Diplomatic Relations (Pt 8)
Yesterday
The dawn came hot and early. All traces of the storm that had drenched Stawl for the past few days were burned away under the bright sun. The members of the Fringe woke with the first rays of light. Their activity woke the pilots, who had learned to grab what sleep they could when they could, and who were not incredibly pleased about being woken hours before the start of the mission.
Never a fan of mornings, Dara set about her preparations silently, then disappeared into the kitchen to speak quietly with Josh. Jayem was also quiet, but he glared malevolently at everyone who came near, as if daring them to speak with him. Redding and Dog, after their initial grumbling, were a little more amiable and gave Jayem a wide berth, though Dog made more than one comment about how many hours there were still before they could leave.
In the kitchen, Dara leaned against the counter, her back to the window and the glaring sun. Josh, the only other person in the room, sat at the table a few feet away. He looked worried and pensive. Dara nibbled a corner of her pastry and watched him for a minute before speaking.
“It’ll be okay, Josh.”
He looked up, slightly startled, as if he had forgotten she was standing there. “What if the mechanics won’t give you the speeder?”
She shrugged. “Then we take it.”
“What if you’re stopped? What if the ID card is denied? What if you’re followed?”
Dara held up a hand to cut off the stream of what-ifs. “Then we’ll adapt,” she said calmly. “That’s our job. What you should worry about is what happens after we come back. Marna will be a fugitive. You’ll probably be looking at another Lock Down.”
Josh nodded. “Marna is going to be a non-person without identity papers. He won’t be able to stay here. We’ve had plans for getting him out, but we always thought they would be needed when a warrant came out for his arrest. We have a place for him outside the city, but we’ll need some time to get him there.”
“So, you’ll need a distraction.”
“It would help.”
Dara looked thoughtful. “I think we can come up with something. It won’t be very long, though. Get everything ready to go before we get back.”
Josh nodded gratefully. “We’ll be ready.”
In the living room, Jayem sat on the couch, glowering at everyone who walked by. Zack and Stella were the only ones who dared to enter the living room. Stella smiled at Jayem; Zack ignored him and walked over to the window.
“The rain’s gone,” he commented to Stella. “Sun’s out. That’s a good sign.”
Jayem snorted derisively. “Oh, please,” he said scornfully. “Don’t tell me you believe that meteorological patterns will have any sort of bearing on our mission.”
Zack shot him a withering glance and did not answer, but refused to leave.
The morning wore on. There were a dozen tasks to be finished, and even more when Josh announced they would be abandoning the safe house and everything needed to be ready to go before, and he said it resolutely avoiding the word “if,” Marna returned. There was an excited buzz of activity that followed, prompting a smile from Dara.
Dog’s mood improved every minute that passed, brining them closer to departure. Even Jayem’s fierce glower subsided, though he still spoke to no one. Eventually, he looked more thoughtful than anything. Redding ensconced himself in the computer room, and began to perfect the orders that he would be feeding to the Stawlian Capitol Detention Center computers. Dara made sure she had the copies of all the files the pilots would need to clear Raven and prove the State’s duplicity.
Two hours before they were supposed to leave, Redding, Dara, Josh, Dog, and Zack were all in the computer room. Jayem was off by himself, deep in thought and refusing to tell anyone what he was contemplating. Stella was organizing the packing of the speeders that would carry most of the contents of the safe house away before midday, leaving the others to go over the last minute details of the plan.
Zack was fidgety, just like a green pilot on his first mission. “Hey, Red, did you get the orders ready?”
Redding spared him a withering glare before continuing his work.
“What?” Zack asked, spreading his hands. “What did I say?”
Dara laughed. “He hates to be called Red,” she shared in a stage whisper. “He’s also offended that you would think he hasn’t done his job.”
“Oh.” Zack flushed, embarrassed. “Sorry.”
Redding nodded his forgiveness without taking his eyes from the computer screen.
“We have less than two hours before we leave,” Dara said. “Is everyone clear on where they need to be and what they’ll be doing?”
“I’m getting the military speeder from the mechanics,” Dog said. “Then I bring it to the cross street two blocks from here—”
“—where Dara and I will be waiting to join you,” Zack said. “We go to the Detention Center and get Marna. Then we go to the Old Square—”
“—to meet with Stella and myself,” Josh continued. “We return to the safe house to get the computer equipment—”
“—where I’ve been sitting, making sure nothing goes wrong,” Redding said. “We all meet, then Stella, Zack, Marna, and Josh leave the city—”
“—and then we finally get to go home!” Dog finished gleefully. The expression on his face plainly showed that he was more than done with Stawl and ready to leave.
Dara smiled proudly. “Just so,” she said. “Josh, do your people know what do when we leave?”
“Jayse and Donnal are taking the speeders, twenty minutes apart, to the new safe houses. Lyem is staying here to take Stella, Zack, Marna, myself, and the rest of the computer equipment out of town, on the chance that Zack is recognized.”
“And Redding showed you how to monitor security communications to find out if that happens?”
“Redding showed us all kinds of useful tricks,” Zack said happily. “We should be able to find out anything we want, wreak havoc with their systems and not get caught.”
Redding smirked, and Dara nodded approvingly.
“Everything in place, Redding?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” he reported. “The speeder will be at the mechanic’s in an hour, I changed Marna’s departure to fit our timetable, and the rest of the orders are ready to go.”
“Good work.”
“I’m going to go check on the packing,” Josh said and left the room with Zack on his heels.
“Can I have a word, Dara?” Dog asked.
“Certainly. But only one.” She smiled, and they withdrew to a corner. “What’s on your mind?”
“We were talking last night—Jayem, Redding, and me—and we were wondering… what about our X-wings? And yes,” he said swiftly, seeing the teasing remark beginning to form, “I realize that was more than one word.”
Dara grinned unrepentantly, then sobered. “The State had them impounded. I’ve spoken with Marna and Josh about it, and their best guess is the spaceport, but that is only a guess. They’re certainly guarded, though.”
“Then…?” Dog spread his hands in an unspoken question.
“We won’t have time to look for them, Dog,” she said apologetically. “We’ll be cutting it close as it is. We’ll ship out with Raven and the diplomatic team, and let the New Republic try to get our starfighters back. I don’t like it either,” she said in response to the sour look on her comrade’s face. “But we don’t have much choice. Our movements are limited, even if we weren’t mounting a rescue operation.”
Despite his disgruntled expression, Dog nodded his understanding and rejoined Redding to pass along Dara’s answer.
The last thirty minutes dragged by even slower than the previous hours had. Everyone succumbed to eyeing their chronos every two minutes. All preparations were complete and there was little left to do but wait. Dara, Zack, and Dog were wearing the all-black outfits worn by the guards, to be supplemented by the official jackets that would complete the disguise when the moment came. Redding had all security camera feeds up to monitor their progress. Stella and Josh had prepped the other speeder and were ready to leave for the Old Square.
Finally, Dara gathered everyone in the entrance hall with five minutes left. Excited tension practically hummed in the air, and she saw a level of enthusiasm in the members of the Fringe that had not been there before. She looked around. “You all know what to do?” The handful of people around her all nodded eagerly. Dara grinned, a nasty feral grin that promised bad things for anyone who would dare get in her way. “Then let’s go.”
Her words brought about an instant flurry of activity. Redding and Lyem hurried back to the computer room; Jayse and Donnal went to the speeders, along with Josh and Stella; Dog headed out the front door on his way to the mechanic’s; and Dara and Zack followed him a minute later, appearing to be leaving for a leisurely stroll. Everyone was excited and nervous.
It took Dog fifteen minutes to walk to the shop. He was easily able to bribe the mechanics to let him borrow the speeder, promising to return it within two hours. He told them it was to win a bet with a long time rival. The mechanics couldn’t understand why it had been sent for maintenance in the first place and were happy to make some extra money, so they asked no questions.
Dog brought the speeder to the cross street where Zack and Dara waited, wearing the black uniforms of the Stawlian Guard, but with their jackets, and Dog’s, draped over their arms. Zack took the driver’s seat and Dog slid into the back with Dara. They all shrugged into their jackets and made the twenty minute trip in apprehensive silence.
The detention facility looked menacing with its sharp angles and hard surfaces. There was no landscaping, only harsh metal and duracrete. Zack swallowed hard; Dara noticed and laughed sympathetically.
“Just stick to the plan, Zack, and we’ll be out before it can bite you.”
Zack nodded and brought the speeder to a smooth stop before the guard stationed at the entrance. He managed to keep his expression neutral, almost bored, as he handed over his ID card and waited for clearance. The guard glanced idly in the back of the speeder, nodding to Dara and Dog, but did not comment. He returned the ID badge and waved them through. Zack nearly melted into his seat from relief.
“We’re not through yet,” Dara said quietly. “Keep it together.”
At that, Zack straightened. He guided the speeder to the building where the prisoner transfers were made. Then, taking a deep breath to steel himself, he got out of the speeder and walked to the guard on duty.
They had reached the point of the mission where nothing they could do would get them to Marna. They had to trust to Redding’s falsified orders, hope that the system hadn’t already corrupted them, and wait for the State to bring Marna to them. Dara and Dog let their hands rest on their weapons, just in case a hasty exit would be necessary, and waited.
(to be continued...)
The dawn came hot and early. All traces of the storm that had drenched Stawl for the past few days were burned away under the bright sun. The members of the Fringe woke with the first rays of light. Their activity woke the pilots, who had learned to grab what sleep they could when they could, and who were not incredibly pleased about being woken hours before the start of the mission.
Never a fan of mornings, Dara set about her preparations silently, then disappeared into the kitchen to speak quietly with Josh. Jayem was also quiet, but he glared malevolently at everyone who came near, as if daring them to speak with him. Redding and Dog, after their initial grumbling, were a little more amiable and gave Jayem a wide berth, though Dog made more than one comment about how many hours there were still before they could leave.
In the kitchen, Dara leaned against the counter, her back to the window and the glaring sun. Josh, the only other person in the room, sat at the table a few feet away. He looked worried and pensive. Dara nibbled a corner of her pastry and watched him for a minute before speaking.
“It’ll be okay, Josh.”
He looked up, slightly startled, as if he had forgotten she was standing there. “What if the mechanics won’t give you the speeder?”
She shrugged. “Then we take it.”
“What if you’re stopped? What if the ID card is denied? What if you’re followed?”
Dara held up a hand to cut off the stream of what-ifs. “Then we’ll adapt,” she said calmly. “That’s our job. What you should worry about is what happens after we come back. Marna will be a fugitive. You’ll probably be looking at another Lock Down.”
Josh nodded. “Marna is going to be a non-person without identity papers. He won’t be able to stay here. We’ve had plans for getting him out, but we always thought they would be needed when a warrant came out for his arrest. We have a place for him outside the city, but we’ll need some time to get him there.”
“So, you’ll need a distraction.”
“It would help.”
Dara looked thoughtful. “I think we can come up with something. It won’t be very long, though. Get everything ready to go before we get back.”
Josh nodded gratefully. “We’ll be ready.”
In the living room, Jayem sat on the couch, glowering at everyone who walked by. Zack and Stella were the only ones who dared to enter the living room. Stella smiled at Jayem; Zack ignored him and walked over to the window.
“The rain’s gone,” he commented to Stella. “Sun’s out. That’s a good sign.”
Jayem snorted derisively. “Oh, please,” he said scornfully. “Don’t tell me you believe that meteorological patterns will have any sort of bearing on our mission.”
Zack shot him a withering glance and did not answer, but refused to leave.
The morning wore on. There were a dozen tasks to be finished, and even more when Josh announced they would be abandoning the safe house and everything needed to be ready to go before, and he said it resolutely avoiding the word “if,” Marna returned. There was an excited buzz of activity that followed, prompting a smile from Dara.
Dog’s mood improved every minute that passed, brining them closer to departure. Even Jayem’s fierce glower subsided, though he still spoke to no one. Eventually, he looked more thoughtful than anything. Redding ensconced himself in the computer room, and began to perfect the orders that he would be feeding to the Stawlian Capitol Detention Center computers. Dara made sure she had the copies of all the files the pilots would need to clear Raven and prove the State’s duplicity.
Two hours before they were supposed to leave, Redding, Dara, Josh, Dog, and Zack were all in the computer room. Jayem was off by himself, deep in thought and refusing to tell anyone what he was contemplating. Stella was organizing the packing of the speeders that would carry most of the contents of the safe house away before midday, leaving the others to go over the last minute details of the plan.
Zack was fidgety, just like a green pilot on his first mission. “Hey, Red, did you get the orders ready?”
Redding spared him a withering glare before continuing his work.
“What?” Zack asked, spreading his hands. “What did I say?”
Dara laughed. “He hates to be called Red,” she shared in a stage whisper. “He’s also offended that you would think he hasn’t done his job.”
“Oh.” Zack flushed, embarrassed. “Sorry.”
Redding nodded his forgiveness without taking his eyes from the computer screen.
“We have less than two hours before we leave,” Dara said. “Is everyone clear on where they need to be and what they’ll be doing?”
“I’m getting the military speeder from the mechanics,” Dog said. “Then I bring it to the cross street two blocks from here—”
“—where Dara and I will be waiting to join you,” Zack said. “We go to the Detention Center and get Marna. Then we go to the Old Square—”
“—to meet with Stella and myself,” Josh continued. “We return to the safe house to get the computer equipment—”
“—where I’ve been sitting, making sure nothing goes wrong,” Redding said. “We all meet, then Stella, Zack, Marna, and Josh leave the city—”
“—and then we finally get to go home!” Dog finished gleefully. The expression on his face plainly showed that he was more than done with Stawl and ready to leave.
Dara smiled proudly. “Just so,” she said. “Josh, do your people know what do when we leave?”
“Jayse and Donnal are taking the speeders, twenty minutes apart, to the new safe houses. Lyem is staying here to take Stella, Zack, Marna, myself, and the rest of the computer equipment out of town, on the chance that Zack is recognized.”
“And Redding showed you how to monitor security communications to find out if that happens?”
“Redding showed us all kinds of useful tricks,” Zack said happily. “We should be able to find out anything we want, wreak havoc with their systems and not get caught.”
Redding smirked, and Dara nodded approvingly.
“Everything in place, Redding?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” he reported. “The speeder will be at the mechanic’s in an hour, I changed Marna’s departure to fit our timetable, and the rest of the orders are ready to go.”
“Good work.”
“I’m going to go check on the packing,” Josh said and left the room with Zack on his heels.
“Can I have a word, Dara?” Dog asked.
“Certainly. But only one.” She smiled, and they withdrew to a corner. “What’s on your mind?”
“We were talking last night—Jayem, Redding, and me—and we were wondering… what about our X-wings? And yes,” he said swiftly, seeing the teasing remark beginning to form, “I realize that was more than one word.”
Dara grinned unrepentantly, then sobered. “The State had them impounded. I’ve spoken with Marna and Josh about it, and their best guess is the spaceport, but that is only a guess. They’re certainly guarded, though.”
“Then…?” Dog spread his hands in an unspoken question.
“We won’t have time to look for them, Dog,” she said apologetically. “We’ll be cutting it close as it is. We’ll ship out with Raven and the diplomatic team, and let the New Republic try to get our starfighters back. I don’t like it either,” she said in response to the sour look on her comrade’s face. “But we don’t have much choice. Our movements are limited, even if we weren’t mounting a rescue operation.”
Despite his disgruntled expression, Dog nodded his understanding and rejoined Redding to pass along Dara’s answer.
The last thirty minutes dragged by even slower than the previous hours had. Everyone succumbed to eyeing their chronos every two minutes. All preparations were complete and there was little left to do but wait. Dara, Zack, and Dog were wearing the all-black outfits worn by the guards, to be supplemented by the official jackets that would complete the disguise when the moment came. Redding had all security camera feeds up to monitor their progress. Stella and Josh had prepped the other speeder and were ready to leave for the Old Square.
Finally, Dara gathered everyone in the entrance hall with five minutes left. Excited tension practically hummed in the air, and she saw a level of enthusiasm in the members of the Fringe that had not been there before. She looked around. “You all know what to do?” The handful of people around her all nodded eagerly. Dara grinned, a nasty feral grin that promised bad things for anyone who would dare get in her way. “Then let’s go.”
Her words brought about an instant flurry of activity. Redding and Lyem hurried back to the computer room; Jayse and Donnal went to the speeders, along with Josh and Stella; Dog headed out the front door on his way to the mechanic’s; and Dara and Zack followed him a minute later, appearing to be leaving for a leisurely stroll. Everyone was excited and nervous.
It took Dog fifteen minutes to walk to the shop. He was easily able to bribe the mechanics to let him borrow the speeder, promising to return it within two hours. He told them it was to win a bet with a long time rival. The mechanics couldn’t understand why it had been sent for maintenance in the first place and were happy to make some extra money, so they asked no questions.
Dog brought the speeder to the cross street where Zack and Dara waited, wearing the black uniforms of the Stawlian Guard, but with their jackets, and Dog’s, draped over their arms. Zack took the driver’s seat and Dog slid into the back with Dara. They all shrugged into their jackets and made the twenty minute trip in apprehensive silence.
The detention facility looked menacing with its sharp angles and hard surfaces. There was no landscaping, only harsh metal and duracrete. Zack swallowed hard; Dara noticed and laughed sympathetically.
“Just stick to the plan, Zack, and we’ll be out before it can bite you.”
Zack nodded and brought the speeder to a smooth stop before the guard stationed at the entrance. He managed to keep his expression neutral, almost bored, as he handed over his ID card and waited for clearance. The guard glanced idly in the back of the speeder, nodding to Dara and Dog, but did not comment. He returned the ID badge and waved them through. Zack nearly melted into his seat from relief.
“We’re not through yet,” Dara said quietly. “Keep it together.”
At that, Zack straightened. He guided the speeder to the building where the prisoner transfers were made. Then, taking a deep breath to steel himself, he got out of the speeder and walked to the guard on duty.
They had reached the point of the mission where nothing they could do would get them to Marna. They had to trust to Redding’s falsified orders, hope that the system hadn’t already corrupted them, and wait for the State to bring Marna to them. Dara and Dog let their hands rest on their weapons, just in case a hasty exit would be necessary, and waited.
(to be continued...)
Labels: DT Chronicles
posted by Daramis at 19:49
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