Log:BHG: A Legends Rifle

Kasia and Sumi seek out an old Assassin.

OOC Date: Jan. 08, 2022
Location: Wayfar, Tatooine
Participants: Fennec Shand, Kasia Ashkuri, Sumi Kora

Wayfar lived up to its name, that's for certain. The amount of time spent on speeder passing through dangerous ambush points and dangerous clan regions was enough to make anyone drink, no matter their constitution. Sumi wanted a drink, that much was certain, or at least that's what's said as she steps through the door. "..could use a drink after that ride. -- Woah.." Sumi pauses just inside, leaving enough room behind her for her fairer companion to follow. Sumi is a short woman of tanned complexion and exotic features. To some, she may be unsightly given the excess scars that mar one side of her face and neck. They mark her as dangerous, or something else entirely. The armor added to the danger fashion as it was Mandalorian, favoring a blue tint with silver accents topped with a cape that concealed much of the armament below; rest assured, it was ample.

Sumi had her helmet off, her raven toned hair hanging freely to cup her face. She had a neutral expression that seemed perpetually aloof, stoic, even following her 'woah' comment, which seemed to do with her initial take of the place.

"Feels a bit ominous with the rifle above the bar.." She intones to Kasia. A brief --patpat-- sees the dust displaced from the armored female and she steps further inside with the distinct jingling noise that came from heavily armored steps. Those steps led her right to the bar where she set her helm down and brushed back through her hair to shake it out before grunting and taking a load off. "UUuuugh."

Wayfar. They weren't kidding with the name, Kasia looks a bit just a bit windswept after the long ride out here on a speeder. But what a speeder. Bright pink and absolutely a target for daring robbers. It's a ridiculous thing, but it suits her well, because she's often overly fancy in the wrong places, too. Like here and now. She has a pale gold hued dress made of light, layered materials that suit the climate well, and only a few pieces of jewelry on right now. A ring, some earrings, but nothing too garish or overly tempting. "Honestly I can see the use of it, if Hex ever sees this place he's going to want to mount a turret behind the bar at the Blue Light." She makes a cursory effort to calm the frizz of her hair, dust off some of the grit, and then slowly moves toward the bar.

The small, wheeled droid behind the bar was the first to rouse from its place as others entered. With a gentle 'whurr', the wheel carries it to the edge of the bar, where the Droid yells out in a small voice, "Jettoz!" The over-enthused Bocce was left to hang for a moment as it pans a small face between the pair of newcomers. The Droid's single green eye regards the two for a long moment before it says, "M'um m'aloo?" It rocks a moment on its wheel before it looks down, as though paging through memory to find something. "Greetings!" It says, then, with a triumphant look back at the pair.

The other patrons were quiet, hard sorts. They were drinking alone, by and large, and anything they had in their hands seemed more appropriate as engine-degreaser. But, it didn't take a lot of credits out of their pockets and it got the job done. One woman, however, seemed a lot more interested in cleaning than conversation. Small hands lift a sleeping Rodian's neck to pull free a pair of glassware pieces.

"Be'ddo, move on," she mutters, before shaking her head. The Rodian is dropped, without much concern of consequence, by Fennec. As she crosses the room she's given a quick vision of the newpair. A hand rises to push a few errant strands of hair away from her eyes, and she moves on, but not without words to the bartending Droid. "Hard currency, no more Republic credits. Remember," she says, before she's moving on. Eagerly, the Droid rocks back and forth again, eyeing Kasia and Sumi enthusiastically.

When Fennec passes by, she might find that Sumi is watching her closely; her dark eyes track the female's movement beyond just common interest. Sumi's here for a reason. Whatever that reason is gets sidetracked by the enthusiastic droid rocking back and forth on the other side of the bar. Sumi reaches down to her side and pulls out a small bag, recalling what Boba said before leaving Nar Shaddaa. 'Spend a bit of that in her place. Spread the wealth some, right?' Sumi dumps the bag out on the counter, spilling the hard currency as plain as day. "Enough there for the lady and I to have a drink? Maybe a word?" The question wasn't to the droid though, it was to Shand herself.

At this point, Sumi's not done anything to be threatening, then there's Kasia. Look at her, she's adorable. They have a pink speeder outside, if someone hasn't run off with it already..

Kasia didn't get a particularly good look at the puck that was shown to Sumi, but she does note the way the Mandalorian's eyes track the woman seeing to the bar. She watches her as well, though perhaps not quite as long or as intently. "We'll have... whatever is good. What do you recommend?" she asks of the droid behind the bar after Sumi plops down the credits. She steps up to the bar then turns to lean against it, body angled to keep an eye on both the droid, and Fennec, and also possibly the large gun behind the bar. She does look relatively harmless though, confident, but softer than the warrior women she's currently sharing space with.

Behind the bar, now, and setting the glasses out of sight, Fennec's lips draw together tightly. Her demeanor said what she did not: she was afraid of that. Such was the way when new faces rolled through Wayfar. That was the appeal, though. Mostly. Fennec straightens and her features soften some. Less predator, more prey. In that moment.

"Spotchka!" The Droid exclaims excitedly, before it turns and whurrs to the other end of the bar to pull free a glowing glass vase. Though his body was limited in dexterity, the Droid had arms that moved exceptionally well--When they were oiled properly. It didn't seem to regard much for the money on the counter. More money than the Droid had collected in half a season. The drinks are fixed, and brought to an empty place at the bar. Fennec, meanwhile, takes the decanter itself and sets it down, a seat away. A moment later, an aging wooden plate with a serving of bread is brought out. There's even a bit of meat, and a strange knife that didn't come from the bar's cutlery, is placed out, nearest Shand. It didn't take the Force to see the knife was well balanced.

"There are daughters in this town that have never met an outsider before. If you're paying so well for a word, theirs might get you a better return," Fennec says. Though her eyes are soft, they don't hesitate in sliding between Sumi and Kasia. It was only then, after the drinks were set out, the Droid goes about collecting the fare from the countertop.

Sumi takes her drink first, downs half of it, and shares a look toward the exit, then with Kasia, before replying back to Shand with a huff of amusement, "Well, I have currency enough left over that I can talk to them, too." She sets the cup down and runs her hand back through her hair. "I am Sumi Kora, my lovely companion? Kasia Ash'kuri. We come to deliver a message from a mutual friend."

Taking a moment to recall the message, Sumi recites, "I am to tell you that: They have work for you again. That, there is a calling once more. A growing threat that we will rise up against. Also, I am to tell you that: The ways of old have returned, and that what you did before.. was only practice, compared to what's to be done next."

Sumi presents a puck, like a bounty puck but it was not for a live bounty; it was an encrypted contract requiring a biometric scan from Shand herself.

"Boba Fett sends his well wishes and offers you a new job."

"That sounds perfect, thank you." Kasia is tone is warm, polite, she sounds entirely genuine as she says it. She's a practiced hand at that, sounding welcoming and sincere even if she didn't mean it. Did she mean it this time? Possibly. She settles in a seat and waits, inclining her head appreciatively when the drink is set before her. The thud of the plate draws her attention down the stretch of the bar, first to the plate, then to the woman, and then the knife. When she's introduced, she follows her name with a smile. "It's nice to meet you." Again there is warmth, she sounds genuine, but she is angled ever so slightly away from the bar, at the ready to move fast should the need arise. Until it arises, she lifts the delivered drink from the bar to take a measured sip.

At the mention of the job, or, perhaps the name of the potential employer, Fennec offers a gentle 'Ha' sound, and she sneers. "The madman has work for me?" She asks, before she makes a showing of drawing from the decanter that held the Spotchka. Her other hand made a showing of drawing closer to the knife, but it was the puck it was after. It was an attempt at being sly, like a test. Though, one with admittingly low stakes--They clearly brought it to her for a reason.

"That name doesn't mean much on Tatooine anymore. Whatever he's up to, being involved means having a target on your back," She says the words plainly, with a measure of ... was it displeasure? Malice? Her eyes shift to Kasia, then. "He doesn't care for the collateral, so much," she warns. The decanter is set down on the bartop, and Fennec busies herself with tearing free a bit of the bread. The knife is lifted, delicately, before its used to spear a piece of meat. The wood is then pushed forward, towards the pair. "I'm guessing he didn't bother to tell you what this job was?" She asks, quietly.

Sumi allows the puck to be taken without contest. The information on it was sealed away for Shand alone. She offers nothing in the way of commentary to support or deny her claims about Mr. Bullet, or now known as, Boba Fett. In that tone, Sumi appears the loyal follower, or at least, the quiet one.

Her warning toward Kasia is enough to amuse Sumi, but against she reveals nothing more than that soft huff of a laugh. When asked directly about the job specifics, Sumi just shrugs.

"He tasked me with delivering that message, giving you that, and offer you a ride off this rock to be taken to him, or.. a place of your choosing. What transpires from here.." Sumi lifts her glass up and gestures with it toward Shand. "..is up to you." Her voice was partially blocked by the cup but heard nonetheless. Afterward, Sumi drained the rest of its contents and set it back upon the bar, gently.

Sumi allows the puck to be taken without contest. The information on it was sealed away for Shand alone. She offers nothing in the way of commentary to support or deny her claims about Mr. Bullet, or now known as, Boba Fett. In that tone, Sumi appears the loyal follower, or at least, the quiet one.

Her warning toward Kasia is enough to amuse Sumi, but again she reveals nothing more than that soft huff of a laugh. When asked directly about the job specifics, Sumi just shrugs.

"He tasked me with delivering that message, giving you that, and offer you a ride off this rock to be taken to him, or.. a place of your choosing. What transpires from here.." Sumi lifts her glass up and gestures with it toward Shand. "..is up to you." Her voice was partially blocked by the cup but heard nonetheless. Afterward, Sumi drained the rest of its contents and set it back upon the bar, gently.

Kasia makes careful note of the displeasure in Fennec's tone, and the use of 'madman' for Fett. The whole situation is curious enough that she's happily riding along just to see what happens. "The warning is appreciated, though I have spent more of my life than I care to admit tied to people..." There's a pause there, eyes rolling up the way they can when you're thinking. She does some historical arithmetic from her past, then adds, "Men. Men mostly. Just like that. Stirred up enough about something that they can justify almost any cost to achieve some end."

The laugh from Sumi wins a small smile, but she too doesn't share the joke with Fennec.

"Who is this Boba Fett, anyway? You seem like the person to ask," this asked of Fennec as her gaze goes back to the older woman. "You said his name doesn't mean much here now, but it did once?"

"Forty years ago? Sure," Fennec adds, rolling her shoulders in answer to the question. "In those days, if Fett was interested in you, you didn't have many nights left," She says quietly. A moment is taken to rip a piece of the bread she took, which is then eaten up. Her eyes travel sidelong to the Droid, which has started to take up the dirties, as she had before. Patrons were slowly shuffling out here and there. They paid the conversation no heed--It existed beyond the moisture farms, and so, lacked value.

"All the same, job or no job, I'm no use to anyone any long," She offers, somewhat forlorn. "If he's sending you to me, it means he needs another rifle. And," she pauses, shrugging at the pair, "Truth is, mine was taken long ago. Jawas. Without it, I'm not going anywhere," she offers.

Her not heeding Fett's call frustrated Sumi. She hates complications and doesn't hide frustration well. It manifests in a way she's rubbing at her face slightly and taking in a deep breath, before letting it go. She. Hates. The. Desert.

"What's wrong with that one?" What one? The one behind the bar on clear display. It looked like a prized piece. Still, Sumi felt like it was an open door for them to ask after Shand's rifle. Sumi didn't want to ask after the rifle. The desert had sand, and sand monsters, and it was hot, and Sand People shot at regular people. How many sandcrawlers would they have to pillage before they found it?

When Shand mentions Jawas, Sumi looks to Kasia with a blank look that conveyed, 'what in the hell is a jawa?'

Kasia places a hand on Sumi's armored shoulder, firmly enough to be felt through the protective gear. She smiles at the Mandalorian, reassuring, and then looks to Fennec. She doesn't have a great love for the desert either, she's a city girl, duracrete and masses of people, neon, not these blasted wide open spaces with lethal nature and grit that gets into everything. Still, they were here, so they may as well pursue. "Is there something particularly special about this rifle that was taken? If you need a new rifle, I can almost guarantee that between Sumi and I we can give you something plenty accurate and lethal." The blank look on Sumi's face elicits another little laugh. "If it needs to be this specific rifle, do we have any better clues than Jawas took it?"

"These are special Jawas," she says, and she glances over her shoulder. "That's a replica. It wouldn't do for the whole town to know mine had been stolen right from the wall, would it?" She asks, before shaking her head. "Unfortunately, this rifle is a bit of a hallmark. Without it, well, I'm no good to anyone. Its more than just a new weapon," she admits.

"There's only one sand crawler that comes this close to Wayfar--Long ago Jabba's people used to hunt them for sport. Testing for new recruits," She explains, "But this Sandcrawler has a yellow stripe down the side. The Jawa on this barge believe their leader to be some chosen incarnation of their people. He kept the Rifle as a trophy, some say, but the truth is the bastard just never found a buyer with enough coin to pay. If you could recover this rifle, I can finish my affairs while you ... capable individuals go to work, and we can hear what lavishly dangerous task Fett has planned for me before the high sun sets in Anchorhead," she says. Simple. "I'm certain Fett would pick up the bill," she promises, "I know your time is exceptionally valuable."

Kasia had comforted Sumi enough to prepare her for the subsequent blow. KASIA you were not supposed to ASK!

Alas, Sumi is back to rubbing her face again, and after a long minute of suppressing her frustration, she sighs out. "Fine." Fine what, Sumi.

"I will call in a favor, bring out a clan of hunters to track down this.. special Jawa and their sandcrawler. Before my team goes in, will it devastate this town if we were to wipe out this entire clan of.. whatever you called them.. Jawas?" Offsetting trade could have a devastating impact on the local economy, especially if those girls who have never seen an outlander before suddenly lost their means to trade, too. "Admittedly, we're not great at.." Sumi gestures with a circling hand, glancing to Kasia as if trying to glean the word from her, "..subtlety."

Of course Kasia had to ask, she's just that type. She asks questions, talks to people, digs at things. She doesn't, however, prod more on the matter of Fett and who he is, or was. The matter of the weapon is at hand, and she sets her focus on that entirely now. "No. I mean, I don't care if you want to bring your people in, but I don't think killing the Jawa is necessary. They're traders, there isn't much that they won't part with for the right price, and I get the sense that the price is something that can be paid. If it's not something they want to sell, well, there are other methods of getting it that don't require wiping them out either. I'll go too, we'll get it back." She smiles now, shoulders gathering in a shrug to answer a question no one has asked yet. "I'm invested now."

Fennec shakes her head, "The Jawa are clever. Any trade vacuum will be filled by others. And with your message recieved, they may be more likely to seek fairer trade agreements with Wayfar." It was simple enough. "Or, convincing them of the good business venture may win their hearts and minds, so to speak. We don't have very many folk here who have been capable of such. As you can imagine, they don't think very highly of me," she admits. "Last we saw, the Crawler was planted about an hour's ride north along the dune sea--Near the Krayt skeleton. It follows the solar cycles and if my calendar is correct, should remain there for three more low-sun rises. Plenty of time for whichever avenue you decide to take," She admits. She leans forward and takes another draw from the Spotchka decanter. Then, with a foot raised onto something behind the bar, she leans in, relaxed. "Your call," she says.

"Best we just do it between us then." Sumi says to Kasia. "If I call the clan out here, they'll want to kill something." Sumi pats herself down for a smoke and pulls out a pack from her bandolier. A moment later, she's sparking it to life and clamping the lighter shut. After a long intake, Sumi breathes out. "Alright then, we'll search for the rifle and bring it back. One way," She glances to Kasia, pulling from the smoke again, then looks back to Shand, "..or another.." Long sigh of scented smoke.

"Whatever you think is best," Kasia defers to Sumi on all things clan, as it is not hers in any sense. "Having protection here is never a bad thing, but I don't know that wholesale slaughter is necessary here. At least not as a first step." Is someone going soft? Maybe. "I suspect we can get it done though, especially with a bit of time to prepare. I have the compound here still so if we need to we can head that way and ready, and if not, well, I say we go soon."

Several Hours Later

Fennec's tip was solid enough. To the North of Wayfar, across the winding chasms that border the Dune Sea, a tall ridge juts from the sands. Atop it, a massive Krayt Skeleton lay sleeping, bleached by the twin suns. Down below the sandy ridges, a large Jawa Sandcrawler rests. Beset by strong winds, a storm has moved in. Locals would call it a light storm, but on all sides of the sandcrawler, winds whip sand blasting against the sides of the yellow-striped crawler.

It took some time to get here, Kasia was insistent on being supplied for the trip, having lived on this too hot, too sandy world for a time. Which meant water, food, a tracking beacon just in case they get lost and someone needs to find them, basic survival equipment that she'd gotten from Hex over the years. He grew up on a desert planet, for a time anyway, so she trusted the knowledge. She has a bag with her now, the strap of it slung across her body, though she's still wearing the airy, lightweight dress of before. It's a good outfit out here, good coverage, lots of airflow, comfortable. Also pretty. "I think this is it," she says to Sumi, gesturing to the sandcrawler in the distance. "Hopefully they're just willing to sell it and it's no trouble." Did she just jinx them? Maybe.

Sumi is in full Mandalorian regalia, her helmet on and in place, filtering the air and shielding her eyes from the onslaught that is a mild storm. She wears a tattered cape, its purpose was to safeguard her weapons from the elements but all it did now was hang back, snapping in one direction then the next, as she walked. Enhanced optics, and Sumi's own genetic therapy from nearly a century back, assists in confirming what Kasia confirms aloud. <"So it seems,"> Comes her answer, robbed of personality by the vocoder on the Mando'ade helmet. <"How do you want to go about this?"

Sumi is in full Mandalorian regalia, her helmet on and in place, filtering the air and shielding her eyes from the onslaught that is a mild storm. She wears a tattered cape, its purpose was to safeguard her weapons from the elements but all it did now was hang back, snapping in one direction then the next, as she walked. Enhanced optics, and Sumi's own genetic therapy from nearly a century back, assists in confirming what Kasia confirms aloud. <"So it seems,"> Comes her answer, robbed of personality by the vocoder on the Mando'ade helmet. <"How do you want to go about this?">

Briefly, the wind picks up, and the sound of the sandstorm builds. It fades a moment later, dwindling back to a gentle lull. From their vantage point, the front of the sandcrawler is now visible, exposed in such a way that the main ramp was open, leading into darkness inside. Were the Jawas the sort that needed light?

Kasia's lack of armor is made all the more obvious when walking alongside the very armored mandalorian, but she seems comfortable in her current getup. For now. Until she gets shot, then she'll be sad about not having armor. "I think we just approach and see if they're open to trade?" she suggests. "But watch your things, don't set anything down because if you do it'll be spirited off and broken down before you can blink." She eyes the sandcrawler, squinting against the wind that carries the annoying grit. "Hello?" she calls.

We just approach, she says, and Sumi nods. <"Very well."> To some, the Mando seems succinct, but Kasia has known Sumi for many years now, and knows the warrior is more for business sometimes than talking out points. They have adopted the diplomat's approach for this mission, and admittedly, it's not Sumi's strong suit. So her job was to look menacing, something she could do inherently without trying (guns helped). As they walk closer and Kasia calls out, Sumi performs a cursory scan of the area, trying to pick up on any anomalies that might clue them into something being.. wrong or out of place.

The wind whipped harder the closer they were to the sandcrawler. It was almost enough to drown out any but the loudest of speaking, but, the pair came prepared. So it wouldn't surprise the narrator if they had some manner of communication that bypassed the sands. That's what money can buy you on Tatooine! The path down the dune leads first to one of the broader sides of the crawler, giving them a momentary reprieve from being exposed to the ramp. Following the broad side would lead them to a corner of the crawler that allowed a peek at the ramp itself.

That lone call out is all Kasia does before some other pull at her senses makes her stop for a moment, one hand put out to stall Sumi's progress as well. Her brows furrow as she looks over at the Mandalorian, trying to convey without words that something is clearly wrong. The approach to the crawler resumes but it's slower, more obviously cautious as she reaches out with the force again to search for life nearby, any life beyond the pair nearing the crawler.

The hand that came out and stopped Sumi gets a look before the helmeted head turns to Kasia to see her expression. Concern and discomfort wash over Sumi who quickly draws out the side arm strapped at her hip. A loud 'clik-CLICK' is indicative of the warrior locking the single-action slugthrowing revolver to a charged position, and she bends her arm at the elbow to angle the muzzle up casually in their approach.

Stepping ahead of Kasia instinctively, Sumi uses her beskar coated body to shield the unarmored woman.

Not long in their advance, Sumi points out a datapad sticking out of the sand. A curious glint from one of the system's stars refracts off its dull surface making a glare. It's not long after that Sumi stoops a moment to pick it up with her off hand and survey its screen.

The datapad was old, and the date listed on the latest correspondance placed it about four years passed. As the device is plucked from the sand, it begins to play an old message in Binary. Various beeps and whistles are conveyed. The wind rises around them again before falling back to the gentle sandstorm cacophony. Inside the dark crawler, nothing much moved.

Kasia offers up no complaints as Sumi steps in front of her to serve as a shield, that beskar is good for that sort of thing. When the datapad is coated, she leans in closer to look at it, listening to the beeps that are emitted with a sight frown. "Is that Binary? I don't know enough Binary to have any idea what is being said," she says, voice raised. Inside the crawler is dark, empty, and she's more than a little uneasy at finding it here like this. Is there anything in there? The force isn't going to tell her if there is, so she motions toward the oversized vehicle so Sumi can see, then slowly starts to make her way closer to the dark opened maw and who knows what waiting inside.

<"It's a message: congratulating a droid for accepting some sort of hunt opportunity. 'Claim the pelt of the famed Derelict Ghost'."> /Whatever/, Sumi thinks and tosses the datapad in the sand. When Kasia motions that they move, Sumi is moving toward the maw entrance to the interior of the craft. As they near it, the rangefinder on Sumi's helmet lowers and emits a light ahead. It's only good for the fatal front, but Kasia had perception that stretched beyond anything Sumi could hope to feel. Between the two, they should be fine.

As they breach the threshold of the crawler, the sound of the wind dies away. Instead of a maddened, constant sound of wind and sandblasting, the crawler absorbs nearly all but the faintest sound of the sand. Each step inside brought them closer to a stark realization: the lights weren't absent, they were off. In fact, all of the power throughout the Crawler seemed to be out.

Kasia can hear the message but she waits until they're inside the crawler before she makes any sort of reply, which is much easier with the sound as muted inside as it is. "That is ominous," she finally replies, then adds, "All of this is, honestly." She pauses to dig inside of her bag and produce a small flashlight -- because her eyes aren't as enhanced as some people -- and switches it on to begin looking around. "Maybe if we're very lucky we'll just find the rifle." She's pretty sure she's never been that lucky, but maybe it'll happen. She sweeps the light around to illuminate the larger chamber beyond the smaller corridor, beam pausing to Iggy up some scratches on the wall. Small scratches, almost horse-shoe shaped. "What do you think this is about?"

<"An unhappy customer most like,"> Sumi says in her own brand of humor. She stays by Kasia so they do not become separated and follow her tracing of the light until it arrives upon the long corridor. Sumi's enhanced vision just makes out the shape of a breach, they kind that was ripped open. Over time. In its opening, either through light playing tricks or something else, she catches movement. Sumi makes a gesture to Kasia to alert her, then hones in on it with a slow walk.

Nothing about Sumi Kora is silent. Her ability to sneak, or be sneaky? Non existent. The sound she makes in her approach is the steady footfalls of heavy armor paired with the soft jingle, like spurs, from ammunition hanging on bandoliers. Rather than have a laxed point of aim, Sumi lowers the massive handcannon to an alert, orienting the barrel in /that/ direction.

The movement Sumi had spotted was little more than a change in shadows, as a small, rope-like shadow moves across the light in the far distance. On closer inspection, two small, spherical shapes are nestled together in the dark room. In the shadows, it was impossible to tell what they were doing, but all around them are the sounds of something ropelike moving along the ground, or striking the metal of the sandcrawler's interior.

Kasia's other hand was empty, but as soon as she hears something it's immediately reaching for the lightsaber that she has tucked away at her waist. This was supposed to be a diplomatic mission, but sometimes things just don't work out. She doesn't activate the weapon yet, but she has it at the ready. The rather less lethal beam of light that she's directing sweeps around for signs of what is making the sound. "Any thoughts? Also, no objection to harsh measures against anything that tries to get feisty with us."

<"We are being hunted."> Sumi says cryptically as she looks inside the room to see the spherical objects in close proximity. If she were to hazard a guess, they were eggs of some sort. She unclips a strap on her bandolier and frees a glop grenade in her offhand. <"Best be about finding the rifle, I think. If you have some means to cut out another exit as well, that would be good. Whatever that dragging noise is.. It may well be moving to block our exit."> Sumi turns back to Kasia and makes a nodding motion (saying: come on). <"These.. Jawas, where would they store trophies?">

As the light from Sumi's helmet passes over the spherical shapes, a strange sight comes into view. The two creatures were parting from each other. Rathtar reproduced by dividing amongst themselves, creating copies of themselves to create a new child. The pair of Rathtar had just divided, and although they were small, Rathtar were not trifling creatures by any measure.

Meanwhile, back at the entrance to the Crawler, the light from outside dims. A third Rathtar drops into view, lowering itself on thick, ropy tentacles as it hunts the pair. Having no eyes, the Rathtar hunted by sound, smell and vibrations in ground. And it looked hungry.

Kasia is displeased, it shows on her face as she straightens, adjusting the bag she carries so it's resting against her back and out of the way. "This damn planet," she complains, quiet but out loud. "I don't think these Jawa have been here for a long time, which begs the question, why did that woman send us out here. Is there even a rifle here?" She doesn't muse further, it yields no answers to wonder out loud, and also a Rathar just came into view. Without hesitating she sweeps her thumb across the button on her saber, a pink glow illuminating the space around them.

<"They are /not/ good looking,"> Intones Sumi. She turns when Kasia activates her lightsaber and observes her intuition coming to reality. <"Rekk me, there's no fighting these things in enclosed space.. move!"> To buy time, Sumi underhands a glop grenade after triggering the fuse. The loud 'BEEEP BEEEP BEEEP' counts down its fuse until.. BOOSH, it cakes its adhesive all over the damned place.

Sumi couldn't see drek in the dark, so knowing whether it was a good splash or not was for historians to discover. She puts her back to it and begins to move further down the corridor hoping they could reach some place else with a door; then figure something else out. Rather than run though, Sumi is stepping heavily, double checking the load in her cylinder on the pistol before spooling it to close. She locks the hammer back again; they had eight shots.

The adhesive grenade explodes with a thick splattering of adhesive covering the area near the pair of Rathtar. Though the grenade didnt exactly strike the two recovering Rathtar, their moving limbs are quickly caught up in the adhesive, limiting their movement.

Meanwhile, behind the pair, the Rathtar has responded suddenly to the explosive adhesive grenade, and after a moment of tilting its head back and forth, it leans forward to offer a massive roar. Rows of massive teeth form a circular pattern of the Rathtar's mouth, as it emits the loud, scary sound. Tucking its tendrils inward, the Rathtar forms a strange ball around itself and begins to roll forward to give chase.

This isn't the first time Kasia has heard the beep-beep-beep of a glop grenade, and knows well to put some distance between the beeping weapon and herself. She's quick to hustle after Sumi, in search for more open spaces, doors, escape hatches, probably not the rifle. "I'm just not going to come to Tatooine anymore," she complains, it's a grumble, though Sumi can likely hear it. The flashlight she carries is shoved unceremoniously into her cleavage, casting ominous shadows across her face before she twists around and reaches a hand back to send an invisible wave at the creature pursing them. The intent is to try and push it back, hurt it, slow it, really anything that will buy them precious seconds to get away.

When Sumi reaches a T-intersection, she pivots back around and tells Kasia firmly, <"Pick a direction; covering you!"> Covering came in the form of the heavy handcannon in Sumi's hands. The creature had already suffered once at the hand of Kasia's mystic power, now it came under something more conventional. Sumi fires three shots, her off-hand fanning the hammer back twice. She observes a hit, which is surprising given she's hip-firing the weapon.

.48 slugs are nasty things, and it turns whatever it touches into ground nerf meat, like magic. An orange hot compensator at the end of the cannon's barrel smokes with the smell of cordite, yet Sumi isn't one to linger long as she turns to follow her close companion, trusting Kasia's instinct more than her own to lead them out.

If Kasia needed any proof the Mando was behind her, she need only listen to the -chiinkchiink- sound of the heavily armored footsteps closing behind her.

Kasia's telekinetic attack rung true, sending the rolling ball of flesh and tentacles off its intended course. Rather than roll forward, it careened off track and into a broken platform with a loud crash. This dazed the rathtar, who took a moment to pull itself free of the platform with massive, ropey tentacles. The follow-up onslaught did a number as well, with one of Sumi's shots blasting away one of the rathtar's massive tentacles. This bought the pair some time. The Rathtar returned to its rolling death mode afterwards, but they had created enough distance it couldn't catch them immediately. Behind the Rathtar, still flailing limply, the other pair began to call out in the same roar. They were unable to give chase, however, for the moment.

Pick a direction. Kasia whips her head back and forth and then veers off to the right at random, plucking the flashlight from the front of her dress as she goes. The clomp behind her is reassuring, it's like having a bell on a pet so you know where it is. A really deadly pet. "We need to find a way out of here," she says, hurrying ahead at a fast enough pace to try and put distance between them and the beast while also trying not to walk right into the maw of something else.

Sumi fires periodically toward the creature, not that it's effective, but she had no idea about Rathtar physiology or the fact they operated on sound and echolocation. Even if she had, Sumi was dumb enough to thirst for the challenge, and what better way than to ensure that the creature that intended you death, knew which way to roll its deathly mass.

She fired the three shots to no avail, but continued to follow after Kasia, giving the taller beauty more space while Sumi dared to leave /just/ enough to stay engaged and harm the creature along the way. Six shots have gone out, two remain, Sumi thinks to herself as she briskly moves to the next corridor Kasia turns down.

<"Operations, maybe? They have glass to see out of.. glass can break easy and I can fly us out."> Chiiiink--chiiink.. still there, Kasia.

The crashing of metal behind them gave them a pretty clear indication of where the Rathtar was, with each passing moment. The crashing came from it moving through the corridors designed for Jawas, and it ... was not appropriately sized. However, the tendrils help by pulling it forward a moment at a time. When Sumi is firing at it, it manages to avoid much damage, with the rounds either landing harmlessly, or missing it. As it crests one of the doorways, it offers another frustrated roar. The first inkling of danger was catching up, as flailing tentacles extend only a few feet behind them.

There is crashing behind them, and though Kasia can't see the creature, the sound of it is getting louder. That alone is enough to be alarming, but she tries to remain calm. Let the force guide her, let it help to lead her out of this. Deep breath in, exhale, she continues to lead Sumi through the crawler in the too tight spaces that weren't made for someone of her size either, making another turn. "I can say with all sincerity that I regret not bringing your clan in on this now." The crawler would probably be a smoking pile of rubble right now if they were here, but they're not, so it remain unburned as she leads the way trough the narrow passages.

Sumi fires off two more times, each round hitting firmly against the beast with satisfying sounding THOOONKS. The last shot out, Sumi presses the release and shakes out the empty casings from the spool. She begins feeding in new ones, having to pluck them from the belt around her waist all the while ducking and squeezing through the narrow path Kasia has led them down. Sumi continues to move briskly behind Kasia though, so it means she hears Kasia's regret. <"It's not so bad. I'm having a great time.">

Her statement is punctuated by the loud spinning noise of the spool on Sumi's weapon. It clamps shut, and she thumbs back the single-action hammer with her thumb: 'clikCLICK'. They lived long enough for eight more rounds.

Sumi turns back toward their foe and brings the revolver back to bear; she's smirking beneath that mirrored T-visor.

The Rathtar took two more attacks directly, this time somewhat more devestatingly. Though it wasn't nearly down for the count, the Rathtar continued forward with more and more angry fury. Kasia's intuition has lead the pair to a somewhat larger room, situated at the peak of the sandcrawler. The broad window afforded them plenty of sunlight now, and, more importantly: the door to the control cabin was offline, but functional. As far as doors went, anyway.

The control cabin also featured the first sightings of the owners of the facility. The fallen, starved Jawas were tumbled over on themselves. They were small in number, infinitely smaller than a working sandcrawler would require, as far as anyone could imagine.

The good news is they have more room, and a door that might work. The bad news is, composes and a 70 foot drop. You win some, you lose some. Kasia is careful with her saber once they're inside the room together, holding it back as she whips around to start trying to push the door closed. "Help me with this, maybe we can buy ourselves more time to figure a way out."

Sumi fires three more times, scoring another hit; she's convinced the thing is pissed off now. She picks up the pace and moves into the operations room to find Kasia there who beckons her to the door. Sumi waves her hand to wave her off that. <"No time.. hold your light sword blade across the threshold. It will have no choice but to pass through the blade as it comes to me.. stay to one side."> Sumi nods her head reassuringly, then turns back with a brisk flair of her cape, taking a spot centered on the door and looking at the threshold and other side. She raises her weapon, thumbing back its hammer, and takes aim.

<"A final stand is where I plant my feet;"> Sumi says aloud, shaking her head. <"..not one step more.">

The door didnt hesitate much with Kasia pulling on it. Its about halfway closed before the first tendrils begin to slap at it, and the Rathtar comes into view. Seeing the pair again at last, it offers another dramatic roar into the doorway, before its slithering tentacles try to begin finding slappy purchase.It was still a bit of a distance away, meaning it had little chance of hitting the pair. But, that would only last so long! It was getting closer to the door!

Kasia tries to push the door closed until she sees those tentacles pushing through the gap that remains. While she is competent at dishing out damage when she needs to, she knows full well that Sumi is far more an expert in combat, and so she does precisely what the Mandalorian suggests. She swings her saber down, managing to take some of those probing tentacles out in the sweep, then holds the beam approximately where it'll try to press through. The words that are spoken draw her gaze for a moment, and hearing them she plants her feet a little more firmly, bracing herself for the sound of Sumi firing her blaster again.

Sumi stands her ground as defiantly as any Mandalorian should in their final moments of life; weapon in hand, arm extended, her helmeted head tips down just.. slightly to align her shots.

This time, she takes her time to aim and fire. One. A devastating hit.

Her thumb pulls back the hammer again, a loud clikCLICK.

Two. Another devastating hit, the slug ripping through the beast's body transforming what organic matter it can into minced meat. Her thumb cocks back the hammer a third time. ClikCLICK.

Three. Another hit, this time speckling the bulkhead with a mural of blood. Sumi sneers and laughs. <"STAND FAST!"> Meaning hold your ground! Her thumb pulls back the hammer a third time.. it was victory, or death! Sumi took aim again..

The Rathtar was infuriated, and nearly dead. The last of the shots Sumi plugged into it bring about a particular kind of desperation. As the Rathtar tries to break through or slip around the door, Sumi's intimidating antics cause it to focus entirely on her! Its limbs flex and thrash wildly through the door to strike at her, catching more armor than anything else. One shot, the Rathtar's limbs continue. Two shots, Sumi's smoking gun was now punching holes in the Rathtar and sending flesh and blood everywhere. Three shots, a final attack catches more armor plating, before blood spray from a critical, vital organ causes the Rathtar to lose consciousness. The flailing ceases, and although the thing wasn't dead yet, it was unconcious.

Kasia grimaces slightly at the loud sound of the repeated blasts, but she can't complain, because those repeated blasts have taken out the blasted Rathtar that's given them such trouble. When it goes still, she pulls back the door enough to turn and thrust her saber into it. Is this against the Jedi way? She'll have to find out, but for now she isn't going to worry too much about putting an end to the creature that was trying to end them. "We can try getting out the way we got in and hope the others are still stuck, or find an alternative route out. I can cut us out given enough time, but probably best to do that from a lower point."

Sumi doesn't get another shot. She's hit by the full force of the dying Rathtar and sent flying from the kinetic hit. Landing harshly upon the metal flooring, the Mandalorian rolls/slides until she crunches against the far bulkhead, her weapon skipping away from her grasp. Kasia has ended the creature before Sumi's found her wits to move, again. It's slow going at first, the old warrior showing her age.

When she's made it to her feet and hunches over, with hands on her knees, the slow lean back is accompanied with a loud, muffled pop of her back and a shake of her head to rid herself of all the bells chiming.

<"I hope.."> Sumi begins, walking across the open room and stopping by her weapon. She squats down to pick it up and look it over. A test of weight, and she twirls it once, backwards, sinking it back into its holster on her side.

<"..we never see another Jawa again. Not a fan."> Sumi still didn't know what a Jawa was, clearly.

To Kasia's concerns, Sumi intones. <"I follow your lead."> A hand to Kasia's shoulder, and she amends. <"Thanks.. for trusting me."> A nod, and Sumi pulls out a knife to dislodge a big 'Jawa' tooth for a trophy, before regarding her on their way out.

The Rathtar below didn't seem all too eager to give chase, but Kasia had ended the one that was most dangerous to them. Quiet finally settled around them, and it even became clear that outside, the brown haze of the sandstorm had given way to brilliant blue skies. The twin suns were still there, but, the skies were nice enough. Everything else was sand colored.

"Of course." Now that they're not in immediate danger, Kasia manages a smile for Sumi, then her eyes look past the Mandalorian woman to the controls of the crawler. "What do you think the chances are that this thing still runs? I don't think there is a rifle in here, but it also might be funny to show back up with this thing and tell that woman she's free to come find her rifle on her own." Assuming that Fennec is still there when they return. "And if she doesn't want to, I'm awfully curious why she sent us on this little... errand."

<"A fair question,..let's see if this thing turns on."> Sumi wasn't sure about Fennec Shand either, but she agreed with leaving no stone unturned. Bringing this bucket of bolts back could go a long way with helping their village, too. Maybe some of those daughters would be willing to pay a pretty bit of currency or trade in return. <"I have some skill with repairs. I can head below. If you can find a way to turn this thing on, or indicate where I should look, I will respond.."> Sumi starts to walk away then pauses, raising an 'actually' finger. <"..if I don't die."> Trophy tucked away in her satchel, Sumi draws her pistol and moves back into the depths of this.. thing.