Dawson: Bug Out

[GM Craig]

GM Craig:  SO you head down with Kelso to the vehicle bay. There is a medic there.

Dawson:  yeah.. I figured there would be

GM Craig:  They help you lie down on a low cot. The medic smiles reassuringly and says, ?This won't hurt a bit.?

Dawson:  I nod. I know it wont. But still? the loss of control.

GM Craig:  The injection is painless. Almost immediately your head begins to swim. Kelso is there. "Just relax. Let the medicine do its work."

Dawson:  I cant help but panic. I try to sit up, fighting to maintain control

GM Craig:  He places firms hands on your shoulders. "Easy..." vertigo...

Dawson:  I feel everything around me going black. Its scary...

GM Craig:  Time passes, with Dawson in a dreamless sleep.

GM Craig:  Some time later, she hears a voice. "...yet?"

Dawson:  I try to blink.. "John... oddest dream..."

GM Craig:  Another voice. "No, give her a few minutes, then we'll call the Senator."

Dawson:  I shake my head... trying to clear the cobwebs from my mind.

GM Craig:  The second voice says, "Easy, there. Give it some time." Shaking your head produces a sensation as if your brain is spinning inside your skull...

Dawson:  my arms and legs feel so heavy.. and I don?t recognize that voice..... I cant focus on anything. ?John?? What?s..." and then it hits me like a fist to my face. I know where I am. I blink, trying to focus. It wasn?t a dream after all...

GM Craig:  Your head clears rapidly. As it does, you become aware of a very strong thirst.

Dawson:  My breath catches in my throat, as I try to swallow, and cant... ?Water, please?

GM Craig:  The female medic smiles. "Right here." She hands you a glass of water and helps you to sit up. The female is voice #2.

Dawson:  ?Thanks.? I take the glass, and take a sip of water...

GM Craig:  Behind her, you see a grim looking male. He says, "I'll go get the senator." Voice #1.

Dawson:  ?It?s a bit disconcerting, as I?m sure you can imagine." I try to smile.

GM Craig:  The female medic smiles. "I understand. I've been through it myself."

Dawson:  I nod. ?Is it ok to stand up? I?d like to make sure the rest of me still works."

GM Craig:  The medic smiles again. "Sure. Let me help you." She lends an arm.

Dawson:  I take her arm to steady myself, and pull up to my feet, and begin to look around.

GM Craig:  It?s not as hard as you thought it would be, getting to your feet. You are in a small room. The only fixture here is a stool and a cot.

Dawson:  ?Well, on the bright side, I didn?t fall down.? I try to smile this time, and manage it nicely.

GM Craig:  The walls are all rock, and the door is only a curtain.

Dawson:  "Will I be seeing the Senator?"

GM Craig:  The medic nods. "Yup. You feel up to it?"

Dawson:  "The sooner I do, the sooner I can get on with things, you know?" I?m nervous, but I know what I have to do.

GM Craig:  She nods, and hands you a visor. "You're eyes will be very sensitive to light for a couple of hours."

Dawson:  Taking the visor, and slipping it on, ?Thanks for the warning. This sedative sure can mess a girl up.?

GM Craig:  She smiles again. "It's the safest one we can get our hands on that gives us the protection we need." She steers you out of the room, a gentle but firm hand on your arm. You realize quickly that the room was almost black. Even with the visor, you're wincing against the bright lights of the corridor.

Dawson:  Its hard not to stumble. I reflectively squint hard against the bright lights.

GM Craig:  The passage is completely empty as she takes you through a few twists and turns. Eventually, you end up at a blast door. The medic keys the panel, being careful to shield her movements from you.

Dawson:  I don?t think I could have seen it even if I had been trying to, my eyes are killing me.

GM Craig:  The door slides open, and the medic helps you inside. The lights are off in here, which is a relief. Still you find you can see quite well. She helps you to a chair in front of a table, and pours you a glass of water from a nearby pitcher. She then withdraws without a word.

Dawson:  I sit quietly, taking in my surroundings, and wondering if I know what I have gotten into.

GM Craig:  The door opposite the one you came in through opens, and several people enter the room. One of them, dressed in a white flowing robe, is an older woman.

Dawson:  I rise.

GM Craig:  There are three guards beside her, and the grim looking male you saw when you first woke up. She holds out her hands. "Please, sit. I know what an ordeal this has been for you."

Dawson:  "Thank you, senator" I lower myself back in to my chair. I nod.. 'Its been a bit? disconcerting."

GM Craig:  She takes a seat opposite you. The three guards and the other male keep their eyes fixed on you at all times. The guards carry blaster rifles, the other male just a pistol. They all look like they know how to use their weapons. The senator looks at you for several seconds. "I do apologize for putting you through this, Dawson." The apology seems heartfelt.

Dawson:  "Senator, I understand. Your safety and that of the organization is paramount. Kelso made that clear"

GM Craig:  She nods. "Necessity sometimes makes us do things that we would not ordinarily do..."

Dawson:  "I agree. A year ago, I would not have thought myself capable of some of the things I have done since leaving my home. But here I am, nonetheless."

GM Craig:  She nods. "I have been following some of your exploits, my dear."

Dawson:  egads.. I?m blushing. "errr.. well.. yes... I have been in a few predicaments..."

GM Craig:  She laughs lightly. You figure she's closer to 60 than 50.

Dawson:  "and I guess that?s why I?m here senator... before I get myself in anymore trouble."

GM Craig:  "Your... heroics have made you something if a thorn in the regional commander's side. No doubt he will be pleased to hear you have moved on to Vessen, and thus outside his jurisdiction."

Dawson:  "Course, then I will be a pain for someone else, if I?m lucky. I don?t intend to stop until I am stopped. Senator, they took from me everything that I lived for. Now Ill die to pay it back."

GM Craig:  Her smile fades. "I can't possibly understand your loss, Dawson." She pauses. "But I think I can relate to what motivates you, and that motivation can be very effective. Many of us share that drive and determination." A 'but' hangs in the air...

Dawson:  I think I know where she is going with this, but I keep silent.

GM Craig:  She seems to decide to skirt the point. "Why did you come to us, Dawson? What brought you to seek out our little insurrection?"

Dawson:  "Senator, I..." I pause, searching for the right words. "I want the empire to pay. Not just for what it did to me and my family. But for all the people that they have killed. All the wrongs that they have commited. They need to be stopped.?

GM Craig:  She steeples her fingers and sits back. "And what cost are you willing to pay to achieve that goal? And when will your goal be satisfied?"

Dawson:  "I'd pay with my life, if need be. In my heart, my life ended when my daughter?s did. But I can still fight. And my goal will be satisfied when the Empire is stopped. Destroyed."

GM Craig:  Quietly, she says, "What about your free will? What about your right of decision? Would you sacrifice those to serve a higher goal; a large picture?"

Dawson:  "Senator, I?m not good at decisions. My decisions have almost gotten me raped and killed. I think it might be best if I let someone else have the reins for a while. So if you are asking me if I can follow orders, the answer would be yes.?

GM Craig:  She doesn't move. From behind her hands, she says in the same quiet voice. "What about becoming a small piece of a larger puzzle? Allowing us to use your skills and abilities - even your life - as we see fit? I am not talking about following orders, Dawson. I am talking about surrendering your purpose, of letting your goals go in favour of the larger picture? A very different proposition that simply following orders."

Dawson:  I sit quietly for a moment, digesting what she is asking me.

Dawson:  I nod. "I think I understand what you are asking me senator. If the larger body's goals encompassed what I see as being my only reason to go on, then yes. If giving up my short term objectives meant that in the long run, I would be able to more??

GM Craig:  She nods slowly. "Understand that what I am talking about is not the only option, Dawson. If you wish to continue to follow your own course, we can still be of use to one another."

Dawson:  "Senator, the way I see it is this: If I go on this way, the way I have, I can kill a handful of imperials, take out a droid or two, and then I?ll die. But If I am able to work within your organization, and able to do my part do bring them down.?

GM Craig:  She puts her hands on the table and sits up. "I understand that. What I am trying to get a feel for is how close to the inside we would each be comfortable with."

Dawson:  "Senator, I don?t really know what else I can tell you. My husband worked with Kelso. And when I met Kelso again? well, lets just say I?m not sure who was more surprised. But I can?t do this by myself anymore."

GM Craig:  She looks at you again for several seconds. "I understand, Dawson." She makes to stand up. "Thank you for coming today. We will have a transport take you back to Captain Kelso's safe house."

Dawson:  I?m a little shocked at the quick end to the interview. "Senator."

GM Craig:  She smiles and offers you both her hands as she walks around the table. The guards visibly tense.

Dawson:  I take her hands and smile "Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. I?m not sure what you have decided to do, but it has been an honour to meet with you." I release her hands, and take a step back.

GM Craig:  She holds up her hands. "Relax, Dawson. I haven't made any decisions. The purpose of this interview was for me to get a preliminary impression of who you are.? She smiles warmly. "Thank -you- for coming."

Dawson:  I smile, and nod. "My pleasure, senator."

GM Craig:  She leaves the room with her 3 escorts. The male you saw when you woke up steps forward. "This way please."

Dawson:  "Yes, of course." I move towards him.

GM Craig:  He escorts you back to the room where you first woke up.

Dawson:  I move back to the cot, and sit down.

GM Craig:  He presses a com panel. "Cree? We're ready."

Dawson:  I take a few deep breaths, trying to prepare for what I know is coming, and to convince myself not to fight it this time.

GM Craig:  The medic who was with you when you woke up comes back in. She opens a small case. "This won't take a minute."

Dawson:  "Yeah. Its pretty fast."

GM Craig:  She smiles. The injection is painless, and your head starts to swim by the time she has the hypo back in the case. She helps you to lie down.

Dawson:  Lying down on the cot, I try to take deep breaths, try being the key word.

GM Craig:  In seconds it is over. Some time later, you wake up. It is a little disorienting. You are lying in a cot, in a completely black room.

Dawson:  I?m glad its black. I remember how the light hurts.

GM Craig:  There is nothing but silence.

Dawson:  I swallow... and try to speak.. but its more like a croak... ?Kelso??"

GM Craig:  The words echo in an apparently empty room.

Dawson:  I sit up, trying to not to throw up as my brain spins in my head.

GM Craig:  Surprisingly, your head feels fine. Sitting up is not a problem.

Dawson:  this is a bit disconcerting.... [am I still waering the visor?]

GM Craig:  Nope.

Dawson:  I call out, a little louder this time.. "Hello?"

GM Craig:  Nothing.

Dawson:  I stand up, and try to get my bearings..

GM Craig:  Your hand touches a small table as you move to stand. Feeling around, you detect a small lamp.

Dawson:  relief floods me... and I flip the lamp on

GM Craig:  The light lances out, though it is not as painful as you would have expected.

[GM Craig]

Dawson:  squinting against the light, I look around the room. I can?t believe they put me in here alone. Damn Kelso.

GM Craig:  Looking around, you are in a small, featureless room with a small table / desk and a chair. You foot touches something soft, and you look down to see your bag.

Dawson:  I grab my bag, and pull the datapad out.

GM Craig:  Still flashing steady at 64%.

Dawson:  stupid thing must be broken.. I put it back in my bag. I hook the chair out from the desk with my foot, and sit down in it. Enough of this. I stand up, and head to the door. Peeking my head out the door, I take a look up and down the corridor. Assuming I don?t see anyone, I pull my head back into the room, and close the door.

GM Craig:  There is a male on a chair to the left of the door. He starts when you poke your head out, and leaps to his feet. "Uh, Miss Dawson! How're you feeling, miss??

Dawson:  "Well, I?m awake. Where's Kelso?"

GM Craig:  He nods his head. "Yes, miss. Captain Kelso said for me to keep an eye on your room. He's away for a few hours."

Dawson:  "That?s alright. Mind if I head over to the fresher?"

GM Craig:  He nods. "Sure, sure. You can come and go as you please. The Captain just said I was to make sure you had anything you needed." He pauses, trying to smile warmly, "Within reason."

Dawson:  "I appreciate that. I?m just gonna get cleaned up." With that, I let the door close behind me, and head to the fresher, peeking in once again, to make sure it is empty, before I go in.

GM Craig:  [It is.] The gentleman in the corridor picks up his chair and leaves.

Dawson:  Once inside, I take care of necessary business. That taken care of, I leave the fresher, and head back to my room. I?m pretty ticked about waking up by myself, but at least I knew what to expect. It was easier than the first time though. A pleasant change. Now if I could only get past the feeling that I have been left here, dangling, like a fish on a hook. I cant imagine that I would be allowed to wander the compound. So lets look at my options. 1: sit on the cot and wait. 2: sit on the chair and wait. No panel in the room. The data pad trace seems to be stuck. A grin crosses my face. I open the door to see if my 'guard' is still plunked down in front of my room.

GM Craig:  Nope.

Dawson:  A satisfied nod, and I grab my bag. I pick a direction, and head off down the hall.

GM Craig:  You find your way easy enough - this is a small safe house.

Dawson:  I?m looking for the canteen.

GM Craig:  Easy enough to find. A few guys are there having a meal and drinking steaming mugs of something.

Dawson:  mmmm hot.. steaming.. could be caf... my mouth begins to water at the thought. I pick out a table in the corner, and grab a seat.

GM Craig:  The guys nod at you as you walk by. They make a point of shifting over so that you could join them if you wish. You recognize the guy from outside your room.

Dawson:  I raise my eyebrows, and nod at the space now vacant beside them.

GM Craig:  "Wanna join us?"

Dawson:  "That'd be great.. I?m a bit out of sorts..." I slide in beside them

GM Craig:  They shift over more. The one who offered the seat holds out his hand. "I'm Whesh, Hing Whesh."

Dawson:  I grasp the hand, "I?m Dawson. Nice to meet you."

GM Craig:  He nods to the others. "Rindu Kleah, Yal Veersen, Klim Peth and Ron Troude." That last one was the one outside your door.

Dawson:  I smile round the table, "nice to meet all of you"

GM Craig:  They smile warmly. Hing takes a sip of something that smells similar to kavvy, but a little different - exotic. "So how did it go with Silvermane?"

Dawson:  "Silv... oh, you mean the Senator. I?m not sure. I guess she has to think about it. Or debate it. Any chance I could get a cup of that? It smells wonderful.""

GM Craig:  He smiles and gets up. "My own special blend..." He wanders over to the autochef. Rindu taps your arm. "So what did she say?"

Dawson:  I shrug... not sure about how much I should say. "She was pretty noncommittal either way. How did it go when you met her??"

GM Craig:  The others laugh, and Yal says, "He fainted!"

GM Craig:  Rindu looks at them angrily. "I did not! I... tripped."

GM Craig:  That elicits more howls of laughter. Rindu scowls for a moment, then his face cracks and he joins in."

Dawson:  I cough, to cover the smile on my face. "It was probably the sedative. Made me pretty wobbly too."

GM Craig:  ?I was so nervous, I got a little light headed."

Dawson:  "a LITTLE lightheaded? That shot made my brain feel like it was trying to escape my skull."

GM Craig:  The laughter died down, and Hing places a mug in front of you. "It does that, but we all managed to keep our feet under us in front of her."

Dawson:  Wrapping my hands around the mug I bring it up to my mouth, and inhale deeply..

GM Craig:  He gives Rindu a playful punch.

Dawson:  "I?m just glad I didn?t fall out of the chair." I tentatively take a sip of the hot drink.

GM Craig:  It is Kavvy all right, but with a hint of something else.

Dawson:  "mmm this is good. Whats the secret ingredient?"

GM Craig:  The others laugh, and Hing just smiles. "He won?t tell us," Rindu says. Klim slaps his hand on the table. "He's even encrypted the autochef so we can't find out!" Ron says slyly, "I think the autochef is a decoy. I think he carries it on him..."

Dawson:  I grin at Klim "an old family secret, I bet.? I smile, putting the cup back down on the table. Well, there?s more of you than there are of him. You could turn him upside down and shake him until it fell out...?

GM Craig:  The others look at you, then shake their heads. Hing just smiles.

Dawson:  "Smile.. It makes people wonder what you are up to." I grin at Hing. "and you sure do smile a lot."

GM Craig:  He nods. "I often have reason." You detect something in his voice, a hint of an accent. Rindu says, "You've never seen a better fighter, hand to hand." The others nod. Hing just smiles.

Dawson:  "Remind me never to meet you in a dark alley." I wink at Hing.

GM Craig:  Ron says, "They're no-one your rather have in that dark alley then Hing." Yal nods. "Saved my sorry butt more than once."

Dawson:  "On my side.. sure.. against me? not on a bet."

GM Craig:  At that moment, a siren starts sounding. They all spring from the table.

Dawson:  "what...?"

GM Craig:  You're struck by their discipline. They are all gone by the time you get the word out. Rindu, however, hangs back. "C'mon!" he says.

Dawson:  I leap to my feet, and follow Rindu.

GM Craig:  He follows the other down a corridor. They stop at an armoured door, which is already open. Hing is handing our blast vests and rifles.

Dawson:  I hang back a minute.. not quite sure what to do

GM Craig:  Rindu takes two and hands you a vest. He manages to shrug into his while holding two rifles. Hing closes the door, but not before grabbing a couple of grenades. Rindu explains as he does up the snaps on his vest, a rifle still in each hand. "The out-mission ran into trouble."

Dawson:  Slipping in to the vest, I clip it up quickly, and wait to find out what they need me to do. "The out mission.. Captain Kelso??"

GM Craig:  Rindu's is done before you hit the second clasp. He helps you with the rest. He nods grimly.

Dawson:  I feel like I have been punched in the stomach. I reach for one of the rifles. "I?ll be needing this..."

GM Craig:  Pushing the rifle into your hands, he helps you along, plopping a blast helmet on your head. "If an out-mission goes bad, we go into lock-down." He continues. "Stay close to me. I'm your shepherd for the next little while. Do what I tell you, and if I don't tell you, don't do it."

Dawson:  I nod. "I?m ready"

GM Craig:  He nods. Looking you over for a moment, he adjusts a couple of straps on the armour and your helmet. He shows you his rifle, and he has the sling wrapped around his fore-arm. "Like this."

Dawson:  Slipping my arm thru the opening, I wrap it like he has shown me, and hold it out for his inspection.

GM Craig:  He nods, then turns. "We're going to a peep-hole. We watch the background as the vehicle approaches, and once it's in, we cover the rear of the speeder."

Dawson:  I nod. "Ok."

GM Craig:  You climb a ladder on one side of the vehicle bay. There is a cramped cubby hole, with a thin slit to the outside. Rindu puts his rifle up, muzzle resting. He starts sighting the street through his scope.

GM Craig:  Without taking his eye off the scope, he says, "We're looking for spooks - anyone following the vehicle or paying more than average attention to it. They won't be obvious."

Dawson:  I take up a position beside Rindu, using the sights on my rifle to scan the area. Moving slowly from the far left to the far right, watching for anything that shouldn?t be there.

GM Craig:  A minute or so later, Rindu yells back into the vehicle bay, "Here they come!"

GM Craig:  A moment later, a speeder rounds the corner and starts down the dusty street. It is weaving a bit. Not a lot, but enough to be noticeable. "They got wounded, 2 of them. One man missing,? Rindu yells. "Roger that," someone yells back.

Dawson:  In the pit of my stomach, I?m sure it is Kelso. I?m a jinx.....

GM Craig:  Rindu watches a moment longer, then says a little quieter, "The Cap'n's down."

Dawson:  Concentrate, Dawson. Do what you were told.

GM Craig:  The voice pauses. "Got it." The door rolls open, and the speeder comes in.

Dawson:  I pause. I blink, and I fight to stay focused. watch the approach, Dawson.

GM Craig:  Rindu, without taking his eyes off the street says, "Cover the speeder. Anything moves, blast it." Rindu is amazingly cool.

Dawson:  I nod, never taking my eyes off the street. Scanning continuously, watching for anything to move.

GM Craig:  The speeder comes to a halt. Armed men come forward, covering the vehicle from every angle. "Driver! Get out of the vehicle!" Hing yells. The driver gets out. Blood is seeping from a shoulder wound. Hing slings his rifle and steps forward. No-one else moves. The driver and Hing exchange a few words, and Hing makes a hand signal. The others move like lightning. In 5 seconds, the speeder is empty.

Dawson:  I bite my lip, when I see them pull Kelso out of the vehicle. I really am a jinx. "Is he dead?" I ask Rindu, my eyes never leaving the speeder

GM Craig:  Two techs with scanning gear move forward. Then you catch a glimpse of something metallic moving in the shadow of the speeder.

GM Craig:  Rindu says, "Don't know yet."

Dawson:  "Rindu.. there... in the shadows... what is that?" Rindu?s instructions to me echo in my brain.. I site it.. and fire... [1 shot ]

GM Craig:  The blaster coughs, and the focussed beam of superheated plasma flashes out. You nail the thing squarely, and there is a blast of smoke and sparks. Everyone in the vehicle bay turns with weapons ready. Hing looks up at you. "Report!"

Dawson:  Never taking my eyes off it, I describe the location of the metallic something that I just shot at.

GM Craig:  One of the techs scrambles forward, and pulls a blasted piece of slag from under the speeder. He holds it up for Hing to see. Hing shakes his head once, yelling out, "Ah, FRELL! They picked up a bug!" An instant later, Rindu's blaster coughs. "We got ghouls in the street!" It coughs again.

Dawson:  I swallow.. hard.. and then remind myself to breathe.

GM Craig:  "I make" *blam* "five or six" *Blam* "Coming fast!" *Blam*

GM Craig:  Hing stops dead for a moment, considering. "Ok, bug out! Kali protocol! Rindu, spike! Yal, Feint. Chors, Hull. Go!"

Dawson:  I get ready to follow Rindu

GM Craig:  Rindu takes a couple of more shots, and then turns to you. "With me!"

Dawson:  I nod, and follow Rindu.

GM Craig:  He slings his blaster and slides down the rails of the ladder on his hands. Everyone is moving, and fast. Not a moment too soon, you duck out of the cubby hole. A moment later, it vanishes in a powerful blast from outside.

Dawson:  It?s all a bit disconcerting, but I try my best to keep up. I sling my blaster, and get down the ladder as fast as I can

GM Craig:  Rindu doesn't even miss a beat. In a loud, but cool voice, he yells, "They got heavy weapons! Probably a walker or a command speeder!"

GM Craig:  Rindu takes you by the arm to guide you. Pulling a comlink, he starts talking into it. "Red group! Hold your positions! Blue group, fall back!"

GM Craig:  You get to a lift, and he steps on. "Hang on," he says.

Dawson:  I try to stay on my toes, ready to do what Rindu tells me, and I hang on...

GM Craig:  "Red leader, report!" Someone else says, "I can't see them. They got our lookout!"

GM Craig:  Rindu says, "Roger red leader! Fall back to secondary positions! Green group, move up to support Red Group!"

GM Craig:  The lift falls away quickly. Rindu says, "That way!" and points down a corridor. He goes the other way a few steps and blasts open a locker of some sort.

Dawson:  I want so badly to ask what is going on, But I dont. I keep my mouth shut.. (for a change...) and I wait to be told what to do next. These men obviously know what they are doing, and I don?t want to hinder them. I start to head down the corridor

GM Craig:  Rindu grabs a pack of some sort and heads off after you. You're amazed how the blaster dances in his hands. His finger is never far from the trigger. He sure knows his way around it. You nearly run past a door, but Rindu hauls you back. All the while he is talking in the comlink. It sounds like he's giving orders to 50 or 75 men, not the 12 or 13 you saw in the vehicle bay.

GM Craig:  There is a deep rumble from above, and dust rains down on you. He pulls you into the doorway with him. You are looking at a reactor core.

GM Craig:  Rindu says, "Watch the corridor! Anything moves, blast it!"

Dawson:  My chin hits my chest with the realization of the magnitude of what is going on here.

GM Craig:  He drops to his knees and opens the pack.

[GM Craig]

Dawson:  I nod "got it"

GM Craig:  "Both ways!" he cautions. He seems to be assembling something.

Dawson:  I scan the hallway, up and down, my finger resting on the trigger of the rifle, ready to fire at anything that moves

GM Craig:  The blaster is slung over his back as his fingers fly. Every few seconds he stops to bark some orders into the comlink. It is becoming clear that the comlink is a ruse. He is saying he can see things, that troops are moving, and giving orders in reaction to that. Of course, he can see nothing.

GM Craig:  The whole building shakes again, then again quickly. Upstairs there is a rumble as something caves in or falls down.

Dawson:  "Rindu." I hiss at him "what the frell is going on here..."

GM Craig:  He twists some wire in his teeth and says through clenched teeth, "They're inside now. Be ready." You hear the sound of a lift off down the corridor.

Dawson:  "Rindu.. WHO are in side? You haven?t seen a single troop..." I continue to scan the hall.. I don?t know what is going on here, but I don?t like it.

GM Craig:  Rindu says, "I saw six guys moving up the edges of the street. That's who I was shooting at. They were the spotters. That deep rumbling you are hearing is the sound of a concussion missile launcher." The whole time he is working on whatever he is trying to do. "There are likely 50 troops in the compound now."

Dawson:  "but you cant see any of it. And you are telling the others that you CAN."

GM Craig:  He grins. "They're monitoring the comlinks. I'm making drek up to make them more cautious and buy the others more time to get the frell out of here."

GM Craig:  You thought you heard a footstep down the corridor.

Dawson:  My head whips around in the direction of the sound, rifle brought up to fire, my finger dancing lightly on the trigger

GM Craig:  You can dimly see three shapes coming down the corridor. They're dressed in the uniforms on Imperial Army troops. They don't appear to have seen you.

Dawson:  I nudge Rindu with the toe of my boot, never taking my eyes off the approaching troopers. I want to make sure I have a shot before I fire..

GM Craig:  He mumbles, "What?"

Dawson:  and I want to make sure Rindu can finish what he needs to.

GM Craig:  He inserts something electronic into something large and plyable.

Dawson:  thru my teeth, I whisper "Company." I target the troopers, and take a shot . [2 shots, trooper #1]

GM Craig:  Rindu says, "Hold them off for a few seconds. Watch for flankers from the other direction." Damn this guy is cool. Hard to believe he fainted before the Senator.

Dawson:  Once I fire my two shots, I?ll check the other direction, fast, and then re target who ever is still standing.

GM Craig:  The trooper is completely unaware of the attack. Your blaster coughs twice, and nails him solidly both times. He almost flips over backwards completely as he goes down.

Dawson:  A self satisfied nod, and I check the other direction...

GM Craig:  The two other troopers dive for cover and start yelling into their helmet comlinks. Your quick glance from the other direction reveals nothing, but you have a funny feeling.

GM Craig:  Rindu says, "Almost done..."

Dawson:  Levelling my rifle at the hiding troopers, I fire in their direction, keeping my eyes on the other end of the hallway...

GM Craig:  You fire a couple of times for effect. With every shot, you see a shadow moving a few steps down the other direction ? you wouldn?t have seen it without the blind shots down the empty corridor.

Dawson:  I *thought* I saw something.. I bring my rifle up, and bring the shadow into my sites.. and fire..[2 shots - moving shadow]

GM Craig:  The troopers down the corridor take the opportunity to fire your direction, but they're badly positioned at the shots hit duracrete. The first shot doesn't hit the shadow, but it sure lights him up. You see a man in a black uniform about 10 meters away. Before you can squeeze off the second shot, one of the new threat's hands flashes and a knife sails your way. You can hear it humming as it gets closer. You barely manage to twist out of the way, but the move put you further into the corridor. You take your shot. The man in black dodges easily. He is now 5 meters away.

GM Craig:  "Almost done..." Rindu says.

Dawson:  "hurry up Rindu..." I draw the rifle up again, and site the man in black.. My finger squeezes trigger.. and I know I have to make this shot... [2 shots.use 2cp for the first shot.]

GM Craig:  Your next shot hits him squarely. He stumbles back a step, trying to shake off the injury. Before you can take your second shot, the troopers down the hall fire. They both miss. You take your second shot at the man in black, and nail him again. He goes down with a satisfying thump.

Dawson:  "Rindu, you need to be done. Fast." I whirl back on the troopers, and fire again, to get them to pull back behind cover.

GM Craig:  At that moment, there is a flash of movement past your legs. Rindu rolls through the doorway, ending up flat on his gut in the middle of the hallway. He snaps off 4 quick shots. The troopers are each hit twice, and both drop like a sack of flour.

Dawson:  I blink. This man is a crack shot. It was done before I could even react.

GM Craig:  Rindu is on his feet. In the comlink he says, "The bun is rising." He grabs your arm and takes you down the corridor towards where the man in black came from. He stops and kneels beside the body. "Cover me," he says, pointing a finger towards the lift.

Dawson:  I nod, and train my rifle on the lift.

GM Craig:  He does a quick search, and sucks in air through clenched teeth. Into the comlink, "Ghosts."

GM Craig:  Hing's voice comes back. "Frell."

GM Craig:  Rindu looks a little... not nervous. It's more like he's focussed. "We have to get out of here in a hurry."

Dawson:  "I?m ready."

GM Craig:  Again he hauls you off down where the black dude came from.

Dawson:  I?m not really, truth be told I?m a bit panicked by the whole experience, but so far, I?m intact and alive and that?s saying something.

GM Craig:  There is another shudder, and a chunk of ceiling falls down about 15 meters back from where you are. The lights flicker, and then go out. A second or two later, the emergency lighting comes up.

GM Craig:  "Frelling idiots are going to destroy the core themselves..." Rindu's rifle is up and in front of him. It points wherever he looks. "You took down a ghost... pretty good, Dawson."

Dawson:  "a ...ghost?"

GM Craig:  He says grimly, "Imperial Intel. Not those ISB idiots, but military intel."

Dawson:  Seeing his rifle up in front, seems like a good place for mine to be. I may not be a crack shot, but I make can make a nice big hole in someone... I swallow, hard... "I see."

GM Craig:  He points backwards. "Cover our re..." Blam! Blam! He snaps off two quick shots. You hear the hum of a knife, and an answering blaster. Rindu shoves you aside, and drops to a crouch. Rindu lines up a shot, but is forced to roll out of the way. You see three men in black, moving up the corridor.

Dawson:  frell.. Trying to remain calm, I bring the rifle up, and site the first of the approaching 3 men. Squeezing the trigger, I let the rifle do its job... [2 shots.. closest target]

GM Craig:  The first shot spins him around. He drops behind cover.

Dawson:  [if he?s behind cover, can I target one who isn?t?]

GM Craig:  The other two take shots at Rindu, and both miss. Rindu went into a roll to avoid the shots, and came up shooting. Rindu nails the black clad trooper square in the gut, and he crumples like tissue.

GM Craig:  You take a shot at the covering trooper, but the blast hits the duracrete wall. The worst you might have done is give him some shrapnel splinters.

GM Craig:  Rindu takes another shot, and drops the other trooper.

Dawson:  I am clearly in the presence of greatness.

GM Craig:  The trooper you were shooting at pops up from cover, flipping a knife at Rindu. The singing blade strikes solidly. Rindu goes limp, his rifle slipping from nerveless fingers as he groans and clutches the vibrating knife embedded in his shoulder. The trooper cocks his arm back to throw again, at you this time.

Dawson:  I whirl on the trooper, let his figure dance in my sites, and pull the trigger. [1 shot +1CP]

GM Craig:  You nail him solidly in the chest. He goes down.

Dawson:  Reaching down for Rindu?s comlink, I key it, "Dawson here.. Rindu is down.. Repeat. Rindu is down." Looking at Rindu I says, "Hang tight, Rindu. Hang tight..."

GM Craig:  There is silence. Rindu slaps your hand. "Nothing they can do." He is wheezing. With difficulty, he turns the vibroknife thing off.

Dawson:  "Then we need to get you out of here."

GM Craig:  He nods, gulping air. "Can't breathe? Help me up."

Dawson:  "Hang on.." I reach into my bag, and pull out a medpack.

GM Craig:  Withdrawing the knife, the medpack manages to stabilize him, but he's still very weak.

Dawson:  "no dying, if you don?t mind..." I reach down, and grabbing his arm, sling it around my shoulder, and try not to stagger under the weight. "Lets get out of here"

GM Craig:  [He's pretty light, and a little smaller than you.] He nods, gasping at the pain. "This way..." He is sweating. You struggle along. Rindu is careful to keep his rifle slung. But he's obviously in a great deal of pain, and you're carrying him as much as he is walking.

Dawson:  trying to move as quickly as I can, I head in the direction Rindu indicated

GM Craig:  You get to a lift. "Help me" he says, and points to the control panel.

Dawson:  'Come on Rindu." I pull him into the lift. "Now what..."

GM Craig:  He reaches for the control pad. He keys in a few sequences of number, but nothing happens. "Frell!" he curses through clenched teeth.

Dawson:  "whats wrong..."

GM Craig:  He tries again, and this time there is a click. "Couldn't key the sequence right."

Dawson:  I heave a sigh of relief...

GM Craig:  He hits the ?up? button. A moment later, the lift falls.

Dawson:  "Uhhh Rindu.. seems like the lift has a mind of its own.. we're going down...

GM Craig:  He coughs. You see the shiny black gleam of blood in the emergency lighting. "It's hidden... *gasp* Punch code... *gasp* lift goes down." He coughs again.

Dawson:  "We need to get you help, Rindu. Where are we going?"

[GM Craig]

GM Craig:  He holds up a hand, trying to catch his breath. "Hidden passage..." The lift stops. You are quite a ways down.

Dawson:  When the lift opens, I check the passage way for.. targets...

GM Craig:  Nothing. It's clear. Rindu wheezes, "25 meters... *gasp* left."

Dawson:  "Ok Rindu. Don?t talk. Point. Which way..."

GM Craig:  He indicates the direction weakly.

Dawson:  "Come on." I try to hold as much of his weight as I can. I?d carry him if I could... and I head off left..

GM Craig:  You're mostly dragging him now. As you move down the corridor, you hear the sound of roaring water. As you reach the end of the corridor, there is a massive thump from above you, way above you.

GM Craig:  Rindu grins wickedly.

Dawson:  "the core?"

GM Craig:  He nods, swallowing. He then points down. "Boat."

Dawson:  I smile. "Good.? I look down where he was pointing, looking for the boat "and by the way. Don?t die on me. I don?t know HOW I?ll get that recipe from Hing without you.."

GM Craig:  As you look down, something catches your eye. A small glint of silver down the passage where the water is flowing.

Dawson:  [the boat?]

GM Craig:  Nope. That is tied up right below you, about a 5 meter climb down a flight of stairs.

Dawson:  That?s what I was afraid of...

GM Craig:  I whisper into Rindu?s ear.. ?We got company down the passage.. something shiny..  You wanna try for the boat, or shall we take it out from here??

GM Craig:  He shakes his head. "Droid."

Dawson:  "ours.. or theirs??"

GM Craig:  He shakes his head. "Theirs."

Dawson:  "let me use your rifle Rindu.. I have a better chance to hit it with your scope"

GM Craig:  He nods. "Red... light. Blue... mag."

Dawson:  I look at Rindu..unsure of what he is telling me.. "what??"

GM Craig:  He points to controls on the scope. There is a red one. Pointing to the red one, he says, "Light level." Pointing to the blue one, he says, "Magnification. *cough cough*"

Dawson:  unslinging Rindu?s rifle, I slip my hand thru the strap, in the method he showed me. Was it just a few minutes ago??  I bring the scope up to my eye, and adjusting the controls, target the droid.   Squeezing the trigger... [1 shots... droid...]

GM Craig:  [It is a fancy weapon, to be sure. The scope is a little hard to get used to, so it takes some time to figure out where the droid is. By the time you figure it out, the droid is only 15 meters away. Through the scope, you can see individual seams on the shell of the droid. You can also see the shot hit, slightly high and to the right of dead centre. The focussed plasma smashes through the thin casing, blowing the right half of the power core away. The droid disappears in a ball of flame and smoke.

Dawson:  I nod.. satisfied.. "got it. Now lets get you into that boat."

GM Craig:  He nods. You nearly drop him on the stairs down, but you both manage to make it in one piece. Climbing into the boat, you shove off. Rindu's voice is a whisper you can barely hear above the noise of the water. "Others.... watch for... friends."

Dawson:  I nod.. and hope I understood him.  Regardless, we need to get him help.  And soon.

GM Craig:  A few minutes later, you spot Klim behind a rock.

Dawson:  piloting the boat over to the rock, I try to manoeuvre behind it

GM Craig:  Klim calls out to someone else, and runs to the edge of the water.

Dawson:  "He?s in a bad way, Klim.. Took knife to the shoulder."

GM Craig:  Klim yells out, "Medic!" Another trooper you don't recognize comes and helps Klim. "You OK?" he asks.

Dawson:  'Yeah I?m fine. Help him."

GM Craig:  The medic who knocked you out comes down. His face looks grave. The other trooper helps the medic carry Rindu. Klim looks at you. "Heard you ran into some ghosts."

Dawson:  "yeah... And if it weren?t for Rindu, I?d BE a ghost. The see thru kind..."

GM Craig:  He looks you over. "You seem to have made it through OK..." He spits into the river.

Dawson:  I nod.  "I did ok.  We ran into 3 of them in the corridor.  One of them got a knife off, tagged Rindu in the shoulder."

GM Craig:  He is starting to look positively unfriendly. "And yet you come through without so much as a scratch..."

Dawson:  "Would you rather I came back in a bag??  I don?t know what the attitude is Klim, but get over it.  I did what I could over there, and when Rindu can talk, he'll tell you the same"

GM Craig:  Klim stares at you. "We'll see." Then another voice bellows, Klim! Secure that drek!"

Dawson:  "yeah.  we will."  I stomp off, in the direction they took Rindu

GM Craig:  You look up and see Kelso.

Dawson:  Blink.... "Nice of you to join us... "

GM Craig:  Klim turns and glares at him. Kelso limps slowly towards Klim, not breaking the stare. "You got a problem, mister?" Kelso says.

GM Craig:  Klim backs down. "No, sir."

Dawson:  I move towards Kelso, so he doesn?t have quite so far to walk. 

GM Craig:  "Get your sorry ass back in the tunnels before every droid the Empire has spots us."

GM Craig:  Kelso turns to you. "Well, you've been busy."

Dawson:  "Yeah, well, I thought you were dead.  Had to find SOMETHING to do... "  I look him up and down.. "Looks like you?ve been a bit busy yourself..."

GM Craig:  He shrugs, and immediately regretted the move. "Out contact got tagged."

Dawson:  "so I hear..."  I look to where they were working on Rindu.. "He gonna be ok??"

GM Craig:  He looks back. "We'll see. But for now, we gotta get under cover. The Empire will be locking the city down pretty soon. We have about 15 minutes to get to the other safe house."

Dawson:  ?I?m going with you this time.  Don?t plan on leaving me behind.. Klim might decide I?m the enemy this time.?

GM Craig:  Kelso sighs. "Don't worry about Klim. He's got an axe to grind. He was one of the first, and they got bust up by a mole. It wasn't pretty."

Dawson:  "so he figures I?m a plant, cause Im not dead? jackass..."

GM Craig:  Kelso shrugs. "A reasonable assumption. Ghosts are well trained. Whenever we've come up against them, we're lucky to get out."

Dawson:  I shake my head. "Come on then, lets get the frell outta here.  You and I both know I?m not a plant.  And Rindu will tell you the same thing.  He saw what happened up there."

GM Craig:  Kelso nods. "I know that. I'm just telling you where Klim is coming from. His entire cell got wiped out. Only him and one other guy got out. And that other guy has been confined to a repulsor chair ever since."

GM Craig:  13 minutes later, you are safe inside another building. Kelso has the newsfeed on. The medic reports Rindu will be fine, but he's on bedrest for a few days.

Dawson:  where?s Klim?

GM Craig:  He's around. A few hours later, after he and Rindu had a chat, he apologizes.

Dawson:  which I accept gracefully, of course.