Ask Reach For The Sky

[Alana Calloway]

Alana kick backed on the little suite room that they had been given, kicking her feet up on the bed as she knocked her boots to the floor and sighed. "I could get used to this sort of thing you know?" She said, looking to her head haird companion across the way. Her rifle was sadly locked up in storage, but she managed to sneak her blaster pistol inside her duster; which now hung from a rack across the room. This was a great little escape from Dantooine, not to mention she had to get back to work anyhow; and Ryloth would be perfect for this sort of thing. Alana let her body sink into the bed, letting out a sigh as she felt her muscles slowly unwind and relax, her mind clear of that annoying static that so often plagued her. Sadly she hadn't left on good terms with Astra, but there was nothing she could do about that, least she gained a new friend so that helped things somewhat. Looking up to the ceiling now, Alana's eyes flickered open and shut, before she turned her gaze back to Ines."Hey, so, how rough is Ryloth? It's like...pretty seedy right?" She was already trying to think of a way to get herself into the bounty winter's guild. "I'd like to try and get some work in while we're there. You know, sorta broke right now." She chuckled like it was a joke, but it was also sadly true; Alana wasn't the richest girl in town.

@Pyrenees

 

[Ines Panteer]

There was this annoying dent at the side of her nail, causing a slight amount of pain. It had to be evened out. For the past ten minutes, Ines had been sitting in one of the larger more comfortable chairs with soft padding and a generous backrest, slowly fiddling with it. Not having any accessible tools to manage the situation, she simply used her other hand. It was foolish, the best route would probably have been to just leave it be until they got back home. Alana spoke, causing her activity to pause as she looked up at the white-haired woman. A soft smile spread across her lips - she liked the comforts of commercial travel too, there was so much less to think of compared to when traveling herself. "In that case, you're lucky my ship decided to malfunction." she said cheerfully. The freighter she took to Dantooine was still there, undergoing repairs - it was to be returned to her in a week or so.

Returning to her annoying nail, it became clear that it was only getting worse. Soon, a small piece would be ready to be pulled off. Pulling things off always ended badly as it would undoubtedly create one of those stinging spots. Fingers were annoying like that. Still, leaving them alone would be quite the challenge, at least without any real distractions. The Alderaanian's eyebrows raised as Alana was once again coming to the rescue, asking about the state of Ryloth along with an explanation of why she wanted to know. "Don't you worry, at least not about the food department. When you're a guest of House Panteer, your belly will never go hungry." she said, reassuringly. Leaning forth, Ines continued "Really, we love to provide for our guests - I think we may even be a little overzealous at times." she warned.

Finally leaning back again, the girl nodded. "But sure, there are plenty of jobs around if you're looking for stuff to do. I'm sure any agricultural expertise you may have could come in handy." Naturally, it wasn't the most exciting area to work in, but it was safe and stable. Besides, plenty of farmers needed an extra hand around this time of the year.

While her vibrosword had to be locked away, Ines did find it rather amusing that she was now more heavily armed than Alana. The non-lethal stun blaster she carried laid lazily on the table between them, next to the canister of water. "I am glad you wanted to come along with me. It is a long trip, going from Dantooine to Ryloth. Have you thought of any travel plans yet? I'm sure we'll find plenty of stuff to do, but if you have any particular interests, maybe I could take you there. We could take one of my dad's speeders." she paused, considering the idea and her company. After a moment of consideration, the Alderaanian amended her last statement "Or take a rental. Yeah, a rental is probably the safer option." There were few things which were worse than the look of disapproval her parents could produce - the lesser the risk of encountering one, the better.

@Sunfrog @Algarus

 

[Alana Calloway]

Ines was always so nice, made Alana wonder where the girl got all that positivity from. "Well I wouldn't say lucky, given your ship went and killed itself. Your family has to be crazy rich though, good lord I could never afford this off my bounty fees." She snickered, finding it rather amusing at the completely different lifestyle that the two women lead. Alana took her fabulous hat and set it on her chest, her feel shifting back and forth as she felt a tad excited about what laid before them. "Don't tell me that, I'm trying to keep my slim figure over here. Can't afford to go stuffing my face." And she wasn't joking, it was a pain go keep thin; though the drug usage kinda helped with that. "Like seriously, I can't afford new threads!" She snickered and shook her head, imaging trying to find her clothes with just an extra inch in the waist, it'd be the end of her career certainly. "Please don't dot on me, I'll die of second hand embarrassment on the spot." Alana added, and that wasn't a joke either, she couldn't stand that sort of thing.

It did make her feel better about the idea there would be plenty of work to get done one the world, though she didn't like the idea of doing agricultural work she certainly wouldn't look a gaunt ronto in the mouth. "Well, um, I'll do my best. Not much of a farm hand, but it's better than twiddling my thumbs." Safe and stable was better than...unsafe and unstable(?), so she'd take her chances.

"Well thank you for having me! I love traveling, but given I got no ship of my own, it sorta makes it a bit difficult. You know?" She shrugged, crossing her legs as she flexed her toes against her aqua colored socks. Then there was a question of what she was going to do once they reached Ryloth. "Well, was wanting to try and join the bounty hunter's guild, so maybe I'll look into that you know? Be kinda cool I think." Alana muttered, scowling at the fact Nar Shaddaa kicked her out for asking that same question, how was Ryloth going to be any different? Only time would tell, but she wasn't going to just give up just like that; if she did than Kraud would win, and there was no way in hell she was letting that fly. Alana's scowl melted into a smile as she turned to face Ines, giggling at the girl's comment about getting a rental rather than her father's care. "Probably be for the best, don't think your dad is going to like me none. Whole cowgirl drifter thing doesn't sit well with some folks." Alana shrugged, still smiling despite the fact Ines' father probably wouldn't take well to her; after all, Alana wasn't 'top quality' friend material, between the tattoos and accent people got the wrong impression alot of times.

@Pyrenees

 

[Ines Panteer]

Talking about wealth could be weird sometimes. At least for Ines. Others had percieved her as rich, just like Alana did now, but at the same time, she knew how small her family wealth was in relation to some of the super rich capitalists of the galaxy. Especially considering that there had now been some time since her house wielded true influence on Alderaan. "I suppose" she replied, somewhat silently.

Hearing Alana talk about her figure struck the noble as odd. While she had not explicitly thought about it before, her general impression was that her friend looked good. Well within the safe zone. The noble peered up from her nail and looked to the white haired woman. Her thoughts seemed to be confirmed as she looked at her friend "You are fine" she said and smiled as soon as the next thought hit her "Mother will tell you the same thing. She will insist that you try one thing or another, you'll see" Her voice was characterised by her amusement. Finally, someone would be exposed to the same things she had been putting up with for the past eighteen years.

Apparently, her new friend wanted to join the bounty hunter's guild on Ryloth. Quite a long way from Dantooine but it probably meant that the two of them could spend more time together which Ines wouldn't say no to. "If we put both of our names as the renting party, you could use the speeder by yourself when I'm not around. To get around easier" she said, hoping that Alana would get to travel more comfortably than having to take public transports everywhere. "I think you're on your own when it comes to joining that bounty hunter's guild though. I barely knew they had a branch on Ryloth before you started speaking of it."

An unpleasant lump formed in her stomach, figuratively, upon hearing about her father's reaction to Alana. A halfhearted smile was produced and glued onto her face "We will be fine. As long as we keep showing him our best behaviour" she said, nervous for what his reaction might be. Perhaps saying it to herself more than to Alana. While she feared many things, her parent's disappointed gaze was certainly one of the most pressing concerns she had to deal with somewhat regularly.

Soon, some raised voices could be heard from outside. While muffled by the door and thick walls, it could still be heard by anyone listening closely enough. "Like that, we should avoid being like those people" she said, quickly finding herself in a more presentable mood again. While she didn't know what was happening outside, the timing of whatever it was certainly seemed to be right.

Suragla

 

[Alana Calloway]

Alana was all smiles as she laid in the bed, chatting with her friend, not having to worry about her father or sister trying to guilt her into joining their little pajama club. She was going to go to Ryloth, meet Mr and Mrs. Panteer, and hopefully still be friends with Ines when it was all said and done. Sounded like a dream right? "I hope so, my style of clothing is a pain to shop for." Alana glanced back down to her friend. "I'm all game for trying things, I just don't want to feel like I'm being treated like a kid, you know? But I don't think your folks would do that right? My daddy still does that, grinds my gears let me tell you." Alana stretched her arms out over her head, her shoulder's popping as she gave a satisfied sigh. She wasn't sure about renting a speeder just for her own usage, after all, Ines was probably going to have to pay for it; which Alana wasn't exactly happy about that idea. "It'll be alright, I'll figure something out. Don't want you spending any more credits on little old me." She responded, a look of contemplation as she tried to think of how to go about the guild on Ryloth, the people or Nar Shaddaa were none too kind to her after all. She'd have to try and really impress them this time. "Yea, it'll be a hassle and a half, but I'll get it done somehow." She looked down to her friend as she made a comment about her Mr. Panteer, to which Alana gave a comforting smile. "Well, I'll be on my best behavior. Maybe it'll work out that way." Least that was her hope, she had no clue how Ines' family would take to her.

Alana's ears perked up at the sound of shouting outside the cabin, though she laughed it off after Ines made her cute comment. She didn't think anything about it until she felt the ship give a light shake. The initial rattle that indicated they were coming out of light-speed, which was odd because they still had a good bit til they were at Ryloth, quite unusual. Alana sat up, curious what the ruckus in the hall was all about. "What in tarnation are they doing out there?" Alana slid her boots back on and grabbed her trench coat, only to find that the door was locked when she attempted to open it. Alana scowled and looked to Ines, shaking her head at the fact she couldn't open the door. "So, do these trips usually lock people in the rooms?" The noise outside escalated into blaster fire, which caused Alana to reach for her own blaster, not liking where this development was going. A voice came over the intercom now, as a the voice of a young man began to speak. His accent made him sound like he hailed from Corellia, but honestly with this day and age it was a free for all. "Attention, passengers this is your new captain speaking. We're altering the course, pray we don't alter it any further, as you are all now the prisoners of the one and only Jackers crew!" A hearty and muffled laugh was heard in the back, as he apperently had someone else on the ship with him. "Your new flight attendents will be stopping by the pay you all a visit. Do us a favor and don't try to fight back. Hand over your valueables, keep your heads down, lips shut, and you'll come out of this with your lives intact. Thank you." With that, the intercom went quiet, and Alana was left with a rather annoyed expression. "Wow, Jackers, really? That was the best they could come up with?" She muttered, stepping away from the door and sitting on the bed. "Well, this sucks." She was trying to think what all they could do, but frankly Alana was stumped. Fighting a group of hi-jackers wasn't exactly in the cards, they didn't even have their gear with them. She looked to Ines, hoping she wasn't too freaked out, though honestly Alana was just in disbelief that this was happening. "Listen, no matter what happens, I'm not going to let them hurt you, alright?" She said, standing up and switching the safety of her pistol off. "We can hold up in here, doubt they have anything military grade on them, but we can try and make a break for the escape pods. Might be a safe bet." The reality was starting to sink in now, as Alana realized that they were actually in danger. She felt her heart beat quicken, her pulse surging up significantly, as she had to take several breaths to calm herself down. So much for a relaxing shuttle ride.

@Pyrenees

 

[Ines Panteer]

The two were having a rather good time, chatting away and exploring each other's backgrounds and personalities when the ship dropped out of light-speed. Something was off. Perhaps a fire in the engine compartment or troubles with the air pressure? The Alderaanian did not know for sure but it did alarm her. Still, the crew was trained for these situations and would let the passengers know if anything was off. Remaining in her seat, Ines looked on as Alana walked over to the door. While any plans of following her friend had yet to form, seeing the woman take on her boots meant that she was prepared to have a look around. Not seeing the point in separating, the teen got up to take her shoes on too.

Bending down to tie her shoe laces, Ines looked up as Alana said something about being locked in. "No. But the door was a little wonky. Try pushing down when you open it." she said casually before looking back down at her shoes. Once the unfamiliar voice could be heard over the intercom, Ines too, realised that something was off. Having tied the shoe laces, the noble stood up straight, turning her head to where the sound came from. It was a frightening situation, that much was certain. Having read about these kinds of scenarios before, she knew that there was a significant risk that they would all be killed anyways.

Alana's response to the ordeal was reassuring as she seemed to be on the snarkier and more action based side of the scale. Sitting down next to her friend, Ines couldn't do much more than to agree "Yes, it does suck." A feeling of impending doom seemed to lay thick in the room as they sat beside each other on the bed. The following words Alana uttered warmed her heart, quickly making her feel much safer. "Thanks!" she said sincerely, bumping into the huntress' side with her shoulder. Leaning forth, Ines grabbed her stun blaster "We will protect each other" she said whilst looking her friend in the eyes, only now realising that the aspiring bounty hunter was armed too.

Escape pods. It seemed like a good bet, considering their options. A muffled blaster shot could be heard from outside, startling the girl. Her free hand went to her heart as her surprised eyebrows shot up and jaw dropped. Thinking of the horrors that transpired, she shook her head "What about the others? The other passengers?" she asked, concerned for their safety as well as her own.

Ordinary Ping

 

[Alana Calloway]

Alana had tried just what her friend had said, and it was locked shut, they hydraulics were overridden and keeping the door closed; something she would expect for a crash or emergency landing. "Nope it's locked down tighter than a...well, you know." She didn't feel like into the full on saying, Ines probably wouldn't appreciate the 'flowery' language. Given the announcement that played soon after, it was rather apparent what was happening.

Alana wasn't about to just give up, clearly these guys were full of themselves, and they could take advantage of that. Sure she felt nervous, but with Ines at her side, Alana at least had someone she can trust. Alana's eyes met with Ines', as she nodded at her friends words. It was the two of them against the rest of the crew; however many that entailed. "Damn right we will." She grinned, feeling herself rather eager to take down the poor bastard that tried to enter their room.

Alana frowned as Ines inquired about the fate of the other passengers. "I...I don't know, we can't save everyone Ines. Just..." She sighed, grabbing the side of her hat and rolling the brim. They were going to get killed if they tried to save everyone, Alana was a pretty good shot, but she wasn't no sharpshooter; even if she was they were seriously outnumbered. "Ines, I don't think we can get them out. Not without getting ourselves killed." Alana didn't like it, but dem were the facts. She clicked off the safety on her pistol, knowing the red head wasn't going to be fond of this idea. "I can't think of any other way to help them." She looked up to the girl, hoping she wouldn't be set on trying to save the day. She could already hear someone down the hall getting their possessions taken from them, in the next few minutes their cabin would be on that list of victims rather soon.

@Pyrenees

 

[Ines Panteer]

It was inspiring, seeing Alana's confidence as they spoke of facing down the Jackers. Ines had been trained in dueling, both with the sabre and the blaster - her parents had insisted on the girl learning the traditional arts and when it turned out that her skill was rather limited at the drawing board and the writers pad, this was the only remaining option. Although she was more proficient with the sabre, handling a blaster in itself was nothing which she couldn't handle. But there were other difficulties. The idea of shooting other people with the intent to cause them harm was alien to her, and being shot at with the risk of death would certainly be a first. Biting her lower lip, the Alderaanian nodded upon hearing her friend say "Damn right we will" It was precisely what she needed. Words wouldn't add much as the red headed girl conveyed her appreciation with a long gaze at the other's eyes and a lingering smile.

Hearing that it wouldn't be possible to save all passengers did work to bring down the mood. The girl's face shifted through a number of emotions as she processed the information. Whilst sadness was present in all the expression, she ended on a somewhat bitter note, accepting what had been said. Swallowing hard, she straightened her back and raised her cheek "Thank you for your honesty" Her voice carried a slight shiver as she desperately tried to remain calm and collected.

After taking a deep breath, Ines rose to her feet and looked towards the door. It was obvious that the hijackers were soon going to be entering their room. Having a look around, Ines casually turned one of the tall mirrors, angling it towards the door. Anyone standing in it shooting in would see the flash of their own blaster go off and hopefully be distracted for a moment or two. She then started working on turning a table to lie on its side, effectively making it a sort of soft cover. Not being able to think of any more preparatory work, she turned to Alana "Any other ideas?" she asked with her usual enthusiasm replaced by nervous determination.

Extraordinary ping!

 

[Alana Calloway]

It saddened Alana a bit to see the impact her words had on Ines, but the woman would have to accept the reality of the situation. Maybe if there was another way, Alana could try and take it, but right now they needed to focus on themselves. Alana reached out and gently squeezed Ines' shoulder, trying to give some comfort for the news that she had just shared. "If there's someway we can save the others, I'll do what I can, but I can't promise anything." She tried to give a comforting smile, but she wasn't sure if it was going to help or make things worse. She shared in the woman's frustrations, but the reality was rather apperent. Once they had an idea of the numbers they were going against, then maybe they could try and save the others. Right now though, Alana just cared about getting herself and Ines off this ship.

When Ines began to arrange the room to better serve as a small defensive position, Alana began to think of an approach they could take. These guys probably weren't expecting to be attacked, they sounded rather full of themselves to be honest. Probably a direct attack would be best, then they could switch to other rooms with passengers and work on rearming them. That would be the best approach, especially if these guys were going to be split up and divided. Alana would help Ines move the desk, as she finally snapped out of her thoughts, she was unable to think of anything else they could do with the room, other than maybe shut the lights off. Giving one good glance around, Alana could hear that the guards were close, they wouldn't have long to make their move. She smiled to Ines, trying to hide the fact that deep down Alana was just as nervous as her. "Well, other than getting into cover and shutting the lights off, I can't think of anything else we can do truth be told." Alana readied her blaster pistol and moved towards the lights, as she motioned Ines to get behind the desk. "Now, just keep your blaster aimed at the door alright? Moment it opens up, aim right for chest." Alana advised, unsure if her lovely friend had ever shot someone. Alana would cut the lights, as the room was sent into almost complete darkness. The white haired huntress remained by the door, the faint light coming in from underneath the door being all they had to go off of. There was a tense moment as the pair could hear footsteps outside the door, sounded like one person, but only one way to find out. A knock followed at the door, as a man's voice sounded from behind it. "Open on up, else we'll force our way in. We give ya ten seconds starting now." Alana took in a breath, readying her pistol as she hunkered down trying to keep herself calm, knowing that once that door open Ines was going to drop the guy with no problem; least that was the hope.

@Pyrenees

 

[Ines Panteer]

Right before Ines had the chance to get up, Alana rested a comforting hand on her shoulder and said that she would be on the lookout to save others if possible. With her head still held high, the noble had a slight smile grow on her lips "Thank you" she said rather simply before the thoughts of them probably having to abandon a few people crossed her mind again. The smile soon died down as she rose to her feet and started the preparatory work.

***​

Following Alana's instructions, the Alderaanian walked over to the desk and raised the stun blaster, aiming it towards the door. Maintaining a good and practiced posture, Ines stood tall with her sights set at the door, just in order to get a sense of aiming at the spot where their foes would enter. Slightly adjusting her aim, Ines raised her weapon just a little bit higher so that any shots would most likely hit the chest region. Nodding, she replied with an uncertain "Okay"

It took a few moments of readjusting to the darkness as Alana turned the lights off but ultimately, it would probably be for the best - unless all the blaster fire would act as a light source on its own, that is. A shiver went down her spine as the first knock on their door could be heard. What if this was her last few moments alive? The thought remained in her mind her just as the hijackers begun speaking outside. Their demands would be hard to meet, seeing as the two were locked in. Looking to Alana, it became obvious that it was better if she was the one speaking, seeing as her ally stood in a better position to flank their foes should they enter. "I cannot open the door. You locked it" she said. At this time, the genuine fear which could be heard in her voice worked to their advantage as it would, hopefully, put a more helpless foe in the minds of their captors.

A sigh could barely be heard from outside, with the door blocking most of it. "We unlocked it, juma brains" With her mouth forming a small 'o', the Alderaanian figured that what they said made sense. "Alright! I'll come open it for you" she said, throwing a nervous glance at Alana. "Just don't hurt me, okay?" After a moment of silence, the Jacker replied "Just open the door, blast it! Five seconds!" With that, Ines took aim at the entrance, waiting for Alana to open it. She was rather well hidden in the darkness of the room, only showing her head, arms and blaster to anyone who cared to look.

Algarus

 

[Alana Calloway]

Alana tightened her grip on her blaster, unlike Ines, she didn't have it set for stun. She wasn't going for a kill shot, but if these guys had armor she needed to punch through it. When the moron on the other side of the door began to talk, Alana took in a breath and tried to visualize the scene about to unfold. This was a gift that had served her well, and so far had never failed it. But this time was different, she could feel Ines was with her now in this image. She could see the Ruffian standing by the door, his bored expression turning into irritation as Ines gave him an excuse about the door being locked and begging for mercy, but in that image Alana could see-no- feel Ines in that image as well. Why was that? Alana had a clue, but it was going to have to wait. She threw that thought aside, focusing on what she was about to do now. Alana had her eyes closed still, but she could still see the room, see the target, and that was all she needed to do.

When the situation called for it, Alana pressed the release on the door, the ruffian was alone, his pockets stuffed with the loot he had stolen from previous passengers. His face went from annoyed to confused, as his tiny brain tried to make sense of what was going on. By then it was too late, Alana pointed her gun through the new opening and fired, striking the man in the leg, as Ines was let with a clear shot on the poor bastard. Once he was down they'd just pull him into the room, strip him of the security card, and move on from there. Easy, simple, and hopefully would get the two of them out of here without being killed.

@Pyrenees

 

[Ines Panteer]

With a swoosh, the door opened. Violently, a ray of white from the brightly lit corridor intruded, pushing away the darkness which laid upon the room. Ines could clearly see the silhouette from the lone Jacker standing in the opening. Fully prepared to pull the trigger aimed at his chest, the noble just stood there like a fool, allowing him to take the situation in and quickly exposing them both to risk as his awareness grew. Her eyes quickly raced to Alana as the flash from her bolt left the blaster. The thug erupted into a pained scream with the bolt hitting his leg. A generous amount of swear words were mixed into the flood of pained cries whilst Ines just watched him through her cross hairs.

For a moment, the world played at slow-motion. She was actually having another human in her cross hairs. His face told her that he wanted her dead, and she wished for his defeat to be more than an honourable surrender. Still, shooting at another person and wishing them harm was unfamiliar to her, despite the training she had received from her parents. Subconsciously, she hoped for him to go quiet and will fully enter their room, surrendering anything of value to them, but on the surface, she didn't mind how they won his silence or acquired what they needed. "Quiet" she whispered for herself to hear. Naturally, he didn't hear it and after a few too many seconds, Ines fired her Stun Blaster. The man quickly fell silent and his limbs stopped moving. A sense of distraught panic started creeping into her mind as she breathed heavily.

Ines was quick to pull him into the room and shut the door. Now kneeling at his side, the Alderaanian checked him for wounds she might have caused, staying well away from the blaster wound in his leg. Taking his key-ring, she noticed an ID-badge "Officer Viduna, engineering department" she said, reading directly about who he was from the card. "It should provide us with more access than our own passenger's card" she noted. Apparently too distracted from all the things that were happening, the teen had failed to notice footsteps from two different persons approaching the door outside. With one banging on it hard, the other was scrambling to get her key card out. Her eyes lingered on the unconscious man for a little too long before they darted up to Alana. "What do we do now?" she asked whilst standing up straight.

Algarus

 

[Alana Calloway]

Alana's shot stunned the man, as he staggered back, his hand clutching for his leg at first, hissing and howling with pain, as she waited for Ines to finish him off. But the shot didn't come, she raised her blaster to shoot the man again, seeing he was about to draw his blaster, when Ines managed to pull the trigger; and the poor bastard fell over in quick succession. Alana looked back to her friend, wanting to critique her actions, but held off on it. Ines probably had never shot at another person before, that was probably why she hesitated.

Throwing their new captive into the room and locking it. Alana watched in the dimly lite room as Ines checked the man for anything they could use to escape, and smiled as the woman found a new keycard. "We can get some good usage outta that. Nicely done." But that moment of being relived was short lived, as Alana heard the muffled footsteps out in the hall and turned to face it. She hoped she was just hearing things, but that concern was fully realized as a knock sounded at the door. Clearly the rest of the Jackers had heard them. This was problematic. Fear clawed at Alana's gut, as she looked to Ines then the door. Her friend asked her what they were going to do, and Alana wasn't quite sure for a few brief moments. "We fight." She muttered, taking her blaster pistol and raising it towards the door, moving to Ines's side so as to provide the woman some cover against what was to come. "Ines, just pull the trigger as quick as you can, you won't kill anyone with the stun shot, but they will definitely kill us." She advised, knowing while it sounded grim, she had the best intentions with her words. When the door opened, Alana fired off as many shots as she could, aiming for the shoulder and legs, hoping Ines would be able to incapacitate one of them before they could fire back at them.

@Pyrenees

 

[Ines Panteer]

"We fight" The words echoed through Ines' mind as yet another wave of fear hit her, mercilessly diminishing her courage to fight on. Perhaps it would be easier to just surrender. Perhaps it would have a higher likelihood of ensuring their survival than fighting the hijackers. But then, she had Alana at her side, seemingly not knowing fear with a confidence rivaling that of the alpha kath hound. It was inspiring and worked wonders to rally Ines at her side. Tightening her grip around her blaster, Ines aimed it at the door, once again preparing herself to fire.

How could she? It was the second time she was preparing to fire upon another person, and this time, it was likely that they were going to fire at her. They wanted to kill her. It made her sad to even think of it - what she was doing and what they wanted to do with her. It was all so alien to the noble who was used to more positive interactions. As if capable of reading minds, Alana provided the red-headed noble with just the right words. Taking a heavy breath, she glanced at the knocked out man on the floor and then at her friend "Right" whilst nodding. Looking back at the door, she mentally prepared herself for what was about to happen.

Once again, the door swooshed open and once again the light from the corridor flooded their dark suite. This time, however, there was no grunt standing in the middle of the doorway. This time, two heads stuck out from the sides "They've killed him!" one screamed, quickly drawing her blaster "Then we'll kill'em back!" the other replied. The firefight broke out with a flurry of bolts being fired from both directions. Just as soon as it had started, the battle seemed to be over. While the initial hesitation had still been there, knowing that the first thug they took down was alright and thinking of Alana's words, Ines had been able to join the fray much earlier this time. Still remaining in her kneeling position, the girl heard the thuds as her foes fell to the ground. An exploding sense of relief filled her, spreading from the chest out "We did it" she said, turning back to Alana with happy eyes.

Algarus

 

[Alana Calloway]

To Alana's relief, it seemed her words might have taken hold on Ines, as once the door opened and the shots started to ring out, her beauty of a friend didn't hesitate. Alana nailed the woman in the shoulder, the man in the leg, as their initsl shots went wide, slamming into the floor and the wall respectfully.

Shots flew back and forth between both parties, two of which slammed into Alana sending her stumbling backwards and into the bed behind her. She hit it hard, bouncing off the mattress as she slide down onto the floor, her gun clattering along with her, as she was now laid against the bed, rocked by the two shots that could have very well killed her. Her entire front was smoldering, a painful burning sweeping through her upper and lower abdomen, as a low groan escaped her lips. Like she thought, the two 'Jackers' didn't set their blasters to stun, and damn was she feeling it now. Her arms felt like wet noodles, as she attempted to pull off the smoldering vest she wore, feeling the spent duraplast plates starting to burn and scold the skin underneath it. Her arms barely moved with any efficiency, the wind knocked out of her so speaking was off the books. It was down right unpleasant for the young huntress. Gasping coughs came from Alana's lips, as while she wasn't exactly dying, breathing in the fumes of her smoldering armor wasn't exactly healthy. A tad shaken, she looked to Ines, who was at first rather excited for the victory they had earned, she fully expected a look of horror to take over the young woman. Their attackers were laid out in the hall, unconcious, as the door to their room slide back and locked as it had been before. The two women were given a small moment of peace now, though Alana was going to need more than a moment of peace to bounce back from this.

@Pyrenees

 

[Ines Panteer]

Her eyes melted as water quickly started welling up, threatening to from tears. A silent scream was stuck in the middle of her chest as her chin shivered. Mortified, she saw her dying friend on the floor with two smoking blast entrances by her torso, smoke still coming from the marks. It was only when she saw Alana try to remove her vest that the noble realised that there was still hope. There was a certain degree of eager anxiousness as Ines quickly made her way to Alana's side "You're still here" she said - a comment more designed to comfort herself than the woman who had just been shot. "You're still here, I'm with you" she continued, this time to Alana.

Quickly studying what her wounded friend was doing, the Alderaanian shot her hands towards Alana's. She was delicately balancing gentleness and speed as she removed them from the jacket and then quickly proceeded to begin taking it off. Watching the pained expression radiating from her red-eyed friend was heart wrenching. "It'll be alright" she said with a warm voice. Even to Ines, it was surprising how calm she was - or at least how calm her voice sounded. Perhaps some of that 'You have to keep your mind calm, collected, honed'-talk her parents kept nagging about during her upbringing had some positive effects after all. At any rate, those thoughts would have to wait until later - for now, her focus was Alana.

Once the vest was off, the teen looked her friend in the eyes "Don't touch anything now, okay?" she spoke before rushing off to the bathroom, turning on the tap to fill the sink with cold water. Taking off her smooth shirt made of soft synthetic fabric, she bathed it in the water along with a towel and quickly headed back out in her tank top. "This will sting for a while, not too long" she said before putting the cool fabric on Alana's wounds. She watched her friend sympathetically whilst waiting for the cool to set in.

After a while she threw a quick glance towards the door and then looked back at her friend. Considering their options for a bit she spoke with a sliver of hesitance "I will check if they have any bacta in the pantry. It should be close to our room."

The Garus

 

[Alana Calloway]

That was probably the worst blaster shot Alana had ever had before in her life; which wasn't saying alot, because this was the first time she'd be shot. To her relief, Ines was there to help her, getting the vest off before it started to do any real damage to her. Alana tried to find some comforting words for her friend, maybe something that just told the poor girl that she was alright, but all that came out where rasping breaths that did very little to improve the situation. The old and rough textured white shirt she had worn under the vest had two large burn patches from where the heat of the plates had done a bit of damage to it, with two black marks laid out across the clothing from the points of impact. As Ines began to try treating her wounds, Alana could only watch as her noble friend set to work on easing Alana's pain.

The only real response Alana could give aside from coughing was a slow nod to show she was still among the living, as it was rather touching to see Ines be so concerned for her well being. It made sense and all, given that Alana had just got shot, but there was just an...abundance of care that made Alana feel okay with the fact she had just got shot. She just wanted the pain in the woman's eyes to just go away. She was surprised Ines was taking this so well, and what surprised her the most, was how at ease her friend was putting her despite the gravity of the situation. When Ines began to instruct Alana on what she was going to do, the white haired woman could only nod as she was still incapable of speaking.

When Ines returned, minus her fancy shirt, Alana found it a tad easier to breath now, as through the pain she managed to force a smile. If it were a better time, Alana might have teased her friend for her choice in garments; but now wasn't the time for that. "I'm okay, just a graze." She muttered in a pained tone, her chest still scorched a bit though Ines' quick acting had kept the burn from potentially getting worse. Alana let out a small sigh as Ines put the wet cloth over the burns, and it felt a great deal better, but both of them knew some wet rags wasn't going to be enough to mend these wounds. There was a moment of silence between the two, as their gazes met one another. She knew what the young woman was about to do, but she had little she could do to stop her. It was dangerous out there, and without anyone to watch her back, Alana had no idea what her friend was about to run into our there. Reaching out as Ines began to depart, Alana attempted in vain to stop her. "Ines, don-" Alana attempted to reach out and stop the woman from doing what she was about to do, but a fierce pain in her chest sent her slumped back against the bed frame as her friend disappeared out the door, leaving the huntress to be rather bitter about this whole situation; her wounds stinging just a bit more now.

As Ines exited the cabin, she would nearly trip over the two unconscious ruffians from before. The noble would find herself quite alone in the hall, the medical supplies she was looking for, but she would notice something else as well. A voice would be heard by Ines' ear, and investigating the voice she would find it coming from one of the guard's comlinks. "What the hell is going on out there? Come on guys, you can't be screwing things up like this....someone pick up the fething comlink and tell me what is going on!" The voice sounded almost identical to that of the man who had threatened the crew over the intercom a few minutes ago.

@Pyrenees

 

[Ines Panteer]

It was good, seeing her friend get progressively better. Much better than what she had first thought, that Alana was dying, that much was for sure. Ines looked up from her friends sound, keeping her hands still, practically hovering above the clothes to keep them in place. A soft smile formed - despite not having known each other for that long, claiming to be 'okay' was exactly the response which she had come to expect. Shaking her head, the Alderaanian replied "No, you are not" Allowing her eyes to linger on Alana's for a while, the girl soon returned her attention to the wound before announcing that she were going to look for some bacta.

Only affording her friend a glance as the plead came for her to stay, the noble soon stood outside of their room with the door closed behind her. Having checked before exiting, it was good to know that the area was empty. For a few moments, she just stood there, watching the unconscious bodies as their comlinks sounded. She could feel an anger building inside of her as the thought of these to Jackers shooting her friend just crossed her mind. Seeing as a stern talking to wouldn't be possible when the two were still knocked out, the girl decided to perish the angered thoughts for now.

Bending down, the teen picked Alderaanian picked up the woman's comlink. Although the thug's voice still lingered in her mind, Ines was not confident that she could reproduce it. Still, sometimes people just didn't think too much of who they were talking to if they already had an idea of who it was. Whilst walking to the pantry, Ines replied "We're still working. Give us some time or do it yourself, blast it!" her voice was more coarse than usual and she even included a more rough expression at the end for good measure. The silence she received as a response was unnerving - the guy on the opposite end had truly mastered the art of long silences, just like her parents seemed to have done. The noble was already having her way in the pantry when they finally replied "I'm giving you ten more minutes." he paused once again "And after that, I might just come and do it myself - and we'll renegotiate my share while at it"

Swallowing hard, she looked through another locker when she finally found a stash of medpacks. Bringing a few, she quickly left the room and headed back to Alana. Her eyes wandered past several doors into private suites on her way back. She had the power to free them, using the card they had picked up - but there was a risk to it. What if someone thought that she was one of the hijackers? What if someone was callous and opportunistic, willing to leave without them? Ines' mind immediately went back to Alana - there was simply no way that she was going to risk her friend's safety when she was in such a weakened state. Although it was hard to ignore freeing the others, the decision was made. Soon, the door swooshed open, and Ines' silhouette appeared in the door frame. She was glad to see Alana again, even though it still pained her to see the woman injured and in pain. After making sure the door was locked behind them, she rushed forth to apply the bacta.

"We have seven more minutes before some guy on their comlink comes out looking for them" she said whilst tending to the wounds. "We will leave once you are ready, okay?" she said, not wanting to put unnecessarily much pressure on her and continued "I will not leave here without you" As soon as the final word left the noble's mouth, the comlink sounded again, this time it was another voice - still rough but not quite as menacing "Guys, Jack's getting twitchy. He wants to move on with the plan. Now. You better hurry up."

Yet-to-be-enlightened one

 

[Alana Calloway]

When Ines disappeared out the door, Alana sighed and tried to grip her blaster, just in case she had to try and provide aid to her friend; though in reality Alana was going to need a good days rest to even attempt that, unless Ines managed to find some bacta. It was a long tense few moments, as Alana strained her ears for any sign of trouble, but none came. She tried not to worry about Ines, thinking that surely anyone that was out in the halls couldn't relocate to their position with such haste. After a bit of struggling, Alana did manage to get a hold of her pistol, just in time for Ine to make her appearance. Alana fear the worst, and had haphazardly tried to aim her blaster to the door, but given her injury, and seeing her friends return, her blaster arm went limp; the weapon falling to the floor as Alana didn't want to hold onto it anymore. "Oh, hey." She mumbled awkwardly, just happy to see her friend had come back without being harmed.

It seemed they were on a bit of a time crunch, given what Ines was stating. "That's fine, we'll figure that out." Alana muttered, still in a decent bit of pain, despite Ines' best attempts. Alana's face twitched as Ines held the bacta supplies, and allowed the woman to open her shirt up to mend the wounds, though her cheeks turned a slight tinge of pink as Ines went to work; if nothing else, they at least had a chance to make it out of here. The bacta was cold on her skin, causing her to flinch and hiss, as it certainly felt like someone pouring liquefied carbinite down her shirt. A few moments after having the bacta treatment however, Alana was already feeling better. The burning pain vanished, and she felt the strength in her arms and chest return to normal. "I might be good to go here in a minute or two, that stuff works really well." Alana commented, as she let her head relax back and sighed, feeling the pain just wash away like it had never even been there to begin with; unfortunately she'd need a new blast vest. She glanced up at Ines, meeting her gaze as the woman promised not to leave her behind, Alana smiled. "I know princess, I wouldn't leave you behind either." It was nice to have someone willing to go to bat for you like Ines was doing here. She wasn't sure where she got 'princess' from, but it just felt right in the moment, hopefully Ines would forgive her for that. Alana gathered up her blaster, as well as her hat, and took Ines' hand in her own. With one tight squeeze, she would struggle to her feet, though soon she felt like she hadn't been shot at all. "Yea, I feel way better now." Alana stated, a tad annoyed she was without armor, but least she had her trench coat still.

The voice over the comm got Alana's attention, as she looked to it and shook her head. "These guys are really green. Makes it easier for us." Alana muttered, looking over at the man they had dragged into the room, then to the locked door. "I'm thinking we let some of the passengers out and arm them. That'll raise some real hell, maybe we can even take the ship back. Assuming there's only a handful of them left now. We took out three after all, if we get out gear back, heck maybe we won't need to jump ship." Alana scratched the back of her head, curious what Ines thought, then remembered someone was waiting on the line. "Oh, and uh, you gonna take that call?" Alana asked with a bit of humor, as she was ready for another round of blaster tag. It seemed the huntress was up and ready to go, but it was up to Ines to make the call on the rest of the passengers.

@Pyrenees

 

[Ines Panteer]

It was good to see Alana in such a good mood, still capable of joking and displaying what seemed like an endless source of confidence. When the noble was satisfied with the Bacta application, she started wiping away sweat, water and whatnot that lingered on her friend's face. Her soothing moves suddenly stopped as the Alderaanian raised an eyebrow - did Alana just call her princess? Many would have to die in order for Ines to even be near the top of the line of succession. For some reason unknown to the young noble, however, hearing Alana call her that felt rather good. As if she was special.

Worried, Ines looked upon her friend as she started to get up. It was clear that she had to struggle, still not fully recovered from before being shot. Although the teen's interest in her friend getting up so soon was low since her facial expression seemed somewhat pained, Ines was not about to just stand there and watch. Quickly, she got up herself and helped hoist the injured Corellian to her feet.

It was surprising, Alana's reaction was almost the complete opposite compared to that of Ines. Whilst the red-head looked at the comlink with concern, hoping to avoid both Jack and his plan, the huntress found a potential weakness. Remaining on the ship seemed like an utterly bad idea. It was unclear if the other passengers could be trusted and Alana had already been injured with two shots that could have been fatal. Opening her mouth to speak, Ines was interrupted by her friend, wondering if she was going to pick up. "We're in a room with this bantha of a woman. It'll take some time, okay? Just tell 'im to stop acting like a stuck mynock and wait for a few more minutes." she said, trying to sound more tough than she really were. Although it seemed to work on Jack and this new person, it was obvious that it was rather far from her comfort zone.

A short pause later and the person returned "Jack says that he'll continue with the plan if you keep slacking. Seriously, gather what you can from her and the room and come back up here before he drains the oxygen, okay?" Without pressing the talk button, Ines' jaw dropped "What?" she asked, looking to her friend. "They're planning on killing everyone". Clicking the talk-button, she spoke "Got it" curtly before looking to Alana whilst nodding slowly "Alright, let's free the other passengers" she said before letting her friend take the lead.

Algarus