Ask Ranger Down. [Rishi]

[Rachel Reid]

Rachel found herself in the moment during this entire shoot out, she'd begun to enjoy the intensity of the situation. That joy soon left her body when she heard Leon shout for cover and dash off towards the pirate's location. I'm supposed to be the loose cannon around here she thought as she began to fire on one of the last two pirates peeking around a tree with her DC-17. each of her shots were somewhat accurate but most hit tree, she wasn't really able to aim after all.

Right as her first gun began to run out she felt a stick bump her leg, she ducked back behind cover and gave the Mandalorian her attention, though not exactly full as she began reloading. She wasn't a solider but she recognized the Keep them busy hand waving anywhere. She nodded and pulled out her second pistol, she didn't often use two at once since it was harder to shoot someone in vital areas, but when she did they'd almost think they were being pinned by an assault blaster. She began firing at the last pirate at a rapid pace, she nearly skimmed his knee she thinks but he wasn't down, nor was he leaving that tree.

She watched as the Mandalorian dashed over to where Leon had gone off to, seeing Vizsla also wounded and on the ground aswell. This distracted her long enough to not realize her blaster pistols had already started to run low. Kiffin son of a sarlac! She had to move quick, there was a moment of pause that almost seemed just enough for the pirate to start to slip by. She warned him she thought to herself as she picked up her cycler rifle. Setting up the shot was an easy enough task, the only issue was firing. Rachel began to hesitate, she hadn't really used this on someone like this before.

She began to sweat a bit much, having a clear shot but not being able to pull the trigger. The pirate was beginning to close in on Leon and Vizsla's location, and if she let him live he might go for the killing blow. "Damn it!" She yelled as she took the shot, hitting the pirate square in the chest and knocking him to the ground. The slug probably hurt like hell and the chances he survived the impact are extremely low, but she had to do it. She just kept that thought in the back of her head, I had to do it. She lowered her gun and began to make her way to Leon and Vizsla from cover.

 

[Leon Terrick]

Forcing his eyes open, Leon was unsure how much time had passed since he had closed them. His eyes were still trying to focus when a very familiar, mechanical 'thoom' echoed through his ears. Great, on top of bleeding out in some jungle now there's Tuskan raiders. He thought to himself, fighting through the fog that had taken his head. Then it hit him. He wasn't on Tatooine. That wasn't a Tuskan Raider firing that rifle. That was…

"Rachel!" His senses came flooding back to him. The pirates, the Mandalorians and his fellow Ranger. For all he knew they could still be in Danger. He attempts to lean sideways to get his feet under him but only manages to fall over unceremoniously into the dirt onto his shoulder. "Voxx! Where are the others? Are they safe?" He asks as he tries to again pick himself up, much to no avail.

"Sir, you are bleeding out. I advise you to remain still." The droid responds in its normal droidtalk.

"Kriff, Voxx! They might need me." He says aloud, pushing himself up one more time before collapsing back down into the dirt. Grunting painfully he rolls himself onto his back and only then realizes Anvil is mere feet away from him. The fight must be over. Viszla lay unmoving not far from him and he hoped that none save the scum pirates had lost their life. "I take it we won?" He asked the red and gold clad Mandalorian, his hand once more pressed against his side. He still had no idea where Rachel was, or if she was even still alive. But either way he wasn't getting up. Death, while something he didn't wish for, was something he did not fear. If it came to him today, he would still be proud of the life he lived.

 

[Casany Praxor]

Music OOC

Spoiler

​

[“All hostiles have been eliminated, Captain. The female Sector Ranger survived.”]

[“Copy. Go get my gun.”]

As Rawl complied and hastened from the treetops to retrieve her rigged rifle as it blasted away at the jungle, Cass stood staring down at Leon, who lay on the jungle bed but not on his deathbed.

"I take it we won?"

She tilted her head, observing the wounded man from the depths of her visor. He was bleeding badly, and all that moving around during combat hadn’t helped whatever pieces of metal were wedged within his body. Will you live? Her helmet didn't budge as her eyes shifted over to Viszla, who also lay down, but much more still and silent. Or will you die?

“No one wins. We just don't die yet.” she spoke plainly. “Not me, anyway. Death might be on your heels as we speak. His too.” She nodded at the other Mandalorian before removing a medpac from her person and crouching beside Leon. “Your Ranger friend’s alive. Can’t say the same for your enemies.” She spoke while patching him up, part of which involved applying irrigation bulbs and bacta-coated bandages; quick and basic treatment just to prevent immediate bleed-out. “Keep your hand on your gun just in case.”

Without further input on her part, Cass stepped away from the Ranger and knelt beside the Mandalorian with her medpac. He wasn’t moving. Still as stone. The only thing that moved was the blood spitting from the wound on his arm. He wouldn’t bleed out just yet though, now that the rescue had arrived. She moved to lift his helmet, but stopped herself. If this was the kind of Mandalorian whose way was to never show his face to others then Cass wasn’t going to spit on that code. Instead, she retrieved a medisensor.

The device revealed first and foremost that the man was unconscious but alive. That was good for him and for Cass, as she wouldn’t be wasting her supplies. “He’s alive,” she announced. Similar to Leon, Cass patched Viszla up, including flexclamps and synthflesh, considering his vein had ruptured. He didn’t appear to have any intention of waking up just yet, though her medpac included stim-shots for any of them if the occasion called for it. It doesn’t. No stims or sedatives. Might need them later. She did, however, hope that she wasn’t the only trooper in the company with enough sense to carry first-aid on her person.

Standing up, Cass tucked her medpac away and faced Leon with her visor. “That’ll do you both for now. I should probably take out the trash. My droid confirmed that all the hostiles are down but I’m not sure if they’re all dead.” With that, she unholstered the pistol at her thigh and, barring anyone's objections, made to scour the vicinity in search of survivors.

 

[Rachel Reid]

Rachel had a headache, maybe it was the hangover or the firefight she just got out of but she felt nausea. She hadn't killed before, even the Tusken raiders she got into scraps with she usually let live with a few burns from her DC-17s. But as she passed by the pirate she shot she was sure, he was dead. She felt sick to her stomach as it began to twist and turn with each step she took, her heart felt heavy and her arms were shaking. When she made it to the injured Leon and Vizsla she practically threw her rifle to the side as she went to check on them.

"How about it boys? Close enough to death for ya?" Her voice was shaking and her eyes were a bit distant. I had to do it she kept repeating in her head. It still didn't feel right, probably won't feel right for some time, and later on she might say that was a good thing. "We need to get you two some actual treatment, and then I'll ask what you were thinkin' jumping in there like that when you were injured." It looked like the other Mandalorian that was with them had already gave them some treatment, and Rachel has some medical supplies in her ship that'd keep Leon patched up until he gets to an actual doctor.

"When I took down one of those pirate I was able to keep him alive, I'm going to go check on him and see if I can get him to answer some questions." She tapped Leon on the shoulder and hopped up, her voice calming down as she began to get up. She drew one of her two side arms and began to catch up to the other Mandalorian, taking deep breaths to try and remain calm. "Hey wait up! Don't wanna wander off too far by yourself." She saw the Mandalorian with her pistol drawn and assumed she was looking to make sure they wouldn't get any more pirates on them. "Thanks for patching those guys up. I didn't carry nothin' on me but my blaster, I got some stuff in my ship though." She began to relax as she walked up, but the dead pirate's face was still stuck in the back of her head. I had to do it or he'd have killed Leon she said to herself.

 

[Talon Vizsla]

Talon opened his eyes slowly. Already his brain was functioning; if hostiles still remained, it'd be best for them to think him dead.
He used his peripheral the best he could within his helmet to look around; he spotted Leon but didn't see the other two. Slowly he rolled over onto his back and looked at his arm. Someone had been using a med pack.
He stood up cautiously, one knife still in his right hand. He sheathed it and pulled out a '44. He turned round in a circle, surveying his surroundings and not seeing anything. The ranger didn't look as bad as he had before.
"Ranger." He called softly. "Are they all gone? What happened?"
Suddenly, an appalling idea came into his head. If--if--
"Did they take my helmet off?"

 

[Leon Terrick]

“No one wins. We just don't die yet.”

Ain't that the truth He thought to himself as she began patching him up with bacta bandages. He nods as she finishes with him, telling him to keep his gun handy just in case. He laid there as she began working on Vizsla. Quick and efficient, this Mando knew her way around combat meds. Soon she had the fallen Mandalorian patched up and went to look for the surviving pirate, ready to put him down. "Anvil, leave him alive. I'd like to speak to him."

"How about it boys? Close enough to death for ya?"

Leon almost winced at that. It was foolish of him to rush in like that, but if he hadn't Vizsla would be dead. They both made it so that was all that really mattered. Leon watched Rachel as she knelt beside him. Her voice had been shaky when she spoke and she felt distant as she spoke to him. It slowly dawned on him that that pirate was likely the first time she had used that slugthrower with deadly force. He would speak to her later, if she wanted to. The first time you end someone's life was never easy but now wasn't the time to bring it up.

Rachel taps him on the shoulder before following after Anvil. She would get through this. It was a grim part of the job, but it was part of it. Moments later Vizsla woke and quickly made it to his feet. He asked what happened and then some what worriedly asked if someone had taken his helmet off. Smirking, Leon begins to haul himself to his feet. He had to admit, bacta was a truely wonderful thing. He holsters his Glie-44 and retrieves his Frontier-90.

"Seems they're dead and we're alive. Next time, try not to get yourself blasted, yeah?" He pauses and looks at the Mandalorian. "As far as your helmet, some things are better not knowing I guess." He begins a slow walk after Anvil and Rachel, steadying himself on the trees. While bacta was amazing, it would still take some time for him to recover. "Voxx. Keep watch. No distractions this time."

"Aye, Sir." The seeker droid twills before zooming off.

 

[Talon Vizsla]

Talon shook his head. Yes, it may have been stupid to worry about his helmet when he had almost died. Still, though…The ranger wouldn’t understand.
His head was starting to clear; he watched the ranger give an order to his droid. “I need one of those…” He trailed off. Seemed like he needed everything the ranger had.
He checked his arm again; it still looked…artificial, but it’d do. “Say, I noticed those pirates had a SS-54…think your ranger friend could ask the survivor where it is?” He was grinning under the mask; maybe this wouldn’t be a waste after all. “Unless I’m mistaken, they're restricted without licensing, so you wouldn’t have any problem taking it.” He started coughing and involuntarily raised his left arm but dropped it just as quickly.

 

[Casany Praxor]

Ambience

Spoiler

Music OOC [Recurring]

Spoiler

The jungle was quiet now, save for the singing of the birds and the chirping of the insects, the croaking of frogs or toads, the moans of lumbering beasts and the growls of predators looking for a meal. Yet, there was no more gunfire, no more blasters going off, at least not yet. Even after death, this place is still so serene. As she scoured the ground for the spots where pirates fell, Cass wondered what it would be like to live in this jungle or many others like it, spending each day roaming the greenland and running with the wildlife. Peaceful, but not without war. Predators and prey are here too. A rodent digging up worms captured that thought for her, just as she caught movement from behind and spun with her pistol leveled at the head of her visitor.

"Hey wait up! Don't wanna wander off too far by yourself." She saw the Mandalorian with her pistol drawn and assumed she was looking to make sure they wouldn't get any more pirates on them. "Thanks for patching those guys up. I didn't carry nothin' on me but my blaster, I got some stuff in my ship though."

Cass lowered her gun as soon as she recognized the woman. Whether the concern in the Ranger’s tone was little more than, or masked a desire to surround herself with ones who would keep her alive and little else, the Mandalorian couldn’t tell. “It’s nothing”, she dismissed. “We’re more useful to each other alive than dead.” Her free hand gestured toward the Ranger’s weapon. “Blasters see to that well enough but bandages are no less vital. You should consider carrying a medpac wherever you go.” As for where you came from, clearly it’s from a ship, and hopefully it’s in working order. For all parties involved.

“Heads up”, Cass nodded, just before something black fell from the sky in between both persons. Cass shot her hand out and seized the weapon before it hit the ground, slinging her rifle over her back to rest beside her sword. Above them both, the beepings of a 4EY Scout Droid could be heard as it leapt from the branches and latched itself onto its master’s back. Two black eyes peeked over a shoulder with a beep-boop that translated from binary to Basic as “Hello there”.

“This is Rawl. I’m Anvil.” The last introduction she had given had been to the other Ranger and Mandalorian, moments before Rachel had arrived to introduce herself, before the guns went off. “Your counterpart and mine will live. I was going to make sure that no one else does, but questioning the living makes sense too." The dead don't talk. But I still hear them scream.

 

[Rachel Reid]

"name's Rachel, and I got a good way of making people talk. Some say it's my charm." as she spoke she gripped one of her DC-17's and rubbed her finger along the handle. "I just wanna ask who he's with and how he happened upon Leon, I figure it might just be dumb luck but you gotta make sure right?" She began to relax a bit, keeping her eyes forward and speaking to the scenery rather than directly to Anvil, she'd probably be spending a lot of time avoiding eye contact.

They'd been walking for a few moments until they reached the one that received the stun bolts to the chest. He was out like a light, and probably in a lot of pain, she got a nice shot square in the middle. She kicked the pirate in the shins to jolt him awake, or try to at least. He wasn't movin' a muscle, so she probably needed a more gentle approach. She knelt down next to him and started slapping his face a few times, being sure to keep her DC-17 at his chest and his own gun away from him. "Hey sunshine, time to get up and talk to your new friends." She'd get her response eventually.

 

[Leon Terrick]

Talon asked him about a ship and Leon nods. The Mandalorian needed a ship and if it meant taking one from the pirates he would be happy to. Catching up to Rachel and Anvil, just as Rachel knelt down over the pirate who was slowly coming to consciousness. With her DC-17 to his chest, she slapped him a number of times to bring him back a little quicker. Groaning the pirate shakes his head and focuses his eyes on the female Sector Ranger that held him at Blaster point.

”Ah, there he is. So, lets hear why you decided to cause all this trouble? Let’s start with where the ship you came here with.” Leon stood next to Rachel, letting her restrain the pirate. Not that it was too hard. He did just watch the four of them end seven of his friends. The pirate glares at Rachel and Leon but after another slap, He sighs.

”The ship..it’s not too far. Just a couple miles south of here. And..and The boss likes to take ships on the Manda Merchant Route. Easy pickin’s for a decent haul. Figured you were here to try and stop us and wanted to end you before you were able to call for backup.” He glances at the small team of individuals and shakes his head. ”Though it seems that didn’t work out for us to well.” He sighs and falls silent. Leon kneels down near the pirate, leaning down to look him in the eyes.

”Alright you cur. You called down the thunder and you got it. He pulls his badge from his belt and slaps the pirate across the face with it, the metal digging in to the man’s cheek leaving a nice cut. ”You see that! It says Sector Ranger! Take a good look at your friends. He motions to the other dead pirates, as the pirate is nearly begging for his life. ”Cause that’s how youre going to end up. Now run, you cur. You tell the other curs the Law is coming. You tell em, I’m coming! You hear me?” With that he motions for Rachel to let the man up and watches as he runs off toward the east, not worried about his ship and just wanting to get away from Leon and the others. Leon sighs and looks at the others. "I don't know about you all, but I'm ready to get off this rock." He turns to Vizsla and offers his hand. "Thanks for the assist back there. I'd get back to that ship before he did if i were you." He then turns to Anvil and nods toward her. "Thanks to you too. You both got involved when neither of you had to. If either of you need a had, feel free to reach out. You had my back, I'll have yours if you need it."

@Die Shize @Deflubber @DarkSaber

 

[Talon Vizsla]

He shook the ranger’s hand; maybe they’d see each other again sometime soon. “Don’t be thanking me. One of you saved my life, though I’m not necessarily sure who…” He grinned under the mask, letting the comment sink in before turning and marking towards the ship.

…

A couple minutes later, that same pirate lay smoking on the ground next to the SS-54. He hadn’t even had a chance to get a shot off.

Talon surveyed the ship; It had a gun turret, large cargo bay…hey, it even had a droid. “What are you doing here?” The DX asked. “Where’s my boys? They promised me I could at least destroy a couple—"

Talon was tempted to blow a hole in it but decided not to. He found a power button that had obviously been built in just to make this thing shut up.

A wicked idea formed in his mind and he found the coms on the ship. He found the ranger’s com and hesitated before speaking.

“See you around…and thanks for the ride!”

With that, he gunned the ship and flew off. He needed a break, maybe a cantina or something…

 

[Casany Praxor]

Music OOC [Recurring]

Spoiler

​

Cass did not overlook Rachel’s eyes as they looked anywhere but into her own; rather, into her visor, her own eyes hidden. It wasn’t terribly unusual; many people found it uncomfortable simply looking into a person’s sunglasses. It’s something else, though. I can feel it. Some kind of...something. It wasn’t charm, not quite, though if that caliber was a part of Rachel’s character then Cass would find out soon enough. The further they walked, the more she suspected this Ranger and her comrade as being just that. Few bonds so strong than with a person beside you wielding a weapon while you wield your own.

Past a couple of corpses, Cass had passed a bolt into the head of each one, ensuring her walking companion that she was just ensuring that the dead stayed dead. It was the third body that caught their full attention. The Mandalorian had moved to shoot this one too before discovering that the body was alive and needed attention in more ways than one. It was further revealing to Cass that the man was alive only because his shooter had kept him that way. Stun shot. Clean. Good aim. There was no bounty on this soul that was known of, though, and Cass found herself wondering why the woman had not instead have expelled a kill shot. Rangers. The police of the galaxy. Typical.

A kick in the shins, a few slaps in the face, and the arrival of another Ranger and Mandalorian, and the unconscious pirate was stirring into consciousness. When his eyes opened, it wasn’t just a woman’s face he woke up to beside his bed but the muzzle of a blaster and then some. Cass kept hers trained on his face, finger on the trigger and just a little itchy, but letting the game play out as it were. She didn’t look at the latest arrivals except to glance. Leon was moving well enough in his condition, Viszla too. Clearly, the pirate had the odds of the universe against him, and he knew it.

With Leon’s questioning and the others’ staring, the pirate spilled the beans in less seconds than it took to eat beans. Cass smirked at Leon’s little badge trick as it tore across the pirate’s face. Talk about bashing the badge of law over someone’s head. Rangers… The humor, however, slapped itself from her own face as Leon snapped into a state that she had not previously witnessed even this early in.

"Now run, you cur. You tell the other curs the Law is coming. You tell em, I’m coming! You hear me?”

The law. Mandalorians had a law, if not quite the same interpretation of the definition, and Cass knew from past and present that violating the law could be very, very bad. An iron on your hip could be the last thing that another person sees before they pay for their mistake upon violating said law. Leon, though, he spoke with a voice of iron. There was steel in his speech, blood and steel and fire, and she had heard the voice before. Back then… The blades… The blasters… The blood... Before she knew it, her rifle had dipped, so she leveled it back with the pirate’s face and then his back as he took off running.

Rangers… Cass chewed on the thought. Sometimes they’re as tough as Mandalorians. Leon, for one, had his answers, not they mattered much to Cass. She had little to no interest in a crusade against criminals, her code being her own, but Leon was right about getting off this rock. Meanwhile, Viszla made his own departure, receiving little more than a helmeted nod from his fellow Mandalorian. She may never see the man again but, if she did, she would make sure to comment about what she had done with his helmet while he was unconscious.

"Thanks to you too. You both got involved when neither of you had to. If either of you need a had, feel free to reach out. You had my back, I'll have yours if you need it."

“It was nothing,” Cass shrugged. “I’m a bounty hunter. Teaming up isn’t usually my thing.” She tilted her head. “Although...if the occasion ever calls for it...I’ll be sure to call your comm. I’m also a Mandalorian, see, and I place a high value on debts.”




@Grifter @Deflubber @DarkSaber

 

[Rachel Reid]

As soon as Leon was done with the pirate placed her DC-17 in her hip holster and let him shoot off. She'd normally have some kind of prank in store, if it would be a snide remark or tossing something at his rapidly retreating backside would depend on how good of a mood she was in. This time she just let him keep running, this seemed a lot more serious than your average encounter, and the dread she was feeling from earlier was still hanging over your head. She did, however, wave off the pirate with a wide grin on her face.

"Try not to run in deep alone yeah?" She waved off Vizsla as he went his own way, given that he was moving kind of fast he didn't have her full attention at the time. She wasn't sure she wanted to stop him, and before she knew it he was gone before she had done anything. "And you made a pretty good distra-" was all she was able to muster before she realized he had disappeared.

"Alright, let's get you stowed on my ship, though we might have to move some trash and bottles around. Anywhere in particular you want to be dropped off?" She was already walking in the direction of her ship as she spoke, the sooner she got off this rock the better. "I assume our Mandalorian friend has a ride herself. Unless she wants me to loop back around for her after I drop you off, if not I say we stop at a Cantina." It'd been a day, and she felt like right now all she wanted was some kind of drink and to make some poor choices.

@Grifter @Die Shize @DarkSaber