Private New Ship, New Problems

[Jonter Dalton]

Jonter nodded as he walked towards the ramp. “That can work,” Jonter said. “But Rohan is not easily swayed by credits. He deals in favors something I have ever since I did a gun running task for him during the Hapan Crisis.”

Jonter didn’t like thinking about the Hapan Crisis, mainly because it involved a lot of careful maneuvering that nearly cost him his life. As Jonter pressed the button that bought down the ramp, he immediately walked down and looked around the hangar bay. It was filled with fellow smugglers as well repurposed pit droids silently working on their tasks.

Jonter waltzed towards the elevator keeping an eye out for any mercenaries who might have followed him. “Ord Mantel is still struggling with rebel insurgents,” he said. “So we’ll need to cut through some skirmishes if we are to reach Rogar.”

 

[Lyra Vayne]

Objective: Get off Ord Mantell
Location: Ord Mantell spaceport
Equipment: Gringy Thief Outfit
Tags: Jonter Dalton

I am not opposed to doing favors. So long as it provided the right outcome. Of course scummy criminals didn't always ask for fun favors. Sometimes they asked for dangerous ones. Still if the price for getting off this rock was pulling a job for this Rohan, that wouldn't be a problem. I decided not to share that in the open for now. Jonter didn't sound like he wanted to deal with Rohan in favors.

I gave a bit of a smirk at the mention of Hapes. I didn't keep up with news enough to know the crisis Jonter spoke of, but Hapes had always been interesting to me. Collection of attractive folks, where the woman was in charge. Could be worse things. Maybe I will ask Jonter if it is as good as it sounds sometime. Sounds like a sore subject at the moment.

The smile on my lips quickly disappeared when the ramp went down. I really didn't want to be communing with this sort of smuggler. Jonter seemed alright. These guys seemed dirty. At least I am not in my good clothes.

Ord Mantell had never gotten its chit together. Still dealing with rebels was an eternal problem. What Jonter said next made me stop in place. "We are going to cut through some skirmishes? Why not just go back and turn myself over to those thugs? I ain't built for fighting Flyboy."

 

[Jonter Dalton]

Jonter seeing May stopping gave a huff of annoyance when she stopped saying that she didn’t want to cut through the fighting. “May we don’t have a choice,” Jonter said staring at the elevator. “Rognars house is lactated in the badlands, that’s where the bulk of the fighting is taking place.”

He placed his hands on his hips sighing. “If you do to fight,” Jonter said. “Just stick close to me okay. I’ll do all of the fighting.”

Jonter sighed. “If we fight at all,” he finished.

 

[Lyra Vayne]

Objective: Get off Ord Mantell
Location: Ord Mantell spaceport
Equipment: Gringy Thief Outfit
Tags: Jonter Dalton

I had set something off in Jonter. It slightly made me feel bad. But I would be willing to make it up to Jonter if he could just get me to better surroundings. Of course before we got there it seemed that I was destined to get on his nerves a bit. It wasn't really my fault he was the one those goons drove me into.

"Why does anyone ever decide to settle in a place deemed 'the badlands'?" I asked in indignation. There are so many nice places in the galaxy. Does scum just look to make their lives more…ick? I mean I guess I am not one to talk. I could be sitting comfortably in a Fondor government apartment, but I got bored and decided that stealing stuff would be more fun.

Jonter's offer to fight for me made me feel lucky to have run into him. Others on this planet would just throw me to the wolves. I suddenly didn't want to wait for danger to stay close to him. I moved up behind him, my shoulder almost touching his. "I will be sure to stay close," whispered in a husky tone.

 

[Jonter Dalton]

Jonter felt his ears redden when May brushed her shoulder against his. Why is she trying to make things difficult for him. “You don’t have any combat experience do you?” Jonter said as he pressed the button on the elevator and the elevator went down.

The Smugglers fingers brushed against his blaster pistol. Images of a burning planet and bloody and charred corpses flickered in his mind. Chit. The memories came back, Jonter needed a drink. As the elevator came to a halt, it open to reveal 3 men raising their blaster rifles at Jonter and May.

“Give up the girl!” One of the men said.

 

[Lyra Vayne]

Objective: Get off Ord Mantell
Location: Ord Mantell spaceport
Equipment: Gringy Thief Outfit
Tags: Jonter Dalton

I could tell that my flirtations were not going unnoticed. I suppose being hunted by thugs was a good reason for him not to reciprocate, cause I am damn sure I haven't lost any charm. I couldn't worry too much about it though, getting off this planet and to somewhere safe was much more important than proving how desirable I was.

When he asked if I had combat experience I couldn't help a snorting laugh. "I have fired a blaster before today. I punched a guy once or twice. But don't go counting on me coming to the rescue anytime soon. My goal is to avoid violence." I answered in complete honesty.

As we started off to wherever they were heading Jonter seemed to zone out a bit. I was about to give him a nudge when the elevator ride came to an end and blasters were pointed right at us. For all the talk of avoiding violence, my stun blaster was held tightly in my hand ready to try anything. "Do not give up the girl," I objected raising my blaster feebly and hoping that Jonter would fight and not just turn me over.

 

[Jonter Dalton]

Part of Jonter DID want to turn May over and get her off his hair but the chivalrous side of him decided to resist. Why did he choose emotion over logic he did not understand. Then again, May's reward sounded sweeter than credits at the moment. "Oh I know," Jonter whispered to May. "As soon as I fire, I want you to run now."

Unholstering his Blaster Pistol, Jonter shot at the nearest Merc, the blaster bolt creating a smoldering hole on his chest. The rest of the mercs fired, their blaster bolts whizzing past them. "Let's go!" Jonter yelled grabbing May's hand and running off.

Lyra Vayne

 

[Lyra Vayne]

Objective: Get off Ord Mantell
Location: Ord Mantell spaceport
Equipment: Gringy Thief Outfit
Tags: Jonter Dalton

Jonter whispered in my ear that he was not going to give me up. That was a good thing, but we still needed to get out of here. And that meant all of Ord Mantell if these guys found me this fast and I don't have the slightest idea where the hell I am.

As I am still trying to get my bearings about me, my savior tells me that I am to run as soon as he shoots. If he gets us out of here his reward is going to be mind blowing. At the same time, I need to figure out where the heck I am running to. But do I have time to generate a plan?

I saw the movement of Jonter's hand. I was ready to run but still only know I can't run straight ahead into the arms of the thugs. The shot fires, a good one putting one of the thugs on his ass with a smoking hole. The rest of the thugs didn't rest and mourn their fallen comrade. My hand was tugged, luckily by Jonter and luckily I was ready to be on the move. None of the thugs’ blaster bolts hit, but some were a little too close for comfort. "You got an escape plan Flyboy? Is the ship gonna get repaired if we lead these sleemos on a chase?" I asked in a hushed tone before looking over my shoulder. "You guys won't ever get me!"

 

[Jonter Dalton]

"No not really!" Jonter shouted through a wade of blaster bolts whizzing past he and May. The people in the spaceport screamed in terror while Jonter dodged them as if they were incoming asteroids. "I'm just making stuff up as I go along!"

That was the Smuggler life for Jonter one that he never got used to in his 3 years in the business. "Right now!" Jonter yelled. "I need to get these men off of me if we are to reach my boss!"

But how? They were outnumbered and Lyra is not a fighter. Jonter gritted his teeth as he headed for the exit. "All right I'm gonna fight them!" Jonter said skidding to a stop spotting a locker on the side. "Hide here!"

Jonter pushed Lyra into the locker slamming it shut before head to face the mercs. "COME AND GET ME!" Jonter shouted unholstering his Blaster Pistol.

Lyra Vayne

 

[Lyra Vayne]

Objective: Get off Ord Mantell
Location: Ord Mantell spaceport
Equipment: Gringy Thief Outfit
Tags: Jonter Dalton

Jonter admitted to improvising our current situation. I can't say that I was surprised. At the same time my main focus was on not getting shot, so I couldn't exactly blame Jonter for focusing on the same. Especially since he was the more disposable of us. I suppose the stupid muscle heads chasing us might guess that I had told Jonter where the item I never even had was. But that was very unlikely.

If he didn't have a plan, at least Jonter had a destination in mind. That was more than I could say for myself. Of course I had virtually no idea where I even was. My destination was anywhere off planet for now. ”Hope your boss is smart and powerful. Though if he does the lifting to get off the planet I don't know if I can really give YOU the reward…" I didn't ask where this boss of his was. Didn't seem like it mattered much and most likely the goons behind us would have a better idea where we were going if Jonter told me.

Then he came to a skidding stop as he announced he would be the one doing the fighting. Doubling down telling me to hide. But hide where? I know he didn't mean…

Yes it turned out he did mean the locker that I was thrown into and had the door slammed shut. I held my tongue as I was going to tell a bitter complaint. Instead I heard Jonter calling on our chasers to keep after him. Great. Now what do I do just wait for him to come back? A loud crowd rushed by and I sighed. He gets five minutes. Then I am figuring out how to get out of here and going off on my own again.