Kiratta was, first and foremost, beyond irritated. Why did the High Brass even think that escort missions were a decent idea? Out of all of her assignments, her latest one was certainly the worst. There were absolutely zero signs of enemy activity throughout the entire trip, but the cowardly merchant insisted that they kept constant patrols around the perimeter of his transport frigate. Not only that, but a trip that could've easily be completed in less than half an hour lasted for what felt like an eternity thanks to the man's paranoia. The worst of it all was that she was not allowed to voice her frustrations at any point. Her commanding officers did tell her to be in her best mood, as the guy was supposedly meant to work as a critical supply runner for the Alliance if brought safely to the Irrepressible's fleet.
Right now, she was just glad she was far away from both her superiors and that merchant. Some peace and quiet was all she yearned for.
The pilot stomped her way into her private quarters, and as soon as she heard the familiar sound of the door sliding shut behind her, she breathed deeply. Finally, she was enveloped in sweet, sweet silence. Dragging herself over to her bed, Kiratta unzipped the upper half of her flying suit before collapsing face first onto her bed, sighing. It was never exactly comfortable, though after all she had to go through today, even the steel floor would feel like a sea of soft, silken pillows. Exhaustion swooped in right after, adding up to her stress, and the woman was incapable of even moving.
Her rest was disturbed, however. Just as Kiratta felt sleep taking over her conscience, an odd sound filled the room, at first low, like the humming of the ship's light's. Within seconds, however, it grew to be as loud as the roars coming from the engine room. She stirred, frowning, and rolled over, only to be blinded by a bright flash of green. She tried to speak, though the words were lost at her throat as a strong force pulled her towards the light, prompting her to scream out in surprise and fear. The noises only intensified, the strange force denying her of any attempt at resisting. In the blink of an eye, she was thrown into what looked like an infinite, glowing spiral, sending her body spinning like a mere ragdoll. Her ears rung, her sight lost focus, and her head was enveloped by a blasting pain.
This unexplained, painful trip ended as quickly as it started, though its effects lingered on Kiratta. She could only feel herself being thrown against a hard surface, rolling till her shoulders came into contact with what she assumed was a wall. Vertigo kicked in like a hammer to the head, and the pilot could only weakly face the floor as she emptied her stomach. Even with all the discomfort, the rebel gathered enough strength to sit herself up against the wall, closing her eyes and resting her head back. Little by little, the dizziness went away, and her torturous headache turned into a lightly throbbing pain, perhaps bearable enough to get her thoughts back in line. After a few deep breaths, she deemed herself ready to get back up on her feet.
Using the wall as support, she stood up with a bit of effort, stumbling back and forth as the dizziness returned. "It's okay, it's okay..." She told herself, holding a hand to her forehead as she leaned against the wall, timing her breaths to calm her racing heart. Kiratta then gazed up, slowly, only to recoil in shock. She wasn't in her quarters anymore, or the Irrepressible. Before her, tall buildings that kissed the orange skies burned brightly, the flames licking the charred concrete and shattering the few remaining windows with the heat. In the distance, the telltale echoes of battle warned her of a threat, and she quickly reached for her pistol which, thankfully, still sat at its holster.
Armed, yet still disoriented, Kiratta began to walk. Her mind was assaulted by a million questions: how did she get here? Where was she? What happened to this place? The lack of answers, coupled by the lack of hints left her tense, hands trembling as she gulped down the lump forming at her throat. Minutes passed by as she shakily made her way through what looked like the ruins of a collapsed buildings, telling by the windows and doors sitting at odd angles. Eventually, the tilted halls lead her outside, where a crude gateway was created from a blast hole through a wall. The sight outside was no prettier than anything she had seen so far; worse, she guessed that this was easily the most hellish thing she had seen all day.
The avenue was littered with debris, burning vehicles and mutilated corpses. Dried blood was everywhere, painting the scene with brutality. The air was heavy with the scent smoke. Kiratta struggled to remain on her feet, eyes wide and skin pale. "By the Force... what happened here?!"
As soon as she finished her words, chatter reached her ears. Throwing her head towards the general direction of the sounds, Kiratta wasted no time in beginning her cautious approach. Crouching behind some of the debris, she peeked out whenever possible, already making out a couple of forms standing in the distance. Upon closer inspection, they looked as out of place as her, although there was no air of friendliness between them. She breathed deeply, nodding her head a couple times as she repeated some calming words in her mind, before standing from behind her cover. Her hands were held high, though she still had her blaster pistol in hand.
"Uh... hello?"