The Rebel Faction

Tissuss: Orbit

"What the f-ck just happened to that ship?" The 2nd in command of the Bloodfang said, watching dumbfounded as the False Hope started to drift into the moons atmosphere.

"I don't know sir. Running scans." The comm officer said. "Command deck has been destroyed. Engines offline. Trying to establish communication."

"Sir!." Another officer called out. "With at it's current rate of decent...it will crash into the outpost if we don't stop it!"

"Command the Fanggore and RedClaw to use there tractor beams to delay that descent!" The 2nd said. "Move this ship into position to do the same."

"Aye sir."

"Got a grabled link to one of their sub communication lines." The comm officer said.

"Open it."

"Done sir."

"This is the second in command of the Bloodfang. What just happened over there?"

~Stealth fighter...by surprise.~ Came a faint response. ~Ship...destruct in eight minutes....help...pods not functioning.~

"We will send shuttles to get as many of you off as possible."

~No...board....Auto destruct...anyone does.~

"Roger that." He turned to the comm officer. "Tell the Fanggore and RedClaw send any available shuttle to the crippled ship to assist in evac. Same with this one. Under no circumstances will anyone board that ship. Got it?"

"Aye sir!"

"In the mean time try to get a message to any of the Captains below to inform them of the situation!"

"Aye sir!"

Tissuss: Triton Briefing room

The first marine got a staff in the face and the second suddenly clutched his chest, where the hilt of a throwing knife suddenly appeared. He fell over dead right after.

A hail of blaster fire immediately erupted as both sides started firing. Naosha stayed down, deciding only to use her weapon if the marines broke through. Varcanna, once the blaster fire started, was forced to stay just off to the side of the door: she happily took out any marines that tried to advanced through the door though. For the most part it was a stand still...until...

Something small and round landed at the far side of the room.

"@#%$!" Varcanna ran for it and using her staff like a golf club, swatted the grenade back out the door. Everyone hit the deck as it exploded on some very surprised marines. There was a second, then third explosion as the grattling guns power packs exploded.

There was a moment of silence, everyone temporarily deaf from the explosions. Tiosk and Varcanna looked out of the room to see if any marines had survived that blast. All they found were ashes and body parts.

"Ever thought of taking up golfing Varcanna?" Merendez asked.

"What's golfing?" Varcanna asked, a brow raised.

Tiosk chuckled, then felt his comm until vibrate. Taking the unit out of his pouch, he looked at it. The message was in text from, but dire all the same...

"Vice Admiral..." He said, tossing it to Lavality. "You are not going to like this..."

Tissuss Orbit: Bloodfang

"All crew members of the False Hope has been evacuted sir!" The comm officer said.

"Disengage tractor beams and get us as far away from the ship as possible!" The second said. "Full shields!"

The three Trandoshan ships pulled away from the doomed ship. The False Hope soom blossomed into a firey explosion, the shock wave from which could be heard down on the planets surface below and rocked the three Trandoshan ships badly. Fortunately their shields prevented the blast from doing any real damage.

"Good show. See to the wounded from the False Hope and inform the Captains below the crew has been successfully rescued. Keep up on battle stations, we don't want a repeat of what happened to the False Hope."

"Sir! Mulitple Hyperspace signatures entering realspace!" The comm officer warned.

"Crap...what are they?"

"Several small cruisers...and a @#%$ load of fighters..."

"Tri formation! Get our fighters out there and lets hope the folks down before are listening so they can get those handy dandy ion cannons into play!"

Tissuss: Triton

Tiosk spotted the sniper and brought his doom quickly with a well placed knife throw. Merendez knelt down by Lavality to check on her while the Trandoshans with long range weaponary surrounded them.

"She's alive, but out cold." Merendez said. "This ship is fast becoming very unsafe for us all..."

"I'll carry her." Varcanna said, retracting her staff.

"We need to get to our shuttles." Ossik said. "And leave. The outpost would be the best place to regroup as the Admiral has suggested."

"Wait...my grandkids..." Naosha said. "We can't leave them here..."

"I'll go find them Councilor and bring to the meeting point on my shuttle." Tiosk said. "Where are they at?"

"Nursery."

Tiosk nodded. "If I find any of our supportors along the way...I'll tell them to come too." He then ran off.

Tissuss: Outpost

Their first clue something was wrong was when they felt the temor from the shockwave...and the following thunderclap.

"Somethings happened..." Lumier said.

"Lumier! Look!" Silliss, who was still seated in the Gory Teeth, pointed out the newly opened hanger doors. Outside in the sky they saw the last of the explosion that consumed the False Hope, though they didn't know which ship it was.

"@#%$...we better haul ass back to the outpost. I have a feeling we'll need those ion cannons!"

"These ships are the only way back there now that we blew the tunnels. I'll drive ya...this thing normally seats four..." Silliss said.

"Do you know how to fly this thing?" Lumier asked as she climbed in, the roar of ships starting their engines deafing until the cockpit closed.

"It's modified for Trandoshans...I should have no...prrrooooobbbblllleeeemmmmm!!!!" He hit the 'go' switch and the ship screamed out the hanger, a couple of marines having to dive for out of the way. It took a couple of seconds for Silliss to gather his wits and start steering the thing. "See....no problem..." He boosted...though he looked a bit pale.

"Riiiigggghhhhtttt...." Lumier said, not believing him. "Just get us to the outpost in one piece..."

Trandosha: Streets of Hsskhor

Besk looked down at the kid and snarled faintly. He was in a bit of a sore mood after being chased off by the mob and really wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. The attitude of the citizens toward him he knew Hyossk would panic over. While he knew it would be an amusing site, he also knew the Councilor would likey do something else stupid.

"It had better be good kid." He hissed.

"I found a suspicious looking Trandoshan hiding in a house." The kid said.

"Oh really? Describe him to me." When the kid described what he saw, Besk's mood immediately brightened, a broad grin forming on his face. "Show me kid..." After a brief paused and adopted a deadly serious look. "And you better be telling me the truth..."

Trandosha: Basement

"Hmm..." Rissonik thought that over. "If that is the case, then as a precaution we should move anyway." The other Trandoshans in the room immediately started packing up: he hadn't even needed to give a direct order. Rissonik moved to one of the side rooms, where the injured Russis was sleeping. He groaned when Rissonik gave him a shake. "I am sorry Russis, but there is a good chance our position has been compromised, we need to move."

Russis moaned and rolled over. "I hurt to much to move..." He moaned.

"Well you will just need to develop some pain tolerance..." Rissonik pulling the younger Trandoshan up roughly, who gave a loud moan of pain. "Let me put it this way. You are smart...but wouldn't stand a chance against another Trandoshan, even if you weren't injured right now. If you want to survive in the world of politics...you are going to need to learn to fight and with that...learn to take pain."

Russis gave him a wide eyed look, then fainted. Rissonik sighed. "I don't have time for this..." He grumbled and ordered one of his warriors to carry him.

Tissuss Orbit: Bloodfang

"Don't let that one get away!" The 2nd in command of the Bloodfang said."We don't want it telling it's friends there were more here then they barganed for!"

The Trandoshan fighters dogged the fleeing ship, using their concussion missles to take out it's shield generators. Like a hoard of mosquitos the fighters picked at the ship until it started to list. The fighters backed off as the Bloodfang got into firing range, then pumped a couple of concussion missles into the enemy ship's engine compartment.

"Good show lads." The 2nd said as the ship blossomed. "The Captain would be proud of us."

"Sir all shuttles have safely returned and any casualites are being transported to the medic bays." The comm officer reported.

"Sir! New multiple Hyperspace signtures coming in!" The sensor officer called out.

"Not again..." The 2nd groaned.

Tissuss: Triton

"We'll have to find another way then." Varcanna grumbled, who was carrying the unconscious Lavality. "We'll have to take care when entering the shuttles as well: they may booby trap them."

"If these aren't the marines that were in the brig, they no doubt would have freed them." Naosha said, looking around nervous. "From the looks of things...there are very few left of the crew of the Triton we'll be able to trust."

"I'll have to agree with you there Naosha." Merendez said with a sigh. "But lets not linger here...we need to get to the shuttles."

Meanwhile in the nursery a couple of marines were holding the kids hostage.

"You sure those slimy Trandoshans will come for them?" One of the marine asked. "Babysitting is not my idea of fun..."

"These four are that one Trandoshan's grandkids from what I heard. Very protective of them, she'll come." The other marine assured him.

"One thing..." A voice said. Both marines looked up, only to have both their throats slashed open as Tiosk dove right past them. "T'Doshouk aren't 'slimy'."

"Who are you?" Trissan, who had been standing protectively in front of his sisters, growled.

Tiosk looked down at the aggressive youngster. "You must be Trissan."

"Yeah...what off it?"

"I'm u friond ef year grundmethor." He replied in Clan Dialect. "I nood yea te cemo with mo."

Trissan studied the older Trandoshan suspicious. Finally he nodded and motioned for his sisters to follow.

"Stay close..." Tiosk warned them as they moved off. "There are bad guys everywhere."

Tissuss: Outpost

Silliss was still in the Gory Teeth when the marines came his way: he wisely ducked his head.

"What is a Sprayray doing here?" One of them asked. "Triton doesn't have any Sprayrays..."

"Who cares...we need to find that Lumier and her friend." Another marine said, and they past by without investigating fruther.

When they were out of sight, Silliss climbed out of the ship and joined Lumier.

"I have a feeling somethings bad happened at the Triton."

Tissuss: Triton

Tiosk uttered a loud curse when he found that one of the bulkheads leading to the hanger bays were sealed up. "Looks like we will need to find another way in..." He grumbled.

"We can go this way." Trissan said, pulling the grating off of a vent.

Tiosk chuckled. "That would be fine for you and your sisters...but I'm a bit big for that route little one." His head snapped up when he heard a sound: the sound of a few marines approaching. It would be too risky to go into a direct fight with the kids so exposed, but he had an idea. "Tell you want though. You take your sisters through there to the hanger, but don't come out of that vent until I get to the hanger myself...got it?"

Trissan nodded and went into the vent, his sisters following. Once all of them were in, he put the grate back on so the marines would be none the wiser.

"Alright..." He said, snapping out his two close range daggers and dashed off to find an 'adult' sized doorway to the hanger. "Time to party..."

Trandosha: Streets of Hsskhor

Rissonik put a comforting hand on Kysh's shoulder. "We can never know for sure where our friends alliances may lie when the before time comes young one." He said softly. "All we can do is hope we discover their allegence before they stab us in the back."

He watched the group enter the house, one of whom he immediately recognized as Besk. All of his group had beat feet to their next hideout, only Rissonik, a warrior and the kid had lingered close by.

How much longer must this go one... Rissonik thought, shaking his head. "Come on...we best not linger here, lest we get spotted..."

Kysh solemnly nodded and followed him.

Meanwhile the two warriors tasked with tracking Lissuss had found her, but were a bit wary about approaching her at that moment: they had seen how quickly she had taken out that marine. So for the moment they just followed her via rooftops.

One of them was about to call out to her when a group of marines suddenly rounded the corners of both ends of the alley way, trapping her between them.

"You are under arrest for aiding the enemy. Come with us peacefully or else we will use deadly force..." One of them said.

The two K'Satikus warriors looked at each other, grinned and jumped down, one on either side of Lissuss. "You just have to 'try' to use deadly force then..." One of them said just before they charged headlong into the marines, weapons flashing...

...and limbs soon flying...

Tissuss: Outpost

"We need to get my warriors over here...to clear out the disenters." Silliss said, admiring Lumiers aim. "Then send them back to the Triton to get rid of the disenters there..."

"'One thing at a time.' as Tzhali would say." Lumier said as she brought up the ion cannon screens. "Hmm...looks like our ships already took care of whatever problem was up in space...wait a minute."

"What is it?"

"The False Hope is gone!"

"Did it leave?"

"Not sure...but there are three Trandoshan Destroyers up there instead."

"What's the ID on them?"

"Checking...ah...Bloodfang, Fanggore, and RedClaw."

"That's a good thing then."

"How can you be sure?"

"I know the Captain of the Bloodfang...personally." Silliss said, slightly hesitantly. "He would be on our side. The Captains of the Fanggore and RedClaw I've heard do nothing without each other. When one does something, the other follows: both have some...rebellous points of view in the Councils eyes from what I hear."

"How 'personal' is your relationship with the Bloodfang's Captain...if you don't mind me asking?"

"Well..." Silliss looking slightly embaressed, if not a bit sad as well. "He's..."

Just then three marines burst into the room, blasters raised. Silliss did a backflip, going right over them. Before they could turn around completely, he had grabbed Lumier's rifle and tossed it her way...

Tissuss: Outpost

Silliss swepted the marines feet out from under him with his lance, then ended the mans life by driving this lance into his chest.

"No doubt more will come." Silliss said. "Can you communicate with the hanger from here? K'Satikur warriors like myself can take on many opponents...but even we have our limits." He looked at the door warily. "If we can get the warriors here, those marines would be, if they are smart anyway, running away with their tails between their legs."

Another marine came in then. Silliss, without even looking behind him, thrust his lance backward, impaling the marine on the lance, then finished off by tossing the unfortunate marine to the opposite side of the room.

"Of course...if they are stupid enough to keep coming in ones and twos...I'll end up clearing them out myself..." Silliss said with a chuckle.

Tissuss: Triton

Tiosk looked at the pile of four dead marines at his feet, panting slightly.

"I'm getting too old for this..." He muttered as he continued on, slashing another marines throat as he passed.

Meanwhile Varcanna and the others looked at the four marines.

"If they did..." Varcanna whisptered. "They are doing a good job pretending they hadn't..."

"One for each of those with a blaster..." Rista said. "Make the shots count..."

Merendez, Ossik, Rista, and Naosha aimed for one each, Varcanna stepping out of the way. Simultainiously they fired, each hitting their mark: the result was four more dead marines.

"Lets move...no doubt that will attract attention." Merendez said, forging ahead.

Hanger

Trissan and his sisters didn't like the looks of the hanger: bad guys everywhere.

"I have an idea..." Trissan whispered as he reached a hand through the grate to detach it.

"You going out there?" One of his sisters asked. "You can't...grandma's friend said to stay in here until he came..."

"I don't think he can take them all...I'm just going to try to even things up..."

"I think he can...he's an adult."

Trissan snorted and proceeded anyway, closing up the vent to keep his sisters concealed. He then made his way across the hanger to one of the Lambdas, praying it was set up like his Aunt Varca's ship. The young Trandoshan had to hide and wait a moment a few times when bad guys were heading his way. Forutnately, the marines weren't looking out for things his size and reached the ship without being spotted. Getting into the ship was the next problem however: yes the ramp was down, but those marines were more likely to notice him when going up it.

He waited until everyone he could see was looking away, then ran up the ramp, freezing at the top to look to ensure no one was actually in the ship. The coast was clear, so he went to the cockpit: thankfully the controls were set up similarly to what he has seen before.

"What's the weapon controls..." He muttered, looking at the panel and it's various buttons and switches. "Rear cannon? Is that it?" He flipped the switch and a small screen lit up with a flashing sentance that read 'Auto Target?' with a flashing button close by. With a shrug Trissan pressed it and the marines in the hanger bay got the surprise of their lives...

Trandosha: Streets of Hsskhor

The two K'Satikur warriors nodded. "Sha'tor Rissonik reguested that we bring you to him." One said, bowing to her slightly. "Please follow us."

Just then a familiar Keshir poked his head into the alley. "Eld pluco hus boon cempremiso." He said in Clan Dialect, then quickly disappeared again.

"Point G it is then." The warrior said.