As they arrived at the hospital, Dohr was prepared to talk their way in. He knew what to expect as he'd seen it before back at home and on other worlds too. In a time of a violent conflict, be it war or terrorist attacks, the government or in the absence of one, the officials or hospital management were often forced to build a perimeter of safety around medical facilities. If they didn't, the fighting would simply continue there even if for different reasons. No one wanted to be pushed to the end of the queue to wait for treatment, especially not the aggressive, fighting parties. The strongest would kill to be served first.

On the other hand he was somewhat surprised to see St. Denao standing undamaged as the people causing the havoc were gang members. They weren't exactly known to be the smartest of people and certainly not most organized. And more often than not, they lacked army training. So someone really had to behind it all pulling the strings. Someone with enough power and/or credits to unite the gangs under one goal. No single non-military group could've caused so much damage in such a short period.

Dohr managed to push himself up while nodding to Devon's explanation. But he had no time to reach the door before one of the guards was pulled it open. Apparently the man knew what to look for as called out to his team mates to let them through as soon as he laid his eyes on the Duros woman. Knowing Nien and Devon would be making sure the critical patient didn't roll about as the truck moved, Dohr steadied himself against the side of the compartment and was ready to jump out the second they reached the doors of the E.R. The emergency doctors and nurses would like to know what had happened, what kind of treatment and drugs he'd given her.

Fiarr continued to follow the truck.  When they parked her first priority was going to be Kyvarr.  The emergency personnel would undoubtedly help the doctor with the patients in the back of the truck but they might not think to look at the driver.  Plus the Cathar would probably be too stubborn to admit she was badly hurt.  Fiarr would ensure they knew and that she got treatment.

'Priority Three', it seems, is one of the higher priorities.  The van is escorted over the press of vehicles toward the front of the hospital, about three floors up.  There it is taken into a parking hangar full of vehicles of many sizes, though mostly large and medically-inclined.  A constant stream of speeders comes and goes; the ambulances of the entire city must be converging on the place.

As soon as it touches down the van is opened by medical staff and the patients evacuated in a remarkably short time.  Each is checked and scanned, then sorted into three groups - critically injured, severely injured, superficially injured.  Most fit into the third.  The people in the first two categories (including Kyvarr, if she lets them) are already being taken away.

"Okay, listen up!" calls a Human male in a hospital security uniform.  "We can't offer superficially injured patients any help.  You'll need to get in your speeder and leave, if you have somewhere to go, or head down through the hospital to sub-basement four.  That's the waiting and refuge section.  They'll get you sorted to try and wait this... war out.  It's still early hours and this crisis is likely to last days, if not weeks, so the whole system, frankly, is still getting set up.  If any of you can offer skills to help they'll sort all that out on that floor and tell you where you need to go.  If you have family or friends here who are being treated," he adds, as if to forestall the two panicked-looking Duros, "head down to sub-basement three.  That's the waiting area.  Move on, people, we need the space."  And then he moves off.

The relatively healthy civilians mill about briefly and then start dispersing.

Flash sighed.  It was all happening to fast, too much was happening.  He wished for the tenth time that Mark was here to take charge.  Hell at this point he'd settle for Arin.

"Uh right.  Dohr, why don't you take Kyvarr and get her patched up?  We might have to leave quickly so don't get caught up.  Give me your comm code so we can keep you updated."

"Now Vyn, why don't you and Fiarr head down to this sub-basement four.  Ask around about what's happening.  See if you can learn anything."

Once the others had their jobs, he turned to Devon.  "What do you think?  Can the spaceport hold out?  Can you sneak us in?  You've done it before.  Or do you think we should go after five and the others?"

Kyvarr nodded and hobbled over to Dohr.  She thought about warning the doctor she only wanted quick treatment, a bacta-impregnated cast or something, no bacta tanks, then she decided it was a waste of time.  Judging from the wounded about her she'd likely be waiting days for a bacta tank anyway.  Basic treatment was all she was likely to get and that suited her fine.  She suspected the Duros and Human were already planning their next move and she wanted to be ready for it.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:25, Mon 27 Jan 2014.

Heigren headed to the sub basement as instructed.

Devon slumped against the side of the speeder truck before he answered Flash

"Honestly, I dont know...  maybe we can get back in to the space port, maybe it'll hold out.  Maybe not.  We need to get in touch with Eleven - she'll have a far clearer idea of what's going on there."

Devon paused as several medical orderlies and nurses rushed past.
"We need to find out whats happened the others  though - but I dont want more of us to just disappear down that hole - we've already had three people disappear without trace, so when we go after them we need proper equipment and a plan."

Dohr nodded to Flash and headed towards the Cathar, but then he heard Devon's response. He turned back and limped to the Duros and human by the truck. "May I suggest something? Kyvarr will be in good hands in here. The medical staff has recognized her state and will take care of her leg as soon as possible. I could of course stay back in here and help out. But since some of your associates seem to be lost and may also be injured, I believe it would be best for me to get back out there looking for them with you."

There is a pause as the doctor seems to stop to consider his next words. "We would very much need to replenish our medical equipment and medicine supplies or find medkits or at least medpacs. There is a pharmacy here at St. Denao, but I fear the hospital can not afford to share or even sell any supplies before this crisis is over. One option would be stopping by at my clinic to check if it is still standing. There are plenty of supplies and gear in there to take us through the day, but there is high probability the place has been ransacked already by the gangs operating in the area. Also it may be in the wrong direction."

Dohr pulled out his datapad and brought up the map of Det Akari. "Whereabouts were your friends when you last heard from them?" A thought struck him, but he was not sure he liked it. His most treasured possession, another cane much like the one he was leaning on now though two decades older, had been held up in a customs locker for more than 18 months now. He wanted it back before they, or at least he, left the planet behind.

"A question, if you do not mind. Would you happen to have ships capable of operating in the atmosphere? A low altitude transport or assault ship? Something with enough capacity to fit us all? If the spaceport is out of operation and no longer controlled by the officials, then I am sure no one would mind a solitary ship landing without clearance codes. With luck any defense system they have may have been powered off too. Having a faster vehicle with at least some kind of heavy weaponry onboard would be most beneficial right now, would it not?"
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 17:45, Sat 01 Feb 2014.

"Our ship is well stocked with medical supplies.  Even has a 2-1B medical droid and some surgical equipment.  It's the only ship we have on planet and it's a basic civilian transport.  No way I'd be flying it in atmosphere in a war zone.  The gangers are well armed.  They shot down an air taxi with Janine in it and the bikes we passed on the way here had serious armament."

"As for our colleagues we only have a rough idea where they are.  Besides Five did instruct us to head to the ship.  Still, we already ignored those orders to bring the civilians here."

"We need to do something."  Flash sighed, no idea on what to actually do!

Kyvarr left Dohr to discuss plans with the human and Duros.  She hobbled off to wherever she could find someone to treat her leg.  The sooner she got it stabilised, the more use she would be.

Kyvarr is led to a stretcher and laid down.  Unlike most of the patients her ambulatory motion is impaired.  Taken swiftly into a turbolift she is taken away from the others.

The turbolift takes the patients up one level.

When the doors open Kyvarr can see the place is a mass of people.  In some places the press of medical staff, patients, orderlies and equipment is so thick it's hard to move past.  This is an emergency of epic proportions.  After an initial moment of confusion she is taken into a room that looks like someone's office, the desk cleared and prepared for treatment.

As soon as she's removed from the stretcher Kyvarr sees it taken away as a pair of nurses close in on her to tend her leg.

"Local anaesthetics only.  We'll be fixing you up enough to move you out, miss," one of the nurses - a tall male Twi'lek - tells her.  "No bed space for non-critical patients, hope you understand."

---

Seeing them standing around the man who had been speaking approaches the Talons.  "You need to move on now, folks.  We need the space for incoming patients."  Even as he says this several more vehicles - about half of them civilian and very damaged - fly in to drop off patients (and, in one case, the corpses of patients who died on the way).

Kyvarr nodded.  "Understood.  If you can get me walking I'll get out of your way and leave you to real patients."

The female nurse, a Zabrak, snorts as she numbs the broken leg with a hypersyringe.  "You are a real patient.  You're just not a really badly hurt patient.  Now lie still and let us work."  She gives the Cathar a friendly smile but it's clear she's in Serious Work Mode and is aware that she probably will be for hours yet.

"It's the only ship we have on the planet… The Duros' words confirmed Dohr's earlier thoughts. This group, according to what little he'd been able to put together from what Jit had told him, was very well resourced and not just some small band of guns for hire flying around the galaxy looking for jobs. An unarmed transport meant they probably had a cruiser waiting in the orbit or at least not too many jumps away from Det Akari. To him, it felt like a risky thing to do between systems without any weaponry for protection. But keeping Akari's neutral position in mind, it was probably a wise thing to do. No armament meant nothing of value was onboard. It kept all but the most psychopatic raiders, who shot everything that moved, away.

"The only ship" also sounded like the group had more than one ship in addition to the transport available. Fighters, perhaps? Armed transports? He didn't know and didn't like to speculate any further. Whatever the case, it had no impact on the current situation. This guy Forim was right. It would be too risky flying an unarmed transport through a warzone, shielded or not. The ship would present too big and attractive a target for a ganger carrying a missile launcher. Considering the hotel's location and guessing the three missing members of the group had been heading that way possibly from the Spaceport, it put Dohr's clinic somewhat into the wrong direction.

The doctor watched the nurses lead Kyvarr, Mack and the nameless Duros woman away and turned to face Flash and Devon. "I agree. It would be too dangerous to bring your only means of… well, escape in here. Better to keep it safe at the Spaceport." The Kel Dor looked both men in the eye, or at least probably did as it could be quite impossible to say due to the mask and goggles he was wearing. " I did a quick calculation… Assuming your people are lost somewhere between the Port and the Grand, then a side trip to my clinic would take 10-15 minutes. But there is no telling if we would hit hostiles on the way. It will be more than likely that someone will wish to… have a chat..  with us. However since we do not represent the local government or ACE, they might let us pass. Let me see if I can contact anyone in the Claws to find out what the situation is…"

Of course it would safer and quicker to head straight to wherever the three lost mercs might be, but without any medical equipment or meds left it would be a gamble too. There seemed to be no good options available.

"We may not have time for that.  We just heard the spaceport is under siege from these unknown aggressors.  Rian here was just going to check with our contact at the spaceport how bad it is before he formulated a plan."

Flash looked expectantly at Devon.

Devon nodded his understanding to the guard.
"Ok, we'll move.  You mind if we stay nearby though?  That way we can collect our friends once they've been treated and then get out of your way for good."

Devon looked round at Flash and Dohr. "lets get out of the way of these people.  How about we park up over there for now?" he pointed a few hundred meters down the road at what may have been a parking lot, now strewn with rubble. "Doc, can you handle the truck and I'll take my bike?"


Once they were underway, Devon got onto his Talon comnmlink.
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:46, Mon 03 Feb 2014.

"I am afraid you may be right. We will need to manage with what we have. Oh and yes, I can drive the truck. I am not a pilot by any means, but I believe I can move it there without hitting anyone." The doctor wasn't probably joking, but once again the vocalizer makes it hard to notice if he was. He didn't really have a habit of doing so especially serious situations like this.

Dohr tossed his cane into the cockpit and climbed in after it. Before hitting the door's close button he turned to face the human heading towards his speeder bike. "What is the plan? Are we heading out to find your friends or shall we wait for Kyvarr to be fixed? Since her injury is not critical, the ER staff might not take care of it immediately. Then again they might as she is currently reserving a slot that could be needed by someone else. There is no telling where their preferences lie. Whatever the case, I really feel we should do everything possible to locate and assist your lost companions as they may be injured or threatened by the gangs."

Sitting in the driver's seat, Dohr thought whom to try and call. Two best options would be a pub owner a few blocks from his clinic, a Corellian called Don Bad. The man always made sure everyone knew his last name was pronoucend Baahd, not bad as in not-good. He was a typical Corellian smuggler: lively, talkative, but hid his true, always scheming trust-noone type self behind the facade. But the doctor had learned to appreciate Don as a good source of information about anything and everything happening in the Claws and outside of it too. Also, the gangs would not touch Don. There weren't too many people brave and bold enough to establish a place serving alcohol in the suburb. And like in Dohr's case, there seemed to be an unspoken agreement between the gangs to leave the human be.

The other contact was one of the medics at the Tracks, Alaina. The Tracks were an important source of income to the Claws District and in order to keep the races running, the Med Tent needed to have the best professionals at hand. And Alaina was one of them. She could've made a fortune at one of the numerous private hospitals on the planet, but being "a Claw" she had wanted to put her training into use helping the people of her home district. She too would know what was going on.

He considered it for a second or two while starting the engine of the trucks and decided to call the woman first.
This message was last edited by the player at 09:08, Wed 05 Feb 2014.

"Well Doc, I took your comm code and told you to go with Kyvarr so we'd know how long her treatment would be.  Our plans will be based on what Rian finds out.  If the spaceport is at risk of being overthrown we'd have to go fast.  If we have time, well then you guys can make a plan."

Dohr shrugged at Forim's comment and spoke with a calm and relax voice without a hint of irritation present. "Your friends of course, so it is your call. As for the Cathar, I am sure she will be able to use her own Comms to contact Fiarr or Vyn should she have his code available. I saw no reason for me to go down there as well, as I am of more use in here."

The voice softened down a little more. "And as for telling me to do something... My employment with your organization has not been established yet, so I would prefer you not to assume a commanding role over me before it has. I will gladly agree to do what you request me to, unless I deem some other option more worthwhile. If I will end up in the employ of the same masters as yourself, I will gladly recognize your authority should the chain of command say so."

The Kel Dor took a short breath and continued: "Please forgive me if my approach feels rude or unappreciative. I do not mean to slight you in any manner. It is just that as an ex-officer of the military, I can sometimes find it hard to accept orders from someone I do not know very well yet or has not been appointed as my superior." Dohr ended his words in a very polite bow, which unfortunately came out a little awkwardly due to him being in a seated position.

Dohr wasn't sure it was wise trying to convince Forim his choice had been correct. It might have an effect on his future relationship with the group. But the doctor trusted the Duros to be 100% professional about him like he seemed to be about everything else too. Yet the doubt might have been perceivable to anyone listening closely enough.

---

Diplomacy roll added only to describe the level and credibility of Dohr's little speech. No intention of affecting Flash in anyway of course. Not the best of rolls, but I'll save them for when it really counts. ;)

12:26, Wed 05 Feb 2014: Dohr Veen rolled 18 using 1d20+11 ((7)).

"I didn't hear any orders."  Came a voice from the back of the truck.

Fiarr dropped out of the truck and approached the others.

"Mister Forim, in my opinion, made a suggestion.  One I chose not to follow.  Vyn doesn't need my help, in fact I think I'll slow him down.  Besides, I wanted to know what your plans were."

"Dohr, I think Forim was pointing out that since he took your comm code and you didn't go with Kyvarr, we have no way of knowing how long she'll be or even where she is now.  A problem I will rectify by finding my friend, once I know our plans."

Dohr spreads his hands in surrender. "My misapprehension then."

Flash shrugged.  "You'll find out quickly that we don't give a lot of orders in our organisation.  Everyone is expected to be a specialist in their own field.  The boss tends to give us a set of objectives and leaves us to fill them.  Of course, if command is your thing, we have some officer positions going in the team.  Just tell the boss you're interested when we get off this rock."

He turned to Fiarr and recorded her comm code.  "I can't tell you the plan as we haven't got all the information yet.  Just be aware we may need to move quickly if things look bad.  Hopefully Kyvarr will be ready to go quickly.  We wont leave without you but if we comm and say we're leaving in five minutes and you turn up in five and a half, you'll be walking home."

Flash offered his encrypted comm to Dohr.  "I'm no strategist.  If you want to get on the line with Rian and our contact at the spaceport 'Eleven' then feel free.  I'll take your comm and make sure the bikes and truck are ready to go."

"Understood."

She wanders off to find Kyvarr.

Kyvarr sits quietly and says nothing unless asked something by the nurse.  She wanted her leg fixed ASAP so she didn't bother the Zabrak.

If she spots Fiarr she waves her over.

Dohr hadn't answered him but he assumed the Doctor would want to help with the planning.  He made a quick call to Cor, then put the commlink in Dohr's hands.

"Now you can help with the planning and Eleven can fill you in on the spaceport situation.  I've given you the callsign 'Doc' for now.  Rian here is known as Seven.  I'm Two if they ask for me.  Eleven says the attacks have lapsed for now but she suspects it may be a preperation for a large assault.  We need a plan guys and we need it fast.  I'll make sure the vehicles are ready to go."
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:02, Sun 09 Feb 2014.