Collan and Niil: Seekers

[Niil Spaar]

"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?   

[GM Craig]

"How many of you? Let me see you," the synthesized voice says.

[Niil Spaar]

"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.

[Collan]

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."

[GM Craig]

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."

[Niil Spaar]

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?"

[Collan]

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.

[GM Craig]

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 Spaar]

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.

[GM Craig]

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 Spaar]

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."

[GM Craig]

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."

[Niil Spaar]

"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."

[GM Craig]

"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 Spaar]

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 . . .