The Rebel Faction

Tissuss: Outpost

"Why lock down a medic bay?" Tiosk asked. "That doesn't make any sense, medic bays should be open to everyone..."

"Probably to keep those mutts...from attacking the...patients..." Silliss said, feeling slightly embaressed that Tiosk was carrying him. However he didn't have much choice in the matter.

Tiosk looked at Lumier, who only shrugged herself. "His guess is as good as mine." She said.

"But it's also possible they locked it down to keep anyone 'else' form using..." Tiosk said as he set Silliss down again. "I don't like it, but it looks like medical care for my son will need to wait until we completely clear the compound of your 'former' marines..."

Lumier nodded in agreement, smiling faintly at what Tiosk just revealed about in regards to himself and Silliss. "The outpost defense systems should keep any more marines from entering the place while we do a complete sweep."

"It would be best however if we kept some warriors outside as a precaution." Tiosk said. "The defenses may have worked well so far but since no one has activated them in years their scanners may not be at 100%"

Trandosha: Streets of Hsskhor

Holding Kysh in his arms, Rissonik looked around to get his bearings and figure out which why he needed to go to get to their new hideout. With his injury and the bike busted, getting there without being spotted by marines or by Besk again was going to be a slow and likely painful process for him. Standing around wouldn't get him anywhere either, so he started to limp down the street.

"Sha'tor!" He heard off to one side and to his great relief he saw the two K'Satikur warriors he had sent out earilier...along with whom he presumed to be the pilot of the craft that went down.

"Boy am I glad to see you..." Rissonik said, looking a bit weary from such a 'busy' day.

"Sha'tor...you are injured..." One of the warriors said.

"Someone got a lucky shot on me..." Rissonik growled. "Besk most likely. It's nothing I will die from."

Trandosha: Hideout

With the two warrior’s help, Rissonik was able to reach their new hideout, which was a small abandoned warehouse. The proud Sha’tor didn’t like needing to be practically carried there, but if he hadn’t he would have slowed up everyone and with a group this size they were far more visible to the likes of Besk and any one else that supported Hyossk. Once they arrived, the few supporters that had any medical knowledge immediately started to tend to Rissonik and Kysh’s wounds: Rissonik insisted they look after Kysh first.

Looking around at those in the warehouse, he noticed the K’Satikur warrior he had sent out after the sniper earlier: with the man he had no doubts was the sniper. He beckoned for the warrior to follow him, who urged the man to come with. Rissonik also signaled for Lissuss and Kysh to follow him as he went into one of the old management offices: he signaled for two other K’Satikur warriors to join them.

Once inside he had two warriors position themselves on either side and behind him: the third was to stay with the sniper. Sitting on a crate to keep the weight off his injured leg, he glared at the sniper.

“Mind telling me why you have a policy to shoot kids?” Rissonik asked bluntly. “The little one tried to explain earlier, but was unable. I will warn you now that if you make any threatening move toward him you will find yourself meeting your ancestors quicker then you can draw a blaster.”

To empathize his Sha’tor’s words, the K’Satikur warrior beside the sniper snarled loudly, his weapon at the ready. The Clan was a violent one yes, but an honorable one: many K’Satikur saw committing an act of violence against a child is a grievous crime. There were always exceptions of course: Besk and Rissonik’s own (and now deceased) brother Tnossok were prime examples…

Tissuss: Outpost

“It could be our enemies locked up the place to keep us form using the equipment there for our own wounded.” Tiosk said with a sneer.

“That would be the…dishonorable thing to do…and they have no honor.” Silliss, who was being supported by Tiosk, said weakly.

”Bastards.” Lumier growled. “Let’s have your boys do a sweep of this joint then, with orders to take any keycards those bastards had on their bodies.”

While the warriors did their sweep the injured, along with Naosha and the three Captains were put up, in one of the Lambda shuttles with a several guards posted. Inside the shuttle Tiosk and the other captians where catching up on some needed sleep and Naosha’s three granddaughters played, while Trissan was nosing around the ship. Silliss was awakened by the youngster when he climbed over his legs.

“Hey kid…you shouldn’t be climbing on those trying to sleep.” Silliss said with a chuckle, rubbing the young Trandoshan’s head with a hand, which Trissan promptly gave a playful bite. “Heh, aggressive one aren’t you?”

“I’m the strongest of my clutch.” Trissan said, puffing out his little chest.

“Really now?” Silliss poked the youngster in the gut. “Takes more then pure aggression and brute strength to make it in this galaxy kid.”

“Who says?”

“I do…and I would know.”

“Oh? How?”

Silliss winced mentally and hesitated. The ‘how’ he was never comfortable talking about, even with his father: there was so much stigma that would be attached to him if word got out.

“Trissan, you bothering people again?” Varcanna, who was just entering the shuttle, said. “Come on…” She picked him up and put him on the floor. “Go play with your sisters.”

With a huff, Trissan did as he was told and Varcanna looked the injured warrior over. “You certainly got the crap beat out of you from the looks of it.”

“Well a mutt was tougher then I thought it was and a sniper got a lucky hit…” Silliss said with a faint smile. “I’ll be back up on my feet soon enough though to kick more ass.”

“Words worthy of a K’Satikur.” Varcanna said with chuckle, sitting beside him.

“No offense Varca…but I am kind of surprise you’re not a K’Satikur Warrior yet…considering…” He lightly dragged a claw along one of the two parallel scars that ran from her left shoulder to right hip. “Not many survive such a wound…not even us T’Doshok…”

Varcanna shuddered and gently gripped his hand and pulled it away. “I would have by now…” She said softly. “But someone in the family needed to stay with the kids full time…”

Silliss nodded. “You worry about him…don’t you?” He asked.

Varcanna sigh sadly. “Every day…”

Silliss let it drop at that, knowing the subject of her brother was a bit of a sore point. “When I’m healed up…maybe we should spar. We use similar styles.” He suggested, changing the subject.

“Sure, if you can keep yourself from getting ripped up more.” Varcanna said teasingly, then looked back to see Trissan wasn’t playing with his sisters as she asked: in fact she didn’t see him at all. “I better go find Trissan before he gets himself into mischief…”

“Can’t take your eyes off that one can you?”

“No.” Varcanna said with a sigh, standing up. “I am starting to wonder if he’ll live long enough to actually put that ‘inquisitiveness’ of his to actual good use.”

“I’m sure he will: he’s as tough as the rest of us.” Silliss said with smile.

Varcanna smiled back and went off in search of the troublesome nephew of hers. Silliss sighed, smiling to himself: she had touched him…

…

Varcanna found Trissan outside near the forests edge, stalking a small mammal like animal.

“Trissan, I told you to play with your sisters.” She said with a sigh as she approached him.

“They’re boring…” The youth retorted as he chased the animal into the forest when his Aunt’s voice startled it.

“Ugh! Trissan! Don’t go in there!” Varcanna said giving chase. Trissan, thinking it was a fun game, laughed as he continued to dodge his much larger Aunt, going deeper and deeper into the forest. His luck finally ran out when Varcanna out maneuvered him and finally grabbed him. “Got ya…you little trouble maker.” However now that she caught the youth, she realized she had a problem. All the twisting and turning she did while chasing him screwed up her sense of direction: she didn’t know which way the outpost was!

Trandosha: Warehouse

Rissonik stood up and took the device from Lissuss. "That can be easily arranged." He said as he moved to the door. He opened it and called for one of his Keshir spies. The two spoke in low voices for a moment, the youth getting a broad mischievous grin on his face as Rissonik handed him the device. The Keshir then took off, though not looking like he was in a big hurry: after all...if he went at full speed they would suspect the device was discovered.

"That Keshir is one of my best." Rissonik said as he returned to his seat. "If anyone can mislead where our hideout is he can. But still...I we will need to be very careful for the time being. Now..." He turned his attention back to the sniper. "It is apparent to me that you work for a rather secertive group, thus the need to 'rescue or eliminate' your agents that are discovered. Now, I don't really care who you work for...beyond the fact that your organization seems to have made contact with my better half: Naosha.
"The news that my mate is safe brought me a lot of relief, for she is the key to this whole Movement. I had sent her and our grandchildren away on the Triton for her own safety, both to ensure one of us will remain around to continue the movement and that our bloodline will continue. However if we are to keep this movement going we need some sort of communication.
"I don't know how your group found my mate...or how deeply involved you are already in with our Movement, but I only ask in assistance in establishing some from of communication between us..."

Tissuss: Forest

Varcanna snarled, baring her teeth. Reflexively her free hand started moving for her staff, which was in retracted from and hanging off her belt, but forced herself to stay her hand. She couldn't risk attacking them: yes she would be able to take out one or two before they opened up...but with Trissan in the danger zone it would put the little one in too much danger.

Still, the fact that they were just simply killing them meant they were up to something. They likely know that Trissan is one of my mother's grandkids... She thought, the cogs in her brain working over time. The more she thought about it...the more the puzzle fell into place. Dammit...they must be working for Hyossk... Which meant catching her kids was to lure her mother out...well she wasn't going to be a willing captive, however she needed to be sneaky about it.

A couple of the rogue marines approached them, one baring restraints. That fact made her realize that they likely didn't consider Trissan a threat: boy were they about to find out how wrong they were. As one marine reached to to pry Trissan out of her grasp, she whispered to him in Clan Dialect. "Trissan...givo thom holl."

Trissan looked at his Aunt, a bit confused at first, but when he saw the mischievous glint in his Aunt's eyes he smiled. When the marine pulled him away from her, he promptly twisted around and sank his little teeth into the man's arm.

"ARGH! The little brat bit me!" The marine cried as he tried to pry the youth off him. When he did Trissan started failing, scratching at his face. Reflexively the man dropped him and Trissan ran only to be intersepted by another. Trissan jumped and latched on with his teeth just below this marine's groin, who screamed in agony.

As rest of the group started to descend into chaos, Varcanna head butted the marine with the restraints, took them from him with one hand. With her other hand she whipped out her staff, extending it on the upswing and smashing it into the marines jaw. She quickly reversed and jabbed it backwards, driving it into another marine, who was coming up behind her, in the belly. A third came up and she snapped one end of the restraints on him as she pivoted out of way, then snapped the other end on the leg of another.

The big one was coming now and when Varca took a swing at her it connected...but bent her staff.

"@#%$..." She said. Realizing she likely wouldn't stand a chance against this one, she turned and bolted. She picked up Trissan, who had finally been dislodged from his 'victim' and the man was still reeling in pain from it, and ran deeper into the forest, not really careing if she was heading the right way or not...

Trandosha: Hideout

“We may be able to help with that.” Rissonik said. “I have contacts all over the city and people who may be able to assist you in finding her. However I will need to know what exactly happened ‘a week ago’.

The sniper sneered. “This is our business…”

Rissonik glared at him. “Since Kysh saved my life today and I owe him as a result….I am making it my business as well.”

Tissuss: Forest

Varcanna gasped in pain and shock as the shot struck her in the back, just below where the thicker, harder scales protected her upper back. She suddenly lost most of the feeling in her legs and she feel when they gave out from under her, Trissan spilling from her grasp. The youth tumbled a few feet and just sat there stunned, but unhurt.

Her legs felt like they were asleep, a prickly sensation was all she could feel from the waist down. She knew it was likely only temporary paralysis, but until it healed she wasn’t going anywhere far or fast under her own power. “Trissan…” Varcanna said, moaning faintly from pain resonating above that point. “Run…”

The youth looked hesitant to leave her, but actually did as he was told and sped off, disappearing into the undergrowth. Varcanna pushed back the pain in her mind and gripped her staff tightly. The moment one of the chasing marines got close enough she twisted around and smashed the weapon against the side of the man’s head. The second marine smashed the butt of his rifle against her head…rendering her unconscious….

Outpost

Naosha, who had been chatting with Merendez, suddenly froze, her mother’s instinct going off like an alarm.

“What’s wrong?” Merendez asked.

“Something’s happened…” Naosha said looking around, doing a grandkid head count. “Where’s Trissan?”

“Not sure…” Silliss, who was resting close by, said. “Varca went to go look for him though. Taking a long time of it…”

Naosha’s eyes widened in horror and she bolted out of the shuttle. Outside she nearly ran into Lumier.

“Do you know where Trissan is?” Lumier asked.

“No…he’s missing…so is Varca apparently. I’ve got to find them.” Naosha replied, looking a bit panicked..

“No Naosha, stay in the shuttle. I’ll go look for them.”

“I saw kem kok go into ke forest.” Tiskus, who had over heard, said. “Let me come wik so you don’t get lost in kere.”

Just then Trissan came tumbling out of the forest and beelined for Naosha, jumping into her arms.

“Trissan!” Naosha said, hugging her grandson gratefully, relived he was safe. She then held him out so she could look at his face. “Where is Varca?”

“Big lady…big bad lady shoot her…” Trissan whimpered in Dosh. “Aunty Varca told me to run…so I did.”

Naosha growled: Varcanna was still alive apparently…but for how long? She looked at Lumier, who had Tiskus translate what was said, who looked ready to charge into the forest. “Go rip that @#%$ to shreds…if my daughter is dead make sure it’s @#%$ painful!”

Trandosha: Hideout

Rissonik had a good chuckle at Kysh’s stunt, finding the shocked look on the sniper’s face highly amusing. However the lack of memory of what happened a week ago bothered him more then a little. Some of the more secretive factions of Trandoshan society were rumored to use drugs to make victims ‘forget’ what happened to them. If Kysh and his sister had a run in with one of those factions, and from what he heard most of them support the Council, it would explain a lot of what was just discovered.

“Do you remember the last place you saw her then?” Rissonik asked.

“Um…” Kysh thought hard. “I believe it was in the North West side of the city, mid zone. I don’t remember exactly where.”

Rissonik cut loose with a couple of ‘choice’ words. “That’s the Sykir Clan’s terf.”

“Sykir?” The sniper echoed. “Never heard of them, yet you almost sound afraid of them.”

“Fear only has far as what may have been done to Kysh and his sister.” Rissonik replied. “The Sykir are not a warrior based Clan, they specialize in developing medicines and technology for use on the battlefield, at least…that’s their ‘cover’ for the public. Not to say that they don’t really do those things, but a good portion of their funds go to other things, some unethical even by T’Doshok standards.”
“What they keep under wraps involves things relating to espionage and forceful information gathering tactics. If a political figure needed to get information from one of his rivals contacts…they more then likely they can get it out of them: their victims won’t remember the interrogating either.”

“If this is a ‘secretive Clan’…how do you know all this?”

One of the K’Satikur warriors spoke up then. “Since the Sykir are not warriors, they hire warriors from other Clan’s to guard their assets. The K’Satikur was allied with them for a time for this reason.”

“My brother Tnossok was head of the Clan then…” Rissonik continued with a disgusted snort. “He admired the Sykir’s tactics for getting information and the Sykir were all too happy to have the most feared Clan on Trandosha help guard their buildings. They abolished the allegiance once they found out I was disgusted by their practice, not long after I retook control of the Clan. No doubt they were the ones that planned the surprise attack on our Clan over two years ago…”

“If I know my father right…” A voice said suddenly. All turned/looked at the door to see Russis standing just beyond the threshold. He looked to still be in pain, going by how he was leaning against the wall, but had a determined look on his face. “He has hired members of the Sykir Clan to track down spies for the Movement…”

“I do apologize Russis: if I had known you would have been up to attending this little meeting I would have asked you to come.” Rissonik said, glad to see the youth grew a bit of a backbone in regards to pain tolerance. “Do you know anything else on this matter?”

“Only that Hyossk is automatically assuming any spies that are found work for you Rissonik…unless discovered otherwise.

“Which means that if Kysh was temporarily held by the Sykir it’s possible he could have been made to tell about who he worked for.” Rissonik reasoned. “Which would be a problem for you…” He looked over at the sniper, who tensed. “The question is…is whether or not the Sykir relayed any information Kysh might have told them about your organization to Hyossk. If they did, you can bet Hyossk will want to find out more information on you.”

“It is more likely though that they didn’t…to use as leverage should relationships between the Clan and the Council start to sour.” Russis added. “I’ve certainly haven’t heard anything of the sort before I was ‘kicked out’.”

Rissonik noticed how nervous his guests were getting then, so he quickly added: “All this is speculation at the moment of course. We currently have no proof the Sykir had Kysh in their hands at all. But…It would be the logical place to start looking for his sister.”


Tissuss: Forest

“Klaming yourself will not kelp us rescue Naosha’s daugker…” Tiskus said as he searched the area for tracks. It didn’t take long for him to find any. “Kuman tracks and key are fresh.” He said, pointing to them. “One set is unusually big,must ke a kuman of kuge size.”

“That @#%$ we put in the hold…” Lumier said, seething.

“Ke tracks are very deep even for ker…must ke carrying someking keavy.”

“Varcanna…but she would have just killed her and left her corpse here.”

“Must kave keen under strict orders to keing ker kack alive…” Tiskus said as they started to follow the tracks.

“But why alive? Unless…@#%$. They wanted her alive to use as lure to bring out Naosha.”

Tiskus’ brows furrowed. “Kut ky kould a kunch of rebellious marines kat to do kat? Unless…”

“They are now working for that Council that hates Naosha so much…damn. We got to rescue her!”

Just then they found the vehicle tracks, which were no doubt leading back to the Triton. “We are going to need more help…” Lumier muttered.

“We were planning on doing a sweep of ke Triton anyway weren't we?" Tiskus said with a sly smile.