Karvis
The Rebel Alliance => Independants => Topic started by: GM Craig on May 16, 2014, 12:51:12 PM
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Collan and Niil get off the transport in the town of Tase, just inside the northern Bladesea. The plan from here is to pay for transport to the town of Tez?st, and start hunting for Jeremy Wilton there.
Tase was built in the crater of an old meteor strike, which provides shelter from the ceaseless winds. At this elevation, the air is much thinner than at sea level, and you find yourselves getting winded easily. Tase is a smaller town with, if intel is accurate, no Imperial presence, which makes travelling a little easier.
You are in something of a transport station, with a couple of dozen people moving around you getting off transports and getting on them. The howl of the wind can be heard, even so close to the edge of the Bladesea.
There might be public transport available here, or you could hire a charter or even buy your own crawler for the extra freedom. Public transport carries the risk of pirates, and some charters might be fronts for pirates themselves, so buying your own crawler might be worthwhile.
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Niil took a deep, slow breath, and grinned. The Bladesea was a hell-hole and pretty well lawless, but for some odd reason he liked it here, despite what they went through last time. Yeah, he snorted mentally, good Jedi attitude there, nerf herder. Looking at Collan, he said, "We'll probably be better off buying our own transport. Have you ever been to the Bladesea, by the way?"
OOC: If at all possible, Niil would've come with some good armament. Like his blaster pistols and his AP blaster rifle.
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Collan shook his head.
"This world may be home, but I've only been here a few months. And then it's been mainly...you know."
"I agree though...our own transport would be best. But can we buy one? I'm pretty strapped."
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Niil nodded. "Yeah, I've got about four thousands creds to my name, although I won't let these vulture vendors know that." As they walked around the town in search of a dealership, Niil said, "There's not much law out here, and even less in the outbacks, so watch your butt at all times. Don't be overt about curiosity, but at the same time watch out for anyone sizing you up. There's a drek-load of pirates in the Blade Sea, and they might have some spotters at stations like this."
OOC: Looking for a place that will sell a crawler. We'll check as many as we can; no sense in settling for the first one we find.
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"Got it...don't be curious, but be observant."
"And what your words," he added, "Who knows who's listening."
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You shop around for a bit, but the only real reasonable deal you can find is a beat up medium cargo crawler that has seen better days, and more than it's fair share of blaster hits. The junk dealer offers it for 1800. You give it a look over, and it seems in working order. The top speed is fairly limited, but it makes a low enough profile that you should be able to evade any casual observers out in the open Bladesea.
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While you are shopping, Colan hears rumours that the Empire has started building a subterranean high-speed rail system to make the Bladesea more accessible. They are months away from completion, but when it opens, it promises public transport through the Bladesea.
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Collan noted to Niil, "So they're building a transit system theough the Bladesea. That seems a little convenient, don't you think?"
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Niil snorted. "Yeah, I can't exactly see them doing it as part of a 'Win your hearts and minds' campaign. I wonder how much pubic access they'll actually allow."
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Niil looked over the transport, making a show of poking his fingers into the blaster holes and chuckling to himself. Turning to the seller, Niil shrugged and drawled, "Sturdy power plant, even though it ain't speedy, so we'll keep our blasters in our laps. She's seen better days, and looks like she decided to get frisky with an E-Web." Niil paused, rubbing his jaw, and said, "Twelve hundred."
OOC: I can't remember what my Bargain skill is, but I'm guessing it's low at best - and non-existent at the worst. :P
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[OOC: You're both at 3D+1]
The greasy-looking junk dealer shakes his head. "I got a family to feed, and suppliers to pay. You think something like this just falls outta the sky? I spent more than you're offering on repairs to make the thing run! 1750, and I throw in a holo of Larisselle Chatrunis dancing for the top of the console."
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Niil chortled and leaned against the wall, his thumbs hooked on his belt. "heh . . . I've seen Ms. Chatrunis, sir, and that's not what I'd call a deal sweetener. Tell you what . . . I don't want your family to go hungry, but I don't want my two nerfs eating weeds for dinner, either. Fourteen hundred, and you can sell the holo to a Larisselle fan."
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He looks you in the eye. "1600. Final offer."
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Niil started muttering numbers under his breath, as if tallying up costs, then gave the mechanic an appraising look. "All right, done. But this rig sure as hell better not conk out on us twenty klicks out, or there's gonna be hell to pay."
Plopping his duffel bag down, he unzipped a pocket and started counting out the necessary credits, making sure to take his time and to mix in a fair amount of lower-denomination creds. Better to put the impression in this guy's head that they were tight on funds, rather than possessing nearly five thousand creds. For all he knew - and he had more that just a faint suspicion - this dealer would be on a comm to some pirate group even before Niil and Collan were out of sight.
OOC: Not letting the junk dealer see the full extent of my credits in any way, shape, form or fashion. Nope.
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The dealer watches as you fish some credsticks out of your bag. He smiles at you as he accepts them. He checks their balance, and hands you over the passkey. "Enjoy the ride, sir!" He then withdraws into his shop.
[OOC You guys will need some supplies for the trip.]
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Niil gave the vehicle a dubious look and shot a glance towards where the dealer went. Why did that smile give him a sinking feeling?
Shrugging, he nudged Collan and muttered, "Well, let's get our bags stuffed inside. We need some gear before we head out into the Big Whoosh."
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Collan nodded. He'd been silent as the Warrant haggled.
"Oh yeah...rations...water. Definitely."
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You arrange for some supplies, making some good deals. By the end of the day, you are well equipped to venture into the Bladesea.
[Head out now or in the morning?]
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Niil motioned Collan to get into the truck, and turned on the radio (OOC: assuming the truck has one). Once seated, he said quietly, "We could stay the night, or we could leave now and pick a place to camp out in a few hours. I've got a funny feeling that the longer we stay here, the more time some informants could have to I.D. us and call in Imperials or bounty hunters. What do yo figure?"
OOC: If we opt for leaving now, I'll use a map to pick out a likely point for parking for the night. Don't want to try and drive while we're passing out at the wheel.
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"Let's get out of here. The sooner we go; the less time any land pirates have to try and tail us too."
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Niil nodded. "You got it. Seeing the drek we ran into last time, we'll keep our weapons handy up here in the cab." He grinned and handed Collan the macrobinoculars. "Since you're navigator, you get the fun part of keeping a lookout."
OOC: On our way.
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The vehicle, while rough around the edges, does appear to be mechanically sound. The electronics, while not pretty, are also functional. You have sensors, a navigation computer, environmental controls and communications all in working order.
The cargo area is accessible from within the cab, though it involves a little crawling over seats and reaching to get access to things in the storage compartment.
Using the navigation computer, you plot out a route to a small cluster of low hills not far from the edge of the escarpment. It's not much cover, but it should hide your vehicle from most sensors.
A couple of hours later, you are approaching the small hills, and looking forward to turning in for the night, when your sensors pick up an active contact in the spot you were looking to park in.
It's faint so they likely haven't detected you.
[Actions?]
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Niil brought the vehicle to a stop, then chuckled. "Doesn't that just figure," he muttered. "Collan, keep an eye out; I'm gonna check the navicomp and try find us another spot to hole up for the night."
OOC: Looking for another spot, preferably out of the other contact's sensor range. Can I tell if the other contact is running active, or passive?
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Collan had the macros up, scanning the surrounding area for any signs of...welll...anything.
"Got it. Think it might be worth going active to see what we can find?"
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[OOC: It's active scans you are picking up. The navigation computer doesn't show any other features of significant size for at least an hour around you.]
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Niil thought for a moment. "Depends on who's sitting out there. They might have their active scans up just to keep watch for the night, or they might be hammering away looking for someone. Probably not pirates, since they wouldn't be advertising themselves. Unless they're using reverse psychology. Let's see how far away they are ."
OOC: How far away is the other contact?
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Hard to say on passive, but somewhere around 3 km according to where the hilly area is. Get closer than 2km, they stand a not bad chance of detecting you.
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Niil checked his sensors, and chewed on his lower lip. "That contact's probably about three klicks from us. Now if they're civilians, why the hell would they broadcast themselves by pinging away on active sensors? With the amount of highway robbery around the Bladesea, that's just careless. I mean, why not run passive and travel a few hours more and get to town?"
He thought for a moment, and shook his head. "I don't like this, Collan. I'm gonna see if I can plot a course around them and keep out of their scanning range. In the meantime, maybe see if you can pick up any comm chatter around this area."
OOC: I'm going to try and find an alternate place for us to camp for the night, and plot a course to keep us out of range of that contact's sensors. Also, we'll try and see if there's any comm traffic going on.
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Collan frowned...
"What do you want to bet that the signals we're getting are just a beacon? That it's a lure with nothing there. Can you determine if they're scanning in a pattern?"
In the meantime, Collan began to look at different parts of the spectrum both on com and EM. He also did a subspace an hypercom check to see if anyone was actively broadcasting on amy possible channels. He also took a look around to see if anyone was trying mirros or potential stray photons from laser coms (really any collimated EM signals).
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Niil paused. "Good point. Let's check that out."
OOC: Try Collan's suggestion first.
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You examine the contact a little deeper using passive sensors. The crawler's sensors are serviceable, but not very sophisticated, and neither of you are particularly skilled at fine-tuning sensors, but Collan knows a little more, so Niil helps out.
The emissions you are seeing are consistent with a broad-spectrum multi-purpose sensor array, similar to various models of higher-end hand-held sensor packs and vehicle sensor units. It does not match any sort of navigational beacon you recognize, though it certainly would act as such in a pinch.
In addition, you do pick up signs of broadcast EM communications frequencies in use, but cannot make anything out. It could be encrypted - not necessarily nefarious in itself - many folks use encrypted channels for private communications.
That about all your skill and equipment can determine.
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"Whoever that is, they spent some creds on that toy they're using. It's deinitely high end, so they're either really successful but stupid pirates, imperials, or some poor slob who doesn't get the danger out here or is looking for something in particular."
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Niil smiled thinly and nodded his assent. "And either of those three possibilities means people we'd probably be better off avoiding. Maybe even bounty hunters, too. Let's skirt them and keep out of their sensor range."
OOC: We'll bypass this contact, but I'll also try and avoid any blatantly obvious alternate routes if I can. For all we know this could be a shepherding setup.
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You move on some distance, being careful to stay out of sensor range. About twenty minutes later, your passive sensors pick up another faint contact. This one is not actively broadcasting, but you pick up what seems to be communication emissions from somewhere off to the left. You only have a bearing, not a distance.
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Collan began to attempt to rotate the best angle of receiving on the passive sensors hoping to narrow the direction the comm signal was coming from.
"Let me see if I can narrow the directionality of that signal."
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Niil wasn't liking this one bit. A contact in the Bladesea pinging away with active sensors would make most people opt for taking another route to avoid being detected, and careless prey would probably blunder right into a passive sensor net in the process.
He brought the vehicle to a dead stop, and made sure his armor-piercing blaster rifle was readily available. In a low voice, he said, "Go to it. See if you can pick up what they're saying at the same time. I'll keep an eye out."
OOC: Let Collan go to work, and I'll put the macrobinoculars to work. If they have FLIR, I'll start scanning in that mode.
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Niil stops the crawler and pops the hatch and steps out into the night to have a look. Wind rips through the cockpit and claws at his clothes and he steps outside. He starts scanning the horizon.
Inside the vehicle, moments later, the sensors start going crazy. Collan looks up from his work to see three active pings on the passive sensors, coming from the southwest, west, and northwest of your position.
Outside, Niil scans the horizon, and almost immediately spots a vehicle spark up it's lights and start heading directly towards you. He lowers the macros, and then can see two other blooms of light headed your way. They are about 500 yards away, and closing fast. Buy the look of it, they're faster than you are. On the open plains of the Bladesea, you won't be able to loose them.
[Actions?]
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Niil swore softly as he brought up his armor-piercing baster rifle to bear. "Crack out the blasters, Collan, and grab a firing position! Let's hold off shooting until we see what their intentions are."
OOC: Sorry, I didn't get a chance to finish this. Holding fire until I can get a good idea if they're hostile or not.
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Collan popped open the weapons locker and took up a firing position, looking for soft targets.
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In a few moments, you see them. Wide, squat light vehicles with open cockpits. You see no external weapons, but those riding in the vehicles appear to have that covered.
Their intentions become clear quickly as the vehicles swoop in towards you. No shots are fired, but each vehicle has three blaster-wielding occupants. They whoop and holler as they roll in, one heading for the front, one heading for the rear of your crawler.
[Actions?]
They'll effectively blockage your vehicle unless you decide to rap them. The vehicles are all open, so the occupants are wearing environmental suits to protect from the wind.
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[No bonus for aiming, as you guys weren't actually aiming. Also, Collan is in the vehicle, but you're outside it. You'd have to remount to start driving. Your vehicle is closed cockpit, so you can't fire from inside, but you're also protected from blaster fire. Do you want to try and make a break for it, or fire on them? Once of you might be able to shoot by hanging out an open hatch while the other drives.]
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OOC: We might as well make a break for it. One will drive, while the other fires. If they're close enough to be in heavy blaster pistol range, I'll use that instead of the AP blaster rifle and go for the drivers. I'll let Collan drive and delete my old post.
Niil swore. Why did he have to be right about them? He dove across the hood for the passenger side and yelled, "Collan, take the wheel; I'll shoot!!"
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"Got it!" Collan yelled as he hopped into the driver's seat. This was going to be a bumpy ride.
[ooc: crap...just 3D Mechanical. Drive. Look for opportune terrain to give them a run for their money]
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OOC: Still better than my Mechanical skill . . . :)
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Collan shifts to the driver's seat and hits the accelerator while Niil leans out the open hatch. The sudden lurch of the vehicle makes Niil's first shot with the rifle go wide.
When your vehicle starts to move, you hear the beings on the other vehicles start hooting and cheering, apparently looking forward to a chase.
The vehicles quickly close to heavy blaster range.
[Actions?]
The pirates are faster and more manoeuvrable than you, though Niil is likely better with a blaster, so you might be able to wear them down by driving.
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Collan keeps it floored and throws in some random manuevering to keep the pirates on their toes. He telegraphed his zigs and zags up to Niil so the Spec could compensate for the shifts in direction.
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Niil quickly safetied the rifle and shoved it back into the cab, then drew one of his heavy blaster pistols. Coordinating with Collan's instructions, he lined up the driver of the nearest pursuing vehicle and fired a shot.
OOC: What would my penalty be for firing at the driver?
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[OOC: No penalty, exactly. It's a hard shot no matter who you're shooting at. But you're much more skilled with the heavy blaster pistols.]
Collan swerves towards one of the smaller vehicles. There is a minor collision, but not enough to damage either vehicle. What it does do, however, is bring the driver to point blank range for Niil. It takes a moment for Niil to recover from the collision, but the big hand cannon coughs, and the driver slams bodily against the side of his harness. Nerveless hands slip from the wheel, and the vehicle careens to the left, forcing another raider to swerve to avoid a collision. The two shooters on the out of control vehicle are split on what to do - one dives from the careening vehicle into the gras and is quickly left behind. The other scrambles to try and get control of the wheel from the rear seat. Niil looses sight of him while he is still struggling.
The shots seem to have fired up the raiders, and their threats and jeers have been replaced by blaster bolts. Several shots ping off the crawler, and Niil is finding it hard to avoid them as he hangs on to the side of the racing crawler with one hand. Two shots to tag him, but he manages to shrug them off.
[Actions?]
Collan's vehicle rolls are helping make the pirate shots more difficult. I'm using a Command roll to handle the coordination.
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Niil grunted from the impact of two blaster bolts, but other than some scorching of his body armor and a brief flare of heat he was okay. That wasn't bound to last too long unless he was able to get some more accurate shots in. Wish we had some grenades with us, Niil thought sourly. Seeing that one of the vehicles was out of the fight for a few moments, he lined up on the vehicle that swerved to avoid the collision and took a shot at its driver.
OOC: I forgot to ask: Are the raiders' vehicles tracked, or wheeled?
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"Good shot, Niil!" Collan called up. He kept concentrating on driving and swerving...hopefully he'd get a chance to manuever one of the pirates into a ravine and other obstacle.
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OOC: I forgot to ask: Are the raiders' vehicles tracked, or wheeled?
Wheeled.
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Connor gets another shot off, and one of the shooters flies out of the roll cage to land on the ground. A moment later, the trailing vehicle rolls over the shooter. he won't be getting back up.
The blaster fire intensifies, and Connor is pinged a couple more times, one of them bad enough that for a few moments all he can do is hand on and grit his teeth against the burn. With Collan driving more aggressively than expected, the other vehicles are being a little more cautious. With their speed and manoeuvrability, it's not difficult for them to keep clear.
[Darren, you still shooting once per round? You're at -2d for action penalties (hanging on, and coordinating with Collan.]
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Buggering hell, that one singed! Niil thought savagely; he nearly lost his heavy blaster pistol as he fought to keep from falling off of his perch. How to slow them down? His eyes dropped to the vehicles' tires, and he grinned. Yeah, it's worth a shot. Or two or three . . .
Leveling his blaster at the nearest vehicle, Niil took a shot at one of its front tires.
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[ooc: blacktop rolling here]
Collan keeps driving hard...
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As Niil took a shot at the lead vehicle's front tire, Niil yelled, "Collan! Keep an eye on the terrain and see if you can find a place where we can funnel these drek-heads into single-file!"
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Collan yelled up, "Got it! But they might have plans of their own for something like...keep ready for it!"
He figured that the pirates might be smart enough to trick a target into trying to elide them into a narrow defile so that there'd be a trap weighting to spring.
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Niil lines up a shot, and scores a solid hit on the front tire of the lead vehicle. The tire explodes, yawing the vehicle to the right. The driver cannot compensate, and in a moment the vehicle has started to roll. The vehicle behind tries to avoid a crash, but zigs when he should have zagged, and the vehicle leaps off the overturned one like a ramp. The now airborne vehicle arcs through the air while is rolls and pivots. It lands hard on the nose, teeters for a moment then flops over onto it's roof. A second later, it explodes.
You see a trail of flame snake across the ground towards the flipped vehicle. A moment later, that vehicle explodes as well.
[Actions?]
No more vehicles, and if anyone survived the crashes, you can easily outdistance them.
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Collan kept driving but called up, "Niil was that the last one?"
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Niil stared incredulously at the sudden devastation, and then at his smoking blaster pistol. "Uhhhh, yeah, that's all of them. Slow down a bit and keep going for about a half klick, just in case any of them have blaster rifles. Then stop and let me hop back in." Niil shook his head in wonder. "Wow, that sort of thing only happens in the holos . . ."
OOC: Yeah, still keeping my eyes peeled.
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Collan intoned, "Acknowledged," and took a bit off the accelerator, "What in the hell did you do to them?" He inquired after a moment.
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Niil replied, "I shot out the lead vehicle's front tire. The driver lost control and flipped his vehicle, and the other vehicle slammed into him and went sailing. Then the fuel tanks on both went 'boof'. Like I said, you only see that sort of thing in the holovids."
Lack of sleep, combined with the adrenaline winding down, made Niil involuntarily let loose with a jaw-cracking yawn. "Ugh. Once I hop back in, we really have to find a place to crash for the night. Let's keep looking for a good spot. We might have to go for another hour or two, though.
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With the adrenaline of battle slow to leave you, you travel well into the night. It is near dawn, in fact, before you begin to feel tired. But there is a danger - your crawler leaves a clear trail. Surviving pirates would be able to follow it, if they chose to.
[Keep going, or pull over?]
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Niil shook his head in an attempt to clear the cobwebs away. Too long on the road. Breaking open his canteen, he took a healthy swig of water and looked over at Collan. "We've got to find a place to crash for awhile, or we'll be frakked if we get into another firefight. Let's keep going for another two hours max and see if we can find a good hidey-hole or settlement to bed down along the way. I just hope to hell those pirates decided to look somewhere else for easier meat, or we're going to be dogged all the way."
OOC: If there's any sort of terrain around that won't leave tracks (ha), we'll try it out. Otherwise, we'll look for a good place (at least one escape route and preferably on high ground) or a settlement to check out. If we find a settlement, we'll be damned careful before coming near, in case it's owned/occupied by bad dudes.
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Collan blinked his eyes. Niil would have noticed that Collan seemed oddly jittery, stretching his neck a lot...shaking his legs and arms...tapping his feet. At the same time, Collan's head kept falling forward a bit before it would snap back up, his eyes wide and trying to focus on path forward. It was hard to do so without a clear road using only headlights and what little sensors they dared use.
"Yeah..." Collan replied, "I'm barely awake here..."
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Niil shouldn't have glanced over at Collan; now his jaw ached from the yawn that erupted from his mouth. "Urrrgh. I wonder if we have any caffeine or caffeine pills in this medkit . . .
OOC: Umm, Craig? Could our supply run we made before we left town have included some sort of caffeine (ie. coffee, soft drinks, etc)? I assume we took some food and drink with us, seeing as there's not a lot of truck stops out here. Or, failing that, some sort of pick-me-ups in the medkit? Something that wouldn't make us crash and burn, that is?
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Niil pulls out a medkit and does find several doses of stimulants. it should be enough to get you to a settlement.
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Niil handed Collan one of the stims and muttered, "I hate like hell to pump this crud into my system, but we might have little choice. He then took one for himself and felt the sludgy effects of fatigue blasted away. "Woof!" he exclaimed, then shook his head. "Let's just hope the crash isn't too heavy from these things. All right, let's find us a hidey-hole or a settlement."
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Collan likewise took a stim and pressed it into his arm. It left a slight sting as it coursed through his veins but in a moments it had shocked his system into alertness.
"Whoa!" Was about all he managed. Collan suddenly felt a need to be moving and doing something. And something at the edge of his senses was bugging him.
"This stuff really puts an edge on," he stated to Niil, "I feel like I want to shoot off in all directions at once."
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At least now we'll stay awake long enough to find a place to grab some rest, Niil thought. I wonder how long we . . .
Niil smacked the side of his head and swore. "Of all the malfing stupid things for me to do!" Looking over at Collan, he muttered, "Really damned smart of me. Yup, let's both crash at the same time and fall into deep sleep in the middle of the Bladesea, with torqued-off raiders and a functioning vehicle behind us."
He let out his breath in a sigh of self-disgust, and grumbled, "All right, so now we find a place and one of us crashes for about eight hours, while the other tries to stay awake and keep watch. Damn me."
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It is about an hour later when you spot the tell-tale mounds of a small settlement. Altering course slightly, you pull up to a dugout. There is a ramp leading down into the town, but the gate is closed. No one seems to be about, but it is early in the morning.
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Niil narrowed his eyes; there was no telling who owned this settlement, but they had to find out before the both of them crash-and-burned. Handing his AP laser rifle to Collan, he said, "Stay here and get ready to come and grab me. I'm going to check this settlement out."
Popping the door, he slid out and started walking down the ramp. He made sure his weapons were holstered, but kept the snaps free in case he had to draw them quickly.
OOC: Go down the ramp and see if there's any night guard or intercom at the gate.
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"Got it." Collan took the rifle and waited in case he had to pull Niil out of a furball.
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The gate is closed, and the place looks more or less shut down. There doesn't appear to be any intercom panel.
The place looks like a multi-family settlement - several doorwars open unto a central cylinder dug out of the earth. You'd guess there's room for maybe 50 residents, though it's hard to tell - some of the homes could go back a long way into the ground.
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"Well, bantha poodoo," Niil muttered as he glared at the door. One would think that they had some night watch somewhere, but the door looked solid enough to take a vehicular blaster volley without warming up. Looks like they'd have to wait until morning. Still, it couldn't hurt - hopefully - to knock. Reaching forward, he banged his fist on the door six times.
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Your fist barely makes a sound, so you resort to using the butt of a rifle.
A few moments later, a port opens revealing an optical sensor. A synthetic voice says, "Who are you and what do you want?" in standard basic.
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"Sorry if we woke you. Me and my friend are just looking for a place to grab some shut-eye for a few hours." Niil stepped back a few paces so the sensor could fully see him. You can see the hardware I'm sporting, but that's only for protection; we're not trouble-makers. The roads have been kind of rough lately, if you catch my drift."
OOC: Oh crap, isn't this how Return of the Jedi started? Knocking on a thick metal door, then having an optical sensor popping out? :P
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"How many of you? Let me see you," the synthesized voice says.
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"Just two of us, including myself. Hold on for a sec." Niil turned and waved at where Collan was parked. Keying his mic and speaking loud enough for their potential boarders to hear, he said, "Bring her in slowly, but stop before heading down the ramp. Then step out and let them see you.
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Collan fired up the engines and brought their junkie yet effective transport in slowly. The low gear led to a deep though slight whir in the motors indicative of inefficient energy use. Collan got the transport right up to the edge of the ramp and shut it down. He engaged the parking systems and then went to the door to show himself.
Stepping out, he asked, "It's just me in here."
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The voice says, "Fine. But be warned there's four sharpshooters tracking your every move. Reach for a gun or attack anyone and you'll be full of holes before your corpse hits the ground."
With a loud clank and a screeching, tortured sound, the gate begins to slide down.
A large, scruffy-looking man comes into view, carrying a pair of sidearms and a hefty looking rifle of some sort. It's pretty old-looking - might even be a slug-thrower or a kinetic scattergun. He has a helmet rocked back on his head, and is wearing a scruffy-looking environmental suit that looks hastily donned.
Behind him, on a balcony near the top of the dugout, you see a young woman with a rifle to her shoulder. Below her on another balcony, you see a boy maybe 10 years of age with slug-thrower in a similar stance. They both look like they just crawled out of bed.
The gate finishes the tortured screeching as it comes to rest with a thunk and a clank. The man says, "'Name's Jerrol Grumb. Yer welcome t'stay. Bring no trouble here, an' no trouble'll find you."
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Niil kept his hands well away from his heavies, and wearily replied, "That works for me, Mr. Grumb. And again, my apologies for waking all of you up." Glancing back at the vehicle, he added, "Would you like Wez here to drive our truck in, or would you rather drive it in yourself to make sure we don't have anything or anyone hidden in there?"
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Collan had had his mouth open to introduce himself when Niil introduced him as 'Wez.' It suddenly occurred to Collan that their real names were like to bring down the wrong kind of attention.
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The old man looks the vehicle over, then spits out of the side of his mouth. "Bring it in. You can park it on the ramp." The old man waves at the kids on the balconies, and they lower their weapons, ducking into doorways so that they are out of sight.
You bring the vehicle into the tight confines of the dugout, and the old gate creaks and screams closed behind you. Grumb is beside the vehicle when you get out.
"Ye had trouble ye say? Likely pirates. Whereabouts?" He pokes his head into the vehicle and a moment later the engine hatch opens. He starts to walk towards the hatch.
-
Niil held back a bemused grin as the man started rooting through their vehicle's engine compartment, but still kept a covert eye on what the man was doing. "Yeah, we ran into a pack of bully-boys a few hours back on the road from Tase. They came at us with three open-cockpit wheeled trucks - three pirates per truck. They set up an active-sensor herding trap. They sound familiar at all?" Niil said the last question off-hand, but he was ready to draw his blaster at a moment's notice. There was no telling if this man had ties with the pirates.
-
He grunts, and pulls something from your engine compartment.
"You buy this crate from a salvager?" he asks before he drops the device in his hand on a crate, then smashes it with the rifle butt.
When he pulls the rifle away, you see miniature electronics, and a power supply.
"Tracker. They had you marked since you entered the Bladesea."
-
Niil tightened his fists so tightly his knuckles cracked, and then laughed. "Yeah, that would be an accurate guess, Mr. Grumb. And damn me for a careless idiot for not checking this wreck over for trackers before we left. I should have known that he'd try something like this. Well, when we get back, I'll pay that drek-bag a visit."
Shaking his head, he said, "Mr. Grumb, my sloppiness might have put you and your family in trouble. If you want us to, we'll saddle up and leave."
-
He shakes his head. "Nah, yer fine t'stay a few hours. if they come, wouldn't be the first time. And won't be the last neither. We can hold our own. Ye learn to survive out here where there's no law unless body make it themselves. And don't be too hard on the junk dealer - pirates have been known to plant trackers when they abandon vehicles, or take them in themselves to sell. Yer guy may not have even known."
-
"Hmmm. Maybe you're right on that count," Niil said, although he was somewhat skeptical. It would be a perfect scam . . . the dealer sells a bugged vehicle, sets up an ambush with his pirate buddies, and they bring the vehicle back and divide the profits. Repeat and rinse.
Niil blinked his eyes a few times, then drawled, "Ugh, yeah, I'm ready to pass out here, and I'm guessing Wez isn't any better." Reaching into the truck's cab, he slowly withdrew the armor-piercing blaster rifle by the forestock and offered it to Jerrol. "We took out two of the three vehicles and left them in a bad world of hurt, but I've no idea if they're stupid enough to come looking for blood. If they do show up, get someone to kick us awake and feel free to put this sweetie to good use."
-
"Oh, we'll wake you. And we have our own weapons."
He points to a large door. "Ye can sleep in the shed there. There's some tarps you can use. We'll have some grub in a couple of hours - we'll set it out for you, but I expect you'll be asleep."
-
Niil slung the rifle and gave the man a grateful smile. "Thanks, Mr. Grumb. We won't forget this. Wez, let's crash for awhile. We're gonna need all the rest we can get."
OOC: We'll use the shed, but we'll leave the door open. If Corey goes along with it, we'll sleep on opposite corners of the shed with our feet facing the door. This guy and his family have been hospitable so far, but . . .
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'Wez' feigned a little more wobbliness than he felt.
"Right. I'm about ready to crash."
Once inside, he gave Niil a look and looked around for any sign of bigs or watchers.
"Pretend to crash? One of us up?"
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Niil let out a short laugh. "I'm inclined to trust this guy and his family, but if he looks us up on the holonet . . . well, then it all depends on what he thinks of the Empire and what they're offering," he whispered. He thought for a second, then shook his head. "I hope I'm not going to regret this, but I think we should both get some sleep for as long as Mr. Grumb will extend his hospitality. If we run into more trouble on the road, we're both going to need to be awake and ready." As an afterthought, he added, "Oh yeah, if anyone asks, I'm . . . Tak Markessan."
-
You find a pile of earthy-smelling tarps in the shed, and make use of them for some dark and comfort. In a couple of minutes you are both sound asleep.
You wake up some time later. A crate has been set out between you. On that crate is a plate filled with several pastries of some description and two bottles of some sort of blue liquid.
The doors of the shed are closed, but you see sunlight through the cracks around the door frame. The sound of the wind is distant, but still audible. You appear to have been left alone - there is no sign anyone else had been in the shed except for the plate of cold food.
-
Niil stretched until he thought he heard every vertebrae along his spine crack, then took in his surroundings. The sight of the pastries, though, made him nearly start to salivate. Hmmm, I thought I left that door open. He motioned for Collan to keep quiet. Then, he quietly checked the power packs on his pistols and rifle.
OOC: Checking our weapons out first, then seeing if there's any way we can take a peek outside without having to open the shed door.
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[ooc: blue milk?]
Collan nodded and moved quietly to check his weapons.
He mimicked whatever Niil was doing up to looking for a way to look out.
-
There are viewports in the heavy door you slide open. Your eyes are dazzled a little from the light. It looks to be about noon, judging from the shadows. There is no sign of life in the compound. It seems empty.
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Niil's eyes narrowed; where the hell was everyone? Quietly drawing his weapons, he whispered, "Stay here and cover me, Collan. Maybe the family's just working, but I don't see anyone around. I'm going out to have a look."
OOC: Niil's gonna open the door a crack and peek out. If he doesn't see anything/anyone, he'll slip outside and have a look around.
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Collan nodded and readied his blaster.
-
You open the door and have a look around. Everything seems quiet, but the main power is on, and the heavy gate is still shut.
Then you hear something coming from an open doorway - it sounded like a metal bang of some kind.
[Actions?]
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Not being able to see outt, Collan asked, "What was that?"
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Niil shook his head. "Hard to say. I'm going to have a look-see. Cover me." With that, Niil darted towards the source of the noise, making use of whatever cover he could find.
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Collan slipped out, staying in cover as best he could to watch over Niil as he went figure out what the noises. It would be their luck that this was another pirate nest but one more sibtle than the raiders on the plain.
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Niil sidles up to a doorway. The scent of cooking food spills out of the open door of what appears to be the living quarters for the family. You hear someone muttering as the clanking of metal on metal continues.
Collan can see no threats - the dugout seems empty of sentient life.
-
Niil let out his breath and visibly relaxed, holstering his weapons, but leaving the flaps loose. He motioned for Collan to do the same. Straightening, he rapped his knuckles on the door. "Hello? It's Tak."
-
Collan holstered his blaster and relaxed himself, going through one of the exercises his uncle had taught him in the brief time they were together.
"And Wez," Collan piped up.
-
You hear a crash from inside the room, and then a nervous female voice says, "Oh, come on it boys."
You enter a fairly spacious kitchen. An older human female appears to be in the middle of making some sort of baked food, and there are a few pots and pans around in piles.
"You need some grub? I got some gizka-steak pies cooling off."
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Niil smiled and shook his head. "Actually, ma'am, Wez and I just woke up; we haven't even had a chance to eat the breakfast you left for us." He shrugged, and added, "We, umm, saw our door open and then heard a loud noise. We just wanted to make sure everything was all right."
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She waves her hands, scattering some sort of flour into the air. "That's just me. I get a wee bit rambunctious in the kitchen. Don't sweat it none." She places a plate full of meat pies on the table. "Breakfast'll be cold now. Sit a spell an' eat yer fill." She turns to the chiller and comes back with a pitcher of something red, and adds some glasses to the table. "G'wan, eat yer fill."
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Niil caught the scent of the meat pies, and his mouth began to water. "Ohhhhh, those do smell good. Well, I don't need my rubber arm twisted any farther than that. Our thanks for the great hospitality, ma'am." Niil waved Collan in, but motioned the woman to a chair first. "Care to join us?"
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She waves a hand at you, scattering flour in the air. "Naw, I got work t'do. We'll have a few fer dinner t'night. Pa hired some hands to bring in the harvest. They been out on the turbines fer four days, and due back t'night. They'll be hungry."
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"Our thanks, ma'am". Niil sat down at the table, and ladled a few meat pies on to Collan's plate before serving himself. As he started to pour the drinks, he hesitated, and set the pitcher down. "Umm, ma'am? If you don't mind my asking, how far away are those turbines from here?"
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"Oh, they're spread out. The closest is about two kilometres from here. The farthest is 300 kilometres."
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Niil thought for a moment. "Ma'am, a stupid question of me, but you and Mr. Grumb have comm gear here to talk with each other in case something happens, right? We encountered some punks last evening a few hours before we got here, and I just wanted to see if everything was all right."
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At that point, Collan entered the room, "Mind you though that when we left them, they were going to be on foot. But they might have friends."
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She waves a hand. "No matter. My man'll handle them if they show up. And he'll have hands with him. Nothin' to worry about."
She sets down a plate of steaming sausages.
"So, if I'm not prying, where ya from and where ya headed?"
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Niil nearly drooled when she set down the plate of sausages; he couldn't recall the last time he ate this well. "Well, originally Wez and I were from Lendt, but we were off-world when the . . . when it all happened. Now we're heading to Tezest; one of our buddies used to hang out there, and we're hoping to find out if he's still around."
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Collan/Wez nodded, took a few bites of sausage and added, "Heard some bad things about that too...Empire was shooting anyone trying to get out. Still don't know what happened to my ma' and pa'...least ways, not for sure."
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She clucks her tongue as she pulls some sort of fruit pie on the table, with a large bowl of some whipped topping, and sets it on the table.
"A cryin' shame that was. Empire? What do they know. Instead of cowering everyone, it made everyone angry, is what. Lots of refugees coming to the Bladesea to get away from the empire lately. Too bad the pirates take advantage of the traffic. Them poor people have so little, and pirates take what little they do have, if'n they don't kill 'em outright. You two were lucky. We hear lots of stories of burning wrecks out in the Bladesea."
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Niil shook his head. "Yeah, the Empire. A fat lot of good they've done for Karvis. Come in and take over saying they're here to bring peace and order, and what do they do? Wring the bloody planet dry - 'scuse my language, ma'am - and stomp on anyone that dares to raise a protest. As for those blasted pirates - 'scuse my language - hmpfh. Pack of cowards, preying on their own people." Looking at Wez, he smiled, and added, "Well, we know at least six of them that won't be hassling anyone any more. Maybe once we hit Tezest - if we can find out old buddy - we can see if we can get a group of bully-boys together and see if there's anything we can do about these marauders." Niil's eyes narrowed as he added, "And I think I know someone that might be working for them. We'll have to ask him a few questions when we get back."
Niil shrugged. "But in the meantime, Wez and I should stay around until Mr. Grumb gets back. We wouldn't feel right leaving you here by yourself, considering the hospitality you've shown us." Looking at the pie she'd set down before them, he added with a grin, "And especially not after this fine meal you've treated us to. Tell me, have you ever considered starting a cantina or a road house, ma'am? I can't recall eating this well in a long time!"
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She smiles. "Honey, if I cunna take care o' meeself, my man'd never left me with you strangers t'begin with. Yer welcome t' stay and set a spell if you want, but don't worry 'bout me. I spent my whole life on the Bladesea. I've fought everything from Gizka to Pirates, outlaws and claim jumpers to Kirsch. You want t' be movin' on, don't stay on my account."
As she speaks, her eyes draws your attention to the blaster under her apron, the rifle next to the stove, and another blaster pistol hanging over the counter next to the pots and pans.
"Life in the Bladesea is hard. Ye learn early to protect what you got, or you loose it."
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Niil laughed as he saw the firepower all within her easy reach. "Okay, I'll give you that. We'll stick around for another hour or two - if you don't mind - and then we'd best be on our way. We might go see how your husband and his crew are doing as we head out. But I'm curious . . . what made you and your husband trust me and Wez here?"
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She gives a secret smile and goes back to work in the kitchen. "Yer both terrible liars. No pirate or thief would lie as bad as the two of you."
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Niil gaped at the woman, and felt the skin on his face start to burn. He'd conned Imperial troops before, and this woman saw right through them? "Ummmmm, could you . . . expand on that, ma'am?" Niil chuckled, and added, "Please?"
-
She laughs gently, not looking up from what she's doing. "Boys, we're the first homestead between Tase an' Tez?st. We see more people come through than most - half a dozen a year or so - an we learned there's only two reasons people come to the Bladesea: to run away, or to find someone who ran away. We couldn't tell if you was running or seeking - maybe a little of both - but that don't matter none. You seem good people. When you gave my man those phony names, we figured you had yer reasons. So we put you up, and asked no questions. I don't want any answers now - whatever you're hiding, you got yer reasons, and I don't need t'know 'em."
-
Niil laughed; yes, this woman and her husband were smart cookies. And very hospitable. "Well, let's just say that you and your husband were right on both counts. Looking for a friend, and keeping out of Imperial sights." He hesitated, and then added, "Say, have you heard any rumors about the Imperials building a subterranean high speed rail system through the Bladesea? It's supposed to be for public access, which makes me wonder if the Empire's actually building it for the public."
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Collan added, "And even if you have us pegged, you are protected and so are we with false names being used."
-
She nods. "Well, if yer done eating, you can be on yer way. If you plan t' stay until Jerrol gets back, I can put you to work, if ye like. Or you can rest. Long drive yet to Tez?st."
-
Niil looked at Collan, and shrugged. "What do you think? Help out around here until Mr. Grumb gets back, and leave early morning?" Niil nodded to the woman, "That is, if you don't mind us staying another night? Or we could leave before you close up the homestead for the night."
-
Knowing that a superior officer was fine with staying abit helped Collan make his decision.
"I'd like to stay and help a bit. If only to repay for letting us stay," he said, "You disn't have to and we appreciate that."
-
She shrugs. "Well, there's no debt t'speak of, but I'll not say no to help whe it's offered. If yer good with yer hands, there's a bunch of power storage units in a room behind the red door that need cleaning and refurbishing. If you could clean those up, that's be a big help. If that's not good fer ye, there's a storage room beside that room. The hands made a mess when they left for the harvest. If you could clean it up and organize it, it's be much obliged."
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Niil looked at Collan, and shook his head with a laugh. "I, umm, think we'd best stick to cleaning and organizing the storage room, ma'am. If we tried to tackle those power storage units, we'd probably end up breaking more of them than we fixed."
-
You guys head down to the indicated room. She did not lie - the room is a mess. Open crates and storage containers, and sealed one all scattered, with most of the shelves bare.
You spend the next several hours working off your meal and earning another one as you haul the heavy containers around, stacking and sorting them on the storage racks. It is good, hard manual labour more typically done by droids and the like, so you find you are working muscles unused to such work. You are just about done when you hear the ancient gate whine and grind open, and several vehicles roll into the compound.
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Niil wiped the sweat from his brow as he heard the compound's gate open. A few vehicles, by the sound of things. Likely Mr. Grumb and his helpers. "I'll be back in a sec," he murmured to Collan as he left the room to go have a look at the newcomers.
OOC: Going to have a look at everyone that showed up. Hopefully one of the hired hands isn't one of the guys we were shooting at the last day. :P
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Collan nodded, unclipped the clasp that held his blaster in place.
-
You both put yourselves on alert, and Niil goes out to the compound yard to have a look.
Three ground vehicles have rolled in to the compound, with about a dozen beings getting out of the vehicles. They open up the cargo bays and start moving heavy-duty energy storage devices out of the vehicles, forming a chain gang down to the workshop beside the storage bay.
You see Mr. Grumb overseeing the work. He spots you and nods pleasantly. A couple of the workers smile and nod as they move past you, but otherwise tend diligently to their work. The workers look (and smell) like they have been in the field a while. They seem a happy group, joking and kibitzing with each other. You don't see anyone you recognize among their number. Most of the workers are human, with three of the Kothe by their look. There is also one Gran among the workers.
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Niil relaxed, and walked over to where they were off-loading. "Afternoon. Mr. Grumb. We were just finishing organizing the storage room when you rolled up." He insinuated himself carefully in to the chain-gang so as not to break the rhythm of the line, and started to help unload. "We wanted to ask you if we could stay until the early morning and get a fresh start. If not, no perspiration . . . we could head out in an hour or two."
-
He grunts. "I 'spect Nellie told ye already yer welcome t'stay." As he speaks, the chain gain finishes unloading. Two of the hands jump down off the trucks and head into the storage room. Meanwhile, you hear a terrible clanging from the upper levels of the dugout. Turning to look, you see Mrs. Grumb banging a metal rod on some sort of metal frame. She stops and says, "Grub's on! Mind you boys wipe yer feet!"
The other workers start filing up the stairs and into the kitchen.
Grumb turns to you both. "Since you started the job, why don't you boys finish up in there then grab some grub. Don't worry none - my missus'll keep some set aside for you. No one goes hungry at our table."
With that he hitches up his belt and heads up the stairs. The other workers get out of his way respectfully when he passes.
-
Niil nodded. "Sure thing. We shouldn't be too much longer."
OOC: Head back and finish the store room, and then to the kitchen. Keep a covert eye on Mr. Grumb's workers to see if any of them, umm, "stand out" (ie. look like they might have military training).
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The two of you join the rest of the line, and parade through the kitchen where Mrs. Grumb gives you a heaping bowl of a very hearty stew and a crust of warm, hearty grainy bread. You file out with the other hands, who perch themselves on walkways, rocks and various pieces of equipment and eat in the compound. They are a quiet bunch - not as boisterous as you would expect. Apparently, the family eats inside, as you see none of them around the compound.
As you take seats on convenient crates and boxes, a couple of the hands who end up seating near you give you friendly nods, but keep to themselves. Apparently newcomers to the homestead are not a source of curiosity. You get a few casual glances, but certainly nothing like you would expect in a rural area with such a close-knit group.
Then, a few minutes later, Mrs. Grumb comes out, accompanied by her son. She is carrying a huge cast pot, and her son carries a basket of bread in one hand, and a cast of butter in the other. They move around the compound, and ladle more stew and offer more bread to anyone who wants it. No one goes away hungry from this kitchen.
As the hands finish their meal, one of them hauls out a large tub, fills it with water from a convenient spigot, and they start washing their dishes. When they are done, dishes are stacked neatly on a tray set on a table beside the ramp leading to the kitchen.
You follow suit, and soon the hands start to relax. Some tell stories. Someone apparently has a mouth harp of some kind and starts playing music off in one end of the compound. Two have datapads and appear to be reading quietly to themselves.
Of your hosts, there is no sign.
-
Niil felt refreshed, and well-rested despite the fun they'd had organizing the store-room. The helping hands seemed harmless enough, and he settled down for awhile to listen to some of their stories. After awhile, Niil leaned over to Collan and muttered, "We should secure our gear and get the truck prepped before we head out. Or would you like to hang out here for awhile while I get things ready? It shouldn't take too long."
OOC: Going to get our truck and gear ready for departure. I saw the tracers that Mr. Grumb took out of our vehicle when we first got here, so I'll go over it with a fine-toothed comb (at least as best as I can). And unless you have something cooked up for us, I guess we have no problem warping to our departure.
-
'Wez' was quiet during the meal, prefering to observe and learn patterns. Such things had been important as a alave. If you knew when and where people needed or wanted things you could anticipate trouble for yourself.
-
You spend the late evening securing your vehicle for a morning departure and going over it for more tracers. Either the pirates were not terribly sophisticated or they're more sophisticated than you, because you can't find any other tracers in the vehicle. You're not a tech and you haven't disassembled the whole thing to look at each part or anything like that, but it seems as clear as you can make it. That's the problem with defence though - you have to check everywhere, but the pirates only need to succeed in one spot.
You see a few others packing up gear and checking belongings as you work.
The hired hands spend the night out of doors, sleeping under canopies at various strategic locations around the compound. Given the pre-positioning of the canopies, mats and bedding, you get the impression this activity is a regular occurrence, likely coinciding with how long it takes to fill the energy storage units.
The morning comes early in the Bladesea, but even so you are woken when the sky is just growing lighter by the Grumbs and the hired hands. The family, kids included, are moving among the hired hands and passing out small bundles. Mr. Grumb has set up a small desk, and the workers are lining up in front of it. He is handing out what appear to be credsticks.
The teenage daughter walks up to the two of you with a basket and offers each of you a still-warm bundle with a smile. "Breakfast for the road," she says. It smells delicious. Opening the wrapper, you find some sort of baked loaf about the size of two fists together that smells of spiced meat.
One after another, the workers collect their pay, say some their farewells, and head for the smaller man door beside the large vehicle door.
[Actions?]
Anything you guys want to do before you depart?
-
OOC: Just one thing . . .
Niil grinned at the daughter's generous gift and the tantalizing smell that wafted from the basket. "Thanks! We'll try and make this last, but from the smell of it we'll probably scarf it down within fifty klicks. Forty. Again, our thanks to you and your family for your hospitality. Speaking of which, we should say our good-byes to your mom and dad."
Niil waited until the last of the workers was paid, then approached Mr. Grumb. "Sir, we wanted to thank you and your family for putting us up for the last two days . . . and feeding us some of the best meals we've had in a long time. And if it wasn't for your help, we probably would never have found those damned tracers in our truck." Niil hesitated, then added, "Ummm, would you and your family be offended if I, well, left something as a gift to show our thanks?"
-
He stands up and looks Niil over with a stern aspect on his face.
"Yes."
Mrs. Grumb comes from behind him, swatting him with a towel. "Go on you!" she scolds him.
Looking at both of you, she says, "No gifts are needed, boys. You worked for everything you got, but you didn't need to do that. Good folk help each other in the Bladesea because it's right, not to get paid or for a reward. You remember that!" She smiles again. "Safe journey t'you both!"
Beside her, the stern Mr. Grumb nods in agreement. "Yer welcome, boys, and no thanks needed."
-
Nill laughed, and shook the woman's hand. "And good fortune to you and your family, Mrs. Grumb. We won't forget this. This world needs more people like you." Turning to Mr. Grumb, he offered his hand and said, "No offense meant earlier, sir, but I wanted to be sure about the offer of a gift. I didn't want us to come across looking like ingrates."
OOC: Ready to go if there's nothing else the Grumb family or Collan wants to speak about.
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With several good meals in your bellies and two good night's sleep after hard work, you're ready to face the open expanse of the Bladesea. Final good-byes are shared, and the ancient door grinds open with ear-splitting screeches. You roll out of the compound, and turn towards Tez?st. The trip is mostly uneventful, but about halfway there you pick up a large active contact. There's nothing on your scopes, but something out there is pinging away like crazy. Yous top and dismount. Using macros, you can just make out the shape of several Imperial AT-AT Walker a long way off in the distance. You are beyond it's sensor range - any return would be too weak to pick up, but still plenty strong enough for your passive sensors to detect it.
It's too far away to get any details, but at a guess you figure they're heading for Tez?st as well. Given your releative movement rates, they'll be at least 12 hours behind you, likely more, but you're not sure what else might be travelling with them.
Getting back into the vehicle, you head off to the city, finally reaching it a little before sunset without incident.
From a distance, you cannot even tell there is a city there - all you can see is a rounded ridge. Then, as you climb the barrier hill and crest the top, you see a city several miles wide. The whole place is built into a meteor impact crater, with the external ridges of the crater forming a natural wind wall. There are no tall buildings in the city, just lots of squat buildings covering the floor of the crater.
The most prominent feature is the steady stream of traffic you see leaving the city. As you drive in, you pass several hundred vehicles driving in the opposite direction.
There is no security, so you enter the city without incident.
There is something of a police force visible, foot patrols in pairs in high traffic areas and such, but they don't appear to be particularly invasive. You see may people walking around the city with visible firearms, even heavy blaster pistols and blaster rifles. Standard Imperial rules appear to be no enforced out here. That'll likely change when the walkers get here.
[Actions / plans?]
Where did you want to go first? It's sunset, so the city is changing from the day routine to the night routine. It's a pretty rustic place. There doesn't appear to be much of a nightlife, but there are a few cantinas that will be visible. There are also several public boarding houses where someone can find a room and a meal.
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"You know this place better than me," 'Wez' said, "I don't think we have long before our friends get here," he pointed to vehicles streamin out, "And they seem to agree."
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Niil grunted. "Wouldn't that be our luck to arrive just as our friend was leaving. Maybe the Impies are coming here to look for him. Hell, or even us. I don't even want to think that they're coming here to level the place. We'd best move fast. Let's see if we can alter our profiles a bit first." Niil reached into his bag, and drew out a box the size of a small carry-on bag. "Disguise kit. Might be worth it to change our appearance somewhat first. Then we'll try the cantinas. If that doesn't work, we'll hit the boarding houses if we have time. The less time we stay here the better. Even one of those walkers has a crap-ton of firepower, and each of them holds a lot of troopers."
OOC: Using my Con: Disguise skill to prep Collan and myself. Contact lenses, wigs and caps.
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You spend a few minutes in the relative seclusion of the vehicle applying your disguises. When you are done, Niil but admit it's not his best work, but it should pass any casual inspection.
You head out to check out a few cantinas. The first one you find looks pretty seedy, but when you walk in the place seems not that awful. There are only half a dozen patrons. There is a busty female rodian bartender in a red halter top behind the counter drying glasses. She glances up as you enter, but seems barely interested and quickly returns to her work.
A female nautolan in a skimpy outfit sits next to the bartender and gives you an appraising eye before turning back to her conversation with the bartender.
Synthesized music booms out of several speakers, and can see a couple of holodancer booths in the back.
-
Niil returned the nautolan's appraising look and gave her a brief nod, although his guard was up. He wasn't xenophobic by any stretch of the imagination, but his brushes with bounty hunters left him wary of any non-indigs.
Carefully approaching the two women so that they could see him coming, he muttered to teh bartender, "Pint of lum, luv, and whatever my friend here wants." He nodded his head to include Collan. "Sorry for barging in, but do either of you know what the hell's going on around the city? We saw people leaving the city in droves, and spotted a couple of walkers heading this way. I figure they'll be here in about twelve hours."
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"Lum," Collan affected a terse and laconic manner, projecting gruffness and unapproachability. He planned to let Niil do the talking for a bit.
-
The bartender says, in Rodian, <Yeah, frizzin' Empire has been broadcasting propaganda for two days. They're sure not being quiet about coming. the walkers will be here by noon tomorrow, but the smart money says the Empire has already been here for a while. Rumour has it they're looking for someone they can't find, so this big show and all these troops is just to spook them out of hiding.>
-
Niil snorted and shook his head, although he felt a slight chill skitter down his spine. "<Looking for someone they can't find, so they give everyone advance notice they're coming in? They must have a womp-rat in charge.>" Looking around the cantina, he took a swig of his lum and added, "<So does the rumor-mill say who the Impies are looking for? One of the malfing Blade Sea pirates?>"
-
The Nautolan scoffs. In Huttese, she says, <Most of the Bladesea Pirates are on the Imperial payroll, if the rumours are true. They have a lot of eyes on the Bladesea, and the Empire pays well for extra eyes where they have none.>
[OOC: Make a note both of you can understand Huttese and Rodian. Niil can also speak Huttese.]
-
Niil's eyebrow shot up, and he shot a glance at Collan before replying. "<Huh! That one I never heard about. True or not, at least the good thing is that most of those pirates can't shoot worth bantha poodoo anyway.>" And good information worth looking into. If the homesteaders and travelers in the Bladesea knew that the pirates were being funded by the Imperials, there would be hell to pay. Well, might be hell to pay. "<Still, that might feed the excuse the Impies are using to build the Bladesea underground transit system. A safe way to bypass the surface and the big, bad pirates. I wonder why they're really building the system . . . >"
Niil let that trail off as if lost in thought for a few moments, then shook his head. <"Anyway, There is something I was wondering if you could help me with. I'm looking for a guy named Jeremy.>" Niil gave the two women a brief description of Jeremy Wilton, and immediately held up his hands in a placatory gesture in case they were on good terms with the man. "<Nothing bad; we're not bounty hunters or gank killers or anybody that wants to cause him any grief.>"
-
The Rodian glances at the Nautolan, rolls her eyes, and wanders off with a disgusted grunt.
The Nautolan frowns. <Yeah, I know that no good swindler. What, did he stiff you too? Owe you money? Walk out of a business deal?>
-
'Wez' offered Niil a noncommittal shrug at his glance upon hearing the pirates were rumored to be on the Imperial payroll, as if to say that is not really interesting and somewhat to be expected. Collan though was using his instincts from his days as a slave to bury the feelings of interest and excitement-rumors would be useful as well at turning the steddings of the bladesea against the Empire, true or not. The pirates were a threat; a few coordinated strikes against pirates might effectively win over the settlers.
Wez did not want to offer to much information and at the Rodian's mention of Imperial eyes and ears, he wondered how many agents or informants were sitting here. He looked for the nearest mirrored surfaces and began to scan the cantina discreetly. Looking for anything suspicious or out of the ordinary...being watched directly...others watching the watchers. Others looking into mirrors or reflective surfaces.
-
Niil watched as the Rodian walked off, but kept the suspicion off of his face. She could be off to make a call to warn Jeremy - or the Imperials - or then again, maybe the very mention of Jeremy's name ticked her off. Niil chuckled, and shook his head. "<No, nothing like that. If he stiffed me, they'd have already found him in a landfill. No, it turns out that we have a mutual acquaintance, though. Any idea where Jeremy usually hangs out?>"
-
She smirks. <Not in town, I can tell you that. There's gotta be two dozen people looking for him.>
She looks you over. <Look, he's a scum and a liar and a cheat, but I was sweet on the guy. I don't want him dead or anything, but he owes a lot of people money, including me. He needs to square up his debts and soon. You want to find him, I hear he's squirrelled himself away in an abandoned dugout about an hour south of town. You find him, tell him Sula said to look after himself.>
[PM sent to Collan.]
-
Niil nodded with a smile. "No worries there. He's given me no reason to knock him around, and I'm no bounty hunter or debt collector. But I'll tell him you passed on your concerns."
Niil thought to give Sula Ch'lana's description in case he frequented the cantina, but caught himself short. Asking about some lowlife in debt to his eyeballs was one thing, but to start inquiring about a man that was likely the target of the Imperial force coming in? Nope, not bloody smart.
Finishing his lum, he turned to Collan and said, "Might as well take a short road trip, Wez." He stopped for a moment, then asked Sula, "Ummm, do you know if there's anything Jeremy might need? Food? Drink? A medkit? Maybe a blaster pistol?"
OOC: If Sula gives us a list, we'll lpick it up if it isn't too expensive. Then we'll head out to see if Jeremy's around.
-
She scoffs a little. <Friends.> She then turns and walks to a table where one of the patrons is waving for a drink order.
-
Niil shrugged. "<Heh . . . we'll see what we can do in that department. See you later, Sula.>"
OOC: Unless Collan wants to say/do something, I guess head out to find Jeremy . . .
-
Collan offered sotte voce, "Look in mirror. Search by door. Helmet, face mask, and rebreather...been watching us a little too closely. We should probably have a little talk with him"
-
Niil chuckled at Collan's warning as if Collan had just told him something humorous, then nodded while flicking a quick glace at the mirror. "Bounty hunter or Imperial snitch, perhaps," Niil whispered. "I'm going to walk out the door while you finish your drink. Move to follow right after I've left. Get ready in case he tries something cute. Now, shake my hand as if we're parting company."
-
Collan nodded grimly, maintaining the pose of a laconic and stolid drifter, but barked a harsh laugh (which he honestly felt at their subterfuge), shaking Niils hand. He didn't actually turn to watch Niils go but rather went back to finish his lum. However, he watched the mirror discreetly for Niils to leave and what the helmeted/masked figure did next. He kept a hand free to go for his blaster if needed. And the lum glass was in hand, less for drinking and more for throwing.
[OOC: my plan is to watch Niils go and see what Mr. Helmet does. If he gets up, I finish my drink and follow. If he stays, I stay and wait for an opportune moment to have a discussion with him]
-
Niil gets up and heads to the door. The stranger in the helmet appears to be looking at one fo the holodancers in the back of the cantina. Watching from the mirror, Collan sees his faceplate turn back to the bar once Niil has gone. He appears content to wait, but he is being more open about his watchfullness now.
For his part, Niil exits the cantina. A couple of helmeted individuals lounging near a speeder across the street glance his way, then stiffen and quickly make a show of looking casual, pointedly ignoring him as they converse quietly.
-
Niil bit back a snort of derision. Well, at least they aren't Imperial intel, by those sloppy reactions. Still, it looked like they made him, and that was not good. So don't get too damned cocky, Niil. Just because they're drek at surveillance doesn't mean they can't shoot.
Trying to appear like he wasn't even aware of them, Nill put on a frown for their benefit, and patted at his pockets. Rolling his eyes and shaking his head in exasperation, he turned to head back to the cantina. As he turned around, he drew the heavy blaster from his side opposite to the two figures by the speeder, and flicked the setting to stun. Keeping the blaster close to his leg so that the pair by the speeder couldn't see it, he re-entered the cantina and took a shot at the helmeted figure.
OOC: Assuming I get to do all of that . . . ;) And trying to conceal my blaster draw so that the yahoos in the street don't see it.
-
So...he's not aware I can see him watching. Good. Advantage me. Now...is he just startlingly bad at this or pretending to be? Either way...you and I are having a conversion.
Collan slammed back the remaining lum and gave the bartender a two fingered good bye salute. As he stood, he used the cover of standing to unlimber his blaster and reset it to stun. Collan took a quick measure of the distance to the door and the masked being. He timed his pace and arm swing so that as he approached optimum range, his hand would swing over the blaster so he could draw and fire in a single smooth motion.
[ooc: actions as stated unless we catch fire from his buddies outside]
-
As Collan get and and heads to the door, Niil comes in, naked blaster in his hand, and fires at the helmeted stranger.
The ion blast of a stun bolt hits the the helmeted stranger full in the chest. He convulses violently and fops out of the chair to sprawl on the floor helpless.
Collan hears a rapid series of clicks and short up-tone hums as numerous weapons are drawn, armed and charged. Glancing around, Collan sees half a dozen weapons drawn and ready, including the Rodian barkeep holding a scatterblaster, and the Nautolan (where did she keep it in that outfit?) holding a hold-out blaster.
No one else has taken shots, but they're all prepared to defend themselves, and the weapons are levelled at Niil.
The ball appears to be in your court.
[Actions?]
-
Sithspit! The front must be covered.
"Sorry about the mess," Collan said to the barkeep, "We can clean up after ourselves if you don't mind. Preferably out the back. I assume that's where trash and pirates should go?"
[Con: Fast Talk if appropriate. Hopefully it'll help even though I'm only lightly conning]
-
Niil kept his blaster pointed at the floor, and held his other hand up in a warding gesture. To the others in the cantina, he said in a calm tone, "He was getting ready to set us up. He was checking us out while thinking he was being covert about it. Same with the two goons outside by the speeder that tried real hard to pretend they weren't watching me."
Flicking a glance to the street, he added, "I've got no issue with anyone else here. You want us to leave, we'll leave."
OOC: Keeping an eye out for the two outside the cantina.
-
"Two more huh?" Collan noted gruffly, "They'll have friends. Probably the same pirates...or allies. You'd think they'd be brighter than this."
"Let's take him out back."
-
OOC: Waiting for the cantina crowd's actions first. Niil has about a half-dozen muzzles pointed at him right now. ;)
-
The Rodian with the scatter blaster says, <I just saw you walk in here gun down someone in cold blood who never even interacted with you. I know you just stunned him, so I'll be nice and give you a choice. You don't want any trouble, then get out of here and never come back. Believe me when I tell you if you stay, try to take him with you, try to force your way out the back door, or show your face in here again, security will be mopping up what's left of you with a sponge.>
<Get. Out.>
She's got a pretty firm grip on that scatterblaster.
Some of the other patrons seem to relax a little, but they keep their guns raised regardless.
-
Niil shook his head and slammed his blaster back in it's holster. "You run a cantina in this city and didn't find it odd that a patron with a full helmet was ghosting two other patrons? Or didn't notice his two backups outside waiting for us? A guy doesn't have to 'interact with you' to mean you ill will. But yeah, we're leaving. Come on, Wez."
OOC: Head for the door, and keep eyes peeled on the two guys outside. If they raise weapons, draw and blast 'em. Stun only.
-
Collan didn't draw but his hand was on his blaster as they exited.
"Let's just force the issue...let 'em know their friend is taking a short nap."
-
Niil's nerves were keyed up from the firefight he expected was going to erupt once he exited the cantina. The patrons' weapons likely aimed at his back didn't help, either. He muttered, "Let's see how they react first. Those bozos outside made me, so I'm thinking they're either bounty hunters, Imperial snitches or friends of those pirates we took down. Hope to hell I was right about Mr. Helmet, 'cause this stinks of a hit. If I'm wrong . . . well, then I malfed up, but Mr. Helmet will have nothing more than a headache."
-
Collan nodded.
"Either way. We need to watch out. They'll be smarter or more direct next time."
-
Niil blew his breath out and nodded. "True enough. Keep behind me for now; no sense in giving them two clear targets if they're hostile. If they don't start shooting at us right away, I want to find out who the hell these people are and what they're up to." Niil hesitated, and muttered, "And let's hope to hell I didn't completely misread everything and torque the both of us."
-
Collan shook his head.
"Not to bring up a sore point Niil, that's what I was about to do. But let 's do this first and get it over with."
[ready to move on here]
-
As you walk through the door, you almost run into the two helmeted individuals from across the street. They were rushing into the cantina as you emerged. They pull up short when they see you, the rear one colliding into the leading one.
[Actions?]
-
Niil kept his hand hovering near his blaster, but shook his head and growled, "It's only a stun bolt; he'll be all right. Now what say we keep this outside for now, and the two of you can explain to me why you and your friend inside have been ghosting me? I've not had a really fun week with some helmet-wearing pirates trying to shoot us to pieces a few days ago, and I'm more than a little twitchy right now. So let's talk. And believe me when I say I'm probably faster than you, so no sudden grabs for guns, all right?"
OOC: Okay, so the pirates we encountered didn't wear helmets. ;) If it turns out that these are cops . . . well, maybe that B.S. story might dig Niil out of a lot of drek. :P
-
Collan kept a hand on his untethered blaster, ready to draw and fire at a moment's notice.
-
You hear the synthesized voice of the one of the left say, "You shot..." as he reaches for a gun. Before either of you can react, the one on the right slams an elbow into the helmet of the one on the left before he can even draw the gun. "Shut up, Marab!"
Marab staggers back a pace, but keeps his hands clear and says nothing.
The one on the right doesn't take his eyes off Niil as he says, "Marab, Keep that thing in your holster, or you're going to get us both killed."
Carefully keeping his hands away from his weapon, he adds. "Please ignore my companion. He is an idiot.
"Look, we don't want any trouble. Our boss said he was just going in to talk to you - he wanted to make a deal. But you're obviously not interested, so let's leave it at that and go our separate ways, OK? No one else needs to get hurt."
-
Niil held up his left hand and shook his head. "Hold the comlink for a second. The only reason I tagged your boss with a stun bolt was that we thought you guys were setting up to take us out. One guy coming into the bar to shadow us, and two guys waiting outside trying really hard not to show that they've made me? And both wearing full face helmets? Sorry, but after the drek we went through on the way here, this looked a hell of a lot like a hit about to go down."
Moving his other hand away from his blaster, he sighed. "If what you're saying is true, then I probably owe your boss a Star Destroyer-sized apology." Stepping aside, he added, "Go get your boss, but be damned careful. The crowd in there's pretty antsy after I took that shot. We'll wait here, and we're willing to hear your boss out when he comes to - assuming he doesn't want to cap me for stunning him, that is."
-
Collan gave Niil a scowl. His actions were decidedly not appropriate...even given the drek they had been through on the way in. Nor were they really in keeping with what Demaia had told him about the Jedi. Hardball was one thing.
-
The speaker shakes his head. "Look, uh, it's probably better if we just part company now. I don't think my boss'll be interested anymore, you know?." With you stepped aside, the one speaking waves a hand at the door to the cantina. "Mind if we go check on him?" He's still careful to keep his hands away from his weapons.
-
Niil nodded wordlessly, and stood aside to let the two pass . . . although he was careful not to completely turn his back on them.
Once the two helmeted figures entered the cantina (OOC: assuming we don't get shot at), Niil muttered to Collan, "Let's get the hell out of here and see if we can find Jeremy before I manage to pull another ass-brained stunt in this city. " His hand tightened on his belt until the leather creaked. "If we do find Ch'lana, you'll be the one to talk to him. I'm . . . let's just get the hell out of here."
-
Collan said while frowning, "That's probably wise. What,,,what was that? I had him handled you know. They only thought we didn't see us being scoped out."
He felt a little incensed at the obvious backhanded insult Niil's actions offered, "I've no shortage of experience dealing with pirates, imperials, and slavers. And...I don't see how..." he pulled himself short. He had been about to say 'that follows the Jedi Way' but bit his tongue instead.
"Well...you know. It seems wrong just to shoot a being like that with no provocation," Collan placed special emphasis on wrong, hoping Niil got the message.
"Who knows what we could have done if you had gone off half cocked like that, my friend. You need to get a handle on your paranoia before you get us killed."
-
Niil whirled on Collan, his face clouded in anger and exhaustion. "No, you don't see, Collan. You know drek about my past. My master and I were run down like dogs for months before I got dumped off on Karvis. Not just hunted by bounty hunters - and hell, there were a lot of those - but by dark Jedi. I had to watch Master Dhoresh get cut down as I was being hustled on to an escape ship. Ever sleep in a drainage culvert for nearly two weeks, scrounging for half-eaten, flyblown food out of cantina garbage bins? Do you know how many bounty hunters have come after me since I was dumped off on this rock? Do you know why they come after me? The Empire hires them to go after Force-sensitives, but I guess you already know that." Niil laughed harshly. "Oh, drek, they don't tell the hunters that part, but that doesn't really matter now, does it?"
Niil shuddered. "I was told horror stories about what happens to Force-sensitive people the Empire captures. Do you know how close that dark Jedi woman came to cutting me in half? Damn it, Collan, I still bolt out of sleep thinking of it! Dark Jedi, Imperial Intel, red-armored stormtroopers, bounty hunters like Blaine Whitehawk, gank-killers, Ploovo-Two-For-One? And how many times I've walked into a situation like the one at the cantina here, only to find out the hard way that it was a set-up for a hit? Malfing hell, and people wonder why I'm . . ."
Niil stopped talking abruptly, his mouth half-open. He hesitated for a few moments, then shook his head. ". . . paranoid. Damn me. Damn me for a malfing twitchy, rash idiot. And to think I used to give Jex and Trax hell for being trigger-happy?" He blew out a long, pent up breath and looked again at Collan. "Collan, screw my excuses. I misread a situation, jumped the gun and could've gotten us killed for my mistake. The hell with me, I could've gotten you killed. That won't happen again."
-
Collan was quiet...not saying a word. Niil clearly had something he had to get out...something just told him that. Not a preternatural sense, but rather a read of the man.
"No, Niil. I don't know your past in particular, but I do understand it...more than you know at the moment," a part of Collan wanted to throw his father at Nill to show just how bad it was, but that was childish, "But I think this is a conversation for another time. We need to get out of here."
[Why is Ch'lana a familiary name to me?]
-
Niil shook his head, although there was a faint smile as he spoke. "I wasn't downplaying your own experiences, Collan; only making you aware of mine. But yeah, let's motor. The faster we're out of this area, the better."
OOC: Sorry, I thought we were doing a talk-and-walk as we were headed for our vehicle. And Ch'lana was the Jedi that "tagged" along with us on that last mission.
-
You guys make it to your crawler. As you get there, you hear the sirens of the local security force, and see a speeder bike pull up to the cantina. A swarthy individual with an open-faced helmet gets off the bike, takes a look around, and walks inside.
[Actions]
-
Niil swore softly. "Yeah, definitely time to go." He hesitated, and shook his head. "Hell, that's going to be a problem. The serving woman will probably tell them where we're heading to." Looking at Collan, he said, "We should try and find Jeremy first - and quickly, since he probably knows Master Ch'lana. If we're lucky enough to find them, then you can get them the hell out of here."
-
Collan gave Niil a look, "Me? What about you? I'm not leaving you behind. The Imps are on their way here and that can't be good."
-
Niil shook his head. "We've got to find Jeremy and Master Ch'lana first - I'm willing to lay a stack of creds down that the Imperials are here because they're hunting for our Jedi friend. But what I did back there?" He let out a frustrated sigh. "I might just have to turn myself in - well,depending on if the locals police force serves Karvis justice, or Imperial justice. Because of me, our two faces will probably be going out on an APB. And if there aren't any Imperial snitches aware of our presence now, a police APB sure as hell will make them aware. That, and the fact that I just shot a man without provocation. It isn't going to count for bantha spit that I thought we were being set up. I was wrong, and what I did will reflect badly upon our cause if word gets out what I did."
-
"Let's get out of here then. We probably have only a few minutes...and not even that."
-
"You got that right. Take the wheel; I'll keep an eye out."
OOC: Head off to the place where Jeremy's supposed to be holed up at.
-
You pile into the crawler and make your way out of town without incident.
You climb out of the crater that shelters the town and enter the Bladesea once again, with the incessant wind. South of town could be a large area, so you start driving around looking at settlements. If they seem occupied, you move on.
Almost three hours later, you find a settlement in the correct area. It looks abandoned. As you pull up to the ramp down, the door is left half open, and there are dust drifts in the door track. This looks to be as likely a spot as any.
[Actions?]
-
Niil's hand involuntarily drifted to his blaster, but he checked the action. To Collan he whispered, "Let me out here and back the truck down the ramp a bit so it can't be seen. If he's here, he's likely heard us and will probably be damned nervous."
OOC: I'll get out and carefully move up to the door for a peek inside. Weapons holstered for now.
-
Collan nodded, "Be careful out there, Niil. Who knows what's lurking out there."
[Will park the crawler somewhere hidden and check for any traps or hidey holes in the area...basically...secure a perimeter]
-
Niil moves to the door. Old blast marks pepper the door and the walls, and the motivator for the door appears to have blown out long ago. Judging from the weathering, whatever happened to the door happened a long time ago. However, in the dust and dirt blown into the doorway, Niil can see three sets of footprints that are definitely fresh.
Glancing inside, Niil can see a lone figure cautiously crossing the compound towards the door, a blaster carbine at the ready. The figure is dressed in a light environmental suite - a common enough outfit out in the high winds of the Bladesea - but this one has markings that Niil recognizes. He ran into guys wearing those markings outside the cantina back in town. In addition to the carbine, the figure also has a blaster pistol, and Niil can see a knife hilt sticking out of a boot sheath.
The figure is dodging from cover to cover as he approaches the doorway, and the carbine is always pointed where he is looking. This fellow is obviously expecting trouble.
[Actions?]
-
Drek! Niil brought his own blaster out. Three sets of footprints, and he could only account for one of them. And how the hell did this hunter get out here? With his free hand, he waved behind him in the hopes that Collan would see him, and then raised his blaster to center on the helmeted figure.
Taking advantage of the door as partial cover, Niil barked out, "That's far enough! Drop your weapon and keep your hands on top of your head, or you get shot!"
OOC: Right-side blaster's still set for stun. If he tries to fire at me, I'll take two stun shots at him.
-
[Collan can see Niil's frantic wave.]
-
Collan leaped out, blaster at the ready, and looking for trouble.
-
OOC: Assuming Collan gets out of the truck before the helmeted guy does anything:
Niil heard the truck door slam behind him. "Wez! Watch my back! At least one bogey here!"
-
As Collan gets out of the vehicle, he hears Niil call out, "That's far enough! Drop your weapon and keep your hands on top of your head, or you get shot!"
The figure snaps off a quick shot at the doorway, which pings off the old metal frame, scattering sparks. Niil ducks back, and the figure uses the distraction to roll to better cover. It doesn't avail them much good however, as Niil threads the needle, and pings the figure with a pair of stun shots. The figure absorbs one of the shots, but the other takes a toll. She's very much in the fight still, but she's moving slower.
[Actions?]
Niil: Uninjured
Collan: Uninjured
Figure: Wounded (1 stun)
-
Niil shook his head as he took another pair of shots at the figure. "See, this is what happens when you give them advance warning," he muttered to himself under his breath. Then, in a louder voice, he barked at his assailant, "Second chance! I don't miss that often, and I don't have to shoot stun bolts at you!"
-
Collan did his best to maintain situational awareness. It'd do no good to get ambushed by the figure's partner or partners. Also...Niil probably had this situation under control. It'd be better to keep himself an unknown factor till needed.
[ready a shot to help Niil if needed. Keep an eye out for the figure's reinforcements]
-
The shooting stops. A few seconds later, the figure you hit calls out, "OK, OK! I'm coming out."
Niil and Collan see the figure toss out a blaster carbine. In lands in the dirt several meters away. A moment later, the figure emerges from behind the debris, hands raised and behind the head.
[Actions?]
-
Niil kept alert for other hostiles, but growled, "Ah, ah! I said hands on top of your head, not behind your head. I want to see them. The blaster and boot knife you have, and the hold-out weapons you likely have tucked away out of sight, like the one you're probably hiding at the base of your neck. Lose them, and really slowly. My blasters have two settings, and it doesn't take much for me to switch them if you try to malf around with me." Without turning his head, he said, "Wez, eyes peeled. Three sets of tracks here, so she might have two playmates."
Back to the carbine-toting woman . . . "Now, who are you working for, and why are you out here? I already have some answers, so don't try to play me."
-
'Wez' was busy figuring some Jedi senses would be really useful right now.
"I know..'lready been lookin'," Collan used a rougher, less couth voice to talk. It was probably worth it to affect a slightly different accent. The cultured tones he'd had drilled into him were less useful right now.
[i'm looking for signs of others...how old do the tracks seem?]
-
She stops. A moment later, she drops the grenade she had been hiding behind her helmet. Then she slowly reaches down and tosses three blasters, one of them hidden, aside into the dirt. Then a boot knife, her utility belt, and one of her bracers.
Then, slowly placing her hands on top of her head, she says, "Happy?"
A moment later she adds, "Look, I work for a bounty hunter named Vimell. You blasted her back in town, remember? And is she pissed at you. I'll offer you some free advice: turn around and keep driving. She doesn't usually kill without a contract, but when she's done in there, I expect she'll be more than happy to take you out, contract or no. So how about you let me go, and get out of here before something happens we'll all regret."
-
[OOC: Collan keeps his eyes peeled, but doesn't see anyone else in the compound.]
-
Niil's eyes hardened. "A regrettable lapse on my part, but if your boss wanted to talk with me, she should have done so in a manner that didn't look like she was setting us up for a hit. You want to pass on a message to your boss? Tell her I jumped the gun, and she has my apologies for that. I'd suggest that your boss and I drop the matter as a dumb mistake and walk on. She comes for me, and things will get really ugly. I really don't like bounty hunters as a rule of thumb. Maybe she gets me, but there's going to be a lot of bodies when the smoke clears. No profit to be made like that."
His blaster was still trained rock-steady on the woman in front of him. "You still didn't answer my second question. Why are you here? Who are you looking for?"
-
Wez stepped, blaster held more casually, but clearly ready.
"I would also point out to your boss that she was only stunned. Embarrassing yes. Painful, certainly, but not fatal," he noted, "Though perhaps," and Collan gave Niil a stern look, "I think perhaps more than apology is due."
-
"We're here for some lowlife scum named Jeremy Wilton. He walked away from several 'business' arrangements and made some enemies. We're here to collect him, alive if possible. But it seems he wants it to be the hard way."
You hear, in the background, a flurry of blaster fire followed by a small explosion.
"That'll be my boss, finishing up in there. You're running out of time."
[PM sent to Collan.]
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Niil shook his head and sighed, and steadied the grip on his blaster. "Yeah, that's what I was afraid of. I think we're going to have a problem here. I'm not after the bounty, but Jeremy might be hanging out with a friend of ours - or at least he might know where our friend is - and our comrade isn't a lowlife scum. If he's here, I hope to hell your boss hasn't picked a fight with our friend, because if she has, then she's way out of her league. Hold on a sec."
To Collan, he said, "Wez, looks like Jeremy's here. And our friend might be here as well. Get on the com and tell Karg's strike team to get ready. If Vimell's a pro and can keep a rational head, then maybe we can resolve this mess without things breaking down into a firefight."
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Collan didn't hesitate when he saw the sniper. He lined up a shot and fired.
"Sniper!" he shouted, his pretense at an accent gone, so Niil knew to take cover.
[OOC: I think I'm still set to stun...if not...oh well]
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Niil didn't hesitate; he instinctively dropped to the ground, but had the presence of mind to keep an eye out for what Collan had shot at. To the woman he'd been talking to, he warned, "Go for your weapons and you're dead!"
OOC: Dropping for cover. If I see the sniper, I'll take a shot if I'm in range (still on stun). If the woman Niil's been talking to makes a grab for her weapons, I'll hit her with a stun bolt.
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[OOC: It wasn't clear from the post, but Collan's action was an interruption of sorts. I'll roll out how it all goes down, and then Niil's may apply, depending on the outcome.]
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Faced with a snap decision, Collan fires. He activated his blaster only a moment before the sniper fires. Collan manages a difficult shot, and threads the needle to hit the sniper on the shoulder. The sniper's shot goes slightly high, pinging into the wall just over Niil's head. Niil immediately ducks and rolls behind cover. The sniper recovers and squeezes off another shot, but Niil is behind cover and the shot misses.
The hunter in the open uses the distraction to dive and roll for her weapons, coming up with her blaster carbine. She snaps off a quick shot at Collan which misses. She has her weapon back, but is out in the open for the moment.
[Actions?]
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Collan looked for cover and took another shot at the sniper. Niil had already shown his ability to deal with the bounty hunter here.
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Niil shook his head. "I warned you . . ." he muttered as he popped up slightly and took two shots at the woman with the carbine.
OOC: Still stun.
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Nill squeezes off two shots from his hand cannon, scoring hits twice. The bounty hunter takes both shots, and looks like she might hang on, but then stumbles and falls to the ground. She is not moving.
Collan once again threads the needle and wings a shot off the helmet of the sniper. The sniper pulls back, hurt but still in the fight.
[Actions?]
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Collan pointed towards the lift while he moved into position to offer covering fire if the snipper popped up.
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Niil gave Collan a quick nod and sprinted off toward the lift and ladder, taking as erratic a course as he was able to.
OOC: Heading for the sniper's perch, and definitely not running in a beeline if it's possible. If Niil sees anyone drawing a bead on him, he'll fire a shot. Yup, still stun shots for now.
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The sniper recovers enough from his wound to wiggle back into position. Collan gets a shot off first though. The shot pings off the railing the sniper is hiding behind, but forces him to duck back. He risks a quick shot at Niil, but the shot goes wide. Niil reaches the lift, and is not out of the line of sight for the sniper.
You hear the sniper call out, "Vimell, we've got company!" The voice is muffled by the full helmet, so he must be yelling into the comlink.
The lift starts up. Niil will need to be careful - as the lift reaches the level of the sniper, he'll come into sight of the sniper again.
[Actions?]
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What in malfing hell possessed me to take an open-air lift? Niil fumed mentally as he drew his second blaster and dropped prone to the floor so he'd hopefully present a smaller target. The lift seemed to take forever to grind it's way to the sniper's floor, and he half-expected to see several grenades arcing through the air towards him. Sighing, he flicked his left-hand blaster's setting to stun, and kept his eyes peeled for movement.
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Collan took aim at the power conduit above the sniper's last known position. There was a decent chance it had no power running through it, but it might force the sniper to keep his head down and that made Niil's chances better.
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Collan takes another shot at the sniper, and scores a hit square on the sniper's helmet. Niil's lift reaches the top just in time for him to see the sniper's limbs jerking around uncontrollably as blue lightning arcs over his body. Moving quickly to his side, Niil confirms - the sniper is out cold.
Sounds of a struggle can be heard from deeper in the dugout, down the corridor where the sniper had emerged from. Glancing quick down, Niil can see two figures. One wears gear similar to the two hunters you just brought down. One is a scruffy looking human male who hasn't shaved (or bathed by the look of him) in days. He is being held by the hunter with an arm around his neck, and a heavy blaster pistol is set against the male's head. He's already been shot at least once, if the blaster burns are any indication. He is awake and conscious, but terrified.
The hunter calls out, "Weapons down, or I waste him!"
[Collan can hear the female hunter call out, but cannot see (or be seen by) her from where he is by the main gate to the dugout.]
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Niil shook his head in exasperation, but dropped his blasters. He held himself ready to dive out of the way if the woman decided to take a shot at him. "You waste him, Vimell, and you get no bounty. There's only one thing I want from that bantha tick you're holding, and that's information. I don't give a womp rat's ass about whatever he might be worth; I'm a merc, not a bounty hunter. If he was a comrade of mine, we wouldn't have been shooting at you and your people with stun bolts."
OOC: Ready to dive for my blasters.
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Collan put his weapon down on the ground and took a step back. He stayed silent, but was of two minds regarding letting Niil do the talking. Maybe he would apologize and try to make amends. She was probably going to hire them to help get this Jeremy. Not that they needed the money but it was fairly obvious Niil and he were capable and smart...or maybe Collan overestimated themselves since here they were in a standoff.
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When she hears about the stun bolts, she seems to relax a little.
So they're alive?"
Niil nods. "Yeah."
She relaxes a little, but keeps a grip on the male, and keeps the gun to his head.
"So what happens now? Some big players have a big bounty on this guy."
Then, something odd happens. A strange short of shimmering shadow drops from from an access hatch in the ceiling. You hear a strike, and the woman's arm holding the gun goes limp, the gun slipping from her nerveless fingers. Before she can react, there is a thump and she collapses. The shimmering figure catches her, and lowers her gently to the ground.