EPISODE I - TWENTY: Havens

Dom Browhar and Jaimos Womahil reentered realspace in their hijacked TIE fighters. Knowing full well that Brudall waystation would identify them as two possibly hostile craft, both pilots began transmitting identification codes in hopes that they wouldn't be blasted into oblivion on their approach.

"Brudall Station this is New Republic pilot Dom Browhar. Do you copy? We are friendlies piloting two stolen craft. Do not fire upon us. We are on approach to Brudall Station to rendezvous with New Republic pilots Niono Barg and Feege." Dom took a breath to listen for a response. No response came. "I repeat--this is New Republic pilot Dom Browhar on approach to Brudall Station. Do you copy?"

The momentary silence was broken by the answer it seemed like they waited an eternity for. "This is Brudall command. We copy. Your pilots are here."

The pilots and passengers of the lifted craft simultaneously exhaled.

"This is New Republic pilot Jaimos Womahil. Thanks for not blasting out of the sky, Brudall command!"

"You're welcome, Womahil. Are those TIE fighters you're flying into our flight bay?" The comms officer seemed to be taken aback by the model of the two craft heading toward the space dock. It had been quite some time since he'd seen a TIE fighter and it was the first time he'd seen this particular model.

"Yeah... some kind of TIE fighter," Jai answered. "Uh... more importantly, we need a med unit on standby for one of our injured. She's kind of passed out and I think she's got a broken arm."

"We'll have a team waiting for you at your arrival. Head into bay 2276. Lock onto the signal and that will bring you in."

Dom smiled. This felt to him like the best thing that happened all day. His relief soon turned to concern as his thoughts turned to Dex, Adria, and the Ansons. They needed to get back to Aporoth as quickly as possible.

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Feege and Niono met the rest of their squadron in the landing bay. As promised, a medical team was dispatched to greet them and Paloame was whisked off to have her injured arm repaired.

From what Dom could see during their approach, Brudall was obviously bustling with activity, but this particular landing bay seemed quiet by all accounts.

"How did you all fit into those two ships?" inquired Feege in Huttese.

"Well, Feege," Dom began to explain. "It appears as though the First Order decided they needed to build some new ships. And these babies? Well, they're two-seaters. Yup, one is for the pilot and the other is for the gunner. And brother, can these things move!" Dom put his arm around the Rodian's shoulders. "Let me tell ya what I learned about those things while we get something to eat."

Jai shrugged at Barg as the four of them headed into the commercial hub of Brudall with Zip leading the way.

Niono pushed forward and insinuated himself next to Dom. "What happened down there? Where are Dex and Adria?"

"Good questions." Browhar wove his way through the crowded common area, trying not to give up too much information in the open area. "We ran into a little trouble. Our connection set us up with some locals and beat it before we," he paused, choosing his words carefully. "...headed in. Not sure what that was about, but we ran into some trouble and got separated. Dex and Adria stayed on the... mission and we got out of there. I guess he wanted us to head up here and bring you back. Airstrike, I think. Probably."

Barg nodded. "Makes the most sense."

The Rodian paused and turned around. He leaned into Dom, tilting his head forward; large orbicular eyes focused and unblinking. "Do you think our connection sold us out?"

Dom pursed his lips and shot Jaimos a look, which brought the other pilot to a halt. "We're split on that. Pal definitely seems to think something's up and we..."

Jai finished his thought. "We're... undecided at the moment. Either way, the mission was interrupted and we need to get back down there ASAP."

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Elsewhere, Adria ushered the Irie and Etler into a maintenance closet. Dex kept watch as they made their way down the corridor and into what they hoped would be a safe space. They needed to go up at least one level, according to Irie. Etler argued that determination. Dex needed a place where they could rest for a bit and that he could retrieve his datapad and find out exactly where they needed to go. There could be no question as to where they needed to go because at this point, they were too far inside the complex and there were only four of them--and just barely that. Once all of them were inside, he locked the door.

Almeida got the Ansons settled into a corner of the little room and broke out some rations. After doing so, she pushed Dex's tactical pack across the floor to him. He pulled out a protein stick and clamped his teeth down on it like a cigar while he rifled through the sling pack to get the datapad out from its compartment. Dex sat down and crossed his legs. He stretched his neck from side to side, releasing some of the muscle tension stemming from his old illness-related spinal injuries. Dex sighed and activated the device. He swiped the screen, scrolling through the images until he was confident that he'd traced their path to their current location. He held up the pad to Adria.

"Does this look like where we are?"

She reached out and grabbed it. She reoriented the screen and studied it, toggling between a couple of schematics showing their current level and the ones above and below them. A lock of reddish-brown hair fell over her right eye. She blew it to the side and nodded at Balagon.

"Yep," she acknowledged. "That's exactly where we are. Sorry, Etler, your wife's right. We need to go up one level."

Etler harrumphed and folded his arms across his chest, which made Adria giggle.

"You think it's funny that she's always right?" demanded the old man.

"Well... I wouldn't say she's always right," Adria explained. "She couldn't possibly be right all the time. She was just right... this time."

"This time," he grumbled. Dex tried to not get involved. He instead took the pad back from Adria and studied it for any options on how they would be able to ascend to the floor above them.

Adria's smile turned into a faraway look that Irie noticed.

"What's that face for, dear one?"

"Wha...? Oh, it's nothing," Adria Almeida quietly insisted.

Irie wasn't buying it. "Don't try to deflect me, Miss Adria. I've seen that look many, many times in my life." She leaned in close. "What's on your mind?"

Adria relaxed into herself and rolled her eyes. She didn't like being put on the spot for such trivial things--trivial to her at any rate. She relented because she liked the Ansons and what else did she have to do while they were waiting? She nodded at the floor.

"I was just thinking of my parents." The gazes of the couple softened even more upon hearing that. "We spent a lot of time running. They got into quite a bit of trouble with the Empire when I was little and we really didn't stay in one place for very long. I remember being on the run and hiding out a lot."

"Where are your parents now?" Etler asked.

"I don't know," she said. "We got separated when we were on Arreyel a couple years after the Battle of Jakku. My memory of the day isn't really clear, but one moment they were there and the next... they weren't." Irie stroked Adria's upper arm, trying to administer comfort. "And being here right now--with you two--well, it just made me wonder if I'd still be running with them."

"Really?" Dex teased. "You wouldn't have given that up by now?"

Adria gave him the stink-eye. "Hey, don't knock the family business. It's the family business!"

While the Ansons didn't know how to react, Balagon and Almeida both shared a chuckle. Dex understood full well the sudden loss of family and the lingering effects of that loss, but he also wasn't precious about death. That was the reason he was able to meet his illness head on and possibly why he didn't feel much fear when he put himself in harm's way; death and loss will always happen and if he could stop it for someone else, he would try, but if it happened, he wouldn't dwell too long on it. It was simply the natural order of things. Some found his reasoning cold and others tried to understand, but couldn't. In some ways, to those who were in the know, it called to mind something from the old Jedi dogma. Dex felt connected to them and their thoughts about life even though he wasn't one of them. Like everyone else around his age, he'd heard the stories about Luke Skywalker and working alongside his sister, Leia Organa, he thought he might be able to gain a little more knowledge about the Jedi. Unfortunately, the general kept mum about the Jedi and The Force after Luke disappeared into the galaxy at large.

"We can't stick around here too long, but I think if we're here, some of us should get rest," Dex said. "I'll take the first watch."