[Game Thread] Part One: I Don't Believe in Coincidence

[Jocularity]

Kai let himself be pushed back a short way so that there were a few bystanders shielding him from direct scrutiny from the police. He looked at the Rodian and the police officer, standing some way away and the area was noisy but arguing loud enough. He focused his senses on the two of them, hoping to eavesdrop on the argument.

Actions Use Perception to Eavesdrop: 19

[GrandCommander13]

Letting himself be pushed back past other members of the crowd so that the police officers couldn't get a good look at his face, Pelon is able to safely listen in on the resolution of the argument between the Rodian and the police officer. The mayor listens to the Rodian restate his argument, much more calmly to this more sympathetic ear.

"I was the one who lured Bataw back out into the open," the Rodian says. "It's Palkt's own fault for trying to poach my bounty." There is a brief pause before he continues. "My guild membership is in order," the Rodian says.

After another pause the mayor speaks. "Let him take the lead Captain. Try not to make this any more public than it needs to be." There is another pause. "Or more than it already is, I should say. People are on-edge enough already: I don't need them to feel like they're living under siege and I certainly don't want the Empire thinking we need more troops."

"Yes sir, mister mayor sir," the police officer says. The next thing Pelon hears is the officer speaking, in a more commanding tone. "Alright, when the door blows the bounty hunter goes in first. Keep your blasters on stun if you can." The officer's tone becomes much quieter. "And let him take all the risks if he wants that bounty so bad."

[Melchior]

"Fascinating," Zatrel says dryly, watching the police raid the building down the road. "Now would be a good time to leave," he says quietly to those of the group nearby. "While they're occupied."

[Connor]

Omemo speaks in what could only be considered a whisper to his people, "Yes, let us depart, as soon as possible..." he replies to his companions remark. His agreement comes from the perceived bounty hunters involvement within the Cantina, and his interest in not only himself but in his companions as well. More time here would only fan the embers of their situation.

[DoubleL1987]

Malcolm stepped back when ordered to, setthing a little at getting pushed around but not wanting to blow their cover. With everything he believes is possible gained, he heads back to the others, taking a quick look at the Kel Dor still standing near the crowd.

"Bounties and arms getting blown off...Sounds like a holovid," He said with a wry smile. "Still, you have to wonder what the Ithorian did to get the police after him and a bounty on his head."

[Jocularity]

Though hesitating to do so, Pelon Kai began to withdraw from the crowd and followed along with the others' suggestions to leave. He walked quietly until out of earshot of any of the characters on the scene. Once at such range, he muttered in close proximity to the others. "Part of me wants to put my hand into this, but i do not believe there to be wisdom in doing so with events you do not understand. As unsettling it is to acknowledge, there is very little we can do about anything with the limited perceptions we have of how the 'Dejarik board' is set. Let our minds stay on what we have seen through the keyhole we have."

[GrandCommander13]

You are able to break away from the crowd and leave while the police are all occupied with their operation. Fortunately, while the crowd is mostly attracting more members there are also people deciding that it would be easier to hear about it later rather than wait and stare at someone's back hoping to hear some blaster shots in person. Crossing the street first, you quickly step away leaving the police out of sight and out of mind.

Hoping to find a place to stay, you make your way in the direction of a nearby section of town that suffered badly under the Separatist occupation. Most of the soldiers hiding out in the section having been blasted by turbolaser fire from orbiting frigates, the streets are still pockmarked and throughout the section almost half of the old buildings still exist only as piles of scorched rubble by the side of the road. Those buildings that still stand have many broken windows, and others still have holes in the walls blasted open by liberating clones so they could have a safe entrance to attack the battle droids inside.

At the border of the section, where the damage isn't so bad, you still see the occasional shop—rent is undoubtedly cheap. Looking down the road, however, shows more rubble and nobody on the streets. Stepping further in, where you are safe from the potential observations of civilians, you are just able to orient yourselves to your surroundings. While trying to come up with a good plan of finding shelter, however, the alert members of the group perk up when they hear the sound of somebody upstairs in one of the standing buildings. Your eyes darting up you see a human with a blaster in his hand.

Upon being seen he amateurishly spins around for cover, spinning his back to the wall and squatting to the ground. Still, he sticks the blaster back out the window and fires a shot up into the air, and you hear the sound of movement from several positions around you.

Initiatives and actions. You and your opponents can't see each other in the first round. There is a three-square road with a one-square sidewalk on each side of it. Aside from the building the spotter is in, which has broken windows and a hole blasted in the wall, there are two similar buildings on the opposite side of the road and three buildings turned to rubble which would afford cover if you were to enter the difficult terrain, as would a doorway or window.

The hinges are doors that are still intact, the thick line that extends an entire square is a hole where a door used to be. The thick lines that don't extend an entire square are broken windows. The stairs, on the bottom of each building, head upstairs. The other big rectangles inside the building are counters. The thick rectangle on the wall of each building is where a hole was blasted into it. The airbrushed areas are rubble; rubble counts as difficult terrain but can grant cover.

[Melchior]

Upon entering the run down part of town the human had led them too, Zatrel smiles darkly. 'Nice place.' It wasn't much to look at, but it would be the perfect place to hide from the eyes of the Empire. Of course an all new set of eyes was looking down at them now. Zatrel rolls his eyes at the human thief's amateur ambush attempt but the mocking grin falls from his face when the man takes a shot at them.

Frowning, Zatrel pulls out his own blaster and scans the area around him. All of the buildings around them were in poor condition but there seemed to be sounds coming from all of them. Straining his ears, Zatrel tries to get a better grasp of the situation before charging in gun blazing.

[Jocularity]

 

Kai startled somewhat at the blaster shot, having thought that the thief had been scared off at being spotted. Suddenly sounds of movement were emitted by all of the surrounding standing buildings, and the situation was suddenly a degree more concerning. He was admittedly taken by surprise, putting to doubt his own Jedi senses, but as soon as he was able, Pelon moved forward into one of the nearby collapsed buildings, dropping down prone and taking cover behind the rubble. He drew the pistol he took from the officer at the spaceport, and held it forward. From where he was, he seemed to be able to cover two of the buildings.

Actions Move: As indicated on map. Swift: Drop Prone for extra cover Standard as Move: Draw Blaster Pistol.

[Connor]

Omemo simply waits. He respects his crew, he knows they are adept at what they do, as he is adept at what he does... He is a good face of the group, and clearly is the money... what his friends don't know is that he is quite capable as a medic if in a pinch. He will do what he can to support his friends, whether it will call for him to do more than simply pull out his pistol and wait.

[ReggaeMortis]

Confused as she is, Larria clearly has little experience in such surroundings. But she did encounter something similar in her travels: specifically, during hunting for monkey-lizards on Kowak. She recalls what a chore it was to look up all the time while walking through the jungle, lest one of those vile creatures should latch at her face or, which could be worse, at her blaster. Back then she had to notice the smallest movements of foliage above her head, and this skill seemed to come in handy now. Larria raises her rifle, turning around and trying to spot movements atop the buildings and in the cracks of the walls. She holds her breath, trying to hear any noise coming from the buildings, wishing her companions wouldn't make any noise. As a hunter, she is not used to delivering suppressive fire and of course wishes to make a true shot. "This might scare them away".

[GrandCommander13]

Zatrel and Larria are able to keenly focus on their surroundings: they can detect enemies in all three buildings, counting the one who fired the warning shot, plus four more enemies on the ground—one each at the north and south of the buildings directly across the street from you. At initiative count 15 the thugs all reveal themselves, meaning Zatrel and Malcom act, then the thugs, then we go to party, thugs, party, etc...

Since they are aware of the exact locations of each enemy Zatrel and Larria are able to ready actions to attack specific enemies (remember that the enemies inside the buildings will likely take cover in the windows).

[DoubleL1987]

OOC I'm guessing you rolled Initiative for me, GC

Scuttling behind cover with the rest, Malcolm started to wish that he had brought a gun from the guards they had first fought-off - he had been willing to draw his lightsaber then since he wasn't expecting to be living for much longer afterwards, but now that he was a little calmer, he knew he couldn't just pull out his blade at every opportunity, especially if any of these thugs managed to escape.

"I don't suppose anyone has a spare blaster for me?" He asked with a slightly wry grin.

[Connor]

Omemo chuckles as Malcolm speaks his needs. "Actually... as soon as I can I'll toss you my spare." He draws a pistol and when the opportunity arises he tosses it to the Jedi.

[Melchior]

It was a little difficult to pick out but Zatrel was fairly certain that there were five of them. Well it wouldn't do much good to be standing in the middle of the street with them coming out on both sides, so Zatrel moves for cover. Ducking around the corner of the nearby building, Zatrel presses himself up against the wall of the building and holds his blaster up. Maybe once they took out a couple of the punks the rest would lose their nerve and run away.

Actions Move action: Draw blaster. Move action: Move 5 squares to around the corner of the right building.