Biggs continues to direct the speeder through the traffic of the streets, turning left then right then left once more. Layla clambers down from the back of the vehicle to squeeze between Bane and Stro'to as best as she can, while Fennec continues to scan the streets about them warily.

"Where exactly are we going?" Fennec directs at Biggs as he turns right down another narrow street once more.

"I don't know," Biggs replies pensively as he glances over his shoulder, "I'm thinking."

"Might I suggest you do your thinking indoors where we aren't likely to be spotted by a million spies?" Bane suggests as he elbows Layla towards Stro'to's side of the vehicle.

"He's right," Layla replies, elbowing Bane back as she firmly resists moving any closer to Stro'to than she has to, "Our pursuers seem to have eyes everywhere in this city. We need to get off the streets as soon as possible."

"Off-world would be preferable," Fennec corrects.

“Indeed,” Xizran agrees, “accidentally” stepping on Stro’to”s foot.

“I don’t bite,” Stro’to assures Layla, looking slightly wounded. (Possibly because he is.)

Biggs turns down a deserted alleyway, setting the speeder in idle as he puts on the break and turns to view the others with a frown.

"Before we go any further, it's time for some answers. Who are you lot and who are these people chasing you? And how do you know Kadon?"

"You mean 'how did we know Kadon', past tense," Bane interjects.

"Yes, let's all get picky about correct Galactic Basic when we're busy being shot at, shall we?" Xizran sneers.

"Ah, poor Kadon. A dear and beloved friend," Stro'to says mournfully. "Perhaps it would be best if you answered this, Layla? Since of us all, you were the closest one to our departed friend."

Layla shoots Stro'to an unimpressed look. She nevertheless turns back to Biggs.

"I am a former Jedi," she admits, "I departed the Order some time ago but I knew Kadon from my days serving the Republic. We both shared a dislike of slavers and criminals," here she gives Stro'to another pointed look, "And we would assist each other from time to time. As for our pursuers, we are still trying to learn their motives. My current guess is that they are a new power on the organized crime scene."

Biggs frowns, pondering Layla's words.

"And what about them?" he asks her, glancing at Xizran and Stro'to and the others.

"We work for the Exchange," Fennec puts in menacingly, "Satisfied? Or do you still want to have this conversation while waiting for our pursuers to catch up with us once again?"

"Not helping," Bane mutters to Fennec as Biggs turns an accusing glance to Layla, then in a louder voice to Biggs, "I'm just an innocent bystander in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"It's complicated," Layla sighs, "The people who killed Kadon are also trying to wipe out the Exchange. Which normally I would say is a good thing except that they seem to be something even worse."

"I find it difficult to imagine something worse," Biggs says with a glance of dislike at Fennec, "Except the Sith of course. And the Mandalorians."

"Look, let's put it this way," Xizran sneers. "When the Exchange want you dead we kill you. When these people want someone dead, they crash a space cruiser into a sub-district they think their target might be staying at. I'm not saying the Republic wants either of us around, but since they lack the spine to keep vermin like the ones who are warring with us in line, that makes us the lesser of two evils since you can be a mundane citizen and live next to us without dying so long as you don't mess with us. We also give kickbacks to the government, so technically we help fund governance. These lot don't, they left because they were worried the government would object to them shooting innocent people in broad daylight, so they are a net drain there as well."

Stro'to surreptitiously facepalms.

"Exactly," Fennec agrees, smugly crossing her arms and staring at Biggs expectantly.

Biggs opens his mouth, then closes it, glancing between Xizran and Fennec with furrowed brow.

"The most important thing is that we escape this planet," Layla puts in quickly, "Whoever these people are we need to elude them and get some answers."

"All right," Biggs agrees at length, taking hold of the controls once more as he accelerates off down the street, "We need to get word of this to Telos as soon as possible. Hopefully the Republic can find some answers and decide the best course of action."

"If you're relying on Telos to do anything but lose our possessions and confiscate our ship, you're dreaming."

"He said contact them, my dear Xizran, not go there. I do hope we are not planning to go there...?" Stro'to, who may or may not have his own reasons for not wanting to go to a place primarily controlled by Czerka, queries cautiously.

"Telos has one of the most dedicated security forces in the galaxy," Biggs replies with a touch of hurt pride, "And besides, the Republic still has a significant presence there from the Sith attack. There are some good agents there."

"There's a difference between being good and being competent. If they were the latter, Czerka wouldn't still be running their forest floor restoration efforts," Xizran scoffs derisively.

"Last I heard, their restoration efforts had not quite progressed to the point of trees, much less forests," Stro'to murmurs.

"You're information is clearly outdated," Biggs replies, sounding pleased to be able to refute Xizran, "Czerka has mostly departed Telos after that Jedi Exile disrupted their criminal efforts several months ago. The Ithorians are heading the restoration efforts these days. And we have trees," he adds with a dirty glance at Stro'to.

"I'd hardly consider Ithorians an improvement," Bane mutters.

“Well I wouldn’t know. It’s not like Lux ever shared any slices of that holoboard with the rest of us,” Xizran sneers. “I find it hard to imagine Ithorians having enough credits to fund anything though. Who is footing the bill for them?”
This message was last edited by a game editor at 14:14, Tue 09 Aug 2022.

“Perhaps such questions could be saved until after we ourselves are safely off-world?” Sto’to suggests.

"Quite so," Layla agrees firmly, her wary gaze scanning the buildings about them, "However these enemies of ours are clearly well connected. I would be cautious about whose assistance we seek."

"I know a few Telosians who I trust with my life," Biggs replies confidently as he continues to direct the speeder through the streets.

"Right..." says Fennec, sounding not at all convinced.

"You have a ship, I take it?" Bane enquires of Biggs as he continues to surreptitiously jostle with Layla.

"I do," Biggs asserts as he turns onto a busier street once more, his gaze scanning the rooftops about them as he weaves his way through the traffic.

"And seeing as we are aliens in distress and you are a chivalrous human who was leaving this planet anyway, passage on such a ship would be free, one is safe to assume?" Stro'to suggests hopefully.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:02, Wed 10 Aug 2022.

Biggs sends Stro'to a sidelong glance which suggests the crime lord would not be his first choice of an alien to be chivalrous to. He sighs, glancing at Layla.

"I'll take you to Telos," he allows, "I hope you don't make me regret it."

"We're providing him free protection," Fennec scoffs to Stro'to, "If anything he should be paying us."

"Maybe antagonising our ride isn't the most prudent course of action?" Bane directs at Fennec pointedly.

"She's antagonizing the driver, not the ride," Xizran scoffs.

"Nobody is antagonizing anyone," Stro'to assures Biggs. "We are all most grateful for our free ride. Fennec just lacked parents growing up, so she never learned words the rest of us learned like 'thank you', but I assure you, if you could speak 'Fennec', that would be what she means."

Fennec shoots Stro'to a dark look at the mention of her parents or lack thereof, before proceeding to roll her eyes at Stro'to's toadying.

"Sleemo," she mutters.

"Right..." says Biggs, sounding about as convinced as one might expect.

"This bickering isn't helping," Layla interjects impatiently, "It isn't a long journey to Telos. Surely we can be civil to each other until we arrive."

Xizran pointedly says nothing to that idea.

"Civil is my middle name, I assure you," Stro'to promises reassuringly, if not very sincerely.

By this time Biggs has directed the speeder into a wide street which is deserted save for a group of inebriated Weequay laughing and coughing as they smoke what appear to be death sticks outside a cantina and a pair of sleepy looking Klatooinian technicians on their way to work. Biggs slows the speeder as he comes to a stop outside a run down docking complex at the end of the street.

"All right, here we are," Biggs informs them as he leaps lightly out of the speeder to stride toward a speeder hire garage beside the hanger.

"Back in a minute," he informs the others over his shoulder as he passes the Gran security officer who slouches against the entrance, stifling a yawn as Biggs passes.

"As soon as we reach Telos we are finding the first ship we can to Kashyyyk," Fennec says as soon as Biggs is out of earshot, her gaze resting menacingly on Stro'to.

"Kashyyyk?" Bane repeats blankly, "Hasn't that place been overrun by the native Wookiees? Not exactly a top tourist destination at present..."

"Don't worry, you won't be going," Fennec retorts.

"Quite," Xizran snorts.

"It depends if your goal is to relax in the local apartment complex with a decent breakfast, or to take advantage of the fact that there is no Czerka and no advanced security systems to monitor who is harvesting the tach..." Stro'to murmurs, his tone making it clear which side of that fence he falls on.

"We aren't going anywhere until we discover who these assassins chasing us are," Layla replies flatly, "If they are something even worse than the Exchange then-"

She breaks off as Biggs returns, an agitated looking Toydarian flapping along beside him.

"Whaddya mean a little scratch?" the winged alien growls at Biggs as they approach the speeder, "You-a know the loan contract clearly stated that- what the pfassk!" he breaks off as he eyes the carbon scoring along the left turbine, "That'sa not a scratch! You been-a blastin' my speeder up with a laser cannon or sompthin'? You can say good-a-bye to that deposit, and you owe me another two hundred credits on toppa that."

"The deposit I'll give you," Biggs says evenly, "But I'm not paying another two hundred credits. I already paid you that fifty credit insurance fee."

"That-a fee only covers traffic accidents," the Toydarian shakes his head.

"That's technically what this was," Biggs argues, crossing his arms.

"Technically? Don't-a try that-," the Toydarian breaks off as he notices Stro'to standing behind Fennec, "Stro'to? Is-a that you? I didn't realise that-a this punk was with you..."

Stro'to's eyes light up with visible delight. The twi'lek steps forward, chest puffing up, clearly pleased to have found the one alien on the planet currently unaware of his fugitive status.

"He is, my dear Klatto. He is. One's pilots have to train somewhere, and alas, when one parks outside a holobar while doing shopping, carbon scoring inevitably happens. But I trust-- you know the mailing address to invoice my accountant for the accident, plus-- naturally-- a small bonus for your own stress and time in needing to follow this matter up?" Stro'to smiles warmly.

OOC: Vek Stro'to rolled 23 using 1d20+13. Bluff.

At the mention of payments and bonuses the Toydarian's expression turns obsequious as he rubs his hands together in oily servitude.

"Of-a course, Lord Stro'to," he says "These-a things do indeed happen and no hard-a feelings naturally. Al-a-ways nice to deal with a Twi'lek who possesses your wisdom and understanding. I shall-a forward the in-a-voice to Quelron with-a modest bonus."

OOC: Klatto rolled 14 using 1d20+7. Sense Motive.

If Stro'to feels any qualms about the fact that Quelron-- and most of Quelron's financial records-- are buried under 6 feet of rubble, Stro'to is able to hide this.

"Please do, my good friend, please do. And no, you do me too much credit. The honor is mine. It is always a pleasure to deal with a Toydarian of such insight and innate charisma as yourself."

"Pleasure doing-a business with-a you," Klatto bows, before turning to call in Huttese to a male Nikto who has appeared at the entrance behind him, "Nakraan, get this speeder outta here you useless sleemo!"

With a jerk of his thumb at the speeder followed by a final toothless smile at Stro'to he flaps off, giving the Nikto a kick on the way past.

"Friendly guy," Biggs says grimly as he watches the Toydarian retreat. He spares the Nikto an apologetic glance as he passes to lead the way down a corridor to an access panel.

"My ship is just in here," he says as he punches in a code and the panel gives an acquiescing beep.

The large, rust-flecked door leading to the hanger bay rumbles open to reveal a nondescript light freighter, roughly a hundred meters in length and ninety meters wide. The ship's brown and grey hull bears faded yellow markings but otherwise has no insignia. Even as they begin to enter the hanger there is a shout as a sleek, unmarked speeder roars up on the street behind them and half a dozen of the all too familiar dark armored mercenaries leap out and begin to charge down the corridor towards the party, blaster rifles raised as they open fire.

"Who are these people?" Biggs exclaims as he breaks into a sprint toward his ship, hastily punching in the access code to lower the boarding ramp.

"Hopefully not good shots," Stro'to murmurs, sprinting in such a way that other people like Layla and Fennec stay between himself and those blasts.

"Your ship had better be fast," Fennec snarls at Biggs as she raises her own blaster to return fire as she backs toward the ship.

"I'll take functional at this point," Bane shoots back as he raises his own blaster to actually shoot back, hurrying after Stro'to as he does so.

"Hurry!" Layla calls to the pair as she ignites her lightsaber to cover their retreat, parrying blasts into the dusty ground and rusted walls about them while she slowly brings up the rear.

“In case you missed it, we are,” Xizran snaps, ahead of Stro’to on the sprint to the ship.

Biggs is already charging up the still lowering boarding ramp, and is met by a T3-series astromech painted in the gold and orange colors of the Republic as he reaches the circular corridor within.

"Beep-boop-dweep-dwoop?" beeps the droid in bewilderment as Biggs charges past.

"No time for that now!" Biggs calls over his shoulder, "T3, get the systems online and plot us a course for Telos!"

"Beep-dwoop-dweep!" responds the droid, its tone somewhere between irritated and alarmed as it hurriedly trundles off after Biggs.

Stro'to dives for cover up the boarding ramp, then collapses against the wall of a side corridor, panting.

"That.... is more exercise... than I have done in decades," he pants, surreptitiously eyeing off anything that looks like it might be a good Fennec-proof hiding spot for later.

"Useless at running, useless at aiming, and useless even as a meat shield," Xizran sneers, also up the boarding ramp now and taking cover from the incoming fire. "It's no wonder the Exchange fell like it did when you're the bar their executives have to clear these days to be hired."

Bane is the next to reach the boarding ramp as their pursuers arrive at the entrance to the hanger. The bounty hunter curses as a blast whizzes centimeters to the left of his shoulder to leave a scorch mark on the inner corridor wall before him.

"Out of my way, trash can," he barks to T3 as he charges after Biggs towards the cockpit.

Fennec backs up the boarding ramp, firing at a Zabrak mercenary who hastily darts back behind the hanger entrance.

"Get this thing in the air!" she calls after Biggs.

Reaching the cockpit, Biggs leaps over the back of the pilots chair to slide adroitly into position in front of the controls. The boarding ramp begins to ascend even as Layla clambers up and the engine roars to life. He looks a little surprised as Bane leaps into the co-pilot's seat beside him.

"You know how to fly?" he clarifies dubiously.

"Better than you, flyboy," Bane shoots back as he begins to flick a series of switches to bring various systems to life.

Biggs surveys Bane for long enough to ascertain that the bounty hunter knows what he is doing before raising his eyebrows as he continues to bring his own instruments online.

"We'll see..."

The boarding ramp seals as the ship lifts into the air. The mercenaries outside move into the open as they concentrate fire on the escaping freighter, their blasts being harmlessly absorbed by its now active shields. The landing struts retract as with a roar the ship soars out of the hanger and into the dusty brown tinged sky above.

Layla deactivates her lightsaber, panting as she slumps beside Stro'to in the corridor.

"This is one planet I will be very happy to never see again."

"I heartily agree," Stro'to says with feeling.

Fennec slings her rifle over her shoulder as she jogs in the direction of the cockpit, coming to a halt behind the chairs in which Biggs and Bane are seated as she peers out the viewport.

"These sleemos have a gunship, possibly more than one," she informs Biggs, "I doubt it will be long before it shows up. Does this thing have a blaster turret?"

"There's one topside," Biggs informs her as he scans the hazy buildings around them for any sign of a gunship, "Directly down the corridor behind us."

Fennec nods, sparing Bane a dark glance before turning to hurry off in the direction indicated by Biggs.

“Give them hell, Fennec,” Xizran orders, sneering at Stro’to.

Fennec gives a grim smile and a nod as she disappears up the ladder leading to the turret seat.

"No sign of any gunship yet," Biggs calls to Fennec, "Perhaps they- wait, yes, we've got company. Unmarked gunship coming in at oh-two-hundred."

As he speaks the gunship that levelled Stro'to's palace soars into view above the buildings to their right, bearing towards the freighter at full speed.

"KYD-2400 assault ship," Bane remarks as they approach, "Fancy."

"Schematic-stealing sleemos," Xizran scoffs derisively. "Fennec, make sure you blow them to bits."

Layla has by this time picked herself up and made her way to the cockpit where she peers through the viewscreen over Xizran's shoulder.

"A gunship like that isn't spaceworthy, is it? Can we race them to the atmosphere?"

"Actually the twenty-four thousands are spaceworthy," Bane informs her as he presses various controls around him, "But we'd have no chance of outracing them anyway, unless the engine on this bucket of bolts has some very special modifications?"

A questioning glance at Biggs accompanies this.

"Which she doesn't," Biggs replies tersely as he continues to fly toward the gunship, his hands dancing over the controls, then, to Xizran, "I hope your friend is a good shot."

“She is.”

The ships speed towards each other, as Fennec opens fire and the gunship does the same. Biggs performs a series of skillful maneuvers to evade the blasts which arc about them as the freighter whizzes past the gunship's lower side. The gunship itself swings swiftly upward to avoid Fennec's blasts as it turns to pursue the freighter.

"'Your friend' just missed," Bane points out unhelpfully.

“Because of your co-piloting,” Xizran sneers crushingly. “Spend less time looking at what she’s doing and more time doing your job.”

"Not helping," Layla informs the pair curtly, her knuckles white as she grips onto the chair behind Biggs.

Biggs narrows his eyes but remains calm as he weaves to the left and right to avoid the blasts which pepper the air about them.

"Fortunately these guys aren't the best shots either," he says as he swerves to avoid a particularly close blast.

OOC: Biggs Onasi rolled 32 using 1d20+18. Pilot.

"Don't jinx us," Bane replies darkly as he reaches over to punch a button that has started beeping rapidly.

"That's nothing," Biggs informs Bane, "Angle the deflector shield double rear."

"Yes sir," Bane replies sardonically as he proceeds to angle the shields.

The gunship continues to bear down on them as it opens a compartment and launches a homing missile which whizzes through the air after them.

"Now that's not very nice," Biggs mutters as the missile beeps rapidly on the radar. With a swift downward stroke he sends the freighter in to a dive towards the city below.

"I'm beginning to really not like these guys," Bane complains as he is thrown backward in his seat.

Even as they descend, a well aimed blast from Fennec strikes the missile mid air as it explodes in a burst of flame above them.

"Now that was some fancy shooting," Biggs commends as he brings the ship upwards once more.

"It wasn't bad," admits Bane reluctantly.

Xizran looks smug to be proved right.

Stro’to looks relieved to be alive.

Biggs swings the ship upwards once more in a sharp but graceful arc as they find themselves flying right for the gunship once more.

"You sure that's the wisest choice?" Bane questions as he swiftly readjusts the shields to double front.

"I guess we'll find out," Biggs replies as he accelerates towards the ship, breaking into a spin to avoid the series of blasts which come their way.

OOC: Biggs Darklighter rolled 34 using 1d20+18. Pilot.

The gunship also accelerates, although piloted less gracefully than Biggs' freighter as the two ships swiftly close the distance between them.

Biggs continues to spin as he barrels directly for the ship until the very last second as he swerves to the side.

"Cutting it a little fine there," Bane mutters as he tries not to sound too relieved.

As they pass, Fennec lands a well aimed shot on the underside of the gunship as its shields flicker and disappear.

"Shields are down," Biggs says triumphantly with a glance at the scanner, "One more shot like that and we're home free."

“If I were them, now would be the time I turned and fled to fight another day,” Stro’to says.“One questions their logic, to fight a ship with shields up when their own are down.”

“If you were them you would have delegated your job to minions and not bothered showing up at all.”

"Which to be fair is probably what these guys have done," Bane surmises.

"Something tells me these are not the type to run," Layla adds grimly as she continues to peer out of the viewport.

"Then let's take them down," Biggs says resolutely as he circles the ship about once more.

The gunship does indeed not appear to have any thoughts of fleeing. It also wheels about to bear down on the freighter once more, its cannons blasting with renewed ferocity.

Biggs remains calm as he approaches, breaking into yet another spin as he accelerates.

"They're either really brave, or really stupid," says Bane as he readjusts the shields to account for their approach vector.

"The latter, I should think," Xizran says callously.

For once Bane and Xizran appear to be in agreement.

"Here we go," says Biggs as the ships close on each other.

Fennec waits, holding her fire until they are within less than fifty meters from each other. Then with a single blast she strikes the cabin of the gunship, which begins to spiral out of control before bursting into a ball of flame.

Layla breaths a sigh of relief.

"All right, let's get out of here."

"Yep," Biggs agrees as he takes the ship into a sharp climb into the atmosphere.

"Two more ships incoming," Bane informs them, glancing at the radar scanner on the desk, "These guys just don't give up."

Biggs glances down at the scanner, narrowing his eyes.

"They're still pretty far away. We should be able to clear the atmosphere before they catch up with us. How are those coordinates coming along, T3?"

"Beep-boop-dweep-boop," replies the astromech from the wall behind them where it has an appendage inserted beside the navigation computer.

"Nice," says Biggs with a satisfied nod as they continue to climb, bursting through a sea of clouds.

Stro'to gets to his feet and, under the guise of pretending his bruises from the ship spinning are worse than they are, surreptitiously looks around for where the signs pointing to the escape pods are.

“Don’t even think about it,” Xizran sneers, giving his ex-colleague a shove in the direction of the cockpit.

"How slow is this blasted thing?" Bane complains as the pair of craft on the radar continue to rapidly approach despite Biggs pushing the freighter full throttle.

"I'm assuming that's rhetorical given the holospeedometer is right there," Xizran sneers.

"Yes, thank you for that," Bane shoots back dryly.

Stro'to, making the best of a bad business, straps himself into an unoccupied seat so that at least if there are more spins upcoming he avoids some bruising.

"We'll make it," says Biggs, narrowing his eyes as he glances down at the radar and then back at the expanse of space which opens up before them, "Okay T3, punch it!"

With a swivel of its appendage T3 activates the hyperdrive and the turbines on the rear of the freighter glow orange. Then with a flash it is gone.

OOC: End of Chapter V...