Private Last Train Home

[Xin Boa]

"Can I get you something to eat?" Xin asked. "Something more…"

The young man looked particularly pale. His hands trembled as he reached for his mug of caf. He had already put away an entire plate of food. Xin supposed he would look like that if he had been kept in suspended animation in a metal container for weeks.

"N-no," he replied, offering a smile. Apparently he didn't even know his name. "Someone is coming to help?"

"That's what we're waiting here for," said Xin. They were sat in a cafe off the main street of the town. Only a handful of people were eating as they were between lunch and dinner. "Local marshal is coming to get you."

Xin flashed Dells a guilty look. They could get into a lot of trouble admitting that a living being had been in amongst their cargo. Better to risk that and get the kid into whatever passed for law enforcement out here.

---

Three hours ago

Xin squeezed behind the cargo container, checking the connections were snugly fitted. They had landed on the outskirts of the town and someone was coming to collect the cargo the next day.

The last thing they needed after the long trip was losing power to whatever environment controls were going on and spoiling the contents.

Everything was connected up. Xin walked back around to the front of the container. He was about to leave when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. A small flash from somewhere.

He turned out the lights in the cargo bay and returned to the container. Every few seconds a small red flash. Red was bed. It was coming from beneath a panel. Xin decided to risk it, prising the cover away.

"What the…"

There was an entire display hidden. It showed a full set of vital sign readouts.

---
"The marshal called me." The silky smooth voice cut across the quiet conversations round the cafe.

Xin turned sharply to see a familiar Zeltron at the entrance.

"Everyone out, but not you three."

The Zeltron kept on smiling. He sauntered across the room to take a seat at the table next to Xin, Dells and their secret stowaway.

"You were thinking of reneging on our deal?" he asked.

Delila Castillon

 

[Delila Castillon]

Delila was none to pleased with one Xin Boa at the present moment in time. A full mug of steaming caf sat in front of her, completely untouched. She had pushed it slightly towards their 'cargo', the boy still trembling despite being out of stasis for a few hours now. She suspected he hadn't been 'dethawed' so to speak in several months to a year. Coming out of such a state took time, the kid shouldn't even be off the Saegassum in her opinion.

Eyes didn't even meet Xin's guilty look,her gaze focused firmly on the entrance of the small diner-like space.

-- Three Hours Ago --

She could count the number of times they had a true argument on one hand and this was shaping up to be the top one yet. Not one to argue in front of everyone on board, Delila had taken the matter to their room aboard the Saegassum, being none too quiet now that they were alone.

"What exactly were you thinking? Do you know whats going to happen to us? Likely execution in these parts. Its not like the Inner Core where they have the resources to let us rot in jail. Make your final goodbyes because by sunset I have no doubt we'll have a blaster bolt between our eyes."

Seething, Delila poked a finger into his chest.

"Why didn't you just wait one second and see if any other ideas came to mind? Like, I don't know, find a shady slicer and try to find this kid in a database somewhere. We could have kept this kid on board, took some Unknown Region jobs and tried to piece together his life. Hell, even if we didn't we could have gotten him on his way without the authorities being involved. Speaking of law enforcement yet again, how can we even trust them? Imagine you're on some backwater just scraping by and someone offers you more credits than you make in a year. Are you going to turn that down?"

Head shook in disappointment.

"I didn't expect you to be this naive about the 'verse after all we've been through."

-- Currently --

Blinking, Delila was clearly not surprised by the appearance of the Zeltron. Hand slid down to her thigh, fingers curling around the handle of the blaster located there. If this was the end she wasn't going to give the satisfaction of going out easily. However, in her older age she had learned to wait and decide the best moment to make a stand instead of going out guns blazing from the start.

Growth.

Idly she wondered if it was wrong to tell Xin 'I told you so'.

Okay, perhaps she hadn't grown in all aspects of life.

"Deal? I don't remember taking on live cargo."

 

[Xin Boa]

THREE HOURS AGO

This wasn't the kind of argument that let to frustration which led to angry amorous encounters. This was the kind that seethed awkwardly around the gut. The kind that made you want to curl up and give in.

"You really think the local law enforcement would shoot us dead for reporting ourselves?" he asked. "I told him someone had snuck this into our cargo. He wants to find out who was supposed to be collecting the lad here."

He sighed, headtails taught from his discomfort. Xin turned around and then finished a full circle.

"We've got fuel. We could go. But we've also got a whole bunch of legit cargo to get paid for. Feth it."

---

She didn't say it, but Xin could hear her give an 'I told you so.' Right now he was more concerned by what was in front of him than having to suffer that.

The street outside was suddenly eerily quiet. Xin saw someone rush into a building on the far side of the street carrying a heavy blaster.

"So I'm going to give you ten minutes to give this some thought. You two walk away in that time and no harm is gonna come to either of you. But just you two."

 

[Delila Castillon]

[[ Xin Boa ]]


The end of the situation was coming quicker than she expected. Delila figured the Zeltron would have drawn out the confrontation a bit more - dangle more over their heads. Instead it was more a leave or prepare to be harmed situation. Her blue-green gaze drifted towards the stowaway for a moment. The Zeltron did not want the boy dead - the cost of transportation and stasis alone had proven that. What made the young man valuable? Forced labor often existed in the shady underbelly of the 'verse but she had yet to see this much effort made into retrieving one.

Perhaps the boy had special skills or was a clone of someone important. A bounty target? Possible but the boy's age made it highly unlikely in her book.

"Go ahead Xin. I'm staying behind."

Delila didn't trust the Zeltrons word for one. Nor would she leave someone fresh out of stasis to fend for themselves. Besides, it was better to get shot and killed fighting then by a blaster bolt to the back while walking away.

"I'll be alright."

 

[Xin Boa]

"Nah, I'm good just here," Xin replied. "Wanted to finish my drink anyway."

The Zeltron looked from one to the other, shaking his head incredulously.

"I just want to make sure I'm being explicitly clear here. I've got twenty men out there on the street. You've got a quarter mile back to your ship. You are not going to make it. And look, look!"

He reached for his belt very slowly and turned out a bag of credit chits on the table.

" No fuss. All yours. "

 

[Delila Castillon]

[[ Xin Boa ]]

Delila looked at the credits on the table. Gaze flicked from the Zeltron to the credits and back again. Part of her wanted to laugh at the assumption she could be bought off by a small bag full of credits. The other part of her knew the Zeltron was used to people giving in easy at the sight of credits. Not that they wouldn't be useful - the Saegassum crew was a scrappy one, working hard for the credits they managed to bring in. Didn't mean credits were everything in life however.

Finally her eyes met Xin's for the first time since their argument on board.

"Twenty men? Sounds like ten a piece between us. Not great odds. Not horrible either."

 

[Xin Boa]

"Ten minutes. Think about it properly," the Zeltron asked, pushing away from the table. He left the credits as a sign of his confidence that they would either take the money. That, or his men would take it back rom their bodies.

"We'll give it some thought," said Xin. The Zeltron backed away slowly and then went through the door out into the street.

"For the record I wasn't entertaining the money. Just wanted to make him think we might bit come out blazing right away. Back door, keep between us kid," Xin said. He was wishing he had brought more power packs.

 

[Delila Castillon]

"I figured. I wasn't too concerned."

Reaching across the table, Delila snagged the bag of credits. Checking inside, the contents did appear to be real credits - probably stolen off another dead body if she had to guess. Taking half of the credits,she stashed them in an inner jacket pocket before passing the bag to Xin. She would have carried the entire thing but if she died in the middle of fighting it would do Xin no good.

"Kid you're going to be between me and Xin. I hope you'll be able to keep up. Xin you lead the way and I'll bring up the back - we can't reach Skreech can we? If we can he needs to start the ship and be ready for us."

 

[Xin Boa]

"I'll try," Xin replied. He grabbed the comm form his belt as he marched through the kitchen. There were staff cowering behind the counters. He ignored them.

"Just static, local jamming," he said.

Xin's three hearts were beating fast. The last time he had been in a real firefight it had gone very badly for him. Weeks in hospital. He felt a little lethargic as he reached for his blaster.

"Don't fall behind," he reiterated for the kid. He gently opened the rear door. It led onto a back road. There was no one in sight.

Xin pushed it all the way open and drew his blaster. He turned right, in the rough direction of the ship and started moving.

He looked up as a shadow leaned out from the roof.

"They're out the back!" came a cry. The man started to lift a heavy blaster rifle.

Xin lifted his own and fired. No hesitation. The man screamed and fell from the roof. He landed in a heap and Xin jogged past him.

"You're better with a rifle!" he called back to Dells.

There was shouting from the other street. Xin heard a clear cry of "Don't hit the kid!"

 

[Delila Castillon]

Moving through the kitchen, Delila was nervous. It wasn't the fact that they were facing a fairly fatal situation. Xin had a horrible run-in resulting in a long convalesce on Corellia and an aversion to blasters. She hoped he wouldn't freeze or misstep at this point. In order to survive the longest they would need to be working together - something she knew wasn't lost on Xin.

The kid was between them as they exited the door, Xin hitting a jog and taking out one of the roof gunslingers almost immediately. Delila handed their stowaway her hold-out blaster as she picked up the blaster rifle from the fallen mercenary. She was immediately impressed, an older Galactic Republic model. Only issue was ammo, she didn't have time to stop and raid the body. Shots would have to count or it was back to the hold-out blaster.

Delila was moving at a slower pace than Xin and the Kid. Her movements were side-to-side and at times a type of backwards hop in order to keep the backs of both her companions covered. Off to her left a mercenary started to fire, blaster bolts sizzling at her feet in rapid succession, way too close for her own comfort.

Rifle was raised, taking two well-placed shots to drop the merc out of commission. That was at least two down thus far, it appeared they began to work a bit smarter once the entire shooting back started. Shouts to not hit the Kid continued, including a few bets on who could take down herself or Xin.

"Keep moving!"

[[ Xin Boa ]]

 

[Xin Boa]

"We can't keep down this road!" he called out. Xin barely caught movement to his right, but a group were trying to track them running across the rooves.

He suspected they were trying to get them surrounded. That way they could deal with them him and Dells without shooting the kid. What the hell could even make him worth this?

Xin didn't have too much ammo, but he spared a shot to put one through a glass door, it warped and shattered in an instant.

"Door, far side!" he turned and fired once, striking the wall but giving them pause before they could setup and pick them off.

 

[Delila Castillon]

[[ Xin Boa ]]

Xin laid down a bit of cover fire as herself and the Kid crossed into the building, boots crunching on broken glass. Carefully and quickly she cleared the room, the Kid sticking close to her. Their escape was looking a bit rough but there was no way she was surrendering , not a chance. Delila preferred to be shot first, who knew what the pirates would do to them otherwise.

Xin was close behind them and she started to move once again, using the labyrinth of rooms to their advantage. They would be able to move without their movements from above being tracked. She kept a brisk pace, not wanting to slow and give an advantage to the pirates.

"We need to find access to the roof, get on a level playing field." Glance was tossed back to Xin. "This blaster rifle only has so much ammo, I will have to be measured. Kid has my hold-out blaster and has more than enough for suppression fire."

Blaster fire echoed against the rock walls of the building, debris flying as the energy bolts chipped away at the exterior. Distantly she could hear shouting.

 

[Xin Boa]

Xin didn't like the idea of staying in one place long enough to climb the stairs. Dells was right though - always was - it would stop them running through the shooting gallery the rest of the way.

"Cover the door!" he shouted, looking for a way up. Two doors led to further rooms. A third provided access to the stairs.

"Stay behind me kid."

There were already people on the rooftops. There was every chance the way out would be blocked.

"Dells, we've got a way up!"

 

[Delila Castillon]

[[ Xin Boa ]]

Delila wished she could pause for a moment. The Kid was looking pale and sweaty - never a good sign if experience served her well. Xin was fairly strong and she was confident in his ability to carry the Kid if needed. They hadn't been in a real firefight since Xin's injury and stamina could turn into a real issue if they had to literally drag the Kid for a great distance. Not to mention having a second person at gun was crucial.

"Let me go look."

Pushing past Xin and the Kid, she took the stairs two at a time, slowing down as she reached the top of the stairs and roof access. Blaster rifle was at the ready as she creeped towards the edge of the door, cracking it open. Light flooded in, causing some temporary sun blindness as she tried to see if the coast was clear. She was very quickly greeted by blaster bolts and shouting. Delila fumbled and pulled the door closed, bolting it. Blaster bolts started to pelt against the material.

She came flying back down the stairs, almost running into the two men.

"Change of plans!"

 

[Xin Boa]

"Wasn't aware we even had a proper plan yet," Xin called out. It was more to try and reassure the still defrosting kid that they weren't done for yet.

Xin was glad to still be thinking coherently and fighting. The thought of getting shot again had haunted him since his two month stint in a hospital. Enough time had passed that the shadow loomed, but did not blind him.

"Check the back?" he asked.

Xin had fallen back from the front. Too many blaster bolts came flying through the windows. He kept his blaster up in case anyone tried to charge in. This was going to get worse before it got better.

 

[Delila Castillon]

Delila stood opposite of Xin on the landing, back pressed against the wall. The kid wasn't looking too well in her opinion - pale and sweaty - but in all honesty it looked as if a good breeze would knock him over in short order. If it had just been herself and Xin she would have suggested absconding out the back windows and jumping down. Still would have been a risky move as it would take a moment to get back onto their feet and get moving.

"Might be expecting us out the back?"

Blaster bolts continued to whiz through the structure as she took a moment to breathe and think. They were being toyed with at the moment and soon enough the gang would become bold enough to enter the building or try explosives. Still they had enough time to at least hash out an idea or so. Delila had at least three ideas, all of them varying in terms of reckless.

"What if we split up and I distract them? Scare them and charge, firing wildly. Might give you two enough time to get to the ship and come back. Too bad we can't reach Skreech, he could fly over and we'd be out in no time. If you don't want to split up we'll need to head out the back and continue firing."

 

[Xin Boa]

"I think they're expecting us out the front even more," Xin grunted as the hail of fire continued. If they were up top they would be able to turn the back alley into a shooting galley.

He didn't like the idea of splitting up. There wasn't a clear angle to provide some cover and they both knew it.

"Out front is a death trap," he said. Most of their pursuit was that way still. "If we could get our backs to the wall I could try frequency hopping and get something through to the ship. I need time though."

With the roof, the front and back they couldn't hold here.

 

[Delila Castillon]

Briefly Delila considered using the Kid as a shield, as it didn't seem they would dare kill him. It was ethically dubious but at this point they were focused on leaving in one piece and getting some space between themselves and the planet. However with Xin needing to hail Skreech aboard the Saegassum it would be wiser to keep the Kid next to him. She had a crazy idea to charge towards their shooters and thought some slight modifications to their plan would work.

"Alright. You two will follow behind me. We're headed back up on the roof, just count to five before following. Got an idea that might kill me or might be worth while, only one way to find out. Keep an eye on Xin for me Kid, he's going to try to get some backup."

Climbing the stairs once more, Delila stuck close to the wall. Blaster was adjusted to be in position that would be first out the door, ready to fire as if someone as just on the other side. She waited a brief second before hitting the button and light flooded into the stairwell, bursting out screaming and wildly firing. Her goal was to scare them - it seemed to startle a few - and lead their fire towards her and away from Xin. It would hopefully give Xin and the Kid a chance to fire from behind and give them a bit of an advantage.

 

[Xin Boa]

He hated ideas that put her at risk. They were in a bind here and Xin had to trust her. He always implicitly trusted her and he could control the worry, but had it force it down.

Light streamed in from the open door and he started to count. He had to squint against the sudden light, but knew that he was going to have to deal with the pain.

"Keep behind me," he said to the kid as he rushed out.

Xin stepped out into a field of white. A blink and the scene resolved itself. There was one on his back, smoke rising from his chest. Another leaning over the edge of the roof and shouting out.

"They're up here!"

Xin picked out the togruta on her knees, trailing Dells with a shouldered rifle. He fired a snapshot and tapped the trigger again. The first shot hit the gravel in front of her, the second went right through her gut.

His next shot was a lazy one to make the other shooter dive for what little cover there was.

"After Dells, go!" he shouted to the kid, covering their backs.

 

[Delila Castillon]

Delila hated dealing with combat in such conditions - outgunned in the middle of an unfamiliar city. She and Xin had paid attention when they had first landed but those were direct paths. The gangsters deadset on killing their stowaway seemed much more familiar with the settings, easily taking them by a bit more of surprise than she had expected. The sooner they could get to the Saegassum the better, she had planned on blasting as many of their attackers via air as soon as they stepped on board.

Stepping out first, blaster fire was almost immediate, some Rodian had been first in her path. A second gangster was quick to follow. At this point she had taken refuge behind some type of environmental cooling system. It provided some cover while Xin yelled for their stowaway to run next to her. Her plan was to blast a small path to each 'waypoint' of coverage so to speak until they got clear enough.

With their stowaway secure, Delila turned to cover Xin's back as he made his way to them. Blaster fire rained down from up higher their current position, pushing the Kid closer to the metal cooling unit. Rifle was raised as she tried to pick off the gunman, hitting the grizzly looking woman by the third try. In order to keep moving, they were going to have to do a small hop over a gap next. It was going to leave them exposed, Delila didn't trust if the Kid had it in him.

"Going to be a bit of a leap, watch my back."

Creeping out from behind the cooling unit, blaster fire echoed out once more. Some were hitting dangerously close to her feet for her comfort - another well placed shot knocked down another tortuga taking pot shots from across the way. Somewhere from behind her Xin took out someone on a balcony off to her right.

Approaching the gap, she carefully peered over the edge, immediately raising her blaster and taking out someone climbing a fire escape ladder. Two steps back and a jump over - not a wide gap but enough to fall through.

"Lets go - I'll cover you!"

[[ Xin Boa ]]