Burn It All Down

The air scrubber had been cannibalized for parts weeks ago and the temperature and humidity was rising with the afternoon sun, creating unbearable conditions in the cramped store room turned safe house. The air was moist and smelled of stale sweat. They couldn't even crack the windows for a breeze. They had been covered up along with most of the rest of the wall to insulate the room against escaping sounds. The insulation made the room even hotter, but it had been a fine trade off for safety during the cold spring. Summer was around the corner and a week of this was already wearing them down.

"If it get's any hotter my ears are going to bloody melt off."

Complaining loudly to no one in particular, Shawkyrr ran her arm across her forehead again. The sweat was dripping on her work again, and when you are playing with electrical harnesses for explosives, you really cannot afford to fry a critical circuit board with your bodily fluids. Nobody wants their ten minute timer to suddenly glitch out to ten seconds instead. Rumor was that was what happened to Bulgor. Poor chap, but it was probably his shaky hands that did him in. Looking down she tried to find a clean AND dry patch of her pants to wipe the sweat off on. There wasn't much clothing left, she had already stripped down to a tank top and cargo pants. Her boots were a short distance away. She was all for combat readiness in these trying times, but come on. It's hot.

The rest of the squad wasn't fairing much better. Zazx's green skin was so dry it was starting to turn yellow. He was cleaning his gear for third time today. The guy did not like doing nothing. Jaayza was running a wet cloth over her lekku with one hand while she flipped through an old flimsi magazine with the other. It was amazing what you could find in an old storeroom like this. Gregor was doing, well, Gregor things. He was fully dressed and geared, and somehow not dripping sweat from every pore. He was sharpening a knife while starring empty eyed into the distance in a way that sent shivers down your spine. Seriously, what is that guy's problem? What a creep.

Ignoring them, Shawkyrr went back to her work. It was slow work soldering these wires into place and connecting the timers. She didn't have the explosives on hand. Another cell was handling that production. That way if one gets busted they don't lose everything. Plus, people said her harnesses were the best. Personally, she would rather be making the improvised explosives. Way more fun that way. Her work was instantly interrupted as the comm unit clicked to life, sending a series of clacks through. Grabbing the comm from the table, Jaayza fired back with a different series of clacks. The counter signal was accepted and a voice whispered through.

"Come in Team Yunebyt."

"This is Yunebyt. Standing by."

[i]"There is an escalating situation on Hylland and 17th. A Xeno Support Protest is feuding with the IOCI who are trying to break up their protest. Word is that the Kingmakers have infiltrated the protest and are stoking tempers. I want you over there to keep an eye on things. It could get ugly really fast. The garrison might get called out."

"Affirmative. Moving out."

Goddamn Kingmakers. If there was ever a bigger asshole than the Empire it was those guys. They're the types to set the whole galaxy on fire just so they can be king of the ashes. What a bunch of pricks. They think their leader is the true heir to the Drall throne, hence the name. They had a tendency to come crawling out of the cracks whenever something is happening and making it a million times worse. They claim to be anti-empire, but they don't discriminate when they get into a mob and start attacking everyone and everything. More like looters and rioters taking advantage of the protests to cause trouble and ultimately undermine any progress that is made by the peaceful protesters. Bless their hearts. Shawkyrr had given up on that a long time ago. Her people needed protecting, and damn if she wasn't going to be there for them.

Hylland and 17th was a familiar street. It was not far from where her father's shop had been, back before he was forced out and Gork's was turned into just another Last Chance Starport convenience store chain. Human run, because of course. Those dirty IMPs wanted their front yard to be exclusively human, and everyone else pushed to the edges of the city. Grabbing their gear they made quick work of stashing supplies and weapons around their persons and heading outside into the sunshine. It was much cooler out here than in the safe room. Hopefully they could get to the protest and pull those Kingmaker trouble makers out before things got out of hand. The Empire didn't waste time breaking up the protests once things started to turn against them. The IOCI were puppies compared to the army of Stormtroopers in the garrison. Not to mention there were usually a few Imperial Knights kicking about to really mess things up.