[IC] Star Wars - Edge of the Law

[Sep]

Habitat Thirteen was once the crown jewel of a civilisation. Orbiting a now dead planet, it was originally meant to be a last attempt at a barely space faring society to to escape extinction on their world. For whatever reason the people never made it from the planet to the station, the planet now being a toxic world incapable of supporting life. Instead a smuggler by the name of Tyvar Oln discovered the station in an attempt at discovering a new hyperspace lane to get past a Republic Blockade. The planet not registered on any intergalactic registry became the perfect space for Tyvar to have his own station. A place to lie low, store his goods, credits, and escape from it all. Over time more and more people came to the station, first solely friends and associates but as time passed businessmen moved in. Tyvar stopped smuggling, because the money came to him. Forming his own shadowport in his little corner of space.

Tyrell Lorne sat with his feet up in his little den aboard the station. There were various droid parts littered around the room, artefacts from the Clone Wars, a couple of old books sitting in one corner. He was a drifter, many considered him a rebel but he considered himself a pirate. It just so happened that he only ever raided Imperial Convoys, or ships on Imperial Contracts. It stood to reason, they were the ones with the most valuable cargo. It did have something to do with his own personal code of honour, something htat had been instilled into him as a young boy by his mentors. He fiddled with the familiar cylindrical object between his hands, as the door chimed he put it away hastily out of sight as he pressed abutton on the arm of his chair. In walked a red skinned Twi'lek dressed, barely, in black leather. She nodded her greeting to him.

"We're ready to set off Captain. Ships loaded, we fixed that minor breach we had in the last skirmish and we've offloaded the cargo we intended to sell and the rest is squared away in the usual hiding space."

Tyrell nodded. "Thankyou Xjena. Go make the necessary calculations to the next jump point."

"Yes Captain." She turned and left, he noticed the way she moved as she left. Fluid, enticing. Like most Twi'leks Xjenas inhibitions were a bit lower than the average female of other species, but unlike most she knew how to use her body to get what she wanted. Tyrell had warned her before about trying to use her feminine charms on him, it wasn't that he wasn't tempted but the problem was that he was tempted. He just knew her reputation too well to know that anything good could come off it.

He raised his head as he looked out the window into space, a strange sense of dread. Walking over to the window he saw a brief flash as the light of the sun reflected off something. As he stood and walked ove rto the window the shape slowly came into focus. An Imperial Star Destroyer.

"Oh, that's not good."

[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 discouraged 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 they 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 wind of the Empire and load up their wares." 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 off the Empire's first attack given enough time."

[Sep]

Tyrell was tossing the room looking for what he needed. Two droids buzzed and beeped at him impatiently trying to give him his cue to leave. He waved them silent as the first hit to the station shook it. Shields holding, but they wouldn't hold for long. The Imperial Star Destroyers were the most powerful space faring vessels in recent history. Had KDY and the Republic Developed them sooner likely the Clone Wars would have been resolved much faster. He swore under his breath as he felt the object he had been playing with earlier fall out of his back pocket, bouncing on the floor and rolling away. He almost stretched for it but refused to give into that old muscle memory. Instead he turned to the droids who were still beeping continuously. "What is it?!" His voice came out harsher than intended, but he was already stressed and they weren't helping him calm down.

A hologram appeared off Xjena. She had a grin on her face that Tyrell found unsettling, he had rarely seen her wear it. It was callous and menacing. Things that Xjena rarely portrayed, it didn't serve her purposes to scare others away. Her danger was looking in such a way that it brought people closer, lowered their guard. This was the opposite of that, he had seen her pull this face only once before and he didn't like it. "Xjena, what is it? I'll be right there, I'm just looking for one or two things."

Her face went from malice to a feigned grimace. "That's just the thing, Tyrell." That wasn't a good sign. She always referred to him as Captain. "We're already leaving. Part of me hopes you survive, you were a good Captain. Taught me a lot, and the crew. You were just holding us back, only performing Imperial raids, there's a lot of softer targets out there. Some of them more lucrative too. So this is where we part ways."

Confusion washed over Tyrell. "You've caused mutiny, aboard my ship?"

"I think you'll find its my ship."

He forgot everything and approached the hologram, wishing he could grasp onto her neck and strangle the life out of her- He took a deep breath. He had to keep a level head, level heads produced results. "Listen here. If you take my ship, I'm coming for you. I'll hunt you down and send you to Hive-1, you and anyone else who thinks they can mutiny against me."

The Twi'lek shrugged. "I take it back then. I don't hope you survive." With that, the hologram terminated. The station shaking under a barrage of fire as the lights flickered off, replaced by the red of emergency lighting.

[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, which had been a warning to everyone that something was amiss. Add to that a few minutes ago that the station was rocked by a turbolaser impact and hysteria and mass panic was now in control. 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 as the normal lights shifted to the emergency red after a series of shudders.

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 another series of turbolasers 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. Shortly after the blaster discharges, another member of security, a proper member judging from his armor and stun baton, stepped forwards.

"You're not going anywhere, Ordo. Just stand down a-" The Mandalorian didn't let him finish, instead ramming his knee into the Weequay's crotch and then pistol whipping the back of his head as he doubles over, knocking him unconcious. Some of the younger members of security who'd been moving to surround him look nervous.

"The next one of you dumb asses who gets in my way dies. I'm through being nice." Not believing him, the teen from earlier, who had probably kicked himself for not standing up to the Mandalorian before, decides to be a hero and runs at Elias, a stun baton in his hand. He doesn't even make it half way before a blaster bolt slams into his chest, dropping him on the spot as the now useless stun baton clattered away. Elias, his blaster barrel still smoking, turns his visor on the other teenage and young adult draftees. "Anyone else?" They scatter, fear clear on their faces, and the Mandalorian smuggler sighs as he moves forwards, stepping over the teen's body. "Stupid kid..."

[Sep]

Tyrell ran down the corridor, his gear flung lazily into a sling bag as he barged past people. His coat trail flapped behind him, slapping others as he ran past them. There were screams of objection and panic as he ran down the corridors, signs of looting and pillaging already evident. People taking advantage of the chaos, beings flung themselves ontop of eachother in fits of rage, passion, or both. The ones who didn't expect to make it out of this alive giving into whatever desires they had at the moment. He elbowed his way past a couple of beings that decided to block a corridor, tapping relentlessly on his wrist comm shouting at his droids. "Complete inventory of all ships currently still docked. Prioritise those who owe me a favour and I'm willing to work with." The droids beeped their objection. "I know you don't have a lot of time just do it."

Left hand slipping to his holster he flicked his blaster out and shot a security guard in the leg that had started to raise his weapon in his direction. The corridors continued to get more and more crowded the closer to the hangars that they got. It wasn't surprising, everything was starting to go askew. Everyone wanted off the ship, especially with the Imperial boarding vessels that he occasionally got the glimpse of out of the window. Eventually a hologram appeared beside his head. Elias Ordo. Ofcourse it was Ordo, out of all the people still on the ship who owed him a favour it had to be Ordo. He was never going to live this down, but desparate times called for desparate measures. "Let Ordo know I'm coming to collect, right now. Also that I'm coming in hot."

[Zarkun]

The ray shield that Elias had had installed on his hangar could be seen at the end of the hall he was approaching from, along with a press of panicking beings trying to get to it and through it. However, there was the issue of one, the ray shield had to be deactivated from docking control, which was probably in lockdown to try and slow down the Imperial boarding parties, and 2, that there was about six security guards trying to hold back the press bodies from one of the few ships still likely on the station. "Sith spit..."

Drawing his other blaster, he begins shouldering his way through the throng, being none too gentle to ensure that the people shoved aside spread the word ahead of them once they saw his Mandalorian form. Soon enough, it was opening up before he even got there when his coms unit beeped at him. "What?" The astromech from before beeped at him. "What do you mean he's choosing now to call in the favor? We're in-" Several more beeps and whistles cut him off as the security guards see him and draw blasters of their own. Well, guess word spread of what I did to that kid... Of course, there was still the issue of Tyrell calling in his favor and coming in hot. "Ah to hell with it, on my mark, blow the ray shield. Transmit back he's got two minutes to get here." There was an affirmative beep and the transmission cut. Tyrell's droids would receive Elias's response along with coordinates to his hangar shortly after while Elias faced off with security.

"You're in the way. Move." The guards' response was to raise their blasters.

"Last chance, Ordo. Come quietly. We're not that idiot kid who rushed you with a stun baton earlier." So then word had spread. That was good, it meant they knew he wasn't kidding as he leveled his twin pistols.

"And this is your only chance to move out of my way and live. At least for a little longer, I'm sure the Imperials will be less merciful." And so it was a stand off, with no one moving or giving ground.

[Sep]

Tyrell jumped over a fallen security guard. He had to be no older than fifteen, only a kid. The madness that enveloped scum when they were presented with danger never ceased to amaze him. Not that Tyrell had any high ground to stand on. These past years he had been pretty much the same thing. He turned the corner to see a gang of security guards running towards him. Moving to the side he was planning to ignore them, they were going about their business doing there own thing.

As an arm moved out to block his path he ducked below it, jabbing two fingers into the side of the beings rib cage sending him to the ground. As the opponent now behind him reached down, Tyrell pushed up against their hands. Swerving as he stood up, right fist directly into the beings jaw. Left hand moving down to his holster, drawing his pistol. Three quick shots all at stomach level left three incapacitated bad guys. Tyrell wasn't entirely sure what the hell was going on in this place, but someone had done something to piss off security. Either that or the station had a 'If we're going down you're coming with us' policy. He wasn't entirely willing to stick around to find out which of these two scenarios it was, especially now he was as close to the hangar as he was.

Rounding a corridor he saw quite a scene before him. Security guards closing in on Ordo, rayshield at the end of the hall cutting him off from his ship and a group of people between him and the rayshield. Obviously the person to piss off the stations higher ups was probably none other than Ordo, it was the only reason that explained the rayshield for his ship being put up. As Tyrell saw Elias preparing to get into a scuffle he half waved, glad for the impartiality of the Mandalorian helmet. If Elias was surprised, his facial expression wouldn't give it away. Then he grabbed a concussion grenade from his belt, and rolled it into the middle of the security forces.

[Zarkun]

When the grenade went off, Elias fired, a series of six shots ringing out and the bolts finding six homes square in the chests of security officers who'd been dazed by the grenade. Others started to turn towards the source while a group fired at Elias, who had jetted back towards the ray shield while opening his com channel. "Now!" The twin barreled blaster turret on the top of his ship rotated before firing on the area above the hangar entrance, destroying the projectors for the ray shield. With them out of the way, that made it easier to get to the Nightingale Eclipse and get off this place, which was now filled with the sound of additional blaster fire from the other end of the hallway.

Stormtoopers are moving fast. Tyrell showed up and helped me, which means he wants something...Sith spit! Motioning towards the ship, an auto-turret drops out of the bottom and begins firing on the security personnel still trying to attack the Mandalorian, who was back towards his ship as he took out targets pinged by both the astromech operating the turret and the tactical readout on his visor. "Move your ass, Tyrell or I'll leave your dumb ass behind."

[Sep]

Tyrell jumped over the crowd of security guards, could hear the clattering of plastic as Stormtroopers were coming having boarded the station. He pulled out his other pistol and turned behin d him letting shots blast off. He hissed as his droids fell to the ground as they were taken out. Pushing into his reserves, digging into a well of power he hadn't touched in years he vaulted down the corridor. Dodging his way between various beings that littered the corridor. #he crossed the hangar in about the same amount of time that it took Ordo to do so with his jetpack. At the bottom of the boarding ramp Tyrell crouched to cover them as Ordo prepared himself to takeoff.

"Just get us out of here Ordo. Then we can talk."

[Zarkun]

Elias grunted before signalling Tyrell to move up the ramp as the ship takes off and the turret and he offer covering fire as the security forces were forced to try and repel the Stormtroopers as the stations residents fled. By the time the ship was out of it's hangar, the pair was sitting in the crew quarters, the Imperial fleet busy with the station while they escaped. The Mandalorian didn't speak at first, preferring to let the silence stretch for a bit.

Finally, as a route was input to the navicomputer, he removed his helmet and locked eyes with the pirate. "Out with it. Why are you on my ship?"

[Sep]

Tyrell sat down at a table in the centre of the communal area. He missed the company of his droids, he had had them for years. They had been by his side since the darkest of days. Followed him as he moved his way up to where he was now, or rather to where he was a couple of hours ago. He rubbed the back of his head at the question, putting himself down and showing as much awkwardness at the scenario as he could possibly bring forth, all part of the act. "It's a long and complicated story. The short of it is my First Mate decided to give herself a promotion. Now I'm calling in what's owed from the our joint venture on Abridon, because I'm going to get my ship back. Get rid of the traitor, then take what's mine and go find somewhere nice in the Outer Rim to settle. I'm starting to get on in years a little bit, it'd be nice to leave all this running around behind me."

[Zarkun]

Elias didn't respond at first, opting instead to head over to the small armory and begin removing his armor while his astromech rolled out of the cockpit, it's targeting computer highlighting the more obvious weaknesses on the pirate. While Elias didn't think that Tyrell would turn on him on his own ship, the Mandalorian had learned a long time ago that blind trust would get you shot and left for dead, if not outright killed. It was only after he was done and he'd reholstered his blasters on his person that he joined the man at the central table. "Well, suppose that's a job offer then, if a bit of a round about one." He held up his hand when Tyrell opened his mouth to protest. "I told you, I repay my debts, but I don't ever work for free, no matter the circumstances. That's especially true with the Empire crackin' down on everywhere I've been to try and take a load off. So, because I'm fulfilling that favor, I'll only charge half my usual rate and I'll handle munitions on my own this time. Deal?"

[Sep]

"I'm not asking you to work for free. I'm asking you to work to repay a debt, but I'm willing to give you this." Tyrell reached his hand into one of his many pockets and removed a small green crystal, placing it on the table. "That's genuine Kyber right there. Sourced from a planet that has since been ravaged by the Empire for every ounce of Kyber they could get their hands on. You know how rare this crystal is, and know what it's worth. You find the right buyer for that, and you'll earn more than half. You should also know what this means to me. The crystal belonged to someone, very important to me." Tyrell left the crystal sitting in the middle of the temple, leaving him time to pick up the crystal and appraise it, sitting with his arms crossed while he waited.

[Zarkun]

Elias picked up the green Kyber crystal and looked it over, turning it in the light. It wasn't a secret that in the right market, this crystal would, indeed, fetch a fair price. However, Elias wasn't one to take a sentimental memento, even if it was offered in payment. He set it down and slid it back to Tyrell. "No deal, Tyrell. Working as a Mandalorian might have changed me a lot, but you know me better than that. Let's settle for I get whatever rarities your former First Mate was had stashed away and call it good." The astromech beeped at him as he headed over to a hidden compartment to get a drink.

"Then transmit our confirmation ahead of us. Come on, M8, we do this the same way every time."

[Sep]

Tyrell slid it back into its pouch. Tipping it towards Elias as he did so. Though the conversation soon passed him and onto the droid and about sending some kind of confirmation. "You know, I don't intend to be a bad employer. Confirmation for what? Is this not the part of the journey where you ask me where the ship is probably going and what my former crew is likely up too?"

[Zarkun]

"Normally I would, but we need to make a stop off to resupply. That Shadowport," Elias stands and stretches, his back popping a couple of times, "was a way stop, needed to get a decent drink and play a round of Sabacc with someone other than M8 here. It was really just fortunate timing for you that I hadn't left sooner." There's more beeping over at the Mandalorian from the astromech before Elias sighs. "Though we've got about another half hour, so why not go ahead and share?"

[Sep]

Tyrell laughed. "Yes, I'm sure it was fortunate for me. While likely unfortunate for the woman you conned into sleeping with you. At least she would have died shortly afterwards and not have to live with the memory for long afterwards." He chuckled slightly to himself as he placed a tablet on the table. "Now, assuming this could be a long trip, I have some planning to do and you'll have... armour to polish?"

[Zarkun]

Elias sighs and shakes his head. "Yeah, polish my armor. Totally on my to do list after fighting a bunch of spineless security guards." The next half hour passed in relative silence. Tyrell, however, would feel the ship drop out of hyperspace with little warning and a female voice echo over the intercoms. "Incoming ship, identify yourself ra cuyir shot daab. Gar ganar ta'raysh seconds." Elias, who'd been lounging in the cockpit going over a couple of mods for his pistols shot up and answered, sweating slightly at the overtly hostile warning.

"Ibic is haar Nightingale Eclipse, ID 482302. I'm a member of Clan Ordo, coming in to restock after a hunt." He glances backwards towards where Tyrell is before sighing. "And I come bearing a passanger who is not of a Mandalorian Clan. He'll behave, I promise."

There's silence for a moment before her voice comes back. "They better, Elias. The elders are already wary of you as it is." The signal cuts and Elias sighs before getting onto the intercom. "Alright, Tyrell, we've begun our decent to my resupply point. Need ya to come to the cockpit."

[Sep]

Tyrell moved up to the cockpit, he had heard snippets of the conversation but the sounds of the ship and the distance didn't make for particularly good eavesdropping. He sighed as he entered the cockpit and got a brief glimpse as two gauntlet fighters flew past them into an escort pattern. "Mandalorians? Really?" He shook his head. "With how bullheaded and stubborn they could be I suppose I better get settled in for the longhaul, as we could be stuck here for a while."

[Zarkun]

Elias raised an eyebrow at the pirate and shook his head. "I wouldn't go to just any enclave, Tyrell. This one is of Clan Ordo; my clan." He settles in as the descend towards the slowly revealing mountain fortress. "Couple of hours tops. Now then, lets get the details on what exactly might have convinced your First Mate to mutiny. Did she get an offer?"