Private Jailhouse Rock

[Judd]

"Force types and I tend not to mesh well."

Judd coughed out a laugh of agreement. He had yet to find a Forcie that hadn't set him off or wanted him dead. Jury was still out on the little vampire.

Finally stopping just out of line of sight of the front doors, Judd shot the horned man a scowl of annoyance as he began digging into the prison's systems, silently willing him to speed up. That scowl morphed into a full snarl as his eyes followed the man's up and to the corner of the room. With an impatient fist, the bruiser punched up, smashing the security camera to bits.

Not that it would save them a helping of complications.

The sounds of approaching trouble echoed in from behind the aspirant escapees. Judd turned towards the noise, rolling his shoulders in anticipation. "Right," he huffed, taking a confident step towards the noise. "You need time, you got it."

Before the guards could turn the corner, Judd sprang his trap, reaching from around the edge to pluck a rushing enforcer from their line. The man practically screamed as he was hoisted into the air. Judd stampeded around the corner, using the prisoner in his clutches as a bludgeoning weapon and shield in one. The poor fellow received a healthy dose of electrified whacks and stun blasts before he was discarded, in favor of a fallen stun baton.

Jacen Nimdok - Levi ​

 

[Levi]

"You need time, you got it."

"Attaboy," A bit of confidence returned to Levi's smirk. The Dowutin continued to prove the usefulness of his powerful build, on top of taking the initiative to engage. It might have saved them a few crucial moments. He glanced at the young man with them, "Don't you have any fancy vampire powers or something?" That would certainly be of use right now, "Or Force powers, for that matter?"

He ripped out a few thick wires, and one of the security doors slid aside. "Aha!" But they needed more than that. Levi leaned closer to get a more precise angle on the panel interior, flinching as a few sparks shot out, "It's only a matter of time before they send the big guns." Which was to say, literal guns, in all likelihood.

Jacen Nimdok - Judd​

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

S H O O T O U T I N T H E C E L L B A Y​

Well, at least the camera was taken care of. Then the Big Guy ran around the corner, grabbing one of the guards and throwing him at the others. It certainly caused a lot of confusion.

"Don't you have any fancy vampire powers or something? Or Force powers, for that matter?"

"No, but I know how to shoot!" Jacen rolled into the chaotic fray, grabbed the blaster of the unconscious guard, and unleashed a salvo of blaster bolts upon the remaining troops. The weapon was set to stun, but that was fine. Whatever got them to fall like dominoes.

"Are you going to get the rest of those doors open or not?!" he shouted to the Lavender Devil, backing away into cover as a fresh wave of security appeared and opened fire. He moved to the other end of the corridor, where he was confronted by the two guards posted at the second door.

He froze. "You don't want to shoot me," he said, falling back into the old faithful hypnotic mind trick—this time coming on quite a bit stronger, fueled by a more savage desperation. "You want to shoot at THEM!"

He pointed to the other guards. Down the hall the pair of them ran, pistols in hand, and opened fire on their comrades.

Judd Levi​

 

[Judd]

Smacking one last prison guard to the side, Judd smirked as he watched the man crumple to the floor. He'd wanted to do this for a while. Generally, violence was nothing more than a means to an end, an ugly side to what he had to do for a living.

But sometimes, it was just fun to hit someone.

It seemed the security didn't agree, as they finally upgraded to more lethal methods of capture. Peeking the corner, now less willing to charge, the guards fired potshots at the escapees. Returning to a tried-and-true strategy, Judd reached down, and palmed one of the unconscious guards at his feet, holding the man in front of him, somewhere between a shield and a hostage. "By all means! Shoot your friend," Judd barked, causing perhaps a few to check their aim, and others to aim more carefully, giving the pirate a little time to breathe.

But then, two of the bastards charged past from behind him, and started blasting their allies. He hadn't been talking to them. The Dowutin shot a sharp glance at the Vampire behind him, but spared him any admonishing remarks. Instead, he reached for the ground with his offhand, touching his stump to a blaster.

Oh, right.

He would need to get a line on a new cybernetic, when all was said and done. Assuming they, y'know, escaped.

"How much longer?!" Judd slowly backed up, squeezing into cover as much as he could.

Levi - Jacen Nimdok ​

 

[Levi]

Levi just shrugged. Shooting was fine. Whatever kept the guards at bay. But the doors were proving troublesome, and Jacen's commentary wasn't helping matters, "You know, I was thinking about it! But on second thought maybe I'll stop early!" He replied sarcastically. Just as he did, the second door deactivated.

The standoff grew more intense, the longer they were stuck there. Stun batons gave way to blaster fire, with one of the shots ricocheting through the hall and striking a little too close for Levi's comfort, "Can't get the door open if I'm dead!" He reminded his companions.

"How much longer?!"

"Don't rush an artist!" Levi yelled, his frustration clearly reaching a pitch with all the back and forth. Then, there was another burst of sparks, and the final door opened, revealing daylight beyond, "We're free! Come on boys!" He waited just a moment to make sure they got the message then ran out the entrance. They weren't quite out of the woods yet— The fence gate and a guard checkpoint still awaited them. But he was feeling a lot better about their chances now. Because just beyond that was an unattended police speeder.

Jacen Nimdok - Judd​

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

After much bitching, the Lavender Devil finally got the doors open.

"We're free! Come on boys!"

Jacen didn't have to be told twice. He raced down the hall, grabbing a second blaster along the way from a fallen guard, and out of the prison building. Fresh air hit him (well, as fresh as Montitian air could get, he supposed) along with the acrid smell of burning dust as the guards posted on the walls immediately started shooting at them.

Jacen continued to fire at them, but mostly he was running as fast as his lanky legs would carry him. He spotted the unattended police speeder and pumped his knees, dashing to the driver's side. It was locked. He shattered the window with the butt of his gun, reached in and forcibly opened the door, diving inside the vehicle as much for protection from the gunfire as for transportation out of there.

Judd Levi​

 

[Judd]

"We're free! Come on boys!"

You didn't have to tell Judd twice, either.

Breaking cover, toting an unconscious guard as a shield, the Dowutin lumbered out of the prison, busting through the fence gate as if it were made of toilet paper. Judd barely felt as a couple blaster bolts found their marks in his body, momentary burns that he would find time to worry about later.

The three of them (four, if you counted Judd's carry-on) made it to a hefty police speeder. Smashing a window of his own with an elbow, Judd tossed the guard inside, before clambering into the back area. He could just barely squeeze his massive frame in, if he hunched, and tucked his feet in, and bent the roof outward with his shoulders...

A few blaster bolts scarred the outside of the speeder. He looked up at the vampire, a judgemental frown on his face. "Hope you know how to drive," he grunted.

Levi - Jacen Nimdok ​

 

[Levi]

Levi breathed in deeply, his relish in freedom rudely interrupted by the guards firing at them. He grimaced, but pushed onward without looking back. Unsurprisingly, between the three of them, the young vampire was the quickest to reach their escape vehicle. And be it through sheer luck, or the much bigger target right behind him, Levi avoided any debilitating shots from the attacking guards.

Levi frowned slightly seeing Jacen having taken the pilot seat, and begrudging slid into the passenger side, "Indeed. Get us out of here." Bolts pelted the cruiser, which was thankfully resistant as a police vehicle. But they couldn't just sit here taking shots all day. "We need to find an impound lot! My ship will be there!" There was probably one in driving distance of the prison. If they could get his ship, they could flee Montitia entirely, "The Outrider 2. YT 2400 model. Perhaps you've heard of it? Rather famous vessel." The Devaronian couldn't help saying as much.

Judd - Jacen Nimdok​

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

"Hope you know how to drive."

The teen had already started the engine, praying no stray bolts would hit him through the broken window. "Hurry up!" he shouted at the Lavender Devil, who was the last to reach the speeder.

The speeder rose rapidly into the air, then tore out of the penitentiary's airspace.

"We need to find an impound lot! My ship will be there!"

"Why didn't you mention that before?!" Jacen shouted, slamming on the brakes. They lurched forward, then swerved with nauseating speed as the vehicle turned around, following the skylanes rather than fleeing at random. Police sirens could be heard in the distance.

"The Outrider 2. YT 2400 model. Perhaps you've heard of it? Rather famous vessel."

"Like the Millennium Falcon?" Jacen asked. He was by no means an expert on starships, but he knew the Falcon was a YT Number Something-or-Other. He thought he saw a shipyard down below, and headed toward it...

Judd Levi​

 

[Judd]

As they made their speedy getaway, Judd finally allowed himself to hope that they would escape. It was a small hope, buried under heaps of cynicism and scornful doubt, but it was there, if you squinted really hard.

"Got your own ride?" For the first time since the three of them had begun talking, Judd sounded impressed, peering at the devaronian past the bars that separated the back of the speeder from the front. Then, the vampire's sharp turn forced his face into the grate, and he growled in annoyance. "Hey! Watch it, Teeth."

"The Outrider 2. YT 2400 model. Perhaps you've heard of it? Rather famous vessel."

"Like the Millennium Falcon?"

"Those are both stupid-ass ship names," the Dowutin grumbled, still salty about the police cage to the face. "But if it flies, it'll do."

Levi - Jacen Nimdok ​

 

[Levi]

"I didn't want to get your hopes up in case our plan failed," Levi said. How true that was could not be determined from his tone or expression, "But really, it's our only chance. I'm sure this speeder is tracked. We'd never lose them."

The con man smirked at what sounded like Judd being impressed, "Indeed. She's a beautiful vessel. One of a kind," He flourished his hand musically. One might think his true love was the Outrider 2. And they would almost be right. Adventure was Levi's true love. It so happens that the Outrider 2 is his ideal embodiment of that experience.

"Like the Millennium Falcon?"

Levi scoffed once.

"Those are both stupid-ass ship names,"

Levi scoffed again. There was a beat, as if he was shaking off the utterances he was just forced to hear, "Firstly, no. Not like the Millennium Falcon. The Millennium Falcon was a YT Thirteen-hundred. Much older. Not as impressive. The Outrider 2 is a YT Twenty-four-hundred. No spring tip-yip, I admit, but timeless in class and feature." He glanced back at the Dowutin, "And secondly, it is not a stupid name. Any sailor worth their salt would recognize the name bestowed by infamous smuggler Dash Rendar."

"You may be wondering about the connection there. Well, the Outrider 2 is a full refurbishment of the original Outrider. Yes, the very same one owned by Mister Rendar," The Devaronian's pride certainly seemed genuine. Perhaps after all this time, he had come to believe his own lies, to an extent.

Levi glanced down and out through the window, "Yes! There! I see it! Take us in, m'boy." Unsolicited, he clasped Jacen's shoulder for a moment, like a proud father. Right before diverting his full attention back to the ship below. Police speeders were weaving past air traffic at a disconcerting rate, and broke off alongside the trio as they made their descent. The moment they landed, Levi hopped out and made a break for the freighter. He slowed down at the ramp, and groaned, "Damn it all. Figures," The Devaronian dipped his horns towards the landing gear, "An infraction restraint. We can't leave with it on."

The cruisers strafed overhead, preparing to land, "Come, my musclebound friend. We'll need that Dowutin strength of yours." He stopped at the main clamp, "I've a trick up my sleeve. On my mark, you and the lad give this a pull with all your might. Ready?" Levi got to work ripping through a panel on the clamp, finding what he needed quicker than even he expected, "…Now!" The moment he said it, the chain seemed to lose tension. And, a blaster bolt hit the hull, courtesy of approaching police officers.

Judd - Jacen Nimdok​

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

"Hey! Watch it, Teeth."

"Sorry," Jacen growled through his teeth, swerving yet again. Under his breath, he muttered, "If I can get us there in one piece, you'll be thanking me..."

"I didn't want to get your hopes up in case our plan failed."

"Oh, please." He jerked the wheel in a final hairpin turn before heading down toward the shipyard. "You didn't tell because you were afraid one of us would steal your ship in the event you didn't make it out of there, but we did. I get it!"

Levi went on to ramble about his ship and how impressive it was or whatever. Seeing as Jacen was used to flying in a private yacht, he wasn't exactly taken in by the Devaronian's description of the Outrider 2... or the look of the ship itself as they approached it. The Devil's hand clapping his shoulder provoked a raised eyebrow, but Jacen was too busy trying to get them down safely to rebuke the old man's over-familiarity.

"Those are both stupid-ass ship names. But if it flies, it'll do."

Jacen was of the same opinion as the big guy. But due to the infraction restraint, it looked like they weren't going to be flying anytime soon. Hearing the sirens overhead, the teenaged vampire groaned in despair and cursed in Atrisian.

But against all odds, it seemed the Devaronian had a plan. With no other hope, Jacen rushed to the clamp, waiting with bated breath as the old man sliced the panel and blaster bolts struck the hull nearby. When the clamp suddenly lost tension, he pulled, putting all of his vampiric strength into it...

Judd Levi​

 

[Judd]

"Sorry," Jacen growled through his teeth, swerving yet again.

"Rrkh," replied Judd, his face once more smacking into the bars.

The Devaronian was insistent that the name was really cool actually, because of some long-dead spice runner. Still, the Dowutin bared his teeth, either in an ironic smile, or a show of force. "'Dash Rendar' is a stupid-ass name, too."

Judd leapt from the speeder as soon as he could, happy to be rid of the uncomfortable ride, feet pounding against the pavement as the group dashed for the Outrider 2. Judd didn't question the lock, nor did he stop to snark about the horned man's orders. He simply did, jamming his fingers underneath the lock, anchoring his elbow against the ship's landing gear.

"…Now!"

With a burst of terrible strength, muscles rippling across the goliath prisoner's scarred orange skin, Judd began to pull. It was slightly easier than he'd expected- the kid was stronger than he looked. With the sound of groaning metal and the snapping of chains, Judd and Jacen ripped the lock from the Outrider 2, discarding it to the side like a particularly tenacious tick.

Judd found it in him to duck, as a red bolt of energy hissed over his bald head. "Alright. Into the Outlander!"

Levi - Jacen Nimdok ​

 

[Levi]

"You didn't tell because you were afraid one of us would steal your ship in the event you didn't make it out of there, but we did. I get it!"

“That too,” Levi admitted, “But what’s stopping an unscrupulous young man from stealing my ship right now either?” They were all putting a bit of trust in one another for their escape. Not a common event for Levi, but he couldn’t help but be a bit excited. He loved having a crew, and with any luck, perhaps these two would but just cooperative enough to work in a team.

And, y’know, he couldn’t get out of the prison all on his lonesome.

With the combined strength of both Jacen and Judd, the remaining weight of the chain was ripped off with shocking ease. Levi practically jumped at the success, and made an immediate beeline for the ramp.

"Alright. Into the Outlander!"

“Outrider!” He swiftly corrected. The Devaronian dropped into the cushioned pilot’s seat, taking just a moment to relish in having returned to his pride and joy. A blaster bolt rudely interrupted the moment, striking the transparisteel. The Outrider 2 hummed to life as he activated the controls, “We’re green! Strap in for takeoff,” The freighter raised up, causing a cop who had tried to board the vessel to slide off the landing ramp before it closed. Engines flared, and a moment later it rocketed into the sky.

The azure horizon began to transition into black space, and the outline of Megacity West grew both larger and more distant. They had made it off Montitia, “Ha!” Levi clapped his hands, “They didn’t stand a chance. We’ll be out of the system before they can launch any kind of starships.”

Jacen Nimdok - Judd​

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

“But what’s stopping an unscrupulous young man from stealing my ship right now either?”

Jacen's fanged grin said it all. Don't give me any ideas, old man.

"'Dash Rendar' is a stupid-ass name, too."

Or the big guy, for that matter.

Once the clamp was busted, Jacen raced aboard the ship and strapped himself in. Then they were off, narrowly making a getaway from the police. The boy hardly breathed until they cleared Montitia's atmosphere, and even then his nerves were bad.

For good reason - no sooner had Levi pronounced them safe, an alarm went off, signaling that they were being followed by enemy starships. Jacen cursed in Shi'idese this time, smacking the back of his head against his seat in frustration. Was this ever going to end? "Do you have turrets?" he asked, assuming they'd have to fight off their pursuers.

Judd Levi​

 

[Judd]

“Outrider!”

"Whatever!"

Charging into the ship, Judd waited for the other two to clear the ramp before slapping the control panel, sealing off the entrance. Joining Levi at the cockpit, Judd could only glance around ironically at the miniscule seats as the pilot told them to 'strap in'. Instead, the Dowutin grabbed what he could to steady himself, taking a knee to avoid hitting his head against the ceiling, and wrapping his handless arm around the back of a chair.

The immediate renewal of tensions as it was revealed they were, in fact, followed, caused Judd to snort out a laugh. He was practically useless in a dogfight like this- he was missing a hand, and the buttons were too small for his mitts. "Can this junk pile outrun 'em?" If this old vessel flew like it looked, they'd be back in the slammer in no time.

But if the Outrider 2 was as good as the Devaronian seemed to think it was... they had a chance.

Levi - Jacen Nimdok ​

 

[Levi]

Levi grimaced as approaching starships pinged on the radar. Fate was intent on one-upping him it seemed, "All this work for a simple con man," He glanced back at his comrades skeptically, "What did you all say you were in for again?" A turbolaser impact shook their hull, forcing their conversations to stay on topic, "Yes. There's swiveling turrets on the top and bottom decks. Head for the center chamber, there's a ladder that leads to both."

"Can this junk pile outrun 'em?"

Levi smirked, "Haven't been blown up yet. I certainly won't meet my end at the hands of some underfunded Montitian pigs," He pushed the throttle, and the Outrider 2 launched out deeper into the blackness of space, "I'll need time to plot a hyperspace course. So show some hustle and get to those guns!"

Judd - Jacen Nimdok​

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

T I E F I G H T E R A T T A C K​

"All this work for a simple con man. What did you all say you were in for again?"

"Attempted assault," Jacen replied dryly, before lowering his voice to a mutter. "And regular assault... But only in the second degree."

Big Guy didn't want to fight. He wanted to flee. Color Jacen shocked. But it looked like they wouldn't have much choice. "I call the top!" he exclaimed, running down the hallway to the ladder and hoisting himself up into the turret.

Just in time to spot enemy starfighters creeping alongside the Outrider 2. Seizing the controls, he tracked one of them across the starboard side, unleashing a volley of laser fire.

Levi Judd​

 

[Judd]

At the question of his crimes, Judd just scoffed, and shook his head. "You want me to believe you were both in 'the Brig', and neither of you were pirates?" After his brief admittance of disbelief, the medic made his way back towards the turrets. Though he'd just implied it, Judd wasn't exactly in the mood the swap rap sheets, especially when 'piracy' would likely make the others look at him sideways. No need for them to worry about him stealing the ship, not when they should be worried about not getting blown to smithereens.

"I call the top!"

The little vampire pushed past him, headed up the ladder towards the dorsal guns. The big medic just grunted, and slowly made his way to the belly of the Outrider 2. Squeezing his massive frame into the seat, resting one hand on the controls, Judd couldn't help but sigh deeply.

Still, he did his best to aim and shoot with one hand, having to span his palm to reach the controls. But for all of his efforts, he couldn't get a lock on the starships buzzing them. The best he could do was fire off warding shots, to keep the fighters from getting too comfortable.

Levi - Jacen Nimdok ​

 

[Levi]

"Now now, I certainly used to be a pirate," Levi clarified with a raised hand, "My rap sheet has caught up with me a number of times throughout the years." What's one more count of jailbreak to the list? And the Dowutin officially confirmed he had a history in the profession. A good sign for Levi's hopes.

With his partners in crime off to the turrets, Levi kept his focus on maneuvering the ship. He kept it running at high speeds, dancing around just enough to keep any shots from breaking through the shields, <How's it going, boys?> His voice crackled through the internal comms, as another shot resonated across the hull. The attacker swooped overhead, and Levi grimaced. Suddenly swerving the controls, he took after the fighter, making use of his forward turret to get a few good hits in, "Never hurt a man's ship!" The Devaronian chuckled.

Small specks began to form across the cockpit viewport, growing larger until their full form became clear. Levi was feeling dangerous, and smirked, <How do you boys feel about asteroid fields?> Without awaiting an answer, he plunged into the cloud of debris, some smaller rocks scraping along the shields. The fighters continued to pursue their quarry, but were currently forced to stick directly behind, until they could find an alternate path through the field.

Judd - Jacen Nimdok​