Pragmatism (Oorn Tchis Aftermath)

[Ganio Vynte]

Oorn Tchis, Lahara Sector
Twelve Hours After Sith Invasion

"It doesn't have to go like this, Rance. You know me. I taught your kids, for kark's sake."

The blaster pressing into the small of Ganio Vynte's back didn't budge. "I'm sorry, Gan," the older man at the other end of the gun mumbled, shame coloring his words. "But it's my kids that I'm doing this for. I don't expect you to understand." The barrel twitched, waving Ganio over toward a seat, and he walked slowly in that direction, hands raised. Reaching the old chair, which had lost most of its stuffing and changed colors where the posteriors of countless sentients had rubbed at the dye, he eased himself down into it, trying to keep a lid on his fear and anger.

The two of them were alone in the backroom of a rundown little cantina called Murtamin's, the only place to drink at the grandiosely-named the Southwest Sector Regional Starport. In truth, the "starport" was little more than a collection of three landing pads, all open to wind and weather. Oorn Tchis was not a rich world, nor a heavily populated one, and most of the people born there never left. Outside, rain poured down from a dark evening sky, a steady patter that was leaking through the badly-patched ceiling in several places.

"We agreed on this," Ganio said, now staring up at Rance. The older man had the stooped back, gnarled hands, and hacking cough common to miners, and wore an engineer's red jumpsuit - it made it easier to find him, or whatever was left of him, in the event of a cave-in. The blaster wavered slightly in his hand, an antiquated model that probably hadn't been fired in twenty years or more. "You saw the holos from Thyferra. Do you really want the ore you mine to guide Sith missiles into more apartment complexes? To be part of mass karking murder?"

Rance always looked old and weary, but as he let out a heavy sigh, he somehow looked older and wearier. "That's what war is, Gan. Horrible things happen. People die. You think the Galactic Alliance has never blown up civilians? And what did you think would happen when we collapsed the mines, huh, kid? The Sith would say 'oh no, we've been foiled' and pack up and leave? I'm sorry that people are dying. I'm just making sure it's not my people. Not my kids." He wouldn't meet Ganio's eyes as he spoke, but his finger didn't waver on the trigger guard.

"So that's what you're saying I wouldn't understand," the younger man replied, fire in his voice. "My family's gone, so you think I don't know the risk." Rance's eyes blazed. "You don't!" He was shouting now, red in the face. "You don't know what you're asking! None of us are soldiers. We have our livelihoods to think about. If we don't stand up to the Sith, we're safe. Hell, we'll even sell more than usual, get what we need to provide for our families. I can't let your misguided moralizing kark that up for us. That's why I'm turning you in."

Ganio felt his blood run cold. "You're not just stopping me," he said slowly, "you're throwing me to the gundarks." Rance didn't say anything, just averted his eyes again. But this time Ganio was ready. The young man surged out of the chair, staying low, and tackled Rance around the midsection. The blaster went off, putting a smoking hole through the chair cushion, as the two of them hit the ground in a tangle of limbs. One, two, three vicious blows to the head, and Rance lay still. Ganio fumbled the blaster into his hand, then turned to run.

There was no time. Sith troops would be on the way to scoop him up. They would know about his little plan to collapse the mines of the Southwest sector, and they would be out for blood. Ganio stumbled out of the backroom and into the cantina proper. The small crowd of patrons stared at him, some drawing back in concern as this wild-eyed man rushed out toward them with a still-warm blaster. Already he was drawing too much attention. He needed to get out of there, and fast, before the new occupiers found him.

On a world that now belonged to the Sith Empire, apparently body and soul, that was going to be no easy feat.

 

[Aeron Tosh]

Aeron Tosh - an imperial intelligence agent typically didn't care what the locals did while he was off duty. It's true Aeron didn't completely care about the nature of right and wrong. He just wanted to be on the winning side of things, to make sure he got the better end of the stick but when someone sprints out of a backroom holding a blaster for dear life he has to investigate, regardless of if he wants too or not.

Aeron sees this man rush past him and out the door of the old, rusty, underground cantina. Aeron didn't bother going to crowd around the unconscious body lying in the backroom because he knew anyone with half a brain knew exactly what happen to the desperate man.

This was the man the empire was so worried about, Ganio. A rugged smuggler who was hell bent on stopping the empire's plans to create sith missiles with the new mines we've recently taken control of.

Aeron made his way into the bathroom and called his superior, "Ganio managed to overwhelm Rance somehow and took off running."

A look of pure frustration lit up the hardened imperial's face. He took a minute to breathe keep himself from lashing out as he usually does and said in a calm yet strict voice, "Of course. I shouldn't of trusted a old, worn-out miner to be capable of such an easy task. This Ganio fellow has proven himself a much bigger threat than I originally thought. Don't engage him or you'll blow your cover, just keep eyes on Ganio and make sure he doesn't interfere with anything else we've got planned."

"Understood sir"

"And Aeron, expect harsh punishment if the empire's plans fail because of your incompetence. Very harsh punishments.", the Imperial officer's last words before dismissing the agent.

Aeron walked past the crowd unnoticed and straight out of the cantina and began following Ganio.

 

[Ganio Vynte]

Ganio didn't so much as glance behind him as he shouldered his way through the crowd and out the door of Murtamin's. The blaster was hot in his hand, but his insides were cold, clenched up like coiled worms locked in permafrost. The rain lashed against his face as he emerged beneath the dark sky, soaking through his jacket almost immediately. The young man staggered against the wall of the bar, stomach heaving, and was messily sick against the duracrete. He'd felt Rance's neck break, seen his head twist impossibly far backward.

Ganio had never killed anyone before. He had never even struck someone in anger. And twenty-four standard hours earlier, Rance had been his friend.

There was no going back. Even if the Sith weren't following him yet, the local marshals would be after him soon. Someone had probably already called the emergency hotline to report what had happened... what he had done to Rance. Ganio knew then that he could never go home, and it struck him all at once that he hadn't really planned his next move. He thought he could strike some heroic blow against the Sith and then things would somehow just work out. Maybe Rance had been right. Maybe he really didn't understand what he was doing.

Images of Thyferra surged back into his mind, and Ganio shook his dark thoughts away. He had killed someone who was planning to hand him over to be tortured and executed. The Sith had killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people in that attack alone, and that was only one of many worlds they had burned. He was in the fight now, like it or not. Wiping his mouth with the back of his sleeve, the young man pushed himself upright and held the blaster more tightly. Then, walking purposefully, he set out toward the landing pads.

His only chance was to get offworld as fast as he could, and he would need a ship for that, one that the Sith wouldn't stop and search. The good news - sort of - was that Oorn Tchis had gone down without a fight. There was no blockade or Sith army marching through the streets - it was totally unnecessary, and the Empire needed all of its forces for the many fronts on which it was fighting the Great Galactic War. All three landing pads were occupied by freighters, perhaps picking up ore or the planet's famous dyes. Maybe one would take passengers.

Head down against the wind and rain, Ganio headed for the freighters, never noticing the Imperial agent following closely behind...

@ Aeron Tosh

 

[Veino Garn]

A world surrendering without a fight? That was strange, especially to the Sith Empire. Honestly, surrender was likely just as bad as resistsnce. Veino had been at Togoria. He’d seen that xenocide first hand. No, he suspected something else was at play. And besides, the Force had lured him here.

There was something here that was wanted from him. Not that he could see anything, by any means. Yeah, he’d been out of the game for a few years now, but still. Three landing pads and a cluster of dull buildings. Nothing of note here, by any means. He stood huddled beneath an overhanging roof, trying to stay out of the wind. It bit and he was older now than he had used to be. Even in his ratty old great cost, he tried to suppress some shivers.

Maybe he was coming down with something. He wasn’t sure. Something to take a look at in the future. Once he had somewhere with actual doctors, at least.

Someone was coming and his emotions roiled. That wasn’t good. Yet, behind him, he sensed another presence, intent and focused. Now that was interesting. As the two passed, Veino detached himself from the wall. Rain plastered his hair to his forehead and a chill sank into his core, but he kept on, drifting behind the two, with an unlit death stick in his mouth.

[member="Ganio Vynte"] @Aeron Tosh

 

[Iturizu Yuvie]

Yuives mission for the Galactic Alliance of late had been rather focused on keeping tabs on the Empire advance throughout the outer rim and towards the core worlds, her views on them lessening with each passing day as more and more their tyrannical being came to light. When they were not systematically killing and entire world’s population, they were experimenting on them, when not doing that they were exploiting the worlds natural resources and keeping the people in fear of death. It sickened her to the core to call herself a Sith and be compared to these monster, but more so since her own people had bowed down to these people when they came knocking on the planets door steps, doing whatever they asked despite the blatant lie of bringing peace to Miral.

'No, keep calm, not need to get or riled up and sensed by some Sith lord... just get the information on those new missiles and get out alive'. She had taken the liberty of being disguised in simple civi clothes and simple brown hood, putting her armour to the side to blend in more, it would be a waist to blow that cover because of emotions... emotions? A wave of them where flowing through the air, panic or some sort of anxiety, very different from the weak and afraid emotions radiating off the local people. The question stood why? Did said person know something about the Sith being here? Or where they some sort of criminal on the run. Whatever the case it was worth investigating, anything to shorten her stay.

[member="Veino Garn"] l [member="Ganio Vynte"] l @ Aeron Tosh

 

[Aeron Tosh]

Aeron followed Ganio closely through the horrid rain, praying and hoping he didn't turn around and question the coincidence of the two going in the same direction.

Thankfully, the imperial agent who has spent years working undercover didn't lack the self awareness the rugged smuggler has. Aeron felt like he was being followed. It was a dirty, homeless bum who he passed by recently. Only a hobo would stand under a weak overhanging roof outside a warm cantina.

In normal circumstances, Aeron wouldn't care about someone as harmless as the homeless, but this wasn't normal at all. The homeless man could do or act in a way that would draw attention to the imperial agent. Aeron knew Ganio hasn't noticed him yet and he wanted to keep it that way so he slowed his pace a little bit, allowing Ganio to get out of ear shot and turned to speak to the hobo.

"Here", Aeron said, in a somewhat low voice while reaching his hand out to the stranger. "That's enough to buy you some drinks at the cantina, now please go away. I have important business to attend too so unless you're following me for a good reason I'd suggest you leave before things get nasty"

Aeron glanced over his shoulder again. Ganio is going faster than he expected. He can't lose him, especially since common sense would suggest that he's going to try and hide himself after the big ruckus at the cantina.

Aeron turned away from the stranger and began to walk off. Hopefully the man doesn't interrupt him again.

[member="Veino Garn"] | [member="Ganio Vynte"]

 

[Veino Garn]

@ Aeron Tosh

Veino almost laughed. Of all his time working Underground jobs, he’d never been taken for a hobo. But then, he was never one to turn away free credits. Especially not from the enemy. There was words going out what was happening. He’d made initial contact with a group calling themselves the Resistance. They wouldn’t mind some extra credits.

But that was a definite threat. He meant something bad with the person on the run. Fugitive? Spy? Possible freedom fighter? Good to know. Not somebody to turn away from. He grinned and stumbled after the other man.

“Nah, friend,” Veino spoke, slurring his words. The death stick hung in his fingers. “You offer credits, you drink with me. Ain’t nothing nasty with these drinks.”

The other one was disappearing further in the rain. That was good. If that person could get away, Veino would make himself disappear, vanish into the stars. He’d done it before and he could do it again.

Even as he spoke, the he gathered the Force around himself and within himself, just in case. If he was willing to openly threaten something nasty, no guess at what he would do now.

 

[Ganio Vynte]

Nearing the landing pads, Ganio risked a glance over his shoulder, cupping a hand over his eyes to keep the rain from running into them. He could see several people milling about between him and the cantina, and a wave of paranoia surged up in him until he forced it down. There was a Twi'lek, simply but practically dressed and moving toward the landing pad; a Human, following the Twi'lek and saying something, though Ganio couldn't hear the words over the patter of the rain; and a Mirialan, keeping her head down and watching.

Ganio had no way to know whether any of these people knew who he was or had seen what he'd done, but catching sight of the Near-Human woman steeled his resolve. Before Thyferra, there had been Mirial. Before that, other worlds: Togoria, Amar, Taloraan. The Sith burned and killed and enslaved and twisted whatever they wanted, and no matter what it cost him, Ganio knew he had to get away from this planet, away from the durasteel grasp of the Empire. If he surrendered like his neighbors, he would be a part of something terrible.

Reaching the landing pads, Ganio glanced at the three freighters, peering through the darkness and the rain as best he could. One of them was unloading; it wouldn't be ready to go anytime soon. With the other two, it was difficult to tell. The young man didn't have many credits to his name; teaching was not the best way to make a fortune, he mused wryly. But he might perhaps be able to get a few systems over, down to Adumar or out to Ciutric IV - anywhere the Empire hadn't touched yet, though he didn't doubt that both worlds were at risk.

Gathering his wits, he approached the first freighter captain, a Devaronian woman in a thick leatheris jacket. "You leaving anytime soon?" He hoped the question sounded casual. The woman shrugged. "Maybe. What's it to you?" "Looking for passage," he replied. "I'll pay upfront if we leave today." The Devaronian regarded him with an appraising eye, rubbing one of her horns as she considered his proposal. "Getting out before the Sith finish locking this place down?" she asked, a sad smile on her face. "I'll pay extra for no questions," Ganio replied.

This seemed to be going well. Provided that none of the people he'd spotted came after him soon, he might actually make it off-planet...

[member="Veino Garn"] | @ Aeron Tosh | [member="Iturizu Yuvie"]

 

[Iturizu Yuvie]

Yuvies eye met with that of the man who she felt the wave of emotion radiating from, at first the Mirilan had though her presence may have just made the man more paranoid, but for some reason up each see one another the wave of emotions subsided, almost as if just her presence alone. encouraged him? It was an odd way of thinking but she could not come up with any other explanation for it, was the fact she was not human play into it? Maybe the fact she was a Mirilan might have been the reason, perhaps the man’s thought process was, 'if she got off her world I can to'.

For now, it did not matter, the man still peaked her interest to much just to simply ignore, thankfully though he would be chaser was not in sight meaning she was free to approach without any one being suspicious of her behaviour. As the man made his way towards the lading bad Yuvie follow, trying to make herself seem like some refuge looking to passage of world too, putting her confident expression and professional poise aside for the moment. She came within ear range just at the end of the man’s offer to get off world right away, his eagerness to escape just peaked her interest even more, why was he so desperate, why was he so afraid, she had to know.

"... Um.... may I seek passage as well? I can pay extra as well, my family are those of merchants so I do not lack for money". Technically speaking that was not a lie, her family were merchants, travelled along the outer rim before her immediate family became collateral damage or the old Resurgent Empire. From what she knew what remained of her relatives where still vendors, and though young at the time Yuvie still knew her way around deals and sales.

[member="Ganio Vynte"] l [member="Veino Garn"] l @ Aeron Tosh

 

[Aeron Tosh]

[member="Veino Garn"]

Aeron felt irritated and annoyed at the hobo for taking up so much of his time. For kark's sake because of this vermin he can't see where Ganio went off too! He couldn't gone anywhere, he could be hiding anywhere, and now Aeron was stuck trying to track him down.

Most of all though - Aeron felt an incredible amount of disrespect coming from such a low life, living in the slums of a planet that's about to be enslaved by the very empire he works for, and yet he has the balls to speak to him that way. A trained intelligence agent no less!

Aeron knew for sure, if it wasn't for his current assignment, he'd be dead where he stood.

"I don't have time for this! Take your money and get out of my face!", Aeron shouted, then he took off sprinting in the same direction as Ganio.

Aeron ran all the possibilities through his head,

Ganio probably didn't go back home..... So no point in checking that.

He could be hiding away with other resistence members..... Possibly.

Aeron couldn't figure it out, so he just continued running and hoped he could get eyes on Ganio again.

[member="Ganio Vynte"]

 

[Ganio Vynte]

As the Devaronian considered his offer, Ganio heard someone moving up from behind him. He didn't see any particular worry on the face of the freighter captain, who could see behind him, so he doubted it was a Sith soldier. Still, that didn't necessarily mean he was safe. The young man clenched the blaster hidden up his sleeve a little tighter, not wanting to spin around and provoke a confrontation if he could avoid it. Finally, the newcomer walked up beside him, and he could see that it was the Mirialan he had noticed just minutes earlier.

His eyes narrowed as she requested passage too. Perhaps it was his paranoid mood, but it seemed suspicious to him. Could she be an enemy agent? It was difficult to imagine a Mirialan working for the Empire after what they'd done to Mirial, but stranger things had happened. He couldn't let his guard down. Perhaps he would never be able to let his guard down again; he was a wanted man now, an enemy of the state, and every moment he lingered within Imperial territory was a terrible risk. But what could he do? There was no way to know this woman's intent.

The Devaronian captain considered the two of them, then shook her head. "Look, I don't want any trouble," she replied. "Empire's not too keen on free traders anyway. I don't know what you two are running from, and I don't want to know, but I can't risk having you on my ship." Ganio felt himself deflate; he'd been hopeful that, given enough credits, the captain would be willing to take the risk. But what good were credits if you were hanging upside-down in a Sith interrogation chamber, wracked with fingertip lightning? Everyone had to look out for themselves.

He didn't object. "Good luck, then," he said, and turned toward the last ship that might be willing to take him away from Oorn Tchis. A commotion some ways away caught his attention as he did; the Twi'lek was yelling at the Human, though his exact words were difficult to make out over the howling wind. In his current mood, it set Ganio on edge, but it was probably just an everyday argument, and nothing to do with him. Still, the sooner he could get out of here, the better. He glanced sideways at the Mirialan woman, considering his options.

"You're looking to get out too, then?" He decided to extend just a little bit of trust; he desperately needed an ally. "There's one more ship we can try, just over there."

[member="Veino Garn"] | @ Aeron Tosh | [member="Iturizu Yuvie"]

 

[Aeron Tosh]

As Aeron came closer to his target he realized what he was trying to do.

He's trying to get off the planet

Of course! Why didn't Aeron think of it sooner, what else would a spineless rebel like himself be doing? He panics due to his lack of experience, realizes he's in over his head, and thinks he can just solve the problem by running away. Not on Aeron's watch. He isn't letting him go on so he can mess up another operation on some other planet, or get together with other so-called "rebels".

Aeron opened up his comlink and on it stood imperial navy personnel, "Stop all interstellar travel now!"

"But....."

"Don't you dare. Do you want to be the reason our entire operation goes to the trash? Ganio is attempting to escape on a starship so I need all this planet locked down. No one should be leaving."

"Roger that"

Aeron slowed down to a walking pace. Trying his hardest to look calm. Aeron assumes Ganio doesn't suspect him to be anything other than an average joe and he intends to keep it that way.

[member="Ganio Vynte"] | [member="Iturizu Yuvie"] | [member="Veino Garn"]

 

[Veino Garn]

[member="Iturizu Yuvie"] @ Aeron Tosh [member="Ganio Vynte"]

That was rude. Veino frowned for a moment as the Twi'lek broke into a run towards the spaceport. Well, bother. There went that part of the plan. Which meant that it was probably time to break cover. Not that he particularly wanted to, but it seemed to be his only option. The figure was yelling at a comlink about a lock-down. Interesting. That was excessive and awfully slow thinking on his part.

But he already had the Force flowing through his body, so why not put it to use? He broke into a sprint. With each step, he channeled the Force through his body so that he ran faster and stronger than humans typically could. But wow, that was a stitch starting in his side. It stung. Buildings blurred past until he slipped past the twi'lek and skidded to a stop between him and the spaceport.

Veino held out one hand and then paused to catch his breath. By the Force, he was getting too old for this.

"That," he panted, "was rude. However!" He stood upright and winced at the stitch in his side. "Countermand that command you sent through the comlink and I'll let it slide." As he spoke, he gently moved his hand through the air, using the Force to try and influence his mind. "Then we can all depart as friends. Just like what we all want."

 

[Iturizu Yuvie]

Yuvie was not disappointed in the captain’s refusal of taking on passengers, her main goal was to try and find out what information this man had on him, and help in anyways when could to see his safe passage. Even so she needed to keep playing the part of a refuge looking to get off world and fainted a fake expression of disappointment at the refusal by the captain, "I understand, you do not wish to burden yourself with unnecessary risk, I will find another way, good day to you".

Yuive turned to leave, though not intending to stop following the man, but halted in her tracks as she was offered an alternative by the run away, "Yes I am seeking passage from this world and away from the Sith Empire, what is this different method you speak of"? Was it another ship, a close friend? Yuvie did not know, but if it meant tagging along with the man that held secrets so be it, it would also appear more causal if she looked to be traveling with someone else. "Please lead the way, I will follow close behind", she motioned for the man to show the way, unfamiliar with the streets of this planet, let alone the space port.

In the distance, the sound of yelling from a Twi'lek was noticeable, why there was a Twi'lek on a Sith world not being pummelled into oblivion and sent off to the slave owners, she would not no, but gut instinct told her to get far away from him as possible. Following closely behind was an old man, fast for his age, but also showing signs of wear but in addition was radiating with the force, a Jedi of some sorts perhaps? Maybe a rebel operative? Whatever the case they were providing a distraction much needed to slip away unnoticed, "Something about the Twi'lek does not sit right with me, I suggest we depart quickly".

[member="Veino Garn"] l [member="Aeron Tosh"] l [member="Ganio Vynte"]

 

[Ganio Vynte]

Ganio shared his new companion's suspicions about the Twi'lek; the man had come running around the corner, shouting something into a comlink, and that was too much bad evidence to ignore. "Agreed," he quietly replied, walking faster. "If this other ship won't take us, though... well, we'll need to get creative." In truth, the young man didn't have a plan besh. If he couldn't get off-planet here, he wasn't entirely sure where he would go next. How many others would sell him out, like Rance had, in the hopes of earning mercy from the Sith Empire?

He didn't really want to know the answer. Too many of the people he had lived beside were now suspect; he could no longer trust them to treat him as a friend and neighbor.

Ganio glanced over his shoulder, and the glimpse he caught shocked him so thoroughly that he nearly stopped walking. The simply-dressed human had caught up to the Twi'lek, covering the distance in half the time the alien had. Ganio had seen his limbs just as they reverted from a blur of motion, twice as fast as he could run on his best day. Barring really serious cybernetic implants, the young man knew only one way to do that: the mysterious Force, worshiped by the Jedi... and used as a tool of terrible destruction by agents of the Sith.

Which of the two was this guy? Odds were pretty good that, on a Sith-occupied world, Ganio was going to get an answer he didn't like. He broke into a trot, not quite running but moving as fast as he could without drawing undue attention. Soon the third and final freighter loomed up before him. The landing ramp was extended, and a few crates of ore were being hauled up it by a pair of binary loadlifters. Supervising them with an unblinking reptilian eye was a Trandoshan, the apparent captain of the vessel. Ganio stepped forward to meet him.

"I'm... we're looking for passage offworld," he said, wondering again whether he was making a mistake in sticking with the Mirialan. But he felt like he had to trust someone; he had never felt so alone, and he needed some kind of lifeline, some proof that the whole galaxy wasn't out to get him. She would have to do for now. The captain sniffed at the pair of them. "More fugitivessss?" it hissed, either angry or amused - it was difficult to tell. "Why sssshould I rissssssk mysssself to help you?" Ganio's heart sank. It seemed his purpose was all too obvious.

Maybe they could convince the lizard. Maybe not. What Ganio didn't yet know was that the local garrison, spurred by the Twi'lek's orders was moving to lock down all ships off-planet...

[member="Iturizu Yuvie"] | [member="Veino Garn"] | @ Aeron Tosh

 

[Aeron Tosh]

Aeron was halted in the middle of his run by the previous man he already gave money too. Aeron was genuinely impressed by the man's ability to run so fast, never has he seen someone catch up with him so quickly before, but too Aeron it didn't matter, he tried the easy way and now it was time to swat the annoying fly.

Or so he thought.

[member="Veino Garn"] waved his hand in the air while giving him orders as though it meant something, and begrudgingly he opened up his comlink, and in a monotone voice he told the imperial navy officer to ignore his previous order. Ganio got farther away, and he could see a conversation between him and another pilot going on along with some other person.

Aeron took a moment to regain his control and immediately knew what he had to do next. Without even thinking, Aeron took out the blaster pistol he's been hiding in his back pocket and fired off three quick shots in rapid succession. He turned around and ducked behind the nearest pile of stacked up boxes he could find. He opened up his comlink and called in reinforcements for the jedi.

This wasn't Aeron's first time against a jedi and he knew it wouldn't be his last. He just wished he was more appropriately dressed for the surprise.

[member="Ganio Vynte"] | [member="Iturizu Yuvie"]

 

[Veino Garn]

[member="Ganio Vynte"] @ Aeron Tosh

Well, kark. The Force surged in a warning and he hurled himself to the side as three blaster bolts cut through the air where he had just been standing. Two of them singed new holes in his coat. He scowled at the smoke rising from the cloth of the fabric.

"Also rude!" Veino called out. "That was not necessary!"

But he had accomplished the goal, more or less. The agent was disrupted away from the escapees. Which was a good enough for him. The man picked himself up off the ground and ran off to the space-port. No fancy Force techniques here. It was all being focused on sensing another warning and answering with a Force barrier. That would deflect any more blaster bolts that came his way.

His breath was ragged and the stitch was coming back, but he forced himself forward. Honestly, it was a motivating exercise routine. As he reached the final ship, he skidded to a halt in front of the Trandoshan.

"All three of," he gasped, "Passage offworld. Lots of credits and," he paused for a moment, "If you run into trouble in Alliance space, I can make it disappear. But we need to move fast. They're locking down the planet."




[member="Iturizu Yuvie"]

 

[Iturizu Yuvie]

Yuvie gave a nod to her new companion, the force telling her the Twi'lek was bad news, whatever reason? it did not matter, all she knew is that hanging within eye sight of the man was bound to bring bad luck of some sort. Her blue contrasting eyes to her Sith nature, quickly turned back to the man as he explained the next step in leaving the planet, his talk of being creative sparking some ides in her head. If need be she would be more than willing to play the part of a stowaway or even hijack a freighter if required, after all she had done worse.

She followed close behind, keeping her senses out in case the other force user tried something or the Twi'lek turned out to be more trouble than necessary, there was still no telling what either of their allegiance was, even if the force user seemed to be on their side. Keeping her slightly timid act up Yuvie seemingly hid behind the man as the approached the last freighter, one that was crew by Trandosians of all creatures, though usually scum bags and undesirable one thing Yuvie knew about the lizard people is their want for money and wiliness to do less then legal business.

"If you are looking for money I do not have a shortage for it, or if need be I can offer 'other' skills for safe passag-", her sentence was cut short as the sound of blaster fire range from behind, several bolts whizzing past her head, catching her off guard, which was something that did not happen often. "What in the"? Turning around quickly she spotted the Twi'lek with his blaster drawn, the green skinned alien ducking behind cover, appearing to be speaking into a com-link of sorts, 'crap this is bad, if he is not calling in back up no doubt the authorities would have heard that shot... I knew that Twi'lek was bad new, not being in chains should have been my first clue that something was not right'.

She hastily glanced back to the man she was following, heart racing over the new development of being caught, would they stay and fight? or would he flee somewhere to hid? Should she reveal her force powers and lead him away to her fighter? There were too many options and to little time to decide.


[member="Veino Garn"] l @ Aeron Tosh l [member="Ganio Vynte"]

 

[Ganio Vynte]

Once again, everything changed in an instant. Ganio decided he was going to have to get used to that.

One moment he and the Mirialan were doing their best to negotiate; he looked sideways at her, wondering what the kark she meant by "other skills" and a little off-put by the strange way she emphasized the words. He didn't have time to consider that for long, however, because seconds later blasterfire rang out behind them, cutting off whatever the Trandoshan's response would have been. Ganio ducked, sliding his pistol down his sleeve and into his hand, and then glanced around wildly. Who was shooting? Were they shooting at him?

Suddenly the human he'd spotted earlier came tearing up from behind them, skidding to a halt in their midst. Ganio almost shot him on reflex, but managed to hold back the impulse. He'd never been in a firefight before, and wasn't entirely sure whether or not he was in one now; either way, it was making him even more twitchy, nervous, and eager to put this all far behind him. The man seemed to have decided to include himself among the potential passengers... and dropped a hint about the Galactic Alliance. Ganio looked at him with fresh curiosity.

But there was no time for that now; the man didn't have a blaster Ganio could see, so whoever was shooting was surely not far behind. Even if the three of them could take down whoever it was - and Ganio was pretty sure he could guess, since the yelling Twi'lek was the only other person out in the rain with them - blasterfire would bring Sith troops before long. Even though Oorn Tchis had submitted peacefully, the Empire would be taking no chances with dissidents, and they would respond swiftly to any hint of disruption or resistance to their authority.

"Thissss issss bad bussssinessss," the Trandoshan said, backing away. "Kark off. Find another ssssship." Ganio felt his heart sink as his last chance turned and walked away.

So, for the second time in ten minutes, he did something he wasn't proud of. He raised the blaster, flicked it over to stun, and shot the Trandoshan in the back, four times to be sure - their hide was supposed to be pretty resilient. The lizard sank to the ground, twitching slightly, its muscles locked up and its eyes rolling back in its head. "I'm sorry," Ganio said, and he meant it. He didn't like the person he was becoming, but he wasn't ready to die in a Sith interrogation chamber, either. "But it wasn't a request." He dashed up the loading ramp and into cover.

They would have a very limited window to get off this rock before the Sith made leaving thoroughly impossible. It was time to put up or shut up.

[member="Iturizu Yuvie"] | [member="Veino Garn"] | @ Aeron Tosh

 

[Aeron Tosh]

Aeron started spraying his pistol like a mad man. Somewhat enraged by the Jedi and his games he decided that now was the time he blew his cover. Getting Ganio off the planet was one thing - but a jedi? A jedi surpassed all threats of a rebel who probably doesn't even have formal combat training.

Aeron shouted into his comlink at the imperial navy officer to get the planet locked down as fast as possible but he knew they wouldn't be able to do it. He knew they can get off the planet in their new stolen ship faster than the imperials can work to stop them. Getting an entire planet on lockdown is going to take time.

Though the reinforcements showed up it was too late they've already gotten the ship off the ground. Aeron might've been outplayed by a force user but now he had the advantage! He had the entire empire fully aware of the ship they're using and what Ganio looks like. He knew the empire's navy wouldn't allow him to escape without facing punishment.

Aeron turned around and went through the star port, searching for where he parked his shiny, polished imperial ship. He sprinted onto the ladder leading into his TIE fighter and took off, leaving the ground reinforcements back to their normal patrolling duties.

Despite being able to see their ship Aeron chose not to fire until he could get closer and for his navy buddies to inevitably arrive.

[member="Ganio Vynte"] | [member="Iturizu Yuvie"] | [member="Veino Garn"]