Viper Actual
Ask me about my tourniquet fetish.
Then, 5 ABY.
ISBS Druid, perimeter defense line.
Rockets screamed as they streaked through the air before spiraling down onto the entrenched Imperial defenders. Shrapnel, dirt and debris washed over the dozens or so soldiers fighting for their lives from within trenches, dugouts and waist-high pillboxes.
The defending forces were an odd mix; Dark-green of the Imperial Army was contrasted by the white of the Stormtrooper Corps, both of which in turn were combined with a multitude of different uniforms and armor from specialized units and other Imperial military branches.
A naval officer wearing body armor a size too big screamed in agony as shrapnel singed and burned his already muddied and dirty dress uniform whereas a trio of veteran shoretroopers called out approaching hostiles from behind a wall of sandbags and thick durasteel plates.
Meanwhile a TX-225 GAVw lurched forward all buttoned up and spitting deadly laser fire from all of its weapon mounts as inaccurate bolts scorched its armored hull.
Not too far away from the defensive line- which was situated on an uphill approach leading up to the walled-off complex that was ISBS Druid- a scouting party consisting of a pair of scout troopers, some Imperial army soldiers and a lone death trooper retreated from the thick jungle curtain surrounding the foot of the hill.
As they ran laser bolts, bowcaster shots and rockets followed them, all fired by the pursuing enemy forces and liberated Wookiee laborers with the latter seemingly numbering in the hundreds.
Even now the silhouettes of dark lumbering figures could be seen between the gigantic trees and roots, hinting to what was about to come.
Seeing all of this from his elevated command position at the center of the defense line was Lieutenant Cadrick.
A man in his late forties and a veteran of the Clone Wars, Cadrick's appearance had already been weathered and scarred since before the days of the Empire.
Back then he had been a corporal serving first as a member of the planetary militia of his homeworld before being promoted to sergeant. Cadrick would go on to be an instructor on tactics for the Grand Army of the Republic before being pressed into combat during the Empire's rise to power.
A great many days, months and years had passed since then. Weapons and uniforms changed but politics and the loss of men were still the same.
If not worse.
Cadrick watched the scouting party dive into the relative safety and comfort of friendly lines just as the first hostiles cleared the treeline and entered open terrain.
Most were Wookiees but Cadrick did see some Imperial prison garbs here and there paired with the few ans unique woodland camouflage of Alliance SpecForce troops.
As soon as the encroaching onslaught entered the open the Imperial defenders intensified their efforts. An E-Web was quick to hose one part of the treeline with rapid laser fire, felling scores of attackers.
In return thermal detonators, rockets and deadly longblaster bolts began to focus in on the entrenched weapons team.
Cadrick looked to his right and pointed towards the apparent hideout of the enemy sniper, prompting three shoretroopers to nod and send a deadly mortar barrage downrange.
The lieutenant then ducked down behind cover and spoke into his headset.
"Engineer Faernik, report."
The private comms channel- reserved for squad leaders and key staff- crackled to life almost immediately.
"Lieutenant, sir, I'm almost done with the repairs! Just need to run a systems check and perform a test-fire of the engines."
Cadrick grunted in response while watching the GAVw suffer not one but too direct hits from a rocket launcher. It stopped moving- no doubt because one of the tracks had been struck- before attempting re-orient itself slowly.
"I understand," Cadrick finally said. "But the Wookiees are about to breach our lines. Once we fall back to the walls it will only be down to a matter of minutes."
"Yessir, Faernik out."
Cadrick sighed and grabbed his binoculars to continue observations. His men were holding- barely- and he'd soon have to order them all to fall back to ISBS Druid itself.
Aside from its cliff-side location and the secrecy of its existence Druid had no real tactical advantage with the latter of tve two not really mattering much when the enemy knew you were there in the first place. ISBS Druid was but a lone metal structure surrounded by a thin perimeter wall dotted with automated surveillance systems and spotlights. It had a couple of hangars for smaller land vehicles and walkers as well as a pair of warehouses for supplies.
Beyond that there were three landing pads jutting out of the structure itself of which currently only one remained occupied. It was on this pad that engineer Faernik was working alongside a team of volunteers and non-combat staff to repair and restore a cargo shuttle into working order.
The shuttle had been left behind as the ISB command staff had loaded up anything of worth and themselves onto their own Lambda-shuttle and Druid's second cargo craft, leaving Cadrick, his men and those deemed 'non-essential' by the collapsing Imperial Security Bureau.
Of course this decision had not been a popular one, as testified by the dozen corpses at the smaller landing pad after they decided to rush towards the command staff.
The pinpoint weapons fire from the ISB chief's personal guard had proven to be a deterrent enough though ultimately they too were left behind as the shuttles departed.
Even now Cadrick could hear the deep and hearty laugh of the ISB major that had left them all behind;
You will stay here, for the Empire. You will die as well- if that is what's asked of you. These are your final orders, lieutenant.
Major Tarnack was not only fat and pompous but a coward as well. His final words to Cadrick would echo in the latter's mind for as long as he lived. There were also a second voice, one of much darker tone, that spoke of revenge.
Such thoughts would have to wait however. Tarnack was long gone, as were those deemed important enough to go with him. What mattered now was winning the battle at hand or at the very least surviving long enough to escape.
One day I will come for you, Tarnack. One day.
Cadrick's thoughts were interrupted as the leader of the scouting team- Corporal Kyran Racksen, a death trooper- appeared next to him, sliding into cover while cursing.
"Karking rebels," he muttered, voice scrambler disabled. Racksen then nodded towards Cadrick.
"Lieutenant, scouting party as requested. As you can see we found the rebels- and they invited themselves here as well."
Cadrick nodded. "That I can see, corporal."
"Yes, you can probably tell by this point that we didn't manage to get a head-start on our way back," replied Kyran.
The death trooper then gestured towards the sandbag wall he was currently leaning his back against. "On a positive note I can report that they have no vehicles or aircraft as of you yet- that goes for both the laborers and the Alliance troops, sir."
Cadrick grunted. "What about the garrison?"
Racksen shook his head. "Gone, as are the reinforcements from Camp Sardo and Kachirho. For all we know they're either busy fighting their own uprisings or they've already been overrun too, if they weren't the first to go."
Cadrick bit his tongue, stopping himself from swearing in front of Racksen and the other soldiers and junior officers around him.
Command with example.
He looked up at Kyran and nodded twice. "If there's no backup coming let alone anything to divide their attention then we need to change our plans."
Kyran tilted his helmeted head. "Sir?"
"Corporal, the Wookiees view anything Imperial as something that obstructs their freedom. If we are the last ones here- truly last- then that means we are the singular bump that stands between the Wookiees and their objective. Not only that, but if we are indeed the last ones here then Alliance SpecForce will hit us hard and fast."
Cadrick paused and lowered his tone; "I don't need to tell you what happens when military special forces engage a soft target, do I?"
As if on cue another rocket barrage came soaring through the sky before crashing down into the trenchlines. Cadrick pointed towards Kyran.
"Pass the word. It's time to fall back. We're gonna have to go real soon whether Faernik likes it or not."
Just then a choir of a hundred voices roared which was immediately followed by the chorus of thousands of feet rushing forth.
Damn the Emperor, to hell with him and his schemes. Just let me get my men out of here.
Now, 9 ABY.
Horvaan, Kat's Cantina.
Back during the Clone Wars the CIS had strip-mined Horvaan of rare-earth minerals for use in construction of mighty dreadnoughts. The gas giant had been subjected to mining as well, providing the CIS with a moderate amount of Tibanna gas.
However, at the end of the Clone Wars- and during the rise of the Galactic Empire- Horvaan had been abandoned with extreme haste as remaining Separatist holdouts sought to consolidate what few resources they were still in control of.
Suddenly abandoned, most of the equipment and facilities on Horvaan fell into decay. Refineries began to rust, mines collapsed and mining vehicles were torn to shreds by violent dust storms ravaging the Horvaani Plainlands.
The planet would later be colonized during the Empire's early years by refugees, hermits and others who wished to separate themselves from the rest of the galaxy. Horvaan would become a paradise for many- or a second chance free of oppression from the Confederacy, Republic and Empire.
In turn this would make Horvaan something of an urban legend; Couriers, traders and smugglers began to whisper of a world only present on rare Clone Wars-era maps, mapped only by the Confederate military.
Thankfully these maps and starcharts are rare and few between, further immortalizing Horvaan as a mere myth.
Something I will truly be forever grateful for.
Katresh Jalaan, founder and owner of Kat's Cantina, thought to herself as she looked out her office window. Situated at a hill next to Emergence- Horvaan's largest (and only) settlement- the round cantina building with its dome-shaped third-floor office overlooked most of the sprawling settlement.
Emergence was a mix of pre-fabricated module buildings, shacks made out of junk and scrap, retired starships and hand-built houses. Kat's cantina was one of the latter, having been built by hand with help from all of Emergence. It was one of few houses constructed by the community itself with more on the way.
Sighing, Kat gently caressed her own montrals as she watched both groups and singular people walk about minding their own business.
Horvaan had this calm and tranquility which you couldn't see on any other planet, at least not any Kat had been to.
Her eyes wandered north, to the Azure Sea which Emergence shared its borders with in the form of long and even red beaches.
During dusk the otherwise blue sea would turn purple and violet, illuminating most of Emergence with a faint azure glow throughout the early hours of the evening.
A boom.
Katresh shifted her focus, this time onto two ships which had appeared far away in the clear skies above the settlement. She instinctively grabbed her binoculars to gaze upwards- as she knew that most other settlers would do as well- and felt herself tense up at the sight of one Sentinel-class shuttle and one Zeta-class heavy cargo shuttle.
Immediately her left hand began to search for the holster she had so lazily placed atop her office desk when the shuttles turned, revealing no Imperial insignia but that of some of her most lurcative customers;
Cadrick's Outlaws.
Feeling her shoulders droop slightly, Katresh both sighed with relief and muttered a curse. On any other world this long after the collapse of the Empire the mere sight of Imperial starships would have an entire village scurrying for cover.
Imperial warlords were known to be both ruthless and without mercy when seizing supplies detrimental for their continued survival on the run from the New Republic and while Cadrick and his men were friends of her Kat was still far away from feeling comfortable with seeing anything Imperial.
I guess that's one wound time won't heal just yet.
Shaking her head, Kat got up and readied herself to go down and meet her customers.
The cantina jukebox was blasting away on full volume- as always. Despite that there weren't actually that many guests currently present inside;
A couple of locals sitting by themselves, a smuggler winding down after a couple of days of flight and some airspeeder pilots talking about the latest upgrades they're looking to install into their respective craft. When the doors to the cantina opened to reveal not only uniformed but several armored (and armed) men and women the chatter stopped for a brief moment before quietly resuming.
CRO-407, the cantina bartender droid, looked up and waved to greet the newcomers. "Welcome! Welcome to K-"
"Kat's Cantina, yeah, we know, nice to see you too, Crowe." Said Kyran Racksen as he removed his slightly worn but otherwise pristine Death Trooper helmet. Like many others under Cadrick's command his face showed a general wear and tear as did his armor, with minor modifications and patchwork here and there that made it less awful to spend longer-than-intended amounts of time in.
Sergeant Val Kitressi bumped into Kyran and made a loud snort as the Death Trooper nearly toppled over, prompting some other troopers to laugh and chuckle.
"Getting old, Racksen? Or do you just need someone to tuck you in?" Kit asked, pouting.
Racksen rolled his eyes as he got back on even footing. "You were just lucky, Sergeant."
By now the members of the company were spreading out across the cantina with some getting together with their usual groups, such as squadmates and close friends. Remaining at the door however was none other than Lieutenant Haldon Cadrick himself. Dressed in the typical brownish coat of the Imperial Army he was wearing his uniform underneath it without the frontal body armor.
Once all of his men had seated himself he made a low grunt, carefully removed his officer's cap and entered the cantina proper, nodding politely towards CRO-407.
"Crowe," he said, nodding.
CRO-407 mimicked the gesture and poured an orange-tinted drink. Non-alcoholic, as per usual.
"Lieutenant," the droid replied as it placed the drink on the counter and collected a neat stack of credit chits which had already been placed there a mere second beforehand.
Cadrick nodded and took a sip which he allowed to linger for a moment before looking up. "Mistress Jalaan?" He asked with one eyebrow raised.
"On her way, lieutenant."
As if planned beforehand Katresh appeared at the foot of the spiral staircase at the back of the cantina which led up to the hostel rooms and Kat's private quarters and office above. She took a seat next to Cadrick and greeted him with a nod.
"Lieutenant Cadrick," she said while dismissing an incoming drink from CRO-407.
Cadrick bowed his head respectfully. "Mistress Jalaan."
Katresh frowned and shook her head lightly. "You know I don't like it when you use that title. Makes it sound like I'm some old Rancor." She glanced down at Cadrick's drink and tilted her head. "You really should taste one of the other drinks, Haldon."
Cadrick shrugged. "I'm on duty."
Kat frowned. "You always say that."
"The life of an officer," said Cadrick. Several of his troopers at the back of the cantina broke into laughter, prompting him to look in their direction. Someone was telling a vivid story.
Nothing to worry about.
He took another sip and refocused on Kat. "Got any work for us, Katresh?"
Kat feigned a smile and produced a holographic transmitter with one swift motion. "As a matter of fact I do. Security work. Client needs an escort. Local, here on Horvaan."
Cadrick raised an eyebrow. "I'm listening..."
Bronco
Commissar Darman
Darth
Grim Wraithe Stjerna
Jackson123
Jagson
Kloudy
ONI
archur
Solar Daddy
Worthlessplebian
ISBS Druid, perimeter defense line.
"INCOMING!"
Rockets screamed as they streaked through the air before spiraling down onto the entrenched Imperial defenders. Shrapnel, dirt and debris washed over the dozens or so soldiers fighting for their lives from within trenches, dugouts and waist-high pillboxes.
The defending forces were an odd mix; Dark-green of the Imperial Army was contrasted by the white of the Stormtrooper Corps, both of which in turn were combined with a multitude of different uniforms and armor from specialized units and other Imperial military branches.
A naval officer wearing body armor a size too big screamed in agony as shrapnel singed and burned his already muddied and dirty dress uniform whereas a trio of veteran shoretroopers called out approaching hostiles from behind a wall of sandbags and thick durasteel plates.
Meanwhile a TX-225 GAVw lurched forward all buttoned up and spitting deadly laser fire from all of its weapon mounts as inaccurate bolts scorched its armored hull.
Not too far away from the defensive line- which was situated on an uphill approach leading up to the walled-off complex that was ISBS Druid- a scouting party consisting of a pair of scout troopers, some Imperial army soldiers and a lone death trooper retreated from the thick jungle curtain surrounding the foot of the hill.
As they ran laser bolts, bowcaster shots and rockets followed them, all fired by the pursuing enemy forces and liberated Wookiee laborers with the latter seemingly numbering in the hundreds.
Even now the silhouettes of dark lumbering figures could be seen between the gigantic trees and roots, hinting to what was about to come.
Seeing all of this from his elevated command position at the center of the defense line was Lieutenant Cadrick.
A man in his late forties and a veteran of the Clone Wars, Cadrick's appearance had already been weathered and scarred since before the days of the Empire.
Back then he had been a corporal serving first as a member of the planetary militia of his homeworld before being promoted to sergeant. Cadrick would go on to be an instructor on tactics for the Grand Army of the Republic before being pressed into combat during the Empire's rise to power.
A great many days, months and years had passed since then. Weapons and uniforms changed but politics and the loss of men were still the same.
If not worse.
Cadrick watched the scouting party dive into the relative safety and comfort of friendly lines just as the first hostiles cleared the treeline and entered open terrain.
Most were Wookiees but Cadrick did see some Imperial prison garbs here and there paired with the few ans unique woodland camouflage of Alliance SpecForce troops.
As soon as the encroaching onslaught entered the open the Imperial defenders intensified their efforts. An E-Web was quick to hose one part of the treeline with rapid laser fire, felling scores of attackers.
In return thermal detonators, rockets and deadly longblaster bolts began to focus in on the entrenched weapons team.
Cadrick looked to his right and pointed towards the apparent hideout of the enemy sniper, prompting three shoretroopers to nod and send a deadly mortar barrage downrange.
The lieutenant then ducked down behind cover and spoke into his headset.
"Engineer Faernik, report."
The private comms channel- reserved for squad leaders and key staff- crackled to life almost immediately.
"Lieutenant, sir, I'm almost done with the repairs! Just need to run a systems check and perform a test-fire of the engines."
Cadrick grunted in response while watching the GAVw suffer not one but too direct hits from a rocket launcher. It stopped moving- no doubt because one of the tracks had been struck- before attempting re-orient itself slowly.
"I understand," Cadrick finally said. "But the Wookiees are about to breach our lines. Once we fall back to the walls it will only be down to a matter of minutes."
"Yessir, Faernik out."
Cadrick sighed and grabbed his binoculars to continue observations. His men were holding- barely- and he'd soon have to order them all to fall back to ISBS Druid itself.
Aside from its cliff-side location and the secrecy of its existence Druid had no real tactical advantage with the latter of tve two not really mattering much when the enemy knew you were there in the first place. ISBS Druid was but a lone metal structure surrounded by a thin perimeter wall dotted with automated surveillance systems and spotlights. It had a couple of hangars for smaller land vehicles and walkers as well as a pair of warehouses for supplies.
Beyond that there were three landing pads jutting out of the structure itself of which currently only one remained occupied. It was on this pad that engineer Faernik was working alongside a team of volunteers and non-combat staff to repair and restore a cargo shuttle into working order.
The shuttle had been left behind as the ISB command staff had loaded up anything of worth and themselves onto their own Lambda-shuttle and Druid's second cargo craft, leaving Cadrick, his men and those deemed 'non-essential' by the collapsing Imperial Security Bureau.
Of course this decision had not been a popular one, as testified by the dozen corpses at the smaller landing pad after they decided to rush towards the command staff.
The pinpoint weapons fire from the ISB chief's personal guard had proven to be a deterrent enough though ultimately they too were left behind as the shuttles departed.
Even now Cadrick could hear the deep and hearty laugh of the ISB major that had left them all behind;
You will stay here, for the Empire. You will die as well- if that is what's asked of you. These are your final orders, lieutenant.
Major Tarnack was not only fat and pompous but a coward as well. His final words to Cadrick would echo in the latter's mind for as long as he lived. There were also a second voice, one of much darker tone, that spoke of revenge.
Such thoughts would have to wait however. Tarnack was long gone, as were those deemed important enough to go with him. What mattered now was winning the battle at hand or at the very least surviving long enough to escape.
One day I will come for you, Tarnack. One day.
Cadrick's thoughts were interrupted as the leader of the scouting team- Corporal Kyran Racksen, a death trooper- appeared next to him, sliding into cover while cursing.
"Karking rebels," he muttered, voice scrambler disabled. Racksen then nodded towards Cadrick.
"Lieutenant, scouting party as requested. As you can see we found the rebels- and they invited themselves here as well."
Cadrick nodded. "That I can see, corporal."
"Yes, you can probably tell by this point that we didn't manage to get a head-start on our way back," replied Kyran.
The death trooper then gestured towards the sandbag wall he was currently leaning his back against. "On a positive note I can report that they have no vehicles or aircraft as of you yet- that goes for both the laborers and the Alliance troops, sir."
Cadrick grunted. "What about the garrison?"
Racksen shook his head. "Gone, as are the reinforcements from Camp Sardo and Kachirho. For all we know they're either busy fighting their own uprisings or they've already been overrun too, if they weren't the first to go."
Cadrick bit his tongue, stopping himself from swearing in front of Racksen and the other soldiers and junior officers around him.
Command with example.
He looked up at Kyran and nodded twice. "If there's no backup coming let alone anything to divide their attention then we need to change our plans."
Kyran tilted his helmeted head. "Sir?"
"Corporal, the Wookiees view anything Imperial as something that obstructs their freedom. If we are the last ones here- truly last- then that means we are the singular bump that stands between the Wookiees and their objective. Not only that, but if we are indeed the last ones here then Alliance SpecForce will hit us hard and fast."
Cadrick paused and lowered his tone; "I don't need to tell you what happens when military special forces engage a soft target, do I?"
As if on cue another rocket barrage came soaring through the sky before crashing down into the trenchlines. Cadrick pointed towards Kyran.
"Pass the word. It's time to fall back. We're gonna have to go real soon whether Faernik likes it or not."
Just then a choir of a hundred voices roared which was immediately followed by the chorus of thousands of feet rushing forth.
Damn the Emperor, to hell with him and his schemes. Just let me get my men out of here.
Now, 9 ABY.
Horvaan, Kat's Cantina.
Once a mineral-rich world in the tight grip of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, Horvaan was a relatively small moon orbiting a larger gas giant in a mostly uncharted system far on the edges of the Outer Rim.Back during the Clone Wars the CIS had strip-mined Horvaan of rare-earth minerals for use in construction of mighty dreadnoughts. The gas giant had been subjected to mining as well, providing the CIS with a moderate amount of Tibanna gas.
However, at the end of the Clone Wars- and during the rise of the Galactic Empire- Horvaan had been abandoned with extreme haste as remaining Separatist holdouts sought to consolidate what few resources they were still in control of.
Suddenly abandoned, most of the equipment and facilities on Horvaan fell into decay. Refineries began to rust, mines collapsed and mining vehicles were torn to shreds by violent dust storms ravaging the Horvaani Plainlands.
The planet would later be colonized during the Empire's early years by refugees, hermits and others who wished to separate themselves from the rest of the galaxy. Horvaan would become a paradise for many- or a second chance free of oppression from the Confederacy, Republic and Empire.
In turn this would make Horvaan something of an urban legend; Couriers, traders and smugglers began to whisper of a world only present on rare Clone Wars-era maps, mapped only by the Confederate military.
Thankfully these maps and starcharts are rare and few between, further immortalizing Horvaan as a mere myth.
Something I will truly be forever grateful for.
Katresh Jalaan, founder and owner of Kat's Cantina, thought to herself as she looked out her office window. Situated at a hill next to Emergence- Horvaan's largest (and only) settlement- the round cantina building with its dome-shaped third-floor office overlooked most of the sprawling settlement.
Emergence was a mix of pre-fabricated module buildings, shacks made out of junk and scrap, retired starships and hand-built houses. Kat's cantina was one of the latter, having been built by hand with help from all of Emergence. It was one of few houses constructed by the community itself with more on the way.
Sighing, Kat gently caressed her own montrals as she watched both groups and singular people walk about minding their own business.
Horvaan had this calm and tranquility which you couldn't see on any other planet, at least not any Kat had been to.
Her eyes wandered north, to the Azure Sea which Emergence shared its borders with in the form of long and even red beaches.
During dusk the otherwise blue sea would turn purple and violet, illuminating most of Emergence with a faint azure glow throughout the early hours of the evening.
A boom.
Katresh shifted her focus, this time onto two ships which had appeared far away in the clear skies above the settlement. She instinctively grabbed her binoculars to gaze upwards- as she knew that most other settlers would do as well- and felt herself tense up at the sight of one Sentinel-class shuttle and one Zeta-class heavy cargo shuttle.
Immediately her left hand began to search for the holster she had so lazily placed atop her office desk when the shuttles turned, revealing no Imperial insignia but that of some of her most lurcative customers;
Cadrick's Outlaws.
Feeling her shoulders droop slightly, Katresh both sighed with relief and muttered a curse. On any other world this long after the collapse of the Empire the mere sight of Imperial starships would have an entire village scurrying for cover.
Imperial warlords were known to be both ruthless and without mercy when seizing supplies detrimental for their continued survival on the run from the New Republic and while Cadrick and his men were friends of her Kat was still far away from feeling comfortable with seeing anything Imperial.
I guess that's one wound time won't heal just yet.
Shaking her head, Kat got up and readied herself to go down and meet her customers.
*
The cantina jukebox was blasting away on full volume- as always. Despite that there weren't actually that many guests currently present inside;
A couple of locals sitting by themselves, a smuggler winding down after a couple of days of flight and some airspeeder pilots talking about the latest upgrades they're looking to install into their respective craft. When the doors to the cantina opened to reveal not only uniformed but several armored (and armed) men and women the chatter stopped for a brief moment before quietly resuming.
CRO-407, the cantina bartender droid, looked up and waved to greet the newcomers. "Welcome! Welcome to K-"
"Kat's Cantina, yeah, we know, nice to see you too, Crowe." Said Kyran Racksen as he removed his slightly worn but otherwise pristine Death Trooper helmet. Like many others under Cadrick's command his face showed a general wear and tear as did his armor, with minor modifications and patchwork here and there that made it less awful to spend longer-than-intended amounts of time in.
Sergeant Val Kitressi bumped into Kyran and made a loud snort as the Death Trooper nearly toppled over, prompting some other troopers to laugh and chuckle.
"Getting old, Racksen? Or do you just need someone to tuck you in?" Kit asked, pouting.
Racksen rolled his eyes as he got back on even footing. "You were just lucky, Sergeant."
By now the members of the company were spreading out across the cantina with some getting together with their usual groups, such as squadmates and close friends. Remaining at the door however was none other than Lieutenant Haldon Cadrick himself. Dressed in the typical brownish coat of the Imperial Army he was wearing his uniform underneath it without the frontal body armor.
Once all of his men had seated himself he made a low grunt, carefully removed his officer's cap and entered the cantina proper, nodding politely towards CRO-407.
"Crowe," he said, nodding.
CRO-407 mimicked the gesture and poured an orange-tinted drink. Non-alcoholic, as per usual.
"Lieutenant," the droid replied as it placed the drink on the counter and collected a neat stack of credit chits which had already been placed there a mere second beforehand.
Cadrick nodded and took a sip which he allowed to linger for a moment before looking up. "Mistress Jalaan?" He asked with one eyebrow raised.
"On her way, lieutenant."
As if planned beforehand Katresh appeared at the foot of the spiral staircase at the back of the cantina which led up to the hostel rooms and Kat's private quarters and office above. She took a seat next to Cadrick and greeted him with a nod.
"Lieutenant Cadrick," she said while dismissing an incoming drink from CRO-407.
Cadrick bowed his head respectfully. "Mistress Jalaan."
Katresh frowned and shook her head lightly. "You know I don't like it when you use that title. Makes it sound like I'm some old Rancor." She glanced down at Cadrick's drink and tilted her head. "You really should taste one of the other drinks, Haldon."
Cadrick shrugged. "I'm on duty."
Kat frowned. "You always say that."
"The life of an officer," said Cadrick. Several of his troopers at the back of the cantina broke into laughter, prompting him to look in their direction. Someone was telling a vivid story.
Nothing to worry about.
He took another sip and refocused on Kat. "Got any work for us, Katresh?"
Kat feigned a smile and produced a holographic transmitter with one swift motion. "As a matter of fact I do. Security work. Client needs an escort. Local, here on Horvaan."
Cadrick raised an eyebrow. "I'm listening..."
Bronco
Commissar Darman
Darth
Grim Wraithe Stjerna
Jackson123
Jagson
Kloudy
ONI
archur
Solar Daddy
Worthlessplebian
