Private Train Wrecks and Tribulations

[Rayne Lo'to]

Taris
Tags: Gatz Derrevar

outfit​

"Right..."

Rayne let out a nervous sigh. She was no hunter, and the underground network the Jawas had set up could go anywhere. Chances are things were going to get messy. She glanced down, realizing that she was still in her home clothes. She couldn't go out in what she was wearing at the moment, They'd get all torn up, and she quite liked the orange pants in particular.

"I need a minute to change," she told him. "These will get shredded. I need my good jumpsuit. I... won't take very long."

She wasn't very enthusiastic about hunting down Jawas, but at the very least she wasn't on her own.

That was worth something, right?

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Blaster Pistol
Tag: Rayne Lo'to

"Yep. Do what you gotta do. Just let me know when you're decent, and I can climb back up."

Gatz wasn't particularly excited by the prospect of hunting down Jawas either. He'd been hoping for an easy solution. He was no tracker, no bounty hunter, and so his skills in finding a trail were... lackluster. If they stood any chance of finding the little buggers who'd made off with her part, Gatz would have to rely on the Force to guide him.

He didn't exactly have a lot of experience with using the Force to sense lifeforms—especially individuals he wasn't well acquainted with. But, despite Rayne's clear talent with technology, Gatz was pretty sure he was the more well rounded individual when it came to Force training. Which wasn't saying much, considering his limits were levitating rocks and jumping real good.

He sighed. Even with Valery's training, he was still useless in most situations. When was he finally going to be able to help someone?

No point dwelling on that now, though. He had to focus on this problem. Break it down into small chunks, so it didn't seem insurmountable. First, get back to where Rayne had her stuff stolen. Then, jump down the hatch. Once he knew what was down there, then he could think about the next step.

 

[Rayne Lo'to]

Taris
Tags: Gatz Derrevar

It didn't take Rayne too long to change. She was up her ladder pretty quickly, vanishing behind the closed sliding door. It would open moments later, with the young woman in her jumpsuit poking her head out, still adjusting the armor plating on her shoulder.

"I'm ready," she informed him. "I guess let's get back to that hatch."

That was the most logical place to start. With some effort she figured they could get it open. A blowtorch could do the trick. It would take a minute, but they could probably be into whatever weird hideout the Jawas were operating pretty quickly. The Twi'lek sighed as she made her way back into the cockpit, flopping down on the sofa to get the walker up and running again.

"I guess I should start with some honesty," Rayne decided, giving a soft frown. "I'm... not really a fighter. Not really built for punching and kicking or whatever."

It was a mix of factors. She worked a somewhat physically demanding job, but she was lazy. Rayne was also, in the heat of the moment, easily scared. Those factors together sort of combined to make a perfect storm of someone who didn't fight. Her technomancy really did all the work for her. She sighed, crossing her arms before gently turning her head away.

"That was probably pretty obvious though," she noted.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Blaster Pistol
Tag: Rayne Lo'to

With Rayne dressed in proper spelunking attire, Gatz climbed back up the ladder, not certain that he could get all the way up into the walker with a single jump. Not yet. When he was back inside the walker, he found his seat next to Rayne on the sofa once more. He let himself recline, and relax just a small amount for once in his life.

Rayne opened up a little bit more to him, informing him that if a fight broke out, she might not be the best battle buddy.

"I'm not looking for these Jawas, hoping for a fight," Gatz assured her, "a Jedi seeks to defend life, not take it. And I was one, a long, long time ago."

It was weird to say that. Gatz had told a handful of people that he'd been a youngling with the Order once, but he'd never outright said he'd been a Jedi. Probably because, in his mind, he hadn't been. He'd only ever been a youngling, and had never progressed to Padawan. Yet, the few times Valery Noble had referred to him and his past, she had given him the title.

And if the closest thing the Order had to a Grandmaster considered him a former Jedi—even of the lowest ranking—then maybe he ought to call himself one too.

Maybe he'd be one again, someday.

"But if the worst comes to pass, and we do have to fight, I'll handle it." Gatz looked her in the eye, and firmly added, "and I want you to find somewhere safe to hide until it's over."

 

[Rayne Lo'to]

Taris
Tags: Gatz Derrevar

"a Jedi seeks to defend life, not take it. And I was one, a long, long time ago."

Rayne wasn't shocked by this. It seemed so... obvious. Maybe it was just because of his attitude, but he certainly gave off the vibe of trying to make up for something he had lost. It very much seemed that he wanted to be a Jedi again. The young woman could feel a longing in his tone. It was clear that he still held reverence for that life, though something had clearly sent him down a darker path.

But that wasn't Rayne. She wasn't made for that kind of stuff. All she could wonder is where she'd be left if he did so. Friends were few and far between, or at least they were for Rayne. Maybe Gatz was likely to simply vanish out of her life one day.

Most of her old friends had.

"I'm not gonna hide," she noted, pouting a little as she crossed her arms. "No way in hell I'm letting you get shot again. I'm not good in a fight, but I know how to handle myself, and more importantly how to make sure nobody dies."

That was the important part.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Blaster Pistol
Tag: Rayne Lo'to

"I promise, me getting shot was a one-time thing."

What a bogus lie that was. Gatz got shot, knifed, or bludgeoned nearly every time he got into anything resembling trouble. He'd nearly bled to death more than once: first on Valery's guest bed, and then under the cliff Rayne had tucked him under. Plus there was that time on Denon where he got shot in the sternum. Also the bicep, on that same trip. And then there was Csilla, and Zeltros, and that creature on New Cov...

But he'd totally be fine this time. He was more attuned to the Force than he'd ever been.

"Besides, like I said: I'm hoping to talk with the Jawas, not get into a shootout. And failing that... I'll just steal the part back."

He was no master thief, but Gatz had been forced to pickpocket once or twice in his life. Swiping an ion capacitor was definitely within his wheel house. Or, at least, it had been back when he was actually a smuggler. Those skills were getting rusty, but they'd hold up today. These were Jawas, not thugs used to someone trying to screw them over. They probably wouldn't even be concerned with someone trying to steal from them.

Gatz was probably overestimating himself. Funnily enough, that was a trait he didn't usually possess. Maybe he was just trying to look tough for Rayne.

 

[Rayne Lo'to]

Taris
Tags: Gatz Derrevar

"I promise, me getting shot was a one-time thing."

Rayne's cheeks puffed up, her brow furrowing with skepticism. She did not, in fact, by that being shot was a one-time thing for Gatz. Not that she would say anything. Expressions spoke far more than words after all.

At the very least he was insistant that there wouldn't be any fighting. Either they'd negotiate to get it back, or Gatz would steal it back himself. Rayne didn't really care about stealing from Jawas, but the insistance that he would do it himself seemed almost... blusterous. As though he was trying to seem tough. It was, of course, 100% working. The young woman trusted every word the human said, even as all that seemed clear to her. The Twi'lek was an adult, but she was still young and impressionable ultimately.

A little bluster was really all it took to convince her of anything.

"Okay," Rayne concided, giving a faint shrug. "I'm fine with negotiating. Besides, all we really need to do is get let into their base or whatever. I bet that place is crawling with tech."

And that was something she could control. Perhaps that would give them a favorable edge in negotiations. She wasn't opposed to using some scare tactics.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Blaster Pistol
Tag: Rayne Lo'to

Rayne's puffed up cheeks told Gatz that she didn't believe him. That was fair, he wouldn't believe himself either. Especially if he'd been in her shoes, and had had to patch him up. Hell, she'd probably gotten a good look at all the scars he'd collected in the last year. Which, to be honest, made him feel a little bit self-conscious, but this wasn't the time for that.

Still, in the end it probably didn't matter. Gatz had been honest when he'd told her that he wasn't looking for a fight. Even before he'd dedicated himself to doing better, he hadn't been the kind of man who shot first.

Except with Kreth Garr... and as evil as the Quarren had been, that was a mistake Gatz never wanted to make again. Certainly not with a bunch of Jawas, who stole and scrapped as a means to survive.

"If negotiations fail, I'm sure your unique way of interfacing with technology will come in handy. More than my blaster ever could."

Gatz took a moment to glance out the viewport. He could see the spot he'd originally met up with Rayne at. It wasn't more than a minute or two out at the pace that they were moving at. He could see the hatch too: the one the Jawa had supposedly disappeared down.

"Now the question is how to get that hatch open..." Gatz trailed off, "but I think I have an idea about that."

 

[Rayne Lo'to]

Taris
Tags: Gatz Derrevar

"Now the question is how to get that hatch open..." Gatz trailed off, "but I think I have an idea about that."

"Oh, I do to," Rayne assured.

She stepped out, poking her head back through the bead curtain moments later, presenting a blowtorch. The young woman gave a shrug, flipping her lekku back over her shoulders.

"I was just gonna torch it open." she noted. "Y'know, get it open eventually or get them to open it for us."

Seemed good enough.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Blaster Pistol
Tag: Rayne Lo'to

The walker came to a stop, and Gatz stood up. He watched Rayne disappear past the bead curtain, only to stick her head out a moment later, holding a blowtorch. A scrapper to her core, and with all the tools to boot. She'd have made one hell of a mechanic, if it hadn't been for her reservations about living under someone else's thumb.

Reservations that Gatz understood.

"Solid plan. But I have to do my fair share of the work. So far, all I've done is make you give me a ride." Gatz smiled.

He popped the bottom hatch to the walker, and jumped down to the surface of Taris once more. His boots hit ancient metal with a thud, but the sturdy durasteel held up under the impact. Taking a few steps, Gatz made his way over to the hatch that Rayne's Jawa had disappeared down: it was a smooth metal thing, with no obvious latch on their side.

On the Jawa's side, however...

Gatz took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and reached out for the Force. The hatch had to be able to be opened from the other end. By a wheel maybe? Turning it would unbar the door, allowing it to be pushed open from below, perhaps? He couldn't know for sure, but that was the image he focused on in his mind.

It didn't matter if he had the specifics right or not. His focus would determine his reality. The Force would determine the rest. Gatz stretched out a hand, and twisted his wrist. He was rewarded with a click. Then he pulled his arm back, like he was ripping something out of the air.

And the hatch opened outward, squeaking on rusty hinges, revealing a dark drop below the planet's surface.

"Bet your Jawa didn't expect we'd do that." Gatz couldn't keep the self-satisfied smirk off his face.

 

[Rayne Lo'to]

Taris
Tags: Gatz Derrevar

"Bet your Jawa didn't expect we'd do that."

"Forget the Jawa," Rayne's vocoder spoke. "I didn't expect we'd do that."

Her grasp on the force was heavily limited. Technopathy was the only thing that came to her naturally. The rest was null and void, practically non-existant in her understanding. She could hardly move rocks, let alone open doors and such. She looked on like a child watching a magic trick. Needless to say, she was rather impressed.

"So, uh, do we go in or get them to come out?" she noted.

Rayne would go in, of course. Just not first. The Twi'lek wasn't really as brave as she was trying to be. This wasn't shown in her face whatsoever, but her heart rate did slightly increase.

She just needed to work up to action.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Blaster Pistol
Tag: Rayne Lo'to

In a very vain way, it was nice to know that he'd managed to impress someone. Of course, he hadn't actually done anything praiseworthy. Any neophyte with the Force could have pulled that trick off. Vera probably could have pulled that trick off, and she wasn't even ten yet.

Nothing about what he'd just done was worth being proud of. Nothing he ever did ever was. But that wasn't worth dwelling on.

"Now, we go in after them." Gatz answered her question easily.

And he jumped down the hole.

His feet landed on rusted durasteel with a creak. It was nearly pitch black down here, and anything could have been waiting for him in the shadows, but he felt no warning from the Force. Still, he probably should have brought a flash light down here with him. Jumping without one had been a rash decision. So had jumping without knowing how far down the ground was... but if a Jawa could do it, then there obviously he could.

"Hey Rayne!" Gatz called back up the hatch, "grab a flashlight, and maybe some rope if you have any. Getting down is easy enough, but I don't know if you'll be able to get back out. And it's dark down here."

 

[Rayne Lo'to]

Taris
Tags: Gatz Derrevar

"Gatz!" Rayne called down, a concerned look on her face. "Say something next time before you do that, please."

The Twi'lek let out a flustered sigh, scrambling to grab her gear that she used for scrapping. She had lines for propelling down into wrecked capital ships and all that, as well as head lamps. Before long she had clipped in at the top of the hatch and lowered herself in, a sturn look on her face.

"You're going to give me a heart attack," the Twi'lek remarked with a pout, handing him a head lamp. "Come on. Let's get this over with."

She'd take a minute to put on the head lamp before turning to look down the tunnel. It went on for what seemed like miles off into the void.

Hopefully this wouldn't take too long.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Blaster Pistol
Tag: Rayne Lo'to

"Relax!" Gatz called back up with a smile. "The worst that could have happened is that I fell to my death!"

Doubtful. If a Jawa could make it up to that hatch without any ropes, and open it, then it couldn't have been that far from the ground. Gatz wouldn't pretend that jumping hadn't been a rash decision, but it was far from a life threatening one. It was certainly safer than fighting a Sith Knight, or dodging bounty hunters, or flying through an asteroid field.

But then, his life was often exciting and fueled by adrenaline. Rayne's wasn't. So it made sense that this had her worried.

With Rayne safely down next to him, she handed him a headlamp. It didn't exactly go with his jacket, but no one was going to see the fashion statement he was about to make, so what did it matter? As long as Rayne didn't take any pictures, she wouldn't be able to prove he'd ever worn this dorky looking thing.

"Well, that's one hell of a tunnel."

It stretched on... well, long past the range of their headlamps. Gatz didn't know how far down the Jawas were, but there was only one way to find out. So he took the first of many long steps.

 

[Rayne Lo'to]

Taris
Tags: Gatz Derrevar

"The worst that could have happened is that I fell to my death!"

"That's exactly... whatever."

Rayne sighed, realizing she was getting nowhere with this. It was starting to become more apparent how Gatz had wound up getting shot that first time they had met. He was no doubt skilled, but perhaps a little overconfident. Or reckless.

Both were kind of scarry. He was one accident away from her having no friends again.

They'd get to walking at the very least, five minutes out into the darkness... at least untill something ahead in their path stopped them. It was a bundle of cloth on the ground, a brown textile covered in scratch marks and plasma burns. As the pair approached, they'd find themselves standing down the corpse of a very recently attacked Jawa, not yet to the point of decomposition.

"Oh," Rayne reacted. Her expression didn't change, but her face became rather pale. "I... don't like that."

Nothing good ever followed a dead body.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Blaster Pistol
Tag: Rayne Lo'to

The Jawa was not a good sign.

"Stay back. I'm gonna go take a look at that body."

Gatz approached slowly, silently, letting all his senses and the Force reach out for any nearby disturbances, or enemies. Nothing stood out to him, at least, not in their present surroundings. But the tunnel was long and dark, and danger was possibly right at the precipice. He'd have to keep his focus, lest they get ambushed by whatever had killed this poor Jawa.

"These are burns," Gatz noted quietly, "like from a weapon of some sort. I don't think we're dealing with a predator. Whatever did this is sentient—or at least sentient enough."

What creatures native to Taris were capable of that level of sentience, though? Or for that matter, what had come to Taris that chose to stalk tunnels like this, and was capable of using any sort of weapon? For all that this body told them, they still didn't know a damn thing. Maybe a proper forensic scientist could have discovered more, but they were fresh out of those.

"Rayne, you've been here for awhile," Gatz turned to her, "do you know of any creatures or sentients that are capable of something like this?"

 

[Rayne Lo'to]

Taris
Tags: Gatz Derrevar

"It could be anything," Rayne noted with a grimmace. "Raiders, pirates, just some angry passer-by..."

None spelled anything good. It wasn't so much the plasma burns that scared her, it was the other stuff. The slices in the robes that the Jawa wore, far more brutal than simple blaster fire. There was something deeply wrong about the sight before them.

Maybe that was enough to have second thoughts.

"You know," she began, "I can just find another one somewhere else..."

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Blaster Pistol
Tag: Rayne Lo'to

The idea of raiders and pirates made his blood go cold.

Rayne, understandably, didn't want to continue their search. Who would? An ion capacitor wasn't worth getting shot for. Hell, he could probably strip one off of his ship for her. It wouldn't be compatible, he was sure, but both he and Rayne were good enough at guerilla engineering that they could find a way to make it work.

Even so, one look at this Jawa's body told Gatz that he had to continue searching.

"I know we can find one elsewhere, but that's not the only issue now," Gatz turned to look at her, "if there are raiders or pirates down here, attacking Jawas, then the medical camp is in danger too. It's a short trip by walker. By speeder..."

They could hit the camp, take the medical supplies to sell, and be back in time for dinner. Easily.

"I need to find out what or who did this, and I have to make sure they can't do it again."

 

[Rayne Lo'to]

Taris
Tags: Gatz Derrevar

"I need to find out what or who did this, and I have to make sure they can't do it again."

"Fine," Rayne noted, letting out a sigh. "But I'm not letting you go in there alone."

He'd wind up shot again, or worse. Something was in here, and she very much did not want to leave Gatz to face it on his own, which he surely would. The fear hardly mattered at this point. She had so few friends, so it was crucial that she kept them as alive as she could. That was the hope, anways. In truth, Rayne didn't even know if she was capable of contributing at all.

But it was worth a shot.

"I... I guess we keep going then," she continued with a frown.

This thing wasn't going to hunt itself.

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Ship: The Red Night
Weapons: Blaster Pistol
Tag: Rayne Lo'to

He had a feeling that Rayne wasn't going to let him go alone. Gatz wasn't sure what to make of that. On one hand, it was nice to have a friend who cared enough to put herself in harm's way so that he wouldn't have to do something like this alone. On the other hand, he was dragging her into danger that she might not be fully prepared for. If something happened to her, it would be his fault. He wasn't sure if he could handle that guilt?

Was this how Valery felt when he tagged along on her missions? No, probably not. Gatz got hurt pretty much every time he and Val did something, and she kept letting him tag along anyways.

"Rayne," Gatz had to at least offer her an out, "this is going to be dangerous. And, judging by the marks on this Jawa, it's probably going to end in a fight. I'm used to that sort of thing, but you aren't. If you don't want to tag along, I'd understand."

Most of him hoped she would take that offer and leave. But a small part of him—the part that was afraid—hoped that she wouldn't.