Dryon nods. "There was a group of them that came thru here asking about an Adar Tallon but as I said I could not offer anything but our hospitality. They got mad an left further out into the desert." He points in the direction.
"Get rest it will do you no good traveling at night except eaten by the creatures of the desert and leave at first light to complete your quest."
Kagore grumbles and rises to his feet ignoring the pain in his side. "My watch ain't done, there may be more that come in the night."
He returns to his post, favoring his side as he waits out the night remaining alert and not trusting that these were the only bounty hunters that would bother them tonight.
The rest of the evening is uneventful and some of you get good rest.
Twin suns rise over Oasis on the morning of Day Four. Old Arno rouses your group, eager to start out. Dryon comes to see you off, thanking you for your help the night before. The high priest provides your group some food, water and two medpacs.
"Your welcome to return whenever you like." Dryon tells you. "May you always travel in the shadow of the Bantha."
Smoke wafts on the horizon, rising from the ruins of a large settlement. It appears something terrible has happened at Lank’s Farm. And from the looks of the burning buildings and smoldering wreckage, it appears that whatever occurred happened very recently. Arno brings his landspeeder to a halt, scanning the area. "Be ready," he whispers, "whoever’s responsible for this may still be around."
.
The next day as they approach the wreckage.
Sense Life
vs DC??
Ksgore draws his blaster rifle and nods at Gotal. "I'm gonna sneak around back and have a look around, maybe ambush any ambushers."
With that he detaches from the group and starts scouting the area relying on his old training to keep low and out of sight, using lines of sight and cover effectively.
Lank’s Farm looks similar to Luke Skywalker’s home in Star Wars IV: A New Hope. There are domed, partially underground buildings, and lots of vaporators all over the property. The only difference is that these buildings are in ruins, their burning remains split wide and gutted. Whatever caused this damage had extensive fire power and wasn’t shy about using it. Even the perimeter defense screens have been shattered.
Kagore sneaks around the farm, it soon becomes apparent that the agent of destruction is long gone. Dead bodies are strewn everywhere. Blaster marks, grenade fragments, and fire damage scar the battered landscape.
Hide/Sneak
As I get closer I use Sense Life again
You hear muffled sobbing coming from somewhere ahead, within the destroyed main building. It stops. Silence follows.
Kagore will cover Gotal from a hidden location waiting to see if anyone attacks him.
Having claimed one of the blaster rifles from the bounty hunters, and a couple grenades if no one else wanted them, Rufus also takes up a position within a few paces of Kagore. He watches the scene, readying a heavy blaster bolt for anyone who might threaten Gotal.
Suddenly the silence is disturbed by the sound of a blaster pistol, and two fiery bolts smash within meters of where you stand.
Kagore slides out of sight leaving Rufus behind as he moves to sneak up on the shooter(s).
Kagore dips behind the building and rubble like a snake in the grass sneaking up on the enemy.
Rufus takes a few wild shots in the direction the initial bolts came from.
Rufus lays down some fire trying to distract the sniper and Kagore sneaks up successfully.
Standing behind a partially fallen wall, a blaster in hand, is a young girl. She’s dressed in tattered clothing and appears to be crying. You figure she can’t be more than nine or 10 years old. As you watch, she prepares to fire another burst of energy toward your friends.
Kagore moves up grabbing the blaster away from the girl with a scowl on his face. "What the hell do you think your doing girl? Opening fire on strangers like that is a good way to get yourself hurt. We aren't here to rob or do more damage to this place but we need to know what happened here."
Kagore grabs the blaster from the girl and she turns toward him startled nearly crying.
"I’m Reen, and this is my father’s farm. His name is Bels Lank. Everything was fine and good until that awful man came. He was tall and silver, all dressed in shiny armor and carrying all kinds of weapons. But he scared me when I saw him land by the ’flector screens, so I ran and hid in the house. Dad went out to meet him, though, and… and… the shiny man blasted him again and again! I ran into the cellar, but I couldn’t get away from the noise. Everything was going boom all over the place. Then it was quiet until you came, so I grabbed a blaster and…" Reen begins to sob uncontrollably.
Gotal holds his position to keep the sniper distracted. Once he hears the voices he approaches the girls position.
"This is terrible news little one and we are so very sorry for your loss. How can we help you?"
Kagore's face softens slightly as the girl's pain spills out in a flood of tears. Awkwardly he moves to try to soothe her. "There there...it's over. We aren't here to hurt you. When did this happen and did you hear or see anything else? We need to take you to safety if your all alone here."
He looked toward the others as they approached. "It sounds like the bounty hunter we faced off against before. We need to find out what he was after and stop him before he kills any more innocent lives."
Kagore gets a hard look in his eye, one that speaks volumes about his resolve. He is willing to see this bounty hunter dead, even if it costs his own life. The mission was priority but he would not forgive this...atrocity.
"I didn't see anything else." she sobs some more hugging Kagore tight.
"I can take her back to the Oasis where she would be fairly safe and you three can continue on. It looks like whoever did this was heading toward Tuskan Fort. That might be a good hideout for someone trying to hide and may be where the one your looking for is hiding out so you can possibly take care of two birds with one stone if you catch my drift." Arno says.
Kagore looks at Arno, "But why would the Bounty hunter attack this place instead of going there first?"
He relinquished the girl to Arno and rested a hand on his blaster. Getting a hard look in his eye. "We need to finish this."
Arno shrugs. "Maybe they thought that he was here." he says it in a way in which you know who he's talking about without saying his name in front of the girl.
Kagore grunts an unsatisfied agreement and gets up. "If your taking the girl back then are we going ahead on foot?"
"Will be better if I take the speeder with the girl. Tusken Fort isn't to far away."
He draws you up some quick directions that look easy to follow.
The three of you head out in the direction Arno gives you. You come upon the scene of a recent battle on your way to Tusken Fort. There are bounty hunters bodies strewn every where. 10 bodies in all, but one appears to still be alive. As you approach he looks at your group and speaks.
"We were told that Tallon was old and helpless. But this man is dangerous! He led my squad of seasoned hunters a merry chase, then fell upon us swiftly and without mercy. We never saw him coming…" and then he dies.
Gotal turns towards his allies, "Well at least we know that he was alive when he left these killers behind".
Rufus grows silent during the trek through the desert, not being able to find any humor in the massacre at the moisture farm. When they reach the battlefield with the bounty hunters strewn about, he surveys the carnage with an odd look. Checking the blaster rifle he'd been holding at the ready, he shoulders it. "Maybe we shouldn't approach with our weapons ready. It might set us apart from these guys."
Gotal will see if he can pick up any tracks.
Search
It's fairly easy to find the tracks and it's going in the same direction you were already headed toward Fort Tusken.
You move on following Arno’s directions further and further into the desert. On the horizon you see the solid wall of rock known simply as “the Barrier.” Unmoving shapes between you and the Barrier become more distinct as you travel closer. You see three tall cairns, set before the open pass that Arno assured you leads to Tusken Fort. Upon examination the cairns appear unnatural and strange, made from piles of armor, helmets and various machine parts. Some pieces are recognizable — landspeeder and weapons parts, familiar bounty hunter gear — others bear no resemblance to anything you can remember.
Examining the gear you determine nothing is salvageable. There are no bodies to be found here either.
You continue on through the narrow pass after a bit you hear thunderous rumble from up ahead. A cloud of dust rushes closer, and out of the cloud you see a herd of Banthas bearing down upon you! You see atop the lead bantha a bounty hunter is tied to it but does not appear to be alive...
"Take cover!"
Kagore proceeds to do so himself.
"Taking cover!" Rufus agrees wholeheartedly, and dives toward one of the crannies.
Gotal briefly considers whether he can stop the stampede, perhaps Master Yoda or Kenobi could but he cannot, not yet anyway. So he along with his allies, takes cover.
The herd passes you by leaving you all dusty but otherwise unhurt. You continue on through the pass.
Rufus stands up from the fissure in which he had taken cover, looking dazed. "That wasn't the 3:10 to Mos Eisley."
"No it was not...but to cause such a stampede, they were running or being driven by something. Be alert for Tuskan raiders, bounty hunters, or more Krayt dragons."
When you finally make it near the end of the pass you notice some figure on top peering down at your group but trying to hide their existence from you staying low to the rocks.
Kagore taps his comlink and whispers into it. "We have ambushers on the ridge at 11 o'clock. I'm going to fall back and try to outflank them. Once I verify they are foe we can light them up from both sides."
Kagore attempts to stealthily move back down the pass the way they came and out of sight of the men. Once hidden he will attempt to scale the best rocky outcrop he can to get up on the side where he spotted the ambush.
"Well, you should have thought of that before we left. Though how you have any water to spare, I just don't know" Rufus responds loudly to Kagore to explain his departure from the group in case the person on the ridge is listening in.
Gotal falls to one knee, trying to look exhausted.
Con
Kagore there are 4 Sand People up top with blaster carbines looking down at your group.
Kagore moves in for a silent strike take down on the nearest Sand People raider.
One of the sand people drops hard when Kagore slams his fist into the back of his head!
[ooc]Your up first again Kagore before they can react to your sneak attack.
Initiative