Refuge Interrupted

[Tugoro Taidarious]

The planet of Tatooine, surprisingly enough, was a pleasant change compared to the gloomy streets of Nar Shaddaa. Tugoro still had his doubts about the planet, considering the things he had seen as a youth. "I know it well." That was all he said, not wanting to go any further. The Jedi made their way through the sandy streets, after a brief journey arriving at their destination. He had been to this cantina before, once or twice. It hadn't change in the slightest, still busy and full of all kinds of people. The humanoid bartender behind the counter moved quickly, serving drinks and chatting briefly with the customers.

This time, Tugoro and [member='Ar'ekk'] were not the center of attention, for almost nobody cared to glance their way, too preoccupied by their own business. Looking up, the bartender spotted the pair, waving them over before shouting to them. "Ghudor sent ya? Go around to the backroom." He instructed, pointing towards the corner of the cantina, where another door could be seen behind the crowd.

Within was a tall Weequay, wearing armor padding and other equipment. "Ah, so you've got the package," he spoke, taking the crates from the two, and placing them on the floor. Opening one of them up, the pirate chuckled slowly, reaching into the crate and withdrawing what looked to be rifle. Tugoro couldn't believe this fool had opened their delivery, as he felt guilty enough even working for the Exchange. He wasn't sure if he could just let this fly. "These babies are Jedi-killer stuff, y'know? What a bargain." The Weequay then took out a credit chip, that was worth several thousand credits, handing it to Ar'ekk.

 

[Arekk]

Ar'ekk snatched the credit chip from the Weequay's hand and quickly said: "Careful of not shooting your face with it.", broadening his usual sidegrin. He made sure the money exchanged was properly concealed from anyone's view, storing it in one of this belt pouches. The fact of working for the Exchange did not seem to affect the Padawan much unlike his master, who seemed to hold on to his own beliefs. Having fought in the war and followed instructions of generals who preferred to watch young men die as they laughed in the comfort of their own secure spots wasn't any different to what he was doing now.

He nodded off the Weequay and walked out of the backroom with [member="Tugoro Taidarious"], a several thousand credits richer.

"Let's bring this back to that scum." he concluded, referring to the money from the delivery. The shuttle was waiting nearby for their arrival, so they'd be shortly back in reunion with Ghudor and the ship.

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

This simply did not sit right with Tugoro, for he had never been or wanted to be an arms dealer. The last comment the Weequay made had been the last straw, but the Jedi knew better than to attack the alien on the spot. Once they had left the cantina, Tugoro decided to speak up, not satisfied with what had just happened.

"After Sanctuary, we're coming back here. Complain all you want, at least we get some credits out of it." The Jedi said, not even sure if Ghudor would give them a cut. If the crime lord did, then they would be one step closer to buying some spare ship parts, and that was probably the highlight of their trip unfortunately. "The shuttle is still waiting in the spaceport. Let's get back to the station." Tugoro would say to [member='Ar'ekk'], as they began to venture through the streets of Mos Eisley all over again.

There were all types of creatures and aliens around, Jawas riding Rontos, people guiding their speeders through the crowds, and merchants trying to peddle what they had to offer. Tatooine was still crime ridden and impoverished, but the people always seemed to manage, one thing the Jedi admired about the planet.

 

[Arekk]

"That's fine by me, master. Let's get going."

The idea of returning to Sanctuary started to feel much better than before. Anywhere else was great than being hunted by Sith on crime infested planets, a little bit of peace and tranquility would aid so much to their journey. The next task was to return to the crime lord with the money obtained and hopefully leave with the freighter as the Padawan originally planned.

As they walked through the sand ridden streets of Tatooine and denying offers from merchants, a sandstorm started to touch ground on Mos Eisley. It was a really heavy storm that tends to occur every now and then, a common thing on this region at least. The shuttle was awaiting for their return, the metallic platform was down so they could clamber inside. All things were prepared for their return.

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

The pilots prepared for lift off, powering up the engines of the shuttle as it began to hover out of the roofless docking bay. After some time, the craft flew through the bright sky and out of the atmosphere entirely, on an approach vector for the same space station they had arrived from. The same hangar, number twenty-three, was already waiting for the shuttle to dock, the control center immediately giving them clearance to land once they were close enough.

Ghudor was also waiting, standing in the hangar with his escort of battle droids. Tugoro stepped out of the shuttle, motioning for [member='Ar'ekk'] to take the lead, seeing as he carried the credits. "Everything went smoothly, Lord Ghudor. I assume this makes us even, yes?" Tugoro asked, wondering what kind of treachery the Houk would pull.

"Did I say one job? You fools have no idea how much I've lost thanks to this ship and its previous owner! I ought to have you two in-" The Houk was on a roll, but stopped as he gazed out of the hangar bay shield, behind Tugoro and his apprentice. One distinctly shaped frigate and two corvettes had just exited hyperspace, within firing range of the station.

 

[Arekk]

"Great, just what we needed." the Padawan shouted in exasperation, pointing at the fleet of Sith ships coming their way. From almost fleeing from death in Nar Shaddaa to working for the Exchange in Tatooine now came the doombringing sight of a Sith squadron ready to blow them to pieces on a space station near a crime ridden planet. The odds of them making it to Sanctuary shrunk more and more with time but if they trusted in the Force, they would always have a fighting chance.

"Master, I suggest we leave now unless we want to become stardust for those ships." Ar'ekk mentioned to his mentor, however Ghudor was standing in the way along with his B9 battle droids who were fully equipped and ready to destroy anything in their sight. The money exchange had not occured as of yet.

[member="Tugoro Taidarious"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

The B9 droids started to draw their blasters, lifting them and aiming towards the Jedi as Ghudor pointed at them. "I heard about what happened on Nar Shaddaa, I just didn't think they would show up so soo-" Once more the Houk was cut off, as a barrage of turbolaser fire from the starships impacted with the station's shields.

The structure rocked slightly, almost throwing Ghudor off balance as he shrieked in surprise. Turning around to look out the hangar, Tugoro too was shocked, casting a glance to [member='Ar'ekk'] before directing his attention on the droids. With a raised arm, the Jedi would reach out with the force, utilizing his own energy and that which was all around them, releasing a controlled wave that projected itself towards the Houk. Ghudor was knocked backwards, along with three out of the six droids in his escort.

Meanwhile, the Sith frigate has launched a squadron of fighters, along with a transport that had already boarded the station. Explosions began to go off throughout the entire station, as the starfighters and starships continued to open fire.

 

[Arekk]

"We should've known this would happen." Ar'ekk said with disappointment, unclipping and igniting his lightsaber to deflect any blaster shots from the remaining B9 battle droids. The ships boarding the stations were the alert of something bad about to happen, being almost sorrounded and nearly rocked off their feet. The spaceport felt like it was coming down, a loud rumble and the alarm going off were the signs of bad things to come. The apprentice used the lightsaber to deflect any shots back at the shooters, protecting [member="Tugoro Taidarious"] in the process.

"Do you have a plan B, master?" he inquired in a rushed tone. His eyes closed briefly as the Force flew through him, giving him the serenity needed for such a stressful situation.

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

Ghudor had been knocked unconscious by his fall, and the rest of the droids were terminated by their own blaster fire. [member='Ar'ekk'] asked a good question, though the only reasonable course of action would be to get on the Ebon Hawk. Their shuttle had set down next to the freighter, however it was unfortunately set in place by a gravity lock. Even if they managed to take off, it would be difficult to get past that blockade.

"Get in the freighter, see what you can do." Tugoro replied, hopping off the boarding ramp and running across the hangar towards their ship. The landing gear was completely locked, the powerful portable tractor beam guaranteeing that the freighter was going no where. "I'll take care of this, just get the ship ready." Tugoro ordered, kneeling down next to the large device, opening a panel in its side and tinkering with its inner workings.

This wasn't going to be easy, and not because the Jedi didn't have the technical know-how. A squad of Sith infantrymen entered the hangar, the blast doors sliding apart as they took in the sight before them. "Blast that ship!" Their leader ordered, as they switched to their explosive slug ammunition, firing on the Ebon Hawk. If the shields weren't up soon, they really would be going no where.

 

[Arekk]

Ar'ekk rushed towards the cockpit to try and take control of everything. The board and navigational computer turned on as it did before and with the pressing of a few buttons and switches the ship came to be fully operational, including their weapons. By taking charge of the turret controls, the apprentice took the initiative and shot back at the infantrymen invading the hangar to gain more time for [member="Tugoro Taidarious"]. The shields would take a couple of minutes to completely function and be in optimal state so he hoped the Ebon Hawk would hold on longer.

An alarm went off inside the freighter, indicating that danger was nearby and the ship was in obvious distress. The haunting sound brought back more flashbacks from the war, being in this situation countless of times and seeing so many friends pass away. He lost track of time for a minute until he regained the focus needed.

"The ship is ready, master! How are you doing there?" he shouted as he returned back to the entrance platform to speak with his mentor.

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

Just as [member='Ar'ekk'] arrived on the loading ramp, he would see Ghudor, who had regained consciousness, and was sneaking up on the Jedi Master.

Looking over his shoulder at the last second, Tugoro would grunt in pain as the Houk's powerful arms took hold of him, lifing him away from the gravity lock and throwing him forcefully onto the ground. The Sith troopers had taken cover, the majority of their force having been taken out by the freighter's ventral turret. Switching back to their power cells, the soldiers began to fire red bolts of energy across the hangar, aiming for Ar'ekk and Ghudor. The Houk had already sprung into action towards the apprentice, roaring ferociously in anger as he charged.

The large and extremely powerful alien attempted to tackle the young man to the ground, and crush him beneath his weight.

 

[Arekk]

Ar'ekk had his lightsaber ignited when he came out of the Ebon Hawk, prepared to face off any nearby infantry men trying to board the spaceport. He had managed to dodge the fast paced attack done by the Houk, only saving himself miraculously from being crushed to death. As the apprentice moved to the right side, he had managed to lunge the plasma blade towards the creature in the hope of provoking a lethal injury.

Despite his brush with death, the laser bolts alerted him of another foe who were closing in on their position faster this time, running in small squads and taking covering positions, flanking their sides. [member="Tugoro Taidarious"] was slammed forcefully into the ground and the young Jedi did not know if he was conscious. Regardless, a soldier does not leave a friend behind so he rushed in his assistance.

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

After a few seconds, Tugoro himself rolled onto his back, groaning in pain from being slammed on the ground again. How many times had that happened now? [member='Ar'ekk']'s saber pierced into Ghudor's torso, his lethal maneuver successful in killing the crime lord.

Back on his feet, Tugoro rushed back to the gravity lock, taking cover behind it as the soldiers continued opening fire. The bolts of energy impacted with the device, also hitting the freighter and causing small amounts of damage. Since Ar'ekk was close and able to cover him, Tugoro managed to deactivate the gravity lock, struggling to pull the large device out of the grip it had on their landing gear.

"Get ready to lift off, I'll be right behind you!" the Jedi shouted, finally pulling the clamp out and pushing it to the side. Igniting his own saber, he hopped up onto the loading ramp, deflecting blaster shots as they the soldiers attempted to stop them. Their next obstacle was getting passed the ships out in space.

 

[Arekk]

As they made a run for the Ebon Hawk, they luckily managed to get inside without before having to deflect all incoming blaster shots with their sabers as multiple infantry men came forward to claim their heads. Ar'ekk rushed once again for the cockpit room, grasping on the controls at once. The engines roared as the freighter began to lift off its position, facing towards the exit of the docking bay. A frightening sight as multiple ships were in front, ready to turn them into space dust.

"Hope we make it out alive." the Padawan said to [member="Tugoro Taidarious"], trusting only in the Force and their flying capabilities. The best course of action would be to go straight into their sights and go past behind them, considering how small the freighter was in comparison to the ships they were facing, making them shoot eachother in the process. The hyperdrive was ready to be used for the jump to lightspeed.

Incoming fire from the corvettes and Sith fighters made the task a little difficult, having to adopt evasive maneuvers and return fire with the ventral turrets.

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

Under this kind of fire, it would be nearly impossible to accurately plot a course to a hyperlane without being shot down. Without a droid to utilize the navigational systems, their situation was far worse. Turbolaster and laser cannon fire soared in all directions, the space station firing back with what weaponry it had, the betrayal by the Sith an unseen development for them. The small freighter was fairly fast and maneuverable, successfully weaving through the deadly bolts of energy.

The cockpit lit up with green and red light as lasers were exchanged, Tugoro having abandoned his seat in the turret. Years ago, he had participated in a lesson taught by Jorus Merrill, a famous Jedi Master that had once aided the Republic. Instinctive astrogation was a fairly complex ability, though Tugoro believed he could pull it off. "Get to the turret," he would tell [member='Ar'ekk'], leaning over the co-pilot's console and typing in a few commands. "Keep those fighters off of us, and I'll try to get us a clear path."

As calm as he sounded, the Jedi Master could not help but feel nervous, having never attempted this before. The Fury-class starfighters were on their tail the moment they had departed from the hangar, firing laser cannon bursts towards their engines in an attempt to disable the freighter. Taking the main controls, Tugoro would allow his mind to go blank, reaching out with the force, into the very depths of space itself.

 

[Arekk]

Ar'ekk rushed down the stairs of the main hold to get in control of one of the turrets, placing the communications headset on to mantain contact with [member="Tugoro Taidarious"] on the cockpit. There were several fighters on their tail so the primary task for the Padawan was to disable at least a few if not all of them at once so they had a chance of survival.

The exchange of fire between the Ebon Hawk and the Sith fighters had begun with the young Jedi having the upper hand given his previous experience on battles in space and on the ground as part of the armed military infantry. With well placed and precise shots, A'rekk managed to take out two fighters who were closing in on the freighter at close range. A few more remained up, shooting at their ship with everything they had. The turret would jam every now and then due to its lack of usage for a long time but this did not set back Ar'ekk, making the weapon functional with patience.

"I'm keeping them off our tail, a few have been destroyed but we need to get out now. I'm running out of ammo." he relied to his mentor through the headset. They were nearing a complete depletion of the freigther's ammunition, using most of them earlier during their scuffle at Nar Shaddaa and so forth.

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

The dual turbolaser turrets were fairly powerful, and thus drained a lot of energy from the ship's main power. "Alright, alright," Tugoro responded, his concentration broken as [member='Ar'ekk'] spoke over the intercom. The Jedi had to lean over the dashboard, reaching for the sub-systems control panel, before rerouting weapons power to the engines. The freighter's speed was really increasing now, allowing them to put some distance between themselves and the starfighters.

The Sith pilots were not about to give up however, increasing their own throttle and advancing rapidly. The shield took a few more bursts of laser cannon fire, rocking the ship forcefully, followed by a loud hissing that could be heard throughout the ship. Closing his eyes, Tugoro took a seat in the pilots chair, making sure he was relaxed to some degree as he tried to focus. His mind was linked to the force energy that surrounded surged throughout the galaxy, allowing him to sense and feel out the routes they could take.

Pushing forward on the flight controls, the Hawk would take a sudden dive, catching its pursuers off guard as it aligned with the safest and nearest lane. Hardly aware of his own actions, Tugoro reached for the lever, pulling down on it as the stars beyond began to stretch. The engine roared to life, and the freighter blasted off into hyperspace. Where they ended up was anyone's guess.