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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ankh-Morpork Guard" data-source="post: 3192268" data-attributes="member: 10079">Chapter 413: First Time for EverythingStanding behind Marix, who was in the pilot’s chair, aboard Loki’s cockpit, Jyren looked over her head and out to the view in front of them. The axe-shaped Nebulon-B Frigate, Stardust, sat there with the giant Gateway behind it...the lower sections of the main decks looking a mess. From this distance, it was easy to see a large black section where the Vong ship had hit, though there was no sign of the previous ship at all. Nothing else seemed to have broken through the main lines of the battle, and so it was a clear path back from the Araddon to this ship...which Loki appreciated.    [We have already received clearance to land.] the ship announced, just to Marix and Jyren. Tobias, who was sitting in Jyren’s usual seat, heard nothing...and was currently staring out at the view while also trying to look to the side to get a glance at the battle going on.    “Set us down as quickly as you can,” Jyren said, “We’ll get off right as you’re down.”    Though the link twitched at that, Jyren paid it no mind and instead turned to the open hatch that looked out to the small corridor that lead through most of Loki’s interior. The twenty-three New Republic Fleet Marines stood there, looking forward and a bit confused, as the ship was unlike anything they’d ever seen. To keep them focused, Jyren said, “Be ready to step off shooting. It looks like the Vong started in the lowest decks but other than clearance to land, we haven’t heard a thing from the Stardust.”    Only a few of them nodded. Most seemed to be lost in their own thoughts...though they all checked their blaster rifles, with others handing out small concussion grenades to make sure everyone had a fair amount.    When Jyren turned to face forward again, he noted that Marix’s right ear was turned around towards him. Putting that together with the feeling he was getting through the link, he asked, “What is it?”    This time, Marix surprised him and did not respond through the link, “We won’t be dropping you off, Jyren.”    It wasn’t hard to figure out what that meant.    “Marix, no —“    ”If it must be an order, Jyren, it will be,” her cold voice was accompanied by a strong feeling through the link that knew there was no fighting this. Despite the fact that he was intolerably difficult, and being the Empress, she very well could order him to do anything, not once in the last decade had she done so...nor even threatened it with any seriousness. But now...    Now, she was serious.    “Toby...”    “Will be fine if he stays close and listens to the both of us,” Marix finished the sentence differently than Jyren had planned it, and he noted she had also turned to say the last part directly to the young Alraxian. To that, Tobias actually nodded without saying a word.    All of it brought up a question in Jyren, though, and he felt the need to ask it before he didn’t have a chance to. However, he used better judgement and reserved it to the link that was growing in strength again as they were so much closer. [What is it?]    [You know exactly what it is.] came her response in exactly the same tone as before.    Not liking that, Jyren tried another angle. [We both agreed that Tobias needs to be as far away from this when it happens.]    [Yes.] Marix’s tone had gone just slightly softer. [Yes, we do agree. But you need me with you on that ship. And you know as well as I do that we cannot just leave Toby on the ship.]    Jyren wanted to argue the point about needing her there...but he caught something through the link. It was not the fact that she didn’t trust him to keep himself alive, it was something else. Something even she couldn’t clearly place. But it came down to the fact that she felt it was important. And so, trusting in the Force and her natural instincts, she had made a decision.    By now, the large ship was dominating most of the viewport, and the hangar’s blueish glow illuminated it easily again the stark grey of the hull...and the blackness from the scorches of the heavy impact below. Jyren only took a small glance at the hangar ahead of them, noting it did not look to be any different than hangars usually looked while all the fighters were gone.    But that was the only look he allowed himself. Moving his hand down to Marix’s shoulder, he gave it a gentle squeeze before turning around and stepping past the marines, “To the hatch, boys. Hangar looks safe but we’re not taking any chances.”    There were a few ‘yes, sir’s that were a bit disturbing to Jyren, but the majority simply nodded and fell into step behind him towards the hatch. Through the link, Jyren felt annoyance from Marix about what he’d done...but at the same time, she seemed to understand.    Stopping in front of the hatch and waiting, Jyren looked to the marines who were all watching him, “Still no word from the Stardust so we don’t know what we’re walking out into. The second we’re down, we need to make sure the hangar is secure, and then find a comm panel to contact the bridge. We’ll proceed from there. Everyone understand?”    They all nodded...though Jyren could feel an unease through the Force.    He glanced down at his uniform, noting the Starfighter Command patch on one arm and the Zephyr on the other. Then, he looked up to the marines and said simply, “Yes, I’m a pilot. But I need you to trust me. I spent a good amount of time with SpecForce, so I know what I’m doing here, okay?”    The uneasiness continued for a short moment, but then one of the marines, tilting his helmet back slightly to look at Jyren better, spoke up, “Sir, we trust you.”    Jyren’s eyes went to the man. He was one of many humans amongst them, though there was a fairly diverse group overall. The white helmet covered his hair, but the lines of his face showed him to be roughly Jyren’s age(or at least, the age Jyren was supposed to be) and his eyes were mostly obscured from the shadow of the mask. But the man looked like he’d seen his share of battles. And, from the looks of his rank insignia, he looked like he was also the one in charge...if Jyren wasn’t around, at least.    “There is something, though,” Jyren said calmly, feeling through the link that Marix had them in the hangar and Loki was just setting down. This needed to be settled first, though.    “Well, sir,” the same marine spoke up, and Jyren finally managed to identify him as a Sergeant, “This is uncharted territory for all of us. That woman...Empress...whatever...we’ve never fought with anyone like her before...and we’ve never fought with a Jedi at our side, either.”    Jyren simply held the man’s gaze for a few moments. It was...expected, though not consciously. Perhaps unsurprising was a better word. Jyren had made no effort to hide his lightsaber since stepping aboard Loki, mainly because he simply didn’t think about it. So he wore his grey and red-piped formal uniform with the weapon at his belt next to his blaster pistol without a second thought. Of course it had been noticed...of course it had been recognized.    And...of course, he had to hold back a comment that they would be fighting with two of this ‘new’ species. Not just the Empress, but their Emperor, too. Somehow, though, Jyren doubted that would go over well. The title ‘Emperor’ even had a way of unnerving him sometimes.    [We’re down.] Marix’s voice sounded through the link, and he knew she was already heading towards them.    Nodding to himself, Jyren looked to all of the marines and then, as he took the lightsaber off of his belt, formed a smile that was only possible for a person that had been around Marix for so long, “There’s a first time for everything.”</blockquote>

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