GILLEM
The speeder screamed into the wind as Gillem sped his way through the desert of Tatooine, its scorching sands biting back at what flesh was exposed as the whipping winds whirled around him and his captive, the Gran who had sold Dash and Lorelia Eckon. The Gran laid on his belly, draped over the back of the speeder with his limbs bound to the mechanical hover bike that carved its way through the desert.
He would beg, plead, bargain and whimper for his life, but it only made Gillem that much more angry.
The Gran directed Gillem to where he needed to be as they ventured. Finally stopping atop a massive sand dune that overlooked a massive crater in the sands, a dust bowl, hidden behind the walls of the sands as cover. Within its center was a massive ship, stripped for parts and refurbished into a living ground for a tribe of sand raiders.
Gillem switched the bike off allowing it to free float just above the ground as he dismounted pulling out his binos to look down at the various people.
Night would come soon, and he would need all the cover he could get.
“Is that the place?”
His mechanical hand grabbed the Gran by the back of his neck forcing him to look upon the slavers at the bottom as they yelled insults and drove people to continue to work.
“Yes! Yes it is officer-”
Gillem threw him down cutting off his sentence.
“Shut up. I only needed a simple answer.”
Gillem walked around the speeder opening its side compartment. Inside nestled tightly within were various bombs, ammunition and his old knife. Razor sharp and energetically enhanced to cut through durasteel. His mechanical hand opened up its own compartment allowing him to insert five high yield explosive shells. He attached flashbangs to his vest, and added extra ammo to his gun belt.
Finally he shut the compartment.
“You won’t kill them all, you would be stupid to think so.”
Gillem stopped and took a slow drag of his cigarette.
“I don’t need to kill’em all. Just the right man.”
He took one more drag before plucking it from his lips and flicking it away, exhaling the smoke before his battle mask encased his face and sides of his head, a support protection plate unfolded over the back of his head for total protection and the eyes pulsed to life with a lowlight red tint for night excursions.
Set to track heat signatures.
He grabbed his pistols, loading them up with specialty slugs, with a quick twirl of the firearms he adeptly fit them into their holsters at his hips. Finally, the rifle.
A high powered rifle that swapped between medium power rapid fire rounds or one heavily modified blast that consumed a whole power core. He racked its lever testing the action and looking through the scope.
“Well I see you are about to be busy, Mr.Gillem sir, i think I will take my leave.”
The Gran started to stand before Gillem drew his pistol aimed right at the Gran’s head.
“Start walking down, get their attention.”
The Gran gulped, a dry knot caught in his throat as the final life of daylight sank behind the dunes. Slowly he made his way towards the Sand Raiders.
Black Sun, he said. Sounds like someone bigger is pulling their strings. Likely who I will need to talk to when I meet them.
Gillem watched as the pathetic Gran made his way, babbling some words to the Raiders to get their attention. Gillem slowly moved down, keeping low. He took cover behind some storage container and plucked a flashbang from his vest.
He took a deep breath, then chucked it back. As it flew Gillem’s reflexes kicked in as his eye measured the explosives trajectory and where Gillem could shot to ricochet the bullet into the explosive.
He drew, and with perfect aim, fired the specialized projectile towards the durasteel wall ahead of him causing the slug to bounce off the wall and through a few Sand Raiders before ricocheting once more hitting the explosive that now hung eye level with the other Sand Raiders.
It was as if the sun itself had turned back on in their faces. They screamed and covered their face dropping their weapons, and Gillem moved, grabbing the Gran and holding him in front of him as blaster shots fired his way, hitting the Gran as he screamed in pain.
Gillem flung his body to the side into a weakened wall that shattered from the combined weight. The Gran’s lifeless body now having served its purpose. Gillem quickly rolled over him, pulling the corpse with him as more blaster fire rained down, gillem placed the barrel of his pistol into the back of the Gran and fired three shots, the first one ripping a clean hole through for the other two to pass through.
The bullets ricocheted off the walls and he could hear a few pained grunts as some of the blaster fire ceased.
He listened as silence fell. Footsteps above him echoing through the metal.
Gillem holstered his pistol and waited.
Finally, his metallic hand folded back revealing a larger barrel which he aimed towards the footsteps and fired. A massive blast rocketed through the durasteel blowing away a few more raiders and enveloped the area in a thick cloud of dust.
Gillem moved again through the chaos, drawing his knife.
His mask picked up each heat signature, each individual panicking in the chaos allowing him to draw near and silence them.
Each movement of his blade cutting the thread of another slaver.
Finally he drew his other pistol and fired three consecutive shots, one in the knee, then the gut then the shoulder of another raider.
Slowly he made his way around the ship, climbing over the top of it before he found a small vent he could just fit in.
He slipped in, hearing alarms blare within the ship, hearing footsteps approach quickly, he ducked behind another crate of supplies allowing them to pass by.
Slowly he looked over. No one else was approaching, allowing him to move further in.
He took a turn towards a door that slid open. And on the other side sat a Sand Raider at a desk looking over some mechanical parts. Before he could stand up, Gillem threw his knife into the Raider’s chest. A weak groan escaped before he fell limp.
Gillem looked around the area as he retrieved his knife, surrounded by cells. Animals, creatures and people all held in one small confined space.
A hound like creature snarled as it attacked the bars when Gillem approached causing him to slightly step back. He pulled up his bracer activating a small amplifier that rung out with a specific ringing tone, constant and dull. His finger gently shifted over the pitch heightening to the point it could not be heard by him, but the creature quickly ceased aggravation.
He heard more footsteps approach catching his attention. Quickly he drew his knife and ran it across the lock that kept the beast caged. He then leapt atop the cage as the beast leapt through catching the approaching raiders by surprise. Blaster fire rang out as they screamed in desperation before the beast carved its way through.
Gillem looked at each cage, none holding who he was looking for. But as he ran through he unlocked each one that held a person and non aggressive creature. In the chaos of the people leaving in a mass panic Gillem moved with them, hidden in plain sight. His mask mapped out the area around him highlighting steps that led to the top of the ship. Likely where the boss was waiting.
The higher levels were eerily quiet. Most of the security having headed down to deal with the escapees. The alarm still sounded off as red alert lights flashed in the many halls.
He made his way up higher through the levels before seeing a lone door protected by two sand raiders at the end of the hall.
He drew the rifle, charging up its high yield shot, aiming it right at the door between them, a slow squeeze of the trigger and the shot exploded forth in a fireball of plasma impacting the door with a powerful small range explosion, sending the two raiders flying and burning.
Gillem racked the lever ejecting the spent power cell and slung the rifle over his back.
Finally he walked in as the smoke started to clear.
Gillem stopped when he heard a slow clapping sound, the man at the desk now standing, wearing his fancy suit.
An ex-ranger, one with a hefty bounty on his head. A Zabrak by the name of Krynn, a force sensitive.
Gillem stopped his advance facing the man.
“Welcome to my humble abode, Mister?”
Gillem did not answer.
“Would you like a drink, perhaps we could discuss business.”
Gillem did now acknowledge the offer.
“I am looking for a kid and his mother.”
Krynn gave a small laugh.
“Well now, that does not narrow it down. What race? What age?”
Gillem’s stance straightened as disgust built in his eyes.
Krynn breathed deep.
“I can feel that hatred.”
Gillem scoffed.
“Spare me the Force bullshit. Dash and Lorellia Eckon. Where are they?”
Krynn flicked his hand sending the desk flying to the side.
“How about a gentlemen’s bet first? A draw? If you win, the information is all here on this holodisk.”
He threw the disk down on the floor between them.
“If I win, well, that won’t matter to you will it? Gillem.”
Krynn gently laid his hand on the hilt of his lightsaber. His thumb just barely grazing the metal handle, waiting for Gillem’s response.
Gillem’s eyes glared and his hand gently brushed his coat to the side allowing easier access to his firearm.
For a long moment there was silence as Gillem could feel his heartbeat, hear his heartbeat.
Thump Thump….Thump Thump…….Thump Thu-
Like a flash of lightning both men drew their weapons, but Krynn called upon the force ripping Gillem’s pistol from his hand and across the room. Krynn flew forth with a crimson blade that hissed to life, slashing and stabbing like a mad man at Gillem. But Gillem kept moving, just barely avoiding the blade until it just barely caught his gut, searing just the top layer of flesh and burning through his armor.
A grunt escaped him as he picked up his boot, its rocket boost firing off into Krynn’s face. A pained yell erupted from Krynn as he placed his hand over his eyes. Gillem’s mechanical hand acted, ramming his fist into Krynn’s forearm that held the saber. The blade dropped and Gillem kicked it away.
Krynn took that moment to leap for Gillem’s pistol on the floor, gripping its handle he leveled it to the gunslinger. Gillem at the same time reached for his other pistol before Krynn acted. Just a hair faster than Gillem, pulling the trigger with a sick smug on his face.
click
Nothing….
Krynn looked at the gun confused.
All nine rounds in the cylinder, spent.
Krynn scoffed at the ridiculousness.
“Hm, now that is inter-”
BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG
Each shot rang out like thunder cracking the heavens, each impact forced movement out of Krynn’s body, pushing him towards the back of the office towards the window. two shoulder shots, two gut shots and one shot to disarm Krynn of the Ranger’s firearm.
A scream of pain erupted from Krynn as he stood at the window breathing heavily, his exhales plagued by liquid build up in his chest.
“Are…you gonna say anything smart? Tell me I won’t hurt another person? Monologue? COME ON TELL ME SOMETHING!”
Gillem scoffed as he pulled the hammer back.
“This ain’t that kind of story.”
BANG
Krynn’s head recoiled back as the impact hit him in between the eyes, the force and weight of his body shattered the window sending him falling a high distance to the sandy ground. Blood pooling all around him.
Gillem slowly walked across the floor to the holodisk that waited for him, ever patiently. His fingers gently plucked it upwards.
Finally he picked up his other pistol and holstered it.
“One of these days, that gamble will kill me.”
Gillem spoke to himself as he inserted the disk into his bracer, a holodisplay of a map of a certain part of the galaxy sprung to life, and one planet pulsed.
Nar Shaddaa .
A slow exhale escaped him as he slipped out of the window, climbing the outside of the ship and slowly scaling down towards an area of little attention making his escape with little attention drawn to him.
