[IC] Star Wars - Lawless [Zarkun and Sep]

[Sep]

All through the Galaxy Shadowports existed. Places where criminals from all over the Galaxy could group together, safe from the governing body of the Galaxy. They were a dime a dozen back in the days of the Republic, since the Empire had come into power their number had decreased significantly. The Empire adopted a 'No Tolerance' policy on the concept of Star Ports. There was no money to be made from them by the corrupt governors, and they were seen as potential breeding grounds of Rebellion and Rebel Activity. What the Empire didn't know is the Ports tended to kick Rebel Cells of them as soon as they formed, they attracted the wrath of the Empire like you wouldn't believe.

On one such station an old Separatist Agent, turned pirate hurried through the corridors, trailed by two droids. Chaos spread throughout the station, word was that the Empire was coming for the station and he had to find a way off. Turns out his crew had decided to take his ship and leave without him the second word spread that the Empire was on it's way. He had been good to his crew, to his people. They held to a code and always made a profit, but others in his crew felt that he wasn't violent enough and they could make more money.

They were fools, the lot of them. Violence would lead them to being noticed, being noticed would lead the Empire to coming down hard on them and when you had an Imperial Taskforce after you it wasn't going to end terribly well. Sighing as some form of station 'security' stood barring a door he pulled one of his DL-44s out of it's holster and shot the man in the temple, a shocked expression on his face as he fell backwards onto the ground. Smoke raising from the hole now squarely in the centre of his temple. Once upon a time there was talk of him becoming a Jedi, till he failed the Initiate Trials, cast out and then recruited by the Separatists. What his old tutors would have thought to see him shoot someone in the head.

It wasn't murder however, it was self preservation. This idiot felt that it was his duty to stop them from causing chaos, hop on their ships and leave. Maybe he had some hope that if they held people hostage that the ships would be more willing to help defend the station. After all in orbit around the station there were some larger vessels, pirate cruisers and the like. Not that he believed that the Devils Horn was still out there, it had probably jumped to hyperspace already under the guidance of it's new Captain. Now, there was only one way off this station and to get his ship back. Only one person he'd even consider to be able to help him, in a hanger somewhere around here was a ship far older than anyother. Owned by a man in Mandalorian, with a penchance for loving women and running his mouth.

It was often said that if he could fly the same way he ran his mouth he'd be the best smuggler in the Galaxy.

[Zarkun]

The day had started out pretty good, what with a nicely paying job down on the books and a good lookin' girl on his arm in the casino, where he was winning every hand. Of course he was one hundred percent accused of cheating, which he was if you count switching the casino deck with his own, but there was no proof, since only a fool didn't change the backs of the cards to match the casino he was cheating, even after they kicked him out. Of course, it helped that he swiped his deck back when he was bodily thrown across the table he'd been playing at by an angry owner. The Mandalorian smuggler had allowed it to happen, knowing making a scene would get him thrown out of another shadowport would make business even harder to procure, though he was impressed that in his armor, the guy had been able to throw him.

Then, even though she was a little discourage by the way the casino had treated him, his date suggested going back to her place for some...private time away from the crowds. Intrigued by the thought, he'd agreed and followed her back to her apartment. Fifteen minutes after we start to really have fun, someone comes in. Well, needless to say, the only upside to Elias standing in the office of the shadowport's head is that the idiot had been too angry to have him disarmed and had required he get fully dressed again before leaving his daughter's apartment, not even remotely willing to risk the scene that would cause in public. Of course, people still wanted to know why a Mandalorian was being escorted out of his daughter's place, so the scene was far from avoided. Add to that that part of the way there, he was informed the Empire was on their way to deal with the port and, well, Elias was having just a hell of a day.

"Between the Empire and what I found you and my daughter doing, I don't know what I'm going to do. The whole of our clientele is going to vanish into hyperspace as soon as they get loaded with their gear and goods." The smuggler grinned and stood up from against the wall he'd been leaning against, two members of security watching him.

"Well, I'm an easy solution. Tell these two to move aside and let me walk out of here. I get on my frei-" The port head's laugh cut him off.

"You aren't going anywhere unless it's in a body bag, Ordo. Which, actually..." Sighing, the snaps on the blaster holsters come off as the smuggler's hands find the grips.

"And your daughter was such a nice girl..." Before the two security guards knew what was happening, they each had a blaster bolt in gut, doubling them over. He rammed his knee into the face of the one on his right, knocking him out cold, before pistol whipping the guy on his left, leaving him in a similarly unconscious state. The station head managed to fumble a blaster into his hand and get a shot off, but it glanced off the Mandalorian Iron that made up Elias's armor, slamming into the wall instead and scorching it. "Pity you decided killing me was a good route, I much prefer leaving the daddys of pretty girls alive." He squeezed the trigger on the Black Nebula Heavy Blaster Pistol in his right hand, leaving a smoking hole where the man's heart used to be. Sighing, he heads for the door out, squeezing around the late station head's daughter as he replaces his helmet and then for the hangar, closing the door to the head's office to give the grieving girl some privacy. "Such a waste of good potential. He might have figured out how to scare of the Empire's first attack given enough time."

[Sep]

Tyrell jumped over a astromech droid that was seemingly defective as it just kept running into a wall, backing up and then running into the wall again. It would have irritated him if he had more time. An alarm was blaring by this point signalling the incoming Imperial Fleet. Had he any form of communication with say, a cruiser in orbit around the station he would have known what was going on. Until his second in command had decided to abscone with his ship... thus he was effectively flying blind. He ran straight past a hangar until one of his droids kicked up a fuss. Turning around, down the hallway he saw a blue ray shield blocking the door into a hangar. In that hangar sat a ship, he could barely see it through the crowd of heads trying to find a way to deactivate the rayshield but he knew exactly whos ship that was.

Not many idiots would risk flying a ship that had been built back when the Republic was relatively young. That was a long time ago, the ship had seen so many modifications, additions and owners that he was surprised it hadn't gained sentience and just decided to fly off into space by itself.

He turned to one of his two droids. "Find me Elias-" and to the second "-Find me a way into that hangar." They both beeped as the station shook from an impact. He had to get out of here, and quickly.

[Zarkun]

The crowds were a lot thicker than the Mandalorian had anticipated, but he moved at a decent speed regardless, since most beings had no desire to get between a fully armored Mandalorian and his destination. As he walked, he kept an eye out for any more station security, who's ranks had recently swelled due to the draft the late Station Head had initiated in an effort to contain the panic of it's residents and businesses and even, in some cases, keep them from leaving. Judging from the number of bodies in the makeshift security uniforms that lined the way, that had proven about as effective as a bug trying to kill a rancor. If he guessed her right, the grieving girl would put out a call to all the security forces to find him and detain him; and failing that, kill him. If he'd had more time, Elias would have stayed to talk the girl down and explain to her the situation, but that was far too short.

The sound of an astromech's beeping came over his coms and the smuggler sighed. "Of course there are panicking masses on the other side of the ray shield, M8, I'm almost positive my ship is the only one still on the bloody station and none of the larger ships are going to offer passage." A security member, a teenager from his build, attempted blocked his path and the Mandalorian glared at him until he moved, a wet trail following his retreating form. "Great security...Anyways, just spin up the engines and wait for my signal." A series of beeps and whistles came back at him.

"Yes I want you to blow up the damned ray shield! We don't have time for our usual fine-"As if to prove Elias's point, the station rocked from something impacting it and suddenly the panic grew worse as the Mandalorian braced himself to keep his footing. "See what I mean? Just bloody do it!" He closed the channel and pulled one of his heavy blasters, firing it into the air six times, which produced the desired effect. The crowd of panicked beings parted and he was able to move that much faster, heading straight for his hangar. Unnoticed by him, a small floating droid was now following him, relaying information back to it's owner about his location. All Elias wanted at that moment was to get the hell out of here, and at this point, he wasn't above busting a few heads to do so.

[Sep]

Tyrell checked his comm as Besh signalled to him that he had located the Smuggler turned Bounty Hunter. Turning away from the crowd he took a shortcut through a maintenance tunnel. Pushing past droids that were rushing down in order to help maintain and repair the station as it took shots from the incoming Imperial threat. He jumped over them, his limbs not quite as responsive as they used to be. He fired a couple of shots at a larger droid that threatened to cut him off, stopping it from blocking his path. The shot echoed, which was surprising giving the chaos that was currently going on throughout the station. The stationed rocked as it took another hit, a pipe bursting and spraying in his path. he ducked under the steam, the heat burnt him slightly however his clothes took the brunt of the heat. Had he not been wearing his jacket he would likely have been in a lot more pain right now.

Ducking out of the maintenance hatch he saw the Mandalorian armour that Elias had taken to wearing more recently. He didn't know the backstory behind it but he had either killed a Mandalorian or had earned it off one of the scattered clans throughout the outer-rim. Couldn#t get much in the way of Mandalorian armour from Mandalore anymore, the Imperials had more or less regressed it back to it's pacifistic state. After they ahd come so far to regain their culture too. Such a shame.

Turning the corner he saw a group of security accost Elias, four beings in total. He didn't doubt that given more time that elias could have handled them but Tyrell was in a bit of a rush. Letting off two blaster shots he took out the men approaching Elias from the left, leaving him to take the ones to the right. Once they had been dealt with in the usual Elias flare Tyrell holstered his pistol and approached.

"Long time no see, we'll skip the foreplay this time. I'm in need of a ship, you're probably in need of a paying job and you still owe me for that job on Bespin. I'm cashing in that favour."

[Zarkun]

Elias was just starting to draw his left hand blaster when the familiar sound of an acquaintance's blaster rang out, downing the pair on his left. Deciding that the station was already damned to destruction, he took aim with his wrist launcher and fired a rocket, sending the Bothan and Weequay rushing at him from the right sprawling, though neither moved after they came to a stop. Tyrell's rushed explanation spoke volumes about why he'd been sought out by the man and he shook his head, resuming his approach to his ship, though he now jogged and bodily threw several beings out of his way. "What's wrong, Tyrell? Finally get crossed by your crew?"

The man was well known for getting the hell out of dodge before Imperials showed up himself, nevermind his and Elias's rivalry. However, that was neither here nor there as the light of the Ray Shield came into view, along with the crowd of people trying to find a way around it. Opening the com channel, he contacted M8-B0. "I'm about to get through the crowd outside. You ready to blow that shield?" A series of beeps and whistles answered him as he pulled his Nebula and fired into the air, again dispersing the crowd between him and his ticket away from the doomed station, which shook with a fresh impact. "I know it's going to get messy when they try to rush through. But if the Empire sticks to it's usual plan..." As if on cue, the sound of blaster fire echoed down the hall, mismatched variants and that of the Imperial Stormtrooper's E-ll.

He strode forward confidently all the same, ignoring the now fleeing beings who'd decided to find a ship that wasn't behind a security ray shield. "Now." He and Tyrell, who he assumed was still following him, were still ten feet away when one of the auto-cannons fired at the shield's projector, destroying it and sending sparks and smoke flying out. "Move your ass, Tyrell!" He fired his jetpack to soar through the gap and turned, a spray of flame keeping the remaining beings from trying to rush his ship. A leveled blaster keeps them from moving after the fire clears. "Now you all know who I am and you all know what I've done to every stowaway and would-be starship thief who's ever tried to steal my ship. Care to join them? No? Then I suggest you stay put."

[Sep]

Tyrell resisted the urge the smug look of off Elias' face. When the rayshield went down he followed him without incident, as he put on a bit of fanfare to attempt anyone from coming with them. As one being raised his weapon as if he was going to try his luck Tyrell promptly shot him, appearing out of the crowd following Elias. "Some of you may also know of my reputation." He saw one Twi'lek visibly recoil. "I'd like to point out that I am in a very bad mood, so messing with me is probably not something you want to do right now." The Twi'lek turned and headed towards the sounds of stormtroopers after that, good for him. Stormtroopers meant boarding party, and boarding party meant boarding craft. It was ingenious really, if only more people had the brains. He almost wanted to tell him to come back.

Pushing himself to keep up he used what little Jedi training he had ever had to keep his muscles and limbs working as well as those of a younger man. As they reached the ramp to the ship he climbed it into what passed for the inside of a ship these days. As Elias entered the ship and they both headed to the cockpit Tyrell couldn't help but to comment. "You know, you really need to clean this shit up Elias. It's a health hazard." As they approached the cockpit Tyrell noticed the astromech, nodding at it he let Elias enter the pilot seat unopposed. "You got a gunner seat somewhere on this bucket?"

[Zarkun]

Even before the ramp was up, the ship was already lifting off the ground, M8 using his connection to make it so. Elias ignored the jab at the state of his ship, he didn't care what others thought; after all, it was his ship. However, as he took his place in the pilots seat, the request for a gunner's seat brought smile to his face behind his helmet. "Central shaft leads up and down to two auto-turrets. Just make sure you remember NOT to shoot my ship in your old age." Punching the throttle, the ship shoots out of the hangar and into space, right into the midst of a space battle.

All around them, the pirate ships and larger freighters that hadn't made the jump to hyperspace before the Imperials arrived were engaged with the Imperial light cruisers, with a pair of star destroyers looming just out of range, hammering the station on occasion. "Holy shit, talk about a small ar-" And then a TIE fighter strafed them, not taking out the shields, but reminding the smuggler that they were in the middle of a battlefield. Making a hard right, he exposes the offending fighter to the combined fire of both Tyrell and M8. "Hold on to your hats!" Throwing the throttle forward again, the old XS Freighter soars forwards, it's pilot expertly maneuvering between dogfights and volleys of fire from one capitol ship to the next. TIE fighters would occasionally chase the ship, but would either get blasted from the sky by it's gunners or out run by the faster ship.

A series of beeps, however, caused the Mandalorian to curse. "Sith spit! Tyrell, interceptors inbound! Fire in a wider pattern!"

[Sep]

The turret was a lot more sensitive than Tyrell was expecting it to be. Reacting to his movements, if he hadn't been as versed in space combat he would have really struggled. After letting loose a couple of shots off towards a TIE Fighter, his first shots merely glanced the fighter while the second burst of fire pierced the cockpit. Sending the vessel into a 'downward' spiral, bursting into a ball of flames before disintigrating into mere debris. There was a clattering as the freighter was pebbled with debris. From what he could tell there was no real damage done to the vessel, though that wasn't his problem to worry about as the ship moved through the chaotic mess of the battle. Fighters swarming in all directions of all shapes and sizes, while larger ships attempted to pull away and into hyperspace. In the distance he faintly saw the red prong of his own ship, before it disappeared into hyperspace. A scowl crossed his face as he took out his hanger on an approaching wing of TIE fighters.

Strafing them, they were caught in a colission as a cruiser attempted to pull away from its Imperial Counterparts. Blaster fire glanced past the shield as the interceptors got a fix on the ship. The Imperials were really trying to take everyone out.

Tyrell fired shots off at the interceptors, clipping one of them as it spun off into the distance. The other two didn't relent, which was when Tyrell got the idea. "Elias, turn the ship to heading -35." The asteroid belt that the station was set in was dangerous, over the years claiming many a pilots life as they attempted to run through it to avoid trouble with one gangster or another. The stationmaster held a competition every year, and the pilot to get the furthest won a boatload of credits. To this day nobody had made it all the way to the otherside of the belt.

"Take us through the belt."

[Zarkun]

"Are you fucking insane?!" That belt probably had a higher kill count than most ace starfighter pilots, and the man in his gunner seat wanted Elias to fly into it? Now granted, Elias was one of the few pilots who had managed to fly fairly far into it and make it out unscathed, but he, along with every other pilot who'd tried, be they dead or alive, had never made it all the way through. As he opened his mouth to argue further, the Eclipse was rocked by another strafe of TIE Interceptor fire and he growled. "Sith spit..." Jerking the ship right onto the appropriate heading, it didn't take long for the ship to be amongst the asteroids.

Elias flew a route he'd used before, specifically to escape an upset client's hit men. He certainly hoped that they'd spent that money before going after him, because, as he swerved between two asteroids at just the right moment while one of the Interceptors met it's end between them, they hadn't made it out of the field. Swerving around another asteroid, he pulls up sharply to get out of the path of a larger one and go over it. "When we get out of here, we need to discuss what exactly I'm helping you with and," he jerks the ship to the right and the final TIE crashes into the asteroid Elias had avoided, "payment for services rendered."

With their pursuers dealt with and the battle for the shadowport left behind in the space dust, Elias took the time to fly a bit more carefully, though he maintained his high speed just in case the Empire decided his upgraded but outdated freighter was worth the trouble. "So, start talkin', Tyrell. Why are you here?"

[Sep]

Tyrell more or less sat back and enjoyed the ride through the asteroid belt. Death was a great motivator, as was credits and the concept of capture at the hands of the Empire. He'd also have far rather died doing this than the alternative, being tortured or worked to death in an Imperial mine. Making his way back to the cockpit Tyrell waited until Elias asked his question, it was bound to come out sooner or later.

"Let's just say my first made Alaina disagreed with how I ran things, took the opportunity that the Empire presented gave to her and then took off leaving me for dead. Really it was an overall sloppy job, she should have had me killed herself or at least ensured that any crewmembers loyal to me were dealt with. Which is why we're at a crucial point in time. I need you to get me to Jakku. That's where the next job was going to be, once I get near or ont he ship everything will be okay. You'll get paid,a nd you'll no longer owe me a favour." He clapped his hands together. "Everybody wins."

[Zarkun]

At the mention of his first mate, Elias began to grin, but held back any laughter for the few seconds it took for him to remove his helmet and Tyrell to finish explain what happened, which ended in laughter. "I damn well told you that bitch was looking for a chance to double cross you!" He turned to look the other man in the face as the laughter died down and he'd set the ship onto a hyperspace jump to Jakku. Before he started speaking, he took a moment to appraise the man who'd come to ask him for help with taking his ship back and undoing the mutiny that Alaina had encouraged, and likely fostered for months with falsehoods and slander. He owed this man a favor, that was true, but was facing off with his entire crew with only him at his side worth the money? Suppose there have been harder scores I've worked.

"Every one wins, Tyrell? Come on, you've been in this business long enough to know there's always losers. And in this case? It's going to be some of your crew. I'm not going in with my blasters set on stun or aiming for non-lethal kills, I'm going in to get to the heart of this issue, put it down, and be on my merry way." He lounged in his seat, clasping his hands behind his head, close to his sword's hilt in case he needed it.

"Still, I've done harder, worse paying jobs before, so this one works fine. However, payment can wait until you've determined what's going to be needed for medical expenses for those loyal to you. I am, after all, fulfilling a favor."

[Sep]

Tyrell shrugged. "As far as I'm concerned no-one aboard that ship is loyal to me, anyone who was loyal would have known the consequences and would not have joined Alaina during the mutiny. They know the price they pay standing in my way for revenge. If they put their arms down and are willing to be stuncuffed then that's another issue. Alaina is going to be put down." He moved towards a vacant seat in the cockpit and plopped himself down. "I knew she was looking for a chance to betray me though, that said had she not had the opportunity the Empire had presented her then all would have been good. Instead they have to go and attack the port, and that ruined everything."

He shuffled slightly in his chair, putting his feet up to make himself more comfortable. "The plan is, go to Jakku. Pose as a frieghter, get dragged in and then shoot up the ship. It's going to be easy, what could possibly go wrong?"

[Zarkun]

Elias raised an eyebrow and gently removed Tyrell's feet from his console before speaking. "Man, when are you going to learn that nothing ever goes according to plan? Especially when you say it's going to be easy." The Mandalorian pulled a flask from under the pilot's seat and took a swig. "Regardless, essentially we're looking at a 'everything and everyone is fair game' scenario then? Because I can't promise you won't have repair costs if it is."