Episode 1: An Unlikely Alliance [Active]

[Lexielai]

Atticus
​

The station was quickly erupting into chaos. While the sounds of occasional blasterfire weren’t uncommon in places like Talos Station, full on firefights were. Especially not battles of this scale; Atticus didn't tend to use the term battle lightly, but he had a bad feeling today would be remembered as one. 


Atticus and his new companions sped through the maze of alleyways with blaster shots nicking at their heels. The sound of armored boots running after them remained ever present, just one step behind.


He didn’t pay much attention to his companions’ conversation. Companion might’ve even been too strong a term. More like an alliance of necessity, sans for Violet. Atticus knew how Imperial protocol worked: if there were a few stormtroopers here, there were certain to be many more to follow. Atticus was going to need every extra blaster he could get if he wanted to get out of here.


They emerged into a small cargo storage bay, where a cargo carousel spun as it transferred cargo to and fro. A boyish-faced, brown-haired youth stumbled towards them. The youth didn’t look like an Imperial, but Atticus wanted to keep his guard up. The Empire was sneaky if nothing else.


“Get out of the way. Now!” Atticus shouted, raising his blaster at the youth as they approached each other. Suddenly blaster fire echoed out from behind them. Atticus, on instinct, ducked, barely dodging the red plasma shooting past where his head had been.


He quickly looked around. Cargo crates were scattered across the bay in haphazard piles, stacked atop one another unevenly and placed randomly. They would make good cover.


The captain yelled out his order, “Everyone get behind the crates, now!”


Atticus spun behind the cover of some just as more blasterfire sailed past. He peeked out behind them for a moment. There for about eight stormtroopers, a full squad, behind them. Four were laying down a blanket of blaster fire while the other four advanced after them.


“Keep moving, but stay behind cover!” Atticus shouted over the cacophony of noise. He fired Lex a few times, grazing one stormtrooper but missing the rest, and followed his new companions after. “To the left! The hanger bay is close. Move it, and do not look at the red fucking lasers.”


Atticus gave his orders out of experience. Looking at an encroaching death freezed you up, made you hesitant for that one moment it would take to get shot. Violet nodded at him with a questioning look. “Why do we always get shot at wherever we go?” she asked him.


“Beats me,” Atticus shrugged. Truthfully, he knew why. But it would be too embarrassing to admit. 


"HK, can you do your protective proto-er-thingy?" she then asked the protocol droid. HK was a strange name. Not any model he'd heard of. Then again, he wasn't an expert on droids. 



Meanwhile they were moving towards a small alley that would lead into the market by the hanger bay. There were probably stormtroopers already there, securing the hanger, but Atticus figured he’d pull something out of his ass once they got there. For now his biggest concern was running from the death lasers.

Imperial Officer
​

“Status report, Corporal,” demanded Captain Getz. He was a short man with a large, round nose and a perpetual frown upon his features. Compared to the tall stormtroopers he commanded, Getz looked like a dwarf.

 


“We’re taking losses, sir. The pirates are resisting our troops and slowing us down. Most of them are engaged in multiple firefights across the station,” the corporal replied. He rested his rifle across the back of his orange shoulderpad. “We identified the Chiss rebel but she has fled the scene with four accomplices. We’ve got a squad in pursuit now with another en route.”

 


Getz’s frown grew wider. “Then tell our damn troops to finish up or ignore the scum. We cannot allow the rebels to get their hands on those schematics!” he said. “I want our troops to secure the hanger bays. No ship leaves this station, understood?”

 


The corporal nodded. “Roger that,” he said. Suddenly comlink chatter flared in his helmet, and the corporal put a finger on his earpiece to receive the audio. He turned back to Getz. “Sir, our squad is telling us that the rebels are approaching this hanger. What are your orders, sir?”



Getz grunted. “I want our men to set up position and prepare to fire. And I want two men each to secure these freighters. Now!”

DM BOX
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@Jabroni @BainOfBridges @Epiphany @Daimao You are currently on the run from eight Imperial stormtroopers! If you are behind the cover of the crates, then you successfully avoid being severely injured by blasters. 


Nyis, your prenatural senses (Force Sensitivity) alerts you to danger up ahead. 


Dex, you probably want to turn around and follow these guys to avoid getting shot. 


HK, your sensors (Perception) informs you that there is a second squad approaching behind you from about fifty meters out. You believe the female meatbag has asked you to engage protective protocols. 

@Volfy  @SkyGinge @Newson There are a lot less Imperial soldiers in the hanger now. Only about ten. However, two are moving to enter the entry ramp of the Traveler! One is a corporal with an orange shoulder pad, and the other is a regular stormtrooper. 

 

[Epiphany]

Nyis Veli-An-Dach
​

"Bugger me sideways!"


Nyis' whole world narrows to the footfalls of those around her.  Each twist and turn in the alleys leaves her more confused than ever but there's safety in numbers.  At least these people don't seem friends of the Empire.  Or, if they are, the Empire doesn't give a damn about whether it shoot its allies or not.  Which, on reflection, is a good summary of the Empire and all anyone needs to know about its character.  


The cargo bay is a surprise.  So's the boy.  Suspicion instantly colors Nyis' reaction, suspicion apparently shared with the rugged man who'd gone from hanging upside down to leading a small team of people in a matter of minutes.  Just then, the man waves the kid off, right before the plasma bolts come in.  Atticus' instruction turns out to be wholly unneeded for Nyis.  She's already diving behind a crate as the gunfire begins again.  


It's a firefight.  The real thing.  Unlike the vids, this one is deafening loud and happening way too quickly.  Every time she tries to get a shot off, scores of plasma bolts tear into her cover.  When someone yells "Keep moving, but stay behind cover!", Nyis needs no more encouragement.  She tucks her blaster back into its holster and scrambles away from her cover towards the back of the cargo bay, using her hands as much as her feet.  "To the left!" gives her further direction and the Chiss woman obeys blindly, half-blind from the brilliant battle and too much adrenaline.  


Nyis makes the alley.  And then she hesitates.  It'd be easy enough to press on, leave these luckless bastards behind to draw Imperial attention while she looks for a way out of here.  Maybe she should.  She's not a soldier.  Sticking around here and fighting it out?  Madness.  And yet she finds herself curiously unwilling to move on without them.  Maybe it's the lingering hivemind of safety in numbers, the need to fight a mob with a mob.  Maybe it's because of the possibility of an ambush out there.  Or maybe there's a part of her that doesn't think these people deserve to die for her.  


As the rest arrive, she tenses as she gives real thought to moving forward.  Her shoulder blades itch.  Suddenly her palms sweat.  Rubbing her hands on the train of her dark dress, the Chiss woman holds up a hand and hisses "Wait!" if anyone heads out of the alley into the market.  "I have a bad feeling about this.  Feels like they wanted us going this way.  I don't suppose anyone has a drone or a portable camera or anything that sees around corners?"


@Jabroni @BainOfBridges @Daimao @Lexielai 

 

[BainOfBridges]

HK-51
 
​

HK is disappointed. The scaly meatbag and blue meatbag clearly don't appreciate high quality humor. A part of him wonders why the maker programmed him with such a tendency toward sarcasm, though this part certainly does not hold ill will against such a decision. Sarcastic jibes can be quite the effective tool to distract or enrage a target into making a foolish mistake. As the group begins to take off, HK drops down and scoops up the stormtrooper's blaster that had been dropped quickly following the man's demise at Atticus' hands. An interesting weapon to HK, very little in his databanks on these new age instruments of death. But he'd heard the name before- An E-11 BlasTech Standard Imperial Sidearm. For the ineffectiveness of the armor and often training of the stormtroopers who wield them, HK appreciates the blaster's reliability. It will serve him well. Such musings in his processor almost cause him drift away into a dream land, lazily giving chase behind his master and rapidly growing party. His photoreceptors snap back to focus as he notes the presence of another meatbag just ahead who Atticus seems to be raising his blaster toward.
 


"Declaration: Greetings meatbag, I a-" HK manages to get out toward the newcomer before red bolts of laser begin flying from behind. The squad of stormtroopers has arrived.
 


"Objection: How rude! Can a droid not hold civil conversation?" HK retorts, more to himself than the stormtroopers themselves. Not that they'd even be able to hear the assassin droid over the cacophony of deathly noise the firefight is generating. The droid crouches behind cover, but then he hears the glorious request once again.
 


"HK, can you do your protective proto-er-thingy?" Violet directs toward HK.
 


"Targeting systems online, assassination protocols engaged. Prejudice set to...subjective."
 


This is it, the feeling HK has missed. The one that fills his processor with satisfaction that his assassination protocols are being fulfilled. Thank the maker he is not a medical droid. HK rises from behind the cover. While the HK-51 models were designed to mimic humanoid movement effectively, HK is not a young droid. It has been so long since this aspect of his protocols were engaged that his movements are far more droidlike and mechanical than the usual flowing nature of his movements- ones that exude a deadly grace. But nonetheless the sudden snap reactions of his arm as he raises the E-11 blaster rifle still gives off a terrifying clinical precision to his movements. His metal digit squeezes the trigger of the rifle with an almost delicate touch- firing off bursts of three toward the shiny white forms of the stormtroopers over the crates. His aim locks to one, firing toward the stormtrooper before snapping to the next. This is HK's art. A form of expression in which he -will- be the mastermind of a great piece. A wave of precise suppressing fire rains down toward the poor Imperial forces. Oh the embarrassment, the Empire's finest pinned down by what appears to be a protocol droid. Perhaps one or two are even caught in the spray of fire from the droid as they're forced to hide back behind the crates.
 


"Recitation: Oh I have missed this!"
 


The Stormtrooper's returning fire and the four advancing do however force the assassin droid to fall back into cover. The pause giving the droid a moment to carefully calculate the battlefield before him.
 


"Imperial reinforcements are approaching, if you value your squishy innards then remaining here is an undesirable decision. I will clear a path to the traveller."

 

[Jabroni]

Dex Qorbin
​

 
​

"Wow-wow!" Dex exclaimed. Gee, nice work there pal. He managed to outrun a bunch of thugs only to stare down the barrel of a blaster. Out of the frying pan and into the fire. "I-I'm on your side!" Truth be told, he hadn't the faintest idea what side this slick-haired ruffian was on. He simply knew he ought to leap away from the gunman's path, and leap he did. He practically dove onto the floor, landing prostrated as beams whizzed by too close for comfort.


He heard the rugged male barking orders, and from what he gathered, this was a party of five. At first he thought they were Bloodravens stirring trouble, but one look at the neatly dressed Chiss woman dismissed any notion of that. Not to mention the rusty protocol droid that seemed strangely out of place. Why hadn't he seen one of those before? Choom, choom, choom! Oh, that's why. The bucket of bolts possessed some "killer" combat programming. Pun intended.


Then he heard the most wonderful two words: "hangar bay". Bingo. If Dex was getting off Talos, this ragtag group of misfits would be his best bet to mooch a ticket out of here. What haggling it would take to seal the deal was another story. Despite Dex's best efforts, he wasn't the smoothest talker. Bullshitter, more like. Just take that time he tried to talk a Twi'lek chick into the bedroom. Yeah... his mouth tended to get him into more trouble than good.


Dex was all ass and elbows from what it took to crawl behind a geologic container. A cursory study of the situation left a worrysome feeling in his stomach. It actually bordered on excitement. Troopers canvassed both directions, laying down suppressive fire between movements. Don't look at it as an obstacle, he said to himself. These limp brains were little more than glorified rent-a-secs. Plain as day. Who else would honor their civic duty by serving in the Outer Rim? Those lasers weren't too appealing, though, and the area quickly turned into a light show. He pressed his hands to his temples and the party's voices began draining out.

 

[Lexielai]

Violet
​

“Oh…” said Violet. She gaped with wide eyes as the quirky protocol droid started matching a whole squad’s worth of blasterfire by itself. “So that’s a protective protocol.”


The HK unit snapped into firing position. Each mechanical jerk it made fired the stolen blaster with unerring accuracy. White forms immediately ducked under cover as hot plasma soared past. Violet hadn’t ever seen anything like it before. Watching HK shoot, despite the robotic motions, reminded Violet of her master’s sparring sessions with the higher students. She’d sometimes sneak in to take a peek while she was on duty mopping the floors. The sight awed her then just as HK-51 did now. Every movement her master made had a purpose. Each strike aimed to disable, cripple, or kill, and still press the initiative even should it fail. HK-51 moved with that same decisiveness, and she really only had one response.


“That’s so wizard,” she said, eyes glued to the droid. Violet had picked up the saying from some spacers she met while traveling with Atticus and it stuck.


Then the flash of red blasterfire whizzed past her ear, pulling Violet back to reality. She ducked back behind the cover of a dumpster with a yelp. Violet gently grasped a few locks of her singed hair, grimacing. It was a burnt black, darker than her hair’s characteristic violet hue.


Violet shuddered, silently praising the Force that the plasma hadn’t made a direct impact. She followed Atticus as they started to advance down the alley, staying under cover and really hoping the stormtroopers would miss.


"Wait!” the blue woman hissed. “I have a bad feeling about this.  Feels like they wanted us going this way.  I don't suppose anyone has a drone or a portable camera or anything that sees around corners?"


“I’ll check!” Violet enthusiastically volunteered. She bounded off quickly, slipping ahead before anyone could stop her, and peeked around the corner. The market was emptying in the midst of the firefight. Merchants wrapped up as many goods as they could in their ragged old cloths before darting off. Behind them, in the hanger bay, were several stormtroopers running about.


Violet slipped back to regroup with the crew. “There’s some more of those...uhm…stormtroopers.” She took a moment to remember the name for those white, armored people. “They were getting behind a few crates, and I think I saw two of them carrying this big blaster.”


She tried using her hands to communicate what she saw. “And there was also a short person. He’s different from the stormtroopers. He was wearing a funny grey uniform and hat, and had these blue and red squares on his chest.”


Atticus frowned. “Seriously? That must be an Imperial officer, and they only show up when there’s a whole platoon. That means there’s going to be a kriffing ton of buckets between us and the ship.”


He turned to the blue woman with his signature annoyed look. Violet always thought it was so funny every time she saw it, and barely suppressed her giggle. She kinda hoped nobody noticed.


“You better have a good explanation for getting us into all this trouble, honey, or you’re going straight out the airlock,” he warned her.


Violet quietly shook her head. She hadn’t been with the captain long, but she could tell he didn’t really mean it. He’s just kidding, she mouthed to the blue woman from behind Atticus’ back.


Meanwhile the captain waved his blaster threatening for a moment before ducking under another stream of blasterfire. “Blast! Alright crazy droid, you take point. Keep those stormtroopers in the hanger down while the rest of you run in. Me and godzilla here will keep the stormies behind us busy for a bit and join you shortly. On the count of three...”


Violet nodded. Atticus was funny. He wasn’t at all like the stuffy Sith back home; instead of ranting about power and anger and the other stuff she didn’t really get, Atticus was always making jokes. She liked being with him, though rarely took him seriously.


That was the funny thing though. She rarely took him seriously. That meant, however rare, there were indeed times when she would listen to the captain and take his words to heart. Times like today. Right now, Violet would trust Atticus with her life. “Okay!” she said.


“One…” Atticus motioned for HK to move to front as he pulled a second blaster from his coat.


“Two…” With one in each hand he wildly fired a hurricane of red lasers at the stormtroopers, forcing them to duck once more.


“Three! Go now!” Atticus ordered, walking back even as he continued firing.


Violet did as she was told. Her ears pounded with the sound of her beating heart as she sprinted into the market, jumping behind the cover of a rickety stand. The firefight intensified around her, and Violet jumped as a red laser tore through her cover. “Yikes!” she yelped. It missed, thankfully, but she could still vividly feel the heat as it passed by her torso.

Atticus
​

Atticus continued to lay down fire on the bucketheads. The adrenaline was really pumping through him now. He was a little nervous about tangling with the Imperals; there was always that thought in his head, nagging him every day. What if they found out he was alive? What if they came after him?


At the same time he was pretty pleased about melting away the faces of those brainwashed stormtrooper bastards.


“Alright lizardman, you first!” he shouted. Atticus stood at the end of the corner, firing from behind a discarded crate. His new companion nodded. “Yesss,” lizardman hissed, firing his big blaster while moving up ahead into the market.


Atticus was a tiny bit intimidated by the hulking Trandoshan, but just a tiny bit. If you told anybody he was he’d kill you.


He followed right after, and just in time too. Lasers streamed down the alleyway when a second squad had arrived to reinforce the first. If he’d stayed a moment longer he would’ve been burnt to a crisp.


His mind didn’t dwell on the prospect long. The sight of a huge repeating blaster inside the hanger struck a chord of panic inside him. “Shit! Everyone get behind something, now!” Atticus said.


There wasn’t much in the way of cover. Mostly dilapidated, rusty merchant stands and a few walls here and there. His eyes spotted the closest, tall piece of metal he could find while his body jumped behind it.


He inhaled rapid, shallow breaths. It didn’t seem like the stormtroopers had finished setting up the heavy repeater yet, or else their cover would have been chock full of blaster holes already. That meant they still had time.


The thoughts whirled through Atticus’ head. What could they use to stop it? They were so close to the Traveler, but they’d never make it with the machine gun in the way.


“Wait, the Traveler!” Atticus said to himself. He frantically stuffed away his second blaster to shout into his comlink. “Mahlah, Rig, Ashenaa, anybody! I need you to get into the laser turrets on the bottom side ASAP. We’re pinned down by stormtroopers outside. Clear us a path goddamnit!”

TK-6148, Maurence
​

TK-6148 typed away at the hanger bay console. His comrade, who liked to be called “Jace,” shuffled impatiently in place. “Hurry up, Maurence, the Captain’s getting pissed,” Jace said.


“I told you already...call me TK-6148 when we’re on duty!” TK-6148 answered. It was so irritating how unprofessional Jace was. Stormtroopers named something stupid like Maurence were never taken seriously. Callsigns made them seem scary. Fearsome weapons of the Empire, he liked to think of the Stormtroopers Corps. as. TK-6148 had just the right amount of professionalism in his eyes.


“Whatever,” Jace said. His fellow stormtrooper brought his blaster up to aim towards the alleyway the rebels were supposed to move in from. TK-6148 could almost see Jace’s itchy trigger finger from the corner of his eye. Jace was always eager to fight. TK-6148 didn’t approve of people like Jace, who had just joined the Empire to shoot a blaster. Personally he believed in bringing order to the galaxy. He fought against pirates and rebel terrorists every day because he believed in keeping his family safe. In bringing peace to all of the galaxy.



“And...done!” TK-6148 exclaimed. He watched proudly as the hanger bays started to close. Bypassing the pirates’ pitiful security measures was a piece of cake. His brother, TK-6149, would definitely congratulate him over beers after this when they got back on the ship.

DM BOX
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@BainOfBridges @Epiphany @Daimao @Jabroni You are still under fire! You've made it close to the Traveler, but now you've been hit by a pincer attack. There's two squads moving in behind you and a E-Web Heavy Repeating Blaster in front, along with six stormtroopers. Not only that, but the hanger bay doors are closing! Thankfully the heavy blaster hasn't started firing yet. 


@Daimao I went ahead and had your character go along with the rest. 


@BainOfBridges If you confront the stormtroopers in between you and the Traveler head on, your superior assassination protocols (Ranged Combat) make you very successful. You are able to kill up to two stormtroopers. However, you are also attracting a lot of enemy blaster fire! If you choose to kill those stormtroopers, you suffer return damage and are no longer as effective at your skills. However, everyone will make it safely to the market because of your effort.


@Epiphany Despite Violet's ability to read people (Insight), you aren't so sure that Atticus won't make good on his threat. 


@SkyGinge @Volfy @Newson You receive a message on your comlinks. Atticus needs one of you to enter the twin laser turret on the ship's bottom side and clear a path for them! Now you can clearly hear the chaos of battle occurring just outside. However, two stormtroopers have just entered the boarding ramp! What do you do? 

 

[SilverFlight]

Grim
​

When the storm troopers chasing him began to thin Grim almost chalked it down to a miracle. He’d come this far out of central space to get away from the bounty on his head only to run straight into a routine imperial hangar screening in the lower ports. Naturally his ship’s fake docking codes hadn’t matched the registry. Just as well, the ship had been stolen from a dry dock not a week prior and Grim had made a good guess that it was scheduled for the scrap heap anyway. This still left the young smuggler with two problems: One, he was all but stranded on an outer rim space station that seemed to have fewer prospects than it did working atmosphere cleaners and two, he was still very much wanted for the ‘work’ he and his old team had done in central space. That was the problem with being the lone survivor of an imperial death raid. Grim was now running full tilt down a crowded ally, the occasional blaster firing behind him whenever his pursuers could get a clear shot, a rare occurrence as it seemed the terrain was about as clear as a Gamorrean’s nostril. Crates, stalls, animals and people all packed themselves into the busy street. Grim bounded over the head of a diminutive Chadra-fan and slid around a corner, his slender, lupine legs eating up the ground. If the hangars on the lower side were locked down, then his next best bet was the set on the other side of the station. 


Say what you would about the place, it was well-signed. Grim made his way to the hangars in what felt like no time only to stop so short by the entrance he nearly fell flat on his face. More blaster fire, coming from straight ahead of him. He spat a curse through bared teeth…but wait; if they were already firing…it meant that they likely weren’t shooting at him.Not having seen his tail for a good minute Grim ducked stealthily forward, keeping cover and using the sound of the blasters to position himself safely. The scene that was revealed was a rather interesting one: Grim had no idea how the crew of that rather fine craft had caught the ire of the empire, but the troopers seemed to be bearing down on them with great gusto. He watched the machine gun being brought and bit his lip. If the troopers’ homicidal intentions weren’t clear before…they were now. A shunting sound made him start, ears shooting vertical, his gaze snapping to the rusty hangar doors that began to close. They were trying to box the ship, making it impossible for it to leave. Grim looked frantically about for the control panel and found one, not five feet from where he crouched.


“A victory for empire iz purzonal loss for me…” Grim muttered before checking once that the troopers were occupied and sliding over to the panel. He drew a slim data stick from his pocket and slipped it into the slot by the key pad, then began tapping away furiously. Imperial security protocols were only as good as the systems they used, if this had been an imperial base Grim would have saluted the crew for their gallant defiance and left them to their fate. Talos’ system was beyond old however and Grim knew how to re-route the pathways and set up a new command link. This was precisely what he did.


“Not if I hev say in it you bleached tin kens…” With one last key-stroke--filled with months of resentment--Grim sent the command. If done properly it would reverse the doors with ample time for the ship to leave before the troopers cottoned on to what happened. An idea popped into the shistavanen’s head. It was so obvious he could have smacked himself. He needed a ride off this scrap heap and here was a crew likely to be grateful for the assist. Grim decided: As soon as there was a clear path he would make a break for the lowered boarding ramp. Surely the captain wouldn’t turn him away…he hoped. It was not going to be easy however. Just as he had thought it two Storm troopers made for the ramp. With the chaos in the hangar Grim wasn’t sure he’d get to them in one piece. Better to wait for an opening in the fire, the crew inside was on their own for now. He drew his blaster anyway, making sure he had a clear shot to the ramp while at the same time being in the peripheral vision of the group currently pinned by trooper fire.

 

[Volfy]

Ashenaa Saar
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[SIZE= 12px]Intereacted with Rig( @Newson) Mahlah( @SkyGinge[/SIZE][SIZE= 12px]) Atticus (@Lexielai)[/SIZE]
​

Ashenaa nodded in vague agreement with Rig. She hadn't intended to leave the ship, not with so many stormtroopers about the place. The Empire had a rather strong disdain for any of the sorts who came to Talos, as well as aliens. Ash fitted neatly into both categories, so she was in favor of maintaining as much distance between herself and Imperials as possible. Yet, it wasn't her main focus, with the sounds of blaster fire getting louder and louder, and increasing in its intensity. Whatever, or whoever the troopers had come for was getting closer, and was coming fast. This was not improved as two troopers approached the Traveler, blasters out and seemingly set on boarding the ship.


"For..." Ashenaa bit her tongue, holding back an expletive as she tried to think of a reasonable plan of action. Despite the heavy blaster pistol strapped to her thigh, she couldn't aim the thing for shit. The thin human girl didn't seemed like the type who couldn't even deal with blaster fire, let alone firing a weapon. Rig might be able though. Before she could address either of them however, a familiar voice came in over their comlinks. "Mahlah, Rig, Ashenaa, anybody! I need you to get into the laser turrets on the bottom side ASAP. We’re pinned down by stormtroopers outside. Clear us a path goddamnit!" Atticus's voice yelled at them, causing Ashenaa to glance at her companions, eyes expressing her surprise, but quickly changing into thought. They brightened a second later as she spoke to both of them. "Rig. Uhmm, you." Ash pointed at Malah. "One of you get on the gun and help Atticus. The other, make sure those two Imperial's don't start 'knocking' on are door, yeah?" She began to turn away, starting off towards the cockpit. "I've got an idea!"



Setting off at a light run, Ashenaa left the two crew members behind, her boots smacking against the hard metal floor as she quickly headed for the front of the freighter. She didn't know how sensible this was, as it only made them more obvious, but she wasn't hanging around so the Imperials could ground the Traveler. As she came into the cockpit, looking around to try and assess how much it compared to other ships she flown, she noticed the hanger doors. They had begun to slowly creep together, the old systems making the heavy blast doors crawl towards one another. "No no no.." She muttered, sliding into the pilots seat, examining the YT's controls. "Right..," her eyes efficiently scanned the panel in front of her, flicking above and to the side. Her hands moved to the overhead panel, flicking several switches, rewarding her with the main flight controls lighting up. With a slight smile, despite the dire situation, she twisted, pressing several more buttons to the side of her as the Traveler hummed to life, its engines steadily starting up. "Come on.." Ash said, her hands still finding the right levers, switches, buttons and dials to use as she got the 1930 freighter to lazily start.


With the blaster fire getting closer and closer, Ash glanced up at the hanger doors, fearing they'd be to far closed by the time Atticus and the rest of them arrived. However, the bay doors hadn't moved, in fact they'd started opening again. Ashenaa didn't question it. Who was she to deny such a pleasant turn of events by querying it. Her left hand steadied the steering control as her other slowly pushed a lever forward. She was rewarded by a loud rumbling from the Traveler, and the comforting feel of the ship rising up. 'Not bad' she mused to herself, pleased she'd gotten such good results with only a few minutes to get acquainted with the controls. It wasn't too foreign, yet she didn't want to drive the ship directly into the ground either, so she took her time, as limited as it was. "Atticus. Its Ashenaa. How far are you from the ship?" Ash eased the lever to a a stop, bringing the ship to a hover a few meters above the ground. Flicking a few switches, she stabilized it, glancing out of the cockpit to see if she could get a view of the two troopers who'd been on their way up the ramp. She couldn't see them from her angle, but an idea came to mind. "We're not exactly alone here ourselves. We'll try and help though." Ash took the flight controls in both hands and while looking back towards the ramp once more, twisted the control to her right, tilting the ship aggressively. It quickly came level again, and it would now, hopefully, have less Imperials on it. Another swift glance at the hanger doors revealed they remained open and weren't closing which reassured her somewhat. "I suggest you tuck your tail and run like hell. Just my humble suggestion." Ash knew she was probably in a better position to be making light of their current predicament, and that Atticus ad co might not appreciate her kind and sage advise, but there was no point to living if it was all serious. 

 

[BainOfBridges]

HK-51
​

HK does not move for any of the sparse cover laid out before him, it would likely mean that one of the meatbags would be left without protection. That would likely result in their squishy internal fluids spilling everywhere, something the restraining bolt forces him to avoid. HK really does not know how they could possibly cope.
 


"Greetings: I am HK-51, I will be your executor today!" Comes his cheery voice as he opens fire on the stormtroopers as they dive left and right for cover. His droidlike movements continue as he steps forward, arm snapping back and forth as he takes shots with the E-11 blaster rifle at the different stormtroopers in tow. He manages to strike one right in the dull chrome dome and the imperial is flung back off his feet into another one of his companions with a clatter. The white of the stormtrooper's mask now sizzles a bloody red, cauterized wound having ended the wearer's life. Such droidlike movements shouldn't be a surprise, he is a droid afterall. But it does continue to annoy HK, for his models were supposed to be able to mimic the fluidity of a sentient meatbag. Perhaps if he can get one of his cargo to the safety of the Traveller they might give him a tune up. Moreover it is becoming increasingly apparent that one might be needed. A stray blaster bolt from the stormtroopers strikes HK's durasteel shoulder plate. It doesn't slam a hole right through, but leaves a nasty burnt groove through it.
 


"Chassis integrity at 93%."
 


He immediately twists at a 90 degrees rotation, firing a snap shot at the stormtrooper who'd managed to hit him. The man is knocked from his feet and his life in an instant. But his terrifying show has worked, perhaps too well. The stormtroopers focus fire on the antiquated assassin droid, almost at a complete ignorance of the rest of the party fighting their way forward. HK takes another blaster bolt to the arm. Hull integrity at 85%, motor functions at 79%. The droid trudges forward, seeking the respite of marginal cover now that the party has been given ample opportunity to safely progress.
 


"Amendment: This is not a heroic sacrifice. Any attempts to abandon me will be met with stern dissaproval."

 

[Newson]

Rig Lhinkha
​

The blaster fire and commotion inside the hangar only became apparent to him just now. The blasters, explosions, and screams were echoing deeply through the large hangar. All of the battle-like sounds were growing louder and louder once, most likely, more Stormtroopers started to join in. Rig had no doubt in his mind that this was Atticus and the rest of the crew. He didn't know how bloodthirsty they were for battle, but Rig knew that if he was in any situation that would cause blaster fire to ensue, he wouldn't take the chances. Right then, his comm-link start to blow up with chatter. It was Atticus on the other end. Rig barely heard what was coming through with all of the shots also making their way into the communication feed. Rig eventually made out that Atticus wanted one of them to man the turret facing the rest of the hangar. Rig didn't expect to gain such a status on this ship already to receive the honor of blasting away a few bucket-heads.


"One of you get on the gun and help Atticus. The other, make sure those two Imperials don't start 'knocking' on our door, yeah?" Ashenaa ordered. She then called out that she had an idea of sorts, and then ran off to the cockpit. Rig wasn't sure how he felt about taking charge like that, but if she didn't who else would? He then looked to Mahlah. Rig didn't expect the poor girl to take charge and hop in the turret, but he also didn't expect her to take on a few Stormtroopers if they tried to board.


But it seemed Ashenaa's idea was going somewhere, when the nearly faint sounds of the boarding ramp moving, knocking the idling Stormtroopers off of it. Rig hoped it either knocked them unconscious or killed them; either options works for him. Rig then gave Mahlah a nod and said, "I'll get in the turret, you stand guard."


Rig ran to the small one-person ladder, and began to climb up to the turret. The small encapsulated area was comprised of only a ragged seat, dozens of buttons, and one turret-controlling device. He positioned himself inside of the seat and started flipping switches labeled "On" and "Turn this on if you want to shoot" in Basic. It gave him a good idea on how these things work, and it may come in handy in the future. He slowly gripped the control stick. It had only one button on it, fire.


(Interactions: Ashenaa (@Volfy) and Mahlah (@SkyGinge) Mentioned: Atticus (@Lexielai) )

 

[Jabroni]

Dex Qorbin
​

 
​

This was worse than a Trandoshan standoff except for the sea of white. At least they had a Trandoshan on their side for what it was worth. By "they" he meant the bucket of bolts A.K.A. "Death Protocol", which continued to rain down a hellish firestorm. He meant the foxy lavender-haired chick he'd very much like to pester over a bottle of cheap ale... but she looked awfully busy. Was it the rush hour traffic? Did she have a hair appointment?


The patter of synth leather boots interrupted his little brainstorm. Dex pressed two index fingers against his ears, dulling the periphery noise ringing straight toward the hangar bay. He could still hear cheery robotic prompts such as,  "Greetings: I am HK-51, I will be your executor today!" Whoever built this thing probably came from Tatooine or somewhere people had a strange sense of humor.


Dex tried his best to keep up and barely managed to do even that. He was already winded bordering on tired from his last marathon. Then it seemed the world told everyone to slow down, as the hangar bay doors began closing. If he and the others didn't make it through, there would be no way out, no recourse. He pictured himself standing in front of a tribunal of pale-faced autocrats delivering a sentence. They'd give him fifty years just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and they'd smile. That slithery, pompous smile most imperials appeared to embody.


But the problem wasn't insurmountable. Like all electronic devices, as long as there's a CPU somewhere you can slice anything. It just so happened this place's cyber security could be sliced like an onion given the right tools. Just as he was about to produce a wafer-shaped lock breaker, Dex noticed the doors opening again. Well smack me four ways from Benduday. Someone wanted the way clear for travel. Who, he did not know, but neither he nor his friends were going to object.

 

[Lexielai]

TK-6148, Maurence
​

TK-6148 rushed to join his comrades at the frontlines. “Hanger bay doors are closing!” he triumphantly declared into his comlink.


“Good work, pri-” the corporal at the other end was suddenly cut-off as one of the freighters lifted into the air. TK-6148 stopped in his tracks, staring up at the hovering ship. What were they thinking? The doors were going to close. There was no way they’d get out.


TK-6148 took a moment to look back towards the hanger doors and nearly dropped his blaster in panic. They were opening again! How was that possible? He’d just closed them.


The stormtrooper switched his gaze towards the hanger bay control panel, and then saw it. The furry, wolf-like creature currently working on the console and reversing everything he’d just done.


“Hey, furball, get off of that!” TK-6148 shouted through his helmet. He felt the blaster immediately shift into position as he fired as the rodent who had dared to tamper with his work. "Jace, on the alien, now!" 


Around him the world started spinning into chaos. His comlink flared with screams as his fellow stormtroopers were mowed down by heavy blasterfire while another stormtrooper flailed as he tumbled off the hovering ship. 


TK-6148 ignored it all for now, eyes focused furiously on his target. His comrade, Jace, turned to follow him, blaster raised at the creature. They both started running and fired frantically, hoping to stop the damn beast before the doors opened completely. Yet, in his haste, he failed to keep his aim precise.



“Damn!” TK-6148 yelled as his blaster fire missed the mark, instead blasting the console to smoldering metal. The hanger bays doors creaked to a stop, not quite open yet also not quite closed. He fired again. “Stand still, scum!”

Stormtrooper Corporal
​

“Good work, ens-” the corporal wasn’t able to finish his sentence before he felt his balance tip as the ship jerked. “Hold on to something!” he called out to his partner. The corporal scrambled slowly to find purchase on the walls, barely keeping his balance as the ship tilted back and forth.


Out of the corner of his visor he noticed his partner yelp after falling out of the boarding ramp, tumbling towards the ground below. The corporal didn’t have enough time to ponder the loss though because another jerk threw him onto the ground. His blaster tumbled out of his hands, sliding across the floor towards the inside of the ship.



The corporal quickly held onto the edge of the boarding entrance desperately, waiting for the maneuvering to stop, and tried propping himself back inside once more. He needed to take out the pilot.

DM Box
​

@SilverFlight @Epiphany @Volfy @Daimao @Newson @Jabroni @BainOfBridges @SkyGinge The hanger bays have begun to open again due to Grim's efforts, but have suddenly been put to a stop by a stormtrooper's reckless blasterfire. Now the hanger bay doors are partially closed. Maybe just enough for a skilled pilot to squeeze through. 


@Newson You are not trained in using these turbolaser turrets, but your instincts (Force Sensitivity) call out to you. Whether it be luck or something else, you find it easy to operate the turret and fire accurately at the stormtroopers. You are able to kill the remaining four stormtroopers in between the crew and the Traveler, as well as disable the E-Web blaster. 


@BainOfBridges @Epiphany @Jabroni @Daimao You breathe a sigh of relief as the Traveler unleashes an awe-inspiring hail of red plasma at the stormtroopers blocking your way. Those stormtroopers are no longer shooting at you, but the officer commanding them remains. Captain Getz has been knocked to the floor by the impacts from Rig's shooting, but is just now getting up. 


@Volfy @SkyGinge Ashenaa, your efforts were successful in knocking one stormtrooper off but failed to throw out the second. The corporal remains, but is now blasterless because of the fancy flying. Mahlah, the corporal's blaster comes tumbling close to you. The stormtrooper is defenseless and still trying to climb back inside. He won't be able to react to whatever you decide to do. 


@SilverFlight Two stormtroopers have started firing at you! Luckily they've missed every shot so far, but one of their stray lasers has melted the console you were working on into molten slag. 


@BainOfBridges @Epiphany HK-51, though your sensors are damaged, you can detect the faint signature of more entities approaching close from behind you. Nyis, your sixth sense calls out to you once again. It's been more active than you've ever experienced before, and it alerts you to the same danger.

 

[Daimao]

KROD
​

Krod grinned slightly as the ship in front of the rag-tag little band he was a part if opened fire on the stormtroopers in front of them. He then proceeded to shake his head and blink his sensitive eyes a few times. Damn those lasers were bright.


"Now isss probably good time to run," he said to the others once he was no longer seeing spots. Taking his own advice, Krod began to run in the direction of the ship, Krod noticed that one of the stormtroopers was standing back up. Raising his blaster, he took aim and...click. Krod growled to himself as he realized that the rifle's power pack was dry.


 "Guessss I'm doing this the hard way," he mumbled as he slung the strap of his rifle over his shoulder. Grabbing his vibroblade and activating it with one clawed hand, Krod roared a challenge and charged the stormtrooper at full speed.


 @Epiphany @Lexielai @BainOfBridges @Jabroni

 

[SilverFlight]

"Shistek!" Grim barked as he ducked behind his meager cover to avoid the bolts. He wasn't even sure the word was formerly part of a language, but his mother had smacked children for using it when he was younger, so it seemed like a solid word to hold onto. 


"It is good thing bucketheds just as bed at eiming es I remember," but shortly afterwards he had cause to use the word again and did so loudly as the console erupted in a shower of sparks. The doors ground to a halt. So far Grim summed up, this day could be going better, but with another quick look at the doors he surmised that a good pilot could make do with the fraction of space provided. He only prayed the crew could boast a good pilot. It was time to get to the ship, and hope the esteemed members would not put a hole through him.


Another round of blaster fire brought him back to present matters however. There were at least two troopers gunning for his blood and as things were if he ran now he would be blasted to a fuzzy crisp before he made it half-way to the ramp.


Suddenly the hangar was awash with a deafening noise. The ships turrets had opened fire on the main group of troopers. Grim took that as an opening, he chanced a lightning quick glimpse over the crate, pin-pointed his targets and fired off two rapid shots before dodging back down.


"Hoi!" For good measure, he called out to the crew that were likely moving now that they were no longer under heavy fire. "Smoll help would be grreatly eppricieted!"


@BainOfBridges @Epiphany @Jabroni @Daima @Lexielai

 

[Epiphany]

Nyis Veli-An-Dach
​

The situation had completely disintegrated.  Nyis can hardly think over the volley of blaster bolts.  Men, women and aliens shot at each other from every direction.  Thankfully, so far it seemed the stormtroopers were having the worst of it.  


She adds her own blaster to the cacophony of red fire, for all the good it does.  She's a worse shot than the stormtroopers!  Thankfully, the ship with the giant guns blows away the group immediately blocking their access to said ship, save for the commander...and what looks like a stormtrooper still hanging from the boarding ramp?  Shaking her head in disbelief, Nyis watches the giant lizard charge the commander and starts to follow before the itch between her shoulders renews itself with even greater intensity.  Glancing back, she gasps.  


Then she reaches out and thumps the rugged human who'd led them this far in the arm.  


"I think we're about to be flanked!" she cries out over the noise of battle.  Nyis' scarlet eyes drift to the violet-haired woman next to him as she adds "Reinforcements probably."  The Chiss stares a bit at the human female before catching herself, visibly shaking herself to regather her attention.  That was weird.  "Fancy a retreat?" she manages at last to Atticus.  "I'll make it worth your while."


Even in the midst of battle, there's no mistaking the alluring intent in the Chiss woman's sultry voice.  The charcoal dress hugs her curves; it's more professional than provocative but there's little of her bosom left to the imagination.  Beneath the polished promise lies real desperation.  The Empire's here for her.  And they wouldn't have her, no matter what.  


@Lexielai

 

[Jabroni]

Dex Qorbin
​

 
​

Run! Dive! Roll! Run some more! It was so much exercise he could hardly think straight, let alone convince his legs to carry him any further. What's more, the situation appeared more and more precarious. While the hangar bay began opening again, it soon stopped as if jammed by an obstacle. How could a ship make it through that? He figured he'd leave that up to the bounty hunters and pod racers. That's if any of these labeled criminals bore the description.


Abruptly, within the bay itself, a YT freighter pulled away and went absolutely ham on the flight deck. Dex's face lit up as bodies flew left and right across the tarmac. Korlen, you cheeky bastard. Is that you? Maybe his buddies had come for him after all. He hustled to get another look from its starboard side, but couldn't make heads or tails of it. Ships came and went out here in the "Big Empty" like dust in the wind. He did gather one little tidbit of information though; despite its class, the clunker could most likely haul ass when put in a tight spot. Hopefully.


A doggish, hairy creature briefly drew the young slicer's attention. He, or it, was shouting about something which Dex couldn't make out through all the ear-numbing intensity. The furry guy did seem to be having a "disagreement" with a pair of stormtroopers. He noticed the trio's proximity to a station control interface and gauged that it was something about the hangar doors. He shouldn't get involved, he knew, yet when did logic ever stop him from making a bad decision?


Dex promptly unholstered his light blaster, albeit clumsily. He then rang off a few shots toward the troopers in typical run-and-gun fashion, making sure not to fall behind in the process. Naturally, his accuracy was atrocious. At least he could say he gave the imperials a little hell before hightailing it out of there.


@SilverFlight

 

[BainOfBridges]

HK-51 rapidly twists around, ready to spray forth another wave of suppressing fire toward the stormtroopers but is cut off due to the timely intervention of the traveller's turret placement. As much as HK does not want to admit it, whomever is piloting the gunnery placement may have just helped him survive thanks to the frustrating systems damage HK can feel his joints suffering from. Thank the maker his sensory functions are still active though, and the chiss meatbag removes the doubt from his observation.


"Declaration: The pneumonia suffering meatbag currently flirting with you for her survival is correct master. Oh how I hate that term. Let us utilise this opportunity to avoid annihilation from the imperial reinforcements imminent!"


HK proceeds forward, stride picking up pace with the continuing droidlike movement he currently exhibits. It appears the scaly meatbag is attempting to dismember the imperial before them. Ooh, and a walking carpet meatbag- how exciting. Though the carpet calls out towards HK and co, the droid does not move to assist. Both his bolt and sentient priorities are guiding him to protect master atticus and those he deems associates. This creature is not his concern. If anything he may function as an excellent distraction for the Traveller's departure!


@Epiphany


@Lexielai


@Daimao


@SilverFlight

 

[Volfy]

Ashenaa Saar
​

Interaction: Atticus(@Lexielai)
​

Ashenaa didn't dwell too long on the fate of the stormtroopers who had been on the boarding ramp. If the luck which had let the blast doors open was still with her, then both the unwanted Imperials would be laid out beneath the ship around now. With increasingly confident movements, Ash flicked a few more switches before leaning back slightly, assessing the situation she was now in. It seemed divided somewhat. For as she gave herself a second to breath, the hanger doors changed, grinding to a halt, not entirely closed, not entirely open. "Ah." She stated, her tone neatly conveying that of an individual who had just realized they'd run out of options, and the situation had just taken a walk of a cliff in the direction of bad. Her head titled slightly, trying to gauge whether the Traveler would ever fit through the narrow gap. I didn't seem all that likely, but they didn't have a choice. Yet, despite her dubious take on whether the vessel would fit, Ashenaa let a smile sit upon her lips. It would be a good opportunity to see how well she could handle this thing, if nothing else.


The events outside the ship only seemed to be worsening, with the blaster fire still raging out through the hanger. With a steady hand, Ashenaa eased a lever in front of her down, causing the Traveler to descend, now hovering only a few feet of the ground, the ramp still lowered as to allow quick entrance. Ash quickly took another glance at the doors, happy to see they were still ajar, even if it was only proving a slim chance of escape. "Ohhh Atticus and friends! If you would care to board in an orderly fashion, we can depart shortly. If you weren't aware, people are shooting at us! With that in mind, I'd be most grateful if you hurried up!" She spoke in an overly optimistic voice, sing-song in nature but edged a little with fear. The Imperials didn't care if you'd actually done anything. They could get you for guilt by association, just by merely being in the area of a crime. Or just arrest you with reason full stop. And technically, she had just assaulted two troopers. Getting captured wasn't an option now.  Ashenaa glanced back towards the ramp, hoping her earlier attempt to rid their 'guests' had been successful. 

 

[Lexielai]

Atticus
​

CAREFUL WITH YOUR VOLUME!
​

 
​

​

Explosions rocked the hanger. Atticus stumbled, barely catching himself on a nearby crate. Klaxons started screaming in his ears. The feminine, synthetic voice of an automated alarm started reverberating throughout the station, “Systems critical. Reactor breach detected. Please evacuate immediately.”


“Kriffing hell,” he grumbled to himself. Atticus wasn’t sure who in the ship started firing, but he or she was doing a damn good job. The station erupted into more violent shakes. Explosions continued sounding off in the distant, probably from the station’s core if he had to take a guess.


"I think we're about to be flanked!" yelled the Chiss woman, grabbing his attention for the moment. He looked into her crimson eyes for a moment, almost absorbed in their endlessness. He barely caught her next words. "Fancy a retreat? I’ll make it worth your while," her sultry voice spoke. Atticus smirked despite the chaos and danger.


He quickly wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close. The distance between them closed to mere inches. “I concur, darling. You first,” he answered. Before she could get a word in otherwise Atticus let go, pushing her off towards the ship with a flirty slap to the rear and turned to yell his commands.


“The crazy droid’s right! Forget about those stormtroopers; this place is going to blow. Get on that ship, now!” he shouted. His words echoed through the hanger even as the lizard man stabbed a poor stormtrooper, and the ship descended to the hanger floor.


His comlink sounded off. "Ohhh Atticus and friends! If you would care to board in an orderly fashion, we can depart shortly. If you weren't aware, people are shooting at us! With that in mind, I'd be most grateful if you hurried up!" the voice on the other side, which sounded eerily similar to Ashenaa, said. He didn’t quite connect the dots enough to realize she was probably piloting his ship just yet. “Yeah yeah, we’re on our way with some guests. And don’t you leave till we’re all onboard, you hear me?”


Absent-mindedly Atticus shot the stormtrooper scrambling up the ramp, feeling a tinge of satisfaction as he fell off with a hole in his chest. The air by him whooshed as Violet then dashed past him. Her eyes caught his. “Run!”



More blasterfire shot past them out, and Atticus ran indeed. “Son of a bantha!” he said. The explosions were growing louder now. He abandoned all plans of shooting back, instead focusing purely on sprinting towards the boarding ramp as fast as he could. They needed to go. Now.

DM Box
​

@SilverFlight @Epiphany @Volfy @Daimao @Newson @Jabroni @BainOfBridges Over the cacophony of blasterfire, klaxons ring through the air. Something's happened! Talos Station's reactor has had a critical meltdown, and the station is quickly starting to explode. Two new squads of stormtroopers show up in the hanger, continuing to fire upon you all, but they're equally as disoriented by the explosions. Most of you avoid serious injuries. This is your last chance to get off the station. After Krod, Atticus, Nyis, Violet, and HK-51 board, the boarding ramp will only be open for a few more seconds before it starts closing. Stragglers may need to jump on. 


@Daimao You brutally eviscerate the stormtrooper (Melee Combat). Your hear his wheezes as he struggles in your grip before falling lifelessly. Unfortunately, your actions have attracted the attention of some of the stormtrooper reinforcements, and you've been shot! However, thanks to your tough skin (Resilience), you're able to shrug it off. 


@Jabroni Naturally you miss. Horribly. But hey, you tried! 


@SilverFlight The mess of a firefight is chaotic, and you have a hard time aiming amidst everything that's happening, but your sharpshooting holds true today (Ranged Combat). Your precise blaster bolt shoots one of the stormtroopers through the eyes, killing him instantly. The one bends over to check on his friend, but you have no time to ponder further. The station is about to explode!


@Newson You see a ton more stormtroopers come into your sights, firing on your fellow crew. If you decide to return the favor with some covering fire, you easily dispatch of several of them. 

 

[Lexielai]

The Red Scalpel
​

Flagship of the Bloodraven Pirates
​

Warlord paced across the command deck. “Status report. Now!” he barked.


“Talos Station is reporting a reactor breach, sir. Some sort of explosive in the core. Our men are reporting that Imperial troopers are responsible,” answered his Zabrak lieutenant. Her voice was clipped and businesslike, her face devoid of expression.


Outside the transparisteel windows of the ship, Talos Station shook restlessly in the distance. Bright lights spontaneously erupted from internal explosions within, blowing gaping holes in the old port’s hull. The decrepit station was already falling apart as is. A little nudge was all it took to bring the whole thing down.


Warlord growled, “The fuckin’ Empire?” He turned and charged up into his lieutenant’s face, rage bristling beneath his armor. “We threw their asses out a long time ago! They dare attack the Bloodravens? Attack me?”


He grabbed her roughly by the neck, easily lifting her slender frame off the bridge floor. He enjoyed the look of panic that swept across her normally cold face, the terror appearing in her eyes as he shook her. It would’ve been easy to squeeze the life out of her...crush her trachea with the precise application of force. He wasn’t familiar with Zabrak anatomy, but a part of him was eager to see how they compared to human physiology.


“Warlord...please,” she wheezed.


Warlord snorted with disgust, tossing her to the floor. His lieutenant was weak. Just like most of the pirates in this gang. All leftovers from his predecessor, a pathetic excuse for a ruler. Fear and intimidation were the tools a pirate leader should wield. The scalpels in his hands to weed out the weak and the cancerous so that strong and healthy may live.


“Get up, Vetex,” he said to her. Beneath his visor, Warlord’s eyes returned to the space outside the transparisteel windows. He felt the eyes of his crew on his back, no doubt seeing his actions as Vetex scrambled onto her feet. His lips drew into a twisted smile.



“Launch the interceptors. Capture any ship that escapes. Bring me the Imperials’ heads,” he ordered. “And bring me that droid. The magnaguard.”

DM Box
​

@The Chronicler The Warlord's lieutenant, Vetex, has come to retrieve you. You have been summoned to his bridge! 

 

[The Chronicler]

2278
​

2278 isn't one to believe in things of the abnormal. But in this case, it did. 2278 sat there, arms shackled to the wall, legs forcefully removed, it felt like a prisoner of war. Of course it was, but the slim amount of hope it was given was.. Well slim. Despising itself for coming here, it simply ran small diagnostics and calculating problems. As much pain as 2278 was feeling, could be worse. The only thing 2278 could remember as of right there, was how he got into the sticky situation.


2278 was only looking for a storage place. Outer rim, more private and secret. No questions asked. This is what led 2278 to the Bloodraven Pirate Base, where, it searched for at least one place to just store memory. Unexpectedly, the pirates shot 2278's legs off and carried it off. Instead of fighting, 2278 let them take it, allowing the pirates to carry its body to wherever hell bent place they have in mind. It wasn't it's normal programming to let them carry its body away, but, what was his programming was to learn, and observe. That's all 2278 was for. 


2278 awoke from its personal memory, and examined itself from a third person perspective. If 2278 even dared to go out, or even try and escape, it'd get shot up more then... Well... Wait. Never mind, lost the train of thought. 2278 then checked up on whatever was holding it togethe, body part wise. It's torso, and both of its arms were intact but mostly everything inside was damaged. Most of its data banks were forcefully removed or shot off, which annoyed 2278, but let it go. No reason to forcefully fight with no win. Good thing the head was intact.


It was then 2278 heard footsteps pound on the concrete floor. It stopped its mindless thinking and turned on its sensors, a lowlight of bright yellow showing out of its round glass casing of a pair of eyes. 2278, looked up, staring up at a woman, a slender frame, and a composed pose. It was only then, 2278 responded with:


"Hey baby, what's your OS?" 2278 flirting with the woman.


@Lexielai

 

[SilverFlight]

Grim noticed the blaster fire coming from the ship and grinned. So they weren't all cold-hearted cut-throats, he would take the assist as an invitation to board. Grim did not have time to relish the trooper kill. The station was going critical. He cursed for the third time in five minutes (it was hardly a record, and given the situation he felt he was being quite sparing) and ducked again as another series of explosions wracked the crumbling hangar. If there was ever a time to run, it was now, and he'd rather face trooper fire than the raging inferno this station was about to become.


Grim chanced one more look over his cover at the two troopers, one down, the other distracted. Go.


He didn't waste a second more but went haring toward the ship's ramp. Falling in with the rest of the runners he knew he would immediately be spotted as the odd one out, but that was a problem for later. He passed Dex on the way and gave him a happy slap on the shoulder, his roguish smile not parting his lips (sharp teeth tended to scare people).


"Good coll friend. You vill not regret."


He sprinted the rest of the way and darted nimbly up the ramp, turning about immediately to provide cover fire for the rest of the fleeing crew.


"Hello, how ere you? Nice dey for near death experience isn't it?" These were his greetings as the remainder of the crew ran past him. Now that he had the safety of the ramp, he could aim his blaster with a much better accuracy. He was confident there wouldn't be any unwanted tag-alongs.


For better or for worse Grim was on the ship, and surrounded by the rightful crew members. Even if it was for worse he reasoned, it was certainly better than blowing up.


"You hev questions, I know, but furst let me thenk you for seving me, because I reelly hope you vill not toss me out eirlock when zis is done. My nem is Grim, end I ken be useful to you."


@Jabroni @Lexielai @anyone on or near the ramp

 

[BainOfBridges]

"Correction: We are not being chased by Bantha offspring!"


HK retorts this toward Atticus as the explosions begin to ring off around, shaking the floor violently. The droid manages to strike balance in the chaos however and the embrace of relative safety greets him. HK comes to a stop having clambered up onto the ramp of the traveller. The entrance hatch provides some much needed cover from blaster fire. He raises his voice once more as Grim speaks, once again his advice directed toward Atticus. But given the more important matters such as the impending doom by firey death of the ship is caught within the station when it turns to space dust, if Atticus hears or pays attention to the 'crazy droid's' sarcastic comments is another matter entirely.


"Evaluation: Master, the meatbag designated Grim could be valuable in a number of applications. Various crime lords would likely pay excellent sums for his pelt or for our personal usage as a mestshield. Unless however this meatbag, or one of you could kindly fix the burning blaster hole in my chassis and remove my restraining bolt. Any efforts to help would be deeply appreciated."


Perhaps the comments are not of sarcasm after all. Not entirely.


@Lexielai


@SilverFlight

 

[Epiphany]

Nyis Veli-An-Dach
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The Chiss feels the slap on her bottom and gives out a loud, highly indignant squeak of surprise.  She flashes Atticus a look that's more fiery than friendly but the chaos of the firefight combined with the claxon alarms and the sound of impending explosions cuts off any retort she might otherwise make.  


Instead, she scrambles onto and then up the boarding ramp, her heels ringing sharply on the flooring until she's inside the ship.  Then...she comes to a halt, frozen by indecision.  Nyis had never been here before, had no idea where to go.  


"Hello, how ere you? Nice dey for near death experience isn't it?"


She turns and blinks her crimson eyes in surprise at the wolf-like alien.  A species she'd never heard of.  Not that a lifetime on the Bothon colonly world she was born on made for a terribly diverse exposure.  The accent was strange, unfamiliar but it was also friendly.  She could use friendly.  


"Quite!  Rather invigorating, don't you think?  I think I almost died more times than I'd ever risked my life...in my life."


As he returned fire, Nyis gamely took out her blaster pistol and added her gunfire to Grim's.  He was nine times better at shooting than she was but, at this point, it didn't matter if she actually hit a storm trooper.  What mattered was she kept them ducked down long enough for everyone else to get on board.  


"You hev questions, I know, but furst let me thenk you for seving me, because I reelly hope you vill not toss me out eirlock when zis is done. My nem is Grim, end I ken be useful to you."


The wolf-like alien was plainly speaking to the people who actually belonged on this ship.  But Nyis nonetheless gave the man...er...alien an enthusiastic smile of relief.  "I'm Nyis."  As the ramp hopefully started to rise, obscuring their field of fire, she stuck out a hand to shake Grim's.  "Nyis Veli-An-Dach.  Delighted to meet you!"


@Lexielai @SilverFlight

 

[Jabroni]

Dex Qorbin
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Dex licked his bottom lip as a bead of sweat began trickling down his forehead. The furry rabble rouser pulled behind him and gave a pat on the back. Startled and exhausted, he simply bobbed his head. Just a little more. Come on! The ramp was right there, yet he felt his legs would give out any moment now. "He-y... don't... close..." he spewed.


As he gasped for words a powerful clamor shook the station. BOOOOOOM! Then his world shifted downward with a painful faceplant just as the boarding cavity pulled into view. Speaking of view... when he lifted his head from the hard surface, everything was a blur. The trickle of sweat quickly turned to blood.


"Ahhh..." he muttered. Dark thoughts permeated his mind involving inevitable capture. How would they have his head? Would it be one fell swoop or in bits and pieces? He'd rather take a blaster to himself than give those bastards the satisfaction. Dex mustered new-found vigor in his arms and legs, proceeding to crawl up the incline. 


@SilverFlight @Lexielai @Epiphany @BainOfBridges

 

[Lexielai]

Violet
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Red blasterfire continued raining past Violet’s shoulders. She ran in a crouch, practically scrambling for the boarding ramp. Her face dripped with sweat from both the heat and the effort as the floor behind her became scorched black.


She heard the sounds of battle and the explosions. Felt them shake the floor. But they were muted; distorted. Her vision collapsed until the only thing that mattered was the boarding ramp up ahead.


Violet joined the others onboard. Atticus followed soon after, firing with his blaster and looking at the new appearances. “Fine, whatever,” he said to the furry creature and new human, eyebrow raised curiously.


“Ashenaa, we’re in. Close the ramp!”  he shouted into his comlink, all while continuing to fire. Violet started crawling up as the long ramp began lifting upwards, but just as she reached the safety of the inside of the ship, her shoulder lit up with pain.


She hissed at the burning sensation, clutching the smoking injury in agony. She breathed harshly and raggedly. Two strong hands lifted her up onto her feet, guiding her through the ship hallways. Her vision started growing blurry, and she desperately breathed faster and faster.


Then she felt a cold, scaly touch on her arm, and she gasped. She snapped her head up to meet two reptilian eyes attached to a hulking Trandoshan. Violet couldn’t hear whatever it was he said. Her body shook with the terrible pain; it took everything she had to not start screaming.


Suddenly a cold yet soothing feeling exploded inside her injured shoulder. Violet quickly glanced over to see a syringe of blue liquid punctured into the black and burned skin. "Hold sssstill," hissed a disembodied voice, but her eyes remained glued to her shoulder. 


She almost gagged at the sight of the wound. That was her. A part of her. And it looked like the times she’d seen the aftermath of a lightsaber duel. But...this was her. This didn’t happen to people like her. She just cleaned it up. She wasn’t supposed to get stabbed.


Violet felt her eyes start rolling upwards as she collapsed onto cold metal. The soothing and burning feelings continued to clash, slowly diminishing the pain, but overwhelming her as she fell unconscious.
 

TK-6148, Maurence
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“Jace!” TK-6148 yelled. His comrade collapsed into his arms with a smoking hole in his helmet. TK-6148 frantically shook Jace, futilely hoping it would do something, but a small part of him knew it was a lost effort.


Suddenly his helmet felt so small and so hot. It was claustrophobic. He couldn’t breath. TK-6148 scrambled for the locks and ripped the helmet off, tossing it across the hanger. Maurence emerged from underneath, and suddenly the wave of sensation rippled through him.


The sounds of blasterfire echoed in his ears. The heat of battle and the reek of the station and the smell of fire and ash pounding on him with their intensity. Maurence gasped, inhaling as much of the hot, disgusting air as he could in relief. Maurence glanced upwards as one of the freighters suddenly lifted off the ground, unleashing a hail of blasterfire from its underside turrets at his comrades.


He couldn’t hear them anymore with his helmet and comlink gone, but the phantom echoes of their screams still rang through him. His eyes followed the trail of chaos, to the bodies of fallen stormtroopers and friends. To the destruction and the explosions.


Then the freighter contorted, barely squeezing through the gap in the hanger bay and throwing sparks in the air as it screeched against the frame. Maurence watched it leave, stunned.


Something felt hot within him. Maurence didn’t know why, but he felt himself stand up and run. Run to Captain Getz, who was limping towards the ship, and prop his commanding officer up. Maurence helped the captain aboard, and looked out to signal for any stragglers to get on. But there were none. They all laid still, their bodies smoking as more blasterfire poured from the pirates coming on the flank.


Maurence didn’t think. He didn’t believe he’d be able to survive if he started pondering what had happened. Instead he walked to the cockpit and fired up the engines, barely remembering the rudimentary training he had from his childhood.


The satisfying hum of the engines drowned out the sounds of destruction while he was inside the shuttle. He could almost hear his father guiding him once again, instructing him to check the systems and switch the gears. With the shuttle’s slim form while its wings remained folded up, Maurence flew the shuttle outside into the darkness of space, his mind blank with only the destination of “outside” in mind.

Atticus 
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Atticus opened the cockpit doors. His eyes briefly glanced toward Ashenaa’s form in the pilot’s seat, turning away for a moment to look outside the viewport, only then suddenly realizing what he just saw.


“Ashenaa, get the hell out of my chair!” he said. Everything was going to hell, but damn if he was going to let anyone else sit in his chair on his ship. He quickly ushered her off, taking a seat and feeling the familiar grooves of the controls.


“Alright, Ashenaa you’re co-pilot. Fire up the hyperdrive and start calculating trajectories,” he instructed. Ashenaa obeyed, though not without a sassy retort which Atticus promptly ignored, and set to work.


Meanwhile he pushed the engines as hard as they could, deftly maneuvering through the stream of asteroids in the field surrounding Talos Station. He watched his sensors carefully, waiting for the moment when the station inevitably blew and hoping they would be out of range in time.


Then the ship shook violently. “What the hell was that?” he said, checking the sensors once more. Then it shook again, jostling him around in the pilot’s chair.


“We’re taking hits!” Ashenaa responded. “We’ve got fighters on us!”


Atticus frowned. He pressed on the intercom to broadcast a message throughout the ship. “Alright everyone, this is going to get rough. Strap yourselves in! Rig and...furry guy, make sure you’re in the turrets. We have company,” he said.


Now he could see the red lasers streaking past them as the fighters closed in. From the corner of his eye he spotted a Z-95 Headhunter bursting past them, the mark of the Bloodraven Pirates proudly emblazoning its side.


“Damnit. First the Imperials and now the Bloodravens huh? When do we get a kriffin’ break,” he grumbled to himself. Old war instincts starting kicking in once again. He took evasive action, dipping into the asteroid field and using them as cover.


“Ashenaa, hit the hyperdrive as soon as we clear the field. I don’t care where we go. Anywhere but here!”

DM Box
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@Newson @Volfy @Daimao Because you were inactive this week, I've played as your characters this post, and will continue to indefinitely until you contact me. 


@Epiphany @Jabroni @BainOfBridges @SilverFlight You're all onboard! The ship takes off successfully, and Ashenaa manages to barely slip the ship through the cracks, but not without a few new scrapes. However, Violet's been shot! Krod has moved to treat her in the medical bay with some directions from Atticus, who promptly ran off to the cockpit. Not too soon after, however, you feel the ship shaking some more. Anyone who's not in the cockpit hears Atticus' message on the intercom. Looks like you're not out of this yet.