No Country, No Peace

[Mags Sondeeta]

The sloop's scan docs had passed the first glance. The second glance from a Cizeri picket ship didn't hold up. It was a chase from that moment on.

Titan Squadron had gotten the green light for intercept. While the Seeva-class picket was nimble enough to chase most capital ships, it was clear that the sloop that crossed the Imperial side of the Hydian was in another class. Two X-wings and a new Alliance K-wing launched from the border station, quickly picking up speed to gain ground on the three pinpricks of white engine wash in the far distance.

"Unknown ship, zees ees Jovan station combat patrol. Bring your engines to idle or you weell be fired upon."

They were still well outside of weapons range, but Lieutenant Commander Mags Sondeeta preferred to set expectations early. Most spice runners preferred to surrender at the border if the jig was up. They definitely didn't want to leave it up to the Cizerack.

She glanced at the starboard cockpit pod. Her K-wing's bombardier, Su'taun'rrou Keellarroa gave a single nod. If it came to shooting, she was ready.

[Shawkyrr Nerrani]

"Oh shit, they're on to us!"

"Well don't look at me, Davin! You're the bloody pilot here!"

"This whole thing was your idea!"

"Nu-uh! You're the one who said we should pass through by Jovan."

"Oh god, oh god! They are threatening to shoot us down! Je-Ow! Did you really have hit me?"

"You were getting hysterical, pinky. You said shot down. We're in space, you bloody idiot. You don't go down. You blow up. I'm not even the pilot here and I know that. If it wasn't for that cute face of yours I'd airlock you right now. Oh don't look at me like that. It's a joke, goddammit! Stop lookin' at me you damn idiot and look where you're going!"

"I'm detecting a pair of X-Wings and a third, larger fighter. I don't recognize it. It's big."

"Looks like a badass lady to me. Bet it's got some big bombs on something that size. X-Wings are pretty fast, right? Think we can outrun them?"

"We'll have more fuel then them. We can probably outlast them. I don't think they'll shoot on us. Alliance are usually nice about that. Oh. There's a Cizerack cruiser inbound from the station."

"Well shit. Those fuckers don't mess around."

"Better to turn ourselves over to the Alliance than the Cizerack. I hear they eat prisoners. And, like, aren't we on the same side really?"

"You know, that's the smartest thing you've said since we left Corellia, you big pink idiot. It sucks big time, but yeah. I don't want to get eaten. Power down."

"Alliance forces, this is the Insipidity. Powering down engines are instructed."

The short, blue skinned Lannik rubbed her dry golden eyes before pulling her hair away from her sweaty forehead and turning to look around the cockpit. The Insipidity didn't have much for luxury. It was built for running and hauling. Which was what their target was, to get across the border so they could get their hands on some contraband to bring back to Corellia. The Resistance was in dire need of resupply and she had volunteered personally to come along to make sure the quality of the goods was up to snuff. Because they were specifically getting explosive components and otherwise the human idiot Davin would be the one making all the judgement calls. Shawkyrr had rarely been off Corellia in her life, but even she knew the galaxy would chew up and spit out a helpful oaf like Davin.

"Come on, let's try to hide the stuff."

They had stopped and gathered a few supplies along the way, and they also had a few datapads with explosive schematics on them, lists of supplies both benign and dangerous, and a few weapons they had brought for protection. With Davin's stupid help the two of them made quick work of stuffing those few items into the half dozen different hidey-holes that came standard feature on these Corellian models.

[Mags Sondeeta]

"Well, zat was easy." Mags pursed her lips slightly, looking almost disappointed. She at least was looking forward to closing the distance with a SLAM overtake and knocking out the sloop's engines. Keellarroa agreed.

"Thejy want to take thejirr chancess wjith the Alljiance and not wjith the Trrade Navy."

Which certainly fit a pattern. The Cizerack cultivated a certain reputation.

"Well 'oo can blame zem? Ze Ceezerack eat zere prisoners, did not you know?"

The Cizerack bombardier laughed at the joke, shrugging in her parallel canopy.

"That ssoundss ljike a good wajy to get ssjick."

Mags cracked a grin, nodding along as the pulled close to the sloop. She cut the chatter, opening a comm again.

"Insipidity, stand-down acknowledged. Rotate twenty degrees and extend your docking umbilical."

The Twi'lek began to correct the K-wing's positioning with short thruster bursts, aligning themselves so that the forward hull was lined up beneath the umbilical.

[Shawkyrr Nerrani]

"We can't let them on board. They're going to find the stuff!"

"Quite, Muppet. You're getting all loud again."

"Insipidity, stand-down acknowledged. Rotate twenty degrees and extend your docking umbilical."

That wasn't a Cizerack accent, not that Shawkyrr was an expert. Not a lot of Cizerack in Coronet when she was growing up. The accent was familiar, but she just could not put her finger on it.

"They're going to shoot us twice in the back of the head and call it suicide, I just know it!"

"That's the Empire your thinking of, numbnuts. You've been in space a few days and already forget what we're fighting for, and against? 'sides, they can't board the ship if we have a 'malfunction'. Ahem; Jovan Patrol, our umbilical has been on the fritz. Having a real hard time getting it to extend. Error code 40115; failure to activate. I'm so very sorry."

She gave Davin the biggest, most exaggerated wink of her entire life. Open mouth with tongue out and everything.

[Mags Sondeeta]

"That's a sack of poodoo if I've ever heard one."

Niel Passun's voice clicked through the K-wing's internal comm. Mags and Keellarroa again glanced at each other. They could feel the low humming sound of Passun's ball turret traversing as he took a look for himself.

"Do they think we're dumb or something?"

Mags was inclined to agree. The excuse seemed laughably convenient. She switched to external comms again.

"Well zen, we 'ave two options. Eizzer we escort you to ze station and you dock in ze bay, or we can call ze station Marines to open zat 'atch for you."

Her jaw tightened, and her fingers closed over the yoke again. The sloop's crew was either gonna do this the easy way, or the hard way.

"Or ze third option, we let ze Ceezerack ship 'ave you. You do no want zat one."

[Shawkyrr Nerrani]

"They're not fucking around, Shawkyrr! Your going to get us blasted!"

"Slow down there, Pinky. It was worth a try. I've never really thought the Alliance having a lot of brains. It could have worked."

"What now? I don't want to go to Jovan. It's full of Cizeracks! They'll eat us for sure."

"I dunno. We could probably kill these guys. Let them come on board and then blast 'em. Then run for it."

"Are you kidding? I don't want to be the guy that killed a bunch of Alliance pilots. We're not at war with the Alliance."

"Yeah, you're right. I don't want to kill 'em either. Forget I ever suggested it. I guess we surrender then."

"What?"

"Oh hey Patrol, I gave the control a real hard wiggle and it's finally opening. I swear these hunk of junks are so unreliable."

"We look really suspicious Shawkyrr. There's no way they aren't going to poke around. I don't know how to wipe a nav computer. Do you?"

"No. I don't. A nav computer doesn't make things go boom, Davin. Not really my specialty. Okay. Calm down. You ever seen some of those old timey spy holos? It's simple. We just pose as a coupe, say escaping your xenophobic father and running off to start a new life after blowing the blockade. Yeah? Sounds good. Look a little more homely and less like militia, will ya? Yeah. Unbutton your collar. Untuck your shirt. Here. Smear your face a little like we been making out. Perfect. They're going to come through that door in a minute, so try and be a good boyfriend, yeah?"

"What if this doesn't work?"

"It has to."

[Mags Sondeeta]

"jIt worrkss. Musst be a mjirracle." Keellarroa quipped off-channel. Sarcasm aside, dealing with initial dishonesty was preferable to dealing with someone making the decision to run. As much as bored bomber jocks might want an excuse to chase something down and flex their ordnance, they all knew ultimately what that meant.

The sloop's umbilical began to fully extend. Eventually, it draped over the K-wing's double canopy forward hull. A thump and a sound of light suction preceded Mags' instrument panel flicking green, indicating a stable atmosphere. Keellarroa gave a thumbs up. They were both ready to board.

Both pilot and bombardier exited their canopies, each taking their turn moving up the rudimentary rungs of the umbilical that lead to the sloop's hatch. Mags took point. Her right hand rested on the grip of her snub blaster that seated deep in its holster, but she didn't draw. The last thing they needed in a board was a misunderstanding. With her gloved left hand, she gave three heavy knocks against the hatch.

[Shawkyrr Nerrani]

"Go open the door."

"But uh, shouldn't I be here? I'm the pilot, right? Wouldn't it look weird if I wasn't, uh, piloting?"

"Facking really, Davin? Fine. I'll take care of everything then will I?"

Stomping across the space to the docking hatch, Shawkyrr made an attempt to dishevel her own attire. Untucking her shirt and unzipping her vest a bit to allow what little cleavage she owned to show. Messing up her hair and make a half effort to fix it again was the cherry on the cake. Hopefully they would look like star crossed lovers on the run, and not like space hobos fleeing the system.

Reaching all the way up she tapped the door control and stepped back, giving room for the jack booted thugs that no doubt waited on the other side. What came through the door was indeed the jack booted thugs, but the one in the front was clearly a Twi'lek, and now the familiar accent over the comms made all the more sense. Her blue skin and thin frame instantly reminded Shawkyrr of her adopted sister back home on Corellia. Jaayza would surely get a kick out of this story!

"Chuba, numa!"

The Ryl greeting was given with a smile as she stepped back and gestured to the inside of the ship, to welcome the soldiers. Maybe a little native tongue and hospitality would go a long way to get them to overlooked the inconsistencies in their story and keep their noses away from the many smuggler holds. Shawkyrr did hold back just enough to not lift her hands and imitate the lekku movement for hello. That would be a little too far, and if personal experience was anything, it was not well received by anyone other than Jaayza, who can helped develop the imitation with her.

It was the only way to have a conversation without mom and dad listening in.

[Mags Sondeeta]

"Na terrani numa." The skiff pilot's greeting had momentarily halted Mags, who skeptically replied in her mother tongue that they weren't siblings. Her lekku also emphasized the posture, not aggressive, but also not having any patience for gladhanding. Not risking losing the initiative (and her bombardier) by continuing the conversation in Ryl, she coolly returned to basic.

"Ze Ceezeri ship reported your registry out of date. When zey confronted you, you ran."

Mags put her non-shooting hand at her hip. Her gun hand rested casually at her side. Meanwhile, Preita'rrou Keellarroa began to take a cursory look around the sloop's entryway for anything outwardly suspicious. Before anyone could address the casual snooping, Mags side-stepped to put herself between her Cizeri crew woman and the sloop's crew.

"Why?"

[Shawkyrr Nerrani]

There was a brief moment that her eyes dropped to look at that duty sidearm, it was only natural to look for that symbol of authority. It wasn't like the Twilek was wearing a badge, or something. Shawkyrr realized her error and immediately brought her eyes back up.

Well shit, that had to look shady as hell. Keep it together little blue. You got this. Turn on the water works and play those hearts!

"I'm sorry. We didn't mean to upset anyone. We were just so scared. You see, my beloved Davin and I are running from Corellia to escape the regime and our parents disapproval of our love. I love Davin but he's a bit of a simpleton and he saw the Cizerack ships and panicked. It just reminded us so much of those scary Imperial ships chasing us out of the sector. We are just simple people. Trying to start a new life."