Kori and Mile'ka - Episode I

[GM Fang]

Negotiations Take an Unusual Turn-

The Jawas seem to think that the destroyed freighter salvage is worth the cost to transport Mile'ka and her gear to the nearest settlement, as it is some distance away and the ship is badly damaged. The Twilek however has other ideas.

To move the negotiations along, she unslings her blaster carbine but still holds it in a not openly aggressive manner. However, her head-tails display her displeasure as she says coldly, "Or I could just kill all of you, take your skiff, and keep the salvage for myself."

The Jawa she is negotiating with flings his arms out to the side in surprise. "Wah? Bok! Bahbit, bahbit." The creature looks like it is about to say something else, but is suddenly interrupted by another of the little robed aliens. "Utinni!" it yells and points to the ridge above them.

Mile'ka and the Jawas all turn to look and also hear the sound of an approaching landspeeder. It is a beat-up older model with a single driver.

“Don't let those sand rats bully you!” Kori will call out once close enough. “They'll rob you blind if you let them!”

The landspeeder comes forward at full speed, nearly hitting Mile'ka and almost running over the closest Jawa, sending it scurrying a short distance away, as the speeder skims to a stop.

[Mileka]

Having turned the direction of the negotiations, Mile'ka prepares for the chance of better compensation. While she does not mind dealing with Jawas as opposed to other species, they do have a tendency to get too focused on the task at hand and brush off things like fair prices.

The crash has attracted more attention, namely a brash speeder pilot looking for some new hood ornaments if their driving skills are any method of measurement. Of course, it could be completely intentional. Mile'ka moves so as not to be plowed into should the pilot misjudge, hearing the words over the whine of the repulsor.

“Don't let those sand rats bully you!” Kori will call out once close enough. “They'll rob you blind if you let them!”

Better blind than dead, Mile'ka thinks to herself as she sizes up the newcomer after scampering to a safe spot. This female does not look threatening without the aid of a guided landspeeder projectile, so she does not level her blaster carbine.

"And I suppose you have a better deal?" she will ask the woman, keeping an eye on the Jawas to make sure they do not try anything foolish.

[Korianna]

Korianna:

Seeing Jawas already on the scene, Kori floors the landspeeder trying to get down there before the freighter owner strikes a deal with them.

The landspeeder comes forward at full speed, nearly hitting Mile'ka and almost running over the closest Jawa, sending it scurrying a short distance away, as the speeder skims to a stop.

The crash has attracted more attention, namely a brash speeder pilot looking for some new hood ornaments if their driving skills are any method of measurement. Of course, it could be completely intentional. Mile'ka moves so as not to be plowed into should the pilot misjudge, hearing the words over the whine of the repulsor.

Sadly, her driving skills leave much to be desired! One Jawa is nearly struck, no great loss there, but the freighter owner also gets too close. Both scamper for safety from the mad woman behind the wheel. The landspeeder screeches to a halt, sending dirt and rocks flying.

Better blind than dead, Mile'ka thinks to herself as she sizes up the newcomer after scampering to a safe spot. This female does not look threatening without the aid of a guided landspeeder projectile, so she does not level her blaster carbine.

"And I suppose you have a better deal?" she will ask the woman, keeping an eye on the Jawas to make sure they do not try anything foolish.

The question catches Kori off guard at first. Her thoughts had been filled with getting some parts that she could really use, rather than the negotiating part. “Fools speed in,” Kori thought to herself. She casually removed her scarf and then her riding helmet and goggles. The skin in the area around her brown eyes was cleaner than the rest of her face.

After taking a breath to compose herself, Kori says, “A fair deal is what I intend,” Kori tells the Twilek. “Tell ya what I'll do. I'll give you a lift to Mos Shuuta and in exchange let me grab whatever I can carry from the wreck. I'm sure that there will still be stuff left behind for the sand rats to salvage. After all, I wouldn't be able to take anything big. So, to sum up, some salvage for me, a ride for you and then you can sell the rest to the Jawas for credits.”

“Does that sound fair to you?” Kori asked with an impish grin on her face.

[Mileka]

“Does that sound fair to you?” Kori asked with an impish grin on her face.

Mile'ka listens to the deal offered by the speeder pilot, but it isn't any better except that it's not high pitched squawking and it is in Basic. "Actually my deal with the Jawas is better," she says straight faced. "I was going to kill all of them, take their skimmer, their salvage, and mine, and come out way ahead."

Mile'ka lets that sink in for a heartbeat or two before breaking into an easy smile and adding, "Of course, your option might allow for more pleasant and useful conversation. Can I just point the Hutt in your direction when my next starship payment is due?"

Assuming she does not actually have to kill the Jawas and that the woman speeder pilot does not rocket away due to misunderstanding her humor, Mile'ka will move to get her gear stowed and see if she can get the Jawas to part with anything that might resemble credits. Tearing the ship apart is going to take a while, so she will settle into the shade of the wreckage while everyone works on dismantling her once beloved and reliable freighter.

[Korianna]

Korianna:

Kori has made a detour on her way to Mos Shuuta...

Mile'ka listens to the deal offered by the speeder pilot, but it isn't any better except that it's not high pitched squawking and it is in Basic. "Actually my deal with the Jawas is better," she says straight faced. "I was going to kill all of them, take their skimmer, their salvage, and mine, and come out way ahead."

“Well, that's always an option,” Kori quickly answers after suppressing a gulp in her throat. Not the answer that she was expecting, but if dealing with the racing gangs has taught her anything its to expect the unexpected. “After all, you have no way of knowing if I'm really that bad of a driver or not. Or if I'm just a distraction. Or not.”

Mile'ka lets that sink in for a heartbeat or two before breaking into an easy smile and adding, "Of course, your option might allow for more pleasant and useful conversation. Can I just point the Hutt in your direction when my next starship payment is due?"

“Well, I am cuter and don't smell as bad as the sand rats,” Kori will agree, her own smile coming back. “If it's all the same to you, I'd just point the Hutt in the direction of those guys.” Kori gestures towards the numerous Jawas in the area. “After all, they'll have most of your ship in their possession.”

Assuming she does not actually have to kill the Jawas and that the woman speeder pilot does not rocket away from misunderstanding her humor, Mile'ka will move to get her gear stowed and see if she can get the Jawas to part with anything that might resemble credits. Tearing the ship apart is going to take a while, so she will settle into the shade of the wreckage while everyone works on dismantling her once beloved and reliable freighter.

Assuming that an agreement has been reached, Kori will let the Twilek store her gear while she looks around for some useful parts.

“The name's Kori,” she'll say when the opportunity presents itself. “What brings you to the sand bar on the hind end of nowhere?”

[GM Fang]

Mile'ka and Korianna have come to an uneasy agreement between them and among the Jawas. The Jawas complain a little in their high-pitched wails, but offer to pay 1000 credits once they finish with pulling some of the more vital parts. They will agree to pay 500 credits up front if pressured. Kori will have to jump in and start pulling interesting and needed parts as the other Jawas have already started pulling panels disconnecting salvageable components.

Meanwhile, Mile'ka begins to stow her gear on Kori's old landspeeder. Just as she is finishing putting the last of her gear in place and securing it in place, the Twi'lek gets the feeling as though someone is watching her. She looks around, reaching for her blaster carbine, but doesn't see anything in the immediate area. The only sounds that can be picked up are the Jawas jabbering to themselves and the mechanical sounds of cutting tools and other power equipment.

Kori meanwhile has been working on removing a few battery regulators and managed to scavenge a motivator from the destroyed astromech unit. Moving around to the damaged engine section, she attempted to remove the turbothrust converter coils that the Jawas had uncovered. The nearby Jawa clearly wanted the same pieces and started to cut the parts away while Kori used her magnadrill to disconnect the desired components. Suddenly the Jawa screamed as the turbothrust cut loose and shot across the landscape, taking the Jawa with it and crashing into a nearby rock formation further up the cavern wall.

The other Jawas turn to watch, chattering excitedly, and ending in a wailing crescendo as the turbothrust explodes against the red rocks of the cavern. The Twi'lek and human both turn to watch and instinctively cringe as the explosion rings out. Rocks from the cavern fall along with the freighter turbo, now on fire. Smoke rises up from the collapse. A moment later a Jawa yells "Utinni!" and points to the ledge where the rocks had fallen. There a handful of humanoid figures in beige and brown robes were revealed. The figures let out a series of guttural shouts and begin to scramble for new covered positions. Kori recognizes them as Tusken Raiders!

The Jawas start scrambling for their skiff with as much equipment and salvage as they each can carry, as the Tusken Raiders begin to open fire from higher ground positions around the cavern that held the freighter wreckage. The Raiders mainly use slug throwers rather than blasters, but they are just as deadly as one of the nearby Jawas goes down after two hits and collapses into the sand.

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(So now what?)

[Korianna]

Korianna:

Seemingly a deal has been reached. Seeing that the little dirty sand rats have plans on taking anything they can, Kori goes into the wrecked freighter to get her share of the salvage. Some battery regulators are spotted, quickly grabbed, and then stored in one of her jumpsuit's numerous pockets.

Moving deeper into the wreck, Kori sees something that makes her stop dead in her tracks. What remains of a smashed astromech droid lays before her. Its casing has been shattered and its internal components mostly ruined beyond any usefulness. This droid is beyond repair, even to someone with her skills.

“Oh, you poor little guy,” Kori says, barely above a heartbroken whisper. “What did they do to you?”

The droid's motivator seems to be mostly intact, so Kori gently pries it out. She regards the part for a moment and then stores it in her mechanic's suit.

“I'm sorry I can't do more for you,” Kori tenderly whispers. “But maybe I may be able to help another with your parts.” After giving the droid a friendly pat, Kori moved on to the next area of the wreck.

The engine room was next. Spotting a intact turbothrust converter coil, Kori ran up to it intent on collecting her prize. One of the dirty little sand rats was there too, trying to steal her salvage!

“Oh no you don't!” Kori yelled as she rushed up, her tools in hand. “Back off rodent, its mine!”

Kori worked feverishly to free the desired part while the sand rat did the same. Both worked to free the coil from its mountings and remove its connections. Suddenly, power surged through the coil from somewhere and it shot off and slammed right into the jawa! The crude missile sent the jawa flying out of the wreck and it slammed into the cavern wall and exploded!

A stunned look came over Kori's face as she took the whole scene in. “On second thought, you can have it,” Kori called out to no one in particular.

“Less competition for me,” Kori mentally noted as she resumed her scavenger hunt seeming unaware or unconcerned about the attacking raiders. Collecting more parts was all that mattered right now.

[GM Fang]

Korianna goes to work, competing with the Jawas for desirable parts and salvageable bits. Meanwhile Mile'ka stores her gear already recovered from her crashed freighter onto Kori's landspeeder. A feeling of being watched comes over the twi'lek, but it quickly passes.

With that completed she then hears a minor explosion and the sound of a Jawa screeching as it rockets through the air and slams into the cavern wall. The struggle this one had with Kori over a turbothruster shot the scruffy little alien across the landscape and the subsequent explosion revealed why Mile'ka had felt she was being watched. She was! Tusken Raiders began to howl their guttural warcries and opened fire on their targets below.

The Jawas began to run for their skiff and one was struck twice by the Sand People's slug throwers. The creature squealed and collapsed into the sand.More fire began to rain down around them and Mile'ka could see that they had formed a crescent formation around them and the group was centered in the killing field created. Before she was able to react, another Jawa was felled before they reached the skiff. As Mile'ka watched the Jawa fall, a slug nicked her in the shoulder, drawing blood. More slugs hit the desert floor and rocks around her.

Meanwhile Kori was oblivious to the sudden attack and continued her search for salvage. She came across a sensor cluster that appeared to still be functional. As she was working to detach it, a number of slugs ripped through the access panels, destroying the cluster array and nearly striking her several times, slugs embedding themselves in the freighter's damaged structure. Suddenly an explosion rang out nearby as the Tuskens had concentrated fire on the Jawa skiff and managed to hit some vital components. Kori could only hear the resulting fireball that erupted, but Mile'ka could also see the detonation rise up into the sky. Parts scattered by the explosion were thrown about and began to rain down along with remaining bits of the skiff itself.

Now what?

[Korianna]

Korianna:

Kori continues to salvage parts from the crashed freighter, ignoring the chaos going on around her.

“That will do nicely,” she thought to herself upon seeing the sensor cluster. “Very nicely indeed!”

But just as she started to work on retrieving the parts, slugs ripped through the panels destroying the parts and very nearly hitting Kori!

“Seriously?!” Kori shouted out in anger. “You couldn't wait just two seconds?”

More slugs followed and Kori's instinct for self preservation finally kicked in.

“Blast!” she cursed and ran for the speeder. Once there, she leaps in and floors the speeder into motion.

“Hang on!” Kori tells her passenger. “My driving really is bad!”

Kori will drive at top speed until well away from the raiders.

[Mileka]

With the attackers having numbers and the high ground, Mile'ka moves into the shadow of her ship, or if that is not sufficient cover, will move inside the ship. It is doubtful that those primitive slug throwers will punch through the ship's hull no matter how badly mangled it is. With the focus on killing Jawas, Mile'ka will wait patiently, her blaster carbine at the ready.

They will either kill everything they see and leave, or they will have to give up the high ground to come down and claim their kills or their salvage, she thinks. Let's see how brave they are when facing someone on equal ground with superior weaponry. Mile'ka will wait patiently and see what happens.

[GM Fang]

Tusken Ambush -

As the salvage operations commence, a brief struggle between Korianna and a Jawa for the same salvageable part resulted in a minor explosion that revealed the presence of a large number of Tusken Raiders that had moved in to surround them. As the Jawas ran for their skiff to escape, the Sand people opened fire and felled several of the Jawas, blowing up their skiff in the process.

As debris rained down, Kori made a run for her landspeeder, not wanting to see it damaged or destroyed.

Once there, she leaps in and floors the speeder into motion.

“Hang on!” Kori tells her passenger. “My driving really is bad!”

Before she could realize it though, Mile'ka had other ideas and leapt from the landspeeder and took cover in and around the wrecked freighter. Kori gunned the accelerator and her landspeeder shot away from the Sand People in roughly the opposite direction that most of the slugs were coming from. After several minutes, Kori realized that the slugs had stopped landing about her. Either they had stopped shooting entirely or she had out-distanced their range. A few of the shots had hit her landspeeder and it began to sputter.

For several long moments the slug throwers that the Sand People wielded had pelted the freighter. Most of them bounced off the skin of the ship but occasionally one would hit an exposed component and send out a shower of sparks. Mile'ka, still in hiding at her crashed ship, also saw the slugs finally come to stop shortly after the last of the Jawas were brought down. From her vantage point, the Twi'lek was unable to tell if the Tuskens had simply stopped firing or had retreated. Risking a couple of careful glances, Mile'ka did not see the Tuskens advancing on her position. She only saw rocks, smoke, debris and dead Jawas.

[Korianna]

Korianna:

Having had more than enough of being shot at, Kori ran to her landspeeder, jumped behind the wheel and floored the accelerator. The speeder shot off in a hail of slug fire and flying rocks. Kori tries not to think about the attacks, as she's more focused on her driving. Crashing now would be disastrous!

The landscape passed in a blur and before long the sound of slugs being fired ceased. Finally allowing herself to breathe, Kori eased up on the accelerator and slowed the speeder down, eventually bringing it to a stop.

“PHEW!” Kori cried out in relief. “That was too close for comfort. Are you okay--?”

Kori turned to face her rider when she suddenly released that she didn't have a passenger! Did she get shot? Fall out? Kori stood up and looked back to see if there was a body laying on the ground behind the speeder but no one was there. The Twilek's gear was still here, but no Twilek.

“I could just keep going,” Kori thought to herself. No doubt the Twilek was a goner, another victim of the cruel desert. A few parts and the Twilek's gear would more than offset the damage done to the speeder.

It was then that Kori noted the sputtering sound coming from the speeder. “Oh, come on!” she cursed out loud. The young mechanic leaped out to find the source of the annoying noise. “I just fixed this piece of junk! Come on baby, just hold together long enough so that we can reach civilization.”

Seeing that the damage didn't seem to be all that serious, Kori moved back towards the speeder's controls. Mos Shuuta shouldn't be too far away. Noting the extra gear once more, Kori began to wonder if her passenger was still alive or not.

“She did seem to know how to use a blaster,” Kori reasoned. “Maybe she could take out those raiders on her own. And if she did, there might be more salvage to be had.”

“Or she's dead and those raiders are, well, raiding,” Kori's self-preservation noted. “There's nothing back there worth going back for. Just keep going, do your errands, and spend the night at sis's place.”

“Well, we could go back a little bit and see what's left, if anything or anyone.” With that compromise in mind, Kori eased the speeder in a circle and slowly moved back towards the site of the wreck to see if the Twilek survived.

[Mileka]

While it would have been easy to stay on the speeder and drive off, there is no guarantee she would not have just simply been shot. Exposing herself for that long to get out of range, even against slug throwers, was too much risk for Mile'ka. She managed to find a good bulwark against the incoming fire without too much risk of anything exploding on her besides a shower of sparks. Eventually, the adversaries run out of targets or ammo, although Mile'ka was betting on the former. She waited for several heartbeats, and then several more, before risking poking her head out and betraying her position.

From her vantage point, the Twi'lek was unable to tell if the Tuskens had simply stopped firing or had retreated. Risking a couple of careful glances, Mile'ka did not see the Tuskens advancing on her position. She only saw rocks, smoke, debris and dead Jawas.

Not peeking out from the same spot twice, Mile'ka will move cautiously and quietly to find a good vantage point from the shadow of her destroyed ship. She will use her electrobinoculars and scan every inch of the rocky positions, and listen for sounds of conversation, vehicles, or animals.

[GM Fang]

Driven off by the sudden Tusken Raider attack, Korianna surprisingly found that her expected passenger had either jumped out, fallen out or was knocked out and no longer in the landspeeder. After several moments of indecision, she settled on returning to see what happened.

The landspeeder having been hit by slugs fired by the Sand People sputtered a few times on the trip back but Kori did not think that it would stop running. She moved in slowly, hoping to avoid being seen by the ambushers, provided they still remained. Unfortunately, she was not really proficient in any type of battle tactics. She slowed to a stop and pulled out the macrobinoculars again. Scanning the horizon, she could see the freighter wreckage still smoking. Looking at the surrounding hills, Kori didn't see any of the Raiders. If they were still there, they were hiding well. Or they had moved to another position. Possibly to inspect their kills and claim the salvage for themselves?

On the far end of the wreckage, Kori could see the Twi'lek still hunkered down. So far she had survived the attack. The Jawas were not so lucky. Scanning the area nearby she saw several of their robed bodies splayed on the desert floor and the still burning remains of their salvage skiff.

Meanwhile, Mile'ka took cover from the incoming ambush fire and tried to wait it out. The initial barrage ended and then sporadic shots hit here and there, some surprisingly close and some not even close to the freighter. A series of guttural calls rang out and echoed through the canyon. It was impossible to tell exactly from where they originated. Another few shots rang out again and then silence.

Between the burning skiff and the billowing smoke both from the fire and the damage to the freighter, it was difficult, if not impossible, to see much, and hear even less. After peaking out a few times, the Twi'lek used her electrobinoculars, from the cover and shadow that provided the best vantage point. She could not see any movement and could barely make out what might have been more Tusken Raider grunts, but they were either muffled or further away and the canyon walls did not allow an opportunity to determine the exact source point.

A moment later, Mile'ka could hear the sound of Kori's speeder approaching again. It stopped some distance away.

Now what?

[Mileka]

Nothing but time, Mile'ka thought to herself as she settled in to wait. There was still enough activity and unconfirmed sounds that she was not about to go anywhere. She stopped peeking out and found a comfortable spot to settle in and wait, her blaster carbine across her lap.

A sputtering sound reached her ears, and Mile'ka could only surmise that the driver of the speeder came back. That'll save me from having to track her down and get my stuff back she thought, mildly amused. Things could get interesting now, if any of them were lingering around, with a nice tempting speeder to shoot at once more. Mile'ka moved into a better position with her electrobinocluars and blaster carbine at the ready to trace back any shots at the speeder to locate their origin and return fire.

[Korianna]

Kori:

Once assured that her speeder wasn't on the verge of breaking down, Kori drove back to see what was going. No sign of the raiders or the little sand rats, but she could see that the Twilek was still alive and concealed.

For now, Kori will keep her distance and if shot at once more, drive off again and move away further. She won't get any closer until an all clear sign is given.

[GM Fang]

The sudden Tusken Raider ambush has put the two remaining survivors on the defensive. Korianna chose flight, while Mile'ka opted for hiding, once the slugs started to fly. Now the shooting has subsided, but neither two are sure of the reason and are unwilling to risk another flurry of incoming fire.

Mile'ka moves around, finding the best viewing angles she can and still does not find any movement, or even shapes or shadows that look like the could be more of the Sand People. Any sounds have passed and it's rather quiet, except for the wind and the sound of Kori's speeder.

Kori keeps her distance, just in case the danger has not fully passed.

The moments stretch on....

[Mileka]

After waiting and waiting some more, with no shots sent in the direction of the speeder, Mile'ka figures the danger has passed, although it really makes little sense to her. Shooting and killing just for sport? she ponders. Not that it is unheard of, as there are lots of cruel races in the galaxy. It is a good way to hone skills or initiate young members into a tribe. Still, not coming down to seek out salvage or take trophies is a little peculiar.

Mile'ka will walk out to the speeder, keeping her blaster carbine in hand but she figures the danger has passed for now. Once she reaches the pilot, she will look over the damage. "Think it will make it to wherever you're going?"

Depending on the answer, she will add, "Might as well take whatever else you want if the speeder can handle the extra load. I would not take too long in case the shooters decide to come back around if they figure the smoke from the crash lured anyone else into their killing field."

If more time is spent salvaging, Mile'ka will look around for anything useful that the Jawas had. She will not loot the bodies, but anything small and beneficial, like weapons or gear, she will add to her stash. Otherwise, she is ready to go.

[If, however, she is shot at while walking to the speeder, the conversation and actions will not happen. Instead she will seek shelter once more and return fire if targets present themselves.]

[Korianna]

Kori:

Time passes slowly as Kori watches from what she thinks is a safe distance. Finally the Twilek moves closer.

Mile'ka will walk out to the speeder, keeping her blaster carbine in hand but she figures the danger has passed for now. Once she reaches the pilot, she will look over the damage. "Think it will make it to wherever you're going?"

“It'll get us to Mos Shuuta,” Kori answers. “It sounds worse than it really is.”

Depending on the answer, she will add, "Might as well take whatever else you want if the speeder can handle the extra load. I would not take too long in case the shooters decide to come back around if they figure the smoke from the crash lured anyone else into their killing field."

“Sounds like a plan,” Kori says excitedly. “Probably not much left after all the explosions, but you never know!”

Kori, drawing her own blaster, moves closer to the Jawa skiff to see if any of their salvage is still salvageable. The memory of slugs being fired all around her just a short time ago, will make the mechanic move faster and not be so inclined to take any unnecessary risks. Kori will look around every few seconds to make sure that the raiders are not around.

[GM Fang]

The immediate danger seems to have passed and so Korianna approaches the wreck once more and Mile'ka comes out of hiding.

If more time is spent salvaging, Mile'ka will look around for anything useful that the Jawas had. She will not loot the bodies, but anything small and beneficial, like weapons or gear, she will add to her stash. Otherwise, she is ready to go.

Mile'ka looks around and finds the Jawas' weapons. Several of them are salvageable. They are ion rifles. She finds two that seem to be working and another that might need some repairs. The rest appear to have been destroyed in the skiff explosion. There are lots of bits scattered about of wreckage, but little seems of much use anymore. She keeps an eye on the surrounding cliffs in case the Tuskens return.

“Sounds like a plan,” Kori says excitedly. “Probably not much left after all the explosions, but you never know!”

Kori, drawing her own blaster, moves closer to the Jawa skiff to see if any of their salvage is still salvageable. The memory of slugs being fired all around her just a short time ago, will make the mechanic move faster and not be so inclined to take any unnecessary risks. Kori will look around every few seconds to make sure that the raiders are not around.

Korianna remembers a little of what her father taught her about Sand People. It's possible that this was just a hunting party, and if so, they would be returning with a larger force to recover anything remaining. Sand People hunted large creatures, such as Krayt Dragons and Giant Sand Worms, as part of their bizarre rituals.

Keeping an eye on the surrounding area, Kori quickly looks for anything more salvageable. She finds a few parts and bits that were scattered by the exploded skiff, figuring that those parts were already disassembled and just needed identifying and collecting, rather than also disassembly from the wrecked freighter.

After a few moments of picking through the scattered debris, both Mile'ka and Kori are startled by a long, low cry of some animal. Mile'ka could tell that it was some distance away but unsure exactly of how close. She also guessed that it was something large. The noise was not one of fear or pain, this animal was likely on the prowl. Kori on the other hand had heard this rumbling roar before. It was a Krayt Dragon!

Now what?

[Korianna]

Kori:

Kori quickly gets to work picking out those parts that can still be used and tossing the rest aside. A noise off in the distance gets her immediate attention.

After a few moments of picking through the scattered debris, both Mile'ka and Kori are startled by a long, low cry of some animal. Mile'ka could tell that it was some distance away but unsure exactly of how close. She also guessed that it was something large. The noise was not one of fear or pain, this animal was likely on the prowl. Kori on the other hand had heard this rumbling roar before. It was a Krayt Dragon!

Kori holsters her blaster, grabs whatever salvage that is within reach, starts to stuff it into her numerous pockets as she is running back to her speeder.

“We need to go!” Kori calls out to the Twilek. “NOW!”

Once behind the speeders controls, Kori accelerates away from the crash site and once at a safe distance changes course for Mos Shuuta.

“You don't want to mess with what makes that noise!” she tells the Twilek. “Unless you have a death wish!”

[Mileka]

There really isn't much left to sift through unless Mile'ka wants to comb the entire desert floor apparently. The shooters are clearly gone though, at least for now. Walking around, Mile'ka sees a few ion rifles. After checking them out, two seem in working condition, while a third is questionable. There isn't an unlimited amount of room on the speeder, and Mile'ka can really only fire so many weapons at once. She will haul the two working ion rifles over to the speeder. About that time, a rolling noise breaks the relative calm.

“We need to go!” Kori calls out to the Twilek. “NOW!”

Fine by me, Mile'ka thinks, stowing the rifles quickly and climbing aboard. I was pretty much done with this speck of desert. She will take one last look at the remains of her ship as the speeder whisks them away.

“You don't want to mess with what makes that noise!” she tells the Twilek. “Unless you have a death wish!”

"I've had a good bit of excitement for one day," Mile'ka replies plainly, ignoring her new companion's clear agitation and exaggeration. Nearly anything can be brought down if you know how, she thinks, her head-tails flicking as her thoughts drift to some previous bounties of hers that were anything but routine. Still, the speeder driver does seem to be a native and might actually know what she is talking about, so better to not press her luck on the matter.

"So tell me about where we are headed," Mile'ka will finally ask. "Anything I need to know. Imperials? Hutts? Swoop gangs? You know, the typical scum and villainy."

[Korianna]

Kori:

Kori drives the speeder quickly away from the wreck and towards Mos Shuuta.

"I've had a good bit of excitement for one day," Mile'ka replies plainly, ignoring her new companion's clear agitation and exaggeration.

“Yeah really,” Kori agrees with a nervous laugh. “Just about more excitement than I've had before.”

“The name's Kori,” she'll say when the opportunity presents itself. “What brings you to the sand bar on the hind end of nowhere?”

"So tell me about where we are headed," Mile'ka will finally ask. "Anything I need to know. Imperials? Hutts? Swoop gangs? You know, the typical scum and villainy."

“I can't say that I'm up to date on all the local scum and villainy,” Kori admits, “but there's a Hutt that runs Mos Shuuta. Teamoe or something like that. And probably some Imperials and swoop gangs. The usual stuff.”

The mechanic hopes that answer will suffice as she really doesn't know a whole lot about the seedy underside of Mos Shuuta.

“Any place in specific that I can drop you off at?” Kori asks curiously as they get closer to their destination.

[GM Fang]

Korianna and Mile'ka finally manage to determine that they are not in direct danger from the Tusken Raiders any longer. However, they do hear the nearby bellow of a Krayt Dragon. Not sure whether the Sand People departed to hunt the Krayt or run from it, they decide that they will do the later.

Stowing what they can, the pair hop onto Kori's landspeeder and she gets them out of the immediate area as quickly as she safely can. After a time, she corrects course and puts them on a bearing for Mos Shuuta once more. Approximately three-quarters of the way there, the landspeeder sputters considerably and Kori pulls off the accelerator. Gliding to a stop, both Kori and Mile'ka can see smoke wafting up from the repulsor behind them.

It doesn't take long for Kori to get the speeder running again and once more they are on track toward their destination. Going a little slower than normal gets them to the gates of Mos Shuuta without further incident. They pass a few of the makeshift settlements that have sprung up by those unfortunate enough to not be able to gain entrance. Various humanoids move out towards the landspeeder, staying out of its path, their hands outstretched, begging for a few credits.

Kori has seen these before and now Mile'ka also witnesses the rubble of adobe walls, metallic roofs salvaged from abandoned vehicles and canvas tents made from scraps of sailbarge fabric. It appears to be a separate community of vagrants and Jawa traders.

Up ahead a narrow path leads up to the mesa where Mos Shuuta looms. It is a steep slope that winds it way around the southwest corner of the bluff, leading up from the valley below to the large electrogate and adobe walls that form the mesa's secure entry point.

It is getting later and the shadows on the rock formations that dot the landscape are getting a little longer.

---------------------------------------

Assuming you go to the electrogate:

The landspeeder climbs the steep slope, sputtering a few times, but maintaining power. Kori pilots the craft up to the gate, as she has done before. Two Gamorean guards squeal down at you and grunt in very poor basic, "Wot bizness?"

(If you're going to do something else first or attempt another entrance, just mention in the post...)

[Mileka]

“The name's Kori,” she'll say when the opportunity presents itself. “What brings you to the sand bar on the hind end of nowhere?”

"Mile'ka," she replies, thumbing behind them to emphasize her next response. "That ship. Now I'm stuck here, unless you have an extra ship laying around."

Noticing her companion seems either extremely nervous or shy, Mile'ka does not press for more information or answers. Finally, Kori gets us to Mos Shuuta, and the Twi'lek is not impressed. This place looks worse than the wreckage of my ship, she thinks to herself, not wanting to insult Kori's home.

“Any place in specific that I can drop you off at?” Kori asks curiously as they get closer to their destination.

"Someplace I can store my gear where I won't get ripped off," Mile'ka replies, "and then somewhere to get a drink."

Apparently, no one can just drive or walk into the city, noting the controlled entrance. Of course, whoever put Gamoreans in charge of entry clearly does not expect any significant threat.

Mile'ka will let Kori do the talking since she knows how things run around here. If pressed by the guards, she will simply reply, "I'm her bodyguard," while her head-tails twitch their displeasure at the delay.

[Korianna]

Kori:

Off once more to Mos Shuuta...

"Mile'ka," she replies, thumbing behind them to emphasize her next response. "That ship. Now I'm stuck here, unless you have an extra ship laying around."

“You have my sympathies, Mile'ka,” Kori says in response. “I can't imagine a worse place to crash than Tatooine. This literally is nowhere. If I had a ship of my own, I certainly wouldn't be here either.”

“But,” Kori continues after a pause, “for better of for worse this ball of sand is home.”

Not long after that, the speeder starts to sputter noticeably.

Approximately three-quarters of the way there, the landspeeder sputters considerably and Kori pulls off the accelerator. Gliding to a stop, both Kori and Mile'ka can see smoke wafting up from the repulsor behind them.

“Oh give me a break!” Kori calls out to no one in particular. “Argh!” the mechanic screams as she brings the speeder to a stop. “I can fix this. No worries. I hope.”

Mercifully the repair is easy enough and the pair are off once more. The outskirts of the slums around Mos Shuuta are soon in sight.

“The slums are a dump here,” Kori says as they get closer and shooing the beggars away. “Thankfully, I don't live here. Just running errands here today.”

The landspeeder climbs the steep slope, sputtering a few times, but maintaining power. Kori pilots the craft up to the gate, as she has done before. Two Gamorean guards squeal down at you and grunt in very poor basic, "Wot bizness?"

"I'm her bodyguard," while her head-tails twitch their displeasure at the delay.

“Bodyguard?” Kori thinks to herself. “I like the sound of that.”

“Buying and trading,” Kori will say to the guards.

Once past the gate, Kori will move the speeder deeper into Mos Shuuta, mindfully to avoid running anyone over. She asks Mile'ka if there is somewhere Kori can drop her off at.

"Someplace I can store my gear where I won't get ripped off," Mile'ka replies, "and then somewhere to get a drink."

“To be honest, I don't know my way around here all that well. Mainly just the mechanic shops and parts traders. I usually just stay with my sister and her family when I visit. But, we can see what there is to be found here.”

Kori eases the speeder into town looking for place to have a drink.

[GM Fang]

Post Closed