Much Protect...

[Diocletian Solus]

Location: Contruum

Time: Mid-day

Participants: @Ecclessey @Critas

Dice: HERE

Briefing: Contruum is a decent place to head to escape the the Empire, but not so much for bounty hunters. Apparently, a shipwright who is essentially a genius in his field is also a notorious gambler. He has stacked up a lot of debt and bounty hunters have come to take him in. This time we won't be collecting on this bounty, instead we are going to rescue him and return him to Contruum shipyards so that he can work on our ship for us. He must survive and try your best not to earn yourself a price on your own head.

​

Diocletian sat on the bar stool and he was in a bad mood. He had been to Contruum in the past and he was not a fan. He did not like the snow or he cold and this wonderful little ball of ice had both. So, he had landed at the spaceport in Torian City and promptly made his way towards his target. The bar was known as the Rusty Sprocket and it was truly a hole in the wall. It even had one in the male’s restroom to ensure it lived up to the hype.

Across the street from the bar was an industrial complex where their target worked. The Rusty Sprocket was his venue of choice for his gambling addiction. He had been chased out of all the nice casinos due to his propensity for late payment of debt owed. That debt had come due and the Sprocket was positively crawling with Bounty Hunters looking for the man. While sitting on the stool, Dio had heard several rumors about their quarry already getting snatched by some off-world group. He did not know if the rumor was true, but he was definitely going to find out.

Dio was wearing his usual load out, his heavy beskar’gam, his bowcaster across his back, and the old trusty Shriek-Hawk hanging from a two-point harness in front of him. He had freshly painted on jaig-eyes on his helmet and the new rank of Rally Master painted on one shoulder. The usual bandoleer of grenades went from right to left, shoulder to hip, riding just above his Strill blaster backup. A well worn vibroblade hilt jutted just above one greave.

Rud Solus was his partner in this merry little jaunt through the underworld of Contruum. He had worked with Rud in the past and knew there would be no issues with performance. Rud knew the job and would get it done as did all of Clan Solus. So far, Dio had been unable to turn up anything in the bar on their target and had even pissed off one bounty hunter enough to almost start a brawl in the bar. It was only through a quick credit transfer to the bouncer that Dio had been allowed to remain inside. He really hoped Rud would show up soon so they could find this joker and get off this rock.

 

[Rud Solus]

Rusty Sprocket, ofcourse that's what it's called. Rud stood in the corner of the bar, not because he didn't like Dio or wanted to be edgy, but because he knew he wasn't going to get the good bounty hunter gossip when standing too close to a Mandalorian with Jaig Eyes. Everyone knew that if you're pursuing the same target as a Jaig Eyed Mandalorian you might as well go back to the Guild and find yourself another bounty to hunt. Rud was standing especially close to a shadow-rich booth when he heard "You sure Jaig eyes can't hear us?" it was the voice of a Devaronian who sported a street sweeper and a lasso. Amateurs. "Yes, I'm sure so Listen-" a shifty human with a Coreward accent replied, "-you keep spreading rumors that he's still not found and I'll get you more credits." the Devaronian must've raised an eyebrow in confusement because the shifty human started laughing nervously, "-but they already caught him, thanks to my info, and are getting him to the spaceport."

"SHH!" the shifty human motioned the Devaronian to lower his voice, "-right right, but we don't want the other hunters to know that. Transporting live bounties is dangerous, moreso than hunting one." They went on negotiating prices, but Rud had heard all he needed to know and walked over to Diocletian at the bar. "Some hunters got him already-" he sighed, disappointed that as he was wearing his helmet he couldn't order a quick drink, "-moving him to the spaceport-" he sniggered, not sure if Dio already got the jist, so he explained, "-on Contruum rush hour is worst at mid-day."

That meant they had plenty of time to jetpack over traffic and cut off the hunters at the spaceport. A blasterfight seemed inevitable, but Rud carried a bola-launcher which would make it easier to keep the bounty alive at least.

@Critas

 

[Diocletian Solus]

DICE​

Diocletian nodded to his compatriot as he exchanged the information that he had heard in the bar. Turning he downed the drink that he had been nursing to keep the attention on himself while Rud worked the crowd. Turning back to the bar he ordered another drink, not wanting the crowd to pick up on the fact that he had just been given the piece to the puzzle that he needed. He said under his breath to Rud, “I’ll meet you out front in 5, Ill head to the fresher and then slide out the back so we don’t get followed.”

Leaving his second drink on the bar for Rud to handle if he wanted, he turned and headed into the small hallway leading to the fresher. When he got to the door he stopped and paused at the doorway. No one was watching him, so he turned back and slid out the back door and into the alley. He had no doubt that if one of those hunters thought he had caught the scent of their quarry, they would be following him until the cows came home.

Quickly he navigated the alley up to the front of the bar and watched the door for Rud to appear. While he waited, he pulled out his data pad and checked routes to the spaceport from the warehouse district. He saw there were two main routes, fifty-fifty he thought. As a thought came to his head, he craned his head out of the alley to check the name on the warehouse they were across the street from. It read ‘Acme Yolo420 Pharmaceuticals’ and Dio couldn’t help but laugh at the irony. The same company that had employed the Solus on Manaan.

Dio was sure he still had some of their access codes saved on his data pad and entered one into the pad. He brought up a schematic of all their trucks that were out making deliveries. He discovered one that was marked Truck 817 that was heading on the Southern access road towards the Space port. Its manifest however showed that it was supposed to be heading East towards the suburbs. With a quick tap of several buttons, Dio accessed the load camera in the truck and saw the payload. Inside the rear of the truck was their quarry and three tough looking hunters. Dio imagined that there would be at least two more in the cab of the truck so that made five.

Dio stashed the data pad back into its case under the chest plate of his armor and watched as Rud came out into the street. He raised up from his hiding place and joined the other Solus as they left the bar, watching the entrance to the bar through the reflection in the windows from the warehouse. Rud was not followed, not yet. Leaning in close, Dio simply pulled out the data pad and handed it to Rud for him to see for himself. The race was on and hounds knew where to find their rabbit.

Hunter Count: 5
@Ecclessey

 

[Rud Solus]

Five minutes? Rud blinked several times as Dio walked towards the "fresher". Kriff, did he still feel the effect of Raz' ridiculously bad casserole? Going to take a shit for five minutes while on an active bounty hunt was something entirely new to the younger Mandalorian. Realizing he had some time to kill, he took off his helmet and helped himself to that drink, after all. What he didn't know is that this mission would be the last one before he went after Moff Jenkins on Hapes, before they both would, Dio and Rud. This was his last mission before he would lose his legs and his good looks. Oblivious to what was yet to come, Rud drank quietly for two minutes before placing the helmet on his head again and leaving the bar through the front door.

Once on the street Dio revealed himself and handed him a datapad with the information they needed. Man, did the Jaig eyes move fast. No wonder the other hunters didn't want him pursuing the same bounty. "Yolo420 giving us gold again, eh?" he smiled, the cold drink and the easy job putting him into a good mood. "We can handle five-" giving back the datapad he stepped away from Dio and ignited his datapad, "-let's go!"

With the speed of their jetpacks and the slow pace of traffic having to worm itself between and around the buildings the two Mandalorians just flew over, they found their intended target truck without much of a problem giving they even had active gps tracking data on it. Rud found it cruising at a slow 20 mph towards the spaceport and decided, with a somewhat tricky maneuver, land on top of the truck. There he pulled his VBP-11 Blaster Pistol and shot straight through the roof, killing both the driver and the passenger and letting the speeder come to a slow stop.

They knew the target was in the back of the truck where they didn't have a visual on the driver and the passenger, but the slow stop and the sound of blaster fire was 9/10 a dead giveaway for something going really wrong. "Two down, Attack Badger."


@Critas

 

[Diocletian Solus]

DICE​

Diocletian dropped from the sky on a lance of fire. As he dropped his heard Rud open up on the cabin of the speeder truck. He could see the blaster fire from his right as he dropped and landed on the ground behind the speeder truck as it slowed to a stop. He could hear shouting from within the speeder truck as he landed at the doors. Quickly he duct taped a concussion grenade to the door mechanism and pulled the pin. He knew from his video feed that their target was chained near the cab and would be outside of the blast radius of the grenade.

Dio turned and moved to the side of the truck to get outside the blast radius of the grenade. He put the side of the truck between himself and the blast, waiting for the explosion to open the truck. The grenade went off and the doors were violently blown open, one falling off the hinges. A body fell out as one of the guards had been against the doors, waiting for someone to open them. Dio smiled grimly at the tactics of the guard, it had been exactly as he had hoped. He put a blaster bolt into the dying man’s chest as he passed, Sulla had taught him to never leave a wounded enemy at your back.

“I am Diocletian Solus and I want the bounty, toss out your weapons and leave the mark or join your three friends, you have two seconds.” Dio shouted from the cover of the side of the truck. He was squatting down to ensure they couldn’t shoot at him through the wall of the truck. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut on occasion. After the two heartbeats, he started to rise, another concussion grenade in his hand as he rose. A clattering from the back of the vehicle announced that several weapons were being thrown out onto the concrete.

Guard Count : 2 of 5
@Ecclessey

 

[Rud Solus]

"Kriff you, badgerkarker!" one of the hunters inside the truck shot back at Dio and tossed a spare blaster on the ground in an effort to distract Dio. Unfortunately for him, Rud was still standing on the roof and he was able to pinpoint the location of the deviant hunter because the latter couldn't control his urge to shout something back. Rud shot through the roof with a controlled single shot and hit the hunter on the top of its head, making his lifeless body fall to the floor like a ragdoll whose brain was fried.

This not being his first rodeo, the young Mandalorian knew not to stay on the roof after he fired and he jumped off just in time when a half a dozen bolts were shot up through the roof in a panic. "He shot Ricky!" the other hunter cried once he finished his trigger-jerk. All of this gave Dio enough opportunity and time to take him out while Rud made his way to the back of the speeder truck.

Counting on his partner to do exactly that which he earned his Jaig eyes for; killing, Rud dropped his guard and loosened up a little. "You want a transport or we carrying the target to the spaceport?" he asked, jokingly, although he sure as hell hoped he wasn't the one who had to carry the man while jetpacking to the ship.

@Critas

 

[Diocletian Solus]

Dioceltian was ready for the shots that he knew would eventually come from within the vehicle. These were tough bounty hunters and they would undoubtedly take offense at being asked to surrender. As the inevitable shots rang out, Dio moved back from the truck, his rifle at the high ready. He caught sight of the two remaining guards and their mark. Rud opened up on one of the two and shot him through the head from the roof before jumping to safety.

Dio watched as the last guard shot upward, trying to shoot blindly and hit Rud. Dio found this to be an easy target and fired a two-shot burst, hitting the guard in the leg and chest. The guard toppled out the back of the truck right as Rud came around the side of the truck. As Rud asked about exfil, Dio was already on comms with his pilot droid. He had known they would need a quick exit, success or failure notwithstanding. So, he had his droid on station in his ship near the ambush area. It made a quick exit easier and more available should things do pear-shaped.

Dio raised a hand to his fellow Mandalorian to put him on hold. “Attack Badger calling for exfil at my coordinates. Three passengers.” Dio hopped up into the truck and secured their new charge. Two quick shots from his Strill cleared the chains in the rear of the truck. A new set of restraints were fitted to their new friend just as the roar of landing jets echoed, announcing the arrival of Dio’s Overhead Pirate ship.

@Ecclessey

 

[Rud Solus]

Suddenly police sirens could be heard, but when Rud turned towards the sound he only saw the one speeder locked into traffic. Dio had just climbed into the truck to get the target, so the younger Mandalorian stood alone as he watched the two patrol officers leave their speeder, blaster pistol in hand, and run through traffic towards them. "Law enforcement incoming," Rud said to warn Dio, just before he put the shriek-hawk to his shoulder and fired aimed shots just wide of the targets. He didn't want to kill them, so he hoped they would get the message and seek cover.

Adrenaline pumping again, Rud sought partial cover with another speeder, the driver of which had bolted when the truck had come under attack, and planned to suppress the officers. "Get in the ship! I'll cover."

@Critas

 

[Diocletian Solus]

Diocletian was looking up at his ship as it circled to make a quick impromptu landing on the highway. He had their new guest by the arm and was leading him in wrist shackles towards the rapidly descending ship when Rud’s warning about law enforcement reached his ears. With a quick look over his shoulder, he identified the two law enforcement officers that were heading in their direction. Their speeder was gridlocked due to the backlog of cars trying to avoid the previous firefight around the truck.

These two officers were obviously either overzealous or new to the force. They both exited the vehicle and started running to try and intercept the pair of Mandos and their prize. Dio saw Rud fire at the two officers, missing on purpose. It did cause the two officers to slow down and duck for cover. That gave the ship the two seconds it needed to touch down. Dio hustled the prisoner into the ship and shoved him into a cargo container. “You will be safer here.” he told the bound man before closing the lid and heading towards the gun turrets. Diving into the fire control seat beside his pilot droid, Dio brought up the Groundsweeper cannon and pointed it in the general direction of the officers.

It appeared they had regained their bravado and were currently moving between vehicles trying to get closer to Rud. That would not do. Dio opened fire with the Groundsweeper, chewing up asphalt in front of the vehicles and creating a wall of laser fire that kept the officers diving back into cover. It was obvious that he was not trying to hit the officers or any civilians, but just as obvious that if they came any closer, he would do just that. “You are clear, get on board so we can blow this pop stand.” Dio called to Rud on the communicator. A few more shots from the Groundsweeper kept the heads of the people down as well as the officer as Dio told his droid to start to lift off. He knew Rud was heading for the ship and would have plenty of time to scramble on board before they lifted off.

@Ecclessey

 

[Rud Solus]

The thud and gentle shaking of the ground when Dio's ship landed brought a confident feeling over Rud, who with short intervals attempted to supress the police officers. It always gave you a good feeling about a mission's result when the escape vehicle had arrived and Rud counted himself and Dio lucky they managed to get through without too much hassle. The truck could've been escorted by armored speeders, but from the start back in the cantina it was clear the hunters had taken the stealthy approach. A smart move if you're up against a Jaig eyes, for sure. Unfortunately for them it hadn't been enough.

Rud had been too confident that he his shots lacked purpose, meaning the police officers tried to run and close the distance once again. At this point Rud lowered aim, intending to shoot one of them in the legs, most likely crippling him for life, to show he was serious when Dio engaged the tarmac with the ship's laser turret. The smell of burning tar immediately got caught in his nostrils as Rud dashed for the ship's ramp.

Once through the door he manually closed it and pressed the button to lift up the ramp, before turning to the internal ship comms. "I'm onboard-" he said as he realized the ship was already taking to the air. "-let's see how our shipwright is doing."

/end thread
@Critas