Ask Into The Fire

[Cipher Six]

Sergeant Banes.

She hated this identity. It was that of a Sergeant, not even a Lieutenant like her actual rank. Then again, she was only supposed to be a guard- before all hell broke loose. She had been doing this sting operation for months now. There had been a couple of near misses, but she was inching closer to getting into the Oracle’s inner circle.

After the last mishap, Oracle’s supply of insurgents began to dwindle. In her sleeper agent role, Six had volunteered to help recruit some Imperials that were furious about the split. The oracle’s group often launched strikes against Imperial depots and supply lines to bleed them dry of whatever scarce resource they had. So far she had gathered that this group believed in having Sith at the helm. She heard enough about this Oracle to wonder if they were a Sith themselves, but she didn’t have any concrete information.

Through ISB channels, she requested another Imperial plant. Truth be told, she was not a combat-first operative, and she knew she was getting way out of her depth. Six couldn’t do this job without an actual IAF soldier she could trust.

She was waiting in a discreet alley in the middle of the night for the new ‘recruit’. Six was on a neutral world, seldom operating in Imperial space unless it was for a ‘strike’. She checked her chrono, pacing back and forth. She hated the thought of someone else knowing she was working undercover. Whoever this was clearly had earned even the Warmaster’s trust because this risked lives. The Warmaster would have had to clear this individual's access to get them on the case.

Six was on her third cigarra in a row when she looked at who approached, her eyes visibly widening as the cigarra dropped from her fingers, “You?”


@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

Rebuilding an Empire was gruelling work. At the height of the previous regime, Max had marched in the front rank of legions that had swept across new worlds, subduing all resistance and planting the Imperial flag. It had been a time of conquest, when the Empire's strength had been seen and felt.

The setbacks they had suffered following the split now often called for a different kind of march. Slow and deliberate, often in the shadows and made by only a few. Max was still proud of the fatherland they defended and he was committed to the Warmaster's vision, but he looked forward to the day it soared high. Lone ops in dark streets could not be his future.

But they were his today. He rounded the corner of the alley, his finger resting comfortably on the trigger of his rifle. This was a dangerous game and he was pleased to find no enemies waiting for him. Just a familiar silhouette, illuminated by the glow of a cigarra.

"Here was me thinking you sent for me by name, Sergeant". He smiled, eyeing the fake rank on her attire. He thought no such thing of course, having a fairly good idea Six thought him a liability after Adumar. "Speaking of which, tell me I'm playing me on this?" He reached in his neckline and pulled out the fake dog tags for Corporal Nathan Lite. "They briefed me on the cover, but with my record and this thing" he brandished his metal arm "we're gambling I'm not recognised. Plain old Max might be the most convincing defector?".

He had already had it out with the handling team, but Six was the one out here risking everything alongside him. He would defer to her judgement rather than some penpusher. He was ready to roll with either identity, having dressed down in some mismatched IAF gear that would not have needed signing out.

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

She hadn’t heard from Karn in months. Was he dead? Was he dealing with the aftermath of what she did to Henry? She hadn’t been given a new handler, so she was temporarily cut off. She had her usual ISB check ins but she was largely on her own. There was limited aid ISB could provide to help her mission. She had no formal extraction protocols in place. However, having at least one IAF soldier with her already increased her chances of getting out of this alive.

Six smiled at his words, her shock melting away to what almost looked like relief, “You are somewhat of a folk hero among the insurgents,” She said truthfully. For whatever reason, many of them were still convinced that Max Dram was just undercover the entire time. If he was going to get that rep anyway, it was better to leverage it, “You may have a decent bit of sway with these people.”

She began to lead the way to a warehouse where she had told the others to rendezvous. Six had a feeling there would be cheering once she showed up with Max and drop the big reveal that their suspicions had been right all along - he really was a Sith spy.

“Our objective is to get an audience with the mastermind behind this whole insurgent network,” Six explained as they walked, “Goes by the name of Oracle. No one in the grunt group knows gender, what they look like, where they’re located. We just know that it takes doing something impressive to help the cause to get into their inner circle.”

Six quickly told him about the strike she attempted and how that failed due to Serrenians showing up. Since then she had been separated from her handler and with mostly one way dialogue with the ISB.

“Have you…worked covert ops before?” She asked him. So far he was known as the brazen man that actively took his forces out to support a Sith planet and reject the call of the Warmaster. While he had done work for the Empire since his return, the only other instance was him being overt on Adumar. Perhaps he could do better here simply being his overt self as part of his cover.


@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

"My thoughts exactly" Max was pleased she was in agreement. He pulled off the fake dog tags and threw them in the gutter. Being himself might just be the best assignment he had been given in months.

"The Oracle" Max repeated sarcastically "they really do fancy themselves above us all, even now don't they. If he or she is not a Sith I'll eat my beret". He pondered what he could do to buy their way into the inner circle, but it did not take long for a thought to begin to form in his mind.

The Lieutenant listened with interest to Six's report of her failed strike. She told a story very well, with all the pertinent details but just enough life in her tone to keep it engaging. "Nice to know even ISB ops don't always go to plan" he mused, though he obviously recognised the scale of the setback. "You're a resilient one" he observed, giving her a sideways look "straight back out here despite it all". He had a thousand questions about her background and service record, but he was not fool enough to think she would answer them.

"To a degree" he replied "I recently ran protection for a particularly difficult candidate on Ord Radama". The grinning image of Roger Stennar almost made him laugh. "Even traded words with the Queen of Naboo back in the day. I'm adaptable, Sergeant, trust me". Max was perfectly confident in his own abilities, even if he knew Six, like him, needed to see skill with her own eyes.

They reached the warehouse and Max strode in without pause. The few insurgents gathered there clung to the shadows around the edges, but they were there, eyeing the new arrivals anxiously.

Max Dram strode right into the centre, cocking his rifle wildly and glancing around, keeping one hand near the grenades on his belt. He made a show of taking no notice of the various barrels and laser sights trained on his position. "Tell me you guys are not it? Who's heading things up here?".

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

Six knew Max was overt, but even she didn’t expect him to be so damn bold. She had planned on doing the introduction, but he did his thing. She couldn’t fault him - they did agree that he could be Max Dram for this. The intrepid confidence would be almost attractive if she wasn’t convinced it would get them killed.

She began to open her mouth to soften the intro, but one of the insurgents stepped out. The man studied Max for a few seconds before reaching up to take his helmet off and giving a salute, “Lt. Dram,” He said with a huge smile, “It’s an honor to be able to serve with you again,” Max would recognize him right away as a soldier from his platoon on Rattatak. Many of his men were scattered, but some kept their old loyalties, “We knew which side you were on. We just knew it,” He said cheerfully, nudging the insurgents next to him, “I told you all he’d find us again!” The other insurgents were new to Max, but Six wasn’t kidding about him being a folk hero.

“We heard…about Lady Stythani..” He said, bowing his head, “Real shame..”

Six kept her poker face on. She didn’t get nervous often, but she certainly felt it now. Max held a lot of cards here. He could either suddenly become the most powerful asset in this operation or spell certain death by selling her out right now. She knew about these soldier types and their brotherhood. Her palms grew sweaty, but she otherwise kept her cool. The Warmaster saw fit to trust him, so Six had to believe in that.

“Well, well, looks like you’re heading things around here,” She said with a smile as she glanced at Max.

Dice: Max reception 15/20

@Alhon @Eccles for awareness

 

[Max Dram]

"Farrell?" The sight of his old adjutant almost threw Max. He had known it was a possibility old comrades would reappear, but seeing a good man like Farrell here brought home just how far they could fall. Max clapped hands with the Corporal, pulling him in as he spoke about the right side.

"You're damn right Faz, the side of the real Empire". He smiled warmly at the man, hiding his huge disappointment behind the impassive face of command. They had shared many stark conversations in a dozen front line outposts, but this was the first time Max had lied to his brother in arms.

"The honour is mine" he said, trying to lay it on thick as he looked around at the other faces. All of them were new to him, some looked pretty new to the game altogether. "All of you are risking your necks every day" Max acknowledged "keeping the flame alive in your units. I salute each and every one of you". He did not actually salute of course, indeed it was not actually clear there were any other officers among the insurgents.

The mention of Celeste genuinely did catch him off guard. He had heard, of course he had, but he'd done a good job of packaging up those particular memories and boxing them away. The mere thought of his Sith romance and all it had brought made him look away awkwardly, but the men would no doubt think it grief. "Yes" he said slowly, fiddling with his belt loops for a moment. "Quite".

He was not much keener to engage with Six's sidebar about him heading things up, but it seemed an inescapable reality. Besides, perhaps leaning into his past role was exactly what they needed. "Barnes and I here like what you guys are doing, what you stand for. We've been at the same, but if we're going to see the back of this pathetic pale shadow of an Empire, we need to step things up". Max looked from one to the other, his fierce hazel gaze challenging them to bet the house. "We need to do some real damage".

The plan came to him so quickly he wondered if it might be madness. It would deal a blow to the Warmaster's Empire, but one it could survive, and it should be bold enough to catapult them to the Oracle's feet. Max cracked his knuckles, silently wishing he had been able to run it by Six first.

It would mean going back to Endor with these guys and destroying the only solid thing he and Celeste ever built. Now why did that somehow seem poetic?

"Any of you guys ever heard of the Dambusters?"

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

Six watched like a hawk as Dram addressed ‘Faz’. If he was playing a role, his delivery was flawless. Almost too flawless. She had to remind herself repeatedly that the ISB and the Warmaster himself placed faith in this. She had to trust that. The Firrerreo didn’t miss the slight shift at the news of Stythani’s death. Even Six couldn’t tell whether it was grief or an act. It wasn’t her business what happened there, and she would let his actions speak for him.

She bristled when he outlined a plan. Up until now, she had been doing that and she felt control slipping from her fingers. However, the insurgents gathered were hanging onto his every word in ways they never did for her. Dram was surprisingly charismatic - perhaps she had underestimated him on Adumar. She said nothing for now, though she despised that he didn’t run the idea by her. At the end of the day it was a strike on legitimate Imperial assets needing special clearance. And she had no way of obtaining that since she couldn’t contact her handler.

She would have to make an executive decision here.

She cheered along and observed all the “Ooh rah!” and other juvenile military shit she would never understand. Six wore an Imperial uniform but she felt entirely out of place. There was a moment where they all dispersed and she cornered Dram.

“You have a way with them,” Six remarked, genuinely impressed, “And your idea is excellent,” Now that she had some time to chew on it, she realized that Endor posed no strategic value. There was a larger effort to consolidated forces and if this could lend to that and get them into the good graces of Oracle, it was a win/win.

“I can’t get us clearance on running the op,” She sighed, “So we’ll have to do it and ask for forgiveness later.”

Six met his gaze for a long moment, “I’m trusting you, Dram,” She paused there, “With my life,” She him reminded of that harsh reality that weighed on them both. With a single word he could have her lined up and riddled with bolts.

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

Max could not lie, he was pretty pleased with how it went. Even as he outlined his thinking, explaining the strategic value of the Endor dam and the tactical insights he could deploy to undermine it, he was still surprised how eagerly they lapped it up. The insurgents were desperate to be led he realised and leading was all he had ever tried to do. It was a cruel injustice that he would be leading these men into a master deception.

The Lieutenant leant back against the warehouse wall, folding his arms and watching with concealed amazement as the group scurried off to make ready. Six had seen it too of course, though he was surprised by her take.

"An excellent idea?" he gave her a sideways look "you sure you're not dehydrated Barnes?". He had somewhat taken over from the moment they walked in, on what would normally be her gig. He had half been expecting her to be pissed. But she seemed to believe in both him and his plan enough to give it her support.

"From what you have told me about this Oracle, they have to be stopped and soon" he said quietly. "I'm sure the Warmaster would agree that almost any price is warranted". That and Endor was a distant outpost now. It made more sense to sacrifice than most.

"We're trusting each other" Max replied, returning Six's gaze. Any relish he had at the sight of her slightly knocked off her perch was dulled by the high stakes for them both. "I have a fair idea what we'll find on this one, but nothing is certain. I'll need you on your game if we are going to pull this off".

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

The tense moment was diffused with Dram’s apparent surprise at her going along with his plan. For a moment she wondered if he even realized the brilliance of his own plan. It was certainly an idea that would have taken foresight and big-picture thinking - not something she often saw in IAF soldiers. Six only smirked in response to his quip, “I give credit where it’s due, darling,” She said.

Amusement danced in her eyes at him sternly reminding her to be on her game, “I’ll behave, lieutenant, you just try and stay out of the dungeons this time,” She scoffed as she walked away. She sometimes forgot the confident types always came with barbs.

The rest of the insurgents were eating out of the palm of his hand. While others may have been irritated about this, she found it refreshing. Six found it dull interacting with the insurgents over the last few months. She caught how a few of them looked at her and was thankful that the combination of her lethal fangs and general standoffish demeanor kept them at bay.

Clearly the Oracle favored the idea because they were on Endor the very next day. Six found the atmosphere unpleasant, but she wasn’t going to complain. She was just another soldier, not her usual classy self with perfectly manicured nails and heels. One of the insurgents belched loudly as they walked through the forests and Six shook her head. So uncivilized.

“Sir, I recommend we camp out for a day to get an idea of how the guard rotations operate,” Six called out to Dram as her superior. Oh, he was definitely going to get a kick out of that.

Because she couldn’t get in touch with Levik, she couldn’t warn him to have the base thin out on Imperials. Regardless of how this went, minimizing Imperial casualty was an absolute must. She hoped Dram factored that into his strike plan. He was the one in charge so she would play her role of Sergeant awaiting orders, looking down at her obsolete blaster and boots half sunk into goopy swamp water.

Dice: 9/20 on level of guard presence

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

It was strange to be back on the forest moon. The last time Max had been on Endor, he had still been living his old life. The one when he'd had two arms but been less of a man, blinded by foolish admiration of his Sith masters.

Everything seemed clearer these days. The crisp brush crumpled quietly underfoot and the clear mountain air filled his lungs with every breath. He had always loved being outside and places like this got his pulse going. He had a good feeling about their plan.

The Oracle had liked it to it seemed, having signed off on their endeavour and presumably watching from afar. Max was not sure he would have been so quick to trust a turncoat like himself to turn again, but these people lived a life of betrayal on betrayal. Besides, they were desperate, he could smell it.

He was already planning their first moves when Six suggested they settle in and run recon. Max slowed, planting a big booted foot on a fallen tree trunk and looking back at her. He knew part of her probably feared they were biting off more than they could chew, but a bigger part had seemed eager to come along. She even looked a good fit in her Sergeant Barnes field gear.

"A sound recommendation as always Sergeant". Though the other insurgents knew he and her were tight, Max was keen to reinforce that she was a voice to be listened to. "There's a ridge up ahead that should have a clear view up the valley to the dam. Few of us can spot from there to get some pattern of life intel, few others can take a closer look". He put the suggestions so strongly they were practically orders, but the Adumarian was keen not to push too hard. Though the group looked to him to lead, they were still a very new team.

"You don't think we should just get in and hit them fast?" It was Vao, the Zabrak private who sparked up, adding "Sir?" just a fraction too late. Max sensed he was a hothead, but hopefully nothing more.

"No private" he replied calmly. "We have time. Our ship is well hidden and the plant is remote, they don't have men to spare scouting these woods. We are not likely to be discovered, which gives us the chance to scope them out properly. When we do hit them, we want them out for the count. We will not get a second chance".

Vao's eyes widened a little and he jutted his chin, either in agreement or acceptance. "Right you are Sir".

Max turned and walked on, thinking what a pity it was that young talent had already been led astray. But he could not get side-tracked with rescuing a few souls, their mission might yet save millions.

They reached the ridgeline and Sui Dam opened up before them between the trees. The engineering corps had been hard at work since Max had laid the foundations here, damming the river and building an industrial tower either side; the one closest the control centre and the one on the far bank the hydroelectric plant. Huge, but largely automated, the dam stood out as a mass of grey durasteel among a sea of green and blue.

Max slowly guided the men into suitable positions in the brush. He put Vao and two other fresh-faced squaddies up front, where they could focus on noting down enemy movements and keep their minds occupied. He set the more seasoned insurgents, including Farrell, to preparing covert camp and watching their six for stray Ewoks.

"Barnes, with me" he whispered, calling Six up to his side "let's see if we can get a little closer". He wound down the ridge a little, keeping below the top line and striding with greater care. "So tell me" he said quietly after they were out of earshot "how desperate are you for one of those cigarras right now?".

@Sreeya

Dice: 13/20 group compliance

 

[Cipher Six]

Six was genuinely surprised when he didn’t lord his position over her. She was normally a quick judge of character, but she had clearly misread him several times. She couldn’t help but wonder what could have driven him to choose the Sith in the past. Fear. It had to be fear. It was exactly what kept her family in line all those years working under Sith rule. It was smarter to simply comply and survive than to speak up and die.

She may have been a professional ISB agent, but she did not have skills in troop strategy and movement. It was part of why her cover was lower than her actual rank. The dam was huge and the towers and infrastructures set up were impressive. Without access to her resources, she couldn’t backread on how they had claimed this territory or what was involved.

Six fell into step beside Dram, abruptly stopping at his question, “Why? There’s no way you have one on you,” She said, her voice carrying an almost pleading tone to it. She definitely didn’t get enough pocket money to support her smoking habits and, as a result, hadn’t had a cig in over a day. The constant headaches were almost unbearable.

As they arrived closer, she whistled, “This won’t be easy to take down,” She remarked, “We don’t have copious amounts of explosives or anything. What’s your plan?” Six asked, genuinely curious. Her gaze lingered on his uniform before she smirked, “You know, I’m more inclined to take orders from you in that Adumari get-up,” She said before looking back at the dam. Up ahead, she could see a few Ewoks on the base. They were carrying a few things around and helping at the dam.

“They hate us don’t they,” Six observed quietly even though it appeared everyone was working in harmony, “I bet they’d love to take this whole thing down.”

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

"Oh she of little faith" Max said slyly, slipping a tiny flip case of cigarras from an inside pocket. His spice days were behind him but he still dallied as a social smoker. "But maybe a reward for when we're done? We don't want to give our comrades smoke signals to shoot at". He went to put the cigarras back away. "You know you can only fit six of them in the standard issue case. That why they gave you that number at spy school?".

He had to admit, he was enjoying playing the part of her commanding officer, catching the different way she looked at him even before her remark. "So you're a leather and metal girl, somehow I'm not surprised". She might be the one with the fangs, but Adumari nobles had wild proclivities of their own. "You should see the other bits and pieces I have in storage".

As they drew closer to the foot of the nearest tower, the scale of the dam became clear. The huge wall of durasteel stretched right across the valley, with three maintenance posts on top and several waterfalls issuing from open ports in the dam.

"I got to know the climate pretty well when I was based here" Max explained "water level looks unusually high from this season's rain". He pointed to the streams of water "those ports are sluice gates, only opened when the dam is over capacity to keep pressure levels down". Six was a smart cookie and he knew she would follow his meaning.

"If we can shut the gates before the reservoir is back down to a safe level, the extra pressure will mean a well placed grenade in one of those maintenance posts is all we need". It would mean getting teams into the control room and out onto the middle of the dam, to say nothing of timing it all just right, but Max smiled like it would be easy.

"The Ewoks?" he followed her gaze. "I don't think they'll help us if they see me - I cut threw quite a few of them last time I was here - but they definitely want all of us out yeah. They won't raise a finger to defend the place, for sure".

They scoped out what they could from their vantage point and started back towards the insurgent group. It was time to collate their plan and advance on the target.

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

She wasn't going to deny being into leather and metal. Six smirked at Dram, “If I continue to find you tolerable, perhaps I’ll share the story of my name,” She said before they headed back towards the camp. His idea was sound, but pulling it off was a whole different matter entirely. At the end of the day, the Empire did own this planet. Reinforcements being called were almost a guarantee, and they had to do this while minimizing loss of Imperial life. However, she couldn’t think of a better plan.

“I will sneak into the command center with one of the guys,” She explained, “You take the rest of the men to the maintenance posts. Blow them all just to be safe,” Six looked towards the dam again, “This is risky..” She remarked. Blowing the posts meant the entire structure would start to collapse. Max and the other insurgents would have to bolt out of there or they would all die under the collapse or from drowning, “Don’t die on me yet, okay?” Six said with a faint smile before she arrived at the camp.

The plan was largely well received - of course it was, it was Max’s idea - and she got her volunteer. Faz, to her surprise, agreed to come with her instead of following Max. Six had her helmet back on and strolled right up to the dam. The sound of the water was almost deafening from here, and the mist sprayed against her armor.

There were a few ewoks that eyed her and Faz curiously, but ultimately the two wore standard issue Imperial attire, albeit older models. Six paused before the ewok and decided to try something crazy. She crouched next to it and filled it on the plan. She couldn’t tell if the teddy understood a word from the way it stared blankly at her. Oh well, worth a shot.

Faz was a bit stiff, but Six walked around like she belonged there. She saluted the one or two Imperial she came across. They squinted at her uniform, but otherwise paid her no mind.

She took the stairs up to the bridge, spotting the office. Six knocked on it. The door opened to reveal a grumpy Imperial.

“Who the hell are you? I thought my relief was-”

Thwack! The butt end of Six’s rifle collided with the man’s face, shattering his nose. Before he could cry out, she hit him over the side of the head to knock him out. Faz took out the other man that was in there. Six closed the door behind them and rushed to the comms, tuning into the channel the insurgents were using, “This is Ghost 2, I’m in.”

Her gaze flicked up towards the transparisteel panels. She could see the ewok she spoke with earlier. From here she could tell the teddy was bickering about something and leading the Imperials on the bridge away to look at some type of malfunction. Perfect.

“The coast is clear,” Six spoke into the comms channel as she pressed the buttons to start closing the gates.


Dice: 18/20

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

Max was glad he had made it to tolerable in her eyes, especially as he was sure he had actually made it way past tolerable. He had only been joking about her name, but the fact there was a story at all rather intrigued him.

She got straight onboard with his plan and he was pleased when she offered to head up the other team. As much as it would have been good to go in side by side, he needed her watching her own subset of insurgents. They were enemies of the Empire at the end of the day and it would take every ounce of their collective cunning to keep them from doing unnecessary harm. He considered swapping their targets, but Six would find her way around the actual control systems better than him.

"Sounds like a plan Sergeant, no death, no dungeons, I promise". They made it back to camp and Max handed out assignments. He opted to take Vao and the more seasoned Private Greaves, while Farrell offered himself up to go with Six. The rest would hold their position here and be ready for evac.

It was bizarre how easily they walked through the tower complex. Max was a very junior officer, but Endor was increasingly remote these days and any big wigs were based at Celeste Ridge. His Lieutenant bar saw him all the way through without a word to anyone, finally being stopped at the access door out onto the top of the dam.

"Sir, protocol is to suspend gantry access while the sluice gates are in operation".

"I am well aware of the protocol private, I was there when it was written. We are on an urgent maintenance check, all three posts and we need it done yesterday. Open the door". Max had half expected to need to pressure the man some more, but he obediently opened the door and saluted.

Laying the grenades proved child's play. With the protocol in effect, all three posts were deserted of engineers and they were able to quickly plant all three grenades on a remote trigger. Six's voice came over the comm as they started back.

"Great job" Max replied "lock em up". With the gates closing, it would take a matter of minutes for the pressure to build. Three or four should do it, then Max could blow the grenades.

They headed back towards the tower. Max spied a few sentries patrolling the rooftops high above, completely oblivious to what was about to happen.

"Wish we could drop a few of these goons Sir" Vao muttered.

"We're going to drop this whole place, probably break the Empire's hold on the entire planet" Max said, trying to sound glad about it. "Content yourself with that".

They stepped back inside and made their way through towards the exit into the forest. The building pressure would set off alarms eventually, unless Six had found a way to disable them. Either way, it did not matter. There was nothing the Imperials could do once physics and gravity took over.

They stepped out into the woods and Max said a silent prayer for the Empire that had nourished him. Teeth gritted, he pressed the detonator.

Three percussive blasts sounded in the distance. The three grenades were only small, but the explosions were amplified by the small spaces in which they had been placed. Still, the three tiny bangs seemed a small thing, echoing faintly across the wide valley. For a moment, it seemed that nothing would happen.

Then the dam cracked, first from the central maintenance post, then to either side. The sound of steel being wrought apart by massive forces echoed across the valley, intensifying like the scream of a banshee. Water surged through the breaches, forcing the compromised wall apart and surging down the valley, levelling everything in its path.

High up near their covert camp, Max looked over his shoulder, frozen on the spot as he watched the destruction they had unleashed. It felt great and terrible at the same time. This covert shit really did mess with your head.

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

Six could see a warning flash across the terminal in the command center as the pressure began to build. She looked around and grabbed the ID off one of the men in the office, using it to get into the system. From there it was a lot of guesswork to navigate her to the console command prompts. She tried a few things, relying on her old academy training on navigating Imperial systems. After a few tries, she was able to disable the warning system from escalating into an alarm. This meant no reinforcements were arriving anytime soon.

The operation was a rousing success and, best of all, no Imperial lives were lost. She couldn’t contact Levik (@Eccles ), but she could report into HQ that Endor no longer provided strategic value. Optically this would look incredible.

After a while, she found herself back in the insurgent camp. It would be a few hours before they saw Imperials beginning to leave, and that news would reach the Oracle swiftly. Six smiled when she came across Max, the insurgents having lit a small fire in a camp site.

“Good to see you all in one piece,” She said as her gaze panned over them. It had taken a lot of training not to get attached to jobs. Six knew all these insurgents would have terrible endings. Max knew it too. She wondered how he was faring on that front.

“So, Lieutenant,” Six said as she sat down on a log in front of the fire, “As the resident expert on the planet, anything interesting to do around here?” They weren’t in a rush to leave and it was better to confirm that their operation had an actual impact.

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

Max perched on the edge of the log, his broad shoulders hunched over the fire as he stared into the flames. He knew by now that the strange feeling that had come over him had to be contentment. It was quite the stranger after so many difficult missions and frantic struggles gone wrong. Today had gone as well as it could, better even. It felt fucking great.

"You too" he replied as Six sat down, keeping his voice low. They were sat a little way away from the insurgents and Vao and one other were dozing in the twilight. If they were careful, they could speak freely. "But Farrel is a good man - was - I had a hunch the two of you would do just fine".

Max had stripped down to his form-fitting undershirt and holster, but he reached over to his jacket and the inside pocket. "Six" he said "that's all there is, so you know before we start". He pulled out the cigarras and offered her the open case, taking one for himself too.

"There's a surprising amount of stuff you know" he answered, offering her a light, the naked flame illuminating her features. "Would you believe there's actually a stone fortress down near the mountains". He had always fancied checking the place out one day. "Tons more hidden gems here than you'd think".

He look a long drag, slowly blowing wisps of smoke over the fire. "Reckon these guys have taken it too far for any reconditioning?". His gaze lingered on Farrel, innocently cleaning his rifle by torchlight on the far side of the camp.

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

Six wasn’t exactly the shy type, her gaze briefly giving him a onceover in his form fitting attire. However, she was promptly distracted by the cigarra, her eyes widening with genuine delight. She eagerly took one, smiling broadly at him to where he would see the pointed fangs, “I’ve definitely earned one of these for preventing the alarms,” She smirked.

A stone fortress? Six wasn’t about to confess that she had a strong desire for exploring old ruins, especially if they could be haunted or spooky. She quietly smoked where she sat, blowing out smoke rings into the night. The sounds of crickets and other critters of the night resounded all around them. It was actually rather peaceful and a break from the sounds of speeders and industry she always heard.

Six followed his line of sight to Farrel. She knew this was difficult for Max. By now she knew he would make the call that was necessary. However, that didn’t make it sting any less for him. She exhaled another cloud of smoke as she kept watching the insurgent clean his weapon, “Depends,” She said quietly after a long moment, “What brought you back?” She asked as she looked back at Max.

She rose to her feet, deciding that it was best to have this conversation well out of earshot. She announced some excuse about needing to scout the perimeter and beckoned Max to go with her towards this fortress.

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

“Damn right” he said, agreeing heartily. She had totally risen to the challenge in a scenario that must have been outside the usual, even for her. A cigarra was a small reward, even if she was mad about them.

He followed her a little way from camp, fiddling with those belt loops again as he considered her question. Perhaps she was the first person in a long time who had not read his file, or more likely the first one smart enough to know there was more to the story.

”The fact I should never have left”. He walked beside her through the trees. “When the Sith came to Adumar, their Force powers were a new level. I looked up to them from the beginning, all the way through training. From afar, I made them into something they were not. It took the Warmaster showing me them, bowed and broken, for me to realise“.

He slowed to a stop. “I had been betraying the real Empire for years, in outlook at least. I had to come back to make it right”. Who knew if Farrel or the others could be triggered to have the same realisation. Every man was his own story.

They were further from camp now, two figures alone in the twilight forest. It was more peace and quiet than Max had enjoyed in a long time. It gave him the time and space to properly examine Six, a woman who had been all business on their first meeting but was seemingly relaxed about whiling away her time with him now.

“You’re Firrerreo right?” he asked. She had probably been trained from childhood to deflect any question, but she hopefully would not deny the obvious. Max had seldom seen one of her kind in the imperial ranks. He was fairly sure it was the Empire that had massacred her world. “What made you join up?”. She could give him the truth or the cover, he would listen either way.

@Sreeya

 

[Cipher Six]

Six had expected some copout answer, to be honest. It was likely a sensitive subject for him, but it was important to ask if he wanted to consider bringing these insurgents back to the right side. The night was perfect for a stroll through the woods. A glance up revealed a vibrant sky with stars that stretched out for miles. She had only been on industrial planets for her work for years, and this sight always took her breath away. There was nothing but the sounds of their footsteps or their speech.

She paused briefly when he asked her if she were Firrerreo. They both knew she was. She knew why he was asking. Six could have used any cover for this, but she was less inclined to do so. What would she have to gain by it? It would be yet another story to keep up. Six continued walking, taking a narrow path towards where he led them.

“My family emigrated to Imperial space generations ago,” She said, “I’ve had family serve under the Sith dating back to the Clone Wars days and probably before that,” Six said, though she didn’t reveal the name or ties. She glanced over at him, the light of the moon partially illuminating both their faces, “Serving under the Sith was the only way we knew. It was what allowed for prosperity for decades, so no one had reason to believe otherwise.”

It was perhaps the first time someone wouldn’t judge him for his mistakes. Because they weren’t mistakes under the last regime. The split between Sith and Imperials was diving into the unknown. He had made a calculated decision to stick with the path that had proven results in all of history. He simply gambled and lost despite having better odds, “I stayed because the removal of the Sith offered extensive opportunities for Imperials like me. Opportunities that weren’t afforded before.”

Six could see the outline of the fortress up ahead after they walked a bit further. The air was cool and there was an eerie silence. She watched the fortress for a moment before she started walking. A few more steps and she suddenly heard rustling. Six gasped and took back a few steps, “Did you hear that?” She whispered. It was almost comical how concerned she suddenly looked, a far cry from her usually calm and confident demeanor.

@Alhon

 

[Max Dram]

Max was surprised to hear what sounded like the truth. Her Imperial ties went back far, a lot further than his own in fact. It sounded like her family had been in the ranks for decades or more by the time he was playing with wooden swords on Adumar. It was also refreshing that she did not rubbish the old Empire entirely. It had been ruled by the wrong masters, but it seemed they shared an appreciation for the order it had brought to billions.

"Opportunities" Max mused. She was slipping back into her briefing room speak a little, but he was interested in the heart behind. "What opportunities interest you most, Sergeant Barnes?". He could not help playing their characters, even alone.

It was not long before the outline of stone turrets entered Max's vision, silhouetted against the starry sky. He had not realised how far they had walked. He was about to suggest they consider heading back, they were tempting fate leaving the insurgents alone. But then there was a rustling up ahead and Max could not go anywhere. He could be bold, brazen, even reckless. But he would never be seen running from the dark.

"I heard the wind" he replied, sarcastically, catching her as she stepped back into him "or maybe a couple of rabbits. You should know there's much bigger things out here". She looked unusually anxious though. "Don't worry, the place has been abandoned for an age" Max said more softly, scrutinising her in the dark.

@Sreeya