[IC] SW: Edge of the Empire: Ep. I - Escape from Mos Shuuta

[Lord Wyron]

"I don't believe these morons would find much worth in jewels." Sektor replied, drawing both his blasters, a small whirring sounded from them as they charged up to fire. "Gamorreans are strong, no point in rushing into battle unheeded. Crowd control is an effective method in this case, I find. Throw a grenade into the center of the group; watch the rest scatter. Better to fight one or two Gamorreans single-handedly than take on a group of three or four." He advised, spinning his pistols around on his trigger finger in anticipation.

He turned and looked at Cor. "Now is not the time for flirtation, Smuggler. Fight or flee!" He reprimanded, tilting his head forward towards the man. Sektor could be easygoing like most, but his years of hunting and battle hardened him. He was never lax during a fight, always prepared.

[reem]

As much as Ruusaan loved a good fight, she didn't want to draw more attention than she already had in Mos Shuuta, and Gamorreans were the least of their worries. Mandalorians had their reputation, but they weren't invincible, though some believe to be so. She looked over at the smuggler.

"You know this place better than I do, lead us through the back-alleys and marketplace and head us towards the spaceport control, we can link up with your droid and shut down the docking clamps. Sektor, torch the place as we leave, the fire should give us the distraction we need to lose the pigs," she said as she moved a barrel hoping the contents were flammable and set it down at the entrance. Once a fire was started it wouldn't take long for this place to burn and halt their pursuers.

"Let's move," she said as she heard the Gammoreans cries from outside. She ran out the back behind the smuggler and slave hoping that the Nabooian knew where he was going.

[Avanhelsing]

Manners were lost on these folks. It was too bad. Cause they needed him. Too bad he was lugging a huge piece of metal right now. He looked at Sektor slightly bothered. "It's called being polite, killer. Something you never learned. " He said still quipping. It was a defense mechanism of his. Always stay quipping. He ran out the door quickly hoping the rest were following him.

"Alright some rules. No killing unless we are in big trouble. Which we won't. I'm too good at this. " He said pulling the group into a back alley. The spaceport was visible. Then he kept moving. He would peak his head out and once clear run from shadow to shadow. The goons were not the best at spotting. After a few minutes they would reach the outside of the spaceport safely. "Alright listen up. My droid is light blue and white. Has the Naboo flag on it. Should be by the control area. Might even be by the clamp controls. I need to get on the ship safely to install this part. It might take a bit. That and we can't sneak in there. So I need someone to find the droid and the hold the goons off. That and take down the docking clamps. Any takers?" He asked leaving it to them since they were better at the whole killing thing.

[Assallya]

It wasn't easy avoiding attention, the only thing Arla wore beyond her miniscule loincloth was her jewelry and the naked bosom of the twi'lek amongst them drew stares. She kept close behind the others, not wishing to stray. She had no skill with technology and starships and her only ticket away from Teemo was them. That was, after all, why she'd freed them from their cells back at the palace and started this adventure.

Then the man named Cor led them to one of the standing caves, this one metal and not hardened dried clay. From the sounds of it, this was either where they kept the flying metal boxes that moved through the stars or this was a place that controlled them. Arla wasn't quite sure which but she understood that getting inside was important for some reason and that they couldn't escape without doing so.

"Droid is metal man yes?" Arla asked, making sure she understood what was being said, "and what is a Nah-boo? Is fish?"

[Lord Wyron]

Sektor groaned slightly as he realized he would not be blasting up Piggies today. But he wasn't about to disobey, especially now. He held out his wrist, opposite the one that held the missile launcher. It made a deep whooshing sound as flames spat out of the wrist-mounted weapon, devouring and enveloping the store in vibrant waves of red and orange as the store quickly burst alight.

He growled and quickly followed the rest of his team, still feeling the sheer heat from the flames as the shop began to crumble in on itself. He growled slightly before following the rest of his squad into a back alley.

"I'll find your droid." Sektor volunteered, stating it more like he knew he was going to do it, rather than requesting it. "I can handle a few spaceport thugs." He reassured Cor, though his voice remained neutral.

[reem]

Ruusaan let the others discuss their plans, her mind was focused on the mission at hand; hunting down Trex.

The spaceport control facility is a low, squat building clinging to the edge of the Mos Shuuta bluff. The front entrance stands open, but a pair of spaceport security droids stand at attention. Ruusaan took a look around from a good distance and noticed a side entrance that appears unguarded.

"I see a side entrance that probably leads inside, if you can manage to open the door, you might be able to get inside undetected. If you can get in the droid even better, no one questions a droid. I'm going to Landing Bay Aurek to secure our vessel. If you need me, give me call," she said as she gave them her comlink identification number.

She headed off down the busy street of Mos Shuuta towards Landing Bay Aurek.

[Avanhelsing]

Cor had no idea what to do. He smiled a bit. "It's my home world. The place where I was born. A planet not like this one. Full of life and all that. " He said trying to explain the idea of a home world to the Twi'lek. It was not an easy task. He had no idea how to explain this to her. It was not important. "Just stay close to me. Unless you can get in. " He told her hopefully. Remembering he was useless with the part.

"Alright. I'll try to get the clamps. You guys go and get the droid and the goons. I'm going to be rather useless holding this hunk of metal so it's most likely up to you all. I can't do much carying this thing. Wrex should be near the side of the port. Say 'Hail the Queen' and he will obey you for a bit. Programmed it that way. " He said adjusting the part. He would leave this up to them. "Contact me when the way to the ship is clear. "

[Assallya]

Arla looked somewhat confused, first by Cor's attempt to explain what a Nah-boo was and then by the plan that followed. As readily as she understood it, there was a droid inside that could free the starship but also, there was a person or a droid or something inside the port control tower that could rapidly lock the ship back down the moment the droid attempted to leave the console. They'd have to leave the droid behind.

"When metal man frees flying metal box," Arla questioned, "Will not person inside standing cave make the port clump back? We leave metal Nahboo hale queen behind?"

She considered that the Metal Head woman had gone on ahead and so had the warrior, or at least she supposed that was what he was doing. She still had a hard time understanding everything.

"You carry metal. Will guard you." she declared, crossing her arms in front of her bare breasts and jutting out her jaw, "I fight good."

If only, Arla thought to herself, if only she had some knives for throwing. These light sticks were loud and bright, bringing much attention.

[Lord Wyron]

Sektor did little but nod at Cor's directions, turning to look at Ruusaan instead. "I suppose it's time we headed off. We should start stealthily; no need to possibly damage the droid or the ship in a mass firefight." He advised, turning towards the small building near the hangar. He nodded Ruusaan off on her own way to the landing bay while lowering his posture down to a sneaky crouch and began to slowly sneak his way across the sand. Though any organic would be able to obviously detect him in his pitch black armor against the bright-colored ground, droids were less than able when it came to observation and would most likely not see him unless he began sprinting.

Once he turned the corner to the side door, he stood up straight once again; beginning to feel around the edges of the sliding door. "Hurm..." He growled as he stared at the door, wondering how he was going to open it. He could shoot it, but that would undoubtedly rouse attention and possibly endanger their mission critically.

A thought suddenly came to him. Grabbing his knife from its sheath on his calf, he plunged the blade deep into the door-control system. Sparks flew out from the small, wall-mounted console as the door awkwardly, yet quietly, slid open.

Smirking behind his mask, he stepped inside; drawing one of his pistols just in case anyone saw him. He looked around the small building, noticing quite a few crates and boxes spread about. He was looking for an astromech droid.

Continuing to look around, his eyes finally landed on the droid., which sat idly; doing nothing. He strode over to it, kneeling down so its photoreceptor landed on him. 'This Smuggler's a damned patriot...' He thought to himself before speaking the phrase, "Hail the Queen."

As if on cue, the robot seemed to come alive before him, whirring around on its wheels. "Alright, Wrex." Sektor began, remembering the droid's name. "Come along with me, we're going back to your master." He commanded, turning on his heel.

Just as he was about to leave the facility, a blaster score shot out; blackening the wall beside his head. He turned to look slowly, a large Devaronian holding a scattergun did *not* look happy to see the bounty hunter heading out with one of their droids. The alien began shouting at Sektor in their strange language, the tone alone signifying displeasure. The internal computers in Sektor's helmet gave a base translation. Little more than death threats, really.

Sektor tilted his head to the side, as if in curiosity as he, in a flash, aimed his gun and fired a single bullet into the alien's chest; watching him fall in a crumpled, smoking heap. Sektor couldn't help but whistle a tune to himself as he left the facility, nonchalantly shooting other guards and workers who tried to stop him.

He accessed the comm unit hidden in his helmet and tried calling Cor. "Smuggler. I found your droid. The guards are taken care of. Where did you want me to go next?" He asked in a simple voice, curt, but casual.

[reem]

It wasn't too difficult for Ruusaan to find Landing Bay Aurek by wandering the streets of Mos Shuuta. Looming before the huntress rested a large pour stone hangar, an enormous letter aurek stenciled onto the building's side. As the huntress approached, she looked through the open hangar doors to the cavernous interior, where a rusty-looking light freighter rests with its loading ramp deployed. No doubt the Trandoshan slaver is aboard. I have you now, Trex.

Two equally-rusty spaceport security droids stood outside the entrance halted he chance of walking in unnoticed, she would need to be fast; before the droids could stop the Mandalorian's advance she drew her pistols on the guards. "Halt or, I'll..." The droid's vocalizer whined as Reem fired a bolt into the security droid's chest. The huntress dropped both targets with two shots, not hesitating her entrance into the landing bay. As she walked inside she saw two more security droids guarding the base of the loading ramp.

Ruusaan had to time this right while Trex was caught off guard. She rushed the droids making quick work of them by the time they extended their arms with built-in blasters, they became scattered parts on the hangar floor. The huntress ran up the boarding ramp just in time. The ramp was raised closed immediately afterward locking mechanisms hissed in the air-tight compartment. Trex might not be taken by surprise, but he would definitely be taken by surprise when he saw who it was that boarded his ship uninvited. Ruusaan made a left turn in the first corridor to make her way toward the cockpit where Trex was most likely hiding, and she abruptly came to a halt.

Now she was the one the surprised as she stared at the muscular human male who held a holdout blaster aimed at her. "Hello, girlie! I always knew you would end up chasing after me," he laughed sending his scar rippling with his smile that stretched from his cheekbone to chin. It was Jack Davis a hired gun and one of Teemo's bodyguards. Ruusaan loathed this cocky mercenary scumbag. "Now be a good girl and drop your pistols."

Reem grudgingly dropped her blasters to the Fang's deck plates and raised her gloved hands in the air in defeat.

"That's a good girl, now take off that armor real slow," Jack said with a toothy grin.

Ruusaan wasn't giving up this easy, she quickly reached for Jack's hand and spun the weapon from his hand with skill and kicked Jack in the groin. The hired gun was knocked to the deck. Grimacing from the inguinal pain, Jack's smile faded but soon returned as he stared at the huntress who just turned the tables on him and pointed the weapon at his face. Jack was only a distraction Reem realized, Trex must have gone around to attack the huntress by surprise. She spun around to block a powerful swipe from Trandoshan's razor-sharp claws that caught her left arm-plate. The Mandalorian swiftly counter-attacked activating her vibro-blade on her right arm-plate which sent a spring-loaded vibro-blade chopping the Trandoshan's arm off. Trex snarled.

By this time Jack reached for Ruusaan's pistols but Ruusaan's boot caught the man's hand on the floor. Jack yelled. Ruusaan plunged the vibro-blade into the Trandoshan's chest. "Death to all aruetii," she spat as she sent Trex tumbling to the floor. She turned to Jack who clutched his crushed hand. "Davis, I never liked you," the Mandalorian said tossing the holdout blaster as she mounted the downed thug. She reached for his mouth as she struggled against his will, "and I've waiting a long time for this moment," the huntress said she proceeded to forcefully cut his tongue out as he screamed. 'Handsome Jack' wasn't so handsome anymore. She stabbed him in the abdomen watching him as look of fear struck his face as his body went into shock. Like a mad-woman she stabbed over and over again until Jack stopped moving. She enjoyed killing traitors. But it wasn't as fun as killing creeps...

Ruusaan stood up cleaning off her blade with a piece of Jack's shirt. "Ke nu'jurkadir sha Kyr'tsad!" (Don't mess with Death Watch) she told herself as if her enemies could hear. Reem picked up her weapons on the deck, and called Cor and Sektor, "I have secured the ship, what's your status?" she asked calmly as she began to drag the bodies to the boarding ramp. She would dump the bodies and prepare to leave before more trouble arrived.

[Avanhelsing]

Cor looked around as he tried to figure out how to get to the clamps. This was not going to be easy. He had not idea what he was going to do. He looked around and drew his pistol and ran over to the control tower. He looked around as a pistol was pressed to his head. "Oh look who it is. Hello Cor." The woman said to him as he put his hands up. "Oh Jenny. How are you, beautiful." Cor said looking at the woman worried. He put his hands up. They had a bit of history as in they were once an item. His woman in this port. She honestly hated him with good reason. He grabbed his pistol and fried it at Jenny knocking her out. "I hate old flames..." He said before removing the clamps and running back to the ship with his piece

He quickly began to set it up and after awhile he got the part ready to go. "Are we ready to go?" He asked as he ran into the cockpit. The ship was ready to go. "Wrex! Plug in We need to get this wreck into the air!" He yelled as the droid plugged into one of the ports. "Get in one of the turrets. I know this thing has one of those." He told him as he powered it up and the ship was ready to go. He fired the engines and flew off. "So where to boss lady?" He asked the Mando.

[reem]

"I don't care, anywhere! Just get us out of here and try to avoid those guys over there," Ruusaan exclaimed pointing toward the sky where an Imperial shuttle was landing with its TIE escort. "Something tells me they aren't in this dump for a tax collection, and I know Teemo pays off the Imps so I wouldn't be surprised if our mugs end up on the Imp holonet," she assumed.

"But don't worry, if it comes down to that I can find a way to make those postings disappear," she smiled deviously under her helmet.

[Assallya]

Arla followed Cor, protecting him from anything that might crop up but most of what happened was well beyond her. When the strange woman stopped them Arla could have taken her down easily. Only the look of recognition in Cor's eyes stayed her from lashing out. During the rather brief conversation Arla had to wonder if she was entirely invisible.

Then, Cor simply pulled out his light stick and shot her. The woman, Jennay, was entirely useless. The woman had Cor dead in her clutches and nobody was that slow. Then Cor had the audacity to think that he'd freed himself. The girl had clearly let him go. Nobody hesitated that long.

Following Cor, still acting as his bodyguard, Arla made her way up the ramp and then found she had no clue what to do. She had no idea how to use any of these strange devices. There were a hundred blinking lights all over and she couldn't tell the difference between the switch that turned on the lights and those that would blow them all out into outer space.

[Lord Wyron]

Sektor hurried onboard as the ship was about to take off, managing to kill a few more of Trex's guards in the process before the boarding ramp was raised, sealing them in the confines of the ship.

The sound of the engines roaring filled Sektor's ears with their blare as the ship took off, forcing him to cling onto a rail for support as the ship broke the atmosphere of Tattooine.

"It's good to be away from there." Sektor commented neutrally releasing the rail as the ship settled upon hitting space. "We have a smuggling vessel and I think that Imperial craft was landing...this should give us reprieve enough to make distance." He said.

Raising his hands up to the side of his helmet, he began tugging at it. A sharp hiss sounded as the sealant that connected the helmet to the suit was breached. He lifted the helmet up over his head, tucking it under one arm as his face was finally revealed to his three companions.

[Avanhelsing]

Cor looked at the controls and swore rather loudly. "Remember when I said this thing was barely space-worthy? Uhh I was right. This hunk of junk is going to have to land. I have a few connections in Anchorhead or Mos Eisley. " He said clearly annoyed they were flying this thing. "When I say not flying I mean we are going to have to stay on this planet..." He told Sektor looking to Wrex for confirmation. The droid seemed to nod. "Hyper space jump would in all reality tear us apart in a million spectacular pieces. " Cor said sounding like he spoke of the weather.

"That and I refuse to have the slug keep my ship. That's the only way I'm leaving. Even if I have to rig this ship with explosives to blow the slug sky high. " He said thinking that was a good plan honestly. "Any presences as to where we settle down?" He asked bringing the ship back into the atmosphere. He kept her flying high.

[reem]

"Yeah, they were definitely landing, but it won't take them too long to pick up the pieces if we don't get out of here fast," Reem said removing her helmet to look at Sektor with her own eyes. The hunter was handsome, and definitely attractive, scruffy-looking warrior. I can deal with that. She smirked.

A group of Teemo's hired guns have just arrived in the hangar bay and are setting up what appears to be a very large gun pointed at the Kryat Fang. It is time to go! The Kryat Fang thrums around Ruusaan and the crew as Cor powered up her engines, lifting through the hangar doors and into the Tatooine sky. Soon, Mos Shuuta vanishes behind as the freighter raced out over the Dune Sea and climbed towards outer space. He mentioned the ship's condition and suggested having known a few people in Mos Eisley and Anchorhead, again talking about going after his ship.

"Look I don't give a womp rat's shebs! Go to Anchorhead. Mos Eisley has an Imperial Garrison we will want to avoid. If your ship is ready to go, then let's go back for it," the huntress said with urgency having another bad feeling about this plan.

Suddenly, as if the galaxy were on cue with her senses, an alert klaxon blares! As the group leaves Tatooine's atmosphere, several triangular-shaped starfighters in attack formation wing appear on the ship's scanners, screaming on an intercept course - Teemo's fighters! The four starfighters shoot past, laser cannons blazing, sparks fly from a console in the cockpit - we've been hit! The ship isn't clear of the planet's gravity well yet, even if their hyperspace reactor was safe to use, they need to deal with these fighters first.

"Here they come!" the Mandalorian shouted.

The wing of single-pod cloud cars with modified blaster cannons and torpedo launchers flew past. "Kryat Fang, this is Mos Shuuta Sky Patrol, stand down immediately and return to Mos Shuuta, or be destroyed!" the enemy pilot threatened over the intercom.

The huntress quickly jumped out of her seat grabbing Sektor's arm to follow her down the cockpit corridor. She donned her helmet. "Get on the dorsal, and stay sharp!" she ordered as she ran to the rail ladder in the cavity between the dorsal and ventral laser cannon turret's gunner mounts. The mando slid down the rail ladder and onto the gunner's seat where she buckled her seat-belt and performed a rapid weapons system check. The turrets where ready to go as she switched on the gunner's display. She was waiting for a target to line up in her sights, gloved finger on the trigger.

[Assallya]

The slavegirl had to admit she hadn't a clue what was going on. The only thing she was certain of was that another group of the things that moved them through the stars was coming after them. They also belonged to Teemo. That was definitely not good. She then sat herself down in the co-pilots seat but touched nothing for fear she'd somehow knock them all out of the sky.

"Should not," Arla asked as she came into the cockpit area, "use metal box. Metal box take we from man with- much metal?"

Arla didn't know why they'd made the trip or stolen the strange piece of metal if they weren't going to use it. Instead it was just sitting beside the closed entrance ramp. She thought they needed it to escape the planet.

[Lord Wyron]

Sektor, quickly jumping into action hurriedly followed Ruusaan towards the ships cannons. Adrenaline was pumping through his veins, the thrill of battle would never get old.

He quickly put his helmet back on, a small click signifying it had properly sealed with the rest of his armor.

He climbed up the same ladder Ruusaan had slid down and buckled himself into the gunner's seat. The targeting system of his visor, coupled with that of the cannon should be enough to make him a perfectly accurate shot.

He primed up the ship's lasers. He would have to be conservative, as he wasn't sure how much power the ship could diverge to the weapon systems while still maintaining power to the engines and life support.

Wrapping his gauntlet-clad hands around the joystick that functioned to control the cannon, his thumbs resting on the red trigger button. A hushed silence seemed to fall as they waited for the first shot.

[Avanhelsing]

"This is not good..." Cor muttered as his hands flew across the control console of the ship. He was doing all and everything in his power to keep this thing flying and now he had to divert power to the weapons systems. All he needed. If he was in his ship he would use a quick EMP blast and then go running away into deep space. Except again that took power he did not have. With a few quick hand movements he would have power to the guns. He flicked the intercom on.

" A little advice; this thing does not have the power for a massive dogfight. I can give you guys a few shots. Like say 100 a piece maybe. So make it count. I can keep this thing flying if you keep them off me.Good luck." He said shutting the intercom off. e looked at the slave. He needed her help. "See that big red flashing button. " He said pointing to one next to her. "It's the engine dampner controller... You know what no. It will make us go fast for a bit. If things go south we might need it." He said his hands still flying. Wrex beeped and shook. "I know. I know. We are critical. Just keep us flying Wrex." He told the droid whilst saying a quick prayer in his head.

[reem]

Teemo's wing of starfighters move towards the Krayt Fang, one each veering off to the left and right of the slaver's ship. The sandy gusts of wind whip past the viewport of the cockpit one of the alien fighter pilots as he adjusts his maneuvering joy stick. The cloud car races past the Fang, firing laser beams as it passed.

Another fighter maneuvers in front of Ruusaan, who follows it with her turret and fires at it with the laser cannons. "Son-of-a-Bantha!" she muttered as she missed the fighter. The slave-ship suffered a minor hit, and bounced slightly, rocking Ruu in her gunner's seat.

Two cloud cars dive down toward the slave-ship. The ship shudders as a laser-bolt hits very close to the cockpit. Another of Teemo's fighters darts through the skies of Tatooine firing on the Krayt Fang. The two cloud cars fire a barrage of laser beams at the slave-ship. A laser-bolt streaks into the side of the Fang, lurching the ship violently.

"Fierfek!"

An enemy laser-bolt hits the slave-ship's control panel, causing it to blow out in a shower of sparks, which ignited a small fire smoking inside.

Ruu aims her laser cannon at an enemy fighter and fires, barely missing her target. A cloud car streaks in front of the starship flying over the hull. Another fighter heads right for the slave-ship, then zooms overhead crossing over in a pattern. A third dives past the under slave-ship. Ruu follows the fighter in her sights, releasing a blast of laser-fire. She connects, and the fighter explodes into fiery dust. The Mandalorian laughs victoriously. That left three more fighters out there.

Two cloud cars move toward and over the Krayt Fang, unleashing a barrage of laser-bolts at the ship. Down in the ventral, Ruu waited for her next chance to fire at the enemy, she looked up at the other hunter hoping Sektor was having better luck in the dorsal.