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

[Assallya]

Carrying her new energy pike Arla stepped out into the bright sun. Her eyes, used to an eternity of underground dwelling stinging from the brilliant sun. The sand was hot beneath her bare feet and she could already feel the sun baking her green skin. She had managed to secure her blaster carbine, what she effectively referred to as her 'light stick", to her belt.

Sheltering her eyes she followed the metal head woman's lead, keeping her eyes away from the hot sands and the scintillatingly brilliant sky. She used her staff to help her climb the dunes and marvelled at the world's softness. Her world was mostly stone and earth, a series of caves beneath fire and ice. She was just getting used to the hardship when the metal head woman ahead simply stopped in her tracks.

By the looks of those that appeared, another battle was brewing. She knew what these fools were going to do. They would stand out in the open and exchange blaster fire. Arla did the only sensible thing she could think of, she fell down flat and began to roll in search of a piece of rock or anything that she could hide behind.

[reem]

Even before the explosion, the Mandalorian, Rana Shulo, spun in the direction of the attacker and sprayed blasterfire at the female who threw the concussion stick. The woman was now behind cover, and the explosion sent shrapnel spraying at the line of mercenaries all of which hit the sand except for the mando who's armor protected her from the attack. The shirtless human never recovered, he was the first casualty of the firefight.

It was this distraction that had given Ruu the opportunity to charge her enemy. She tackled the other mando to the sand floor which sent the two tumbling down the sandy dune into an unseen slope which unknown to the two happened to be the Great Pit of Carkoon and home of a rapacious, if slow-eating, adult sarlacc on Tatooine. Hisses could be heard from the pit as the toothed maw revealed tentacles and beaked tongue which screeched.

Ruu kicked directly to Rana's helmeted face which sent the Mando flying toward the pit, she recovered inches from the mouth of the sarlacc, and scrambled to get away, firing at the tentacles and beak which lunged at her. Ruu was sliding down toward Rana and also firing at the tentacles which seemed to know she was coming toward the mouth.

"Have a nice lunch, Mando scum!" Ruu shouted as she shoved the woman into the mouth of the sarlacc. A loud belching sound emitted from the maw after the bounty huntress was eaten alive. That was the last Ruusaan saw of Rana Shulo. She struggled to climb out of the sand pit but kept sliding down towards the sarlacc, continuing to fire at the tentacles that tried to strangle her. She activated her jet pack and soared about the pit, heading back to the firefight where the remaining mercenaries were firing at Cor and the others.

[Muttonhawk]

Even though he didn't exactly spot who threw the concussion stick, the explosion it caused was enough for Tazzak to scream and open fire. He shot wildly with one hand outstretched and holding his blaster, while he shielded his face turned away face with the other hand. He had his eyes closed and stumbled back until he fell over. He didn't know whether he had hit anything, but he quickly rolled around to assess the situation. The two armoured women were happily scuffling amongst themselves, and the rest of the bounty hunters were either still dazed or running for cover. The fat human wasn't moving anymore. It caused a wave of reality to pass uncomfortably over Tazzak's mind. He simply panicked now. Wherever one of the bounty hunters revealed themselves, he would open fire. He wasn't even aiming, he was too scared to hit anything now. A lucky shot seemed to clip one of the Niktos though at least that was something.

[Inkwell]

Hearing the explosion Zorris poked her head up seeing it had the desired effect. What was shocking was seeing the two Mandolorians fighting in the sarlacc pit. It was pure insanity but enjoyable to watch she even started making up odds in her head. It was absolutely astonishing to see the Mando from the downed ship walk out she didn't think she was even hurt. However realising she had been staring at the two Mandos to long she refocused on the remaining mercenaries letting of some shots from her Dissuader KD-30. She new they would need her help seeing as some of them didn't look like they had been holding a blaster for to long.

[Assallya]

Arla slunk towards the mercenaries as best she could, moving mostly be sound. She was near half blind. Twi'lekki were nocturnal creatures, cave dwellers. Arla hadn't even seen a sun or stars until she'd been sold into slavery. Her eyes were tearing, her vision blurred by moisture. Inside the cargo hold she'd had the advantage. In the dim light she could see clearly. Here... everything was a blur.

If she could get close enough she could use her crackle stick but that was the hard part. These soft sands were too open. Worse still, she couldn't feel anything through the sands. Finally she reached the top of the dune and she squinted hard over the top. She could see blurred images and one such image moved and moved fast. She wasn't sure which one it was, she wasn't sure what it was doing but she ducked down just in case. A light stick whined and struck near where her head was. The sand sizzled, becoming glass.

No, Arla was near useless in this fight but at least the occasional bolt heading her way was one less heading towards her companions.

[reem]

Still flying through the air with her jetpack, Ruu had both her dual WESTAR-35 blaster pistols trained on two of her enemies and quickly taking out the armored human and the remaining Nikto. She landed and leaped into a roll which sent her forward and both weapons trained on the remaining enemey: the Kubaz.

He didn't move or flinch, nor was he even wielding a weapon at this point. They had him surrounded, whatever he was. He wore the garb of a Kubaz, but Ruu couldn't see his face hidden in the shadows of his hood. The mysterious opponent just stared forebodingly at Ruu as the other female stranger shot it with her acid-filled slugs. The slugs ate through the man's cloak only passing through him which he stood completely unfazed as the desert wind blew against him, ruffling his cloak and cape. The sinister opponent remained silent.

"Everything is going according to plan," he boldly spoke.

Who the fierfek is this guy? He thinks he is a bad ass or something?

"Hey, scumbag, you got something to say before I put two bolts through your head?"

"I'm just the messenger, not the interpreter... Teemo will have his vengeance, just as he had vengeance upon Sektor... your hunter friend."

Ruu opened fire sending bolts flying through the face of her her opponent, she lit him up like Tatooine sunrise. The villain stood unaffected. Impossible!

"Who are you?" she questioned aloud in complete unbelief and confusion.

The black cloak villian again stood silently for a moment. "I'm dark, absolutely evil, the Grim Reaper... the unraveling is upon us."

This creep is a lunatic, maybe a wizard or illusionist, Jedi perhaps... Ruu looked at the figure's feet, there she saw the faint glimmer of reflection of something metal it was small and seemingly unnoticeable, but Ruu figured it out.

With a single bolt to his feet, she blasted the holo-projector device, and the cryptic silhouette vanished into thin air. That was some of the most high-tech equipment that Ruu had seen here in the desert of Tatooine, they were not dealing with an amateur here. That holo-projector unit had fooled her helmet's HUD even creating thermal readings. Ruu was certain the faceless stranger was real. It must have escaped with the distraction of the firefight and the heat of engagement. But why would he ditch his companions? Counted his losses maybe or was he still here?

Ruusaan took a moment to think about it before looking over at the other woman who had aided them in battle. The Mandalorian huntress still brandished both pistols.

[Muttonhawk]

Hearing only the light desert breeze, Tazzak lifted his head from the sand and looked around. There were a few steaming corpses strewn about. Upon inspecting himself and the area closely, there didn't appear to be any injuries. "-Is it over?-" His monotonous synthesiser voiced.

The holoprojector then did its little speech before the woman shot it out of the sand, which caused Tazzak to flinch and duck once more. He was properly scared now; that had to be one of Teemo's hunter's. One that liked to mess with people's heads. After that moment, another detail caught the human's attention. By the stance of the armoured woman and her apparent target over a nearby dune, the confrontation wasn't quite over yet. By the target's position it looked like she was the source of the explosive that had opened up the engagement.

Feeling a little bit silly for cowering in the sand during all the action, Tazzak stood up and brushed himself off. By habit, he held the barrel of his blaster pistol with his spare hand, but then retracted it with a wince and shook it cool. He'd not shot his blaster that much at once before. The barrel was hotter than he had expected.

Now that they were at a calmer moment, Tazzak wanted to ask a few questions and get a handle on the situation. Namely, who the hell were all these people? How did they anger Teemo? And what was the deal with those hunters? The questions would probably have to wait until they dealt with the stranger over the dune though, whatever her intentions might have been.

[Inkwell]

Zorris looked on the confounded why the last mercenary wouldn't go down. He was certainly mysterious and creepy when he spoke. Still looking on she was surprised when the female mando shot at his feet destroying the holo projector. That was bad news she new he must be a pro to afford that piece of tech. Then she noticed the female mando and her companions looking at her weapons still in hand. This wasn't good she thought to herself knowing she wouldn't make it to her swoop if she fled nor could she fight all of them like this. Deciding she had to calm them and earn there trust she slowly got up holstering her weapon before sitting on the sand dune.

She waited a few minutes to let her actions sink in before speaking "you know you should be more polite to someone how saved your lives". Pausing for a minute before continuing "now do you mind telling me why those people are after you" she asked. Even though she looked unarmed she kept her hand near her blaster and the other she had ready to fire her wrist mounted concealed dart launcher. If things turned bad at least she would have surprise on her hands.

[reem]

Ruu coldly stared down the other through here helmet's visor before slightly lowering her weapons. It was Mandalorian way in the presence of strangers, and this particular Mandalorian didn't trust anyone.

"Does a Hutt need a reason to hunt down his prey? Now what are you doing alone in this desert?" She said before glancing over at the Jawa who seemed curious enough to ask stupid questions. She was not in the mood for all this.

Cor seemed to be in shock of being stranded in the desert, and the dancer was in her own little world as usual. This ragtag group was gaining more freaks by the second. Too bad Sektor had gotten himself captured, but it was too late to help him now, Ruu wasn't going to risk her life just end up rotting in a cell next to him or worse. The old Twi'lek with a single lekku and a recently freed prisoner, B’ura B’an, pointed at one of the abandoned desert skiffs the mercenaries had used. "Look we can use those skiffs to get out of here. We might even be able to sneak back into Teemo's palace and get ourselves a better ship."

Ruu shook here head, "We just escaped from Mos Shuuta and you want to go back into the dragon's den? Great," she said sarcastically.

[Muttonhawk]

Somehow despite his physiology, Tazzak's eyes lit up when the old prisoner pointed out the landed skiff. "-No- -not Mos Shuuta-" Tazzak buzzed, plodding to the skiff through the sand "-I know a guy in Mos Espa- -I don't care what you guys do, but Teemo will keep hunting, I want off this planet, out of this system-" he motioned up to the sky, his tone was obviously attempting more drama than his synthesiser would allow, "-out of this galaxy if possible-"

Tazzak's squat legs climbed up the skiff and he checked the controls and the systems to make sure nothing was damaged. "-You guys saved my life after you made me wanted for stealing Teemo's freighter, so we aren't quite even- -do you want a ride out of this desert or not?-" He pulled a lever on the skiff controls and the engine whirred to life, "-By the way- -Who are you crazy people?-"

[reem]

"Ruusaan Kyr, but you can call me Ruu, guy," she told the Jawa as she could feel the temperature controls kick in against the blazing heat of the twin suns. "My former business partner betrayed me, and set me up with Teemo, and he isn't a Hutt to listen to reason... and I killed my ex-partner so I'm pretty much a fugitive on this planet, kinda ironic for a bounty hunter," she laughed. "Fine, take us to Mos Espa." The huntress said as she climbed aboard the desert skiff.

The older Twi'lek hesitated before he climbed aboard the skiff, “Wait! I have a proposition for you. My name is B’ura B’an. I have been giving a lot of thought to the Hutts recently. To my knowledge, they have had little interest in ryll production before. They will distribute it, of course, but until now they haven’t been linked to any of the operations to actually mine it. I wonder if, seeing as the Trandoshan who captured me worked for Teemo, that is set to change. I would greatly appreciate it if you could drop me off at the city of Nabat on Ryloth. I have friends there who would be willing to offer us a safe place. There are a number of jobs available in the city, especially for smuggles, mechanics, and mercenaries... so it will be worth your trouble to stay. Also we could see to it that your ship is refueled, provided you acquire a ship.” The older Twi'lek scratched his single lekku.

"If you take me to Ryloth, I have a job for you: help me and my friends save the mine from Teemo’s thugs, then you will be given many opportunities to smuggle ryll spice, which is a highly gratifying business if you catch my drift."

[vancexentan]

As Harry, whom had been silently following along since his advice wasn't wanted nor needed, stepped up to look the old twi'lek in the eyes, "Do you really want them to go to some god forsaken planet in god knows where to support a mine? I know what you Hutts and scum lords love slavery. What is stopping you from making them into slaves once they do your dirty work? Spice Mines were a major debate among the senate before the clone wars broke out and now that the Empire is fighting the Rebels they are becoming a big deal for stashing away political enemies for the Empire. I don't know about you all but mines, especially spice mines, are no place I want to go to. Surely we can find someplace nearby to ship us to Mon Calamari or some other rebel controlled world like Sullest. The Empire, I am not overly fond of myself, is still a better place than a spice mine" Harry said in disgust and then he backed off from the alien man as he distanced himself from the group slightly.

"Now you younger lads and ladies make up your mind. For example, while not all that appealing to some of you I'm sure, is the chance to be hired muscle for some contractor or transporter on other worlds. Fighting for merchants and or being simple hired muscle for some gang lord to show off is much preferable to work as a slave keeper. Would you rather be a mercenary on Sullest or Nar Shadda or would you rather get cheap revenge that served no one right and work smuggling for some down trodden credit monger who's barely holding onto his own. I know what I'd rather do but that being said I am not you. I am older and I have experienced much in the galactic charter. I have been to Manaan, Coruscant, Illium, Bespin, and many other worlds in my time and I can tell you Ryloth was the one place my trainer told me never to go to. If we can reach a settlement we can probably get a cheap transport or work as a guard for the ship until we hit a better world where we don't have worst chance of winding up as mine workers for The Black Sun or Hutts." Harry commented plainly. He moved back and forth as he told his philosophy on the matter. He spoke with quite dignity and only letting his emotions get the better of him when he mentioned slaves. It was one of the most deplorable practices in the whole galaxy in his opinion...and Harry had spoke true when he had seen much of the galaxy's worst parts.

[reem]

Temperatures rising, Ruusaan's armor was scorching under the desert suns. You could see heat reflecting off her Mandalorian iron. Again her internal controls were tested under pressure to keep her body cool. The longer they stood here, the easier a target they were to be hunted down by their enemies.

The huntress didn't have time to listen to the stranger's moral speech, she threw a gloved hand up to silence him. "Enough of your preaching, we're going to Mos Espa, find ourselves a ship, then we'll head to Ryloth to help the old man out. We will get our reward and leave, go our separate ways I don't care what you do. You can walk the desert if you like. Besides I don't even know who you are and what you are doing in this damned desert..." but before she could finish her sentence she was cut off from blaster-fire.

While the group was distracted, some survivors of the sail barge crew opened fire on them. Teemo's enforcers shot Cor and Arla with stun bolts, effectively taking them out of the fight. The smuggler's droid screamed as he rushed over to his master, but the little droid took several shots to his main droid body sending sparks flying as it fell from electrical overload. A blaster bolt ripped through its prime motivator, smoking as it dropped to the sand.

"Get down!" Ruusaan yelled as she dropped to the floor of the skiff as several bolts flew past her head. She pulled B’ura B’an to the floor who had dropped but not enough for cover like the ignorant fool he was. There were at least eight of Teemo's men still out their firing from positions on top of the dunes. The group were sitting wamp-rats out in the open.

"We got to go now!" Ruu looked over at the Jawa.

[Assallya]

Arla, having been distracted by the new arrival hadn't seen the motley collection of mercenaries. She'd been aiming her stolen blaster carbine at the new arrival, wondering what her purpose was. People simply didn't stop and participate in the battles of others, not unless they hoped for some sort of reward and what would she do when she discovered they had nothing of worth to deliver in recompense? No matter, whatever the woman wanted Arla was ready if she attempted anything violent.

Completely oblivious she didn't even see the silver blue bolt of energy that struck her down. Collapsing, the green skinned twi'lek woman gave a soft sigh and tumbled. She fell to her knees and then slid down the side of the dune like flotsam in the sandy cascade. Rolling twice, she came to rest at the dune's base, dark, almost black lips gaping wide, eyes closed. Her makeshift spear beside coming to rest beside her while her blaster carbine ended up buried half way down the slope.

[vancexentan]

"Damn it!" Harry growled as he rolled to the left and then the right instinctively as he rolled behind a nearby rock. "Well it looks like we only have one option now no matter what our morals are Mandalorian. And since you dragged me into this mess I guess you're stuck with me for a bit longer at the very least." Harry said not worried in the slightest by the blaster fire. He had slipped into his serene sense of mind once more like he had been trained to so long ago in the past. If one is to give into combat, a last resort, then one will need to simply deal with what comes. Harry knew out of everyone here he'd be the most likely to come out alive but he didn't exactly want the others to die. Horrible people though they may seem to be they are simply making a life for themselves. "Fighting here is useless people they outnumber us and with all due respect we're hardly stormtrooper class soldiers.." Harry said with firmness to his voice belaying is formerly joking tone he had said his previous quip with. Harry's mind already raced through the though what he'd need to do to make sure everyone got out of this alive but they were mostly things he'd prefer not doing.

[Zarkun]

Jace had been so busy cursing himself for being stupid enough to miss the droid's memory core that he almost missed Teemo's men firing on another group of travelers. His cloaking system was running dangerously low on energy and he'd need to shut it down soon to let it recharge. Well, I'd be a horrible person if I left these people. Landing behind the mercenaries and deactiving his cloak, he draws both his blaster pistols and slowly walks towards the group, both pistols at his side. "Hello, gentlemen." The mercenaries look his way and one of them whoops in excitement.

"Can you believe this? All of the bounties right here!" The who'd spoke began to turned his carbine towards Jace, but never finished, the bounty hunter aiming and firing a shot with his left pistol. His right pistol came up and put a bolt between the eyes of a Gamorrean, letting the green skinned pig man fall flat on his face. All the while he kept walking. Soon the others brought their weapons around and opened fire, forcing Jace to find cover behind a nearby rock, unleashing a flurry of bolts as he jets behind cover. One caught the arm of a Trandoshan, rendering it useless until he got some medical attention.

Ducking behind the rock, he holsters one of the pistols and primes a wrist rocket, popping up over the rock to fire it into their midst. The explosion knocked those closest to it off their feet and left the others shell shocked. "HEY! Anyone else behind these amateurs, nows your chance!"

[Inkwell]

Zorris was beginning to look very optimistic about the group until she heard them arguing about their next move after they got of off world. She thought it was pointless deciding what they should do until they actually got off the planet. She however chose to walk closer to the group thinking their wasn't any danger since all the thugs were gone and the group seemed not to be hostile. Then suddenly she saw two of them get stunned. She then saw the shots incoming from the survivors of a downed sail barge. Quickly taking cover she managed to roll down the dune and stopped next to the Mando. "So from looks of things looks like you really annoyed Teemo. Well any enemy of his is an friend of mine" she said firing her blaster over the dune "the names Zorris by the way". She smiled after hitting one of the human mercenaries in the chest. Then suddenly she saw someone behind a rock blow away a lot of mercs. "Now that's how you make an entrance" she exclaimed taking advantage of the confusion she moved to a better firing position a bit closer. She waved her hand gesturing to the others to move up.

[Muttonhawk]

Tazzak flinched severely when the blaster fire resumed. His synthesiser buzzed a response to Ruu as he frantically punched at the controls and got the skiff whirring to life, "-You don't have to tell me twice, scary lady!-"

Trying not to be completely exposed to the incoming fire, Tazzak lifted the skiff a short distance into the air. The other woman who had helped them came by and introduced herself as Zorris, but with no one else boarding the ship, Tazzak was confused as to what to do but wait. He couldn't shoot for bantha fodder, and he would rather not die here, so the obvious option was to fly away, but there were still allies on the ground. Well, strangers to him, but he didn't want this Ruu woman to fry the back of his head if he did the wrong thing.

To add to the confusion, there was yet another mysterious explosion. Was this an incident of friendly fire this time? Who was on which side exactly!? Tazzak pinched at a small dial on his synthesiser, then caused it to shout, "-Hey!- -Humans!- -Get on the damned skiff already!-"

[Assallya]

Arla's leg twitched,her bare foot twisting in the sand as she lay nearly face down in the sand at the base of the dune she had slid down. Unconscious, the near naked Twi'lek couldn't see her companions clamoring up onto the skiff piloted by the small Jawa. Unconscious, she could do nothing as the survivors of the doomed sail barge fired over her insensate form towards the fleeing escapees. Maybe it was Arla's twitching that caught one's attention but one of those atop the nearby dunes fired downwards, a singular blue bolt of stunning force slamming into her buttocks. Her slender legs kicked upwards, her back arching before she went still once more.