Planetary Pioneers: IC

[thechosen2nd]

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

It has been over a year since the brutal end of the Clone Wars, and now the Empire rules the galaxy with an iron fist. It is generally believed that Darth Vader has exterminated the last of the Jedi, and that the Empire is combing through the outer rim exterminating rebels, and even entire species, as they go. However, whispered rumors of resistance grow louder as well, and some say another war is imminent.

...

Fortunately, matters such as this are irrelevant out here. You are all individuals living in the fringes of society in the Star Wars Universe. You find yourself currently on Magrathea, a tiny forested planet in the outer rim, far from the influences of the Empire, and indeed isolated from almost all interstellar organizations. Here most people lead simple lives, relying on their own sweat and determination to get from day to day, week to week.

You are currently in Aragent, the largest city on Magrathea, which is still small, as cities go. Starship traffic is very light, and shuttles are a relatively rare sight, most citygoers favoring cheaper landspeeders, or riding rontos, or other beasts of burden. Still, inside the city, many locals make their living selling and trading goods or services. Their shops, tents, or stalls can be found in the trade hub, located in the center of town. You have come into town today because a friend of yours gave you the heads up (or perhaps you overheard somewhere else) that a wealthy entrepreneur new to town was in the trade hub offering great pay for help clearing his recently purchased property of a womp rat infestation. You have decided to check it out.

The trade hub is dusty, hot, and chaotic. Dozens of individuals of all races and species trickle past you as you make your way through the market, passing by a wide assortment of stores and sales tents. A Dug street vendor tries to sell you skewered lizards, a Sullustian tries to bring your attention to his collection of droids, and a very drunk looking human is thrown bodily out through the doorway of a cantina by the Quarren bartender. Continuing your search for this entrepreneur, you see a small crowd (about 10-15 individuals) standing in front of a slightly raised platform. Standing on the platform is a wiry, well dressed human studying at a datapad in his hand. Just to the side of the platform, an enormous Trandoshan stands hunched over his blaster rifle, scowling at the crowd. To the other side of the platform you see a simple sign, which reads:
“Now Hiring: Anyone and Everyone! Help Hunt Womp Rats! 100 credits per head, plus bonuses!”

Welcome to the game! Tell everyone how you approach the platform, and what other characters might notice about you, etc.
Once everyone is done posting/doing what they want, the mysterious entrepreneur will speak!

[Major]

Terra remained in the back at very making sure to be a decent distance away from Head Case. Keeping the right distance was tricky, she needed him close enough to help in case of a problem, but far enough that she didn't draw attention to herself.

Looking at the rich man, her fears were a bit relieved. She had been worried that a rich man here was too big a coincidence and it was her head, not ramp rat heads, he was after. However, she doubted a Hapan would show up and hang out with an inferior alien and the man wasn't good enough looking himself to be one of the beautiful Hapan race.

That didn't mean he wasn't a bounty hunter, but it meant it was unlikely since to come all this way, reveal you are rich, and then look around wasn't quite the most subtle of hunter. As such, the job seemed legit and with the low amount of credits she had she knew she needed it.

Terra didn't care much for having to do normal work and jobs like a lowly common mercenary, but she had to fund her escapes, pay the right people to help her disguises, and keep Head Case working properly while also keeping him upgraded and different looking to disguise him.

While Terra could change her hair style,clothing, dye her hair, and make a few other changes to disguise herself, hiding Head Case was much harder and much more expensive.

With a sigh, she nodded at Head Case and moved up toward the platform. Anyone watching her would tell she had a strong air of authority, and her beauty was clear for anyone to see. Luckily for her, Hapans tended to stay in their own sector so it was unlikely anyone here knew what a Hapan was, and would most likely assume she was just an extremely attractive common-born human; which was fine with Terra.

While she wasn't intimidating or well-built, she trusted the well armed and powerful combat droid would be.

[Philistine]

"So what's a Womp Rat, anyway?" calls a scratchy voice from the middle of the crowd. The speaker pushes forward through the press of bodies. finally revealing himself as a young-looking Human male, slightly above average height and athletically built. Long, dark hair frames his face, and he's dressed in a dusty jumpsuit and heavy, military-surplus boots, with a large, heavy-looking pack on his shoulders and a cheap blaster rifle carried on a sling. "And, just where's the job?" he follows up.

[Karnius]

A tall, green female Ithorian, clothed in brown robes and laden with a large rucksack, watches the crowd for a moment before starting to make her way quietly to the front. She appears thin but lean and carries herself with a quiet dignity. Around her waist is a thick belt with a wide variety of tools and equipment, as well as a discrete but noticeable holster with a black blaster pistol inside.

Naga-Tee hears and then spots the man pushing his way through the crowd and inwardly sighs. A mercenary. Fantastic. I had hoped that this unpleasantness could be done with dignity. At least the second question he asked will be useful to me. Naga-Tee straightens her robes and waits slightly to the side of the platform.

[Bowerbird]

Looming over the majority of the crowd, Mar glowers at anyone standing too close to him. Not that many would be likely to anyway, a Yuzzem itself is fairly intimidating: big, furry, visible claws and fangs. Mar is all that, with a multitude of scars and missing fur, culminating in half his face being made up of shoddy cybernetics, with visible moving parts, and a glowing red light for an eye. Everyone whose gaze lingers on his face, gets an even more murderous look.

[XianTheCoder]

Well... it's a start, I can't leave this forsaken place if I can't afford a ship. A shorter than average, green skinned Duros wearing blank pants and shirt in the style of a pilot navigates his way through the crowd trying to get close. Unaccustomed to pushing his way through crowds, Laikir tries to take the path of least resistence until he is close enough to the platform to see. He hears someone ask about what womp rats are, he looks to the speaker and then back to the platform to hear the answer.

[Odentin]

Unit 53 meanders through the crowd, keeping an eye on Terra, while also scanning the area incessantly. He scans mostly for threats, but does take a moment on the secondhand droids, both out of curiosity and to see if there were any salvagable parts he could use on himself. Of course, they'd all be inferior models to himself...

As he reaches the crowd, somewhat behind Terra, he towers over most of the assembled creatures, simply watching.

Perception: [roll0]

[thechosen2nd]

'Cai's comments blend in with the murmur of the crowd; the entrepreneur doesn't even blink, as he continues studying his datapad. His first question does invoke a handful of skeptical looks from those standing nearby. someone murmurs, "Where the frak is he from? can't hardly walk around Aragent without seeing a womp rat... if your eyes are open..." At the second question the Trandoshan leans forward and grimaces down at 'Cai.
"Patience, human. Master will explain soon."
His voice would perhaps have seemed threatening if it weren't so dull and monotone.

Headcase:
You seen a number of particularly mean looking individuals scattered throughout the crowd, but nothing catches your eye as particularly threatening. Pretty much everyone in the crowd is armed with some kind of pistol (most look pretty well used and out of date) while there are a few with hunting rifles, and a few with apparently no weapons at all. (Basically, you outgun everyone.)

The droids around are mostly what you would expect on a backwater world: Woefully inadequate next to you.


After a few more moments of waiting, the man on the platform clears his throat. The trandoshan takes this as a signal to stand up at full attention, and shout out:
Hey, listen up, scum! Master Thane is going to explain the deal now."

[thechosen2nd]

The man on the platform rolls his eyes slightly at the shout from his servant, but composes himself, and projects his voice over the crowd:

"Right. My name is Thane Bordan. I have recently purchased this plot of forest with the intent of using it for a breeding ground for my extremely valuable herd of Burgundy Deer. They are a beautiful forest dwelling deer species, and a rare subspecies of the type found on Alderaan, which I periodically harvest for their hides. Unfortunately, I was not aware of the Womp Rat infestation when I purchased the land. These vermin pose a serious threat to my herd, and so I must remove them immediately. I will be rewarding you 100 credits per head that you return to me here, until every last rat is eradicated. For those who are particularly industrious, and are able to bring me at least 10 Womp Rat heads, I will grant an additional bonus reward of 1000 credits."

"Now, a few quick warnings, since I would rather not have anyone turning up dead on my property. (Other than Womp Rats, that is... Hahaha…) As I am sure most of you already know, dealing with these pests in the forest is entirely different from in the city. Here they travel in packs, and tend to be much more ferocious. A small pack would not hesitate to attack a lone hunter, and when defending a meal, these beasts can be particularly aggressive. Just a heads up. Also, you should be warned that forests in this area are known for hosting the rare plant bloodwort. Although a favorite food to my Burgundy Deer herd, this plant is poisonous upon contact with the skin of most other species, including humans. Fortunately, it is fairly easy to identify, as the flowers are blood red, and its red-veined leaves are often over a meter in length.”

He looks up pensively, and mutters to himself, “Let me see... is that everything? Oh yes…” Suddenly, his expression goes dark, and he stares down fiercely at the crowd below him. “You will find that I am a generous man. But I am also a strict one. My personal living space to the west of the forest is off-limits. My guards are ordered to shoot intruders first, and ask questions later. I also don’t take kindly to cheaters. If you try to swindle me, you will regret it.” His somber disposition disappears, and his business-like attitude returns, as if nothing had happened. “I think that covers everything. Does anyone have any questions?”


EDIT: typo, I wrote 50, meant 100.

[XianTheCoder]

Laikir lowers his head trying to prevent the speaker from knowing who is shouting, and yells, The sign says 100 a head.

[Karnius]

Naga-Tee listens carefully to the pitch: the man's farming of Burgundy Deer for their hides repels her, as does his attitude towards Womp Rats - cutting the head of one of the creatures and returning it to him seems savage and brutal. However, Womp Rats are predominantly pests and would be a danger to the deer and to anyone else who ventured within the forests. I suppose it's just an unpleasant way of funding further expeditions. I can't stop the man from killing deer, and at least I'll get a chance to explore the forests whilst I'm in there.

Naga-Tee steps forward from the crowd towards the platform and clears her throat.

"How many Womp Rats inhabit the forest?"

Naga-Tee tries to remember if bloodwort is dangerous to Ithorians. Life Sciences (d20+13): [roll0]

[thechosen2nd]

I couldn't say exactly how many of the vermin there are, but I would estimate their numbers to be well over 100. The forest is very large, as my herd requires a vast area to roam in the shade of canopy cover. I don't expect you'll have any trouble finding womp rats about, at least for the first couple days, before their numbers begin to drop.


Naga-Tee:
You are well aware of the plant, bloodwort, although you know it by a different name. The oils in the plant's leaves do affect Ithorians, although it has a milder and more delayed effect against your skin compared to many other spcies. (Think like poison ivy- a mild nuisance, not really a concern.)

[Philistine]

Mordecai ignores the comments and snickers that follow his questions. It was better to ask and look like a rube than to be caught short because you were too proud to ask. He crosses his arms across his chest as the little guy said his piece before piping up with another series of questions. "So. Big varmints, teeth and claws, the usual? You said they're aggressive, do they carry diseases? Anything else to watch out for?"

[thechosen2nd]

Yes, although the teeth are what you really need to watch out for. Surprisingly powerful jaws on these rats, perhaps evolved to crush the cones of the scalewood trees. I know on other planets womp rats have been known to carry the spotted plague, but I believe that is more a concern with the rats you find in the city; forest rats are usually clean. Still, I wouldn't recommend getting bitten. They'll take a chunk of your arm off in the blink of an eye."

[Major]

"Do you want us to literally drop smelly heads on the floor in front of you? Or shall we find a cleaner way to identify and prove we killed them?" Terra asks with a charming and soft tone.

[thechosen2nd]

More than a couple heads turn to observe the attractive humanoid woman who posed the question; someone gives a cat call from across the crowd, followed by a peal of laughter from his friends.

Thane Bordan smiles mechanically, and replies, I believe the preferred method would be to carry the heads in bags... I don't believe the townspeople would appreciate me staining their trade hub with rat blood. Plus, this will allow you to carry more heads back in one trip."

"I suppose I should also clarify that I will be issuing bounties each evening at sunset right here. You will bring your heads, we will confirm the count, collect the heads, and then issue you your reward."

[thechosen2nd]

Thane scans the crowd, waiting for any more questions. After a few moments of silence, he continues.

“Very well. If there are no other questions, I will turn things over to my capable assistant, Krushk. If you think of something else, he should be able to help. Good luck, and thank you.” With that, he hands the data pad to his assistant, and leaves the platform, walking briskly towards his property without a backwards glance.


Krushk (the trandoshan) steps forward and gruffly shouts: “Alright everyone, form a line! I don’t have all day. Everyone who wants to set foot on master Thane’s property must sign their name on this here datapad. He wants to keep track of exactly who and how many people are in his forest.”

You all apparently have a different concept of what a “line” is, next to the locals in this city. Before you know it, you find yourselves elbowed to the back of a hodgepodge of individuals reaching out for the datapad. You realize now that most of the people in the crowd are arranged into groups, some as small as four, some as large as eight. Almost no one seems to be here on their own… except for you. Soon, you are the last six people standing before the Trandoshan. He looks you up and down, with a frown on his face:

“Quite the ragtag group of outsiders, aren’t you? You all are working together then? Good. That means you’re less likely to die. When they die, the boss makes me fill out more paperwork. I hate paperwork. Just sign your names here, and you are ready to go. Unless you have any last questions...”

[Odentin]

53 stands behind the others, simply looking them over, and making sure none of them make any sudden movements towards Terra.

Unless she orders him to do something different, that is.

[Philistine]

'Cai looks over the group stoically. This was even more of a mixed bag than the Teth militia. And the militia had trained together. And still hadn't lasted- Right.

Well, they wouldn't be up against Jedi here, or Clone troopers with an army of starfighters and mechanized walkers either. These "womp rats" were just animals - nasty enough from the sound of it, and they'd have to be careful, but still. This bunch would probably do for hunting animals.

Nodding sharply, he steps up to the Trandoshan and signs the datapad. "Mordecai Rokke," he says clearly.

[Major]

With a calm and precise motion, Terra signs the name "Terra Dikolv" on the slip. She doesn't both to sign her droid's name. After all, you wouldn't sign the name of a weapon or the type of clothes you wore.

[XianTheCoder]

Laikir steps forward and signs his name. Afterwards he watches the rest sign their names. Those that already signed he will introduce himself too (To Cai and Terra) hello, I'm Laikir. Looks like we are working together.

[Bowerbird]

Mar walks up to the Trandoshan, eyeing him suspiciously, before signing his name in a surprisingly deft motion. He trudges over to where the Duros is talking to people, "Name's Mar. Looks like we are at that." He doesn't sound too pleased about it, but what can you do.

[Major]

"So we are." Terra says with a shrug, "Name is Terra, droid is Head Case."

[Karnius]

Naga-Tee waits her turn and signs her name neatly on the form, smiling wryly at the frowning Trandoshan. Hiding her surprise at having been grouped together, she turns to the others, spreading her hands and bowing her head slightly.

"Greetings. I am Naga-Tee. It is a pleasure to be working with you."

As she speaks she looks around the group, her gaze lingering on 'Head Case'.

[Major]

Terra follows Naga-Tee's eyes before raising an eyebrow, "Something the matter?"

[Karnius]

Naga-Tee turns back to Terra and pauses for a moment before speaking.

"Not at all: I'm simply surprised to see such a destructive droid on a small world like this. Is it your bodyguard?

[XianTheCoder]

Laikir watches as the lack of enthusiasm and outright rudeness become more and more apparent. Oh, this is going to be pleasant...Are all of you proficient with blasters?

[Major]

"That is one of his functions, though he has quite a few other functions as well that make things here easier." Terra says with a shrug. For a moment she had been worried this partner knew something about the droid, but it seemed like genuine curiousity. Still, best not to let her guard down. "Hunting, protection, various jobs that need muscle, like this one, etc. etc."

She looks at the other person and shrugs, "I'm decent with one, not the best but my droid is amazing."

[Bowerbird]

Mar shrugs, "Not bad, but better with bomb." He says with a nasty grin showing pointed yellow and durasteel teeth, indicating the mostly empty grenade bandolier around his torso.

[XianTheCoder]

Laikir tries to keep the skepticism off his face, Not a whole lot of confidence withe the blasters, and a general disinterest.... lets just hope no one shoots someone else in the foot by accident.

[Philistine]

"I'm a fair shot. And a trained medic, in case it comes up," 'Cai frowns. "How are all of you in the woods? Any hunters here?" Woodscraft could be more important than marksmanship for this, and none of the other recruits filled him with confidence based on their appearance alone.

[XianTheCoder]

I will do ok in the woods, but I am no woodsman, just very quiet and sure-footed.

[Karnius]

With a look of distaste, Naga-Tee answers Laikir's question.

"I can handle a weapon, but I'm no soldier. I'll do my best."

This group isn't shaping up too well. At least we have the droid - I guess even weapons of war have their uses sometimes.

She gets a lot happier when Mordecai speaks: it reassures her to know that there's a doctor in the group and to be able to speak positively about her abilities.

"I'm a qualified natural scientist, and I've spent years exploring wild areas on many different planets. I should be of some use in surviving within the forest."

Naga-Tee considers what she knows about Womp Rats, particularly trying to remember if they hunt by sight or by smell. Life Sciences (13+d20): [roll0]

[Odentin]

Head Case silently flips the heavy blaster that makes up his left arm into stun mode, and then makes a show of priming it at Terra's assertation of his skill with it, causing it to emit the high pitched whine indicative of the blaster powering up.

He turns his red photoreceptors upon 'Cai, replying in a commanding voice, -MY SENSORS HAVE BEEN OPTIMIZED FOR HUNTING-

[thechosen2nd]

Throughout your conversation, Krushk has been gathering up materials at the platform, oblivious to the assumption he just made, although he does look slightly confused. "Huh. They way you guys are going on, it almost seems like this is your first time working together."

He grins, and shoulders a heavy looking pack.

"Well, I've got to pick up a few more things in town. The forest is to the south and southeast of town, but you'll run in to more rats on the south end, so I suggest you start there. Unless you all have any other questions, I'll be going now."

[XianTheCoder]

Shall we? I don't have anything that I need to wait on, and I could use the credits. Laikir will collect his things and get ready to depart.

[Major]

"I'm here for the credits to make a living, not to wait." Terra says with a nod, agreeing with Laikir, "I'm all for moving out. Faster we start, more credits we make."

[Karnius]

Naga-Tee gestures with her arm towards the south.

"I am prepared to move now, so let us proceed. We can discuss our plans when we are in a better position to begin them."

She hefts her backpack and begins to set off towards the south of the town.

[Odentin]

Head Case turns in place and begins following Terra and the others to the south.

[thechosen2nd]

You head south towards the forest. It's not a long walk, considering how small the city is, so it only takes a short while until you find yourselves standing at the edge of Thane Bordan's forest. It looks something like this. (http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs29/f/2008/085/e/7/Redwood_forest_and_stream_by_Midolluin.jpg)

Image blatantly stolen from googling redwood forest. too lazy to rename file and pretend otherwise.

The forest is far bigger than you had envisioned. The trees tower over you, many over 100 feet tall, with trunks three meters wide. The understory isn’t terribly dense, although there are patches of shrubs, and a variety of ferns scattered throughout. The air feels cool and fresh, and the faint smell of pines creates a serene feel to the forest. As soon as you step into the woods, you feel dwarfed by the giant trees that completely surround you.

you should probably come up with some kind of strategy or plan or something at this point...

[Major]

Terra looks up at the trees and nods, "Impressive." She says before looking back around, "So, anyone know anything about these womp rats to help find them or lure them out? Or shall we just start running around hoping to find one randomly?" She ask as she starts looking around.

Deciding to test something, she reaches into her utility belt and pops open one of the food capsules. With any luck they might be attracted and Head Case could start gunning them if they came running.


Opening a food capsule to try and lure them :P

Also, less likely to work, but why not...Perception to look for traces of womp rats, womp rats themselves, or some lead.
[roll0]

Shame gather information is for city locations :P Much better at that.

[Odentin]

-SEARCHING-

As soon as they hit the forest, Head Case activates his sensor package and begins scanning for life signs, or tracks, or any other evidence of the womp rats.

Perception: [roll0]

[XianTheCoder]

Laikir with his limited wilderness knowledge will try and find tracks.

[roll0]

[thechosen2nd]

Terra:

You pop open the capsule and throw it on the ground. It's pretty bland, and doesn't seem to be giving off much of a smell, but who knows? Maybe womp rats have a much better sense of smell than you do.

You don't see anything unusual in the forest.

Headcase:
The forest is overall very quiet, and your sensors pick up no signs of movement. you are quite confident based on the sensitivity of your sensor package and the low level of white noise in this forest that there is no wildlife within 50 meters of your location, unless it is very very good at staying hidden.

You do however notice a small scattering of crushed pine cone shells near a large bush. As you refine your search image, you find a couple more clumps like this nearby. Something has been eating the nuts off of the shrubs in this area.

Laikir:

You seach for tracks, but you don't really know where to look, and fail to find any.

Alas, Track is a trained only application of the survival skill. :smallfrown:

[Odentin]

-NO WILDLIFE DETECTED WITHIN FIFTY METERS- -PRESENCE OF LIFE INDICATED BY CRUSHED PINE CONE SHELLS-

He points to several spots nearby where something has been eating the nuts off of shrubs.

[Philistine]

Mordecai frowns. "I don't know much about the local wildlife here, but most things need water to live - and water runs downhill. Maybe we want to try heading downhill until we run across a stream or a pond the animals have been using as a watering hole, then set up an ambush there?" He cradles his rifle as he sizes up the surrounding forest.

Perception: [roll0]
Survival: [roll1]

Pick whichever one seems most appropriate.

[thechosen2nd]

Mordecai:
It's a little hard to tell since the forest is overall fairly flat, but you would judge the slope is running downhill towards the Southeast.

[Karnius]

Naga-Tee ponders the issue for a few moments, examining the local area whilst thinking. She nods to Mordecai.

"That is a sensible suggestion, though we will have to be careful - other species will also visit the watering hole for sustenance, so we shall have to aim carefully to avoid them."

Naga-Tee also looks for any tracks, specifically Womp Rat tracks. Survival (d20+9): [roll0]

[Philistine]

"If these things are as aggressive as we've been told, I bet there won't be anything else there at the same time they are," 'Cai shrugs. Suddenly he nods sharply. "There's not much of a slope out here, but it looks like the low ground is that way," he points off to the southeast.

[thechosen2nd]

Naga-Tee:

Looking near the piles of crushed pinecones, it doesn't take you long to find a few animal footprints. They appear to be from Womp rats, and there appear to be at least three sets of tracks, all heading South.

[Karnius]

Naga-Tee studies the ground for a few minutes, then stands and shrugs off her backpack. Opening the pack she rummages around inside for another minute or so before removing a folded poncho, which she quickly dons. As she finishes putting it on the poncho shimmers and shifts its colour and pattern to blend in better with the surrounding scenery. Better than nothing: at least they won't be able to pick me out as easily.

"I've found a few tracks heading south which we should be able to follow. Be careful though, and stay alert."

Naga-Tee sets off again, following the sets of tracks heading south and loosely gripping her holstered blaster.

Do I need another roll to follow the tracks? If so, Survival (d20+9): [roll0]

[Philistine]

"A trail in the hand is worth two watering holes in the bush," 'Cai says, stooping for a moment to familiarize himself with the tracks Naga-Tee uncovered. He quickly follows after the Ithorian, moving off to the side to look for additional spoor.

Survival: [roll0]

[XianTheCoder]

Laikir trusts his companions that they know what they are doing and follows, blaster in hand.

[thechosen2nd]

OOC: I'm going to assume that the rest of you would be ok with following Naga-Tee, so rather than waiting for everyone to post some sort of reply I'm just going to move on with it so that we can get into some combat. :smalltongue:

'Cai: you don't find anything in particular that Naga-Tee missed.

Also, Naga-Tee, the first survival check is still good.


Naga-Tee:
Owing to your years of experience interacting with the wilderness, following the tracks is second nature. You deftly weave between the massive trees following the trail. It quickly becomes apparent that these Womp rats do not have any particular destination they are going towards; they are most likely simply wandering the forest scavenging for food.

Everyone:
You all follow the tracks in utter silence, weaving left, then right, around a log, down a sloping bank, up the other side... You surrender all of your senses to the forest, searching dilligently for any sign of womp rats. You slowly lose sense of how long you have been on the hunt. Maybe it's been two hours, and maybe only 20 minutes. Just as you are beginning to think this job may not have been worth the effort after all, suddenly:

[Everyone roll a perception check! in the OOC thread please, so as to not clutter the IC thread too much.]

[Odentin]

Head Case follows as quietly as he can, constantly scanning...scanning...scanning...

[Major]

Terra follows starting to feel discouraged. "You know, for a forest that is supposed to be overrun with these things we still haven't seen any..." She says annoyed as she looks over at Head Case hoping his scanning was working.

[thechosen2nd]

Naga-Tee & 'Cai:
you hear the grunts and gnawing sounds of a number of animals devouring something. About 30 meters ahead of you, you can barely make out the forms of a number of womp rats, mostly hidden by the large trees and shrubs between you and them. (you would not have a clear shot from here.)

Headcase:
Your sensors pick up the sound of a number of creatures gnawing and grunting. Thanks to the quality of your sensor package, you can roughly triangulate their location, although you cannot see them... the large trees an understory growth block your view.

Mar & Laikir:
You hear rustling in the bushes ahead, maybe 25-50 meters away.

Terra:
You are completely engrossed in following the tracks, so you see and hear nothing extraordinary... you are simply following the trail.

[Odentin]

Head Case's left arm extends suddenly, aiming, -WILDLIFE DETECTED- -TARGETING- -TARGETING- His vocabulator is noticeably quieter than before, only loud enough to inform his mistress and "allies" of what he has detected...

He begins moving so as to have a clean shot at the detected creatures...

[Karnius]

Naga-Tee carefully draws her blaster from its holster, ducks down and begins to make her way quietly through the trees and towards the Womp Rats from the left. She glances over at her new companions and winces at the sound of Head Case's voice unit, trying to signal to the rest of the party to get down and stay quiet.

[XianTheCoder]

Laikir will places his back to a large tree and draw his holster, aiming it at the bush.

[thechosen2nd]

Headcase:
You strafe to your left silently until the womp rats come into view from around the tree directly in front of you. You can now clearly tell that there are six rats, and they appear to be feeding on something. They are not aware of your party's presence.

[thechosen2nd]

As Mar:

Mar sees Headcase and Naga-Tee move left, so he decides to sweep right, hoping to flank his unseen target, while hoping to get a better view.

Moving to B8.

[Philistine]

'Cai brings his rifle to his shoulder and moves off to the left, trying to keep some of the low brush between himself and their prey for now.

[Major]

Terra glances at Head Case before shrugged and following. He was there for a reason and that reason to kill the womprats for her. Well, and keep her alive in case anyone found her, but still.

[Odentin]

As soon as he has a clear shot of the rats, Head Case stops. The hydraulics in his arm whine slightly as the arm locks itself down, and then the blasting begins!

Bracing weapon, then an autofire attack, targetting 3, 5, and 6.
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

And for round 2, since I'll probably go first. Still bracing, still targeting same rats.
Attack: [roll2]
Damage: [roll3]

[thechosen2nd]

Surprise round:

Headcase lowers his blaster-arm and targets the womp rats, letting loose a rain of fire at the womp rats. They are completely taken by surprise, since they were too preoccupied to notice your approach. They chaotically scramble around trying to locate where the blaster fire is coming from, squealing in panic and in pain as a few of them are grazed by the hail of shots.


rats 3, 5, and 6 all take 10 damage.


That's it for the surprise round. (If you had all coordinated better you could have all made an attack, but I guess thats how it goes. The rats all had pretty terrible initiative rolls anyway.)

1ST ROUND:
after only a momentary pause to prevent overheating, Headcase resumes fire, sending another volley of blaster bolts into the womp rat pack. This round of fire is even more devastating against the disoriented rats, leaving many scorched wounds on the matted fur of three of the beasts. They appear to be quite severely wounded, but undeterred in their fury.


Rats 3, 5, and 6 all take 12 damage.

Naga-Tee's turn.

[Karnius]

Naga-Tee moves swiftly but carefully forward to stand side-by-side with Cai and Head Case. She levels her blaster pistol, aims, and with a silent apology fires at the closest Womp Rat.

Firing on Womp Rat 2.

Attack (d20+0): [roll0]

Potential Damage (3d6+1): [roll1]

[thechosen2nd]

The blaster bolt hits a rat, causing it to shriek in pain.


Rat 2 takes 9 damage.

Mar's turn. I will continue playing as mar until I hear otherwise from Bowerbird.

[thechosen2nd]

Mar realizes that the attack has been sprung, and quickly jumps into action. He rushes to continue flanking the rats to the west, then raises his trusty pistol and takes a shot at the rat nearest to him.


move to B13, then shoot at rat #2

attack: [roll0]
dmg: [roll1]


EDIT:
Unfortunately, Mar's shot is way off, whizzing over the heads of all of the womp rats.


By this time, the rat with apparently the best reflexes has adjusted to the situation. The rat bars its teeth viciously, and charges full speed at the first threatening individual it can see.

[Rat 1 moves to O8, double move action]

Terra's turn

[Major]

Terra knew a blaster wasn't her best weapon, but she figured it'd be better to fire and miss then not fire at all. As such, she drew her blaster and tried to move to a spot where she could fire without being a prime target.


Move action to draw gun, second move (replace standard) to shift to I3

[XianTheCoder]

Laikir shifts his position away from the tree, moving south around the opposite side of the tree that the remainder of his companions are traveling around. As soon as he clears the tree he sees the womp rat and fires on it.


Move to F8, Fires his blaster at 1

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[thechosen2nd]

Despite being a little bit slow on the uptake, Laikir springs, into action, and his shot hits it's mark, leaving a smoldering mark on the charging rat's hide.

As if by the flick of a switch, suddenly four of the rats recover from their initial confusion, and begin to charge directly towards their attackers, following the first womp rat. As the rats scream closer, you can see the malice in their eyes.

Laikir's shot hits for 11 damage, and rats 2, 3, 4, and 6 all do double move actions. 'Cai's turn. (You are 2nd to last because of your natural 1. The last rat got a natural 1 as well, but had a lower initiative modifier.)


Also, I guess I forgot to move Naga-Tee at first. Is this where you wanted to be? Also, I understand if that changes where you want to be Terra, and I will let you move to somewhere else if you would like.

'Cai's turn

[Philistine]

"Back off, make them come to us!" 'Cai calls out. He backpedals, shifting away from the rest of the group, until he finds a lane through the brush that gives him a clean shot at the first of the creatures to spring.

Move to (O,1), Standard to Attack Womp Rat 1
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[thechosen2nd]

'Cai's shot is dead on, hitting the charging womp rat square in the face. It instantly collapses, killed, it's momentum carrying it a few feet further.

One more womp rat, which for some reason was particularly confused by the sudden attack, finally springs into action. It sprints after its pack mates, squealing for vengance as it rushes towards you.

Wow. Nice shot. I'd trade a nat. 1 in initiative for a critical hit in the first round any day. Did you plan that?


ROUND 2

So, lets try Xian's idea of everyone posting their actions for round 2, plus contingency actions in case your planned action gets cancelled out by something. Then, I will post what happens, according to initiative order. Deadline is 24 hours from now.

[Odentin]

Head Case observes the movement of the rats, prioritizing targets based on burn marks. He brings his arm around, again bracing down the gun arm before firing. This time, however, he fires a short burst at the only uninjured rat, obliterating it.

Thankfully rat 4 doesn't have cover. I checked.
Burst Fire: [roll0] - CRITICAL!
Damage: [roll1] x 2 = 68

:facepalm:

[Major]

Terra quickly peeks out from behind the people in front of her and fires before ducking back behind her droid. She hoped the shot would hit, but figured even if it didn't her droid would slaughter anything that came their way.


I have running attack so shift to K3 and fire at womprat 3, if 3 is down, fire at 4.

Heavy blaster pistol
[roll0]
[roll1]

[Karnius]

Naga-Tee backtracks quickly, falling back whilst preparing to fire again. She fires again, aiming for the closest wounded Womp Rat to put it out of its pain.

Naga-Tee moves to I2 to stand by Terra and fires on Womp Rat 3:

Ranged Attack (d20+2): [roll0]

Damage (3d6+1): [roll1]

[Philistine]

Expressionless, 'Cai stands his ground and lines up his next shot.

Two Swifts to Aim, so that he can ignore cover bonuses. Standard to attack, in order of priority,
1) The first rat that charges toward him; if none, then
2) Womp Rat 2, if he has a clean shot at it; if not, then
3) The nearest of the other Womp Rats that he has a clean shot on; if none, then
4) The nearest Womp Rat, clean shot or no.

Heh. I just realized I forgot to add PBS bonuses last time, not that it mattered. Anyway...
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[XianTheCoder]

Laikir fires on womp rat 2, if he is up. Otherwise he moves south until womp rat 4 is in view and fires.



Attack:[roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[thechosen2nd]

Mar will continue moving south, and fire again upon the nearest womp rat to him.


Attacking womp rat #2
Attack: [roll0]
Damagae: [roll1]

Summary of round 2 coming soon.

[thechosen2nd]

ROUND 2 SUMMARY

After reevaluating the battlefield, Headcase turns and releases a devastating burst of fire on one of the charging womp rats who looked particularly vengeful. The shots were deadly accurate, leaving the womp rat nothing more than a smoking corpse.

Meanwhile, Naga-Tee backpedaled to keep a safe distance from the charging animals, before loosing another shot at an oncoming womp rat. You score glancing hit, but it is enough to knock the beast to the ground, unable to rise.

Next, Mar continues trying to circumvent the rats, strafing to the next bush before unleashing another shot. But again, his aim is off, sending a slug into the tree behind a charging rat.

Terra nimbly darts into the open and guns down one of the womp rats, before bolting back into cover. Your aim is true, and the womp rat collapses, instantly killed by the blaster bolt.

Laikir stands his ground, and takes another shot at one of the few remaining rats. Your blaster bold sears the rat's foreleg, but it continues charging straight at you undeterred. Fortunately, you stay light on your feet, and as the rat makes an attempt to bite your leg, you sidestep, leaving the beast nipping at the air. It growls in frustration, and tenses for another attack.

Meanwhile, the only other surviving rat (the one that had been slow on the uptake) continues to charge northward. It rounds a particularly large tree, and sprints straight at 'Cai! Fortunately, you were preparing yourself for this exact situation; your blaster is already held straight out in front of you, and you wait until just the right moment to pull the trigger. You blast the oncoming rat just on the top of its head, and it collapses, unconscious.



Well, that was fast... 1 rat to go. Since this worked so well, lets just do the same thing for round 3.

[Major]

Terra smirked as her shot hit directly and dropped the target. Her primary weapon might not be a blaster as she had been intelligence, not a soldier, but she still had the training of an elite guard and shooting these rats was a piece of cake.

Moving around the tree, confident now that there was only one left, she points the blaster and fires.

Shift to I8, Fire
[roll0]
[roll1]

Edit: wow two 19s in a row. Looking slick. Obviously backup action only matters if we kill it in which case holster blaster and start getting heads.

[Odentin]

Head cases methodically moves around the tree, lining up a shot o n last remaining rat and firing.

Move to I8. Single shot.
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[XianTheCoder]

(If the rat is still alive) Laikir attempts to lure it out in front of the rest of the party by moving north and then firing on it.


Move to F4

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Philistine]

Looks like WR2 is going to be cooked well done by the time 'Cai's action comes up. If that's somehow not the case, 'Cai will Aim and take a potshot at it: Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

"All right, good job everyone," 'Cai calls out as the last creature falls still. He pulls a survival knife from his pack and kneels by the corpse of the womp rat that had charged at him.

[thechosen2nd]

You all converge on the final womp rat, blasting it into oblivion.

Jesus, overkill much? Anyway, combat is over. do as you like

[Odentin]

Head case removes the nearly-spent power pack from his arm and replaces it with a fresh one. As the others mutilate the vermin, he begins scanning again...

That's 1 power pack with 4 shots left on it, 11 fresh ones, and one loaded.

Perception: [roll0]

[Major]

With a satisfied smirk, Terra holsters her blaster and moves toward the womp rats. "You guys have anything for clean cuts of the head or shall I be pulling out the toolkit and make-shifting something?"

[Karnius]

Naga-Tee grimaces, holstering her pistol and making a mental note to charge the power pack the next time she got a chance. At least it was quick. The poor things can't have suffered too badly, and we're all uninjured, so this was probably the best way. She hesitates and then unfastens the axe from her pack, wielding it in both hands in an uncertain manner.

"I have no taste for butchering in this way, but this should help."

Naga-Tee reluctantly offers her axe to anyone willing to use it.

[thechosen2nd]

Headcase:

You scan the surrounding area for any further threats, but the forest is still and silent. Any other nearby creatures must have fled from the sounds of the battle. All that you can detect aside from the trees and bushes surrounding you is your party, the six motionless womp rat carcasses, and the remains of whatever they had been eating when you sprung your attack.

[Odentin]

-NO FURTHER TARGETS DETECTED IN VICINITY-

[XianTheCoder]

Laikir will toss his knife to whoever volunteers to cut the heads. He will the stand back and wait for one of the trackers to point him in the direction of the next set of tracks, hunting people is so much easier... At least that's a start to some bounties.

[thechosen2nd]

Mar grunts at the Ithorian, and mutters something about being a sissy before accepting the axe and and beginning to behead the beasts. He throws them into a pile in front of him as he goes for the meantime, and asks:

"So what are we doing with these heads? Does anyone have a bag or anything?"

[Major]

"Well I have a temperature cloak, we could wrap it up and form a bag out of it I'm sure." Terra says with a shrug.

[thechosen2nd]

Mar gives a look of disgust.

"Naw, wouldn't want you to stink up such a nice cloak with womp rat bood. (It's hard to tell if he's showing genuine concern for your cloak or just being sarcastic, but you suspect its probably the latter.) "I'm sure we can come up with something else. If worst comes to worst, maybe we can just skewer them all onto a big stick!" He guffaws, and goes back to beheading womp rats with reckless abandon.

[Odentin]

Head Case turns to the others, debating about what to do with the rat heads, -MY CHASSIS CONTAINS A SMALL STORAGE SPACE IF NOTHING ELSE WILL SUFFICE-

[Karnius]

Naga-Tee starts to rummage through her backpack, shifting the smaller and more delicate items to outside pockets and making space in the bag between her larger pieces of equipment. Eventually she clears a space big enough for one or two Womp Rat heads. She looks up, frowning as she notices all the blood.

"I can fit one, maybe two heads in here, though I'd rather not if we had another way of carrying them. Next time we should bring some kind of sack."

Naga-Tee begins to collect the heads together, doing her best to clean the worst of the drying blood from them on the grass around them.

"I suggest that we leave the rest of the Womp Rats behind: Nature will find a use for them."

[Bowerbird]

Mar looks up from his grisly work, "Maybe we wait, more rats turn up to eat these?" he says, gesturing idly with the axe, obliviously splattering those not fast enough to get out of the way with rat blood.

[thechosen2nd]

As you all stand around pondering what to do with your collection of womp rat heads, you hear a rustling in the bushes to the east. Suddenly, out pops a short but muscular looking human. He is nonchalantly carrying a large blaster pistol in one hand, and he’s wearing a very large backpack, which despite appearing to be relatively heavy, he seems to be carrying with ease.

“Well hullo there!” He says in an energetic and jovial tone. “I’m guessin’ you must be the source of all them blaster sounds I heard a few moments back. You must be ‘nother bunch of head-hunters like mahself, eh? Didja catch yourselves a nice little bounty there? Hawhawhaw!”

[Major]

A frown crossed Terra's face as the man exited the woods. There was something up with this man. Nobody would just come out and goof around like this. They were all on business and each minute he spent here he was losing a chance to make money. If anything when he heard the blaster-fire he should have headed somewhere else since the ones nearby would be dead.

As such it only made sense if the man was here to try and pouch their heads off of them. Yet at the same time, being by himself that seemed unlikely. She frowned and looked at Head Case before speaking softly so only he could hear. "Scan the nearby area for any hostiles. Ready yourself, if he even points that blaster funny gun him down." She said. A part of her wanted to just up and shoot him right there to not even give him the chance, but she suspected that would cause some problems with the rest of her group.

After giving her orders to Head Case, Terra looked back at the man and crossed her arms so that her right arm was casually in his direction. She had holstered her blaster and drawing it would be suspicious, but it was reasons such as this that she had the hidden blaster. She subtly tried to draw the concealed weapon as she spoke. "Yep, just fellow hunters so you can holster your weapon so there are no misunderstandings." Terra says flatly.


Stealth to try and draw a weapon, after that ready an action, if that blaster moves towards any of us or he does something remotely suspicious, Terra shoots him. She's paranoid.

Also, persuasion/intimidation to get him to holster the blaster.

Persuasion:
[roll0]

Stealth:
[roll1]
Force point to add
[roll2]
TOTAL: 13 (ewww)

If I have to attack...
[roll3]
[roll4]

[Odentin]

((You know you can use your comlink to communicate only with Head Case, right? Should got the earbud one...))

Head Case turns towards the man, his left arm bent at the elbow, so the blaster points at the man without fully extending it. He silently scans the area, but is ready to fire, as ordered...

Perception: [roll0]

Edit: :dies laughing:

[Karnius]

Rising from the crouch she adopted to avoid the blood spatter, Naga-Tee straightens and then bows slightly to the newcomer. Briefly glancing warily at Head-Case, she makes a show of relaxing, gesturing a welcome with one arm (whilst the other, coincidentally, rests a hand carefully next to her blaster pistol).

Things could get even messier if this man is up to no good. Best to keep wary of him for now.

"Welcome, stranger. Please, do as my companion advises and holster your weapon. You are not in danger here. What is your name?"

[XianTheCoder]

Laikir leaves the conversation to the others. Sensing the unease of the other members of his party he scans the surrounding woods with his hand on his pistol.

[Philistine]

'Cai remains kneeling by the dismembered body of the womp rat, acutely aware of the position of his rifle as he looks the newcomer over closely.

Perception: [roll0] to detect deceit or trickery.

[thechosen2nd]

The man puts on a cofused expression and says "holster my... OH, hawhaw, forgot I was holdin it in me hand! Terribly sorry if I came off threatening-like, certainly didn't meant it. But don't ya think y'all are being a bit over suspicious? Alls I do is pop out to say hello and ya jump on me like I'm about to rob your bounty! Hawhawhaw!" He casually points his pistol towards the pile of womp rat heads. "how many of them suckers did y'all fry anyway?"

Headcase:

You hear a rustling off bushes, and a few twigs cracking underfoot. At first it is faint and isolated, but as you scan you notice more and more sounds slowly creeping closer all around you. You estimate there are 5-10 medium sized creatures trying to surround you.

[Odentin]

Head Case's arm fully extends, pointing at the man's face. The blaster primes, and the hydraulics lock in place, causing the arm to emit a series of high pitch whines as a warning, -YOU AND YOUR ALLIES WILL LAY YOUR WEAPONS ON THE GROUND AND THEY WILL COME FORTH SLOWLY WITH THEIR HANDS ABOVE THEIR HEADS- -YOU HAVE FIVE SECONDS TO COMPLY- -FIVE- -FOUR- -THREE- -TWO- -ONE-

If his orders aren't followed, or the man or his friends attack, Head case roasts him. Or not.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[XianTheCoder]

At the sound of HeadCase's alarm, Laikir will draw his pistol and attempt to take cover behind a tree. Once blaster there is blaster fire from anyone, Laikir will fire at any visible target (including the man that approached), Laikir realizes that even if HeadCase is wrong, it's better to try and end any fight quickly than wait and possibly find himself in a firefight.


Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Philistine]

As the droid begins his countdown, 'Cai quickly wipes the knife clean on the rat's body, then slips it into its sheath and cradles his rifle. He keeps his eyes fixed on the newcomer.

[Major]

Terra doesn't bother giving them a chance of warning. The second Head Case reveals what he knows, Terra fires the hold-out blaster at the man. Waiting and giving people a chance to screw you caused you to end up dead.


Vs the man
[roll0] +6 (see ooc thread for force point roll)
[roll1]

As much fun as abusing intimidate would be I think I'll wait. Last thing I want is DM getting upset that I made the man drop to his knees and cry.

[Karnius]

On hearing Head-Case's warning, Naga-Tee's hand immediately drops to her blaster pistol and grips it, ready to draw and fire if necessary. She crouches slightly and glances about her, looking for shapes in the surrounding forest.

Perception (1d20+9): [roll0]

When Terra fires, Naga-Tee curses and draws the pistol, looking for a target but remaining on the defensive for now.

[Bowerbird]

Mar growls, his free hand going to his sidearm, "I knew somethin' didn't smell right." He looks around himself warily, scanning for attackers.

Initiative: [roll0]
Perception: [roll1]

[thechosen2nd]

At Headcase's warning, the stranger's demeanor entirely changes. His jovial grin turns to threatening smile, and he replies: "Observant tin can you've got there. Unfortunately you aren't in much of a position to tell us what to do... you're surrounded, outnumbered, and--"

The stranger falters momentarily noticing that headcase, utterly not intimidated, is not stopping his countdown, but he regains his composure right before Headcase reaches 1.

"Very well. The hard way it is then."

[Philistine]

When the shooting starts, 'Cai drops prone and brings his rifle to bear on the stranger. A quick squeeze of the trigger sends a crimson bolt downrange.

Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Karnius]

With blaster fire screeching through the air and the threat of attack from all sides, Naga-Tee raises her blaster pistol and fires at the stranger whilst keeping low, hoping to get him out of the way quickly.

Attack (1d20+2): [roll0]

Damage (3d6+1): [roll1]

[thechosen2nd]

As headcases countdown begins, the forest grows increasingly tense. With the strangers ominous response, a sense of impending conflict washes over you. Time slows, as you await for the outcome of Headcase's ultimatum. That is, right up until Headcase says "one." At that point, chaos ensues, and everything seems to happen at once.

Terra is the first to react. Sensing the danger of the situation, she swiftly grabs a concussion grenade out of her utility belt and tosses it towards the stranger, and though he is nimble, he is still rocked by the explosion of the grenade. [Stranger takes 11 damage.]

The loud burst seems to set everything in motion, as suddenly, two brutish looking men pop out from behind the tree and fire upon the group. Blaster bolts sail past both Headcase and Terra, threateningly close to striking hits.

Laikir reacts instantly to this, and moves to take cover between trees before shooting at the men who had just appeared from behind a tree. His aim is true, and one of the men suffers a blaster bolt to the shoulder. [11 damage to thug 7.]

A split second later, Naga-Tee raises her blaster and fires at the stranger who seems to be the head of these thugs, but the bolts sail harmlessly off to his side.

Suddenly, another bandit appears from behind a tree. He charges up to a low bush near the stranger, and kneels before firing his pistol at headcase. His aim is also off, and his shots sail overhead.

Now the stranger reacts: He lets off a shot at headcase just before the count reaches 1, and then dives behind a brush, completely hidden. [headcase takes 10 damage. don't know if you have any DR from armor or anything, so didn't calculate that in.]

Another two pistol-wielding men appear from behind trees at this point, and take hasty shots at the team, while rushing to flank you to the south. The first shot fall short, hitting the dirt at 'Cai's feet, but the second thug's shot is lucky, striking Terra in the side. [Terra takes 12 damage.]

'Cai bursts into action as soon as the shot is fired at him, and drops to the ground instantly, turning to fire back at his attacker. His shot is perfect, and the thug falls to the ground shot between the eyes. [thug 1 takes 38 damage.]

Two more thugs run by to the north of you, and they take cover, one behind a womp rat carcass, the other beside a tree, as they aim down the barrels of their pistols towards the group.

Mar sees this, and moves to counteract the two thugs to the north. He steps to behind a bush, and then fires on the attackers behind the womp rat carcass. However, his shot hits the carcass carmlessly with a soft thump.

Finally, Headcase emits the word "one." He shoots as the stranger leaps behind cover, but the stranger is too quick, and the shot misses.

[The last thug rolled a nat. 1, and is still standing behind a tree picking his nose.]

[Odentin]

Head Case turns his blaster on the man who attacked Terra, completely ignoring his own damage. As always, he remains in place, locking down the hydraulics to reduce the kick from the multiple shots...

30 HP left...

2 swift actions to brace.
Attack: [roll0] + 6 = 16
Damage: [roll1]

[Major]

Moving quickly, a smirk crossed Terra's face as she dodged most the strikes. The smirk faded and replaced with a cry of pain however one hits her. She stumbled to the side looking in shock at the wound trying to figure out why it hurt so much. She felt herself weakening and knew she needed cover. As useful as the grenades were, if she got shot to death throwing them it'd be useless. Quickly, she ran towards cover as she fired a few shots from her holdout blaster, however, the pain in her side due to the sudden movement caused her to stumble as she fired the shot.


HP: 12/24

Holdout since heavy is holstered
Standard Action: Fire at Thug 7
Move Action: Run for J11

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Philistine]

'Cai grimaces as his first shot goes high. The crimson bolt takes the gunman in the head, throwing him onto his back in an unmoving heap, but 'Cai can practically feel the crack of the Drill Instructor's baton across his shoulder blades at his sloppy technique.

"You guys should feel free to back off any time!" 'Cai roars over his shoulder toward the stranger. A slight shift is enough to reposition his weapon, and he carefully sights in on the next thug in line.

Two Swifts to Aim, negating partial cover
Attack: [roll0] vs Thug 6
Damage: [roll1]

[Karnius]

Cursing bitterly in Ithorese, Naga-Tee quickly moves to crouch behind a dead Womp Rat, then fires a shot at the attackers to the north whilst doing her best to keep in cover.

Move action to get to O9, then attacking Thug 3 with the blaster pistol. I'm not sure of the cover penalties to my attack so I'll roll a standard attack and the penalties can be removed afterwards.

Attack: [roll0]

Damage: [roll1]

[thechosen2nd]

Round 2:

Terra rus towards cover as she fires a few shots from her holdout blaster, however, the pain in her side due to the sudden movement caused her to stumble, and her shot misses wide.

Meanwhile, the two thugs to the northeast continue to charge forward while firing, and two accurate blasts from their pistols strike Mar and 'Cai with smoldering wounds. [Thug 7 deals 11 dmg to Mar, Thug 8 deals 9 dmg to 'Cai.]

Laikir stays on his toes, and steps out from the cover of nearby trees to loose a shot at one of the thugs. His aim is true, and a bandit reels from the impact of his shot. [12 dmg to thug 6.]

Naga-Tee sticks to her cover sheltering her from both sides and continues to fire upon the attackers, but with her focus more on defense, her aim is off, and her shot sails harmlessly by the thugs into the forest.

A thug east of you strafes towards the stranger, while losing a shot at the crew. The bolt hits Headcase square in the torso, but doesn't appear to deal particularly threatening damage [8 dmg to headcase.]

Suddenly, the stranger pops up from behind the bushes where he disappeared a moment ago. "Get 'em Boys! We'll teach these off worlders not to mess with us!" he shouts, as he takes aim at the retreating Ithorian and fires an exceptionally accurate shot. [17 dmg to Naga-Tee.]

Upon this call from the leader, the thug who had just been shot by Laikir, seemingly reinvigorated, redoubled his efforts, and charged again towards you all, firing from his blaster pistol at the terrifying war droid before him. However, Headcase's programming allowed him to nimbly avoid the shot.

A split second later, the already injured thug falls to the ground with a second blaster wound, a second lethal shot delivered by 'Cai in the confrontation. "You guys should feel free to back off any time!" he shouts over the din of the battle. [ 'Cai kills thug 6.]

As if in response, two thugs to the north continue rushing west, attempting to further surround the crew. One of the thugs stops, and takes a shot at the lumbering Yuzzem perilously close in front of him. With such a large target, he could hardly miss, and the blaster bolt drives square into Mar's thigh. [Mar takes 11 damage.]

Mar roars in frustration and pain as he is blasted from two sides. However, his military training is formidable, and he shakes off his agony, targeting the thug who shot at him first. His trustly slugthrower doesn't pack quite the same punch as these blaster pistols, but he still manages to send the thug reeling with a bullet in the shoulder. Already previously wounded by Laikir, the thug takes one more step before falling to the ground unconscious. [6 damage to thug 7.]

Headcase focuses in on the thug who had injured Terra, and confirms that he is not moving, before spinning counterclockwise to locate the next hostile target. Locking in on a thug standing behind a bush, Headcase riddles the area with blaster bolts, dropping the thug where he stands. [20 damage to thug 5.]

Another thug, who apparently had been a bit slow on the uptake, jumps out from behind a tree to the south, looking confused. He fires upon the crew after charging forward towards one of his fallen alllies, but his shot flies harmlessly overhead. [thug 2 misses.]

[Philistine]

'Cai grunts sharply in pain as the thug's blaster bolt scorches across his back, but makes his shot before twisting to deal with the opponent who'd opened fire on him. "Too stupid to live," he mutters in disgust as the strangers surge forward despite their heavy losses. He takes careful aim at a bandit off to the east of his position before loosing his next bolt.

Two Swifts to Aim at Thug 8, allowing 'Cai to ignore cover.
Attack: [roll0] +6 (FP from OOC) = 18
Damage: [roll1]

Ranged attacks against 'Cai are made with a -5 penalty while he is prone.

[Major]

"Headcase, orders are kill the *******." She says pointing at the stranger as she presses her back against the tree. Then with a deep breath she quickly spins out away from the tree and fires a shot right at one of the thugs before spinning back behind the tree she was using as cover.


Running attack allows me to divide my movement so...

Shift to G11, fire, shift to J11

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Odentin]

Headcase returns his aim to the stranger, as ordered, -ORDERS ACKNOWLEDGED-

Burst Fire: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

:facedesk:

[Karnius]

Naga-Tee hisses in pain at her searing wound, but continues to fight, taking careful aim at the remaining thug in front of her and then firing.

Two Swift Actions to aim, then firing.

Attack: [roll0]

Damage: [roll1]

[XianTheCoder]

As Laikir's original target falls, he quickly moves to a new position of cover that he can fire on another target.


Move to: H11, Attack 3
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[thechosen2nd]

Terra's nimble moves are to no avail, and her shot flies by her target with no effect.

One of the thugs looks down at the fallen comrade right next to him, before running over to the leader. "These aren't like the last group, Greev! They're killin' us one by one. We gotta get out of here!" he shouts with terror in his eyes.

The skirmish rages on for a moment longer, with Laikir, Naga-Tee, and one of the thugs all firing chaotic shots off target, before the stranger responds to his panicked ally.

He surveys the forest with a cold grimace, and shouts back:
"Grow a pair, ya stinkin' Sleemo! Keep shooting, or you'll end up as dead as the others!" He then wallops the thug upside the head, and crouches down behind the bush again, completely hidden from sight. [thug 8 takes 1 damage :smalltongue:]

You will never know if the motivational speech from the leader would have inspired the terrified thug to continue fighting, because one well aimed shot from 'Cai put him out of his misery, sending the thug toppling backwards. [thug 8 dead.]

Meanwhile, the thug to the north lands another hit on Mar, and the thug to the west sends a blaster bolt just under Laikir's arm. Mar responds with another howl of pain, but focuses his mind and sends a slug right back at his opponent. His aim is even better, and he lodges a bulled in the thugs upper body. [Mar takes 10 damage, thug takes 11. used a force point for that one though. Also, love it when 2d6 beat 3d6 :smallbiggrin:]

Headcase hones in on the thug leader, but just as you are about to shoot, the man ducks behind the bush again. Changing targets, you rotate to your right, and deliver a spray of heavy fire on the thug to the south, but changing targets so quickly threw off your aim, and the bolts sail over the thug's head.

[Philistine]

More sloppy shooting, 'Cai sighs inwardly. It was just dumb luck that his elbow had slipped, jostling the rifle as he took his last shot - otherwise that bolt would have sprayed dirt up from near the target's feet. Still, it's one more target down, meaning 'Cai is free to straighten and take aim on the late-appearing bandit.

Two Swifts to Aim, negating any cover.
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

'Cai remains prone for that sweet, sweet -5 penalty to incoming ranged attacks.

[Odentin]

Head Case walks forward, bringing the stranger into his line of sight and bringing the blaster to bear on him with furious abandon.

Move to W12.

Burst Fire: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

Edit: YES! I'm back, baby!

[Major]

Terra takes a deep breath trying to not throw a temper tantrum and break the stupid holdout blaster. Annoyed, she quickly pulls out the heavy blaster pistol and fires at the stranger, doubting she'd hit him from that far, but figuring it was better than standing and doing nothing.


Move action, draw heavy blaster.
Standard Fire at strange
[roll0]
[roll1]

[Karnius]

Naga-Tee takes several deep breaths, doing her best not to lose her focus. She aims carefully and fires once again at the bandit to the north.

Aiming and then firing at Thug 4.

Attack: [roll0]

Damage: [roll1]

[XianTheCoder]

Laikir ducks behind the tree as the blaster fire skims bast him (Move to I11), raises his blaster at the thug and fires.


Attack 3: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[thechosen2nd]

The skirmish continues, with bullets flying everywhere through the forest. Looking across to battlefield, it is clear to see that the tides have turned. Although you are surrounded and bloodied, your opponents are equally injured, and you now have them outnumbered.

Terra's shot flies over the thug leader's head. The thug to the west is not so fortunate, and Laikir's shot hits him square in the abdomen. [thug 3 takes 13 damage.] Naga-Tee looses a woefully inaccurate shot at the badly wounded thug to the north.

The thug leader looks down at the fallen gangster who he lashed out at only a moment ago. His face does not show pity; rather, it shows disgust, and perhaps... a hint of fear. He straightens up, and scowls while looks shiftily around the clearing. He carefully and dextrously backs away from the skirmish, his free hand reaching into a pocket and pulling out a small black object with lightning speed.

Meanwhile, 'Cai rotates again in his prone state, and fires an incredible shot just under Headcase's outstretched blaster rifle, landing a direct hit on the thug to the south. The thug doubles over from the pain, and coughs up a bit of blood. [thug 2 takes 13 damage.]

Noticing that the leader is retreating, the thug to the west begins to do the same, although with far less tact. He drops his pistol haphazardly, and runs to the north, clutching his side as he goes. [runs 12 meters north, off map. You can chase him if you want, but I'm not going to draw up the map.] Meanwhile, the wounded thug to the north can't see the leader from his vantage point, and continues fighting. Despite his grievous wound, he delivers an incredible shot at Mar. Mar is hit square in his bionic eye, and drops to the ground with a resounding thump. [mar takes 24 damage. He's dead :smallfrown:]

Headcase chases after the retreating thug leader, and fires yet another bust of heavy weapon fire, but the thug leader is nimble, and sees the attack coming, dodging it as he flees. [if you're worried about the cover, you still would have missed.]

The thug to the south is also slow on the uptake, and continues fighting despite the increasingly terrible odds, not to mention his serious wound. He straightens up and fires a round back at 'Cai. The bolt whizzes right by your ear; you can almost feel the heat of the bolt as it zooms by.

[Karnius]

The Ithorian shouts in anger as a blast tears into Mar beside her, dropping him to the ground. The shot looked pretty fatal, even to an amateur like her. Fighting back angry tears, Naga-Tee lines up another shot, praying that this time she will hit the man who killed her companion.

Right...

Attack: [roll0]

Damage: [roll1]

EDIT: rolled a d10 for my attack...

[Major]

"Do NOT let him escape!" Terra yelled breaking from cover to chase after the retreating man, "He started this and he has all the womp rat heads. He's paying with his life and those heads for the ammo wasted and the medical equipment we'll need to expand."

As she charges she fires at his retreating form, determined to drop the man.


Shift to P11, shoot the man

[roll0] +[roll1] (Force point)
[roll2]

Edit: Damn it should have waited to see the roll before going all force point on it >.>

[Philistine]

With only one target left in sight, 'Cai lurches to his feet and fires off another bolt at the bandit he'd just winged. "I have you now," he whispers.

Move to stand.
Attack: [roll0] vs Thug 2
Damage: [roll1]

Next turn he can start chasing people down.

[Odentin]

-ORDERS ACKNOWLEDGED-

Headcase begins chasing the leader, switching to autofire in lieu of bursts...


Moving due north after the stranger.

Autofire: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[XianTheCoder]

Pleased with his successful hit, Laikir takes aim once again and fires on the thug.


Attack Thug 3: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[thechosen2nd]

Seeing the thug leader's retreat, Terra boldly charges forward, firing a hasty shot as she goes, which buries itself in a tree next to her target.

Laikir aims another shot at the fleeing thug to the west, and drops him to the ground with a shot in the thigh, leaving him unresponsive. [Thug 3 takes 9 damage, I took the liberty of moving you to a place where you could see him, since I forgot to actually move his piece off the map after the last round.]

Meanwhile, Naga-Tee fires again at the same target, and is met with a similar lack of success.

The thug leader suddenly hurls the small black object out in front of him, and instantly turns to race away from the battle. As soon as the black object hits the ground, thick black smoke begins pouring out of it. Almost instantly, a sizable patch of the forest is covered in smoke. He sprints directly east, as fast as he can with such an over-sized backpack weighing him down. He yells out as his figure fades in the smoke: "We'll get you back for this, you rotten nerf herders!"

'Cai focuses his attention on the wounded thug to the south, and swiftly delivers the killing blow with another spot-on shot to the the torso. [12 damage to thug 2, thug 2 dead.]

The thug to the north opens his mouth in a toothy grin of satisfaction after dropping Mar with his shot. However, his grin quickly turns to a look of confusion and fear as he realizes he is the only member of his gang left. He slowly lowers his gun as he realizes his predicament, and then turns tail fleeing north, as Naga-Tee's bullet flies over his head. [moves 12 squares north.]

Meanwhile, headcase pursues the fleeing leader, undeterred by the smoke grenade. You unleash a spray of fire on the man once he comes back into your sights, firing accurately between the bush and tree providing a narrow window of opportunity to hit your target. [Thug leader takes 18 damage.]

[Major]

Terra curses as the man throws the smoke grenade. She had one too and they were great for escaping, she'd used them while on the run.

She clenched her fist and tried to calm her breathing. "Use your damn scanners and find him. I want him dead!" Terra orders Headcase.

[XianTheCoder]

With all enemies around him dead, and the thug leader being pursued by Headcase, Laikir gets a head start on finding out what he can about these would-be bandits. Starting with the man he most recently killed he walks to him (while walking up to him, Laikir will change the powerpack in his blaster), crouches down and begins searching the body. The mans blaster and any power packs/energy packs Laikir will pocket.


Yes, you can consider this Laikir 'looting' the body, first thing he does is take the weapon since that shouldn't just be left sitting on the ground regardless of a persons looting beliefs. Next he searches the body for any identifying marks or things of interest. He believes they are probably nothing more than bandits, but he's still going to look. In the process, anything with real value or potential value Laikir will pocket, as unnoticably as possible.

After Laikir is done with this body he will move onto the next, I assume that by the time he is done with this first one, the thug leader will probably be captured and there will be some notice of what everyone is doing. As a result, after this first one, Laikir will not immediately try and pocket anythign interesting unless there is clearly no one paying attention to him (keep in mind trees and bushes may be blocking views).

Heres some deception checks for being sneaky about everything
Deception: [roll0]
Deception: [roll1]

[Karnius]

Naga-Tee holsters her pistol, swallows hard and then walks to check on Mar - she's pretty confident that he didn't survive that last shot, but she goes to make sure for herself. She kneels down, examines the wound and checks for life-signs without any real hope, then sits beside the corpse and tentatively checks her own wound, uninterested at the moment in pursuing the surely-escaped remaining gang members.

[Philistine]

'Cai shakes his head as the apparent leader of the bandits covers his getaway with a smoke grenade. Between the smoke and the intervening flora, there's no way he can get a shot on the target. But when the last of the Thugs breaks away and runs north, the sound draws the rifleman's attention and he moves to follow, lining up a shot and firing through a gap in the trees.

Move to (S,2), no Swift.
Attack: [roll0] and
Damage: [roll1] against Thug4.

[Odentin]

Head Case realizes his blaster is out of ammunition and begins running, through the trees, trying to get closer to the leader before he renews the attack...

[thechosen2nd]

The battle finally seems to be just about over, now that the last of the foes have disappeared from the clearing.

Terra barks orders to Headcase, who is rushing after the fleeing thug leader, while Laikir tactfully looks over the dead bodies for useful items and weapons. 'Cai takes a final parting shot at one of the fleeing thugs, just to keep them running. The shot thumps into a tree, spraying the intended target with splinters of wood, and spuring him off northward as fast as he can. Naga-Tee's first instinct is to check on the fallen Yuzzem, only to have her worst fears confirmed. He is dead. He fought bravely against both womp rats and gangsters, and though you hardly knew him at all, a part of you wishes you had taken the time to learn more about him while you had the chance.

The thug leader is sprayed with blaster fire from Headcase's attack, and he cries out in pain, while pitching forward. He recovers quickly though, and he deftly and unceremoniously drops his backpack in mid sprint. You had noted the ease with which he carried the bulky thing before, but now without it, it is readily apparent how swift and strong this man really is; he darts forward like a charging bantha, and though you (Headcase) chase as fast as you can, he soon disappears amongst the enormous trees. Once his escape is certain, you (Headcase only) hear him yell back maliciously over his shoulder: "You best watch your back, droid. I intend to repay these blaster wounds tenfold!"


[Combat over. do as you like.]

[Odentin]

Head Case scans the area as thoroughly as he can, but at the end, when he comes back with no further signs of the man, he activates his comlink, pinging Terra, processing a smooth male voice for the audio, "The man escaped. He dropped his pack and outpaced me. My scanners have lost all sign of him. I am sorry."

He replaces the spent power pack with a fresh one, once again processing the inefficiencies of such a system, before grabbing the pack and walking back to his mistress and the others.

[XianTheCoder]

Laikir continues the inspection until all the dead bodies have been checked or until someone in the party captures his attention.

[Major]

Terra clenches her fist tightly as she holds the comlink, a part of her wishing she was strong enough to crush it. Finally she speaks, "Grab the bag...and get back here..." She said, "He's paying for that ammo and grenades...and this is only the down payment..."

[Karnius]

Naga-Tee will begin to set all of the dead bodies down together in the centre of the clearing, picking them up or dragging them into one place so that they can be looked over and then (in the case of Mar) respectfully dealt with. She winces occasionally from her painful blaster wound but does her best to deal with it stoically until she can get some medical attention.

[thechosen2nd]

Laikir:
The thugs weren't carrying much. Most of them were simply equipped with a simple blaster pistol and a spare power pack. One of the thugs did have a small backpack, which contains a medpac, a couple ration packs, and a half-full pack of deathsticks. Another thug corpse has a fairly rudimentary skinning knife tucked into his belt. Finally, one of the thugs upgraded his simple blaster pistol by equipping it with a targeting scope. It still looks like a piece of crap pistol, as do the rest of the thugs' weapons. But then again, it isn't really the looks that matter when in comes to a quality pistol.

Since no one is really paying any attention to you, you can get away with swiping any one item from the list above that you want without the crew noticing. But obviously if you take the pistol, everyone will notice that there is one less pistol lying on the ground than there should be...

Headcase:
You bring the backpack into the clearing in front of Terra. It is incredibly heavy, and you wonder how the man was able to run at all with it on. The smell of decaying flesh pours out as you open the bag to discover... 14 womp rat heads! With some rearranging, and maybe some squishing, it looks like you could make space to fit the other 6 heads you already have into the bag.

[XianTheCoder]

Well, it's really just a numbers game, and since the medpac and the scope are the same value..., Laikir will decide to swipe the scope, pulling it off the gun and placing it in his pocket. He will then pile up the rest of the loot into the backpack (making sure to remove any power sources and engage any safeties on the weapons) and then he'll carry the backpack back to the gathering, where he will wait for everyone to gather back.

[Philistine]

'Cai watches the last thug run off, lifting his rifle to point safely at the empty sky before he turns to rejoin the group. As he walks back, he stretches - drawing a flash of pain from the fresh blaster burn on his back. "Everybody sound off," he calls. "And pipe up if you're wounded, so we can get to work on that."

[Major]

"Alive, but a bit shot up. Took a surprisingly painful shot, though nothing fatal by itself." Terra said holstering the hold-out blaster and the heavy blaster.

[Odentin]

-THE YUZZEM WAS THE ONLY CASUALTY- -MY CHASSIS HAS SUSTAINED MODERATE DAMAGE- -I WILL REPAIR WHAT I CAN-

He turns to Terra and lowers his volume so that only she can hear him, -Mistress- -The inefficiencies of my design are becoming more prevalent- -Perhaps it is time to modify the 3rd series design for my system-

Hapan War Droid series 3, 3rd weapon system design, H3-3D. An advanced fusion reactor built into the chassis, powering the droid's systems and a heavier cannon arm. Scrapped in favor of the 4th design (H3-4D) due to concerns that a destroyed droid soldier could melt down and cause a chain reaction with droids around it, destroying entire platoons. Also, the design lacked single shot and stun settings. The trade off being, of course, the necessity to reload the weapon during combat.

Replacing his current weapon with the 3rd design is something Head Case has wanted to do for a while, though it is impossible for him to perform the operation himself, due to vital systems needing to be moved around, and Terra isn't as skilled with a hydrospanner as her late partner...

[Major]

"If we have enough credits after our share of these heads I'll see what I can do." Terra says examining her droid, "About how severely damaged are you? Estimated time and repair cost?"

[Karnius]

Naga-Tee lays the last of the bandits with the others, pain flaring in her abdomen as she bends down and again as she straightens up. The Ithorian hisses and joins the others.

"I'm not feeling great, but I'm on my feet and that's something." Naga-Tee looks back at Mar for a few moments and then turns back to the group. "I wasn't sure we'd get out of that alive, but if we hang around here much longer then the next group like that will finish the job. Perhaps we should get ready to return to the village."

[Odentin]

Head Case runs a diagnostic on himself, scanning the damaged systems and armor, -I have sustained moderate damage- -I can repair the damage- -But it will take me nine hours at best to recover full functionality-

[Philistine]

'Cai looks at the downed Yuzzem expressionlessly. "I didn't even know he was hit," the big man says tonelessly. "Can we pile up rocks for a cairn? Or drag enough brush over here to build a pyre? Doesn't seem right just leaving him here for the animals to gnaw, but I don't know that we can get him back to the trading post."

Shaking his head and collecting his thoughts again, 'Cai looks around the clearing. "I can't do anything for droids. But Terra and Naga-Tee, if you'll step over this way I'll get you patched up as well as I can out here," he says, shrugging off his pack and swinging it around in front of himself as he drops to one knee. "Laikir, you didn't get hit? Okay. Great. Don't forget to grab Mar's kit when you're bundling stuff up to haul back."

Treat Injury: [roll0] to perform First Aid on Terra
Treat Injury: [roll1] to perform First Aid on Naga-Tee

DC15 to heal HP equal to character level, +1 HP for every point over 15

EDIT: So Terra gets 14 HP back, and Naga-Tee gets 6.

[Major]

Although she was initially mistrusting, Terra realized she wasn't in much shape to turn down the medical attention. She preferred droids whose programming she could study to make sure they weren't hostile. With a sigh, she went over and allowed herself to be treated and was massively impressed with the doctor's work.

"Thanks, I feel good as new." Terra says surprised.

[XianTheCoder]

Laikir will shake his head, No, a few near misses, but nothing that landed. At mention of Mar, Laikir will look over with a frown, Silly thing for anyone to die for... killing rats for a few credits. laikir will open the back pack and place it down next to Mar's body, where he will begin stripping off any useful items that the party could use, and placing them in the backpack.


I'll be keeping track of the loot we find under the "Party Loot" Section of my character sheet. Once it gets divided up or sold I will drop it off the list, thus only active undivided loot will be listed.

[Karnius]

Naga-Tee winces as 'Cai patches her up: the medic does his best and the pain lessens considerably but the wound continues to aggravate the Ithorian. She stands and nods to 'Cai.

"Thank you, 'Cai. That should keep me going for a while." Naga-Tee looks to the fallen Yuzzem."Perhaps we can bury him so that the rats don't get him. That might take a while though."

Naga-Tee tries to recall what she can about what the Yuzzem normally do with their dead. Knowledge (galactic lore)?

[roll0]

[thechosen2nd]

Naga-Tee:

You recall that Yuzzem do often bury their dead, but cremation and other respectable means of disposal are not unheard of or frowned upon. The Yuzzem as a species do tend to value honor highly, so you figure you should probably at least do something, even if it's just to whisper a small eulogy.

[Major]

Terra disliked the time wasting on dealing with a dead body nobody hardly knew, but she didn't want to say anything and alienate her temporary allies. The man had been a business partner, caring this much about what happened to a body seemed silly.

"Whatever we do we will want to do it quickly. We don't want people coming to finish the job. I'd recommend something faster than burying.

[Philistine]

'Cai steps away from Naga-Tee after sealing a bandage over her wound. "I'll need to look at it again tomorrow when I change the dressing. For right now, she's got a point," he nods toward Terra. "We need to wrap up here and move. I think we can assemble a pyre faster than anything else - we've got lots of brush here, and plenty of firestarters." He pats the stock of his blaster rifle.

[Karnius]

Naga-Tee looks around, noting the abundant vegetation (and the apparent lack of anything to dig a burial hole for Mar) and sighing. Fire. A powerful natural force in its own right, but an uncomfortably dangerous one. Still, so long as we keep it under control there should be no harm in it, and in many ways it is as fitting an end as any.

Naga-Tee replies wearily.

"I suppose that you are right. It needs to be a controlled fire though - we have already disrupted this place quite enough today. Once we've taken care of Mar we can move on."

She begins to gather together dead wood and whatever else she can find that appears to burn well and is preferably already dead.

[thechosen2nd]

Working together, gathering up enough wood for the pyre takes a relatively short amount of time, thanks to the size of the trees surrounding you. There are abundant dead branches over a foot in diameter lying all over the forest floor, which you pick up and pile next to Mar's body.

Naga-Tee carefully arranges the wood around Mar's body, making sure that the fire will stay a safe distance from the trees. [We'll just say you took 10 on a wilderness check to construct and start the fire.]

You carefully ignite the pyre, and look on as the flames quickly engulf Mar's enormous body. You have to step back further than you would have expected; the fire is giving off an incredible amount of heat.

[Major]

"If we get fired for burning the forest I'll be pissed..." She mumbles.

[thechosen2nd]

You watch on as the flames begin to die down. In a matter of a couple of hours, the massive pyre slowly becomes little more than a smoldering pile of ashes.


Are you all going to stand around all day watching the fire, or are you going to go try to sell those extra blasters in town?

[Karnius]

Naga-Tee will watch the fire for a few minutes, then steps as close as she can to the pyre whilst enduring the intense heat and begins to murmur for a minute or so in Ithorese before speaking in Basic, addressing the burning form of the Yuzzem.

"Be at peace, Mar. I did not know you well, but I knew you as a brave warrior and a loyal companion. Go swiftly to your rest."

Naga-Tee steps back and returns to the others. From the size and construction of the pyre she is fairly sure that it will not be a danger to the rest of the forest, and so she hefts her pack and begins to walk back to the village.

[Major]

Terra waited just to not look like a rude heartless person, but as soon as everything was done and taken care of she was ready to head to town.

[XianTheCoder]

Laikir is ready to move on with either more killing or selling in town.

[thechosen2nd]

With Mar's cremation finished, you walk back into town together. Headcase carries the enormous backpack, filled to the brim with womp rat heads, the whole way back. Although it is a weight most normal beings would struggle with over such a distance, Headcase seems to be bearing the load without much difficulty. (You are encumbered, however, don't forget.)

The trade hub is still busy with late afternoon activity. As you wander towards the trade hub, you wearily realize that you haven't sat down to rest, or had a bite to eat all day. Then again, this is a great chance to visit some stores, and to try to sell some of the equipment you gained today.

You all should feel free to go wherever and do whatever you want for a couple of hours time. Splitting up is fine too, but if you do you should set a time and place to meet up before sunset. If there's nothing you particularly want to do in this time, you can just head to a cantina and wait. Maybe get drunk. Maybe try those deathsticks. Maybe play some sabacc. Maybe take a nap. The world is your oyster.

[XianTheCoder]

On the walk back Laikir will rattle off the contents of loot from the body inquiring if people want any of the items before he sells it and distributes the proceeds. He reminds people that if they take an item then their share of the credit proceeds should be decreased accordingly. Laikir recommends they keep the backpack for future use.

Once he arrives back he will go to sell the items, if the party wants to go together he makes no objections. Once the items are selected by those that want something, and the rest is sold, he will make his way to the meeting place where he will calculate everyones cut.




Here's the loot that Laikir has collected, speak now if you want something. Chosen can you let me know what the resale is on all the items so I know how much to give to everyone (and what to subtract if someone takes an item)

Party Loot
-Backpack
--Medpac
--8 Blastor Pistol
--7 Power Packs
--2 Ration Packs
--1/2 Pack Deathsticks
--Skinning Knife
--Grende Launcher
--2 Frag Grenades
--Ion Grenade
--Slugthrower Pistol
--Credit Chip (108 Credits)

[Karnius]

Naga-Tee will politely decline all of the scavenged items and simply states that she will use her share of the money to purchase whatever new equipment she decides to get. On arrival at the village she will accompany the others if her presence is required but will otherwise find a nice place to get some food and drink, and relax (probably taking a nap if her wound will allow her) until it is time to meet the others at sunset.

[Major]

Terra looks over everything and points at a powerpack and a frag grenade. "My holdout blaster is almost drained from that fight and although I used a much more powerful explosive, a frag grenade is still a grenade. At the very least it almost makes up for what I lost. My droid can guess what he needs based on a diagnostics, but I'd like at least those two."

[Odentin]

Head Case looks over the items, mentioning only that the grenade launcher would be able to be fitted onto his rifle arm, and that he has the programming to use it effectively. If no one else has an inclination towards it, he will take it.

[Philistine]

'Cai picks through the scavenged items and grabs a medpac, as partial replacement for the ones already used, and a blaster pistol to carry as a sidearm. He also pockets a spare power pack, and tucks the skinning knife into his right boot.

Not having anywhere else to go, he'll stick with Laikir at least until time to settle up with their employer.

[XianTheCoder]

After distributing and selling the gear, Laikir will return to the watering hole where they are suppose to meet. Once there, in hushed tones he will remind everyone that they need to maximize their profits, By my count we have 20 heads, that's 2,000 credits split 5 ways, or 400 credits each. Ten heads was worthy of a 1,000 credit bonus, or 200 credits a piece. Now since he never specified whether the bonus is cumulative for each 10 womp rat heads, if we submit all 20 heads at once then we may only recieve a single 1,000 credit bonus. As a result, I suggest we have two people submit 10 heads each, which should help ensure us the additional 1,000 credit bonus. The result will be an 800 credit payout each instead of a potential 600 credit payout. The plan seems simple enough with no likely downside risk, so Laikir doesn't expect any dissention amoungst the group, but he will still waiting a few minutes for anyone else to voice their concerns.

[Major]

"Seems common sense," Terra says with a shrug.

[thechosen2nd]

You sell the loot at the trade hub without a hitch. The guns merchant doesn't even bat an eye as you hand over the collection of weapons and other materials, and in return, hands you cold hard credits.

---

The planet's massive sun is beginning to get low in the sky, but you are still the first to arrive in front of the platform where you began the day. Slowly, groups of tired looking locals sporting heavy looking backpacks and large burlap sacks trickle in. Soon there is a small gathering, though notably smaller than it was in the morning.

Finally, the Trandoshan from before comes lumbering down the street, carrying his blaster rifle lazily over his shoulder, and an advanced looking datapad in hand.

He steps up onto the platform and looks down at everyone... he appears too tired, or maybe just too lazy to exude the same commanding attitude as before. He looks down at the datapad, manipulating it with one hand, and clears his throat:

"Alright everyone, listen up. Master Thane wishes he could be here to thank everyone for their excellent work today, but alas, he is indisposed at the moment. He hopes that you all have had successful days, and that you will be back again tomorrow at sunset again with full hunting bags again. He trusts that you will all find the promised reward ample encouragement to continue doing this service not only to me, but to the vital ecological balance of your planet."

The Trandoshan looks up from the datapad again, scanning the crowd with a look of boredom.

"Blah Blah. Anyway, I'm sure you all remember the deal, now just line up so we can all get home the quicker. When you get to the platform, pour out the heads here." He points nondescriptly to platform surface. "I'll count them and then issue you the appropriate reward."


Since you got to the area first, you can decide where you want to be. I'm assuming some of you want to be in the front, and some of you elsewhere, but you'll have to be a bit more specific. For reference, the crowd is about 10 people, not including yourselves.

PS: at the beginning of the thread I said the crowd was about 10-15 people. but I changed my mind. pretend I said it was like 20-25. Totally not important, but whatever.

[Odentin]

Head Case keeps near to Terra, but scans the crowd and the surrounding area constantly for signs of the fast man.

Perception: [roll0]

[Karnius]

Naga-Tee gestures to Laikir and 'Cai to bring the bag and takes her place next to Head-Case and Terra. Unable to relax, she finds herself fingering the holster of her pistol before she clasps her hands together before her and makes herself concentrate on the scene around her. Naga-Tee takes a cautious glance around the crowd, looking out for those that survived their attack on the party and anyone else who might cause trouble.

Perception: [roll0]

[XianTheCoder]

Once the Transdoshan gives his speech Laikir will line up with the others.

[Major]

"Keep an eye out and follow me." Terra says to Headcase before walking towards the front of the line. She wasn't going to be waiting on a group of trash and pathetic men.


Ego=front of line :P

Perception to look for the man I have sworn will die
[roll0]

[Philistine]

The weight and bulk of his field kit and medical gear require 'Cai to carry the bag of rat heads awkwardly over one shoulder, but he shuffles forward to join Naga-Tee in the turn-in line. While he certainly doesn't expect trouble here, he takes a cue from the others and remains alert for their would-be ambusher - "Grieve," or whatever the guy's name was. Or any other signs of trouble. It wasn't good to focus on one possible threat to the exclusion of all else.

Perception: [roll0]

[thechosen2nd]

You all are already at the front of the crowd while the Trandoshan was speaking, so you are already at the front of the line that begins forming behind you.

the Trandoshan looks down at you pensively, as if thinking really hard, and then grins toothily.

"Ah, so the ragtag group of offworlders made it back out of the forest, eh? Well, most of you anyway. What happened to your big friend, that ugly Yuzzem with the scars on his face?"

"Well, no matter. You manage to bag yourselves a few heads, huh? Lay em down on the platform."

[XianTheCoder]

Not too sure, I think he was on the flank with those two, he points to Terra and Head Case. Our flank did extremely well though, as Laikir says this he will indicate Cai and Naga. Since Laikir is not carrying a bag of heads he will wait for one of the others to dump a bag out.


Laikir is attempting to make it sound as if they are two subgroups that worked together, but are taking credit for kills individually.

Persuasion: [roll0]

[Major]

"As you said, no matter. Let's just handle the money so I can fix up my droid." Terra says nodding at Headcase to set down the droids.

"On a side note, I saw a man sneak past the guards and try to go into restricted area. He was a big man, very fast, *insert description here*." Terra explains, "He was talking with a few of his buddies about knowing an 'easy way' to 'trick the rich man out of his credits'."


Persuasion check:
[roll0] + [roll1]

[thechosen2nd]

Crap. I forgot to mention, none of you see any sign of the thugs that waylaid you in the forest, or their leader.

Also, those should be deception checks, since you're giving "deceptive information." If you flat out try to get him to give you more credits, or otherwise try to get him to do something for you, that's persuasion. Don't bother re-rolling, I'm just taking the raw dice roll and changing the modifier based on what it says on your sheet. And turns out, for Laikir it doesn't matter anyway.


"Ah, protecting your flanks, that's important. Guess you all are smarter than you look. Let's see what you've got then."


"Restricted area?" You mean master Thane's private estate? Well, I doubt he would get very far, but that does sound important. I should probably check and make sure..."

The trandoshan pulls out a comlink and is about to talk into it, but then he pauses, with a look of consternation on his face.

"Wait a minute. You saw him sneak past the guards? What were you doing so close to master Thane's private estate?"

[Major]

"The others missed it due to being a different group, but the Yuzzem was with myself and my droid. The guy fired a few shots, I think he was trying to steal our bag. Our partner was carrying the bag, the man ran off, I ordered Headcase to stand guard over our partner and ran after him. When I saw him get close and saw where it was I stopped in order to not violate his trust." Terra looks down and puts on a sad face, "I'm sorry I couldn't stop him sir...I was going to warn the guards but I didn't want to get too close and get shot so I figured warning you would be safest."


Sorry, thought deception was part of persuasion, my apologizes.

Deception: [roll0]

[thechosen2nd]

"Oh okay, I guess that makes sense. I better tell the master right away then. Just put your heads in a pile there, I'll be back in a second."

The trandoshan walks a few paces away, turns his back to the crowd and talks quietly into the his comlink for a while, periodically looking over his shoulder at you, and the rest of the crowd.

Headcase still has the bag full of heads, just waiting on him to dump them out.

[Odentin]

Head Case obliges, dumping the ten heads into the pile.

[thechosen2nd]

'Cai also dumps his 10 womp rat heads into another pile next to Headcase's pile.

The Trandoshan returns after a short conversation with his boss.

Sorry about that. Now what have we here? 10 heads here and, 8...9...10 heads here... 20 heads? Wow! Not bad!"

He fiddles with his datapad, and pulls a small credit chip out of his pocket, with a small device on it. After some more typing, he pulls the device off of the credit chip.

While fiddling, he asks:

"So you all were in two flanks, you say, huh? But it doesn't really sound like you were fighting 'seperately'... I don't know if this qualifies as two different groups, so I'm not sure if you get two seperate bonus rewards..."

He starts to dig into his pocket for his comlink, but stops.

"Eh. It's not my money. And the boss hates it when I bother him over trivial things... I'll just give you two bonuses."

he types a couple more things into the datapad, and then pulls the small device off of the credit chip.

"Alright. This Credit chip has the 4000 credits on it. You can get it split up at the bank, which I'm assuming you'll want to do. Good work out there. In fact, the boss wants to be sure to thank you personally, both for the great work, and for the heads up about the intruder. If you come by here again tomorrow at sunset again, he will be here."

[XianTheCoder]

Thank you very much, I will certainly be here. Is it possible he will need further help with the rats or potentially some other project?

[Major]

"Of course," Terra said outwardly with a smile. However, inside she was not happy and a red flag raised. This seemed suspicious, sure they had killed a lot, but setting up a time and a personal thanks for something as simple as business seemed like a set-up.

She reaches out and takes the credit chip and nods, "Well then, let's go get this split then." She says moving away from the group and nodding at Headcase.


Perception to sense deception
[roll0]

[thechosen2nd]

You detect no lies from the Trandoshan. Everything he said seems to have been genuine.

You all push your way through the locals who had been waiting behind you. You now become aware to the local's reaction to your bounty: Most of the crowd is looking at you awestruck, whispering back and forth with the person next to them. A squat Gamorrean looks up at you and asks, "20 heads? How did you do it?"

It is clear that you have made an impression on the locals.

The bank is only a short walk down the main drag in the trade hub (maybe 5 blocks) but it is getting late, and the bank will probably close soon, so you set off right away.

The bank is entirely empty, aside from one old looking Sullustan.

He looks up from his computer as you approach the counter. "What can I do for you?" he asks, in a bored monotone.

[XianTheCoder]

Laikir will lean over and whisper into Terra's ear One thing we didn't consider is whether people may think we are the bandits killing others for their heads. Eventually word will spread of the deaths, tomorrow could turn out to be a problem for us if the story shifts that way. Laikir will try and ignore the crowd as best he can until they are out of the bar.

On the way to the bank, once he is out of ear shot he will say loud enough for Terra and those close to him to hear, We may want to consider damage control, what happens tomorrow if we wake to rumors of a group of bandits killing for rat heads in the forest, technically we DID kill others and stole their heads, self defense or otherwise, this could potentially look very bad for us.

As the enter the bank, Laikir will hang back so they aren't crowding the bank teller. He will stand near the door and watch outside, waiting to see if anyone followed them.

[Major]

Terra nods, "Agreed, I'm thinking we might want to look for another job or something tomorrow. I'm starting to suspect tomorrow will be bad for us." She says as she passes Laikir guarding the door.

As she walks up to the banker she nods, "Hi there, I'd like to get this credit chip split up. We got five of us so a nice split of five 800 credit stacks would be wonderful!" She says with a charming smile.

[XianTheCoder]

Laikir nods at Terra's response before taking his post at the door.

[thechosen2nd]

The Sullustan at the desk sighs, and takes the credit chip without a word, walking over to a machine a few paces away. While he is dealing with the credit chip, you all stand around waiting, twiddling your thumbs.

Suddenly, you hear loud noises down the street. There is a loud whirring of motors, interrupted periodically by small explosions, and... perhaps, is that blaster fire?

The Sullustan gasps, and then curses creatively under his breathe. "Sounds like the Red Suns again."
He immediately begins operating the machine with furious speed, rushes back to the counter and haphazardly slams your money on the table in five piles of credits.

"There, five stacks of 800, it's all there I promise. Just get out of here, quick, before you get yourselves killed!" he says, with terror in his eyes.

With that, the Sullustan pushes a red button on the counter, and the metal hatches on all of the windows of the building slam shut. He hustles into the back room of the bank, but stops momentarily before disappearing from sight.

What are you waiting for? Get moving!"

[XianTheCoder]

Laikir draws his blaster and crouches down near the door, looking out and trying to find a safe route out of the bank. As soon as he finds the route he wants to take he yells to the others and makes a move out of the bank.


Laikir is looking for a place where he can move to and see the street that still allows him a retreat route... Something like the mouths of an alley.

[Major]

"Oh and I really wanted to sit around and roll in credits..." Terra says sarcastically before moving after Laikir, "Gotta say I love this planet..." She mumbles, "Can you see how many there are?" She ask remaining behind Laikir and not wanting to peek her head out. She wasn't a fighter.

[Odentin]

Head Case focuses his sensors on the noise as he plods towards the door with purpose. Taking note of the damage he has sustained, he looks for cover and an escape route, but attempts to take stock of the combat (or extermination) occurring, as well.

Perception: [roll0]
Knowledge (Tactics): [roll1]

[thechosen2nd]

Laikir:
You can't see anything outside because all of the windows are shuttered tight, and the door has no windows. To get a view outside, you will have to open the door. To get try to hear what is going on, you will need a perception check.

Headcase:

The commotion is coming from up the street in the direction that you came from. It is tough to estimate with the sounds rebounding off of the walls inside (it will be easier to tell once you leave the building) but you are 83.7% confident the combatants are at least 3 blocks away. You can distinguish definite blaster fire. It seems erratic and imprecise, as if whoever is shooting isn't really aiming much, and is more just shooting around to cause mayhem. There is definitely quite a few weapons being fired, light, heavy, and explosives... everything. There's also quite a bit of yelling going on. It's too much to distinguish exactly what anyone is saying.

In terms of escape, there is only one door in the bank, and it leads right into the main street (the way you came in.)

[XianTheCoder]

Laikir opens the door and looks out


Perception: [roll0]

[Odentin]

Are the combat noises getting closer? Moving away? Should I roll a new perception?

[Major]

"Honestly the bank seems a safer place to hole up then running out into the streets..." Terra notes. "And the door adds a choke point too even if they try and enter."

[XianTheCoder]

Perhaps, but it also gives us no retreat.


I'm all for fighting these guys, but I'm dead in hand to hand, so I need to find space to stay ranged.

[Philistine]

"I'm sitting tight," 'Cai rasps. "Don't wanna invite myself to a firefight I'm not gettin' paid for. And if it's just a bunch of yahoos shootin' up the town, there's no reason for 'em to try to come in here - even if they get this far."

He leans back, pausing as he eyes the door to the back room reflectively. "'Course, if I was gettin' paid..." He moves to the door and bangs on it with the butt of his rifle. "Hey, Smiley!" he calls. "Wouldn't be a bounty on those Red Suns clowns, would there?"

[Karnius]

Naga-Tee immediately grabs her credits and finds a place behind the counter to crouch behind, drawing her blaster pistol and looking to the others for a plan. Without any real strategic expertise she knows that she's better off keeping herself alive and following any reasonably sensible orders from 'Cai (and possibly Terra). The pain in her back reminds her that she should remain cautious and leave most of the fighting to Head-Case. From her defensive position she raises her head to take a glance at Laikir and the open door before moving her head down into cover again.

"It's probably safer to hold up here than going out and running into trouble. There's not a lot we can do against a whole gang."

[Odentin]

-THIS IS A TACTICALLY UNSOUND POSITION- -COMBAT IS TAKING PLACE ROUGHLY THREE BLOCKS FROM OUR LOCATION- -RETREAT OR RELOCATION IS RECOMMENDED-

[Major]

"Retreating will put us..." Terra sighs deciding to trust the droid, it was what he was around for after all, "Whatever, we better move quick if we are going to move though, three blocks gives us some breathing room at least."

[XianTheCoder]

Laikir reaches out for his credit stick In case we get separated, I'll take my credit stick now.

[Major]

"Fair enough," Terra says handing out his credit chip and holding the others, "I'd prefer not having more people try to shoot me due to a mix up."

[XianTheCoder]

Laikir takes his stick and moves out of the doorway so anyone who wants to leave can.

[thechosen2nd]

OOC:
sorry for the delay. Election and everything.

Anyway, For the sake of clarity, when the banker put the piles of credits on the counter, instead lets just say he gave you each a credit chip, okay? you all have your money now.

Headcase:
They are completely chaotic, one sound is closer, next further, then closer again... but the closest sound you heard was about 3 blocks away

Laikir:
Peeking out the door you see a chaotic scene is unfolding. Everyone who had been on the street minding their own business is fleeing in panic; dozens of people who had most likely been looking forward to an evening out on the town are now running for their lives away from the center of the trade hub.

As you look up the street towards the center of the trade hub (where you came from) the commotion appears to be coming from right around the platform you were standing at 5 minutes ago. At least 10 individuals on speeder bikes are riding around the square throwing explosives shooting blasters everywhere, and just generally causing mayhem. There appear to be more of them on foot, beating down what you assume to be those who were in the crowd.

You think you can hear someone yelling something about "offworlders" and something about "stealing" something, and something about "bleeding."

[XianTheCoder]

Ten guys on speeders a handful more on foot. Looks like there's plenty of civilians out there caught in the mayhem. For you grenade lovers it looks like they have plenty and they are using them liberally. Best guess we are outnumbered 4:1, but they seem rather disorganized. Perhaps there is some ability to pick them off one at a time, but it looks like those that want to go, need to go now or the window will close. Laikir ponders what he wants to do, while waiting to see what the others do.

[thechosen2nd]

'Cai:

You hear the muffled voice of the Sullustan shouting back through the thick backroom door.

You all are still here?! Get moving, blast it! And to answer your question, everyone in town would love to be rid of the Red Suns, but unfortunately, they are far from clowns. They're vicious, merciless, and battle hardened as an army, with numbers to boot. You don't want to mess with them, and I definitely won't allow you to mess with them in my bank. Now RUN!

[Major]

"Ugh, I'd prefer not getting mugged. We need to move quickly and try to stay out of sight. Speeders can catch up quickly, but the on foot and three blocks gives us time."

[Philistine]

'Cai snorts at the Sullustan's reply. "Everybody wants 'em gone, but nobody's got the guts to do anything about it, huh? Fine. You deserve 'em," he says, shaking his head with disgust.

Moving up to replace Laikir at the front door, 'Cai takes a turn peeking down the street. He grunts as he takes in the scene. "Safely outta pistol range - and even with a rifle it'd take a curst good shot to hit anybody in particular at this range, what with the crowd an' all. Still, though. If we gotta run, we oughta get off this east-west street first thing. Get us a couple of blocks north or south, then hook around east and head for the spaceport. I got enough in my pocket to book passage on the first ship heading offworld, and that's all I ever wanted from this mudball." He looks around the group as if he has something else to say, but finally turns and pushes his way out onto the street. "Come on if you're comin'," he calls back over his shoulder.

[Major]

"Let's go Headcase. Man has a good point and getting off this planet is more than good enough for me." She says as she follows behind trying to stay out of sight.

[Karnius]

Naga-Tee sighs and picks herself up, moving towards the door whilst securing her credit chip in an interior pocket. She holds her blaster pistol ready to defend herself as she follows the others into the streets and glances about for any signs of the Red Suns.

"Let's get out of here as quickly as we can. I had wanted to stay a little longer, but not if it means further violence."

Perception: [roll0]