** spoiler omitted **
Rennah decides to go for it and runs for cover.
She then draws her blaster and fires at the nearest ganger.
Garrett grimaces with disdain as the gangers approach before leveling his blaster towards them to fire, only to have the rifle sputter and fail to fire a shot. He scowls and slaps the side of it a few times before it hums to life again, sighting in again on what looks to be the leader of the gangers as they approach.
Kaldo brings the transport to a stop and the Imperials begin cascading the Gang Members with laser fire.
Kaldo, fades back taking a shot that clearly hurts the gang member but he manages to hang onto the bike and continue forward.
Errin's steps off of the transport to the left taking a shot which blasts one of the gang members right off of his speeder and it careens into an empty building exploding on impact.
Rennah runs to a nearby disabled speeder seeking cover, her shot is also deadly accurate bringing a second member of the gang down hard, his speeder flipping end over end somehow missing the speeders of his fellow outlaws.
Garrett calmly remains standing on the back of the transport aims and fires but his rifle malfunctions.
Then, the swoop gang is upon them, firing the blasters mounted on their bikes at each of you!
Not only do the two members who attack Kaldo and Garrett miss badly but their speeders stall out and stop! Rennah's cover protects her as the thugs' shot slams into the front windshield shattering it, glass flying everywhere. The bolt intended for Errin is way off the mark. These tugs though are better pilots and their speeders remain operational.
"Hmm... that seems to be fixed. Now, to correct your mistake for you," Garrett muses, centering the sights of his rifle on the leader of the group. He pulls the trigger, and this time a harsh echo can be heard through the buildings as a large blaster bolt careens towards the man's head.
Well that seemed to work....
Rennah pulled out her lightsaber, ready for it to be ignited, in case one of the gangers was dumb enough to get close.
Rennah then lined up her blaster again, taking aim for the nearest ganger and letting fly with another flurry of blaster bolts.
Holding her ground, Errin calmly selects her next target and squeezes the trigger, blasting the nearest thug.
Kaldo moves forward, 20 feet duks for cover behind the transport. Poping out, he shoots the nearest gang member.
While a dangerous group no doubt to the citizens of this downtrodden and it seems, now cursed, world. These thugs are no match for the well trained elite force of Emperor Roan Fel. Despite their continued sped on the swoop bikes, Errin and Garrett make short work of the two gang members still mounted.
Thankfully, the bikes stall out instead of continuing to careen towards the transport itself.
Rennah fires at one of the thugs on foot and he takes the hit, hard. The tough SOB is still standing though.
Kaldo's shot goes wide of the mark for the last gang member standing.
Rennah's target drops his blaster and his axe throwing up his hands, "It's not worth dying for man!"
His companion though charges forward in a berserker rage at Rennah, axe held high!
The thug actually manages to strike Rennah though her armor absorbs most of the blow.
"Big mistake. For that you die."
As the thug charges Rennah, Garrett swivels his rifle around with robotic precision, aiming down the sights as Rennah attacks him with her lightsaber. As she attacks, he takes advantage of the man's focus being on her and shoots him in the back, right between the shoulder blades. "It's not smart to turn your back on a man with a gun, you know. Especially not one with no qualms about shooting you in the back... unfortunately, she's the honorable one, not me."
Kaldo, deciding that his companions have it covered, begins to walk toward the surrendered gang member. Aiming his blaster carbine at his head, Kaldo says Get down on the ground, or end up like your friend over their, motioning to one of the dead bodies.
Seeing the swoop gangers all dead or captured, Errin takes stock of the gang's bikes. If enough remain in working order, they might offer a more reliable ride than the battered transport.
As the thug reaches Rennah, it's difficult to tell whether her lightsaber or Garrett's blaster brought the thug down. Regardless, down he went.
The last thug puts up his hands an spits as he kneels down, "Alright ya' got me, now what?"
"A few questions, mostly. You should be thankful I have them, or you'd be looking a lot more like him," Garrett lowers his rifle, slinging it back over his chest as he approaches the last of the thugs. "You lot were obviously some sort of gang; did you really think we looked like a soft target, or did someone pay you to take a shot at us? Answer that one correctly, and we'll see about other questions I might have. As I said before, I'm sure you understand why you want me to have more questions, right?" Garrett phrases the question like a joke, but as always its obvious from him face that his jovial nature is fake; he looks more like a wolf stalking his prey than a man asking questions of a prisoner.
Rennah turns off the lightsaber and gives the remaining thug a ferocious scowl.
"We did not need to be slowed down, by scum like you. Better answer the man."
"Ugh, were you using bantha snot to lubricate these turbines?" Errin asks, as the nearest swoop grudgingly rumbles to life. "How do you all feel about your piloting skills? Want to trade up, or stick with slow and steady?"
Kaldo looks back toward Errin. I'm fine with trading
"Don't look at me. I only know the basics of piloting."
"Thought you was soft targets, riding a transport that looked like it weren't goin' nowhere fast. Course ya started firin' back n' our blood got up. Then this lots blood got spilt an I seen the error of my ways". The thug grins and has a few teeth missing.
"Didn't know who you was when we first laid eyes on ya' an don't know who ya' are now..."
"Lesson learned I suppose."
Kaldo whispers to Rennah He's eyeing your lightsaber
Rennah leans in and whispers back to Kaldo:
"He can eye it all he wants. It's red, so he'll think I'm Sith. That'll help as a cover. It's one of the reasons that I never changed the crystal back when I got it."
"That's one question answered... what about my second question? What do you know about the vaccination camp? It's not far from here, and any information you can give me directly prolongs your lifespan." Garret hauls the thug off the ground by his collar, staring into his eyes. "I don't think you're stupid enough to think I'm bluffing, considering the way we butchered your friends, but if you do... I strongly suggest you reconsider that train of thought." As Garrett talks, he calmly reaches over to his more mechanical arm, the one holding the man, and extracts his vibroblade from the hidden sheath before gesturing with it towards the field where they were told the vaccinations were taking place. "You're running out of time."
Kaldo walks toward one of the bikes and gets on it. Hmmm... It think I got it He then tries to start it up and make it move.
"That's the law and order around here. The Governor's holed up in that camp chompin' on spice hopin' ta' the Gods or whatever that CSA figures out how ta' find a cure fer whatever tha' hell is plaguing this place.
We don't mess with the CSA, they got superior firepower in the skies and they don't mess with us so far it seems to be workin' just fine for us. Besides we got our own spice... They got the place sealed up if that's what yer askin'. It's pretty clear even to a thug like me you all're not just spacers, yer here for a reason. If that reason is to attack the CSA I'm tellin' ya' what you got ain't enuff'" He sniffs and points to Rennah, "Even with her".
"Nothing's impregnable. If they've got people coming and going on scouting or supply runs, there's a way in. They let people in to get the vaccine, which creates an obvious weakness. And even if they think they have all the other holes plugged, something tells me that's not the case on a planet like this ..."
Errin pauses, though, as reviews the group's mission in her head.
"We should talk some more - away from this trash - before we get too distracted. We've got a couple of goals here, but one's more important than the others, in my mind."
She turns to the prisoner.
"Now, we've been hearing you gangers have some alternative to the vaccine -- something called 'Tempest.' Have you got some on you, or should be just go ahead and pop you now and put you out of our misery?"
Rennah decides to keep her mouth shut for the time being, settling for simply looking menacing, while scanning the horizon for any signs that their fight, however short, has been noticed.
"Nah, I don't have any on me right now. I take it sparingly, its potent. Anyways I aided you all I can, a deals a deal, let me loose and I'll tuck my tail between my legs and move on.
If you can break through CSA lines or even think you can, I'll be rooting for you".
"Thank you for the information. Unfortunately I don't think we can trust you."
So saying, Rennah draws her Blaster, flicks it to stun, and shoots him in the gut. Once unconscious she looks around for something to tie him up with, and drop him behind a dumpster.
"I figured you were going to make me let him go... this seems a better option." Garrett replaces his vibroblade and heads back towards the transport, his rifle again slung across his shoulders. "Well, shouldn't we get going? We have some very powerful, very important people to make angry after we raid their compound and steal all of their things, and I'd hate to keep them waiting. Shall we?"
"We should scout the place first, get an idea what we're dealing with. Then make a call about shooting our way in or letting Garrett run one of his cons."
"Why does that surprise you Garrett? Don't mistake the fact that I don't wish to hurt people for naivety. I'm more than willing to be ruthless when the situation calls for it. However the Force is a tool that requires you to be in harmony, and no sentient being should take a decision involving life or death lightly. Death, pain and anger are things to be avoided if you are to keep yourself centered, something the Sith have forgotten."
Rennah looks at Errin as she summarizes the situation.
"I agree, that seems the sensible choice. Kaldo, would you be able to infiltrate the place, and get eyes on target? Garrett can access the computerized security systems and the rest of us can act as mobile backup, if the situation for either of you goes sour."
Kaldo shrugs Sure He begins to move towards the CSA Center, while trying to make sure no one spots him. Once he gets up close, he'll blend in with the shadows.
"You can talk about the Force all you want, Rennah, but it won't get you anywhere with me. I can't feel the Force or sense anything in it, and unlike the rest of you," he gestures to Rennah and Errin, and even Kaldo, "it doesn't 'flow through me' either. Your concept of death is much different than mine; if my body gets destroyed I can always have my central processor placed into another one. You don't have that luxury." Garrett gives Rennah a hand dragging the body the towards the side of the road, before dropping him nonchalantly behind some loose rubble. "I just expected you to threaten him, is all. He didn't seem too keen on cross you after he saw that lightsaber of yours. Still, I can't say I disapprove."
As the plans for infiltration are discussed, Garrett chimes in early on. "It might be a better idea if I take the lead on infiltrating. The real question is how we want to go about it; I can probably get us in and out without being detected if you don't mind me leaving some unconscious security lying around, or I can try and keep the body count low and stay unnoticed." Either way, Garrett makes his way towards the camp with practiced grace as he slides from shadow to shadow, his clothing designed to subtly blend with his surroundings.
As day begins to turn to night, Kaldo and Garrett easily slip into the CSA perimeter. It seems designed to deal with these swoop gangs more so than a specialized infiltrator.
The area is a field so there are no true walls holding you out just patrols along with a few checkpoints to stop transports and likely swoop bikes from making runs at the people inside.
The field is becoming a tent city as the people who are privileged enough to be here are laying out tents to sleep under the stars. There are three distinct badges that people wear, red, yellow, and green.
The CSA operatives are dressed in gray fatigues and those who interact with the people have hazmat suits and re-breathers which cover their entire bodies. Those closer to the perimeter are a bit more daring and have no such suits on.
Two parts of the field contains higher security, the airfield where the IRD's land and refuel and the buildings near the southern end of the field. They appear to be an administrative building a and a hastily constructed barracks.
Kaldo hides in the cover of a shadow, scanning the tent city. You see anything? He asks Garrett
Errin settles into a corner of the dusty warehouse, back to the wall with clear views of the entrances and exits. Laying her rifle across her knees, she breathes out, centering her thoughts in the way Rennah had taught her.
Might as well lay out a few feelers, she thinks, doing her best to ignore the itching in her fingers as she reaches out with the Force.
Tranquility escapes her, however, and she opens her eyes in discuss, having sensed little more than a few rats nesting in the rafters above.
"Blast it. What do you sense, Knight?"