Rebels OOM: Meeting the cell

[childofrebellion]

Inside the catacombs, there's a hall that once was a warehouse for droids but has long been abandoned. As it sits not far from other warehouses, it makes for a good place to meet if you know it. When Cassian enters the large space, he knocks a signal onto a crate as he says, "The ice is strong this year."

From the darkness, a young voice answers, "And the snows came early."

Then from behind a bunch of crates, a human about age thirteen, a Togorian and Naotolan, both in their older teens emerged with blasters held carefully.

The human smiled at the sight of Cassian, "I knew you would come."

"Yes, and I found you a safe way to get off planet, to join other rebels," He moves to give space for Hera and Kanan to be visible.

Comments

[for_everyone]

Hera takes a breath.

Now I wonder if we're passing it on. She flashes a glance to Kanan.

"If that's what you want," she says, looking back to the small group. "We can get you to them."

[notallofus]

Kanan looks back at Hera for a second, because they're so young.

So is Ezra. And Sabine.

So were he and Hera, too, during the Clone Wars. Some things don't ever change. Even when you try.

"You should know going in that it won't be safe," Kanan adds. "But we'll do our best by you."

It's the only safe promise he knows.

[childofrebellion]

The Togorian, Yna steps forward as she lowers her blaster, "Safe's hard to find in the galaxy but safer is a start."

Mig, the human comes closer to Cassian and Hera and Kanan and says seriously, "We have to stick together, that's how we do better and survive."

Cassian nods as he meets Mig's glance, "Yes, do you have everything you need to get off planet? And do you know what has the patrols out?"

The Nautolan, Ty says, "We're ready and no, all the comms chatter is about what's happening not why."

[for_everyone]

"And you know why you want to do this?"

Her glance flickers to Cassian, a silent check for permission. "You don't have to say it now, but you should know, because this is a path you might not come back from."

[notallofus]

Kanan's smile is crooked, and accompanied by a faint huff of breath.

"We're not trying to talk you out of this," he offers. "Just -- make sure you know yourself. Otherwise you'll make a lot of trades you can't afford."

[childofrebellion]

Mig spoke up first and fast, falling into Festian, "They've taken everything, we have to fight or they've won."

Cassian reached out to him and said, "I know but fighting is a fast way to die."

Yna frowned at Mig before she said, "We're all any of us have left and we're not going to wait until we're old enough to do something."

[for_everyone]

"I wish I could tell you that there was time, that you could wait."

She looks over each of them in turn. "But I can't."

[notallofus]

"There's no 'old enough' to do this work," Kanan says, arms folded loosely in front of him.

"But there's a cost, and not always the obvious one. It's work that needs doing, though. So if you're ready . . . "

[childofrebellion]

Yna nods to Cassian, "We've been listening and telling Jeron what we hear and done other things too. We're ready."

Ty shifts his tentacles, "We are."

Mig stands up tall and says, "We are." Then looks at Cassian and adds, "I want to help make Fest and everywhere else free again like before all the wars."

Cassian reaches out and puts a hand on Mig's shoulder, "I know, but this will be a long fight."

[for_everyone]

"I can't tell you that any of us will see the end of it."

Yet they seem certain, and confident, and she has no interest in dissuading them. It was time to move on. "But if we're going, we better decide how we're getting you back to our ship."

[notallofus]

"Should we take it in stages?" Kanan asks.

Because there are a lot of them, now, and the excuse of being random citizens out for a walk is going to run a little thin.

[childofrebellion]

"Yes and I might be able to arrange a diversion for us." Cassian holds up the stolen comm, "Where is your ship?"

Yna sets up a holographic map of the city, "We know the catacombs."

[for_everyone]

"My droid's watching it here," she says, indicating on the map the city's smaller spaceport. "He hasn't reported anything off, but we probably shouldn't approach it together. He can meet us somewhere else, but either way we should probably travel separately."

[notallofus]

"One by one, probably," Kanan offers. "Though if you double up, it shouldn't be with yourselves."

[childofrebellion]

Cassian adjusts the map and pulls up an intersection between the smaller and larger ports, "I don't think the debris been cleared from an accident that happened around here? I can head out first and use that to create a diversion, so you can all make your way by different routes."

Ty looks over the map and points out a number of routes towards the ship, "Yes, its there. Lots of ways for us to split up."

[for_everyone]

Hera follows Ty's motion, mentally logging the various paths to the ship.

"What kind of diversion are you thinking?" she asks Cassian.

[notallofus]

Kanan looks at him, too, raising one eyebrow.

"Are you going to stage an accident?"

It would be effective, but probably too risky.

(Only probably, though.)

[childofrebellion]

"Make some noise, make myself seem like more than one person."

Not exactly an accident, he prefers avoiding explosions unless they're the most effective way.

[for_everyone]

Hera almost asks, If you're sure, but she knows Cassian wouldn't haves suggested it if he wasn't.

So just meets his eyes, and nods.

"Then let's decide how we'll split up."

[notallofus]

Kanan opens his mouth to say 'one adult per kid', and then carefully refrains from saying that.

"One of us takes one recruit, and the other gets two?"

Right, like that's a better way to phrase that.

[childofrebellion]

"I'll go with Mig," Yna says and Ty shares a nod with her, they can manage themselves.

Mig looks between them all and says to Cassian, "You'll be safe? And I'll see you again?"

Cassian rubs the back of his neck before saying, "I will. This is what I'm good at. I might take a few of those old droid heads and confuse them. I don't know when we might meet again, but you'll be safe."

"Then be careful of thin ice." Mig says.

"And you keep an eye on the skies." Cassian returns with a small smile before turning back towards the tunnels.

[for_everyone]

Hera nods Ty toward Kanan, then says, "I'll take the fastest way to the Phantom."

If things don't go to plan, it'll be better if the shuttle's in her hands.

[notallofus]

Kanan cracks a faint smile.

"We'll try not to keep you waiting for too long."

Here's hoping it works out like that.

But first, they need to get moving. So he and Ty head out.

[childofrebellion]

Yna and Mig head over to Hera and Yna says, "We know how to move fast."

Cassian's quickly moving through the tunnels until he reaches the wrecked transport. On the way, he picked up a battle droid head and arms which he sets up in the driver's seat.

Then he gets deep into the wiring of the transport which isn't completely broken. With some work, he's able to get it fixed enough to drive forward with a remote switch. He ducks out of the transport, sets the remote going then using the Imperial comm to say, "All patrols, rogue droid driving a transport. Headed to the barracks."

When he hears answers, he nods then gets going.

[for_everyone]

Hera doesn't hesitate at the commotion. It was time to be sure they made good use of Cassian's distraction. She kept herself a little ahead of Yna and Mig, so that to passersby they may appear to be walking separately, but she's also sure to never get too far from them.

A squad of Stormtroopers passes them, heading in the other direction, but otherwise, the streets are quiet. About halfway to the ship, Hera taps her comm, signaling her progress to the others.