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

[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.

[notallofus]

Kanan leads Ty by a third route, heading in the general direction of the ship, but with more than a few cross streets in the way, turning it into more of a ramble than a purposeful walk.

Just for a little while.

Ty keeps his cool, but eventually slips into the lead and starts making more purposeful choices involving back alleys and shortcuts. By then, Kanan hopes, they've thrown off any pursuers, but he keeps a wary eye on their tail just in case.

He takes in Hera's comm tap, but it will be another stretch of time (and distance) before Kanan and Ty hit their midpoint goal.

[childofrebellion]

The transport drives itself toward the current base as stormtroopers surround it, trying to make the droid they can see stop. Finally the hover mechanism is targeted and the it stops.

By that time, Cassian has made his way about halfway to the his extraction point, he gets Hera's comm and responds with taps on his. Another squad passes him and he waits against a wall until they pass, ducking into an alley to use the Imperial comm to say in a breathless voice, "Some of those old droids are loose. I didn't know this many were still working."

Once he sees the patrols speed up, then he continues on.

[for_everyone]

Hera makes note of Cassian, Kanan, and Chopper's responses as they wind through the city. There are a few quick turns to dodge stray patrols, but Cassian's diversion seems to have worked. With minimal digressions, they're able to reach the spaceport. Hera halts the others in the shadow of a tower a short distance from one of the entrances. The clouded sky's already offering plenty of cover, and in the illuminated doorway, there's only one trooper observing the small, uncrowded square beyond.

"Wait just a moment," she says to Yna and Mig. "I'll take care of him."

With a small smile, she adds, "Then you move fast."

And she moves out, her boots cracking loudly on the chipped stone that lines the square. It doesn't take long for the trooper to notice her - she comes right up to him. A few steps to the side, and his back is turned from the entrance. The trooper's weapon stays limply at his side as Hera speaks to him, as she nods, as she points at one of the nearby building and the trooper leans closer as though to hear her better.

[notallofus]

Ty is fidgeting restlessly next to Kanan as they eye their own approach to the spaceport, searching the relatively sparse crowd for a reasonable excuse to be going this way.

"Settle down," Kanan says quietly. "Do you see anything likely?"

Ty shakes his head, but refocuses, squinting and biting his lip as he tries to plot out a course.

"There's a food cart inside, sometimes. Friendly to the 'troopers. We could say I want to get something from them?"

Kanan's smile is quick. "Not bad. Let's get going, then."

Standing here is going to look suspicious pretty damn soon.

[childofrebellion]

Ty nods back at Kanan and walks forward, trying to be casual though his tentacles move restlessly as he passes the trooper saying, "The food's worth the walk."

At another part of the spaceport, Cassian approaches the small ship that's his way out.

A trooper's standing nearby and Cassian shifts how he's walking to look drunk and out of it. The trooper notices him and says, "You, where are you going?"

"To my ship and my friend over there," He gestures in the general direction of the port and the trooper laughs walking over and purposefully tripping him.

Cassian hits the ground, he takes more of the fall than he'd like but he needs to make it look right. The trooper laughs and kicks his side, "Get up and get out of my sight."

Slowly Cassian stands up with a nod before going through another layer of ships to find his ship and the Pantoran pilot who's green skin is paler from waiting, "There you are. Let's get going."

He gets aboard and taps out another message saying that he's at his ship.

[for_everyone]

She waits a few seconds after Yna and Mig have passed, then turns back to the trooper, and tells him she needs to check on a haul expected from Sullust. The trooper's helmet tilts only slightly when she offers her identification, as he's more interested in telling her when his shift ends.

Hera smiles, but it fades once she's stepped through the arched door. Once inside, she locks eyes with Yna and Mig, and starts in the direction of the Phantom.

"Keep watch while I start up the systems," she murmurs, once they're close enough to her. "And try not to bump the droid."

[notallofus]

"It better be," Kanan says, voice rougher than it usually is. He gives a great scowl, though. And once they're past the trooper and out of sight --

"Right. This way. You're doing good at looking casual, kid."

It'll be great once the back of his neck is no longer itching. And for Kanan, that means making it to the safety of Hera's ship.

Fortunately, that'll only take a little bit more walking.

[childofrebellion]

Ty smiles at Kanan once they're past the trooper and starts looking at the ships to figure out where they're headed. In a few moments, he spots Yna and Mig and waves to them, waiting to see if Kanan says anything first.

On his ship, Cassian waits for the message that they've all arrived before leaving, mentally counting over how long the travel takes.

[for_everyone]

Chopper at least can't complain that he's surprised by their guests, and Hera keeps him busy at the front of the shuttle as they wait for the others to arrive. She glances back a few times at Yna and Mig, as the Phantom's systems tune up, and she takes the pilot's chair.

"We're ready."

[notallofus]

"Don't wave!" Kanan says to Ty, out of the corner of his mouth.

But he does fractionally pick up the pace as they make their way to the Phantom, and then inside.

"Almost home. Go find your friends, kid."

He'll take his leave of Ty, then, and make his way to the front of the shuttle, and Hera.

"So far, so good." Here's hoping the trend continues.

[childofrebellion]

Ty puts his hand down and instead heads forward to meet his friends and get inside. They quietly share how their journey went and Mig asks, "Does our friend know we're safe?"

[for_everyone]

"Let's get us safe first," Hera calls back to them, "Chop, let's lock up."

Once the back ramp has pulled up and locked in place, she thumbs the com, signaling that everyone's aboard.

[notallofus]

"C'mon, kids," Kanan says, looking in their direction.

"Get strapped in for this next part. Things might get a little . . . fast."

[childofrebellion]

Yna glares at being called a kid but they all move to strap in.

When Cassian get the comm, he allows a small breath then says to his pilot, "Let's get out of here."

The ship lifts off with slightly more of a push than planned but they're going.

[for_everyone]

The Phantom lifts off smoothly enough, but -

"We're not getting departure authorization." It's not something she'd usually have to announce, but the recruits deserve to know what's going on.

"But I can get us gone before we're noticed."

Chopper lets out a low whistle. Sometimes.

[notallofus]

Kanan looks back at the kids again, mouth quirking in what's meant to be a reassuring smile.

Some things are old hat by now.

"She really can," he assures them.

(And also cuts a glare at Chopper. Briefly.)

[childofrebellion]

All three of the recruits share a nervous glance but don't say anything. Too late to turn back now.

On the other ship, their departure is also delayed and Cassian's fiddling with his datapad and activates a bit of code he'd set up. Over the comm, there's a grumble as something is acting up with the port's computers. Cassian gives a nod to the pilot who speeds up and hits hyperspace as soon as they can.

[for_everyone]

They race up, banking hard as Hera sweeps into cloud cover. Akiva offers plenty of it, and that's what keeps Hera smiling even as there's a screech in the sky around them.

"Chop, you've got our heading, be ready to calculate the jump," she calls, taking another hard turn as she threads among the clouds. She can feel the TIE contingent around them, some close enough that the flare of their engines flash in her peripheral vision, yet none move closer to the shuttle.

"There's a reason she's called the Phantom." Hera rounds another cloud, and tightens her grip as she prepares to race through the atmosphere.

[notallofus]

"Two reasons," Kanan says, mouth quirking in a smile even as he grips his seat with white-knuckled hands.

(He does love watching Hera fly, even when his stomach gets jolted by quick twists and turns.)

"We're going to get out of this, don't you worry."

That last is to the kids. Because they're kids.

[childofrebellion]

Mig grips Yna and Ty's hands as they go twist and turn but they keep quiet as they make it past. Mig manages to say, "We will."