|
Fromikeable
Keeper Of The Techxts
1,616 posts
628 likes
...and I'm comin'! *guitar riff*
|
|
last online Jun 22, 2023 19:35:57 GMT -5
Moderator
|
|
|
Aug 19, 2012 15:15:01 GMT -5
Post by Fromikeable on Aug 19, 2012 15:15:01 GMT -5
Horst had always hated Coruscant. Maybe it was just the memories of running around on the lower levels stealing credits, rooting through trash, and even getting shot at for stealing a small meal every now and again, being nothing more than 5 or 6 years old, but the engineer certainly had never wanted to return.
So much for that.
Still, at least they weren't quite as far down in the city planet as Horst's childhood hooliganism had been. Up high enough for the streets not to be paved with slime and blood. Down low enough for them to have kept all of their guns (and snuck the heavier ones past customs). Experience in smuggling was spontaneously helpful like that.
Ethan, as it turned out, was actually being quite the travel companion. Horst never would have guessed that he'd wind up traveling with a Corellian-Mandalorian ex-bounty hunter sailor, but that was life for you.
Ethan was actually one of the better people Horst had met in his time. It was nice to actually be able to rely on someone for once; not just sit in a freighter and haul around boxes of assorted contraband around the Mid-Rim. Beyond that, he wasn't just some type of garden-variety scum like the rest of the underworld seemed to be.
Ethan was like Horst; a soldier without an army.
Well, maybe not for long.
Speaking of freighters and friends, Horst looked over his room again. Ethan had booked them two suites in a nice hotel for the few days they had spent on Coruscant tying up loose ends and dealing business for the road ahead.
Horst checked the clock on the wall, noting the time. He was actually supposed to be meeting Ethan down in lobby for a quick check of the ol' to-do list before they started packing up. They were set to leave this afternoon, and they had also been set to meet a few minutes ago.
Whoops.
Horst walked across his suite, past the bed and projector and to the bedstand. The hotel was classy enough to provide each guest with their own rented commlink, and since the engineer would be gone in a few hours anyway, his fear of being tracked by a call was minimal. Besides, he needed to make this call; it was to one of the few people he had left. He picked up the device and his room key, exited the room, and proceeded down the hallway toward the lift.
Grinning a little, Horst punched in a number he had memorized time and time again. The line hummed before the voice on the other end picked up.
"Yello'?"
"Heya' Sharpie." Horst grinned a little more, hitting the lift button. "Su'cuy!"
"Horst! What the HELL are you doing calling me from Coruscant?!"
"Relax, ner'vod. I'm just checking in. How did the ship transfer go?" The lift door opened with a ding, and Horst was delighted to find that it was empty, allowing him to continue his conversation. Two men walked in an attempt to catch the lift before it departed, but Horst closed the door early.
"Haar'chak! Are you trying to get yourself killed?! Why are you even in the Core!?"
"I'll tell you later. Calm down." The lift zoomed down to one of the lower floors before beginning to slow. It being made of glass, Horst noted the other lifts; it seemed the two gentlemen he denied had found another lift down, and were only a few seconds behind him. "How'd the Night-Watch do getting to Mandalore?"
"Fine, fine." The lift finally eased to a stop, giving a nice view of the speeder dock 50-something meters away before opening its doors. Horst stepped out. "What's this place you want me to send it to again? It looks like some weird estate for some industrial owner or something."
"A friends' place." The two guys had merged into a group of about 6 or 7, all of them packing, by the looks of things. They seemed to whisper quickly for a moment, before splitting up, glancing in Horst's direction as they did so.
"I don't think I know this friend. He a gett? Because it looks like he's rarely home."
"He's a gett alright," Horst chuckled softly, looking around for Ethan. In a sea of Coruscant heads, the trademark Corellian red hair was bound to stick out like a sore thumb. "I've got to go though. Call you again later."
"K'oyacyi!" The call ended, and Horst resumed his search.
|
|
|
|
|
Ghostie
SMELL LIKE POWA'
764 posts
77 likes
96.5% MORE WUB WUB
|
|
last online Aug 19, 2019 9:17:21 GMT -5
Guardian
|
|
|
Aug 19, 2012 18:48:51 GMT -5
Post by Ghostie on Aug 19, 2012 18:48:51 GMT -5
Ethan had mixed feelings about Coruscant. On one hand, he loved the planet. It was the heart of the Republic. The very thing he fought for in the Navy. On the other hand, it held some very bitter memories. Mainly that of breaking things off with Corana. But when they had lived here, they lived significantly higher.
The Old Hunter had found a place that was just right though. Not too high, not too low. It was in the Corellian Sector, just make it feel a little like home. People didn't mind to seem if you were packing, but you didn't hear blasterfire every night of the week. This worked perfect in Ethan's case, as Ethan was always looking over his shoulder, so he always had his blaster with him.
Ethan didn't trust anyone he around into on Coruscant this time around. Being wanted did that to a person. Like usual, he used his alias, Mr. Hiker. He had a mix of clothes ranging from Corellian styles to Mandalorian styles. And he always had something on his face.
Too bad I couldn't get my beskar'garm off the Verada.
Ethan longed to have his armor handy. It had been about the only thing he wasn't able to get off the ship. He got his blaster rifle and his besk'ad, all in the trunk of the speeder Ethan rented. But not only was that much armor hard to sneak around with, but had someone seen him, it would induce a panic this high up in Coruscant.
Ethan parked the red and white Queens Arrow on one of the many landing pads. He had agreed to meet Horst in five minutes to look over the “To-Do List” as Horst called it. Though, the only thing they needed now was a pilot. Ethan didn't mind helming the Verada, but that would be hard to do while he was on the ground.
Today, Ethan had his flight jacket from the Navy, and khakis with boots and his favorite chrome aviator sunglasses. His Corlivc 44 was in a shoulder holster under his jacket. If someone just glanced at him, they would assume that he was still in the Republic Navy. Which, in Ethan's opinion, worked great on Coruscant.
As long as you stayed away from the lower levels. Hence the heavy blaster.
Ethan waited a couple minutes in the lobby of the Hotel. It was surprisingly busy today. Very busy. That would work well for meeting Horst. Today was to be their last day on Corsucant, so he hoped the Engineer was all packed up and ready to go.
Ethan waited in the lobby, leaning against one end of the reception desk as the female twi'lek behind it tried to best to help everyone check in and out. They needed more staff on hand.
Horst finally came out of the elevator, along with two other crowds to his right and left. How the grizzly man got a lift to himself was beyond Ethan. He let Horst finish on his comlink, not interrupting. Ethan didn't know if it was family or friends or even a Hutt. A private call was a private call.
“What took, burc'ya?”
Ethan greeted his new friend with a smile. Without waiting for him to respond, Ethan swung into full Mando'a pretty fast. He had to think, would Mnado'a or talking about military-grade weapons that you know own cause more of a panic? Most people didn't know Mando'a, so...
<<I got those rifles we were looking at the other day on the Verada, along with enough spare power packs to keep a battlion going to ages. Had to make good with a couple of contacts, but that's no matter. You all done here?>>
It was then that Ethan noticed something out of place. Something that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on edge. An intuition he picked up while fighting in the gang wars on Nar Shadda. A group of about seven people, all human males, were staring over in their direction. And they had firepower.
Be calm. Don't hit the trigger just yet. You're not on the lower levels, people would freak out.
“Friends?”
|
|
|
|
|
Ash
Ash Ash Binks
835 posts
103 likes
Comic line loading.
|
|
last online Jun 5, 2022 10:09:17 GMT -5
Guardian
|
|
|
Aug 19, 2012 23:14:22 GMT -5
Post by Ash on Aug 19, 2012 23:14:22 GMT -5
Bit awoke, like how he normally did these days with a start. Another nightmare: another restlest piece of his past coming back to get at him. He sighed, throwing his blankets off his body, and wincing and groaning in pain. His shoulder and stomach, while mostly healed from his time on Manaan.
Just the word Manaan brought a woman to his mind, a pale Twi'lek woman who didn't seem to fancy him too much at all, but, recently, seemed to be on his mind. He shook the memory from away and lit up a cigarette. He didn't care about what time he started smoking anymore these days: nor did he really know, nor care for the current time.
After the cigarette was finished, Bit showered, shaved, and performed all his normal duties he would any other normal day. He ended with another cigarette, watching the local news as he slowly smoked. As he made it to his filter, and the news cut off for a commercial, he left his room, heading to the elevator.
A short trip later, Bit was down in the lobby, heading towards the bar nestled up against one of the far walls. He ordered a light beer, sipping on it while he watched whatever was on the holo, which was some random sport he didn't really care for.
When he was finished, he paid for his brew, went to the counter, where he was stuck waiting in the line before he could check out. Though he was acting warmly, he didn't really flirt with the Twi'lek beauty behind the counter. As soon as his dues were paid, he turned around...
And froze in place. Blocking the exit to his rented speeder, white with a blue racing stripe right down the center. Being very fast and with an open canopy made for a dangerous craft in the wrong hands.
Bit had enough trouble with goons as of late to try to have a possibility of having a run in with these guys... wait: maybe they weren't here for him. Here he so lucky. Nonchalantly, he made his way to the turbolifts, loitering around there, as if he was waiting for someone to come down: he was also using the cover of two men, larger than his athletic frame, to use as a sort of cover, just to get out of eyesight, before he made for his speeder.
|
|
|
|
|
Fromikeable
Keeper Of The Techxts
1,616 posts
628 likes
...and I'm comin'! *guitar riff*
|
|
last online Jun 22, 2023 19:35:57 GMT -5
Moderator
|
|
|
Aug 20, 2012 11:35:36 GMT -5
Post by Fromikeable on Aug 20, 2012 11:35:36 GMT -5
Horst spotted his companion like looking for a starship in a hey-stack. Ethan seemed to be feeling a little reminiscent today; he practically looked like he was a sailor on leave. Horst was still wearing his Rancor patch on his jacket, but for the most part he thought that it probably would have been a good idea to look a little more Republic today.
“What took, burc'ya?”
Horst was going to answer, but Ethan immediately jumped into explaining their situation in full-fledged Mando'a. Horst followed his speech fine, but had to think for a minute before he could respond. He hadn't spoken complete Mando'a since he had left Mandalore, and his grammar was a bit rusty.
<<I'm set. I've actually been looking up a few old contacts myself. With any luck, we might have a few more sets of hands to use those guns.>>
In truth, Horst had taken a chance looking up a few of his former squad-mates. Most were still in the military, but the Engineer had managed to drop a line to a few who had left as well (though, he suspected, for far different reasons). If they had been any other soldiers, Horst never would have revealed himself to them, but that was thing about Rancors; they stuck together. Horst had directed each to Oatara.
Ethan seemed to look out at the crowd, and his face immediately changed, if only a little. Horst turned a little to see what was in that direction; it was the group of armed guys he had seen as he had got off the lift, and they were walking in his direction.
I really do hate this planet.
“Friends?”
"Only if friends like shooting at you."
The group of men stopped a few feet away, and before either Horst or Ethan could take action, one of the goons fired his blaster straight up, hitting a chandalier. The lobby immediately turned into a mob as everyone, patron and staff alike, ducked, scattered, and screamed. As the room slowly fell short of bystanders, the same shooter called out in a thick Huttese accent:
"Horst Stellar! You've got an out-standing debt to pay!"
Horst turned to Ethan, half-looking apologetic and half-adopting his usual hardened look.
"How good a shot are you?"
|
|
|
|
|
Ghostie
SMELL LIKE POWA'
764 posts
77 likes
96.5% MORE WUB WUB
|
|
last online Aug 19, 2019 9:17:21 GMT -5
Guardian
|
|
|
Aug 20, 2012 14:38:28 GMT -5
Post by Ghostie on Aug 20, 2012 14:38:28 GMT -5
Ethan's fears were right. Hunters, or at least most likely hunters, looking for the two outlaws. Well, that wasn't entirely true. They were looking for Horst, not him. But looking for one of them, they might as well be looking for both. Horst was part of his crew now, he wasn't about to let the Engineer just go that easily.
One of the men fired up into the chandelier, which started bucked and started to sway violently. Anymore stress, the thing would come down without a problem. As the man threatened Horst, Ethan drew his own blaster from his shoulder holster and took aim.
Bang, Bang!
Ethan released two bolts from his blaster, catching the man who just talked right in the chest. The blaster echoed through the lobby, more loud than the screams of the patrons and staff that ran for cover. The man fell face first to the ground, no longer moving.
“Pretty damn good.”
Ethan replied to Horst. He ran for the cover of the reception desk, sliding over the top of it and crouching once he hit the ground on the other side. A hail of blaster fire followed him the whole way, splattering against the wall and the desk itself.
Ethan looked up to find the receptionist was still hiding behind the desk as well. The twi'lek looked terrified. Ethan tried to offer her a smile, let her know he wasn't a threat to her. Though that was hard to do with a large blaster in hand.
“Sorry for destroying your workplace, ma'am.”
Ethan's only answer was more blaster fire. The desk was thick, and would hold up for awhile, but not forever. He needed to find something that was better cover. Perhaps one of the speeders on the pad outside. That would let him get close to his rifle as well.
“The one time I don't have my beskar'garm...”
Then a thought just occurred to Ethan. If they could track Horst to the Hotel, then they probably knew how he arrived on the planet. The Verada was in trouble. Ethan doubted most of the crew knew how to fight, despite being armed. They could perform guard duty okay, but these guys meant business.
<<We have to get to The Verada. They've probably found it, or are looking right now. I hope your bags are packed.>>
|
|
|
|
|
Ash
Ash Ash Binks
835 posts
103 likes
Comic line loading.
|
|
last online Jun 5, 2022 10:09:17 GMT -5
Guardian
|
|
|
Aug 20, 2012 17:58:19 GMT -5
Post by Ash on Aug 20, 2012 17:58:19 GMT -5
Bit seemed to melt away as the shooting start. He crouched low, ignoring the pain he was feeling as he did so, and sprinted as fast as he could behind the nearest support pillar. The yelling of a man's name eased something into Bit's chest, as he knew that these guys weren't looking for him.
Blasterfire erupted from everywhere now, or so it seemed for Bit because of where his position was in relation to the gunfight. He peaked around the corner of his position, seeing the group of people laying down fire on the two men he was using to hide his own position. He found it so ironic that his once-living cover were the actual targets.
With a chuckle, Bit pulled out both of his pistols, took a breath, and left his cover. he leveled his weapons on the small group of mercs. Using the breath he had saved up, he proceeded to yell something extremely random that would catch these guys by surprise like nothing else.
Eat blazing doorknobs of death, Banana-face!
He began pulling his triggers as fast as he could, sending as much fire as he could in a short amount of time, before getting back behind his cover. He chuckled, and wished he could have seen their reactions.
|
|
|
|
|
Fromikeable
Keeper Of The Techxts
1,616 posts
628 likes
...and I'm comin'! *guitar riff*
|
|
last online Jun 22, 2023 19:35:57 GMT -5
Moderator
|
|
|
Aug 20, 2012 22:34:57 GMT -5
Post by Fromikeable on Aug 20, 2012 22:34:57 GMT -5
Horst sprinted to the side as Ethan opened up negotiations with the strongest words in any language:
two shots dead center on the center-most goon.
The goons took a second in their shock at not being the ones to start shooting, but quickly recovered. Horst was barely in cover behind a pillar a few meters from the reception desk before the hail of blaster bolts started streaming down-range.
Finally drawing out his Livland, Horst waited, merely observing the flying plasma from his cover, waiting for a break in the storm. It came briefly, and he popped around the pillar for just long enough to squeeze the trigger of his own gun twice, striking a goon once in the gut and again in the chest.
2 down. Horst tried to form a plan. He and Ethan were outgunned, outnumbered, and caught off guard. The entire lobby was a dead-zone, and on top of all that, civilians could still be in the mix.
"Just like the good ol' days," Horst murmured to himself, letting a little grin sneak out on his mug.
Ethan, however, seemed to be a step ahead. He yelled over in Mando'a a good point; the Verada was probably being targeted. Horst swore a little; he hadn't really gotten to know the crew yet, but they didn't exactly seem like soldiers. They seemed to be able to muscle their way through rough spots, but these commandos were a whole different ball game.
Horst called back, trying to peer out at the battlefield the lobby had become as he did so.
<<You know me; I travel light!>> Horst, ducking back in a few times in hopes of keeping his head on his neck, tried his best to survey the area. The doors were at the other end of the lobby, and the room stretched from the lifts and desk where they were to the grand exit and speeder dock. Along each side of the lobby ran a row of pillars, between them being the huge chandelier the first commando had shot (not to mention the goons themselves).
Before Horst could develop his planning any further, what was undoubtedly the strangest phrase ever shouted in battle came from the row of pillars on the other side of the room, followed by some nut-case pouring out two pistols into the commandos. His little surprise attack, crazy though it was, managed to knock another commando off his feet and hit a fourth in his arm. The nut-case quickly returned to his cover with what Horst thought was a smile.
The remaining commandos promptly suffered another bit of shock, ceasing their stream of plasma for a moment.
<<Get down, this might get a little out of hand!>>
Horst pulled out his revolver, feeling the heavy metal slugthrower in his hand before popping around his pillar again. The chandelier was already wobbling: it just need that last push.
Taking advantage of the second of safety and disarray, Horst aimed the monster revolver at the base of the chandelier. He took a moment to steady his aim, quickened by the commandos' reorganization and renewed attack.
BOOM! The revolver fired with the sound of a cannon, and Horst quickly ducked back behind his cover as his arm whipped back with the huge recoil. He took a quick breath, hoping he had made something of his opportunity.
|
|
|
|
|
Ghostie
SMELL LIKE POWA'
764 posts
77 likes
96.5% MORE WUB WUB
|
|
last online Aug 19, 2019 9:17:21 GMT -5
Guardian
|
|
|
Aug 20, 2012 23:28:32 GMT -5
Post by Ghostie on Aug 20, 2012 23:28:32 GMT -5
Ethan returned fire as much as he could. While he didn't drop many more hunters, it provided cover fire for Horst when he needed it. He heard the Engineer's heavy blaster, it's sound different then those of the hunters, fire twice. It seemed he hit one, Ethan peeked over the top of the desk to check again.
Two down, five to go...
Right in Ethan's train of thought, another voice sounded over the fire. Everything feel silent, the civilians had mostly escaped by now. This voice, a male, said the most ridiculous line Ethan had ever heard. It was followed by a hail of blaster fire. Ethan checked over the top of the desk and saw this newcomer hit two of the hunters, killing one of them in the process.
Ethan used this distraction to his advantage, shooting the already injured hunter in the side. He clutched his wound and fell over, not yet dead but would be soon if he didn't get medical attention. Ethan ducked again as the Hunters spun back around.
He really did hate not having his armor. He could've probably ended this fight if he had it. With his beskar'garm, there was less of a need to duck for cover. Lasers usually bounced off of him or just scorched the paint. It gave him more time to shoot, less to worry about.
“Never again am I leaving my beskar'garm on the Verada!”
Horst answered back, but with a warning. Ethan had no idea what was coming next, but he wanted to be out of the danger zone as much as possible. He moved to the other end of the reception desk. Holstering his blaster, he went to go cover his head, but then noticed the receptionist was still around. What she was still doing here was beyond Ethan, she was probably stunned by fear.
“You've got to be kidding me...”
Ethan jumped up and got to the twi'lek just in time. He shielded her away from the fight, and the next thing he knew it sounded like a cannon went off. Next, the creaking of the chandelier grew even louder. Ethan shut his eyes and waited.
The chandelier came down with massive force. The stone floor shook, knocking anything and everything over. Cracks appeared around the epicenter, which just happened to be where the rest of the hunters were located. Dust and pieces of stone, like shrapnel, flew up and covered the whole room. Ethan heard many pieces hit the desk like hail.
The old bounty hunter stood up, and straightened his jacket. His chrome sunglasses where covered in dust, which he used his sleeve to wipe off. Ethan walked around the desk towards his companion. Surprise was obvious, Ethan knew Horst was packing, but that cannon was something else.
The hunters were crushed under the chandelier. None of them moved or even made the sound. Between the stone floor and the weight of the object, they didn't stand much of a chance.
“Damn Stellar.”
Ethan put his glasses back on.
“Let's go.”
|
|
|
|
|
Ash
Ash Ash Binks
835 posts
103 likes
Comic line loading.
|
|
last online Jun 5, 2022 10:09:17 GMT -5
Guardian
|
|
|
Aug 21, 2012 18:01:57 GMT -5
Post by Ash on Aug 21, 2012 18:01:57 GMT -5
Bit continued to fire from behind his little corner, but wasn't yelling anymore. With some of the fire now being directed at him, he didn't quite feel like making himself into a larger target than he already was. The man, still, changed some of the odds.
Enough for something that sounded like a cannon to go off. He flinched slightly, but he was behind cover so one one saw his fault, which was good. He took a deep breath, and went to continue his shooting range, before something big and heavy hit the floor. Everything shook for a moment. When Bit peeked around the corner, he saw that a Chandelier crushed the thugs that were below it. The silence was so odd after the firefight.
Oh look, free ground beef.
Bit jogged over to the crushed people, standing just behind the spreading of blood. He looked for any sign of movement, which, unsurprisingly, there was none. He smiled, then looked at the two men, who were still on the other side of the room.
Hey; Neal and Bob, lets go!
With that said, Bit took off at a dead sprint, heading to where his speeder was.
|
|
|
|
|
Fromikeable
Keeper Of The Techxts
1,616 posts
628 likes
...and I'm comin'! *guitar riff*
|
|
last online Jun 22, 2023 19:35:57 GMT -5
Moderator
|
|
|
Aug 21, 2012 22:47:34 GMT -5
Post by Fromikeable on Aug 21, 2012 22:47:34 GMT -5
Horst brought his hands over his head as the entire lobby seemed to explode with force, shaking like an earthquake had struck. The resulting crash was followed by the diminishing sound of settling dust and falling glass. Horst opened his eyes, which had slammed themselves shut with the sound. He looked around the corner, noting his handiwork.
Aaaaaaaaaand that's it.
Horst emerged from behind the pillar wiping dust off of his face and jacket. The commandos were, to say the least, no longer a problem, and Horst took a second to watch them, looking for any sort of movement or signs of life.
There were none.
Ethan emerged from behind the reception desk, leaving a young Twi'lek receptionist trembling in shock and awe. Horst checked the chambers of his revolver: 5 shots left, plus the 6 he kept on his belt. He popped out the cylinder and slid a fresh .950 round into the huge chamber. He then folded the cylinder back into place and holstered the weapon.
“Damn Stellar.” Ethan motioned that they were heading out A.S.A.P., meaning Horst walked briskly next to them as they headed for the exit.
"I think you'll find that I'm not usually one for subtly."
On the other end of the lobby, however, reappeared that nut-case; the one that seemed to like shouting his stand-up comedy routine while randomly assaulting heavily-armed mob-soldiers.
Totally sane. He seemed to think they were going with him, referring them to "Neal and Bob".
Horst gave a glance to Ethan as they followed the asylum-escapee out of the exit and onto the speeder dock. Horst stood by while Ethan located and unlocked the trunk to their speeder, eye-balling this young guy all the while.
Horst called over to the nutcase since he was a couple of meters away. "Sorry to burst your bubble Joe, but you're hitching your own ride!" The trunk opened with a thunk! and Horst eyed its contents. Ethan had possessed the fore-sight to bring along a gun of his own plus his besk'ad. Horst had followed suit, bringing along the big guns just in case.
The really big guns, to be precise. Horst reached in and pulled out his repeater. The thing a good 40 kilograms and looked about as sharp and fluid in its motions as a stream. Horst had personally always preferred guns that took on a more... "rugged" charm, but circumstance triumphed over preference.
A break in the Coruscant traffic caught Horst's eye, and suddenly visible were three speeders zooming toward the hotel. Horst nudged Ethan, watching the vehicles close in. They weren't any sort of police force judging from the lack of uniform design and sirens, and yet they moved in formation and definitely broke the traffic plans and speed limits of the level's traffic authority.
In short, they were headed to the hotel, and they probably weren't coming over to help.
"Looks like we're not done yet."
|
|
|
|
|
Ghostie
SMELL LIKE POWA'
764 posts
77 likes
96.5% MORE WUB WUB
|
|
last online Aug 19, 2019 9:17:21 GMT -5
Guardian
|
|
|
Aug 21, 2012 23:18:31 GMT -5
Post by Ghostie on Aug 21, 2012 23:18:31 GMT -5
Ethan walked next to Horst as the two made their way to the landing pad with all possible haste. He wanted to get away from the Hotel as fast as possible. The Verada was in trouble, and the police were most likely on their way. Two Ex-Republic military men, who were now considered outlaws, shooting up a Hotel didn't look good, no matter how you sliced it.
The nut-case across the lobby had some idea that Horst and Ethan were going to join him. Well, that wasn't going to happen any time soon. Not as long as their speeder was still operational and hell hadn't froze over.
“For the record, you're Neal.”
Ethan said, pointing his finger at Horst as they exited onto the landing pad. It was a short walk over to the Queen's Arrow, where the rest of their guns were and their ticket back to the Verada. Ethan wished for his heavier weapons, and now he had them. Eager to lay his hands on his rifle, he opened the trunk first to produce two large metal cases. One, his besk'ad, and the other his rifle. They barely fit in the truck next to Horst's reapter. That thing was a monster.
Ethan laid both cases on the ground and open the first to find his rifle already loaded and primed. The Corvlic 31 was a large, heavy blaster rifle. Being semi-automatic let Ethan have full control over the gun, or so he felt. He could be much more accurate, and could fire however fast he needed to. He truly loved the thing.
At Horst's nudging, Ethan spun around to see what was going on. Three black speeders, all in formation, were flying in to land at the hotel. Or fly by it close enough to pop shots off. They were probably more hunters, come to see why their comrades hadn't reported in. They defiantly weren't law enforcement, the lack of sirens and lights showed.
Ethan grabbed his rifle and duck behind a speeder just behind the one he rented. It was a green speeder of the same model, but older. Ethan didn't want to draw fire to their only escape. He did a quick assessment of what could be the battlefield.
He had since lost track of the Nut-With-A-Mouth sporting two blasters. The landing pad had several vehicles still located on it, either from patrons or staff of the hotel. The pad itself wasn't the largest, and didn't give much room to fight. If those speeders wanted to land, there was only a couple open spots where they could.
“Don't fire on 'em yet, we don't know just what they're up to.”
He removed his shades, they would hamper him while aiming. Hanging them on his jacket, Ethan paused, this time there was worry in his voice. Things didn't look good, no matter how big of blaster Horst had.
“We really do need to get going, Horst.”
|
|
|
|
|
Ash
Ash Ash Binks
835 posts
103 likes
Comic line loading.
|
|
last online Jun 5, 2022 10:09:17 GMT -5
Guardian
|
|
|
Aug 22, 2012 12:34:26 GMT -5
Post by Ash on Aug 22, 2012 12:34:26 GMT -5
Bit was at his speeder before the two men who he was helping out in the fight earlier showed up, working their way as fast as they could to his speeder. At a run, Bit slid over the hood of his speeder, then jumped over the side and right into his seat.
He began to power up his speeder, letting it run through its pre-checks. Normally, a speeder wouldn't have any of those, but, Bit's speeder, being what it was, did need to go through some checks, including a few used by military speeders. While it did that, he looked over his shoulder at the two people behind him.
Over them, through the traffic, he saw a handful of black speeders making their way through the traffic lanes towards where they were. He assumed that they weren't friends. He looked back at the two not too far away, noting a giant repeater cannon being hauled out of the back of one.
As soon as the checks were over, Bit slowly lifted his speeder up, making it seem heavier and more unwieldy than its sleek shape did. Some people just modded their speeders this way, but it was all an act. Slowly, Bit gained altitude, hit a switch on his dash, opening up two hidden ports where blaster cannons were located. On Bit's steering yolk, a button popped up; the trigger. He didn't have any way to sight in his cannons yet, but that would come soon enough.
|
|
|
|
|
Fromikeable
Keeper Of The Techxts
1,616 posts
628 likes
...and I'm comin'! *guitar riff*
|
|
last online Jun 22, 2023 19:35:57 GMT -5
Moderator
|
|
|
Aug 22, 2012 22:09:57 GMT -5
Post by Fromikeable on Aug 22, 2012 22:09:57 GMT -5
Horst loaded in one of the two packs he he had brought for the repeater, feeling it warm up slightly as it prepared to fire. Ethan had opened up his cases, bringing out his sleek besk'ad and his rifle. At Horst's nudging, he had taken up a position behind a speeder a few rows back. Horst followed suit, crouching behind a rather large speeder opposite Ethan's.
Ethan offered up an order; hold fire and wait. Horst agreed; until those shmucks landed and walked nice and close, they would have one of the greatest tactical advantages known to sentient life:
the element of surprise.
The nut-case, meanwhile, had ducked into a particularly high-end speeder and started taking off. Judging by the sheer machinery the thing appeared to be running, Horst could only attribute the vehicle's awful and clumsy driving to the nut himself, and wondered severely if he wasn't about to try to and kill himself.
Two cannons popped out of the sides of the speeder. Apparently so.
The black speeders, meanwhile, had reached the hotel, and had broken formation. There were 3, with each appearing to hold 4 commandos. One of the vehicles slowly came in closer to the dock while the other 2 hovered back at different distances, with a door opening on each and one of the goons popping out their heads and rifles.
Well, except for the first, closest one. The guy sticking out of that one appeared to be sporting a rocket-propelled grenade-launcher of some nature. Wonderful.
Horst, trying to be as silent as possible, jerked his head toward the first speeder, trying to get Ethan's attention. <<That one first!>> he mouthed, forgetting that without actual speech there was no need for the Mando'a.
The first speeder actually landed, with the man with the grenade-launder stepping off, looking around on foot. He shouted a few lines to his comrades that Horst didn't quite catch, and then decided to take aim at the one speeder taking off; the one with cannons coming out of the side.
"Haar'chak!" Horst popped out from his cover, irritated enormously that he had to risk his own neck to say this lunatic from being blown to kingdom-come. The repeater growled to life as the commando looked over in surprise, noting the enraged veteran with a big gun. He shifted his arms to take aim at Horst, but was too slow.
A hail of blaster bolts screamed down-range at the commando and his speeder. The first few missed for the most part, but in the blink of an eye 5 smoldering hits smoked on the commando, letting him fall backward into death. His carcass hit the floor with a lurch, and in the jerky movement the trigger of his grenade-launcher was set off, firing the chambered explosive.
Directly at the Queen's Arrow. Before you could say "speeder" the open-trunk vehicle exploded, jumping up into the air in a small inferno and then succumbing to gravity, plummeting off of the speeder dock.
Horst kept firing at the parked speeder hoping it wasn't battle-grade and furthermore hoping that if that lunatic survived this, Horst would get the chance to dislocate his jaw. He popped back into his cover, giving his repeater a chance to cool and himself a moment to check and see how many men remained breathing in the speeder. The driver appeared dead, but the other two passengers had exited and taken up cover.
Horst called over to Ethan, trying to ignore the small air-battle the nut-case had gotten involved with. By the looks of things, the commandos on the ground where shouting into commlinks, which meant things couldn't get much worse.
<<That was our ride! Got any ideas?>>
|
|
|
|
|
Ghostie
SMELL LIKE POWA'
764 posts
77 likes
96.5% MORE WUB WUB
|
|
last online Aug 19, 2019 9:17:21 GMT -5
Guardian
|
|
|
Aug 23, 2012 0:36:46 GMT -5
Post by Ghostie on Aug 23, 2012 0:36:46 GMT -5
Ethan waited behind his makeshift cover. One of the speeders was coming into land, and Horst suggested taking this one first. Ethan nodded back, as long as that Nut-With-A-Mouth was up in the air, he was their distraction. Gripping his rifle tightly, Ethan peeked around the corner of the speeder he was hiding behind.
The first black vehicle finally landed, and four mercs got out. One was holding an rocket-propelled grenade. Horst and Ethan waited for them to inch closer, and then finally Horst opened fire. Ethan let him throw the first opening salvo with that monstrous repeater. Ethan aimed his rifle at the two goons who scattered. One darted to Horst's side of the landing pad. But taking cover their gave Ethan a clear shot at him. Squeezing off two blasts from his rifle, the goon caught the in the side and he fell to the ground.
It was at this point that the rocket-propelled grenade-launcher went off. Horst shot the man holding it, and when he fell to the ground it must've been a mixture of the combined forces and reflex that pulled the trigger. The rocket went zooming across the landing pad, and made a direct hit on the Queens Arrow. Ethan's Queen Arrow.
Just my luck today...
<<I hope you have insurance, Stellar. That was a rental.>>
He watched the burning Queens Arrow plummet over the side of the landing pad to land on the very lowest reaches of Coruscant, those places where the sun doesn't shine. Now what were they going to do? Horst took cover to change ammo packs, and Ethan crouched and spun out of his cover to provide some fire for the Engineer.
Horst if Ethan had any ideas. He couldn't think of anything to tell the truth. The landing pad was a deathtrap at the moment, there were bound to be more hunters on their way. They still had one to deal with and however many were left after that Freak was done toying with them.
“I don't know, just keep fir-”
Then Ethan stopped mid-sentence. The answer to the Queens Arrow blowing up had been staring him in the face the whole time. It's black body was a little beat up, maybe some damage to the internals here and there, but it should still fly, no?
<<Let's take their speeder, that should do it!>>
Ethan grabbed his besk'ad off the ground and ran for the black vehicle, keeping it between him and the last goon's known position. A couple lasers soared past him, but nothing came too close. Ethan set up on the other side of the goon's vehicle and returned fire across the pad.
Just who in the galaxy wanted Horst Stellar this bad?
|
|
|
|
|
Ash
Ash Ash Binks
835 posts
103 likes
Comic line loading.
|
|
last online Jun 5, 2022 10:09:17 GMT -5
Guardian
|
|
|
Aug 23, 2012 15:21:43 GMT -5
Post by Ash on Aug 23, 2012 15:21:43 GMT -5
Even without the cross-hairs, Bit still began to lay down fire on the landing speeders. Besides damaging some of the other speeders that were around, which was better than firing into a building, no other large collateral damage should happen.
Aiming for the speeder that the other two were already tagging, sending his large blaster cannon bolts into the metal flying machine. He was high for the first few, then dropped until he was dead center target. When bolts started to get sent his way, he slid sideways, glad of his high performance machine. He also dropped quickly, landed a mere meter above the pad, sending fire downrange again in a hail of blaster fire, and generally keeping people's head down.
An explosion off to his right half-blinded him, but he held his speeder steady. He changed a glance, seeing his two buddies speeder go up in a ball of flame, flying over the edge and down towards the distant surface. Bit shook his head slightly. He kicked up his speeder, sending it their way.
G'day mates: would you care to join me for a little cruise
Bit was using the cover of larger speeders to cover his owns smaller silhouette. Besides the hum of his engine's, and the sound of firing blasters, there wasn't much sound, so Bit was able to yell at a moderately loud voice to get their attention.
|
|
|
|
|
Fromikeable
Keeper Of The Techxts
1,616 posts
628 likes
...and I'm comin'! *guitar riff*
|
|
last online Jun 22, 2023 19:35:57 GMT -5
Moderator
|
|
|
Aug 23, 2012 21:21:24 GMT -5
Post by Fromikeable on Aug 23, 2012 21:21:24 GMT -5
Ethan, after a moment of consideration, seemed to hatch an idea, and sprinted out besk'ad-in-one-hand-and-rifle-in-another like a madman toward the landed black speeder. It was a simple plan; the commandos had taken out Ethan's speeder, so he'd take theirs. The final goon on the launch pad seemed to pop his ugly mug out, the head of a Duro, and Horst managed to squeeze off a few streams with his repeater. The goon ducked down quick though, and Horst returned to his cover cursing under his breathe.
That's when the loon intervened. Lowering his craft's altitude, he took aim with his cannons. Horst looked at his line of fire; it matched right up with a nice broadside to...
"Ethan! Get the hell out of th-" The cannons fired five times, each massive bolt landing squarely on the side of the parked black speeder. The first two pushed it back like it was being rammed, each hit more solid than the last. The third swung the aft of the speeder out, slamming into both the last goon and the speeder he was using for cover. The fourth bolt missed, and the fifth placed the now-smoking vehicles teetering precariously on the edge of the dock.
Horst ran out, repeater in hand, to check on Ethan. The two speeders at a distance seemed to be getting the hint that their buddies had blown it again, and were quickly moving from their perimeter positions toward the dock.
Horst got to Ethan, grabbing his shoulder. "You okay?!" He didn't even bother with the Mando'a; his concern was too great, and the goons too far off to hear.
The loon, however, seemed to want to become even more involved. He lowered his speeder even more, opening the door and inviting in the two veterans as if they were just going out for a drive. Horst looked around, evaluating their options. They had no other ride, more of these hunters were on the way, and it would take too long for them to secure another means of transportation. He hated having to rely on this thus-far insane gun-slinger, especially considering how much of a stranger he was, but at the moment it didn't seem like there was a whole lot of choice.
"Get in!" Horst pushed Ethan toward the speeder as he himself climbed into the back seat. The high-end speeder had a sun-roof, which Horst promptly struck a few times with his elbow. Failing to smash it open, he leaned forward and shook the nut-case's shoulder.
"Open this up, you nut-job! I swear if we live through this you'll have worse things to worry about than commandos!"
|
|
|
|
|
Ghostie
SMELL LIKE POWA'
764 posts
77 likes
96.5% MORE WUB WUB
|
|
last online Aug 19, 2019 9:17:21 GMT -5
Guardian
|
|
|
Aug 23, 2012 21:56:20 GMT -5
Post by Ghostie on Aug 23, 2012 21:56:20 GMT -5
Ethan was laying down fire on the last hunter, a Duros, when the next thing he knew he was under fire himself. From something large. The black speeder he was using shifted away from him, hit by blaster cannons. The blast itself knocked him off his feet, he quickly recovered and stood back up to see what was going on. Then the speeder started sliding towards him.
Ethan barely had time to grab his weapons before the vehicle hit him. He was too slow to get out of the way. The nose of the black speeder came around and smacked him in the abdomen. He went spinning off to the side, landing hard on his left shoulder.
The next thing he knew, the old hunter was being shaken by Horst, who was now standing over top of him. The Engineer asked Ethan if he was okay, and it took him a second to respond, dizzy from the vehicle.
“Yeah... I think so...”
He did a quick check of himself. It didn't feel like he was bleeding, aside from some scrapes from hitting the concrete which were mostly located on his left hand and part of his face. His shoulder hurt quite a bit. Despite that, it was still moveable. Looking around, Ethan saw that his weapons had landed close by. At least that turned out okay.
“Yeah, yeah I'm good.”
Ethan picked up his besk'ad and rifle, and while walking back towards Horst, heard a very audible crunch. Lifitng up his foot, Ethan found the remains of his sunglasses. Just then the Nut-With-A-Mouth brought his speeder close by and told the two veterans to get in.
Horst practically shoved Ethan inside, and then climbed in himself. Ethan collapsed on the back seat, still a little out of it from the beating he took. Horst started pounding on the sunroof, yelling at the man to open it.
“Corellian Hound Spaceport. And hurry.”
Ethan waited for the Nut to start driving and Horst to finish whatever it was he was doing before questioning him. With all this heavy firepower, Horst be worth a shiny credit or two.
<<Horst, something you wanna tell me?>>
|
|
|
|
|
Ash
Ash Ash Binks
835 posts
103 likes
Comic line loading.
|
|
last online Jun 5, 2022 10:09:17 GMT -5
Guardian
|
|
|
Aug 24, 2012 18:22:55 GMT -5
Post by Ash on Aug 24, 2012 18:22:55 GMT -5
Bit took off as soon as the two men were inside, and took off at a racing start. He was pushed back into his seat by the acceleration. He grinned, pulled a cigarette out of his pocket, stuck it in his mouth, lit it, and stuck his lighter back in his pocket.
Corellian Hound Spaceport huh? Quite a distance. I may need to charge an extra fee.
About then, blaster began their quick trip to Bit's speeder. With a laugh, he juked sides, getting close to one of the tall skyscrapers before changing direction, angling up slightly. He pulled a hairpin turn, tossing his body sideways in his seat. Surprisingly, he began to sing as he soared into oncoming traffic, sometimes just getting past the airspeeders, but never once touching anything.
Oh you pretty Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. We love you. And, in, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. What we'll do. Near, far, in our motor car Oh what a happy time we'll spend. Bang Bang Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Our fine four fendered friend. Chitty Bang Bang, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, CHITTY BANG BANG YEA!!!!
Bit brought his speeder out of the traffic lane, hitting a nice patch of open air. Just up ahead, though, was a lane of cross traffic. Bit did the most surprising thing here. He reached behind his seat, grabbing a sniper rifle, stood up and turned around in his seat, and, with one foot on his headrest, started to yell and shoot.
CHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They ran right through the cross traffic as Bit tagged a speeder, forcing it down as it began to spew black smoke. How they survived going through the traffic was a mystery, but it happened. Bit fired for a moment longer, missing the cross traffic, tossed his rifle back into the back seat, spun, and sat back down, steering his speeder towards the correct spaceport.
Don't lie to me: I'm not the only one with shit in my pants after that, am I?
|
|
|
|
|
Fromikeable
Keeper Of The Techxts
1,616 posts
628 likes
...and I'm comin'! *guitar riff*
|
|
last online Jun 22, 2023 19:35:57 GMT -5
Moderator
|
|
|
Aug 24, 2012 23:00:16 GMT -5
Post by Fromikeable on Aug 24, 2012 23:00:16 GMT -5
The lunatic took off with a snarky comment, pretending he was a cabby and he was going to charge them extra.
I'll give him something to charge alright.
Ethan was coming out his daze, though, and was starting the think about things a little.
<<Horst, something you wanna tell me?>>
Horst was a little surprised by the Mando'a, but then remembered that circumstances dictated its use. Brushing it off again, he responded while going back to banging on the sunroof...
until he realized there was no sunroof. This was a convertible...
I've really got to lay off the ale.
<<I'll tell you about it later in private. Let's just say for now that someone wants me a little more than the Republic does.>> The Engineer was careful in his wording. He had never explained his situation with Mr. Fro in full to anyone except for Sharpie, and even then only in increments at a time. It would be difficult, both mentally and from a perspective of clairvoyance, to explain it all to Ethan in one summary.
Horst stood up in the back seat, looking out at the air behind the lunatic's speeder. The two black commando vehicles were in hot pursuit. They didn't seem like they were gaining, but if something wasn't done, Horst feared they might catch up.
Standing in the floor space of the back seat behind the passenger seat, Horst stood his upper body out of the speeder. For a moment, the constant, jerky movements of the lunatic's juking made Horst take a minute to bend and brace his legs against the back seat's lower cushion, allowing him to retain a little more confidence in his legging. The whipping wind made it impossible to hear the lunatic, who seemed to have started singing. Horst was glad he couldn't hear what.
Bringing his repeater to brace against the headrest in front of him, Horst did his best to aim at the following speeders. His humanity stayed his finger, however. I can't hit civilians, my record looks bad enough as it is! The convertible, however, zipped into one of the small tunnels built into some of the larger buildings on Coruscant, and the black speeders followed suit. Horst looked around; they had hit a small break in the traffic.
Perfect.
Whirring the repeater to life, Horst let loose a stream of bolts toward the closest speeder, hoping he could hit it before traffic came back into his line of fire. The stream hit scattered all over the underside of the speeder, and as the convertible rushed out of the tunnel back into the city-scape, the decrepit black vehicle slowly died out, smoke rising from the back. As it declined, it bucked, falling violently each time. Before Horst could watch it crash, however, the other speeder's inhabitants began shooting, prompting Horst to kneel down on the passenger seat to take cover.
The lunatic made a really crazy move then. Spinning around in his seat, the pilot-with-problems picked up a sniper rifle he had been hiding and took aim, and shouted....
What in the hell is wrong with this guy? Suddenly a huge mass of speeders whooshed overhead. Speeders to the left, right, down, and up all gushed by within what seemed like centimeters of the convertible. Horst was amazed the nut-case hadn't been hit off of his seat.
Horst looked back around, turning in just enough time to watch the other speeder go down in smoke. He smiled a little, glad to have avoided death this long.
Then his smile was gone.
Zooming out of traffic with a heavy hum of sublight engines, a full-fledged spacecraft, an XS freighter painted black, began to alter its course, abandoning the streams of traffic in favor of a path that set it on a collision course with a speeder. Specifically, a speeder containing a asylum-escapee, a former bounty-hunter, and a former-smuggler who was having one of "those" days.
Horst could only think of one thing to say. Well, think was a strong word.
"Oh shit!"
|
|
|
|
|
Ghostie
SMELL LIKE POWA'
764 posts
77 likes
96.5% MORE WUB WUB
|
|
last online Aug 19, 2019 9:17:21 GMT -5
Guardian
|
|
|
Aug 24, 2012 23:26:02 GMT -5
Post by Ghostie on Aug 24, 2012 23:26:02 GMT -5
Horst refused to answer Ethan's question. At least, he refused to answer it right now. Understandable, given their situation, but Ethan was going to find out one way or another. He didn't want something like this endangering his crew. But Ethan dropped the subject for now.
“Fair enough.”
Horst then began shooting over the back of their speeder. Ethan was coming out of his daze. He grabbed his rifle and spun around in his seat to see if there was anything he could do. Despite being an excellent shot though, He doubted he could hit a moving target with a rifle that was semi-automatic. Instead, he spun back around and kept his eyes open out front.
The Nut-With-A-Mouth, Ethan had to find out his name soon, drove out of the tunnels and into more traffic. An intersection from the looks of things. He was starting to sing a catchy tune, something Ethan had heard before but he forgot the name of it long ago. Just then, their Driver stood up in the speeder with a sniper rifle.
Ethan lurched forward to grab the wheel, but the soonest he got his hands on it, they were out of the intersection and the Driver was sitting back down. He had hopped seats, and the old bounty hunter was now sitting in the passenger seat next to the Driver. Ethan could not have done anything to change their course.
Just who did this guy think he was, and action hero or something? He almost killed them. Needless to say, he wasn't feeling very great about this guy anymore. Ethan regained his composure after having a slight panic attack. His heart was still racing from that near-death experience though.
“Whats you're name?”
Before the Driver could respond, he heard Horst shout an expletive in Huttese from behind him. Then again, “Poodoo” was universal. You usually never wanted to hear someone shout that in a situation. Usually it meant things took a turn for the worse. Ethan had heard it more than his share during his time on Nar Shadda.
He turned around to see what had transpired. A freighter had broken off from traffic and was now on an intercept course with their little speeder. There wasn't much they could do but run. It's hull and shielding would bee too much, even for all the punch that Horst packed.
“Back to the tunnels!”
|
|
|
|