D-Day on Obroa-Skai

This was it, the day they had all been waiting for. This was the day the fate of the planetary government would be decided, whether it would remain under the corrupt and incompetent leadership of a tyrannical governor, or whether it would break free from those chains and become a republic once again. Everything came down to this one battle…the plans had been set, the pieces were moving into place, and there was no turning back now.

Erdo wished he could be excited, happy that the war was finally coming to a conclusion, but he couldn’t escape an odd feeling of dread. It hung over him like a cloud, pouring out misery and fear upon him, and he felt as though he had just received an execution order. His senses were screaming for him to stop, to turn back, but both his heart and his head contradicted these irrational feelings. He had to go, he had to rescue Josh, Hender, and all the rest who had sacrificed their personal freedom so that the rest of the planet could have its liberty. Their sacrifice must be rewarded…besides, this was the closest shot they were going to get to win this war any time soon. They had to take the opportunity—it was the only choice they had.

But still, Erdo couldn’t escape his misgivings. He just had this horrible sense that something was going to go wrong, that this wasn’t going to work, that his life would never be the same again after this day. That last sentiment puzzled him; it seemed to contradict the other two. If the operation failed, he would almost certainly die, but he didn’t fear for his life, nor did he really believe that he would die today. Rather, the sense he got was almost of meeting an old friend, one he didn’t even know existed.

He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. Contradictory feelings meant they almost certainly weren’t legitimate, and he couldn’t afford the distraction…not on this day of reckoning. One slip-up on his part could cost him his life, and while death was not something he feared, he didn’t want his wife to have to deal with losing him…because he knew how he would feel if he were to lose her.

Erdo glanced around his near-empty office/living quarters, heaving a sigh as he tossed a few more papers into his drawer. Well…this was it. Once he stepped out of the room today, it was do-or-die, and he might never return. He had occupied the office for only a short amount of time, but it already felt like home, and he hated to feel like he was abandoning it. But he had already done something similar in abandoning his own house, which he had lived in for years, so this was comparatively easy. What had been harder was saying goodbye to Ellana…but that had also given him strength and had whetted his determination, and thinking back on that gave him focus. He had to fight and win, not just for the sake of liberty, but for her sake. If they didn’t succeed here, she would never enjoy a normal life again, and he knew how badly she wanted that. So he would fight, and he would win. He vowed it in his heart.

He left his office, and then followed the footsteps out of the hidden rebel base, never looking back once. Out in the hanger bay, he found his men already waiting for him by the landspeeder, and he nodded to them without a word. Some leaders would take this opportunity to give a dramatic speech to them, to try to inspire them, but Erdo sensed that such a thing would disrupt the solemn mood that surrounded the base. The men were focused, determined, and he didn’t want their concentration to break. So he simply got into the landspeeder, and together they sped off toward the city.

They rode in silence, and Erdo kept his gaze directed out the window. His thoughts were still a little jumbled in his head, and he took deep breaths, trying to maintain his focus. Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to drift off during the long journey…

…he was awakened as one of his soldiers tapped his shoulder, indicating that they had arrived in the city. Erdo nodded, placing the hood of his jacket on his head; as one of the few Kel Dors in the planet, he had to make sure his face wasn’t seen, because a Kel Dor wandering the street would look more suspicious even than a hooded man—fortunately, it was a cold day, and he wouldn’t look too unusual. He rose out of the landspeeder, glancing around nonchalantly, then moved down the street towards their designated safe house.

((I rushed it, so it's a little choppy and undetailed. It should suffice for our purposes, though.))

Terand had arrived on Obroa-Skai a few days ago. With the aid of the Force, he passed through customs with the excuse of vacationing and even used false documents to a different ship rather then his own. If anyone had tried checking up on him they'd find all the paperwork completely legitimate even though it was all incorrect. The same would happen if the ship in the docking bay was checked on. The identification number had been switched to one of the alternate numbers so ownership wouldn't be traced back to Terand but to an fake person. Terand had even managed to set up the paper work for the ship just in case someone was looking for something out of place.

During his few days on the planet, Terand had learned of the political problems and the rebellion. During his search, he found a Kel Dor had suddenly disappeared from his usual settings. This caused Terand to put things together like with a puzzle. If Terand couldn't find Lancer among the Kel Dor that were in the open then chances were this was the one hidden was part of the rebellion and the one he wanted.

Searching for the rebellion directly would've been hard to do and unwise in his situation. After all, the government would've found them by now if it was so simple. Instead, Terand had investigated some past events. If he was going to find any leads to the Rebellion and this missing Kel Dor then he'd have to think as though he was part of the rebellion. His investigation had uncovered a number of prisoners being arrested for political treason. This was just the thing he was looking for.

Currently Terand was staking out the prison from afar. If he was right, then the rebellion would try to free their comrades. He hid within the shadows at a high point with a dark cloak covering his adventure robes and equipment. His current position allowed him to see a good majority of the prison. All he had to do was wait.

Erdo checked his chrono once more from his position in front of a nearby store, seeming to window-shop. It was important that he and his comrades not all arrive at the safe house at the same time; that would look suspicious, and it was a little too early to tip their hand. Fortunately, it was yet early in the morning, and few people were out on the streets...although it was impossible to be completely alone in a city as large as Obroa-skai's capital. It was best to err on the side of caution, because one blunder could jeopardize their entire operation, or at least this crucial part of the operation.

Erdo took another look at the chrono, then shrugged his shoulders. Satisfied that enough time had passed since the last group had arrived at the safe house, he started down the street, his hooded head staring at the ground and his hands in his pockets, looking for all the world like a simple man on his way to another dreary day's work. Though anticipation was killing him, he managed to force himself to walk as slowly and nonchalantly as possible, and, as had so strangely happened so many times since he had gotten involved in the rebellion, he inexplicably slipped into what he referred to as his "subterfuge mode." He entered into this mode so easily it was impossible that he had only been doing such actions sparingly over the past few years, and yet that was the case--he was no longer forcing himself to act out the part, he had become the part. Whereas before his movements may have been a little stiff, now they appeared completely natural and not even the most astute observers would be able to tell he was anything but what he appeared to be.

In this manner he arrived at the safe house, a fairly large yet inconspicuous house only two blocks south of the prison. He entered the building, taking care not to outwardly acknowledge the fact that there were people in the foyer until he had shut the door. After the door closed, he shifted back out of his act, lowering the hood and accepting a handshake and datapad from General Reeve. "Good morning, General," the other said, and Erdo nodded in return as he studied the information on the datapad. It appeared that everyone involved had checked in at the proper times, and the operatives were busy distributing weaponry and other necessary equipment. It indicated that they were precisely on schedule, and Erdo nodded in satisfaction. If the other prongs were on schedule, Prong 4 would currently be getting ready to take the cities garrison by surprise, and Prong 1 would be split up, some of them on the train that was carrying Governor Farriman into the city, whereas the rest would be waiting to board the train once it arrived in the first stop in the city.

General Reeve leaned in towards Erdo's ear and muttered in a low voice, "We have almost finished arming our forces and will be ready to head out when we get the signal. You should probably go to arm yourself now." Erdo nodded, then headed into the back, returning in minutes outfitted with a T-21 repeater blaster, a half-dozen thermal detonators, a few grenades, and a vibroblade to complement the hold-out blaster he always kept hidden in his sleeve. Unfortunately, they weren't able to carry heavy weapons into this battle, as they weren't concealable; as it was, every weapon he had received was carefully hidden beneath his clothing and wouldn't be noticed without direct contact.

Itching to get going, now, Erdo checked his comlink once again. They should be receiving a transmission any moment...there it was. Two clicks on a unique frequency indicated that Prong 4 had engaged the south garrison and were keeping the attention of the government focused on them; that meant it was time to go. Erdo turned and raised his voice, quieting the nervous whispers that the troops were exchanging. "I have just received word from command...it's a go."

The troops immediately dispersed, each heading with their respective groups out of the building through one of its many doors, some of which led out into the street, others into the garage, others into the alleyways behind the house. It would be a little suspicious, yes, if someone were paying attention, but he doubted anyone was, and being inconspicuous wasn't as important now as was speed. Some of the men in the house would be heading towards the Capital building, which lay a few blocks north of the prison, but Erdo retained a sizable force that should be enough to accomplish their task.

He exited out the main door, his hood once again on his head, with numerous troopers following him. They strode quickly down the sidewalk together, maintaining silence amongst each other. They rapidly approached the federal prison, readying themselves for the battle that was at hand, and Erdo separated himself from the group by moving forward. It was his intent to be the first one inside the prison, and that goal looked certain to be accomplished as he closed in, coming within ten feet of the prison before he nonchalantly reached down and placed his hand on his blaster pistol. The time had come, and he would lead his men to victory.

((Sorry for the length...I had a lot of logistical stuff I had to take care of. You can jump in whenever you like--as they're approaching the prison, as Erdo separates himself, or even as they enter the building itself.))

Terand's stakeout had lasted for quite a while. He couldn't afford to take his eyes off the prison for every second was precious in times such as this. As Terand continued to watch the prison and it's surrounding areas, he noticed the group drawing close. Considering how early in the morning it was, this group caught his attention. He watched and followed the separating figure as it went towards the prison. This was it, Terand was sure of it.

Placing his binoculars into a pouch on his belt, Terand slipped from his hiding place and made his way don the side of the building. To avoid detection, he had went down a path that would take him into an ally. After some drops and catches from the fire escape and some wall jumps, Terand landed on the ground in a crouch to help quiet his landing. There he moved along the side of the wall and gazed out towards the group near the prison. The one that had broke off from the group was already inside by now. Terand would have to wait until the others went in and follow behind them so he could remain undetected by them.

Erdo caught a flicker of something, as though someone had seen him enter, but he shrugged it off and forced himself to focus. He couldn't afford distractions right now...besides, it was almost certain that some of the prison guards had seen him enter--it wasn't a crime, and for all they knew he was visiting a loved one in jail. He walked up to the front desk and said, "Excuse me, I'm here to see someone."

The husky female prison guard looked up at him, as did her two male comrades. "Do you have an appointment?" she asked gruffly, her attention turning back to the holoscreen in front of her. Well, that was rude, Erdo thought wryly, trying to lighten his mood a bit. He hated what he was about to do, but it was necessary for their operation.

"No, but you do," Erdo said as the rest of his group entered the room behind him, drawing their weapons. Erdo drew his own almost faster than the eye could see and took aim, first landing a blow into the computer terminal, then allowing his bolts to spray across the woman and the other two men in the room. They fell, dead or dying, and Erdo would press forward through the back door, trying to forget what he had just done. They were mere minions of the Governor, perhaps only working here because they needed a job, and he hated to kill them, but it was necessary. They had to move quickly, and blaster fire would attract the attention of the other guards...and a stun shot wouldn't have knocked them out for long. He couldn't afford to have them waking up and attacking them from behind as they battled against the other guards.

As the last person of the group entered the building, Terand came out of the alley way. He looked around for any lookouts the rebellion may have posted. It was a poor choice on their part that they had no one covering the outside. He hugged the wall to the prison before peering into the building. They were already on the move. Terand moved in when the coast was clear and checked the three guards. One was dead for sure and the other two would be in a moments time. Placing a hand over their wounds, Terand used the force to heal them just enough so they'd hold out longer. He had given them a chance to live, unlike the other one had.

Removing his battle mask from his belt, Terand put it on under his hood. Things were going to get messy now. He followed quietly behind the group. The blaster shots exchanged between the rebels and the guards made it easier in a way. At most the rebels wouldn't see him coming, but the guards were bound to take him as one of the rebels and fire at him if he wasn't careful.

Terand would neutralize the rebels systematically by taking out the stragglers. He crept up to the first and wrapped his hand over the man's mouth with one hand to muffle any noise while his other arm wrapped around the man's chest and dragged him around a corner. There Terand would deliver a solid punch to the man's face and knock him out. With an idea, Terand switched out cloaks with the man and followed with the group. He made sure to keep his head bowed so his mask wasn't shown. He had to separate the leader from the group. How? He didn't know just yet, but something would come up.

Something wasn't right.

It was absurd to think such a thing at this point, as their attack was driving the prison guards back and they had taken one casualty, maybe 2 at the most, and the other groups of their attacks were spreading out through the prison to flank the guards and to take them by surprise. Their attack had been well-executed, and the guards wouldn't last for long.

Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't going to plan. Most other soldiers would have just shaken that feeling off, believing it to be mere battlefield paranoia, but Erdo had had feelings like this before, and they had always proved to be correct. Motivated by this, Erdo pulled out his comlink, contacting General Reeve, with whom he was sharing command of this operation. "Everything going alright over there?" he asked.

"Yes, everything's fine. The enemy is pulling back, and we have minimal casualties. What about over there?"

"The foyer is secure, and we're heading towards the prison cells. Our reports indicate that we should have control of the building before long."

"Very good. Reeve out." Erdo lowered the comlink and closed his eyes for a second. Yes, everything should be going fine, but the gut feeling persisted. Nervously, Erdo decided it was probably best to push forward; hopefully whatever was wrong wouldn't be a problem if they could get this job done quickly. Peering around the corner, he burned a hole in a waiting prison guard with his blaster, then cautiously crept around. As soon as he realized that the coast was clear, he picked up the pace, practically sprinting towards the cell units.

We'll get you, Josh, don't worry.

Terand followed along with the group. He kept the leader in sight as best he could. To further blend with the group, he fired a blaster he had take from the straggler and purposely missed. Any shot he made that had to make contact would hit a guard in the arm or leg if there wasn't something else that could be shot that would eventually lead to the guard's unconsciousness.

Removing a small circular container from his belt, Terand waited til none of the other men was looking at him and pressed a button before tossing the item in the middle of the group. A yellow gas would quickly fill the air and render all who breathed it unconscious for a few minutes. He played along and collapsed to the ground like all the other men. There he secretly watched. Terand figured that if the leader of the group was who or what he thought he was, then the gas would have no effect on him.

((This post won't affect the RP in any way, just keeping Ashaiya busy while she sits in his ship.))

As Terand would conclude his mission, she decided a mission that required subtly would be easier with only one Force User bouncing around the area. So instead remaining in his ship she would continue her own little self-training and practice her lightsaber styles, martial art styles, and on the side just do a little reading of her copy of the Jedi Archives and practice playing her Mandolin. Nothing else really to do, and Janella was off doing whatever. Not completely sure and concluding it wasn't her business enough to out-right ask. But regardless she would repeat her routine until Terand got back.

Erdo checked his datapad, which contained a schematic of the prison's layout. Good, he thought. They were nearing the prison cells, and they'd be inside in a few moments. It was especially relieving considering the fact that the odd sensation had not gone away; if anything, it had gotten worse. Perhaps he would be able to finish this mission anyways.

Then he heard a thud behind him, quickly followed by more thuds, and he slowed and turned his head behind him. Catching sight of the yellow gas and his men collapsing on the ground, he swore under his breath and lifted his blaster pistol, pointing it back down the corridor from which they had come. Their careful scouting had not indicated any use of gas in the prison, but evidently something had been upgraded...and if they'd used the gas on his position, that meant they knew where he was and would be coming to clean up.

Well, they were going to get more than they bargained for; as a Kel Dor, Erdo wore a gas mask on him at all times and wasn't prone to attacks such as this...and he just so happened to be one of the most dangerous fighters in the Rebellion. Glancing from side to side and keeping his blaster at the ready, he pulled out his comlink, which was still tuned to Reeve's frequency. "General Reeve, we have a situation here...they've targeted my men with sleeping gas."

His eyes locked on to Erdo as he turned around. This was the chance to confirm his suspicion. He was right. Terand recognized the Kel Dor under the cloak. It seemed he was in panic now when he made the call to the other team. Now was the time to act. With a slight movement of his hand, Erdo would feel a tug on his blaster which would jerk the weapon right from his hand and onto the floor. Once Erdo was seemingly disarmed, Terand stood and pulled back the hood of his cloak to show his battle mask.

"Seems my suspicions were right, Jedi Master Lancer Onasi."

His voice had an electronic sound to it because of the mask. He dropped the blaster in his hand as he stared at the Kel Dor from hind his visor.

Erdo was a seasoned combat warrior, but he certainly wasn't expecting his blaster pistol to jerk away from him of its own volition. Still, although he couldn't keep his grip on the weapon, his reflexes were fast enough that he slid his hold-out blaster from his sleeve into his hand before the other weapon had touched the ground, and had it aimed at the other man...although he was dressed as one of Erdo's own troops, he could tell instantly that he was an imposter.

Yet something stayed his hand from firing the weapon--a familiar feeling by now that he had learned to trust. There was nothing to gain from shooting the man now, he felt...and while Erdo kept his grip tight on the hold-out blaster, he suspected that a man who could cause his weapon to fly out of his hand had a few other tricks up his sleeve, and would probably not be deterred by a single blaster bolt. So he stared at him, wary, as he spoke...but what he said was not at all what Erdo had expected.

The name Lancer Onasi rushed over him like an old friend, completely alien yet intimately familiar at the same time. It disoriented him briefly, and anyone who knew Kel Dor expressions would have no problem picking that out, but he quickly clamped down on that and regained his composure. "I think you're a bit confused...and out of place. I don't know anyone by that name, and I certainly don't know any Jedi."

Terand allowed the cloak to fall to the floor and reveal his Jedi adventure robes and equipment. He could feel the conflict within the Kel Dor, not only be his facial expression but through the Force.

"I figured as much. What reason would a Jedi Master join an underground rebellion and commit such acts of defience unless he doesn't know who he is?"

Lifting his hand to his mask, Terand removed the mask to reveal the face that would seem familiar to the Kel Dor.

"I am Terand Ranus. We met on Coruscant in the company of Jedi Masters Sora Onasi and Helius Tak. You came to Obroa-Skai to stop the plans of a Sith Lord from building a new Galactic Empire."

The shocking feelings kept coursing through him, and his head was spinning. Erdo fought to keep his composure, but it was as though someone were jabbing him repeatedly with a high-powered electro-rod. His legs felt weak, but with the tenacity of a trained soldier he forced himself to stay upright, to keep his focus on the man before him, and to avoid showing signs of weakness. He didn't know what the other was doing to him, but it felt both terrifying and fantastic at the same time.

"I don't believe you...and if I were a Jedi, I would hope I would be courageous enough to fight for liberty as I am now. What are you doing to me?" Erdo gritted out, fighting back against the odd sensations. As he asked it, though, he experienced the strange feeling that the stranger wasn't actually doing anything to him directly, but rather was affecting him with his words alone. Lancer Onasi, Terand Ranus, Sora Onasi, Helius Tak...he was certain he had never met such people, yet their names seemed so familiar to him...

((This was continued privately at Lancer's request))

~Terand Wrote~
Terand continued to study the Kel Dor as he spoke. It was evident that he was getting through. All that was needed was some more pushing.

"You were. Who you are now is just a distorted reflection of who you really are. Although you don't know who you are, you're still the same as the Jedi that went missing."

~Lancer Wrote~
The feelings continued to rush to his head, battering away at his defenses and his skepticism. With a shock, Erdo reached an epiphany--some of the feelings that were now trying to reach him and change him were familiar to him...they were the same feelings that had been guiding him over these past few years, the ones that helped him with his reflexes and his aim, the ones that gave him an incredible sense of intuition as to where to go next. And now they were telling him that what Terand was saying was true. He had a choice to make, he realized. He could push against these feelings and perhaps keep their message from becoming truth within his mind...or he could give in, let the internal conflict within his mind end, and accept what the feelings--which had never let him down before--were telling him to be true.

Erdo raised his fists near his face and let out a cry, falling to his knees. He remained there, his fists clenching and unclenching and his face turned towards the ground, as the internal conflict played out within him.

~Terand Wrote~
Terand stepped towards Erdo and kneeled down in front of him. He looked the Kel Dor in the eyes, even though Erdo was wearing goggles.

"You know what I speak is true. You've done or knew things that you couldn't explain. Trust in that same feeling now."

Terand spoke to Erdo. He was almost there. Terand knew he was. Any moment now and Erdo would finally know the truth.

~Lance Wroter~
Erdo gave one last shudder, a visible one that coursed through all his body, and then he became as still as a statue. A few minutes passed in silence, and then Erdo's head lifted up and looked right back at Terand. In a complete contrast to the conflict that had been going on before, this time his voice was as steady and calm as a rock. "Yes. You're right." He expelled a deep sigh, then rose to his feet and nodded. "You're right. You're telling the truth."

~Terand Wrote~
"Good"

Terand stood and looked down at Erdo before looking back to him men. The effect of the gas was starting to wear off as they began to stir around. Terand paid little attention to this as he looked back to Erdo.

"You've been missing for nine years."

~Lancer Wrote~
As soon as he had made his concession, a refreshing inner peace had flowed through him, and he knew for sure that what Terand was saying was the truth. He expected the memories to come flooding back, as well, but while he caught flashes of the past, there was nothing. He shook his head, closing his eyes, then glanced back at Terand. "Nine years...that's about right. That's about as long as I've been living here."

~Terand Wrote~
"I thought so."

Turning around, Terand made his way back to the cloak and slipped on along with his mask. The men were beginning to stand, but still hazy as to what they saw and heard. Then his voice spoke out with the electronic sound.

"If you truly believe what you're doing is right then I'll assist on this mission."

With that said, he pulled the hood over his head so that the men wouldn't be able to see that he wasn't part of them and panic.

~Lancer Wrote~
Erdo thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "It is a just cause. For too long have these people suffered under the reign of the corrupt government...it's the Jedi way to help those in need and to oppose tyranny, is it not?" Turning, he helped one of his men up, then turned his head to Terand and said, "Hey, if I'm a Jedi, I can use some of those powers, right? What do you think will best help me to get this done while keeping my men from harm as much as possible?"

~Terand Wrote~
He passed through the staggering men as they tried to stand. So far they were lucky the guards hadn't trapped them. Terand looked to Erdo as he helped his comrade up.

"The Force powers you refer to have probably come to by instinct. As for what you can use to keep your men from harm..."

Terand lifted his hand and tapped Erdo on the forehead with a single finger.

"A leader with a good head on his shoulders will often suffice."

With that said, Terand walked on ahead of Erdo and his men. It would be nearly impossible to complete this mission with a whole group of men running through the halls together. They were sitting ducks. Terand could help ensure Erdo's men returned hime from this mission by going ahead of them.

Terand drew his blasters and peered around a corner. The guards had gathered in wait for the rebels to ambush them. This was just a minor problem for Terand though. Removing another round object from his belt, he pressed the button and tossed it down the hall and in the middle of the ambush. In mere moments sound of bodies hitting the floor could be heard. He stepped around the corner with his blasters stretched out. The yellow gas dissipated in the air to reveal a couple men out of reach from the gas. He reacted quickly and shot one in the leg and the other in the shoulder while moving forward.

Upon reaching the two men, Terand hit the one shot in the arm and knocked him out before kicking the other in the face. The hall was now clear for Erdo and his men.

~Lance Wroter~
Erdo nodded, then, as Terand moved forward down the corridor, he tended to his comlink, which had been squacking at him for the past few minutes asking for status reports after his last comlink call. Lifting it to his mouth, he said, "Problem resolved, General Reeve. We're about to move into the prison cell now."

There was a silence from the other end, and Erdo could sense the other's confusion...with the Force, he realized. Then Reeve responded, "Very well. Proceed quickly so we can get out of here; we're tied down."

"Understood, General. Will do." Erdo set his comlink down, then, retrieving his blaster pistol, turned to his mostly-recovered men. "Ready? I figure we'll--" he was interrupted by the sound of blaster fire, and a quick look around the corner revealed that Terand had taken out an entire ambush platoon of the guards. As Erdo's men looked on in awe, Erdo strolled past the incapacitated guards and nodded at Terand. "The prison area is just past here; we're going to rescue the political prisoners whether they were affiliated with us or not, unless they were legitimately criminals. After this, we'll bring them back to the safe house, arm them, and reinforce our allies at the Capital building. By the end of the day, Governor Farriman should be in custody and our liberty restored. Are you ready for this?" His men yelled their assent, and Erdo...Lancer...smiled beneath his mask, raised his blaster pistol, and opened the door...the door to the rescue of his friends, to the beginning of the end of the tyrannical regime, and to their final victory.

*****

Nine hours later, Erdo stood upon the capitol building alone, staring out across the now-liberated landscape of the city, and wished he could be happier with the events of the day. He wished there were cause for celebration. Yes, they had rescued Josh, Hender, and all the other prisoners; they had captured the Capital building and 7 members of the Gang of 8 (the 7th member being the Governor himself) along with it; they had won a pitched battle against the planetary forces; they had even captured the Governor and forced his surrender. Even given the many losses they had taken, including Supreme Commander Dablini, it was still a great day for the world of Obroa-skai.

Unfortunately, in Erdo's mind, all that paled in comparison to the personal tragedies of the day, for as they carried out their successful operations, the Governor's forces had carried out a mission of their own. Unbeknownst to the rebellion, the Governor had learned of the location of the rebel base and had moved to take it out at the same time as the rebellion had launched their offensive. While tactically this was an excellent stroke of luck for the rebels, as it drew away most of the planetary forces and they had most of their personnel committed to the assault on the capital city, out of their base anyways, it was a strike to Erdo's heart, because in the course of the attack, his wife Ellana had been taken and was nowhere to be found. He had spent the better part of the past few hours making inquiries and searching for something, anything, that would lead him to her, but it was all in vain. No one in the Governor's army seemed to have any idea what had happened to her, and it looked like she might be lost forever. The only bright spot was that Josh's wife Meghan had managed to escape, but to Erdo that was hardly a consolation.

Thinking about her and about what suffering she might be going through, Erdo fell to his hands and knees, pounding a fist hard into the ground. This couldn't happen...not now, especially not now! They had just been growing their connection even further than what it had been before, as he was no longer keeping any secrets from her, and he needed her support right now as he tried to sort out his identities. Without her, and with the burden of this new information about himself--a burden that he had only realized he was saddled with after the battle was over and he had had time to think about it--he wasn't sure if he could go on. Closing his eyes, he bowed his head to the pavement and allowed the tears to flow, allowing himself to show some true weakness for the second time today, the second time in a long time.

~Terand Wrote~
Terand had assisted the best he could with the mission. His help had ensured the rest of Erdo's men returned home. Whatever Erdo or Lancer decided to do was his choice. Terand had completed his mission. He found the missing Jedi Master Lancer Onasi. There was nothing more Terand could do. Rather than join in n the celebration with the rebellion, Terand had left for other business.

((Post Closed))