred to keep their relationship strictly professional. Felicity had no idea what that meant but she suspected that he just wanted to keep her at arm's length. For whatever reason he refused to be close to her, only using her for her mechanical know-how and that's it.

Felicity sighed and laid down atop the mat that served as her bed. Beside her pillow there was a small trunk where she kept her meager belongings. A few odds and ends, some trinkets, a gold bracelet with her name on it and a rare oddity. It was a cylindrical tube, intricately designed with some buttons on it. Felicity had known what it was, or at least suspected. She'd heard stories of the Jedi from long ago and knew that this had to be one of their weapons. It was a memento from her father, it had to have been. It was the only way she would have it, or at least the only thing that made sense. Plus, she liked to believe her father was a Jedi even though they had all died out many years ago.

She rolled over onto her back and held the lightsaber hilt up so she could see it. The device wasn't working, of course. It had sustained some damage during what she suspected was a battle. She tried to fix as much of it as she could but could never get it working again. There was just something about it she failed to understand. She was determined to keep working at it until she did, though. If it did actually belong to her father then she owed it to him and to herself to get it working again. It was the only thing she had left to remember him by considering she couldn't remember much of anything else. Her past before she woke up on Ord Mantell seven years ago was a complete mystery to her and she believed that if she could figure out this puzzle then she could solve the mysteries of her past. Figure out where she came from and why she was here.

With a sigh she let her hand fall to her side, remembering the events of yesterday. She knew she shouldn't have gotten involved but those rebels were in trouble plus the First Order had been kidnapping people ever since she arrived. Part of her just wanted to get some payback and another part of her was tired of hiding, but what could she do? She was just one girl and there are dozens of them. She closed her eyes. They wouldn't try to find her, would they? What would she do if they did?

"Alright, break's over," Grell called from the other side of the shop.

Felicity groaned inwardly before putting her lightsaber away and crawling out of her box. She hurried over to where she left her brushes then knelt down onto the floor and started scrubbing again. Whatever the future had in store for her one thing was certain, she couldn't get involved. She'd made a promise long ago to someone very important to her to stay hidden until he returned and she knew better than to break that promise...

**********

"A mining operation," Gabriel asked as he leaned back in his chair in the cockpit of the Spectre. "That's what they're doing here? What exactly are they mining for?"

"These," the holographic image of Jeran Thek said as he held up a small crystal, "Kyber crystals. They've been pulling them out by the truck load."

"Kyber-what's-its?"

"Crystals," Jeran said with a sigh. "Word has it these little buggers can be used to make some pretty powerful weapons and there's a whole bunch of it beneath the surface here on Ord Mantell. The bucketheads down there recently unearthed an entire vein of the stuff."

Gabriel kicked his feet of the console and sat up. "Well, you said 'powerful' and 'weapons' in the same sentence and that's something we can't let fly. I'll get the Wraiths mobilized and we'll take out their whole operation."

"The five of you are going to take on an entrenched First Order position?"

"Hey, there might be six," Gabriel answered with a slight tug on his collar.

"Six?"

"A girl that we found," he explained, "She's got some serious skills. Took down four stormies with nothing but her bare hands. Now that kind of talent we could use."

"Then where is she?"

"That, uh... We're still working on that. She didn't exactly stick around to answer our questions."

Jaren stared at him a moment then shrugged, "Well, anyway I need to cut this short. I'm meeting with another client, but do me a favor out there, Raines, don't die."

Then he cut the transmission and the little blue figure winked out of existence. Gabriel turned in his chair and looked at Ruby standing behind him. She'd been idly playing with a lock of her red hair as she listened to them talk. "Go tell the others to get ready. We've got a lot of work to do..."
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Re: Star Wars: Fate's Edge

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Mason combed his long silver hair to the side as he looked into the mirror of the ship's closet which had been designated his "room". His skin reflected his inner turmoil-- normally a subtle mauve, his skin tone had recently shifted to a dark burgundy. As many Keshiri, his skin color could change from a pale blue and range all of the way to a dark red. But this was not normal condition for Mason Literace. He was often in control of his emotions, a peaceful Keshiri, whose internal peace was a high standard even by the priests of the Skyborn.

Mason's muscles rippled as he stared into the mirror, examining the scars along his chest, and finally looking up into his own bright red eyes.

The First Order removed his inner peace when they killed his wife and kids. They landed on Kesh, and pretended to be civil-- until they were refused the Keshiri gold, and until the Uvaks fought back. The Uvaks were a beautiful creature, a large-winged reptilian creature who were a primary source of transportation for many of the Keshiri warriors. The First Order responded by slaughtering thousands of Uvaks, and enslaved twice as many Keshiri.

Mason looked at the scars once again, his personal reminder of the cruelty of The First Order. He breathed deeply... This was why he left Kesh, this was why he found Gabriel and joined him on this small-man's crusade.

He put on his olive green tunic and wrapped the belt around his waist. Before the invaders, he had never fired blaster. Now, he had become proficient with blasters of differing ranges, and most importantly, worked diligently to learn hand to hand combat-- and that was where he excelled.

Ruby called from the distance, but he just shook his head. There's always something, but that's what he signed up for. Anything to cripple the First Order.
Last edited by Enriler on Wed Sep 28, 2016 12:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Star Wars: Fate's Edge

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"You requested to be awaken upon their return," a voice came from the darkness of Rhodopis' room.

"I appreciate it, Cheshi." Rhodopis sat up and shook her head. "I just wish I would have actually fallen asleep."

"I apologize. I overheard--"

"Don't!" Rhodopis interrupted the automated voice. "We've discussed this, you are not to listen through the speakers. Our new comrades would not like to know that you are eavesdropping on all of their conversations. If it matters to me, then I am sure they will have the decency to tell me."

"I apologize," the voice came from a earpeace implanted in Rhodopis' ear. She had always been good with electronics and droids, and didn't understand why few people utilized the true potential of free-to-roam AI. She created an AI that was stored in a circuit board surgically implanted underneath her ribcage. Protected by a Beskar covering, the only way Cheshi could ever be removed is if someone ripped Rhodopis in half and removed the circuit board.

Cheshi was made up of the systems of 17 different types of droids. With this access, Rhodopis could receive translation for as many languages as a proficient protocol droid, while also giving her the computer hacking abilities of an R2 unit. She installed a robotic eye into her right eye socket, and covered it with an eye patch to prevent others from noticing any discrepancies. This robotic eye gave her a digitized screen available upon command. With this she could look up any information stored on Cheshi's hard drive.

"I apologize, but you have been silent for several minutes. What would you like me to do?" Cheshi asked in a hesitant manner.

"Access the Keshiri music file we downloaded last night." Rhodopis smiled. "I'd like to hear more about the music of our shipmate's homeworld."

"Accessing MASON1 playlist, beginning song THE HEART OF KESH."

Rhodopis leaned back and waited. Something was coming. Just an intuition. And this ragtag group of freedom fighters was going to head straight into a mess of a war. Many here had minimal knowledge of the First Order. But her research had proved useful on other crews, and she knew it would be useful here. She was wanted by the First Order for hacking into over two-hundred servers on different planets. She knew more about this ominous group than many of those who were a part of it.

That's why she joined Gabriel a week earlier. Because she knew the destruction and evil they have caused. And she wanted to prevent them from destroying freedom within the known galaxy. Her grandfather died as a slave under the Empire's thumb, and her uncle died as a rebel on Moon of Endor. They must be stopped-- and she must find her brother.

The music continued to play as footsteps approached her room.
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Re: Star Wars: Fate's Edge

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There was a gentle knock on Rhodopis' door before Ruby poked her head in. "Hey, don't know if you've heard but the scouting mission was a bust. Jaren called with some actionable intelligence, though, so Gabriel's calling a meeting. He wants everyone in the lounge in five," she said then she left the room and closed the door behind her.

Next on the list was Mason followed by the doctor. She stopped by Mason's room first and fed him the same information then she swung by the medbay to look for the doctor only to find that it was empty. She wandered about the ship for a moment looking in all the nooks and crannies before finally taking a walk outside. The good doctor had somehow climbed on top of the ship and was now sitting on the hull looking up into the sky. Ruby whistled for her attention then told her about the meet. By the time they reached the lounge the rest of the crew had assembled.

"What took so long," Gabriel asked impatiently as Ruby and Micaiah entered the room.

Ruby just shrugged. "The doctor was playing hide and seek," she said simply.

Gabriel just sighed and placed his head in his hands. "She wasn't outside talking to the birds again, was she?"

He got a look from both Ruby and Micaiah. "What," he asked, "It doesn't bother anyone else that she does that?"

Then he thought about that and added, "No wait, let me rephrase that. It doesn't bother anyone else that they actually listen to her? When's the last time a bird did something you told it to do?"

There wasn't much he knew about the doctor beyond her ability to talk to animals and her skill with a laser scalpel. Micaiah refused to talk about her past and when asked about where she came from she tended to be evasive. As far as physical appearance goes she looked human like the rest of them but her hair was all white and appeared to glow in the sunlight which led him to believe that maybe she wasn't human, but Micaiah would neither confirm nor deny it.

"Technically, I don't 'tell' it to do anything," Micaiah corrected him, "Our connection is psychological. All I do is feed it an idea."

"Still weird," Gabriel replied then he turned to the others, "Anyway, so here's the deal. The First Order is here and they've set up some kind of major mining operation out on the frontier. Now they're trying to keep it low-key. Patrols are light, heavy equipment is portable and compact but lately they've been grabbing people off the streets to come work in their mine. My guess is they're trying to expand their operation. Jaren tells me they're down here mining for something called kyber crystals. Word has it you put these things in a weapon they'll make a pretty big boom and there's a lot of them. So our goal is to shut down their operation completely. For that we're going to need to know what we're up against."

He held up a remote he had in his hand and pressed a button. In response a holographic image of the mine appeared to float in front of them. "Now these were the last surveillance images Jaren was able to attain. However, this image is a week old so we're already falling behind. Ruby and Mason, you both are going to head up the surveillance detail on the mine. Get me some nice up to date pictures so we know what we're up against. Rhodopis, you're with me. We're hitting the streets to talk to the people around here, see how far this thing goes. The First Order could have people in the city, we know that for a fact because we found some. Doctor, you can sit this one out. We all know how you feel about violence. Now, any questions?"
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Re: Star Wars: Fate's Edge

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"I'm sorry," Rhodopis interrupted Gabriel. "I know you don't quite know my skillset yet, since I'm new, but I respectfully disagree with your paring." She nodded to Ruby and Mason. "No offense Mason, or to you Ruby, but I can guarantee that it would be best if I was on the surveillance detail. Frankly, I'll probably do best if it was just me, that way I don't have to keep someone else safe."

She stepped back as Ruby stood tall and crossed her arms. "It's just that," Rhodopis lowered her eyes as she considered the words. "This is what I'm best at. And I'm quite good at it alone, though if you want, Ruby you can join me." Rhodopis looked to Gabriel, "You don't want me talking to people anyway, I'm not much of a people person."

Rhodopis pulled out a palm-sized touch screen-controlled device and clicked several times on its surface. When she did, a trio of four-inch tall droid, all shaped like rocks and rolling on treads, approached the group. "I can communicate to a computer program through this." She held up the touch screen and showed it to the others. "I call the program Cheshi, and he helps me manage my tiny spy bots. We'll find the information you need."

"Well I..." Cheshi paused, "Why would you choose to lie to them about my programming, I'm not inside that device. Though I know you can communicate to me via the device, isn't it easier to just speak out loud. I am very confused. Are you intentionally misleading them, or am I misunderstanding some form of human communication that involves partial truths."

Rhodopis rolled her eyes. Cheshi had a tendency to ramble, it was a good thing none of the others could hear his nonsensical dialogue.

"Does that work as an option?" Rhodopis asked, looking to Ruby and then to Gabriel.
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Re: Star Wars: Fate's Edge

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Gabriel looked between Mason, Rhodopis and finally at Ruby then he let out a sigh. "Ruby is Mandalorian," he pointed out, "She is by far the most qualified combatant we have here. I would be more worried about her having to watch you, but fine we'll do it your way. Rhodopis and Ruby, you'll take the mine. Mason, you're with me."

He pushed off from the console he'd been leaning on and started to leave the room. That's when he saw Micaiah stir slightly near the back. "Got something to say, Doctor?"

Micaiah's gaze flicked up first to Ruby and then to Rhodopis before finally she shook her head. "No, Captain, I'll be fine here, but um... While you're out could you pick up some ketamine and some kolto? We're running low."

"We don't have time to go shopping, Doc," he said and then he kept going.

As he walked past her she turned to follow. "Well, alright, Captain. As long as you don't mind being wide awake for your next surgery."

Gabriel immediately stopped in his tracks. "Ketamine, you said? And Kolto? Write that down, Mason, we'll pick it up on our way back."

Micaiah smiled as he left then eventually followed him out of the room. Ruby turned to look at the others and said, "Better get going, Mason, Gabe doesn't really like waiting... Ever," she grumbled that last part mostly to herself. It was, after all, Gabriel's impatience that got them caught earlier. Finally, the Mandalorian turned to look at Rhodopis. There was something in her eyes but if it had anything to do with Rhodopis apparently lack of faith in her abilities she gave no sign.

"Ready," she asked.
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Re: Star Wars: Fate's Edge

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"Of course I'm ready," Rhodopis said. "Let's go, my spy droids will lead the way, they should be able to alert us of any ambush." She clicked the touch screen several times. "Besides, they're expendable."

"The little ones are not expendable." Cheshi said. "They're like my kids."

Rhodopis rolled her eyes and hammered out a response on to Cheshi, You know as well as I do that the spy droids are made to be expendable. Stop getting attached Cheshi, you're so weird about the droids we work with.

"Where do we begin?" Rhodopis asked Ruby.
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Re: Star Wars: Fate's Edge

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Ruby pulled out her communicator as they walked and held it in front of her. With the flip of a switch a holoprojected image of a map of the surrounding area of the mine appeared above her hand. "Gabriel gave me estimated coordinates of the location of the mine. We'll start by scouting the perimeter to confirm whether it's there or not. Then we'll need detailed information of patrol movements and any weaknesses in their defense."

Up to that point the plan seemed rather logical. Scout the mine for openings to exploit, fairly simple. The problem was actually exploiting them. She knew Gabriel had gathered this crew together with the promise to fight the First Order but lately he'd been taking increasingly dangerous risks. This was one of them, the five of them--or rather four as the doctor was a non-combatant, against who knows how many First Order stormtroopers. It was suicide, plain and simple.

She tried to push those thoughts aside and motioned for Rhodopis to climb onto the back of the snub-nosed speeder they kept in the hold of the ship. She trusted Gabriel and as crazy as this plan sounded she had a feeling he had something up his sleeve...

**********

"I've got no idea what I'm doing," Gabriel admitted to Mason as they walked. "Catching First Order transports in the vacuum of space and taking them for all their worth, that's easy, but this?"

He let out an explosive sigh as the two of them wandered down the streets of Ord Mantell City. "This is the third mining operation we've come across and all three are digging for the same thing. If they're looking to make weapons then they're planning something big. Somehow we gotta put a stop to it."

Both of them stopped in the middle of the street when they saw a pair of stormtroopers harassing a shopkeeper before clubbing him in the back of the head and dragging him away. Bound for the mines, probably, Gabriel thought. He remembered Jaren's report of stormtroopers abducting people to work the mine. "I think I know how we're going to beat them," he said finally, "We turn the people against them. They've been here giving these people a reason to fight back, all we need to do is nudge 'em a bit and we even the odds, but we can't exactly go around hanging up flyers."

He looked over at Mason who had been silent this entire time. "I don't suppose you have rabble rousing or revolutionary somewhere in your skillset?"
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