AN: Woop!! Actually got something written. It's a long one because there wasn't a cutoff in this one. Aesthetic at the bottom.
Captain Andor peered down in a daze at the blaster in his shaking hand. All that rang in his ears was the thumping of his rapid heartbeat. His mind relentlessly brought up past assassinations and cold blooded kills, torturing him viciously. When the war was over, how could he live with himself? Would his parents be proud after all of this? Would the Rebellion notice the horrors these spies had to go through?
"Cassian!" Talia called out, pulling on his hand. When that didn't work, she stepped in front of him, staring him straight in the eyes. She set her hands on his shoulders, shaking him a bit as she spoke, "We need to go. I have the holochip."
Talia pulled him out of the rut of his mind and tugged him in the direction they needed to go. He nodded and joined her without assistance, setting his blaster to his side as they rushed down the hall. When they reached the hangar, shouting echoed from inside. Cassian backed up and uttered, "There's too many of them. We're never going to slip passed them unnoticed."
Talia glanced around the hall, only to find nothing helpful. Distractions could help...but that would require the facility to not be on alert if she wanted to make it out safely. Uniforms weren't anywhere nearby, and getting caught was much more likely. She walked down the hall looking for more options. "Then we need to get creative. We could leave through the ventilation system. Maybe hide in one of the closets until they've searched the hangar."
Clear. Clear. Clear. Cassian's mind snapped into focus. He went down the other side of the hall and started to open doors. He fought against the adrenaline surging in his system and kept going. When he came across a room with a KX droid, he motioned to Talia. "I got a better idea." Cassian stepped foot into the room, grabbed the first thing he saw, and chucked it at the droid.
The thin and gangly limbed droid looked up from where he was positioned at the console. The black painted droid appeared newer and taller up close. A white Imperial crest adorned both its shoulders. The droid pointed at Captain Andor and called out, "You! Don't move."
Cassian put his hands up, humoring the droid. He stepped closer into the room and took a quick glimpse around. A few tables. Cabinet in the corner. Computer console in the middle. Shouldn't be too difficult to work around. "I surrender."
"I said don't move!"
He repressed the small smirk about to form on his lips. Sometimes things worked out way too well. "I'm not moving. Come on. Come on...Arrest me."
The KX unit tilted its head in confusion. Sirens blared in the facility...and a rebel wanted to be captured? He studied the rebel in front of him and observed, "You seem very eager to be arrested. I will call for backup."
"Backup? You don't need backup. You're a big bad security droid. I'm just one guy!" Cassian ushered the droid on. He put his hands in front of him, ready for stun cuffs. "It'll be easy."
The droid grabbed a pair of Imperial standard stun cuffs from the cabinet, and walked over to Cassian. "Remain still." When the droid got close enough, Cassian propelled himself using the droid's hands and flipped onto its back. The KX unit instantly questioned, "Wait. What are you doing?"
Captain Andor's arm wrapped around the droid's neck and used his other hand to search the back of it. His feet couldn't touch the floor, and when the droid flailed, he had to hold on for dear life. "Trying to put you down for a quick nap. What model are you, anyway?"
"I am Kay-Tuesso, and you are not authorized to service me."
Cassian attempted to stay out of reach of the droid's grabby hands. What he was looking for wasn't there at all. Since when did the Empire update their tech regularly? Or has it been that long since I've seen a KX droid? "You KX series types used to have this kill switch on your neck. Did they move it?"
"That's classified!" The droid yelled. It ceased flailing around and resorted to rushing backwards. Kay-Tuesso rammed Cassian into a wall in an attempt to throw him off. Kay-Tuesso would be sent in for more measly reprogramming if he couldn't stop one rebel. "Stop resisting."
Cassian fell to the floor flat on his back. Oxygen completely released from his lungs, causing him to inhale deeply for more. He propped himself up and slowly crawled as much as he could away from the droid, but it wasn't any use. Kay-Tuesso stood above him, watching him grasp for anything that could aid him. The droid's white optics flickered to red. "Now stay absolutely still as I det-"
The KX unit shut down and fell lifeless on top of Cassian. The heavy weight pushed down onto Cassian's body, making the oxygen fly out of his lungs once more. He gasped and peered up to see Talia there. The smuggest expression took over her features as she looked down at him with her brown eyes. The door of the room had been shut; footsteps of a stormtrooper squad echoed up the hall. Cassian couldn't help but to smile and chuckle once he caught a breath.
"I had to lure some troopers away before I could make it here." She laughed quietly and took a mental picture to remember for later humor. It wasn't everyday that Cassian ended up in a vulnerable position. "Looks like he did a number on you."
Cassian ignored her last comment. If she mentioned it to anyone, he'd deny it in a heartbeat. "Caught him by surprise, at least." Talia helped move the KX unit off of him and offered a hand to help him up. Cassian accepted and grabbed her hand. "Do you know how to wipe this droid's memory?" Talia shot him a pointed look. He couldn't tell if she didn't want to insult him with her words, or if her silence demonstrated that. She repaired droids. Of course she does. "Show me."
Talia noticed they were still holding hands and dropped hers. She set both hands on her hips, her face still adorned with the pointed expression. Respect went both ways. It was his turn to show it. "A 'please' is required for that."
"Please."
The expression slowly melted away, leaving a small, sweet smile. Talia poked fun at him, "You're getting nicer everyday, Cass." She carefully removed Kay-Tuesso's chestplate and began to mess with the wiring. Blue, amber, white, black, green, red, and many more colors lay inside the empty shell of a droid. Cassian wasn't sure how Talia could remember what all of the wires did. She took out a kit from inside of her shoe and picked at the tools inside, contemplating which one to use.
Cassian's eyes locked onto Talia's hands, watching intently so that he could remember in the future. The more he witnessed, the more he came to terms with how long it really had been since he reprogrammed a KX unit. Talia's movements were precise, yet gentle. She made it seem all too simple. When she paused, he glimpsed at her eyes and how meticulously they moved through the mess of wires. Allowing her to tag along on the mission proved to be more helpful than he had originally thought; he hoped Draven would think the same. Before long, Cassian realized he was staring and darted his vision back to the wires.
"I need another tool. Hang on." Talia stood up and checked around the room for anything of use. She listened in on the environment, noticing that the siren shut off. The troopers must've assumed they had escaped. Either that, or they were checking every room. They needed to leave, and now. "Check him."
Cassian played with a few of the wires before pushing them back into its chest. He powered him on, allowing the droid to comprehend it was awake before he interrogated, "What's your designation?"
Kay-Tuesso's optics blinked as it registered what little it had on its mind. It responded sluggishly, "I...I do not know."
"That's good. That's very good." It had worked. It really worked. The Rebel Alliance could gain incredible amounts of information on the Imperial base programming alone.
"However, I am compelled to report that only 29.73 percent of my memory has been erased." Kay-Tuesso drew its arm out and forcefully grabbed Cassian by the throat. "Which means I must detain you, and if you resist, terminate your life."
The red death appeared back into the droid's eyes. Cassian's dark eyes widened and his hands scratched at the droid's. He struggled, frantically calling out for help, "Talia-"
The KX unit's voice tune deepened, sending a chill down Cassian's spine. "What is your name and rank? I will need to note it for the death record."
Talia rushed over and flipped the kill switch. Kay-Tuesso slumped over as Cassian coughed. Talia furrowed her brow and set a hand on his shoulder. "Sorry. These droids are tricky." A makeshift tool came in handy to do a few more things. When the wires were put back into place, Talia restored the chest piece onto the droid. "He should be ready. You're of a higher rank. I'll let you do the honor."
Captain Andor rubbed his neck; a small amount of appreciation bubbled in the back of his mind. He accepted the nice gesture and flipped the switch into the ON position. All three of them stood up and Kay-Tuesso proceeded to form a fighting stance. Cassian spoke clearly, "K-2SO, I am in command. Here are your new orders."
He warily glanced over at Talia. Being caught off guard again by a droid bumped to his first worry. Kay-Tuesso listened, much to his surprise. "You're going to lead us to our ship. If anyone tries to stop us, including the other droids or stormtroopers, you take them out. Understand?"
Talia side-glanced at him.
Kay-Tuesso registered his new orders, running them through his blank mind. "Yes, I understand. I am to lead you to your ship."
"And if anyone interferes?" Should be a clean job. Short. Simple. With a droid like a KX unit, they would have no problem making it back to the ship.
"I will, as you say, take them out."
Cassian grinned softly. "Good. That's very good." A sense of relief washed over him, which eased his racing mind. He turned to Talia and nodded in appreciation. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." A tinge of pride sparked through her mind, and she couldn't help but to smile slightly. Captain Andor was certainly full of more surprises now that they were on good terms. From the cold man he used to be, this was definitely an improvement.
"We need more people with your expertise back at the base." He moved towards the door, standing on one side and listening for any echoes in the hall. The blaster in his hand became concealed by his jacket to not draw suspicion.
Talia followed suit, standing on the other side with her blaster at her hip. She whispered, "Yeah, well, field work is more exhilarating." Kay-Tuesso walked out as if it were the easiest thing in the world. Reassurance built up in Talia's system as she stepped foot into the hall. With the KX unit at their side, she felt better with the odds of survival. She pointed her gun towards Kay-Tuesso, "Plus who will watch your back? This droid could've killed you."
A playful threat deeply rooted itself in Cassian's reply, "If anyone else hears about that, you will not hear the end of it." All three of them walked through the hall, listening as they went along. Footsteps echoed down the other corridor, causing him to fall back to the hangar exit. "Kaytoo, this way." He lead the group through the hangar and back down the drain into the city unscathed.
The only problem became apparent the moment they laid eyes on the crowd. Stormtroopers were littered around the area, patrolling through the people for possible sightings of the rebel spies. The relaxed environment in the city melted away into paranoia and irritation. Hardly anyone stopped at the shops on the marketplace, and everyone kept their heads down to stay out of trouble.
With Kaytoo in the lead, a stormtrooper noticed him right away. He pointed at him, armor clinking against the rifle in his other hand. "Where are you going? All security detail is gathering at storage facility 47."
Without missing a beat, Kay-Tuesso responded plainly, "I'm escorting these rebel spies to their ship."
Cassian and Talia exchanged glances as they both gripped their blaster hilts. Talia sighed and closed her eyes for a brief moment. The KX unit honestly said that to a stormtrooper. Cassian shook his head.
"You're what?!" The stormtrooper and his patrol partner raised their blaster rifles, pointed directly at the trio.
Kaytoo put his hands in front of him, as if to caution them, "But I have to warn you, if you try to stop me, I'm going to take you both out."
"Arrest them!" Both troopers fired their rifles, making the crowd of people panic. Screams of fear chorused around the area. People ducked and dove for cover, making the trio better targets. Others collapsed onto the ground in crumpled heaps. Civilian casualties piled up as more shots rang out. "We need backup! We've spotted rebel infiltrators!"
The rebel spies fired back, using all of their aim to make sure they didn't injure innocents. Cassian managed to hit one of the troopers, causing him to twist backwards onto the ground. "Kaytoo, follow me!" He began to sprint in the direction of the ship, making sure to weave through the streets to lose any troopers in sight.
If only it were that simple.
Several stormtrooper units and KX droids surrounded the Allanar Freighter. They called out a few orders, but from afar, it ought as well be useless gibberish. Cassian leaned against the wall of one of the buildings and muttered under his breath, "Oh, this is not good."
"We need to lead them away...right?" Talia peered at Cassian with a knowing look. She got herself into a running stance, attempting to spike up her adrenaline levels to make the distance.
Some missions had to come with sacrifice, and the fact that she accepted it head on was something Cassian could not allow. She had done it once already, and that almost got her killed in the battle. Draven would secretly appreciate it, and knowing that alone sent Cassian's stomach in a spiral. He furrowed his brow and denied her plan, "No. We're not splitting up." Talia stayed quiet, sneaking ahead a little bit to get a better grasp on the layout of the situation. Cassian turned to Kaytoo with full confidence, "That ship is our only way off this rock, Kaytoo. You need to do something."
The disbelief rolled off of his voice box, "You said you were in command. Now it's up to me to decide what to do?"
"Yes! You're the only one that blends in."
"Well, then I will detain you and terminate your life if necessary." Kaytoo's eyes flashed red; he reached out for Cassian, leaving him reeling back in surprise. "I still have 8.3 percent of my memory."
A thought donned on him and he quickly found the right words, "Wait...That's it. You've got a base layer of Imperial programming. Don't you? That's why you keep defaulting to arrest mode." He backed up a bit more to stay out of reach. Thoughts plucked themselves from his memory as he dove behind the droid. "But if I can somehow cut that off from the rest of your active memory..."
"Wait! What if you disrupt something very important?" Kaytoo's attention was drawn to Talia, who was walking back to update them.
"Sorry, but I have no choice." Cassian bit his lip as he stared at the buttons on Kay-Tuesso's back. He pushed a few of the buttons in a sequence. Colors dashed around the buttons, warning him of what he was really accomplishing.
Kaytoo grabbed Talia by the arms, desperately looking into her surprised brown eyes. The question left his voice box in uncertainty, "But do I have a choice?"
"Not if I do this right."
Talia realized what was going on and reacted, "Don't do that! He may not even function without-"
With a flip of a switch, the KX unit clunked onto the ground, accompanied by a loud thud. They couldn't be constantly watching their backs on the ship wondering when Kaytoo was going to turn on them. If he were to turn on them in battle in the next few moments, it would all be over. Lives lost because of a small chance it had memory left. Cassian offered what he could, "Have some hope."
"Over there! By that KX unit!" A stormtrooper pointed in their direction with his blaster. Half of the squad began walking, guns raised and ready to fire.
"Some droids have gone insane without that base unit. How are you so sure it will work?" Talia pointed her blaster at another building across the way to make sure her aiming was correct.
"I'm not." Cassian flipped the switch once again, his dark eyes locked on Kaytoo. He gripped his sweaty hands on the blaster tighter. Urgency flooded his hushed voice, "Come on...Come on."
"Cass, we don't have much time." She grabbed a small taser from her shoe and grasped it in her free hand. It was supposed to be for haywire droids, but in this situation, anything became useful. The adrenaline that flowed through her system begged her body to flee the scene, yet she fought against it and pushed it out of her mind altogether.
"Working on it." Captain Andor racked his brain for solutions. If Kaytoo did not get up, the only thing to do would be run. Too many stormtroopers flooded the scene, and if they wanted to live, they had to make it across the city. Leaving behind the Allanar Freighter would be a huge loss...but if it was logged into the Empire's database, it was a lost cause anyway.
As if reading his mind, Talia spoke up, "We can't take all of them alone."
Light flickered on in Kay-Tuesso's optics. The droid struggled to trace a thought as it sat up. "I'm...I'm..." At a complete loss of words, Kaytoo looked up at Cassian in desperation for memories of any kind. Kaytoo's voice lowered in a calm sense of confusion, "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do. At all. Which is strange, don't you think?"
Relief washed over Cassian and faded as quick as it appeared. Words fell out of his mouth, "Listen, it's simple..." Hearing grunts and cries of pain, he snapped his attention to where Talia was.
The training session paid off. Talia was on fire, knocking stormtroopers over left and right. Rolling as she dodged Imperial shots, she hooked her leg on one of the trooper's and dragged him down to the ground. Snagging the rifle in one swift move, she aimed at the others in the squad from behind cover.
"If any stormtroopers get in our way, I need you to terminate their lives. Do you understand?" Cassian nearly shouted over the gunfire and aimed his blaster at the squad. A few shots hit the targets. Stormtroopers were dropping like flies, but not quick enough. More came to their aid.
Kay-Tuesso hesitated, calculating something in its mind as it watched the battle. Kaytoo concluded, "I understand completely. But I've been considering our situation, and there's something interesting. The odds of us surviving this battle are only 11.8 percent."
The rebel pilot blinked for a moment. Those odds don't make me feel any better. "Thank you for that." He shot his blaster repeatedly to the point where he could feel the heat emanating off of the end.
Kay-Tuesso dove into the stormtroopers head on, hauling them into the air without any trouble. All of them shouted in sheer confusion and groaned when they hit the ground hard. Kaytoo picked up one of the fallen blaster rifles and shot with ease, taking targets down left and right.
Talia injured a trooper's foot, then quickly bashed his helmet with the end of her gun. A KX unit grabbed her by the throat, catching her off guard. She attempted to fire her blaster, but the droid smacked it out of her hand. A choked breath escaped her throat. Talia kicked her legs against the droid, but to no avail. The taser in her hand came in contact with its arm, and when she turned it on, the droid dropped her. She got close enough to its neck and lit the taser, shocking the droid's systems before it fell unconscious.
Talia rubbed her neck lightly as she snatched her blaster off of the ground and sprinted behind cover. Oxygen made its way back into her lungs, freeing that horrible feeling pent up inside of her. Talia's eyes wandered over to Kaytoo, who was flailing his arms as he attacked everything in sight. She yelled out to Cassian, "I didn't think it would work."
"Neither did I." Cassian surveyed the area. Few troopers stood by near the ship, aiming their blasters in their direction. The rest of the squad was currently being taken out by Kaytoo, and that had a predictable end. Kaytoo was built for speed and strength. There was no way the stormtroopers stood a chance. "There's a clear path!" He waved to Talia and began to run towards the open freighter. "Kaytoo, come on!"
Cassian and Kaytoo entered the ship first. Talia glanced back to see a new squadron of stormtroopers flooding the area. "Reinforcements!" She closed the ship and rushed to the copilot's chair.
Kay-Tuesso stood tall behind Cassian and informed him, "I'm making calculations for a jump to lightspeed, but we will almost certainly be captured and killed before then."
"So calculate faster!" Captain Andor started the ship and immediately took off. TIE Fighters already littered the sky, some appearing as little dots from afar. The freighter jerked to the side from blaster rifle shots coming from below. Those stormtroopers are annoyingly relentless.
"Rushing these calculations could lead to a very quick demise."
Cassian remarked without missing a beat, "Do you want me to give you a very quick demise? Because I know where to find the switch!"
Kaytoo paused and studied Cassian. Based on its previous encounters, it formed an observation, "Curious. You seem to rely on empty threads instead of a strong bargaining position."
Talia laughed in the middle of firing at the TIEs in front of them. One of the TIEs lit up in flames and spun out of control, landing somewhere in the city. Cassian gave her the side eye before bickering, "Want to know what I'm curious about? How you lost the filter between your brain and your mouth."
"He wouldn't be this way if you let me reprogram him," Talia snickered. Cassian scoffed in response. It was all the reply she needed for a comment like that.
As the last few TIEs passed the freighter, Kaytoo reported, "We are now safe to go into hyperspace." Cassian punched it into hyperspace, leaving all the chaos behind. Kay-Tuesso responded honestly, "I never thought we'd make it this far."
Cassian rubbed his hands down his face in frustration. The nerves in his brain were on end, and the amount of adrenaline left over left him shaking subtly. He sighed, "Thanks for the vote of confidence."
"You're welcome."
"Is there any way we can fix him?" Cassian asked as he turned his chair to face Talia. He could see it in her face that she was drained, yet the adrenaline flowing through her body counteracted that. He waited until her eyes met his.
"I don't think so. Unless the rebellion has a base program we can use." The tenseness lifted off of her shoulders, allowing her to sink back into the chair. That's when it all hit her. Aches jolted in different parts of her body, and the slow burn of bruises began to form above her tender muscles. She cringed as she pulled the holochip from her pocket and handed it to Cassian. He took it, and hesitated as his fingers brushed against hers, but quickly accepted the holochip.
Kaytoo spoke up, "I never learned your name. For data files, of course."
Knowing that this droid was currently under his orders, Cassian introduced himself first, "I'm Captain Cassian Andor. This is my partner, Talia Revik." He still stared at Talia. Talia, surprised at the new title, saluted towards Kaytoo.
The KX unit placed its hand on its chest gently and inquired, "And who am I?"
"You are Kay-Tuesso. Welcome to the Rebellion."