My notes: Hi everybody! So this is my first upload to a public audience of anything fictional. I've always wanted to write and have finally gathered the courage to put it out there. As such, I have absolutely no expectations. This could be horrible or decent, I don't really know. Therefore, I request honest reviews in hopes of improving my writing abilities. Thank you very much for your time.
A little information about the story: This is based off of a set of adventures for Star Wars Saga Edition, a table top RPG. Me and my friends came up with what I thought were pretty good characters, maybe worth writing about. What follows is the beginnings of our adventures.
I don't own anything, including Star Wars and everything there in. Thoes belongs to George and Saga Ed. to Wizards of the Coast (I think).
Chapter 1
Rensk Pro' Dey swirled his glass around, watching the liquid swish about in the container. He was lost in thought at the moment, sitting in his mind, oblivious to the world around him. One word kept repeating itself in his head over and over again. Though no one spoke it, he could hear it clear and loud. It scratched at his brain, clawed at his consciousness. The word threatened to drive him insane. It was growing louder and louder with each repetition, slowly reaching a crescendo within his mind. Finally, the word engulfed his entire brain as it reached his breaking point.
BORED!
This final exclamation shook him from his thoughts. He looked down to see an empty glass clutched tightly in his hand. Sighing, he stared at his reflection from the bottom of the clear container. "Get a hold of yourself, Rensk." he told his reflection. "There has to be something to do around here." He began stroking his facial hair that was common to all Bothans. Trying to figure out what to do next, he began apraising himself as if a clue lay hidden there to explain why he was sitting in this chair at this bar. He looked over his loose off-white shirt and brown pants with too many pockets. They looked cool at the time, he thought to rationalize his poor spending habits. A torn and dirty over coat around his shoulders made him look more broke than he truely was. The coat had grown on him over the years and the Bothan refused to leave it until it was completely destroyed. He turned around to rest his back against the bar. The bar was on the side of a hall way connecting to two different areas of a complex; the entrance to a cheep casino lay to the left and a bazaar to the right allowed for local mercahnts to sell their wares to forign travelers. He had just come from the casino, losing money to some human whose dressed appeared even cheaper than the Bothan's, until he had acquired Rensk's money that is. The hall was a good twelve meters across and filled with people walking back and forth. A door across from the bar led to turbolifts connecting this area with the rest of the facility. Leaning his head back and looking up, he gazed through a transparisteel window that showed a magnificent view of the nearby planet, Brentaal, and the stars beyond. "Sel Zonn Station is one of the most boring places of the entire core worlds."
He was about to turn around for a refill when something suddenly caught his eye. The same human whom he had lost to only minutes ago was standing in the middle of the hall way, defying the foot traffic going either way. He had messy black hair that hung to his shoulders, plain white tunic and pants, and a utility belt with an empty holster on it. He was looking seriously at the door to the turbolifts. Rensk saw the muscles tense on the human and realized something exciting was about to go down. He felt under his cloak for the heavy blaster pistol on his belt. It sat in its holster on his hip, ready to go. It did not take long for one of the turbolift doors to finally slide up. A woman stepped out with short black hair and a greasy mechanics uniform. She clutched her side with both hands as she limped away from the door, looking franticly around the crowd while blood dripped from her fingers. Her eyes locked on something to the left, a Rodian wearing a hodge-podge of protective gear with some sort of gun strapped across his back. She limped over the green humanoid and began pleading with him for something. When the stormtroopers stepped off the turbolifts, Rensk didn't need to hear the conversation to figure out what she needed. There where two, and both walked straight toward the women raising their blaster rifles, aiming them at her. The crowd began to disperse with the arrival of armed troops.
"Step away from that woman. She is under arrest in the name of the Emperor!" said one over his helmet speaker. Rensk held his breath as the Rodian probably contemplated his options. The crowd continued to move away from the stand off. The Stormtroopers readied their blasters in anticipation. When the Rodian responded, niether trooper had been prepared.
"Chito!" screamed the green humanoid as he yanked his weapon off his back. The thing was an archaic slug shooter with scatter fire. The Rodian had caught the troopers off guard with his battle cry and the weapon's blast kept it that way. The gun shot a burst of tiny pellots knocking both troopers off balance. Rensk, having no love for the empire and deciding this might be the only fun event to happen for a while, drew his pistol and hit one of the troopers in its torso, bringing the man crashing down.
The human with black hair suddenly returned to the Bothan's attention as a green beam of light suddenly emitted from his hands. He ran to two men standing off to the side of the hallway and sliced one in half. The second man drew a small hold-out blaster and Rensk realized they must be undercover agents for the empire. The human, apparently a Jedi, began blocking crimson blaster shots that were aimed for the poor mechanic with his lightsaber from the second undercover agent. A shot from across the room hit the agent square in the back, sending him to the floor. Before Rensk could look to see where the shot had come from, a roar brought Rensk back to the final Stormtrooper, who had been cut vertically in half by a large brown Wookie, holding a vibro-ax in one hand.
Four bodies lay dead and Rensk knew more troopers would be here if they didn't leave fast. He walked over to the woman, the others also stood near by; the Rodian, Jedi, Wookie, and a droid, the one who shot the second agent Rensk assumed. Getting a good look at her, he saw that she was physically fit, for a human, and had been in a few previous fire fights, judging by the focused look of her eyes. She quickly regained her composure, shaking her head, and looked at a pair of doors down the hall.
"I have a safe room hidden a few floors down. Help me get there and I will talk about your payment." The Rodian led the way, obviously expecting his payment. She limped, the other human helping her follow the Rodian, and the rest followed after. Rensk didn't really want the money, he was happy not to be bored. He only followed because his gut told him to. He trusted his gut. It was usually right. Usually.
The room was quite spacious and white, very white. There was only a bed, chair, and desk for furnishings. A suitcase in the corner looked packed and the room was very clean. Kel Zanrelly returned his thoughts to the task at hand. This young mechanic girl, Maya her name turned out to be, had been shot pretty badly in her side. She was sitting on the bed as Kel attended the wound on her lower abdomen. He had never learned how to use the force to heal on its own but he had some skill using his hands and his medical equipment. The room itself was secluded and the chances of discovery were very low. He finished with what he could do and backed away as Maya tested his work by flexing about. She needed a bacta dip but he had made sure that she had plenty of time to do so.
Studying her, she was quite attractive with her short hair and tom-boyish clothes, but Kel's Jedi training kept his thoughts from proceeding any further. To be safe, he closed his eyes and began to see with the force to find any unwanted guests. He felt all the near by presences. Maya's mind had an air of determination and Kel had picked it up with out the need of the trance. The force also brought his attention to the Bothan leaning against the door. His thoughts were fairly simple and easy to read despite being of a different species; he was hungry, his feet were tired, and he was anxious to do something fun. The Wookie, however, completely overshadowed both. He was definitely force sensitive and knew it. But what really stuck out at Kel were the rage, anger, and sadness, so many negative emotions pent up and waiting for any trigger to release them. The Jedi had never felt so much from just one individual. These emotions combined with his connection to the force worried Kel, but right now, the wookie was not a threat.
Kel forced himself to ignored the Wookie and felt no unwanted presences outside the room. The Rodian had no force abilities and barely registered to Kel. His thoughts were erratic and mixed up. It's probably a Rodian thing. The minds of different races can be hard to read. The final member of their little party was a droid of a make and model Kel had never before seen. He was painted a rusty color and his photoreceptors were a very intimidating red. He had four spider-like legs that did not match his upper design, and Kel guessed they were a Geanosian add-on or repair. The blaster rifle slung on his back was what took down the other informant before he could shoot past Kel and hit Maya. They had been talking into microphones on their collar telling the Stormtroopers where to look. When Kel saw the first one reaching for his blaster, he jumped forward before it left his holster. He was tired of seeing the Empire do as it pleased with no one holding its leash, no one telling it when to stop, so he struck out to help this person he didn't even know. Master Tarj would not approved. The thought stopped Kel cold. It had been about three months since that awful day when Master Tarj died.
"Thanks again for all your help." Maya's voice brought Kel back from his nightmare.
"It was our pleasure," said the Bothan by the door, a smile on his face. His use of the word our felt odd, but Maya continued on.
"Your payment will come in due course, but I have another job for you first. I was in the middle of acquiring some cargo for my employer. A droid named Switch in deep storage Bay V14 has the cargo and will hand it over for you to take it to Alderaan."
The Bothan again spoke up, "This seems fairly simple. Why were those Stormtroopers chasing you for simply picking up some cargo?"
She sighed before continuing on, "I can't tell you what it actually is, but I can guarantee it will cause trouble for the Emperor." She stood up and began checking her suitcase.
The droid asked, "Query: How will we receive payment?"
Maya replied without turning her head, "The recipient will pay on delivery."
The Rodian then questioned, "You really think Chito that stupid?"
"Here," Maya straightened and reached into her pocket and withdrew forty credits, "I have this, but I doubt that's really worth your time. I can't pay you now, but I can make certain you leave. You guys killed Imperial operatives, that won't go down easy. I doubt that you'll find another way off for free."
"But it isn't free, we have to transport your cargo," reminded the Bothan.
"Which you will be reimbursed for, leaving the transportation as free."
Kel thought about it, "These injuries won't take a day to heal, why not take care of it yourself?"
"In case you haven't noticed, the patrols are already looking out for me. I can't show up with the cargo and just leave on my own, I'll be digging Kessel before you could say hydrospanner. A team is required to remove the package, I don't have time to call in backup. Look, you can agree or not, but I need to know soon so I can either ditch the mission or inform my employer to make adjustments."
The room was quiet as Kel thought. Should I do this? If I come out of hiding now, the Empire will eventually find me. Then I would be one more Jedi statistic. But if I do nothing, then what was all my training for? There is no emotion, there is peace…
Kel listened to the force, and found his answer. "I'll help."
The Bothan exhaled, "Good, I didn't want to go alone."
Kel looked to the others. The three nodded in agreement.
Maya stood up from the bed she was sitting on. "Good, Switch will tell you where the cargo is." She handed Kel a comlink. "Call this when you are ready for extraction. Your ride should come pretty fast." With that, she left the room with her suitcase.
The silence was broken by the Bothan. "I guess this makes us partners," he said, that smile never leaving his face. "The name's Rensk Pro' Dey." He turned to look at the Rodian, who took a second before he realized what was happening.
"My name is Chito. I'm here for credits, Chito," the Rodain spoke in heavily accented basic. Kel wondered if he had a last name, and if all Rodians repeated their names with each sentence.
The robot was next, and speaking in a slightly cocky, matter-of–fact manner, he introduced himself. "Introduction: My model number is HK-48. I am designated for the facilitation of communications and the termination of hostilities."
Kel cleared his throat as he began. They probably had all figured he was a Jedi, but he was still slightly nervous; there was a reward for his head and he had never told anyone his past after the war had ended. "My name is Kel Zanrelly," was all he said. Nervousness crept up on him as he waited for a response.
The Bothan chuckled a little to himself, but the rest of the group gave no indications of their thoughts, at least non Kel could percieve. They probably all knew what he was, but to say so without being 100% sure they already knew who he was and what their intentions were about it was the worst mistake a Jedi could make right now. Rensk turned to the Wookie, "Well big guy; that just leaves you."
Kel did not know Shyriiwook, but the droid was able to translate for the group. "Translation: I am called Zalrawr. I am good at killing things. I enjoy killing things." Kel could feel the chill in the air as the droid finished it's job. Not only is he a force sensitive, he has tasted the dark side. Kel knew he was going to have to watch this brute. Rensk opened the door and gestured for everyone to exit. Kel's mind suddenly focused in, like it always did to the mission at hand. He forgot about all his other thoughts and concerns and began looking for a way to find bay V14. He was thinking five steps ahead, forgetting that each step counted on his current partners to remain friendly. This never occurred to him as he walked into the elevator with the rest of the group.
Structure status: unsafe. Chance for electrical failure: 35%. Chance for support failure: 15%. HK-48 continued examining its surroundings so as not to be unprepared. It had already calculated the strengths and weaknesses of each of its "meat-bag" partners. They all posed their potential threats, but HK had calculated it had over 50% chance of victory as long as its shot was first. The Bothan seemed the least threatening, however, Bothans were known spies and liars; they always required a close and attentive photoreceptor. The Wookie and Rodian both interested the droid. Being designed for combat and assassination, both having obvious combat experience made them valuble assests. They could prove most useful. The Jedi was another story than the other three. HK had been operational at least 4000 years to its knowledge. Random amounts of time shut down have skewed its internal clock. Most droids would have been recycled by now but HK had a way of outliving its masters. Its original programming was indeed combat and assassination, but it also held numerous files on taking down Jedi as part of that programming. HK, however, had no current interest in killing the human, or any of them. The act would serve no purpose as of now. HK just "enjoyed" feeling on top. Its programming refused to be considered second best.
They were coming up on bay V14. The data base HK had accessed on the station said that only Imperial officers were allowed in the area, but the Bothan had gathered from rumors that gangs actually inhabit the level. The rumors had proven right as not one stormtrooper could be seen. It was obvious the workers on the station did not even come here. The hallway they were walking down was in terrible condition as lights flickered on and off while loose cords dangled with intermittant sparks. The door to the bay up ahead was flanked on either side by two large, pig-like Gamorrean guards, each wielding a vibro-ax. HK pulled out its blaster rifle while Chito pulled out his scatter-blaster and Zalrawr his vibro-ax, each preparing for combat. Neither Kel nor Rensk drew their weapon, but walked calmly forward. The other three followed, slightly disappointed.
"We are here to pick up some cargo from Switch. We need to enter," the Jedi stated. His answer was returned with grunts.
The droid knew its skills were again needed. "Translation: 50 credits and you can pass."
"Chito need credits. Chito not paying!" The Wookie let out a short growl, seconding the statement.
"Statement: I agree."
Rensk looked at Kel, "Looks like you have to pay them."
"Why me? You could chip in."
"I did, back at the casino. Something tells me you cheated at the casino," the Bothan replied with a suspicious look.
Kel looked at all of them. Advice: Get used to it meatbag, it is how the galaxy works. "Fine. You guys are all incredibly selfish." Kel said as he turned to the guards. "Here you go." They moved out of the way as the door opened. Rensk had not drawn his weapon, but he did as he entered. The place was filled with boxes, garbage, and a giant exhaust shaft in the back of the room. Cooling fluid leaked down one of the walls. HK instantly scanned the area for meat-bags. It could see none, but only a basic algebra program would assume none were present.
HK figured he would like Switch. While asking about the storage bay, the group had also learned that Switch was a rising crime lord. The irony of a droid commanding meat-bags was not lost on it. Switch was an ebony protocol droid that sat behind a nice oak desk next to a little astromech droid. Switch's optical lights turned on and off rapidly. Assumption: probably impersonating a meat bag's blinking. Meat-bags seem to like making droids more like them; puts them more at ease. HK now had a greater respect for his replacement locomotion. As the five approached the desk, it could see a Twi'lek standing beside some crates, hidden from view of the door.
"Welcome prospective clients. How may I help you today?" Switch said in a slightly electronic voice. HK definitely liked Switch now. Rensk, the only one who seemed to like to hear himself talk more than HK was quieted as the four-legged droid itself stepped up to speak.
"Statement: We are here to pick up the delivery to Alderaan. Maya sent us."
"Ah yes, I remember some details of that particular cargo." Suddenly, the little astromech beside Switch began quietly beeping. HK looked down at the curious action. The droid was in obvious need of a memory wipe, as many of its kind tended to be. Humans became too attached to these lowly mechanic units. Switch probably had a good reason not order a memory wipe. It was a droid and did not suffer from meat-bag attachment issues.
"Query: Where is the specified cargo located? Clarification: So that we may deliver as requested."
Switch again flashed his optical sensors. "You have not had much experience with making a deal I see. Let me try to explain. I have something you want. Now, what do you have that I want?"
HK noticed as both Chito and Zalrawr began to reach for their weapons. HK respected Switch enough to not immediately jump to that option. The Bothan finally proved he could do more than talk by stopping them with a gesture. The meat-bag count was still unknown, and that could have lead to their deactivation. HK resumed his conversation with Switch, "Query: What do you have in mind."
Switch extravagantly leaned back in his chair. "Rule two of making the deal, always make the guest as comfortable as possible." What HK saw next, it could never believe. With a snap from Switch, meat-bags came from behind crates carrying very nice chairs. Placing them in front of the desk, they suddenly left as fast as they came. What mesmerized HK was how Switch, a droid, ordered the meat-bags with just a snap. If it had oral hinges, HK's lower mandible would be on the floor. As Rensk and Kel both sat down, the Rodian and Wookie remained standing, looking around. HK felt a special bond with Switch, but no need to sit.
Switch continued, "May I ask what you would like to drink?"
"Water please," requested the Bothan.
"I'll have a Corellian Ale," said Kel.
Observation: A Jedi that drinks? Interesting.
The Rodian shook his head no, but the Wookie growled a response. Before HK could translate, Switch was already responding. "Ahhh, that's supposedly the strongest drink in the galaxy; a Wookie favorite." With a few buttons pressed in its desk, Switch had another meat-bag bring the drinks. Kel and Zalrawr instantly began to drink while Rensk stared intently at his glass, put some water on his finger, and played with it before actually drinking. HK hoped the actions didn't offend their new friend.
"Now," Switch continued, "we commence our talk. The cargo mentioned earlier has already been prepped. The only matter left is payment."
The grouped looked about each other. "Statement: We were not made aware of this," HK responded.
"Yeah, Chito not know pay required," the Rodian repeated.
Rensk looked at his teammates. "Do we have to go through this every time we are asked to pay for something? Just be quiet. If my guess is right, now we 'commence the haggling.'" He said that last part mimicking Switch. Zalrawr shut his mouth. "As you were," the Bothan finished.
"Sorry for the inconvience, but one must make a profit. I could not accept less than five hundred credits; and so you know, I don't haggle. I have already calculated the minimum price I can afford for this merchandise. If you don't want it, I already know the Empire does."
"Before we agree," Rensk continued, "is there some other way we can pay you?"
"Actually, there is. I have a case of Corellian ale I need delivered to Alderann. If you're heading there, then go ahead and take it. That should cover your fee."
"First, I'm going to assume that you have already been paid and just wanted someone to make a free delivery for you. Second, I don't think it would be a big deal to go ahead and take it."
Switch seemed to ignore the first comment, "Excellent, I appreciate your service. Here is the cargo," another meat-bag brought forth a large crate, "and the location and I.D. of your package is on this data card. It should be ready for pickup. I hope we can again do business in the future."
The hall to docking bay A-17 was filled with a wealthier clientele. The pedestrians, all human, were dressed in cloths that were obviously worth more than a few credits. The entire group stuck out. Except for me. Zalrawr looked up at the case on his soldier. 'You're the only one who can carry it. It will look proper.' They hadn't said it, but he knew what they meant. Like a slave. He didn't blame them, it was the truth. The fact that it was the truth was what he hated. The crate was nothing, he could have carried much more, but the looks he got, or lack there of, were not helping. He held in his anger, he could use it later.
The Wookie studied the Jedi. Zalrawr had thought about asking for some sort of training with his powers. He knew he could use the same mythical powers the fabled Jedi could. This Jedi, however, seemed not to rely on his emotions, but his control over them, unlike Zalrawr. That was not how the wookie worked. His emotions, particularly anger, gave him strength. He couldn't let anything else muddle that up. I must get stronger.
Rensk, at the front of the party, stopped. He whispered something to the human. Those two get along really well. Then Kel looked away for a second before turning back to the Bothan. They both turned into an alcove off the main hallway. They led the group into an unoccupied fresher room before deciding to fill them in.
"There's a human out there we think may be trouble," said Rensk.
"I could tell from... looking at him. He's just standing there watching people," added Kel.
"He was also wearing the exact same clothing as those other two informants from earlier," added Rensk.
"Commentary: I also saw this meat-bag. I ran a memory check and his cloths do match, as well as his mannerisms."
"Here's the kicker. He was indeed speaking into his 'collar,'" said Rensk, mimicking the action. "So the question is; what do we do? I'm sure they've already had a warning sent out from our earlier fun."
"Chito bets they are just watching the ship bays. Chito says we just make sure he stays quiet."
"Observation: We could question the meat-bag in question. He might have information."
Zalrawr decided to speak up about that last suggestion. HK-48 again translated, "Translation: "I can get the information out of him." The droid continued with his own thought, "Statement: I am inclined to agree. Many meat-bags seem to fear the large hairy meat-bags of his species."
"Okay, that's enough," Rensk interrupted. "What do you mean by meat-bag? And don't give me some non-sense about it being part of your basic programming. A 'meat-bag' designed you."
"Query: Is it not true that you are organs, muscle, and other organic 'meat' all bundled up in a 'bag' of skin? Observation: Therefore, meat-bag is simply just a simple observation of the anatomy of organic beings, not the insult you perceive." The droid did not even hesitate as he recited something he obviously repeated many times over.
The Bothan stood speechless for a second before answering. "Shut up." He turned to leave as the rest laughed.
The informant was easily subdued by a Wookie twice his size and transported to an empty break room. The room smelled of instant caf and held a few chairs and tables for station workers between shifts. The hostage was tied to a chair where he was awoken from his slumber due to the contact of a blaster but to the back of his head. The human Jedi, obviously not quite happy with this, stood by the door. Zalrawr could sense him checking the outside, making sure nobody was coming. The Jedi were always too soft to do what needed to be done. Chito took up a chair at a counter and began fiddling with his weapon. Slug throwers always need lots of maintenance. Not like a good bowcaster. Zalrawr and HK-48 stood behind Rensk as he sat backwards in a chair facing the informant. His expression was filled with disgust and a scoul making his face unpleasent.
"You got a name?" Rensk began the questioning.
He responded instantly, not caring about the spit that shot from his face with each word, "I ain't telling you Rebel cowards. Untie me and I'll show you how Imperials fight."
"Okay. Well, No-name, why were you watching that area?"
"You will never escape the eyes of the Empire!"
"Okay, I'm done. You're turn." Rensk picked up his chair and moved without looking back. He headed to what looked like a food dispenser. Good. I was beginning to get bored.
The droid stepped forward and glared down at the man, "Intimidating statement: I hope you can scream, meat-bag. That's what makes it fun."
Rensk waited a minute before returneing to in front of the spy. The bruises weren't too bad. The droid knew how this worked. Too much damage and the man would be useless. Zalrawr stepped back as he spilled his guts. It turns out that he was the only one looking for rebels and he was informed just to watch this dock.
The Rodian spoke first, "That means they know where Chito going. What do Chito do now?"
Rensk answered, "Maybe. If they are here, then they definitely know about the package. However, what do they have linking that to us? As far as they know, we are some criminals trying to get off."
Kel finally stepped forward to join the group. "So what, we just walk up there, grab the thing, and run?"
"Yeah. Anyone got a better idea?" Rensk waited for any objections before continuing. "Okay, let's go." They left the man tied there, continuing to blabber about his life story.
Zalrawr readjusted the crate on his shoulder as he looked around the docking bay. It was empty of any ships, which meant they could rely on actually extracting from here. He wouldn't have to carry two crates till they found a way to leave. The field keeping in the atmosphere was to their right, giving off a faint blue glow. To their left was a wall lined with crates and doors to storage areas. Boxes were stacked everywhere outside the landing areas and civilian traffic was only permitted on their half of the bay. Stormtroopers had cordoned off the other half. He didn't bother talking; they all knew the package was in the blocked section. The problem was how were they supposed to find the right crate before raising suspicion.
"I bet that's it," Rensk said, pointing to a crate being moved out of a storage room. It looked heavily reinforced, and was being moved by a Stormtrooper using a hover cart with what appeared to be a blaster mount. The group moved behind some cargo crates. "Now or never guys. Hope you're all ready." Everyone had his weapon drawn. Zalrawr put down his crate.
"Chito believes we better plan first."
"Suggestion: Shoot first, shoot second, shoot last."
Rensk looked at Kel. "You're pretty good at defending you're self, so you protect the package. They may try to destroy it if they see we may succeed."
Kel looked back, "How?"
"We will cover you. When me and the droid take out that driver, get over there and start doing that light sword thing you do."
Kel looked back at his objectives, obviously not too enthusiastic about it. "Fine, but you better not leave me there."
Rensk looked at the rest. "After the droid and I take out the driver, we will provide cover. Chito, you get to the hover sled and use the gun."
"Chito likes that part."
"Meanwhile, our big hairy friend here will move along the wall to the left, flanking them. That good with everyone? Good."
Zalrawr moved to the left wall. The crates were stacked high enough he could stand his full height. They were short enough, however, that he could just make a jump to reach the top. A feral smile formed on his face. Glad I saved that anger.
Rensk thought it through one more time. Yeah, it should work. He crouched down behind some crates. To his right, Kel hid behing another crate. The pile next to the wall on Rensk's left held the other three. He caught the droids photoreceptors as he peaked over the top. The Imperials were busy checking out the package. Rensk did not aim at the driver. He instead aimed at the officer in charge. Taking him out fast would leave the rest disorganized. He lined up the shot and pulled the trigger.
HK-48 heard the shot and immediately aimed at the driver. Observation: The Bothan did not even get close. No matter. It aimed and fired, the shot hitting his target square in the torso. He fell off the cart, which remained hovering. The droid prepared to lay cover fire by switching to auto-fire when he saw Kel jump into the middle of the fight.
This better work. Kel tucked into a roll upon landing, coming up behind the crate they needed. The troopers had been completely surprised. He counted the number remaining, twelve Stromtroopers, four technicians, and a wounded officer trying to lead the group. He limped behind a crate as shot from behind Kel nearly finished him.
The Jedi waited until a barrage of fire came from behind him. The troopers took cover as Kel jumped from behind the package and ignited his lightsaber. He gave himself to the force as the shots came in. He could feel their realizations that a Jedi was here, their increased attention on him, and their shots aimed at him. There were too many to deflect accurately back at others, but he was able to handle the blaster bolts. He could feel the Rodians presence coming behind him. Chito jumped on the sled, swung the turret around, and with a shout of his name, proceeded to fire wildly at the troopers behind cover.
Suddenly, Kel felt a dark presence behind him. He almost risked a look, but the growl of what could only be an insane Wookie explained it.
Rensk watched as Zalrawr, in one swift motion, jumped and pulled himself up on top of the stack in front of him. His battle cry chilled the Bothan's bones as the Wookie launched into a group with his vibro-ax. He was unstoppable, tearing into each opponent before they could even scream, but Rensk had other problems. The officer had gotten away, meaning reinforcements were on the way. He pulled out the comlink and sent the preprogrammed signal. They had to work fast or they'd be surrounded, and even a Jedi can't block shots from all sides. He wasn't surprised when the door behind the Imperial's defensive line opened with four more troops. They started to get more organized too, covering each other. Kel was beginning to be over whelmed. That commander has to go.
To his right, on the side with the field, only a few crates provided cover. If the others can keep the rest distracted, maybe… He went for it.
He made it behind a crate near the shield. Given his new placement, the Bothan could see the battle better. The droid continued covering the others while the Jedi defended them. Chito sprayed anyone who dared to peek with a barrage of fire, while Zalrawr had just found more troopers shooting from inside a storage compartment. Rensk saw him enter the room and close the door. Poor souls.
The run across the bay wasn't too long, but not getting seen would be hard. Here we go! He took off at a run. About half way there, shots had begun whizzing past. The crates ahead had no troopers, so he went full speed and slid in beside them. Jumping up, he peaked around the corner. Two stacks down, the officer stood, back to the Bothan, giving orders to the Stormtroopers. The Bothan took aim again. Dodge this one.
Kel could feel, as well as see, their focus shift. He didn't even think about it, he was already in the air slicing through the trooper in front of him. He turned to the next one and continued on. Some had decided to start firing behind their own lines. Curious, the Jedi looked toward the stack the officer had hid behind. He was surprised to see the Bothan take off with a mad dash from behind the stack back towards HK-48, shots narrowly missing his screaming head. Kel turned back to the Stormtroopers, Chito had taken care of a few more after he had destroyed their crate with enough fire. The Jedi stepped forward to finish off the remaining troops.
Chito! This is fun! The group behind a particularly large crate had been surprised when the Rodian's shots had perforated it and their bodies. He turned back to cover the Jedi when the gun stopped. He was about to look at it when the whole sled fell. Aww, Chito out of power. Frowning, he pulled out his shotgun and followed the Jedi into cleanup duty.
"Commentary: That was incredibly reckless. I hope there was a point in leaving me here alone to risk your meat-bag existence, and, more importantly, what could have led to my disastrous deactivation," HK indignantly declared.
Breathing deeply, Rensk answered, "Not really, just causing a distraction." HK-48 looked back to indeed see the remaining hostiles had become disorganized and the Jedi and Rodian were making quick work of those.
"Query: Where is the hairy meat-bag?"
Between breaths, Rensk answered, "I saw him enter a storage room." Looking along the left wall, HK-48 watched as a door was ripped open and the Wookie in question stepped out with ax in hand. He had a content smile on his face.
As the other two walked back, their pickup arrived. It looked like a cargo freighter of Alderaanian design. It was long and sleek with a few weapons attached to the hull. The ramp lowered and without a word, the group was in a hurry. They grabbed the package for Maya and cargo for Switch and rushed in before the reinforcements could enter the bay.
Long, I know. Let me know what you think. Should I continue writing on this story? Start a new one that might be more interesting? Give up and go back to just reading?