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The mine at this hour was quiet, the slave workers were allowed several hours of rest, and all took advantage of such an opportunity. Drips of cloudy mineral surface water echoed throughout the small cavern that harbored a several guests, this particular small mined section bedded three workers, wood planks laid out on the ground adjusted to keep as level as one could be comfortably asleep on. Rags and torn pieces of fabric were stitched together to make blankets that many of the slaves used to have as little warmth and privacy as they were allowed to have. One of the three figures moved under the heap of rags.
“Krake.” Came a very deep low hushed voice from the large mound of rags. “Psst. Krake, twelve hours. We’ll make our move.”
Two others stirred in the remaining piles of cloth and rags though they were much smaller figures that had been circled around each other.
“Errr, curses Luwaga, we have at least another hour of rest! Can’t you keep your loud mouth shut!?” Came a raspy, strained voice that was hardly a whisper.
“Zeeth, please calm down. Luwaga is just excited. We all are. Hopefully everything will fall into place, and perhaps…..we might just make it.
There was a long pause after that being said, but as hard as Zeeth tried to rest his tired Geonosian bones, he couldn’t sleep, his body shook with irritation, as was often the case when the smallest thing bothered him, causing him to chatter little clicks of his clipped shelled wings on his back.
“This One wonders actually, if that big Yaka over there is more excited to fight with you again Krake rather than getting off this miserable rock. Zeeth is pretty sure that this is the only thing on that big lugs mind.” Zeeth said with less irritation, but more hopeful Luwaga would take the bait to his comment.
“Of course I’m excited, we are still tied up. It’s been years since I’ve wanted to have a rematch. Everyone else just hasn’t given me the same warrior thrill as Krake, I mean we haven’t fought since before he had his horns. I was still this same size, and Krake is much bigger now!” Luwaga explained in his defense.
“You two, please keep quiet. All in due time, just rest!” Krake snapped.
The small cavern was all but still and quiet except the constant dripping sounds that was all but avoided.
It wasn’t before long where the three occupants of that same small cavern arose from their make shift beds and began rinsing their face with gray murky water, refreshing their wits, and cleaning themselves to their best of their abilities. Like the three in this small cavern, many of the other miners were also grudgingly pulling themselves up out of their beds and doing just the same, readying themselves for a long day of hard work. LED servant droids wobbled their way through the rough terrain with bowls of gruel, a substance nobody had been yet to identity for at least the five years Krake had been persistent there on Gutretee.
Standing there by the wash crevasse Krake dried his face with a dirty piece of cloth, looking over at the LED servant droid as it placed three clay bowls down at the entrance to the cavern. Krake was lean, not an ounce of fat on him as happened to most of the slaves that worked in the crystal mines. His hair was long, dark gray in color, and his face was fairly rugged, a beard had come in nicely over the years. Both areas of hair had been put up, into a braid or ponytail so that it would keep out of his way from his daily work. His spikes along the middle and sides of his skull did protrude out of the long locks of hair, there was no hiding those, but why would he. Krake was proud to let those know he was of the Zabrak race.
As the large Yaka closed in on Krake, the contrast was opposite to each other it almost seemed ridiculous. As Krake was dark bluish gray in color, the Yaka was near yellow, though smudged with dark patches of dirt from his years in the mine. Luwaga wore a smug expression across his face; his excitement for the day’s activities had his blood pumping.
“Come Krake, eat. I want you at full strength. Besides, if this plan works….might be a few days before get a decent meal.” Luwaga said, handing over one of the clay bowls of slop. Krake took it, and very much considered that Luwaga was right.
The three of them ate their fill, tough it wasn’t much food to keep hunger at bay. They ascended one of the high tunnels that lead to a deeper shaft that a few dilapidated mining droids had dug the previous week. Already a tunnel guard had been posted there; his demeanor was authoritative which he was armed with two short vibroblades and a stun rod. The viroblades were for show everyone knew, but if things got pretty out of hand, the guard wouldn’t hesitate to use them. The guard scanned the three’s ID’s before they were a loud to press forward. Zeeth had decided this was the best area to start their escape.
Zeeth ventured away from the two others, make his way towards a crystal collection cart that hovered near a corner of the tunnel. What the three of them knew was behind that cart, a small breach into another cavity of the mine, which housed a transport yard. Often there wasn’t any transport vessels there, but there were some ships that remained aside, possibly owned by some of the staff that ran the mine. Most didn’t fly any more, and only a few did. Zeeth had once seen a Sprint Class rescue craft land there several years ago, and hadn’t been moved since.
They all began to work, grabbing low energy, non-lethal mining lasers to mine crystals from the cavern. The problem in this area was the crystals were not located here, as many slaves move away from this location weeks ago. The three would have to start their plan early, while the guard would notice the hover transport cart not being filled. The plan was simply this, Luwaga would feign being hit by one of the large stones that Krake would move aside, and the guard would either intervene, or might enjoy watching a little tussle amongst the slaves. Either way, once the guard would stop the fight, Krake would with a slight of hand relieve the guard of his vibroblades and eliminate the problem. From there, Zeeth would mine the thin wall that separated them from the transport area, and if they could make through the entry way before the closed all doors into that area, they were easily free. They knew the mine housed security systems to prevent slaves from escaping, but it was rare that anyone would make it out of the mines themselves.
Lasers began pulsing into the cave’s dark walls, Zeeth looking busy near or around the cart, while Zuwaga and Krake began their lasers next to each other. The echoing sounds of lasers from other slaves began to arise shortly after the three had begun working. The guard glanced over for only a moment at the workers he cared little about, and began tinkering with a comm unit that wasn’t standard issued on Gutretee, the blips and beeps allowing the trio to acknowledge that the guard was otherwise occupied.
Zeeth eyed the other two, as he noticed the guard wouldn’t be looking their way for some time now. After a long stare from Zeeth, he was quickly annoyed that the other two weren’t acknowledging his signal, and began a whispered hiss atLuwaga and Krake.
“Psst. The bloody guard is distracted. Move along with that plan you idiots!” Zeeth hissed.
Just as the two were looking over to Zeeth, they turned to in fact see what he said was true, the guard was tinkering with some application on his comm unit. The two slaves quickly moved into action, the next step to their plan was a hit or miss with what the guard might do, they didn’t even know which guard would be posted at this location that very day, so it would have to work.
“EerrrraaAAAGHHHH! Curses, that landed on my foot! You did that on purpose! I’ve had enough of you!” Luwaga yelled, hoping that his lack of acting skills wouldn’t seem too suspicious.
Krake took several steps back, trying to supply a gesture that he was innocent of any such accusations, but to look too innocent would mean the guard might step in; if at all a slave would let himself get beaten. Before that would happen, the Zabrak would hold up his fists as though to defend himself. Krake did just that, although his stance wasn’t novice, since he would of course give Luwaga the satisfaction of having a decent spar.
Quiet enough for Luwaga to hear, but the not the guard, Krake reestablished the terms of their plan. “The first one to fall, then we move on to the guard.”
“Come at me Zabrak, let’s see who’s the better warrior!” Luwaga cried out, almost drunk on the fight that waged ahead.
Krake narrowed his eyes, and shifted to a more aggressive stance. He had fought with Luwaga before, twice actually, and though the first time was actually the very day he had arrived on Gutretee he had lost miserably. It hadn’t been Krake finest day either, as he was to disoriented and young. The second time, he was ready for Luwaga that time, and put the brute to shame.
Luwaga lunged forward arching his huge fist at Krake and swinging a haymaker wild and unprotected. The Zabrak knew this to be an introduction, causing the guard to become interested in spectating this brawl if Krake made some fancy dodge or block. Krake did just that, bringing up his left forearm, slipping it alongside the Yuka’s yellow fist as if whooshed inward, using the force of the blow to be redirected and just aside of Zabrak’s head and into the cave wall. With a large smash of crumbling rocks, Krake continued his direction alongside of Luwaga kicking at the back of his knee, causing the Yuka to grown but not fall to one knee, as it would have normally done.
The guard’s brow went up, showing much interest into the fight that he just began to notice happen in front of him. Putting his com unit away, he folded his arms, and smirked at what he just witnessed.
“Ah. This’ll be good.” The guard said to himself.
Luwaga turned around, holding his bloodied fist, and as he looked at it, he smiled viciously and this time, rolled to the side, and darted forward at Krake closing in the distance that the Zabrak had put between them. Zeeth was still facing the cave wall, allowing his laser to penetrate though the small separation to the transport bay. The guard hadn’t paid any mind to him, and at this point had probably forgotten that Zeeth was even in the same cavern. The large circle Zeeth was tracing could easily cause the surrounding area to be breached if either of them slammed into the wall where Zeeth had managed to trace the out cropping of the circle he had just made.
Before Luwaga could place another punch or grab onto Krake, the Zabrak and reacted in a swift leg extension that landed his bare foot into the Yaka’s chin causing the big brute to fall back onto his arse. Krake rolled backwards instantly, finding himself next to the guard who was surprised that the slave tumbled backwards towards him, and as he uncrossed his arms to reach for a viroblades, Krake had already reached him, slamming the back of his elbow against the guards cheek, causing the guard to arch back, smack his head on the cave wall, and collapse on the floor.
“Damnit Krake! That was a cheap move!! You really didn’t need to end our fight so quickly! I was just getting warmed up!” Luwaga complained.
“I didn’t want to our opportunity be wasted on this little scuffle. So far our plan has worked spot on, let’s not waste any time!” Krake added, while he stripped the guard of his weapons, and armed himself with the very same.
“Perfect timing, One thinks this should be enough for the big guy to have at it. Don’t hold back Luwaga, I only went once around the surface.” Zeeth explained.
The other two had quickly dashed over to the spot Zeeth had been lasering the wall, and as Krake began to expect the weak points that Zeeth added to the integrity of the wall, he was quickly pushed aside as Luwaga bolted at the wall.
“No problem!” Luwaga yelled.
The Yaka slammed into the wall, it crumbled easily as the Yuka fell face first into the ground on the other side of the wall. Zeeth and Krake followed, helping the big slave up. Zeeth peered around to see where exactly they were in relation to the transport bays. To his disappointment, they were much further down the mine then he had predicted.
“Holy Sith, we aren’t as close as One had presumed!” Zeeth cursed.
“Let’s not waste time then, or it’s our hides.” Krake followed and began to lead the way to the right as there was certainly brighter light illuminating from that direction. The three ran as fast as they could when suddenly there were motion sensors being activated, as turrets rotated around, and began blasting at the unregistered personal that had been running out in the restricted area. Krake was in front, Zeeth followed shortly behind, and the Yaka, Luwaga far behind.
Krake could see the ship yard, as old pods, transport, and medical crafts were displayed on hard ground in a heap. The Zabrak thought he saw the medical craft Zeeth had mentioned that was working only a few years ago. A blast struck one of them, the Geonosian as he cried out in pain as he instantly fell to his death. Krake didn’t look back; he didn’t want to see the blasts barreling straight at him.
Krake dove behind on of the scrapped x-wing’s that laid there without any wings attached to it. It was then another strike, which hit the Yaka as he tumbled to the ground rolling several times trying to pull himself up, but failing.
“Urrgghh! Scrag, keep going Krake, One of us has to make it off this rock!” Luwaga cried out, his tone in pure pain. Krake did turn his head as he watched the lights fade from the Yaka’s eyes. Wincing in what appeared to be a slight discomfort that someone he’d bunked with had passed in front of him, almost pulled at him, almost.
The gray skinned Zabrak leaped up over another scrap of metal, this time he heard something else….battle droids. They had been dispatched as soon as the third prisoner had not been slain or apprehended. Their metallic clunks and movements were certainly heard over the constant banter of their A.I. programming. Dozens of more shots fired as Krake leaped again, while his hand slapped the control panel of the access door to the Medical Sprint Class star ship. There was a longer pause than Krake would have liked but the door actually did open. The Zabrak quickly flipped inside, and bolted towards the front cockpit seat.
Pressing the activation panel to start the ship, another longer pause as lights began to flicker on, and displays started to show Krake the true condition of the ship, and it wasn’t a good sign. Air, and life-support functions were at minimum, but hyper speed was possible, maybe only sub light at best. Sure enough, taking the helm, the ship did lift into the air, and turn as it set its course towards the mouth of the mine, the shield bay hadn’t been set just yet, and Krake didn’t want to also miss that opportunity, rocketing the thrusters into full, and the Medical Sprint Class ship blasted out of the cave.
The ship flew into the sky, leaving the planet Gutretee’s atmosphere, it was quick to react as soon as Krake was clear of the planet’s gravity, he activated Sublight in any direction he chose, hoping he could then locate somewhere he could obtain credits.
“Time to evaluate my situation, first….see where I’d best fit in.”
