Sand on the Horizon

[TD-31404]

TD-31404 walked across Tatooine. His assignment had been to exterminate a group of Tusken Raiders attacking Bestine, but when he and his group drove them out of town, they followed.

Now he was out alone in the deserts of Tatooine, lost wandering. He couldn't even locate the Tuskens anymore, and he was pretty sure that there were still a few left terrorizing the capital. But nevermind that, he was going to die anyways. Who would save him? The empire would surely never come all the way out here to get such a useless soldier as him. Any bounty hunter would probably just kill him, and anyone else would not dare save him.

Great. Just great. A shot from a Tusken Raider lodged in his leg.

BAM!
​​
Another shot. This time right in his side. Then another. Another. He collapsed.

 

[Tiland Kortun]

[member="TD-31404"]

Gunfire. Tiland dropped to his knee on the dune, flipping the hood of his cloak above his head. What was it? He reached out with the Force. Life forms, one in pain, and the others triumphant. He could feel their presences and smell their life forces. No Force sensitives, so this was unlikely to be a part of the great war that raged through time. No, this was smaller, and by the echoes of pain and fear, one that desperately needed someone with his skills. But first he had to drive off the hunters.

He crawled his way up to the edge of the dune and looked down below. A lone stormtrooper? That was unusual. But no matter, he would heal all who were injured, regardless of affiliation. That was his duty and his penance. He closed his eyes and settled himself on the sand, reaching and letting the Force flow into him, strengthening, refreshing, and guiding him. He could go in staff swinging, but that would cause more injuries. Nor would it be appropriate to force them to face their fears. He'd have to work differently this time.

A sandstorm is coming. Get to shelter.

He molded that idea, shaped it, and gave it texture. No emotion. Just the factual reality. Indeed, there was one coming. Tiland could feel it through the wind playing at his robes and the smudge on the horizon. The raiders looked up and studied the smudge before releasing an echoing bray. They hurried off, leaving the injured man to collapse in the sand.

He rose and hurried down the dune, letting the sand carry him down where he knelt. He frowned. Four wounds. That would be difficult at this point with what he had with him.

First step was always to stabilize. Tiland reached out with the Force, letting it flow from him to the man, strengthening his life-force and anchoring it. That was enough for now. Tiland opened his eyes and reached into his satchel. First a disposable pair of forceps, then gauze, and a few herbs.

This would be the ugly part of the operation. Those bullets needed taken out as quickly as possible. He set to work...

 

[D'vok Windroamer]

D'vok Runs over to the stormtrooper, before firing two rounds into a tusken raider.
"Are you okay?!"

 

[TD-31404]

The sandtrooper opened up his eyes and all he saw was a blurry mess. Someone. No, two people. One somehow got the raiders tob scram and the other started shooting them. Why? Why would they rescue him?

"Are you okay?" echoed through his head.

"Gah!!" he screamed in pain as one of the bullets lodged in his leg was yanked right out. Blood was not even drawn. His wound was healed. This happened once more but this time with his back.

"Who...what?" he managed to sputter out. He had never seen these people before.

Before he went unconscious again, he felt a sharp pain in his head and heard gunshots all around.

[member="Tiland Kortun"]
@D'vok Windroamer

 

[D'vok Windroamer]

"Aaah, Hang on buddy, you're going to be alright."
D'vok kept firing his blaster at the tusken raiders.

 

[Tiland Kortun]

@D'vok Windroamer [member="TD-31404"]

Tiland hissed in irritation as the young gun ran in weapons blazing. So much for sending them away peacefully. Whatever good his mentalism had done was ruined now. The raiders were circling back around and spreading out, aiming back at them with their rifles. He dropped the bullet and stuck the forceps into the final injury, letting the Force guide his hands to the bullet, yanking it out as quickly as he could.

"Enough!' He finally barked, reaching up to yank the blaster down. "A sandstorm is coming and we are in place for a firefight!" He applied herbal bandages to the injuries, especially around the head as the man sank unconscious for the second time. "Help me carry him to shelter. I saw some rocks a quarter kilometer Northwest."

He bent down and hooked his arms under the shoulders, pinning his staff to his elbow. "I can create an illusion to give us cover, but only if you stop shooting."

 

[D'vok Windroamer]

"Actualy, my ship isn't too far east from here."
D'vok nodded at the man, before screaming at the raiders
" Lek Nar'sheb WERMOS! Gar Jate'shya Viinir!"
D'vok holsters his blaster.

 

[TD-31404]

"Illusion..give us cover...stop shooting"

"Ship...too far east...."

TD-31404 could barely make out what they were saying. How long had he been out? He could still hear the Tusken Raiders firing at them, but he didn't hear the one person firing at them anymore. His head throbbed with pain. He wanted to get out of this man's arms and run, but he was far too weak to even move anything.

Where were they heading? Wherever it was it would be safe probably.

Hopefully they will take me off of this dreadful and miserable planet and to somewhere far, far away where The Empire would never find me. No use working for them anymore.

The Tuskens were still pursuing them after a while and were still shooting as well. Most of the shots missed, but one struck Td-31404 right in the chest. He let out a yelp of pain and fell unconscious once again.

@D'vok Windroamer
[member="Tiland Kortun"]

 

[D'vok Windroamer]

"I just said it WASN'T too far east, but fine."
D'vok lifted the helmet off of the stormtrooper.
"You're gonna be okay buddy, don't worry."
D'vok Injected the trooper with a kolto pack.

 

[Tiland Kortun]

@D'vok Windroamer [member="TD-31404"]

Tiland turned towards the approaching Tusken raiders. It was possible the other man could get him to the ship, certainly. Tiland would just buy them time.

"Go then! Get to the ship!" He set the man down and hefted his staff, turning to face the raiders as the wind picked up once again, whipping his robe around him and sand in a spiral. He closed his eyes, reaching out with the Force once more. Threads were tying together here, although he was unsure of their significance. Bullets whined past and he stepped aside as the Force guided him from place to place.

Now for the illusion. He needed something convincing. Something very good and more importantly, something simple. He crafted the image of these three, pulling them from memory, and then as they ran away to the South, limping and exhausted from their wounds. Then he pushed it out, weaving it through the raiders senses.

His legs wobbled and he slumped to the ground in exhaustion. So far so good.

 

[D'vok Windroamer]

"You wanna come two? Be my guest!"
D'vok hoisted the trooper over his back, before quickly grabbing the helmet and clipping it to his belt. He threw a smoke grenade down, before sprinting east.
"Almost there buddy! Then you can have a nice, relaxing, bacta tank soak!"

 

[TD-31404]

He woke up again, this time he could see more clear. Kolto or Bacta maybe? His helmet was also off. One of the figures was gone, but he could see the ship on the horizon, not just sand. He could actually move now, however he did not tell the person that as he liked a free ride.

He was set down in the ship once they got there, and then they started to close the doors and take off.

"What about the other one?" he spat out before they took off.

 

[D'vok Windroamer]

"I...I don't know. What's your name? You've got a name, right?"
D'vok glances at the stormtrooper helmet.
"Where to?"

 

[Tiland Kortun]

@TD-31404 @D'vok Windroamer

They were gone now. He could sense their departure. Tiland smiled, letting himself slump into the sand and sink a ways, holding his arms out to keep from sinking too far. Master Yael was waiting for him at the conclusion of his hike for their rendezvous. Once the Tuskens departed, he would make his way in that direction. Hopefully that adventurer would get the man to a hospital to do a proper job of it all. There was only so much he could manage with what he had, but it should be enough in the long-term.

The Tuskens began to make their way away, chasing their phantom doubles Southward. Perfect. His work here was done.

 

[TD-31404]

"Anywhere away from the Empire. Somewhere I can hide from them,"

He rubbed his head. It still hurt a lot.

"I don't have a name. I have a number. I also have a bullet stuck in my chest."


A cantina would be nice​... No worries or fears. Just pleasure...

@D'vok Windroamer​

 

[D'vok Windroamer]

"Bullets? I thought lasers were the standard nowadays. Anyway, I'm pretty sure you bucketheads come with a couple o' letters too. As for a cantina, I know the best one on the planet. Mos Eisley, Here we come!"