The big droid follows them back to the Dagger and amusingly enough, doesn't lift a metal finger to help them load the skiff with the weapons. The return trip is uneventful, as is the handoff to Stryker, as is loading the ship components back onto the skiff. MDK-911, for all his charming personality, does seem to be an effective deterrent against ambush. The locals ("denizens" might be a better word) appear to know what the droid represents.
It's the trip back where things go wampa-shaped. The way back to the ship includes a brief sojourn through a claustrophobic side alley/tunnel, some sort of access corridor crisscrossing underneath one of the tubetrains. The three previous trips have seen the tunnel clear of obstacles. This time, however, there's an overturned cart and some Sullustan mole-mules blocking the way out. Arnae toggles the reverse thrusters and makes to back the lumbering skiff out of the tunnel.
Calsera and Mandall both have that twinge of danger. Their blasters snap into their hands and they're halfway across the starboard rail when a blue ion bolt slams into the rear repulsorlift array! The skiff tips, crashing onto the tunnel floor, the cargo crates tumbling over with a deafening thunder.
Noone's hurt in the short fall and tumble, but the disorientation is enough time for seven armed highwaymen to move in, four taking cover behind the cart and the other three hopping down from ventilation shafts in the tunnel walls. There's a clang as one of the robbers drops his spent ion launcher and draws a short-barreled ion gun.
"Nobody move! Keep your hands where I can see 'em!" shouts one of the raggedy thugs.
"Oh, my dear, sweet, naive Aurelia," croons a sultry voice from the far end of the tunnel. Its mocking tone echoes off the red rock. "Arnae, you should have known better. Wayde might have a hangup with killing an old crewmate but I'm not going to let your cargo waltz right off my planet." Jileeza's half-visible now, a shadow near the overturned cart. She strides foward, a young Twi'lek woman at her side. Both are dressed like the other highwaymen. "Why make a trade when you can make off with both loads?"
"Whatever you like, dead man." The Rodian assassin raises her blaster-
choom choom choom choom
MDK-911 raises its bulk to a knee and with lightning speed, lights up the ion gunner with a stream of blast bolts. Smoke and carbonized flesh spiral off the dying robber as his weapon skitters to the ground.
Jorm dives for cover, dragging Aurelia with him, as the blaster fire starts.
"Come on guys, let's go to a planet run by criminals and work a deal on the black market," mutters Jorm to himself as he draws his blaster and assesses the situation. "What could possibly go wrong." MDK-911 appears to be working with them, which is good. From what Aurelia and Arnae have told him, Jileeza is probably the biggest threat. "I am such an idiot," he mutters as he tries to take a shot at Jileeza.
Jorm and Dutch move a hair before their opponents realize that 1) there's going to be a gunfight after all and 2) Jo-jo just got blown to bits by the droid. Jorm pulls Aurelia behind the crates of avionics and ECCM gear, drawing down on the Rodian crimelord. Dutch crouches into the cul-de-sac formed by the bow of the overturned skiff and makes ready to blast Jileeza as well.
Fingers caress triggers and... nothing. Nothing, save the *click* of a weapon drained of tibanna gas.
Having heard enough tales from her companions, Calsera immediately goes for a shot on that witch Jileeza. And like her companions, finds her weapon useless.
Even as she emits a cloud of pejoratives and defamations, she checks her vibroshiv to see if at least it is functional. Some part of her brain cannot figure out why she didn't check her weapons as soon as she got them back...
"Son of a Wampa!" mutters Jorm as his pistol fails to do anything useful. He pulls the trigger a couple more times just to make sure and then searches for spare power packs and failing that, something he can use as a melee weapon.
So distracted by the parts that I forgot to check my blaster. I hope I live to regret this.
"Sir," says Jorm to Dutch, "you didn't happen to bring any grenades with you, did you? This might be a good time to use them if you did."
Her vibroknife activating in her hand, an ugly smile spreads across Calsera's face. However, not being inclined to suicide, she pauses a moment to check the positions of her opponents. Is there anyone she can get to without exposing herself too much...
Mandall already noticed the malfunctions on the team's gear. True, his blaster didn't feel quite right...off by a couple of grams. He didn't notice then, but that just teaches you to pay more attention.
Knowing that he's probably got the edge in technique if not sheer physical power, Mandall launches himself from cover at the nearest goon, going for a disarm. If this works, he'll have gotten rid of one of them while regaining his offensive capability; if it doesn't work - well, it's better than getting tapped in the head cowering behind cover.
Calsera crouches down behind the spilt skiff, hoping that her teammates will draw fire and let her pounce. She suddenly notices that Mandall's not with her anymore.
Mandall crouch-runs out from the skiff, throwing himself into the thug next to the dead ion gunner. The thug's blaster speaks twice, showering debris over the two struggling combatants, then Mandall trips his opponent up, tosses him down, and puts a shot into him as he hits the ground. He's done.
Jileeza, not realizing that Rebel special forces are crazy, turns her blaster on Mandall as he dispatches his foe. The blast bolt sears up his leg and the Rebel pilot falls to the ground, prone but still in the fight. "Kill the droid!" she shouts at her henchmen...
(5 Shock, 1 Wound)
The last thug standing out in the open puts a ruby bolt into MDK-911. The big droid shudders and shrugs it off.
(2 Shock)
'Za's Twi'lek companion fires her heavy blaster pistol at Jorm, while one of the thugs behind the mole-cart tries for Aurelia. The shots spang off the heavy cargo crates. Dutch is likewise missed by a handful of errant blasts.
Seeing an opportunity, Calsera glides toward Wayde Striker's duplicitous partner. Perhaps a close encounter with a vibroknife will end this difficulty quickly.
Oh Jaz...I liked you better than Striker...alot better. Might have been friends, if you can call not trusting you farther than I can shoot you friendship. Half suprised you hadn't turned on him yet. But you underestimate people...if you had turned, you'd wind up a corpse in the ally if you were lucky...I'm sure Wayde is more creative. But then, so am I.
Aurelia ducks behind the skiff and tears open an access panel to get the repulser field back up and running, her head low. As she watches Cat advance to knife range, the danger of that particular tactic strikes her.
Well, worked on a thug once before... She tears out half the drive wires to the skiff, pushing against it to move it slightly. Jorm's probably shocked to see her doing apparently more harm than good...until he gets it back up and running, and it starts a very dangerous spinning movement...
What the...
Jorm is used to Aurelia's more delicate touch with machinery. Watching her tear open panels is a bit of a shock, but not for long. There's no time for that. As Jorm sets to work resetting power circuits and repairing the skiff, he can't help but laugh. "Hey Aurelia, the last time we did this, there was the threat of weapons fire and the cold hard vacuum of space. Now we're just down to weapons fire. I think we're moving up in the world."
Dutch darts out from the skiff, shouting as he goes. Jileeza sees him coming (anyone would, really) and tries to blast him before he closes, but the grizzled veteran's too quick. Dutch feints with his knife and grabs Jileeza's weapon arm, but the Rodian snaps a blade of her own into her hand and Dutch has to give some ground.
Mandall's stolen blaster barks once, dropping the third gunman blocking the Vandals' access to the street behind them. The pilot immediately flattens against the tunnel wall as he sees the skiff give a lurch.
Calsera makes her move as Jileeza strikes Dutch with lightning speed. Her blaster misses as Dutch makes a wide swing, denying her any chance to shoot the old Rebel, but her little vibroknife finds a home in Dutch's abdomen. Dutch lurches forward but Calsera's on 'Za before she can hit him again. Cat's knife strikes true, coming away from the assassin trailing an arc of green blood.
Working together, Jorm and Aurelia manage to get the repulsors back online. The skiff starts what could be a deadly spin, beginning by slamming the crates of parts back down the tunnel in the direction they came.
Mandall appreciates the pair's Cover Delivery System (TM).
MDK-911 opens fire on the thugs behind cover - what would be dead-center shots on two of the thugs are stopped by the mole-cart, but the shattered metal and smoke are grim testament to the short lifespan of the gunmen's cover.
Jileeza's Twi'lek companion finally manages to bring her blaster to bear on the two Rebels assaulting her mistress. A blast-bolt sails right between Cat and Jileeza - it's hard to tell who the girl was actually aiming at. Her second shot is unfortunately on-target. Dutch crumples amidst a cloud of smoke, his teeth locked in the grimace of one who knows the end is coming.
Whether it's by shock of what just happened to Dutch, or amazement that the skiff snapped to life so quickly, Aurelia's just not paying enough attention to the 3 remaining mole-cart denizens and pays for it. A bolt kicks the mechanic right under her right arm. She hits the skiff floor, stunned for a moment as Jorm pulls her behind him, trying to control the whirlwind of death they've boarded.
MDK-911 watches two errant blasts (also from the mole-cart) whip by on their way to nowhere.
"Dutch!" shouts Jorm as his commander hits the floor. Aurelia's wound snaps him out of it briefly, but only long enough to make sure she's safe. After that, his mind turns into an arrow, a red hot pusling arrow comprised of anger and guilt. My fault...Have to make it right
Jorm tries to bring the bucking skiff under control and aim it right at the Twi'lek who shot Dutch.
Jileeza lets Dutch slide to the ground, turning her full attention to the suddenly berserk Cathar. Calsera and Jileeza dance back and forth, their knives darting and flashing. Cat takes a snap kick to her leg; she buckles but recovers in time to stop 'Za's killing strike, ducking low and coming up inside the Rodian's swing. Calsera's blade has nowhere to go, so she uses what nature gave her and rips into Jileeza's knife arm with her teeth! As she pulls away, Calsera sees a whole lot of doom on its way towards Jileeza. Dutch rises up behind 'Za, keeping himself alive through sheer anger, and buries his vibroknife in the Rodian's back. He stabs her two more times as Jileeza blasts him, trying in vain to kill him for good.
Meanwhile, Jorm and Aurelia are riding the spinning skiff, on a murderous collision course for 'Za and her henchwoman. It's at this point that Aurelia recognizes the Twi'lek, as well as the painful memory of getting punched in the throat at an airy Bespin cafe. She rips out the compensators, giving the skiff an unexpected boost as the vehicle closes. Calsera just rolls backwards, twisting around with catlike agility to lie flat. Jileeza and Dutch are locked in a fatal embrace of point-blank blaster fire and multiple stab wounds. The Twi'lek - Ta was her name, Aurelia thinks - tries to get out of the way. Tries, and fails. A rifle blast screams down the tunnel and Ta arcs her back in pain, Eritram's bolt having carbonized a deadly swath across her left shoulder.
Mandall puts a shot through the melee, past the skiff, and into one of the gunmen huddling behind the cart. He can't tell if it's a killing shot or not through the chaos, but he's not targeted by any return fire.
What the skiff does to Jileeza (who's dying at the moment), Ta, and unfortunately, Dutch (who's too career military to just die when he gets shot), is not something they would show in a Star Wars movie. "Grisly" would be appropriate. "Pulverized" might also work. "Killed the shit out of" is definitely apropo.
The remaining two thugs fire a few shots on their way out of the tunnel. Jorm staggers against the skiff controls as a bolt scores his arm and numbs his limb from shoulder to fingers. MDK soaks up another bolt and doesn't flinch as he raises his wrist-blasters to wipe out the gunmen. Maybe it's the swirling vortex of skiff, maybe it's the damage he's taken to this point, but MDK-911 only gets one of the thugs - but he gets him good. Carbonized from waist to face, the dead thug trails ash on his way to the floor.
Things turn ugly in a hurry as the ultimate cat-fight explodes in the middle of the tunnel. Cat and 'Za prove to be fairly evenly matched as they go at it tooth and vibroknife. In the end, it is Dutch who breaks the stalemate, dragging his half-dead carcass off the floor and plunging his blade into the Rodian assassin.
It is only Calsera's feline senses and reflexes that save her from being ground to a red paste by Jorm and Aurelia's death-skiff.
The damage done, Cat rises from the floor, spatters of various colors of blood decorating her clothing and fur. She scans the area for survivors - both friend and foe.
Admiral Duck Sauce
