"With the three of us, I doubt it will take very long at all." Garrett approaches the nearest transport, sizing it up. "We need something that can hold us all, in case we need a quick getaway. It shouldn't take us long to fix up this transport, and it'll save us a lot of valuable time." With that, Garrett begins to inspect the transport for damages, looking to see what might have rendered it inoperable.
The group discovers that the other transports were either cannibalized for parts or intentionally disabled. Kaldo and Garrett believe that by the late afternoon they can have one of the larger transports ready to go.
"There seem to be no sentients nearby, so let's get the most promising one of the vehicles under cover, so we can work on it without being seen if that IRD passes overhead.
And since I don't know much about landspeeder repairs, I'll see if I can scrounge up some food and water supplies for the trip."
After having given the others a hand moving the landspeeder under cover, she'll look around for supplies.
"Hmm, if we used the suspensor plates from this with the power plant from that one ... anyone see a hydro spanner?"
Kaldo emerges from beneath the wrecked transport and hands a hydrospanner to Errin. Here. Turning to Garret, he says I think we're done
"Here, move over a second... let me give you a hand. I think you've missed a plug somewhere." Garrett reaches into the bowels of the engine, tinkering with a few things before stepping back and wiping his forehead. "There, I think that ought to do it. Here, one of you give it a try, see if it runs."
Kaldo, how'd you get a +13 Mechanics if it's not a trained skill?
You have the transport ready to go within a few hours.
Rennah is unable to find any food at all, this place was cleaned out top to bottom by the people that abandoned it. Clearly the situation on this planet is most dire.
BY mid evening, you should be at the Capital City.
As you come closer to Tel Bollin you see a dark haze hangs over it - a lingering reminder of countless burned bodies and homesteads. You pass smoldering wreckage in outlying areas as you continue towards the center of the city. The air smells like ashes, and the rising smoke stings the eyes.
The streets are mostly deserted, though in the distance you can hear the sounds of souped up swoop bikes and raucous screams you assume can be attributed to their riders.
An old Chevin waddles by through the streets towing a small repulsorsled behind him phlegmatic wheezing can be heard even above the sound of your engines and the cacophony in the distance. The sled is stacked with bodies...
Errin nods when the others suggest stopping, but checks the seals on her helmet and her rebreather.
"I sure hope this Hutt vaccine is the real deal ... the survival odds after catching this bug don't look too good ..."
"Too late for regrets now Errin. Especially as I didn't bring a rebreather"
Rennah can't help but chuckle to herself.
She then jumps off the landspeeder, walks over to the Chevin and goes:
"Care for a hand with that old-timer?"
Kaldo walks up to the bodies and grimaces. Wow....
As you approach the Chevin even in the fading sun you see that he suffers from teh plague. His breath is wheezing, his eyes and mouth are crusty.
He stops and puts his hands up as if to ward you off, "Best... not to approach...", he wheezes. "What... do you... want?"
"Sorry. We've just been out of touch for a while, so we were hoping that you could perhaps give us some pointers on what's going on around here lately? Apart from the obvious of course. With something like this, i'd almost expect gangs and so on to get out of control."
[/ooc]No bonuses from me. :P[/ooc]
"Don't worry, I won't be getting sick." Garrett climbs from the speeder, his gait confident even as his hand rests on the holster of his pistol. "I'm here searching for something very important... a crashed ship, very valuable cargo. Things aren't exactly stellar here, but I figure that's still the sort of thing that makes the news; after all, it means someone broke the blockade." Garrett leans forward, closer to the man. "You must be suffering, afflicted by this plague. If you have any information, I'll do my best to get you something to... ease that."
The Chevin wheezes as you approach, "Ease my suffering? Have you a way to get the vaccine to me? Only the wealthy have been receiving it, those who have not receive not...at least not from the CSA.
The swoop gangs charge an even great price as the side effects of their so called Tempest are, dangerous.
Indeed I do remember a ship trying to run the blockade some time ago, when the outbreak first began. Some of the survivors dwell here in Tel Bollin though where I do not know, they are Nikto..."
Garrett grins as the man mentioned the vaccine, nodding his head in agreement. "The wealthy have been receiving vaccinations? Well, isn't that interesting... I'm sure we could do something about that, given the information we have now. Would you happen to know where I could find someone who might be getting these vaccines?" Garrett turns to Rennah, the wolfish grin still on his face. "If I were to "acquire" the vaccine for him, I don't suppose you'd have a problem with that, would you?"
Run the blockade....?
The Chevin points to the south, "The old playing field. That is where the CSA is mustered. They hold the spices that aid those in need there, only with an appropriate colored car on the appropriate day can you get the vaccine or other supplies. The local government is paralyzed trying to deal with the outlaws, this planet is now effectively lawless. At least the areas new the capital at any rate..." the Chevin begins hacking and wheezing.
"Problem, none at all. I don't like people stowing away that sort of thing any more than... well, thank most people do.
"Easy there old timer. Thanks for the information. We'll see what we can do about getting you.. and any family?... Some of that vaccine."
Muttering to herself:
"And right after that, I might just inconvenience the CSA a bit. At least as soon as our mission is safe."
Kaldo holds up his hands I'l help
"Nikto, huh? That could be part of the crew from the Hutt's ship. No idea where they might be holed up? It's a big city ... although I suppose Nikto might stand out if they're not a big part of the native population."
The Chevin continues to hack and wheeze, after a few minutes he gathers himself again, "No family. A few families are here but this is mostly a mining colony. That is how I came to be here though if this sickness is not cured it may soon be a dead world".
He tells you where he lives, its is just a few blocks from here, "If you come back I would be surprised but grateful. Indeed, young woman, the Nikto are not beings I have seen here before six weeks ago".
Of course we'll come back Kaldo says with a grin We aren't cold and heartless sith-spawn
"Well, let's hope we have time for diversions after locating what we came for," Errin says, careful to keep her comments to the party comm channel. "Now, how about we start asking around about these Nikto?"
[ooc]I'm certainly enjoying it, so no complaints there. :)[/b]
Agreed, let's see what we can find.
"Diversion?" Garrett scoffs, standing up to his full height again. "Errin, it's best to keep people happy when they give you information; it tends to mean they'll give you more. No, we ought to get it now, considering our actions could increase security later. Moreover, it's a CSA outpost, meaning there's a significant chance we could find something valuable there for ourselves as well, see what I mean?" Garrett starts walking back towards the speeder, settling into his seat. "Either information on where they've positioned their security, codes for the blockade, or something else; we're guaranteed to find something of value to us."
"Any chance we can get hold of some sattelite surveillance, you reckon? Might come in very handy."
Heading back to the speeder, Kaldo remarks I'm with Garret., and lets the others do the talking. If it is a CSA Outpost, I don't think anyone their would really want to be here, on a plague infested world like this. Garrett, you're good with this kind of stuff, any way we could use that to our advantage?
"Sattelite surveillance? Probably, they'd be fools not to have some way to connect to the blockade and I'm sure they've got plenty of it. It might require a little finesse, but that shouldn't be a problem." Garrett glances in the direction of the outpost as Kaldo speaks, rubbing his chin as he thinks. "Maybe? But if they're wealthy and influential enough to be receiving treatment, they might not be too upset about it. I'd have to see the situation there to know for sure. If they do have other people there, though, I'm sure I could work that to our advantage."
Garrett looks to the Chevin, calling out to him. "I'll be back with the vaccine soon, if you want to wait here. I'm not sure how I'll find you otherwise."
"If he gives us his address, we can find him. No sense standing around here, as we don't know how long it'll take."
Rennah takes one last look around.
"Let's find that field, shall we? See if there's a way we can get inside the place without causing too much of a stir. After all, we still want to be able to get away from this place, once we're done."
"I didn't have any intention of letting them know I was there," Garrett quips, grinning as he adjusts his rifle. "Or, at least I wasn't planning to let them know I wasn't supposed to be there."
The group gets back into the transport and heads south to where the Chevin gestured towards the field. For a world that is rather unimportant in the grand scheme of the galaxy, the capital city is rather large. Soon enough you find yourselves in a worse neighborhood than before. No people are out a the sun begins to set and those you do see are rushing inside.
Soon enough you find out why as a swoop gang rounds the corner on their speeders and race towards you!
Swoop Gang (6 Members)
Rennah
Errin
Kaldo
Garrett
Kaldo shoulders his blaster carbine and slowly walks away from the gang, till he moves 20 feet from where he was standing. Pointing the weapon at the nearest gang member, he lets fire.
Moving calmly, Errin brings her carbine to her shoulder and selects a target.
The one in the lead, I think, so the others know what to expect, she thinks, her finger gently squeezing the double-trigger on the blaster.