If Six doesn't see anything, Desh waits until Six mounts up, then he turns to the Trandoshan, "This is where you leave. Remember, even a whiff of your scaly hide."
Then he leads the group through the opening bay door and into the punishing Tatooine sun, riding vanguard and keeping his senses alert for danger on his way to the dirty, crooked town.
Your data search reveals:
Traffic control id’s the ship as a Republic ex-military Breaker class mobile infantry dropship.
Originally built by Czerka Dynamic (a wholly owned subsidiary of CZERKA INC.) some seventy years ago.
Entered into service as the ICC-912227C Rain of Fire and stricken from the list after fifty years of service.
Having a basic crew of ten, it could at one time carry sixty powered infantry drop pods to orbital insertion, or up to two hundred and fifty landing without pods.
Modest speed… modest armor… four quad laser batteries… three decks, top deck had the bridge and crew quarters, main deck had either drop pods or bunks for troops, lower deck the engineering spaces.
Besides the gangway, looks like it has two exterior crew hatches to access crawlspaces on the lower hull, and two more on the upper hull.
As the bay door cycles open and the oven like heat of Tatooine makes the sweat prickle your skin, I would like you to describe yourselves what a theoretical observer would see. Clothing, weapons, races, distiguishing marks, vehicles, etc...
Making his way to the crater Juce does his best to remain out of sight, dialing up Dr. Baniss he gets Bolt's com channel and makes his way to him.
"Any movement?" he asks as he siddles over to his position, crawling over on his elbows to present a smaller target. Un-slinging his rifle he views the drop ship through his scope.
"What's the plan Bolt?" he says, using the enforcers name.
"Well, this here dirtball hasn't changed since the last time Ah stepped off it. Still smells like poodoo and oil. Ah hate this sandpit. Let's try and git ourselves off this rock as soon as we can, eh?"
"Grreetings, Juce. I'm glad Baniss sent you. This is a forrtuitous day, is it not?
"Well there's the ship down there, Juce, but I don't see any sign of swoopgangers. Wait a minute, there's one now."
Perception
stealth
"See ´im. Fat boy, looks lost. A local? Some sort of tool in his hip holster, a mechanic?" Juce confirms.
"Where's the rest of the crew?" he asks impatiently, glancing behind him too look for Baniss. "We can't let this slip through our fingers."
A swoop glides out of the ship, slowing to a hover as it pulls to wait for others. Riding it is a big, well-muscled yellow-skinned Feorin. Your best guess is that this Feorin is somewhere around 20 cycles, but he's surprisingly big, thick, and athletic... even for one of his kind. As he waits, his eyes scan his surroundings from behind nearly solid black swoop goggles. Were he to stand, you'd guess he would top out at about 2.2 meters tall, and his exposed skin is scarred in a number of places. His clothes are the standard leathers common to any other swoop ganger you've seen, though he doesn't wear any gang-specific markings. You can see fiber armor under his leathers.
In a sheathe on one thick black boot is a vibroblade. In one hip holster he wears a pulse-wave pistol. And strapped across his back is a worn pulse-wave rifle, though the vibrobayonet affixed to its barrel looks well-cared-for.
Other than his size and yellow skin, the only other distinctive feature is a series of blue-black pattern tattoos that start on the top of his head, work their way down his face and neck, and disappear under his armor.
He pauses in his surveying of the area to look over at the big human, then back into the ship for a second before he revs the swoop's engine impatiently.
"I got a itchy feelin', guys. Let's move out."
"Itchy like a cheap whore on leave or itchy like we're being watched?" Jerrn smiles at his little joke and heads back into the cargo bay, coming out in one of the less gaudy swoop bikes. The engine whirs, a little quieter than it ought to be.
Desh can't keep the smile off his face as he looks over at Jerrn, "... like a cheap whore on leave...? What kind of Farmboy Jedi asks that?! I don't know if we're being watched... I just don like this."
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"Somthings not right." Juce mutters to Bolt as he scrutinizes the Feorin through his scope. 'Why would a mandolorian ride with these thug raiders, unless they were mandalorian too..' he muses and swings back to the fleshy human. 'Nope.' he concludes.
"That Feorin has mandolorian tatoos." he reports. "Somthings not right."
Lowering his rifle he mulls over the significance of the feorin's presence. Suddenly he gets up and starts forward, "Cover me." he says to the Cathar, heading toward the ship in plain sight, making no effort to conceal himself.
@ Desh, Jerrn and Six.
A figure wearing an all-temperature cloak approaches you from atop a nearby sand-dune, a human male wearing a blat helmet and vest, work-man pants and boots. Of average height for a human he is well toned and lean. A blaster is strapped to his thigh and a rifle hangs from a shoulder strap across his chess. Keeping one hand on his rifle as he approaches his trigger hand is raised and open.
Approaching the group he stops a full 15 meters from them. "Burc'ya. Gar dar'manda? Tion akaan chakaar? Tion gar aka?" he says addressing Desh.
The sweltering wind blows sand and dust up the loading ramp in waves. Lowering his scope from the hazy thermal warping on the horizon, Six shakes the sediment off of his hair and sharpened horns. The well-armed Zabrak sports fiber mesh armor and bristles with a sidearm, vibroblade, and heavily customized pulse-wave rifle. He heads over to the swoop with an attached sidecar and mounted repeater glaring menacingly under the rays of twin suns.
He lets out a curse as an armed figure appears from behind a dust cloud, addressing Desh in some unfamiliar language. Tightening his grip on his rifle, he prepares to respond to any aggressive action.
Jerrn pulls the speeder up to a stop, squinting up at the figure. "Welll.. He ain't a Tusken Raider. You understand his words?"
”Ahh, forrtune favourrs the bold, so they say. We arre cowarrdly to rremain hidden. It is betterr, I think Jerriko and Baniss, that we show our support forr our bold frriend, Juce, forr it seems that this is way off Tatooine.”
The Cathar stands and clambers up onto a boulder, waves his arms (still holding his rifle) in the air a few times to attract attention, then aims carefully at the swoop bike of that fat, dull-looking one.
As the furry alien pops up, aiming a rifle at Jerrn , Six takes cover behind the swoop, and sets his sights on the new aggressor, calling out a warning to the first one. "Tell him to drop the weapon, or we drop you!"
Desh pauses as the man approaches. Whlie he somewhat recognizes some of the man's weaponry and gear, he definitely recognizes his movements, attitude, and language.
Stepping away from the swoop, Desh responds with his own gesture while simultaneously giving himself room to maneuver in case things went sideways. Wouldn't be the first time another Mando attacked me… Keeping his hands in plain sight despite his itch to get them on the trigger, he responds in a language he realizes he hasn't used in years. The words feel somewhat clumsy on his tongue.
Jerrn smiles at the Cathar. "Better aim that thing higher. The swoop won't be the one shootin' back, hoss."
Baniss watches as Juce gets up and walk towards the swoop gangers. What does he mean 'somethings not right'? Great! The mandalorian has gone mad. He puts his long fingered hands up to his face and rubs his face and scratches his large blue head This thing is a disaster... suddenly Bolt stand up bringing Baniss's attention back to the situation. He goes for his blaster and looks up and sees Juce talking to the large Feorin. What's this? Looks tense but they're talking. I'd better wait. Baniss leaves his blaster where it is and settles down to watch how this plays out.
"It's not your swoop bike, you dull-witted human, that I'll be taking alive to Motta the Hutt. I hear she likes to keep her bounty prizes alive for as long as possible."
You see through the open bay door into the cavernous interior of the dropship, and it utterly empty.
Where are the rest of the gang? Did they evade you already? Are they circling around behind you EVEN NOW?
Perception
Jeriko approaches the area quickly but cautiously, eager to take advantage of this opportunity but frustrated that the "team" he's working with hasn't synced up on the same com channel yet. His brow furrows and one of his lekku twitches as he comes into view of the Death's Head Riders' vessel. He wends his way up the blind, using a decaying piece of ancient, nameless wreckage as cover as he observes the area.
...what a piece of druk! If they're brave enough to fly around in that heap, maybe this isn't the best idea after all. The twi'lek then recognizes Juce down below, guardedly addressing what seems to be a rancor disguised as a feeorin. He shakes his head in resignation.
What has the doc gotten us into here? It looks like the doc and his Cathar buddy are providing cover for the Mandalorian who is playing diplomat?! It's an unorthodox approach, I'll give them that. And the mando - what was his name again? - is talking to an exceptionally large feeorin who is accompanied by a dimwitted human and a zabrak who is piloting what seems to be a swoop turned into a mobile weapons platform.
He sighs.
Oh yes. This is going to end well.
He turns on his comlink, hoping the Mandalorian and Cathar are on the same com channel as the doctor, and whispers, "Baniss? What's going on here? Where are the rest of them? The bounty is for *FORTY* gangers, not three. We're farkled if the rest of them have already circled around behind us.
"It's not your swoop bike, you dull-witted human, that I'll be taking alive to Motta the Hutt. I hear she likes to keep her bounty prizes alive for as long as possible."
"Ah see. Well, if yer that jimmied to kill a swoop, neighbor, we got a few we'll sell ya on the ship back there. Ain't mine, but Ah don't think the last owners'll care much if we sell 'em. As for a Hutt, Ah don't recall a Motta. Did Ah date her at some point? Ah never was good at goodbyes, ya know."
The T-shaped visor of the helmet shifts a little as Juce regards the Zabrak with the repeater, staring for a moment he glances behind him at the Cathar. "You were suposed to stay in cover." he says, almost sullenly.
Turning back to Desh he switches back to mando'a and speaks at length to Desh.
He sighs before continuing.
Desh holds his hand up in a fist… the common military sign for 'hold'.
He shakes his head, his long tentacles swinging slowly as he switches to basic, "And now I see the problem here. We're not with the Death's Head Raiders. We just took their ride. The short version is that they attacked us so we took their toys. The trandoshan you just saw leave - the one i'm happy to help you kill - is one of 'em… not one of mine. From what I can tell they're a bunch of dim-wittted, amateur, self-important di'kuts*." He hooks one meaty thumb back over his shoulder, "The human and the zabrak are with me, and they've earned the right to fight at my side."
He looks over the mandalorian and the cathar, "So you came here looking for the Raiders, and you came armed. I saw fifty to sixty of them when we first arrived. You planning on taking them all out? With the two of you? Or are you hiding a small platoon over there?" He smiles his lipless smile, "I guarantee it'd take that to take us down, friend."
Baniss glances at his comm quickly as he receives the whispered message from Jeriko. Then with eyes back watching Juce's diplomatic efforts he whispers into him comm (a little distracted) "Hmm... The rest of them are still on the ship aren't they?" Then he turns and says to Bolt "The rest of them ARE still on the ship aren't they?" Baniss turns around still down low in the cover looking in-between ships and listening for the rumble of swoops. Pu-Du! This just gets worse
Jerrn takes a deep breath, still smiling his stupid grin. He reaches out with the Force, attempting to determine how many are still in hiding around them.
Use the Force:
Dating Hutts? Human's are more disgusting than I thought.
"Baniss, I saw the ship land. I've seen only these thrree come out. A ship that larrge must needs a biggerr crew than thrree, Baniss, and it can clearrly carrry morre than just thrree. Therre must be morre inside. Therre must be, Baniss, must be."
I can barely hear the cat, Baniss! Turn up the gain on your coms or get everyone on the same kriffing channel!
"I have a clear view into that rustbucket's hangar from here, and it's empty. So unless they're a swoop gang with no swoops, then they aren't on board."
"Looks like whatsisname and the rancor cub are talking at least, so at least we have that small victory. You know, that way it won't be a total loss if a hoard of gangers rush us from behind." He chuckles mirthlessly then adds, "But... say, do you know why that human is grinning like that? He's creepin' me out." Both of Jeriko's lekku tremble with his last statement though he resists the urge to let the tremor run through the rest of his body.
His hand reflexively drops to Angeline, still comfortably in her holster.
Reaching out in the Force, you sense the presence of your crew, the Mandalorian, the Cathar waiving the rifle on the old dropship hulk, a couple more hidden near the Cathar, a couple on the bulk Tibanna gas carrier, one on the pod shuttle, and... far off, in the direction of the city, the ripples of a Force user; you can't tell any more than there's an even chance it could be more than one.
The Death's Head Raiders (or Riders) swoop gang is the group that fought you and you took their ship from.
The Black Flag swoop gang are the guys who paraded around your ship when you landed.
An easy net search reveals they are rival gangs.
Jerrn clears his throat and points toward the hidden players. "You might as well tell yer friends to come on out o' hidin'. No sense some o'you bein' all stealthy when Ah already know yer there, is it?"
He looks over the mandalorian and the cathar, "So you came here looking for the Raiders, and you came armed. I saw fifty to sixty of them when we first arrived. You planning on taking them all out? With the two of you? Or are you hiding a small platoon over there?"
"Desh, you gonna talk this guy to death? Tell him that I'm gonna have a nice Cathar rug for the ship, if his friend doesn't drop the gun!"
"You might as well tell yer friends to come on out o' hidin'. No sense some o'you bein' all stealthy when Ah already know yer there, is it?"
At the announcement of reinforcements, Six switches to the repeater, taking aim at the Cathar.
Watching the Zabrak switch guns Baniss says to Bolt "We've got no chance now, We have no element of surprise." then over the comm to Jeriko loud enough for Bolt to hear "I'm going down there to see what in the far reaching space lanes is going on!"
He makes a big show as he stands up of holding his blaster up high and wide before dropping it to the ground, then if no one shoots him he'll walk towards the ship with his arms raised.
A chirp sounds in your headset.
The warning tone specific to the backdoor program you left in the Traffic Control central computer, rigged to warn you if somebody besides you stumbled onto the same connection that you did of the gang bounty to the ship.
Then it chimes again. And again.
All told, some very sophisticated Bounty Hunters stumbled onto the same info you did in 4.2 seconds. (Which is not just worrisom, but suspicious as well... but that will have to wait.)
"Err, Baniss, therre are otherrs that have rrealised that this ship we arre watching is worth a massive bounty - well, would be if it didn't have these strrange people in it. I've rrigged a prrogrram, Baniss, that alerrts me when otherrs have searched for key terms that would brring them to the same idea of collecting this bounty, and it has trried to alerrt me to severral.
"I suggest we disappearr frrom sight and keep an eye out forr morre dangerrous people arrriving. Do you want to call Juce and Jerriko back in too, Baniss?"
The Cathat lowers his gun as he talks quietly to Baniss. He then moves back into the hide and attempts to disappear.
Stealth
Juce nodes at Desh's introduction and explanation, remaining stoic when he explains about the Death's Head Raiders fate. "So you killed them all?" he asks, switching to basic, almost hopeful that the answer would be 'no'.
Starting to reply Juce stops as he's interrupted by the flurry of activity. 'Seems I stirred up a hornet's nest.' he thinks sourly as Baniss comes out of cover as well. "Haar'chak!*" he bites back as the doctor approaches.
Turning back to Desh he lowers his hand, laying it on the stock of his rifle, well off the trigger. "Well. Honor has been satisfied. My curiosity as well. We now know of each other."
"Ni dinu ner gaan naakyc, jorcu ni nu copaani kyr'amur ner vod.** Perhaps we will speak again." he says raising his hand again, then inclining his head he turns and walks away, gesturing for Bolt and Baniss to back off as he comes their way.
** Honor my offer of truce, for I would not willingly shed my brother's blood.
Baniss stops and waits for Juce to aproach."What's going on Juce?"
Jeriko watches with no small amount of amazement as the doofy-grinned human points directly at him, even though Jeriko is quite confident the man couldn't have seen him. His lekku twitch as his eyes widen in equal parts respect and worry. Now how'd that one spot me, I wonder?
His expression then shifts to one of total bewilderment as Baniss emerges from cover and walks down the blind. Oooook. So instead of the 4 of us ambushing 40 gangers, I guess we've now decided to surrender to 3 of them. He looks again at the massive feeorin... Ok, yeah, that guy probably counts for two.
Then his jaw drops as he watches the Cathar look at piece of his equipment, seemingly speak into his comlink, and then turn tail and vanish behind a jagged clump of debris. Just as the cat disappears from view, the twi'lek turns and sees the Mandalorian - the Mandaolorian! - seemingly wrap up a civilized discussion with the feeorin and then casually approach the doctor.
... I am *so* confused right now.
Desh watches as the other group walks away. Once they're far enough away, he slowly returns to his swoop, "Alright. We've wasted enough time here. Let's lock her up and roll out. We have some gear to sell and some guns to hire."
His swoop roars back to life and he waits for his teammates to mount up before heading into Mos Eisley.
Jerrn smiles again as he climbs back aboard his swoop. "I dunno. If ya want guns, that lot wasn't bad. Ah mean, seemed level headed and not trigger-happy."
Closing up the ship and setting the security codes, Six hops back on his swoop and shouts into his comlink over the wind and engine hum. "Desh - what were you two yapping about back there? Sounded like you need 3 tongues just to pronounce it!"
Watching the bounty hunters leave, a thought occurs to Six. "Wait - if the bounty is on the gang we took this ship from, and they're all dead... doesn't that mean we get the bounty?"
Juce stops when he meets up with Baniss. "The bounty has been earned, by them.." he says, hooking his thumb at the group. "Those three got attacked by the raiders and took their ride off 'em for their efforts. You wana go up against 'em?" Juce asks in a tone that clearly suggests that he considers the notion suicide.
Juce stops when he meets up with Baniss. "The bounty has been earned, by them.." he says, hooking his thumb at the group. "Those three got attacked by the raiders and took their ride off 'em for their efforts. You wana go up against 'em?" Juce asks in a tone that clearly suggests that he considers the notion suicide.
"If they arn't the Deaths Head Raiders then there is little point taking them on regardless of our chances. The odds were never really in our favor anyway." Baniss comms Jeriko and Bolt to let them know that the crew of the ship is no longer the Raiders "Juce tells me that the Feeorin is a mandalorian, they claim to have taken the Raiders ship after defeating them."
Baniss comms Jeriko and Bolt to let them know that the crew of the ship is no longer the Raiders "Juce tells me that the Feeorin is a mandalorian, they claim to have taken the Raiders ship after defeating them."
The cathar jumps out of his concealment and yells to Baniss, hoping that everyone can hear:
"I'm morre concerrned about the incoming bounty hunterrs who have only just now rrealised how much the forrmerr occupants of this ship are worrth. I have had several alerrts that otherrs have come to the same conclusion that I did. I think, Baniss, that it is best to not be thought as being parrt of the bounty, as most people who would claim the bounty do not ask questions first. I think, Baniss, it is time to high tail it out of herre, beforre we all become perrmanent victims of mistaken identity. Dead was not how I planned to leave Tatooine."
He looks about expectantly.
Desh slams on the air-brakes, his swoop sliding to a stop before he's gone fifty meters. "That felt all wrong, guys. If they were officials, they'd have asked for at least ID. If they were local Hutt strong-arms, they would have shaken us down for credits. Which means they either have a vendetta against the Raiders - something we can use. Or they're guns for hire - again, which we can use."
He pulls the swoop the rest of the way back around, heading towards where the other group disappeared over the sand, "Okay, let's stay focused here, guys. Maybe they're the guys we came looking for, maybe they're cut-throats who will want to kill us for wasting their time. Either way, this could get hairy. I just don't want to miss an opportunity here."
As he pulls near the sand-hill, he cuts the engine, stepping away from the swoop and keeping his weapons holstered. He cups his hands to amplify his deep voice,