Stop Badgering the Locals

[Narir Solus]

Bandomeer had become tense over the last several decades. The formerly heavily agricultural world was slowly being taken over by mining companies that had interests that ran directly contrary to many of the locals whose families had been farming this land for generations. In most of the cases, the mining companies took over the farms in a slow but sure process as the farmers were paid enough to close up their farm, move off their land, and either start up somewhere new or retire altogether. It was a win-win, but that wasn't the case with everyone.

Some of these farmers were determined - even stubborn to a point Narir could respect - and refused to give up their ancestral homes. But the veins of ore didn't move, and if the farmers wouldn't move either, there became an impasse. At this point was where the underhanded dealings began. Some of the more diabolical mining companies would find ways to "convince" the farmers to leave. That was the situation Narir and Leandros found themselves in. One of the local farmers had had a quarter of his crops burned, his son was assailed by masked bandits, and several of his animals had been killed. Everyone knew it was the miners, but there wasn't any proof.

Enter the badgers. Narir had set up shop in one of the barns for the last two days, waiting for the next attack. The miners weren't real fighters, they were cowards, and that meant that the pair of Mandalorians shouldn't have too much trouble when the time came to slug it out with them.

The barn wasn't the most comfortable place, but it gave Narir's badger - Atin - space to run around and stay away from the farmers. The Mandalorian decided that if this turned into a tracking situation, the badger might come in useful if they tried to run. In the meantime, Narir pulled out a deck of cards. Sabaac? he asked his fellow Mandalorian, sitting down at their makeshift to burn some more time. The sun was going down, which he guessed would mean the attackers would be coming soon. @Painus

 

[Leandros Solus]

Bandomeer was not the most thrilling planet. It was, for the most part, heavy agriculture. As much fun as it was seeing acres of food and massive machinery chugging around, Leandros was pretty bored. The nature of their mission meant that they had to wait around for something to happen. These farmers were having their livelihoods destroyed by encroaching industrialization. Massive mining conglomerates found that deeper than the topsoil were valuable ores and had begun to buy out these farms, forcing the workers to relocate and start anew or consider that the end of their livelihood and retire. Normally these companies paid plenty for the land, ensuring that the farmers were not being completely ripped off. Some companies, however, did not believe in fair payment. That’s why the badgers were there.

They were camped out in a barn on one of the farms that had steadfastly refused to sell out. Crops had been burned, the farmer’s son assaulted, and livestock had been slaughtered in the dead of night. With nowhere else to go, they enlisted the help of the Mandalorians trying to plant down roots on the planet. Narir and Leandros waited for the past few days, passing the time with idle chatter, card games, and everything else that badgers did for fun. Leandros had not yet interacted with Narir prior to this operation, so it was nice to get to know another of his al’verdes.

The man pulled out a deck of cards and offered up a game of sabacc. Leandros shrugged, pulling over a small stool to the man. ”Naas atiu at narir. Ni wicar hut'uun jimeh jurkad de jii,” he spoke, dragging the stool through some hay. He settled it down in front of Narir and sat down, the wood protesting at the weight. He was in his armor, his rifle no more than an arm’s reach away. His lightsaber was clipped to his belt, though he still had yet to fully get used to the thing. The weight being so condensed in one area took some adjusting to.

As his clansman dealt the cards, panned his gaze outside of the barn, watching the setting sun. He kept his eye on the horizon for a few seconds before looking back at Narir, ”Atba'a'yu dha dayn. Gar mirdir waralyu b isreh kua cuyir ca?” He just wanted to get this over with and see how the cowardly miners would react when facing two actual warriors. Surely they would just turn tail and run?

@Phoenix

 

[Narir Solus]

Narir couldn't blame Leandros if he was starting to feel restless. In truth, Narir felt the same. While he was capable of sitting back on his shebs and waiting, he would have much rather gone out and gotten started doing something. That was the problem with being on a mission like this: there was a lot of waiting. In fact, that was the problem with most bounty hunting and contract work: there was a lot of sitting around.

As Leandros turned to look at the setting sun, Narir did the same, pulling out a cigar for himself. Probably, he said. He couldn't be sure, but it had been three days since the last attack and most of these hits had come within a few days of one another. That put them right in the sweet spot for another excursion to unfold at any time. At this rate, Narir was hoping that tonight was the night because it meant they could stop doing the sitting and waiting.

He flipped the igniter on his flamethrower, not giving the flickering lighter any fuel as he stuck his wrist to his face and lit the tip of the cigar, blowing off a plume of smoke toward the ceiling. A moment later, he was dealing cards, casting the occasional glance toward the horizon. If he were leading this raid, he'd wait until 03:00 local time to hit them. It was the best time for people to be asleep and gave the greatest likelihood of success. But these weren't soldiers, and he doubted they had the discipline of a Mandalorian.

All seemed quiet for the moment with no sign of their enemy. Even so, Narir couldn't help that nagging feeling creeping up his neck as if at any moment things could devolve. So, tell me honestly: Bandomeer. If we set up a base here, would it make you want to claw your eyes out? he asked with a snicker. It wasn't exactly the hottest of getaway locations, but Mandalorians weren't known for enjoying luxury spas. What it lacked in grace, it made up for in tactical advantage. @Painus

 

[Leandros Solus]

Leandros nodded a few times at Narir’s curt response. Not like he could predict the attacks. He was stuck waiting just as much as his partner. As time ticked on, Leandros’ mind began to wander to idle thoughts. The quiet night was almost oppressive after the recent months of hyper-aggressive strikes against their enemies. A rest was nice, but he had gotten into a routine of going out and seriously messing some bad guys up.

He leaned forward on his stool, the wood creaking a bit as his weight shifted around. Resting his elbows on his thighs, Leandros took his helmet off and rubbed his face. He was getting sleepy. They did not get much sleep over the course of this operation most nights, instead taking shifts during the day in the event the miners grew bold enough to attack then. Still, he just needed to do something. He stood up, abandoning the card game for a moment, and paced.

Narir’s question, though punctuated with a humorous tone, was a good one. Was Bandomeer a good place to set up? He thought for a moment, watching the sun dip below the horizon. In a short while, visibility would be at its worst. They called the hour just before total astronomical darkness and just before dawn the stand-to hour; this is the period where enemy attack was most likely. Turning to face Narir, Leandros spoke up, his sandpapery voice penetrating the quiet night. ”Olar? Bic b o'r a jate kahetr. Gebbar Darjetii tra, nayc Eskarie e'ctea,” he spoke, giving a light shrug of his shoulders. ”Staabi bat a jadu'uhdiba jupr mhi liser jehavey'ir. Ka'ha emuurir ibic? Mhi ganar draar cuyir aya'na.”

He walked back over to their little makeshift, plopping back down on the stool with a grunt. He grabbed his helmet and put it back on, rolling his neck. Looking at Narir, he concluded his answer, ”Wa yae mata cuyir a hy'iyusai mita'a.”

In the distance, he thought he heard the sounds of vehicles. After two nights of nothing, he chalked it up to farm equipment or workers returning home. Still, the nagging feeling that it was something more was at the back of his mind. He kept his gaze on the horizon, hoping to make out shapes.

@Phoenix

 

[Narir Solus]

Narir nodded slightly, glad to hear that someone else agreed with him. Stepping up to lead a campaign that would put a major foot hold on a new planet was something that was a bit scary if Narir had been honest. He hadn't headed anything of this magnitude up before, and he wondered if others would see why he was doing it. If Leandros was any indication, they did, and that was a relief.

He was about to make comment in reply when the hum of an engine echoed over the hills. Narir squinted out into the darkness, putting out the lamp nearby and grabbing his helmet and rifle, he made his way over to the window. A quick twist upped the magnification on his rifle to x3 and he looked down the sight, checking out what was coming their way. To his right, he heard Atin scratching at the door, wanting to get out. He could sense the tension of the two Mandalorians and wanted to go maul someone. Narir let out a quiet hiss between his teeth and the badger began to walk in circles impatiently instead of scratching at the small door.

His scope sight scanned over the vehicles approaching. They looked to be heavy duty land speeders... the type that people used for hauling and towing. It could have been farmer trucks, but it also could have been for miners. But more than that, the farmer and his family weren't out and - to Narir's knowledge - weren't expecting company.

This is it, he said, feeling all his muscles begin to tighten. It was about to be time to fight, and while these might have been nobodies, there was nothing saying that they hadn't hired contractors of their own.

The vehicles stopped outside the perimeter of the farm, pulling off to the side. Moving on foot, he called out, moving toward the door himself. The darkness would work both ways, but the attackers wouldn't know the Mandalorians were here to start with, which gave the pair their advantage. We'll need to capture one, scare off the rest, he said, though he wasn't sure if that would also mean killing them. If they shot back, Narir would have no problems with that. @Painus

 

[Leandros Solus]

Leandros had such a good hand this time. He would definitely beat Narir, who seemed to agree with his comments about the planet. Just as it was almost time to show their cards, Narir snuffed the light of the lamp and armed himself. Leandros tossed his cards down and picked up his own rifle as a precaution, standing up and moving towards the window as well. He kept his weapon at the low ready while his comrade sighted out the window, scanning the darkness.

The three words he uttered next were all that Leandros needed to hear to get his blood pumping again. He checked his rifle and rockets, ensuring that he was ready for a firefight. He did not expect a very prolonged battle, if one at all, but it was never a mistake to be prepared. These miners would likely turn and run once they learned who they were up against. Or, perhaps, they would fight harder to defend themselves. People were funny like that.

He began to move toward the door, but halted beside the window, knowing that his armor would not – and could not – reflect any light. The miners would have to rely on seeing his physical form in the darkness, which would become more difficult once the bolts began to ruin their dark-adjusted eyes. He looked at Narir, nodding silently, and waited. They needed the attackers to get closer if they hoped to take one alive. If they ran out now, they would lose the opportunity.

Leandros peered out of the window, watching through his scope for their opposition. The figures skulked through the farm, keeping to the outside for the time being. They worked their way closer towards the barns and main house. Leandros could not count how many there were, but it was a reasonably-sized force. He kept his rifle aimed at one in particular, keeping the scope towards his legs. He just needed to surprise and impair one. Ideally, the rest would scatter once they noticed their comrade was down.

Finger resting lightly on the trigger, Leandros waited until he was closer to the window. With a gentle squeeze, Leandros let loose a single bolt towards the man’s legs, the sudden and surprising attack giving him no time to avoid it. He crumpled, the shot taking out his right knee, and began screaming in pain. He did not see where the attack had come from, but his comrades might have. Leandros ducked behind the wall, not taking any chances, and looked at Narir. ”Jair solus. Ra gi'ah hiibir kaysh,” he said, getting ready for whatever would come next.

@Phoenix

 

[Narir Solus]

Dice​

Narir had to say, it was always good to have a Badger at his back. He'd taken the assorted solo contract where he worked alongside mercenaries he didn't know, and it was rotten. You couldn't count on them to have your back or do anything right when the blaster bolts began to fly, but with a Badger, he knew what they could do, and he knew he could rely on them. They didn't leave their own to die, and they were stubborn to the end... even to a fault.

Leandros fired on one of the attackers, ripping through his leg and Narir pushed out into the darkness. Bukia ibac. Morut'yc kaysh, Ni malyasa'yr hukaatir gar, he said, pushing up further and spitting several more rounds at the men that were now pulling back to their trucks. He wasn't sure if any of them were still lurking in the darkness as it had been impossible to count them coming out.

The adrenaline was still pumping through him as he took a crouch behind a piece of farming equipment that he had no idea what it was. The trucks fired up and zoomed away as Narir sent another blaster bolt into the rear bumper of the tailing truck. It seemed they didn't want to stick around to fight Mandalorians after all... or save their friend.

Liser gar pabida kaysh e'yar'u? he asked, letting his rifle scan the surrounding. Tabalhar! he ordered Atin, letting the badger run around the farm to ensure no one was hiding in the bushes. The gunshots would have been enough to make sure the family stayed inside, so Narir didn't have to worry about the dire badger ripping apart an innocent.

Once the prisoner was inside, the motioned to him and spoke to Leandros. Gar copaanir at tionir kaysh? he asked, letting the other man have the honors. The hunters had just become the hunted. With the information from this miner, the pair of Mandalorians could find those responsible for these little raids and make sure they didn't cause any more trouble. @Painus

 

[Leandros Solus]

Dice​

Leandros let his comrade run out, providing him with covering fire as he sent several bolts streaking towards the miners. The cowards left their wounded man behind, instead preferring to save their own skins. Leandros hated the lack of loyalty to one’s own people. He was satisfied in his knowledge that, if he were ever captured, his fellow Badgers would risk their own lives to bring back one of their own. That was what made them close as kin. They were all in it together, regardless of the task.

Adrenaline and instinct taking over, Leandros dashed out from the barn, keeping his head low while Narir took potshots at the enemy. He reached the fallen miner and grabbed him with one hand, the other on his rifle. Dragging the screaming man back to the barn, Leandros grunted in affirmation to his comrade’s query. Atin, meanwhile, began prowling around, ensuring that there were no stragglers. Leandros was fairly confident that they had scared away the attackers, but it was better safe than sorry. The badger would maul anyone dumb enough to have stayed behind, anyways.

Leandros set the man, whose screaming had turned to groans of pain, on his stool. He knew he could not run away with the devastating shot to the man’s leg, so he simply stripped him of his blaster pistol and let him sit. Leandros looked at the man, shrugging his shoulders at Narir’s question. ”Hwa va hiibir munit,” he mused, canting his head slightly at the terrified miner. The man clearly just realized who his captors were and seemed utterly petrified. It was understandable; after all, one usually did not expect Mandalorians to be providing security for farmsteads.

Leandros stepped forward and looked at the man, hand hovering over his own blaster pistol. His rifle rested on the makeshift table nearby. ”Your employers,” he said, his voice firm and unamused, ”Who are they?’ His questions were met with steadfast silence, the man clearly too scared to speak. Leandros was not in the mood for games, so he un-holstered his pistol and pressed the barrel against the man’s knee wound. He squirmed and let out a cry of pain, trying his very best to not break down like a baby in front of his captors.

”I-I’ll tell you! God, just stop the pain.” he cried out. Leandros lifted his pistol and kept it pointed at the man. The miner inhaled sharply, then began to speak. ”I- we’re with Pancorp Mining. Th-they told us to try to “encourage” farms that refused to give up their land to sell to us. W-w-we were here to give them their final offer. Please don’t kill me, I’m just a miner, I-“ he said, beginning to sob. Leandros gave Narir a look, shaking his head, and looked back at the miner. He used the barrel of his pistol to raise the man’s head so that he would look at their helmets before speaking up, ”Shut up. Where did you come from?”

The man sniffed before continuing, ”We came from the... northeast. Not too far, maybe a kilometer. That’s where the oth-others are heading. Small little corporate outpost, that’s where we do all our business dealings on-planet. You’re not gonna kill me, are you?” His voice seemed genuine, though the pain and fear probably helped with the interrogation. Leandros looked at Narir, then back at the miner. "Me'copaani at narir ti kaysh?”

@Phoenix

 

[Narir Solus]

Leandros had this quite in hand for the moment, interrogating the man as Narir alternated between watching it unfold and looking out into the darkness to watch for another attack. The adrenaline was still flowing, but its overwhelming surge had now greatly diminished. He swung the window shut and left the door only slightly ajar for Atin to return. Instead, he turned to listen to the interrogation, keeping an ear open for the sound of a badger mauling someone outside. He didn't hear that, so he was able to focus more on what the man was saying.

A kilometer away... they could cover that on foot in ten minutes. Northeast meant they had a bit of hills to go around, but even in armor they should be able to make that in under thirty minutes. And then came the question of this one. He was alive, and probably would remain that way. His leg wound was bad, and he might lose the leg, but with a tourniquet, he wouldn't die. While they were here to do a job, killing this man seemed a bit over the top. Local authorities could come get him while they moved on the base location.

Mhi liser rida kaysh laam bal rala vhett jurda sra kaysh brer. Val liser juha aoyuriyayr ra va vaal mhi nari bat ge'nasa'yr, he said, as he began rummaging through the barn. There were plenty of pieces of rope around for herding and leading the animals around. In short order, the man was bound up tightly.

Ni malyasa'yr dakajr gasitir meg cuyir slanar bat. Gar tsikador at slanar? he asked. And just like that, they should have been ready to go. He left a message to the family on the comlink and made out into the darkness. He let out a piercing whistle and the scurrying and rustling of underbrush could be heard as the dire badger quickly emerged, looking up at Narir and patiently awaiting his command. Time to get a move on. @Painus

 

[Leandros Solus]

Leandros nodded in affirmation to Narir’s statement, allowing him to tie up the miner. While he was off doing this, Leandros prepared to move out. They had a kilometer of ground to cover in the darkness. From there, they would have to get into the mining outpost and put a permanent end to the attacks. Repelling one attack would not make enough of a difference, so it was up to the two Mandalorians to end the tyranny. Leandros picked up his rifle and checked over it. He had only spent one bolt, so there was no need for a fresh power pack.

He turned to look at Narir while the man finished binding the miner. To answer his question, Leandros rested the fore of his weapon up on his shoulder and replied. ”Lek. Mhi ne'waadas at sejada. Meg kar'taylir meh ki'ilyr malyasa'yr olaror norac o'r hra'ne vesar.” he said, looking at the wounded miner. His comrades may have abandoned him, but that did not mean that they would not return to pick him up with murderous intent. The duo needed to get over to their outpost and shut them down.

Pushing the door open, Leandros walked out into the night. He waited for his companion to join him before he asked, ”Laut uhyih mhi isreh kua ka'kra'a ibic? Kuryida a ar be ki'ilyr malyasa'yr va gaa'tayl cuun gasr olar.” Considering that their goal was to win hearts and minds in order to be welcome on the planet, a massacre of civilians would be… less than ideal, really. Perhaps their counterattack would have the miners scared or worried. Or, perhaps, it would spur them into even greater violence. There were a few ways this would play out.

A kilometer… This would be a short walk, provided nothing intervenes. It would be faster by jetpack, but that would telegraph their presence too obviously. They still had the element of surprise and would need to utilize it for maximum shock and awe.

@Phoenix

 

[Narir Solus]

Dice​

The question was one that Narir had been pondering as well. Walking in and shooting up the mining outpost would have been quite simple. In fact, he'd done similar things before, but they were supposed to be operating as some extension of law enforcement here. We can scout them out for ourselves. If they're not launching another attack, we can call in the authorities. I'm sure they can identify the blaster marks on the speeders and the wounded man, he said. Whether it would be enough for local enforcement to make arrests on all these men or not, he wasn't sure, but it would at least take the heat off the farmers and provide the authorities with a place to start their search.

Narir slapped a fresh power pack into his rifle and set off at a jog toward the mining camp. The path was uneventful and there was no evidence of the miners returning to the farm or moving to intercept the pair of Mandalorians. If he had to guess, he would have guessed that they were freaking out right now, trying to figure out what they were supposed to do and what had just happened to them. They were fully ready to pick a fight with unarmed civilians, but real warriors was a different story. Hut'uun.

The outpost was, indeed, small. In fact, if Narir had to guess, he would have said that the entire outpost had come down for the little raid against the farmers. If there was more than he thought, it couldn't have been by much.

It was a single building, perhaps the size of two moderately sized houses designed - by Narir's guess - to house forward surveyors.... just the kind of people who were expected to find new veins. And therefore, just the type of people that would be trying to drive the locals away. Were they paid per vein? A percentage of vein profits? That was Narir's very layman guess or why else would they be so determined to find and drive off the farmers?

As he crept closer, he could see the pair of large speeders parked out front and the scorch marks to the rear. He also saw the lights on inside and lots of movement... pacing, perhaps? We should go down and get pictures of the trucks. In case it could be used as evidence, he said. He still had half a mind to call the police - and likely would - but he didn't want to be accused of wrongful actions here. He knew how the police could be. Time for sneaking... oh splendid. @Painus

OOC: I got too lazy to keep using the translator so he's speaking Mando'a.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Leandros Solus]

Dice​

Stealth was not exactly Leandros’ natural state of operating. Actually, he could likely count on his hands the number of times he had actually opted to do anything stealthily. Even the operation in which they stole a corvette, he and Tanx simply walked through the middle of the shipyard without opposition, accomplished their task, and walked away. So, when the time came for stealth, he was not exactly the most qualified of the Badgers. That, of course, did not mean that he was completely inept; he simply preferred going loud. It kept things fresh.

Looking down at the outpost, he realized just how small it was. Nothing more than a hastily-built prefab building on the planet, the mining outpost likely did not hold more than those who came to the farm earlier. That boded well for the two hardened warriors. Miners were not as versed in combat as the Mandalorians were, so the issue of resistance was not the most pressing concern. However, they were not here for a slaughter. They were here to act as pseudo law enforcement officers, gathering evidence of wrongdoing so that the offenders could legally be brought to justice.

The duo skulked through the darkness, creeping closer towards the outpost. Leandros noted the figures inside moving around just as Narir did, nodding in affirmation to the man’s suggestion. His datapad had a pict recorder function, so he opted to close the distance to the speeders, relying on his armor’s unreflective nature, the darkness, and the miners’ lack of knowledge that they were there to get him close. He moved as quietly as he could, rifle slung across his back. As he grew closer to the speeders, he pulled out his datapad, preparing to take a picture. As it snapped the photo of the vehicles, he neglected to turn the flash off. He got his photos, but there was quite noticeably a flash associated with it. Cursing under his breath at his carelessness, he quickly put the device back in its pouch and readied his rifle.

There was no intention of firing unless fired upon, but being able to intimidate the miners into not engaging would not be the worst idea. Once they realized that they were followed by the same people who fired back, they would likely give up. Or so Leandros hoped, anyways. These guys were pretty unpredictable. He looked towards Narir, giving a thumbs-up.

@Phoenix

 

[Narir Solus]

Dice​

Narir couldn't believe that things had been going this smoothly thus far. He was used to operations against Imperials and other general troublemakers and serious soldiers, but these weren't soldiers, they were just miners who were in way over their head.

Narir let Leandros take the lead as his armor was actually more suited to stealth and... well... Narir's recent attempts at stealth had not gone well. He took up a position behind a large rock, lying prone so as to be mostly obscured as he watched through the scope of his rifle. Everything seemed to be going well until the flash of light from the camera. Narir tensed, scope quickly flipping back to the window to see if anyone had noticed the commotion.

He waited for ten seconds, then thirty, then a full minute, but there was no change in behavior of anyone inside. In fact, it seemed they'd not even notcied at all. They were so caught up in how they were going to address the threat of two Mandalorians that they'd completely missed the two Mandalorians outside.

I'm going to call in the authorities, see if we can get permission to go in, he said. Technically speaking he'd done bounty work before, so he was in some sense a law enforcement officer.

He pulled up his com and sent out the call, being told to "stand by" while they dispatched officers. We've been told to "stand by," he said with a sigh to Leandros, not entirely pleased with that answer. He went on to explain the wounded man back at the farm as well and advised they might send EMS to help if they hadn't already. And so they waited.

It was as they waited, that Narir saw one of them slam his fists on the desk and plow out of the building into the darkness. It seemed they had decided to go rescue their friend... that was a problem. Let's keep them pinned here, but I'm not even sure they're armed, he said, hinting at the fact that it would probably be best not to actually kill anyone unless they were being fired back at. @Painus

 

[Leandros Solus]

Dice​

Leandros felt like an idiot. How could he have forgotten to turn off the flash? Minor things like that more often than not got people killed in battle. Luckily, this was far from any kind of battle. These were simple miners that they were up against, not hardened combatants. It was likely that they were doing this just because they were getting paid enough to warrant the risk. He crept back over to where his comrade lay prone in the darkness, taking up a spot of his own a few meters away beside a small rock formation. Rifle resting between two rocks, Leandros waited and watched with his comrade.

Silently thanking the gods for the miners’ apparent ignorance, Leandros listened as Narir made the call to the authorities. “Stand by” was the command, unsurprisingly. Chances are, the law enforcement here would take their sweet time in arriving, leaving the two warriors on a pseudo enforcer-babysitter tasking until someone with actual legal jurisdiction could come and handle the miners.

”Motir de... hmph, be buskra'amtu,” he said in response, preparing for a long night. He watched the commotion occur from within, followed by a man storming out into the darkness towards the speeders. Leandros watched him approach, clearly intending to get inside and probably go rescue their friend. That must have been what they were arguing about in there. As he made his way over, Leandros shouted in his direction, hoping to get him to stop. ”That’s enough! You’re going nowhere.”

The miner paused for a moment, then shouted back into the darkness, ”Kriff off! I ain’t leavin’ ‘im!” in response. He resumed moving towards the speeder, now only a few meters away. With a sigh, Leandros pointed his weapon at the speeder’s seats, squeezed the trigger, and sent a bolt streaking towards them. The shot impacted a few feet away from the miner, just as he was nearing the vehicle. Pausing immediately, the man peered into the darkness, his attention seized. ”Who in the hell are you?!” he shouted, looking in the direction from which the bolt came. ”What in the hell is your problem?!”

Leandros kept his rifle pointed in his general direction, unsure if they were armed or how many would be coming out. So far, it was just the lone man. His comrades, it appeared, were less interested in going back to the place that they were shot at. Shouting once again, Leandros responded to the man’s question, ”Mandalorians, and if you were smart, you would return inside and stay there!” The man would, hopefully, understand the nature of the two hidden shooters against him. If he was smart, he would most certainly turn right around and walk back into that building. Leandros hoped that he was smart.

@Phoenix

 

[Narir Solus]

When the shooting was approaching starting, Narir scooted slowly further away from his partner to allow them not only a better field of fire, but also to allow them not to both become pinned down. The idea of battle strategy was so ingrained into his mind that it barely even struck him how unlikely it was for some civilians to pin them down. But not being prepared for such eventualities was precisely how people wound up dead. Irresponsibility and complacency were more dangerous than any adversary.

Narir had to give credit to the de facto leader of the gang, he seemed completely unfazed by someone yelling at him in the darkness. Perhaps he had nerves of steel or had served in the military or was just intoxicated, but for whatever reason, he seemed to just take it in stride. It actually made Narir snicker slightly and for a moment he thought he might like the man until he remembered what he'd done to the farmer's son. No, that wasn't something the Mandalorian could look past.

As Leandros sent a bolt streaking down, the man seemed a bit more startled. Apparently it did the job. No one had come with him outside, and the threat of multiple Mandalorians against a single man - who was potentially unarmed - seemed to knock something akin to sense into him. Kicking a stone across the ground, he turned and began to head inside the building again as the red and blue lights of a police escort began to light up the distant, dark hills. That would be their backup, and it also meant the part Narir didn't like: explaining to the authorities. He wondered if they would be angry that the two had shot a man - even if it was in the leg. But on Bandomeer, he had a feeling defense of property was expected.

The police pulled up a moment later, swarming out of their vehicles to arrest the man as one of them yelled about the "killers in the dark" as he called them, pointing out to the darkness. We should probably come out to avoid being shot, he said. @Painus

 

[Leandros Solus]

Leandros let out a sigh of relief as the man begrudgingly went back to head inside. It seemed that even when liquored up – at least, that is what Leandros thought was wrong with the man – the threat of being shot was simply not worth pressing the issue. They would get their friend back in time, albeit he would likely have long-lasting damage to that leg. That was the price you paid for assaulting an innocent, so the Mandalorian was not going to lose much sleep over it.

The familiar sight of law enforcement vehicles lit up the hills, and in short order a small unit of officers would be outside of the building, ensuring that the miners had no way of escaping. A few arrested the man outside, while others went inside to secure the rest of the miners. At the same time, what seemed like the ranking officer stood by the speeders peering into the darkness, looking for the two “killers in the dark,” as it were. Leandros looked at Narir and nodded, responding with a curt ”Yeah.”

He slung his rifle and slowly began to stand up, hands raised slightly. ”Don’t shoot,” he said in accented Basic, ”We’re the ones who called you.” The officer watched them with suspicion, but did not seem to make any obvious signs of hostility. Leandros made his way down with his ally, lowering his hands once it was apparent that they were not going to be targeted.

”Now,” the officer said, looking at the two Mandalorians, ”What exactly happened here? He called you two ‘killers in the dark’ and that’s got me thinkin’ somethin’s up.” He looked between Narir and Leandros, hands on his hips. The man seemed like he was tired and that this little escapade was cutting into some much-needed rest time.

@Phoenix

 

[Narir Solus]

Narir followed along with Leandros as they made their way down to the officers below. He was glad to see that he was not going to be shot on sight, but he didn't put the possibility of arrest out of the question. In fact, he was almost certain they would be detained for a time: inconvenient, but ultimately not catastrophic.

We killed no one, Narir answered the officer's inquiries. We one kilometer from here when these men attacked a farmer's home. One of them was... injured - he chose the word specifically to avoid saying "wounded" which had a subtle but definitively different connotation - when he was trespassing and we pursued the men here, he explained. It received a very suspicious look from the officer, so Narir decided to add a bit more on top.

We were asked to help resolve the issue plaguing some of the local farmers. I believe you'll find enough evidence to prevent further incidents. We called it in, were told to standby, and we did so until you arrived he said. It was... more or less true. They had pretty much stood by. They hadn't shot anyone else, which was a big step up from what Narir would have perhaps normally done.

Look, just don't go anywhere right now. We need to look around, he said, motioning for the two Mandalorians to stand to the side. Narir shrugged and walked over to a well lit section outside the small base, popping his helmet off and pulling out a cigar. Care for one? he asked his fellow Mandalorian in Mando'a, extending a second for the man if he wanted it. @Painus

 

[Leandros Solus]

Leandros let Narir take the lead on explaining their actions for this one; he seemed to have it well under control. He quietly stood there and let his clansman speak, nodding in agreement with his points. Mentioning that the miner that he shot was just “injured” was particularly agreeable, as Leandros was really not in the mood to spend a few nights in questioning for shooting a man. Well, at least he could prove that the man was trespassing and that he was defending the property. Still, though, a night or two in holding was less than ideal for everyone involved.

So he let Narir say his piece and finish it up, looking at the officer to see if he was buying it fully. The man seemed… skeptical, but not overly suspicious. Narir did pretty much tell the truth here, so it was not like they were trying to mislead the officer. After being told to just stand around for a bit, he walked over with Narir. Pulling his own helmet off, Leandros rubbed his eyes with his free hand, then noticed the cigar being offered to him. ”Ij, meg haran. Warye,” he said, graciously taking the cigar. Once it was lit, he took a small puff, watching the scene before them unfold.

Officers were taking pictures of the shot speeders, talking with handcuffed miners, and generally doing their job. Nothing seemed amiss, really. This was, in Leandros’ amateur lawman opinion, fairly routine. He glanced over at Narir, raising the cigar slightly, giving a cheery ”Da’ha,” in response to the cigar. Panning his eyes back to the law enforcement folks, he noticed the officer they spoke to earlier walking back to them.

”Well,” he said as he approached, ”We can’t get much from these guys. Buncha liquored-up miners aren’t exactly the most trustworthy, and your story pretty much checks out.” He rubbed his head and adjusted his belt, huffing slightly before he continued, ”Couple’a bolt marks on the backs of these speeders, but nobody here’s hurt and we got the other one to the doctors, so he should be okay.” He looked behind him, watching the “chief” miner getting questioned by one of the law speeders.

Shaking his head, he looked back at the Mandalorians, ”What he’s sayin’ makes sense with your story. I went ahead and checked with people higher than me and they said y’all were here to put an end to the assaults, so,” he trailed off for a bit, looking at the two smoking men in their eyes. ”I’ve got no choice to free the both of you. I don’t have anything I can book you for, so there’s no point in staying around here. We’ll look into this mining corp and see what their deal is, make sure there’re no more assaults and vandalism.” With that, the man walked away back to the others, talking to officers and miners alike in an attempt to figure out what was going on.

Leandros looked at Narir while the officer walked away, giving a slight grin and a curt nod of his head. This had worked out better than he thought, but there was no way that they could be arrested for anything. They had fired at criminals, only injured one in the defense of someone’s property, pursued them, and called the cops in while making sure none of them escaped. They did, in Leandros’ opinion, a damn fine law enforcement job. ”Ni, uej, mirdir mhi cuyir narir olar,” he said, looking around. Truthfully, he was not sure if they could just… walk away. They had been told that they could not be arrested, anyways.

@Phoenix

 

[Narir Solus]

Narir puffed happily on his cigar, now all but unconcerned that they were in a state of unofficial pseudo-detainment. No one was really looking at them for the crime, he had a cigar to puff on, and he had a vod with him. Things could have been much worse. Of course, he said as Leandros thanked him for the cigar. Most people in the Clan knew that Narir nearly always carried a pair with him on his operations. "Victory cigars" as he liked to call them. If he survived all these shoot outs, he'd probably die of some sort of throat cancer years from now, but he didn't plan to live that long anyway.

When the officer came back to wave the two of them off and say they were free to go, Narir shrugged and looked at Leandros. I guess so, he said in response to the question, starting the walk back to the farm. The adrenaline was just beginning to subside, and though his mind kept telling him there was danger, he knew there shouldn't have been.

The trip back was not at such a fast pace as the initial excursion, and Narir found himself with the time to walk, think, smoke, and talk. It was this that prompted his question to his fellow Mandalorian. I'm thinking about putting together an operation in the Empire's back yard. Something to get their attention, and I'm wondering if you'd be in, he asked. The question was vague, but the plan was... also vague. In fact, it was about all the further he'd gotten thus far, but he knew he was sick of the Empire sitting with their heads down. It was time to wake them up. @Painus

 

[Leandros Solus]

Leandros idly puffed on his cigar, not being a big fan of tobacco, but enjoying it nonetheless. It was a nice way to unwind after a job well done. He walked alongside Narir, making his way back to the farm with the man. At the end of the day, they had only hurt one person and gotten what they needed to do done. The farmer and his family would likely love to hear the news that there would be no further violence against them or their livelihood. Hearts and minds, that is what the Mandalorians were here for. Get the people on your side and taking the planet becomes that much easier.

The duo walked for some time, no longer in a hurry, and talked about this and that; nothing too important. As the conversation came to a natural pause, however, Narir offered up a question of stark contrast to the idle chatter that they had been having. Leandros thought for a moment, considering the question. Something in the Empire’s back yard? He had already raided Onderon and shot the governor, stolen a corvette from Kuat, and caused general shenanigans within their borders. What could be worse? He looked at the man and tapped off the ash that was accumulating on his cigar. ”What sort of operation?” he queried, curious as to what the man meant.

”I’m in,” he added before Narir could answer, ”I just want to know how much attention we’re going to be getting from them.” He would never pass up an opportunity to piss off the Boy-Emperor Elix and his band of complacent Sith, so he saw no reason to deny Narir his request. After all, it was getting kind of boring sitting around on Bandomeer. A bit more excitement in his life would spice things up a bit. Just as long as he would not be called a terrorist again and get yelled at by Raz. Once was enough.

//end thread

@Phoenix