Chapter 3: Archaic

[Chickenman 9]

Aeric glanced around, looking his subordinates over.

"You guys look a lot worse for wear," he said, turning to his XO, "what happened?"

***

"Brave words." Cale replied without emotion. "Brave, stupid words." He pressed a button, sending a fierce jolt of electricity from the table's restraints into Tak's body. Tak body twisted and writhed from the pain, before slamming back to the table, spasming. Cale shrugged away the agonized moan that escaped from Tak's lips. He was impressed. Most would be screaming in pain from that first electrocution. Commendable, though the man would be screaming soon, regardless.

"Brave, stupid words, General Solo"

[Mara 29]

Walking over, Kaden caught up to Aston. He tried a smile, "Looks like Arlan didn't make you guys too motion sick."

[Rogue 4]

"Too much." Nat said, frowning and crossing his arms, lekku curling. "Can I speak with you alone, Captain?"

[Princess 35]

Nima scanned the group with a brief glance. "Is anyone hurt? Does anyone require any attention?"

[Drake 53]

Takeshi chuckled. The pain was already subsiding from the electrocution. He had undergone worse in training but it still kicked like an angry ronto.

"I'm a man of many stupid words, Cale," Tak said. "Look. Here come some more: You're gonna have to do better than that."

[Chickenman 9]

"Yeah, sure," Aeric replied, still gazing bewildered at the state of his people. As they walked a distance away from earshot he asked plainly, "Nat, what happened?"

***

Cale sneered. He feared that this prisoner was going to bring out a part of him that he hated.

He cranked up the intensity of the electricity. "Your name, please," he said calmly, pressing a button and electorcuting Tak again.

[Rogue 4]

The blue-skinned twi'lek frowned as he said. "Well for starters, Staal's fainting in combat as you're already aware, without cause. There's also the fact that Captain Fae isn't with us right now because a Mandalorian practically blew up her house attacking us while they were still getting her children out. Kendall's injured--and the reason he and Vaar were with us in the first place is because Beskar, Skirata, whatever he's calling himself these days, has been captured by said Mandalorian. The only good news we have in the midst of what seems to be a thousand errors is that both groups managed to find an entrance into the Archaic base."

Edited December 3, 2008 by Rogue

[Radioactive Isotope 29]

Atuarre hobbled toward Nima. "If you've got patches and painkillers, you're my new best friend."

[Drake 53]

White fire burned through Takeshi's body as Cale held down the button that electrocuted him. All of his muscles contracted at once and he couldn't help but groan through the agony. Still, however, he had had worse.

When the electricity had ceased and his muscles relaxed, Tak smiled. It stung to do so but he did it anyway. "My name. My name is Master Yoda. Come back to life in this body, have I. The dark side I sense in you. Don't give in to your hate!" He waggled his fingers as much as he was able and made his voice sound like he were trying to persuade Cale with the Force. "You don't want to push the button. You want to let me go so I can kick your teeth in."

***

Deign Argos stepped into the interrogation room. It was large and the table and operating console were on the other side of the room so he didn't interrupt by entering. Cale glanced in his direction for a moment while the prisoner tried his hand at a Yoda impression. Deign had seen a few old holos of the diminutive Jedi Master from the extinct Jedi Order. Most records had been destroyed long ago but a few illegal clips had managed to survive.

Regardless, he watched the prisoner while Cale did his job on him and tried to understand the motives of the man. From what Deign could see, he was seemingly insane.

***

Tak caught a glimpse of movement just inside the edge of his vision and instinctively knew who it was. Deign Argos. So you are here, you scum-eating son of a Hutt. This meant that the odds were in favour of him being in the Archaic headquarters and that much closer to Layla.

Absently, and with mouth closed, he clenched his teeth together. One of his top molars was fake and hollow, an old black ops trick. Inside he had put a micro-beacon that was pressure-sensitive. Of course, to avoid activating it when the electricity forced his mouth to snap close, he set it to a sequence. He applied pressure on the beacon three times, then a second long pause followed by another two. The device vibrated slightly, letting him know that it was now active and broadcasting a split-second long tight-beam locator pulse to Captain Tunon. It was short but it would be enough.

Takeshi smiled again then braced himself for the next jolt.

Edited December 4, 2008 by Drake

[Bad furday 57]

"That's right," said Jya. She and Jaim had arrived at the rendezvous point only moments before.

Jaim finished the rest of the sentence.

"It appears that the base's entrance is hidden via hologram in the nearby nature preserve. Nery's information was good. Jya and myself

scouted the area, and placed a beacon near the hidden doorway. The location is easy enough to remember, but the beacon will make it easy to

set the ships' coordinates to."

"We disposed of the bodies of two guards who shot at us," added Jya. "We hid the bodies, but it might be best to act quickly, before Archaic

notices that those two have gone missing."

[Princess 35]

Nima grinned at Artuarre. "You've got a new best friend then. Let's get you fixed up." Nima dragged her off to the side. "What happened to you?" she asked Artuarre as she covered her various wounds in bacta patches and injected a painkiller into her feline friend.

[Chickenman 9]

Aeric's face paled.

"Brier's house...was attacked?" He slumped against the nearest wall. "I didn't want to bring her family into this."

***

Cale glanced up and shrugged at Deign. He ratcheted up the torture device's power to a level he'd never had to use before. He didn't ask a question this time.

[Rogue 4]

"They should be safe but, that shouldn't have happened in the first place." Nat said, crossing his arms over his chest. "And now we have two Revenants captured instead of one. And it could have been four! Takeshi shouldn't have been placed in charge of a team. He's been way too emotionally involved from the begining."

[Chickenman 9]

Aeric was about to say something, then shook his head. He stood up from the wall and walked past Nat without another word. Striding to the center of the warehouse floor, he took charge of the situation.

"Revenant Squadron...fall in!"

[Mara 29]

Moving away from the Gundark, Kaden went with the rest of the group into the warehouse. He stood at attention with his hands folded behind his back.

[Andy 60]

Hearing the Captain's call, Aston fell in with the rest of the squadron.

[Ender 8]

Jaim and Jya followed suit.

^^MOST WORTHLESS POST EVAH!

[Radioactive Isotope 29]

"I'll tell you about it later, Nima. Right now I think Bossman wants a meeting."

[Bad furday 57]

Arlan swiftly joined the others in line.

If he doesn't do it now, thought Arlan, I fully expect a squadron round of 'blamestorming' when we meet back up at

NRDF headquarters!

[Princess 35]

Nima nodded and followed over to where the squadron was standing with Artuarre and finished bandaging her up as they walked.

[Chickenman 9]

Aeric cleared his throat. "Listen up people. I know this has been a trying time for all of us. We haven't known the status of one of our own, we've been following false lead after false lead and we've lost a lot of blood. One of us has lost a house, and her family was placed in danger." He paused, glancing towards the warehouse ceiling, wondering if Brier and her family were okay, and if they were, if Brier would ever be willing to place her trust in him again. "We're battered, bloodied and bruised, which only means we're doing our job. And it's paid off. Jya and Jaim have discovered the main hangar to the Archaic Base. Meanwhile, Arlan and Aston have located a separate entrance into the main complex. And Takeshi Beskar was carrying a tracking device on his person when he allowed himself to be captured. We now know the location of Archaic's holding cells. Tonight, we rescue our own, and make Archaic pay."

"For this rescue, the squadron will be divided into two teams. Team One will be lead by Lieutenant Riamor, second in command, Officer Orson. Jaim, Kaden and Szen will round out the team. Their mission will be to assault and occupy the Archaic Hangar. Expect heavy resistance. Aside from being an important objective in itself, this attack will act as a distraction, allowing Team Two to slip into Archaic HQ. Team Two will be lead by me, with Officer Secura as second in command. Aston, Arlan and Atuarre are also assigned to Team Two. Team Two's objectives are to find and rescue Officer Nasrin and Lieutenant Beskar, capture Deign Argos, and then to disrupt the Archaic Base in any manner possible." He smiled. "And when this plan goes to hell, we'll figure something else out. Be ready, people. We move out soon. Dismissed."

[Mara 29]

Kaden relaxed and waited a few moments while his fellow squad members dispersed and headed over to where Lt. Riamor was standing to wait for the rest of his group to gather.

[Bad furday 57]

After a brief exchange, Jya and Arlan headed towards their respective groups. Jya began checking her supplies, as they'd be needed for distractions

in the hangar.

Arlan wandered over to where Captain Tunon was, and waited, deep in thought. Finally, they were going to rescue Lay! And Tak too, of course.

[Andy 60]

Aston frowned. "Surely with 'Aston, Arlan and Atuarre' we should be the A-Team".

(( sorry ))

[Bad furday 57]

"Our plans don't always seem to come together though..." smirked Arlan. He too had seen the old holodramas, involving a gang of former

Clone Troopers, who toured the galaxy helping the oppressed. Always for a fee, of course.