Nothing • Tech

17. Buru'jair (Alert)

    A few days later the squad found themselves out on another mission for Cid, and yet again it has ended with them on the brink of death.

A fight in the void of space was not something Malaina had expected.

    But they managed to collect what they came for, some kind of lizard that was considered high-value.

    "How much longer until we're in hyperspace, Tech?" Hunter asks from the gunner's mount, where he was busy using the tailguns to fight back against the Rhokai.

    "That depends on when Echo plans on getting the drive back online." Tech responded, giving Echo an annoyed look.

    But if Tech was annoyed, there was no explaining the look on Echo's face when he whirls around to growl at the pilot. "I'm working on it!"

    Malaina rolled her eyes, lifting the straps from her shoulders and hobbling into the cockpit, bumping into the wall a few times due to the unsteady flying. She fell to her knees beside Echo, taking the extra tool Echo had sitting in his lap and began getting to work.

    "I don't think Ruby likes this very much!" Omega shouted over the chaos.

    "You named that thing?!" Wrecker questioned, holding on for dear life. A bolt hits the ship, making it jolt violently. "WHAT'S WITH THESE GUYS?!" He roars.

    "Well, we did steal from them." Omega shrugged.

    Tech held up a finger, managing to correct the kid even while directing the ship away from the enraged enemies. "Technically, the Rhokai stole the lizard first. We are merely intercepting it."

    "They don't see it that way." Hunter chimed.

    Wrecker began screaming like a kid. "It's loose! It's loose!"

    "Calm down, you're scaring her!" Omega shouted at him. As if the Rhokai weren't enough, the hyperdrive had to go offline and the lizard just had to break loose.

    "Wrecker, it's a lizard. Not a dragon. She's harmless." Malaina said, brows furrowed while she tried to tune out the clone's screaming and the lizard's screeching so she could concentrate on fixing the hyperdrive.

    "Get it off! Get it off. Get it off!"

    "Stay calm!"

    Malaina smacked the console then gave Echo a high-five. "Hyperdrive's online!"

    "Got her!" Omega announced, locking Ruby back in her cage.

    Tech launched the ship into hyperspace, escaping the Rhokai.

    Malaina ran her hands over her face, letting out a groan. "My blood pressure." She complained, placing her forehead on the console. She placed a hand over her chest, feeling a little anxious. "You guys stress me out."

    Echo chuckled, placing a hand on her shoulder, which Malaina thought was supposed to be an act of comfort, but he was actually just doing it to help himself to his feet. "Glad I'm not the only one."
–

    "That is one strange-looking lizard." Cid states, looking into the cage with a grimace. Malaina raised her eyebrows at the informant, who was a Trandoshan. She was quite literally a lizard-sentient.

    "What's your client want it for?" Echo asked, raising an eyebrow.

    Cid shrugged. "Maybe it's a pet. Maybe he wants to turn it into a stew. Don't know, don't care. " She responded.

    "As long as you get paid." Hunter muttered.

    Cid smirked. "Now you're catching on."

    Malaina furrowed her brows, a soft whistle through the air catching her attention. She turned her head, pulling her hood further over her already hidden face. The whistling increased when she laid eyes on a hooded figure sitting in the dark corner of the bar.