Rock Me Amadeus

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Max Firestorm"] | Unknown Regions​

​

Mining vessel trawled slowly through the asteroid field, barely moving in the thick field of rocks. Suddenly, a chubby furry Loth-cat jumped onto the console, demanding attention. The creature meowed and danced across the controls in a circular fashion, looking up at his owner. Contentment spread through the fat little Loth-cat once a scale speckled hand came to scratch behind its ears.


"Easy there pal. You trying to get us killed?"


Makai stared out at the black, icy asteroids dancing in front of the vessel. With any luck there would be enough valuable ore and minerals in the asteroids to bring a crew in. He was scouting right now, less waste of resource to send one person than hundreds. Ice blue eyes glanced at the controls and readouts - quiet. A good sign that the asteroid field was unclaimed.

Koa curled up on a warm patch of control panel, tail twitching as he looked at the asteroids floating by. There was a small chirp of acknowledgment, as if he was speaking back to the teenage boy.

 

[Alexia Santiago]

The ship silently pressed among the icy asteroids like a bad omen on the dark horizon. It was a skeleton crew for this one: the Weequay, the Trandoshan, and the Human. The pilot, the muscle, and the demolitions-tech expert. Should be enough.

"Target up ahead," the weequay warned to the other two.

The trandoshan was using a dagger to pick some leftover meat from between its sharp, razor teeth.

Max scowled and shoved a stun grenade into her pack. "You gotta do that here, eh?"

The trandoshan grunted and licked his lips, looking back at the dark-skinned girl, "You rather I get closer?"

"You rather I stick this explosive up your-"

"ENOUGH," their weequay captain ran a weary hand along his face. "Prepare to board if our cloaking holds. Incapacitate the crew. Plunder what you can. Get back on-board. This is a quick in and out job. Got it? If your arses aren't back on board at the scheduled time, your arses will be left. Got it?"

Max and the trandoshan nodded. The trandoshan flexed his fingers as Max slung the pack over her shoulder. First thing was first. The captain pulled up the targeting system and fired a shot at the mining vessel meant to temporarily shut down the vessel's shields, weapons, and engines.

It meant the pirate's location or their intention were no longer secret.

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Max Firestorm"]


Koa's tail flicked like a metronome as the mining vessel slowly plodded along. Hair had fallen into his eyes, dusting just over his brows as shoulders hunched over the console. Makai was working an arm on a large piece of asteroid, long drillbit boring a hole into rock. An easy way to gather testing samples without having to suit up and do the task by hand. He was completely focused on his task, engrossed in obtaining enough samples to get a baseline of the types of ore available.


The mining vessel rocked and all power blacked out for a moment. Emergency power was brought to life, casting an eerie red glow. Koa, who had been on the verge of dozing, was up on his haunches, fur puffed out on high alert.

Bad thing for him : Mining ships didn't have weapons. On a typical job they would have a security escort. Not today.


"Apparently we are in someone's mine field. Bit of an extreme reaction..."

 

[Alexia Santiago]

A seal was applied and a hatch was opened. The massive trandoshan squeezed through, hulking form clonk-clonking on-board the salvaging vessel. His fork-tongue flickered out of his mouth and between sharp teeth.

"I smell fear," he hissed.

Max rolled her one good eye, blaster raised.

"Move, will yah? Can't get through with your bulk in the way." The trandoshan, who's name was Frank, grunted and moved aside, stalking deeper and further into the ship down one corridor. Max pulled herself on board.

"I'll take starboard."

Frank hissed.

"Finders keepers."

As if their captain would let THAT happen.

Gold, bangled earings caught the light as she stalked forward. Time to get paid. Seemed like her way was toward the cockpit.

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Max Firestorm"]


Makai and Koa had tucked themselves into a little alcove just inside the cockpit. He listened intently, two voices moving throughout the ship. The teenager had been hoping for a more one-on-one fight considering the close and cramped quarters. Judging from the lighter voice - female - the other person was large. Not ideal.

He waited patiently for the smaller one to enter the cockpit before he struck. Koa went biting and scratching for ankles. Makai went with a vibroblade towards the intruders side, hoping to catch them off guard. The quicker he could catch them by surprise the quicker he could dispatch the first intruder. Although he didn't want to, Makai was looking to seriously injure or perhaps kill the intruder. He had never killed up close but if it was coming down to him or the other person....

Vibroblade came in a uppercut motion towards the intruders kidney, looking to take them out quickly.

 

[Alexia Santiago]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

Frank was somewhere else in the ship.

So it was lucky Max who got an ankle full of biting and scratching. Luckily, her shin-high boots protected most of the damage but she did feel claw slice through cloth. The girl stumbled back, surprised.

"Oy," she yelled, clearly affronted. Which was ironic. Blaster came down as the boy's weapon came up. He looked about her age. She was surprised. Finger squeezed down on the trigger, sending out a stun-blast just before his blade tipped her weapon from her hand.

Better than her kidney.

He'd suddenly find a boot kick out, heal aiming for the hand that held the sword. A balled fist would follow for the guy's not-so-bad-looking face.

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Max Firestorm"]


Stun blast got Koa, knocking his beloved pet out cold. Makai knew the chubby Loth-Cat would be perfectly fine in a little while but the act still enraged him. Blade lashed out once again, the girl moving fluidly. Not the first time she had been in a ship trying to steal things it seemed, dodging artfully as he pressed the attack. Tables quickly turned however, her heel coming straight for him. Makai could dodge the foot but the fist wasn't something avoidable. Her fist connected with his right eye at a good clip, no doubt he would be sporting a black eye for the days to come.


"Son of a queen!"


Free hand briefly - and hopelessly - clutched the injured eye before remembering to push the pain aside and continue. Not having much to lose, Makai charged at her, looking to tackle pirate girl to the ground.

 

[Alexia Santiago]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

Fist was brought quickly back and she went to swing her other hand in a left hook toward the side of his head. Only. She wasn't expecting him to tackle. And there wasn't really anywhere for her to go. It was a karking cockpit.

The dark-skinned girl braced as best she could, one hand reaching out to try and grab that hand of his holding the blade.

Didn't want to get cleaved in two prematurely. She was turning 18 in a few months. Other hand went to wrap around his waist.

Oh hello muscles.

The goal was that when she was taken down, she'd lean into the force and with a roll of bodies, hopefully get the position on top. Hard to say if that would happen, though. And if it did, if she could keep it. The guy had muscles and his mass was certainly more than hers.

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Max Firestorm"]


Little did the pirate girl know Makai was no stranger to physical labor despite his position in life. Mining was hard work, salvage was hard work. To a lesser extent, surfing and swimming could be hard work, despite his half-aquatic nature. He easily picked up [member="Myra Elspeth"] and the pirate girl in front of him was scarcely bigger. Makai was confident in his ability to take the pirate girl down but if he could keep her there was another question - looks like she had a tendency to scratch.


Force of the impact onto the hard durasteel was used to his advantage, using his weight to help keep pirate girl on cold durasteel. Vibroblade was still in hand, the teenager doing his best to angle the blade away so pirate girl couldn't grab it.


"I'd advise you to leave pirate girl. Before you get hurt."

 

[Alexia Santiago]

Ouch.

Yeah, that didn’t go as planned.

Mocha-skinned face scrunched up in a grimace as an ache started in her head, traveling down her back. “Chit, you’re stronger than you look.” There was a rustle from somewhere down the back of the ship. Hand came up to try and push at the young man’s face. Away.

“I’d suggest you play dead because my colleague isn’t as....gentle as me,” knee came up sharply beneath him, aiming for his stomach.

“Max?” The trandoshan growled from within the ship. “Got some good loot. Get your arse in gear.”

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Max Firestorm"]


Pirate Girl may have intended to aim for his stomach but her knee landed in an entirely different place. There was a loud groan - how that much air managed to escape him while being in pain was beyond him. Weight that was on Pirate Girl holding her down was suddenly off her, with Makai laying on the cold hard durasteel.

Yeah, playing dead will be easy now.

Why they were raiding his barebones "bachelor" mining ship was beyond him. Unless they wanted tins of food and his bedsheets, maybe his credcard he'd cancel after they left.

 

[Alexia Santiago]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

And his weight was off.

Finally.

That had to hurt.

Max pulled herself up as the large shadow of the trandoshan blocked the doorway. Frank looked down at the squirming humanoid and grunted. "Anyone important?"

Max's shoulders rolled in a shrug. "I dunno. Hell'ova fighter though. Seems like just a salvaging nomad to be." It made her uncomfortable when Frank asked those questions. He and the captain didn't have problems taking prisoners and doing ransoms. She on the other didn't like it. Yes. The pirate girl drew the line somewhere. She preferred not to kill, too.

Fingers came to rub at her lower back. A bruise was blossoming beneath clothes. Stepping forward, the trandoshan went to grab Makai's haired head, bringing up a scanner to run along his face. Max looked away.

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Max Firestorm"]


Makai was stupid to expect he would get away free and clear. Pillaging, a kick in the crotch, even left adrift he could have easily dealt with. A facial scanner was his worst nightmare. Even if one kept to the Outer Rim and Unknown Regions facial scanners and security systems that logged citizens were everywhere. It didn't take long for the trandoshan to pull several hits off whatever facial recognition software the duo was using.

'Salacia Consolidated Heir Attends Mon Cala Ball', 'Salacia Consolidated Goes Into Mining', 'Wrecks to Riches : How a Father-Son Duo Has Rose in the Spacelanes'

The teenage boy groaned a little when he saw part of the screen. Maybe he should try a hopeless tactic. Probably couldn't hurt - well maybe Pirate Girl would take a foot to crotch or face but he had to try.

"That's one handsome guy, kinda looks like me but I think the hair is different. Too much of a pretty boy for me."

 

[Alexia Santiago]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

"Yeaaahhh," Frank hissed, sharp-jaw curving into a reptilian smile. "All that other stuff I found is junk compared to this. Look at the number Maxy."

The girl lifted her one good eye.

"I dunno. You sure? The nose looks different. This guy's is crooked compared to the holo." Max was blowing smoke and Frank wasn't buying it.

"Aww, kid. Got a soft spot?"

Her lowerlip puffed out, arms crossing beneath her chest. "NO. Just want to be sure is all. Why waste our time? And you and I both know Cap will kill us if we're wrong."

Frank grunted and hauled Makai up, a clawed hand going to curve easily around the backs of both of the kid's wrists, shoving him to stand and forcing him up and out - if able to. It was time to go and get back on the pirate's ship. Before they were left behind.

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Max Firestorm"]


"So you do love me Pirate Girl. I knew I felt something."


As he was being drug to his feet the comment was worked in. Makai wasn't too worried about being killed yet. A dead rich kid didn't produce any ransom. Most likely he'd be roughed up and treated a little less than hospitable, no blaster to the temple quite yet. Makai wondered if his father would follow their demands. It was one thing to say no but when Judah's only son and heir was in danger, logic often got thrown out the window.

Legs moved stiffly, the trandoshan practically dragging him along.


"Will there be in flight entertainment?"

 

[Alexia Santiago]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

Makai got a quick shake of her head and roll of her one good eye from Max. Frank jostled him against the wall as he dragged him along.

............

About an hour or so later Makai would find himself within the slightly rusty-belly of a pirate ship, one leg shackled in irons, anchor point welded into the floor of his cell. There was a faint glow of an energy shield that would send a zap through his system if he decided to get bold enough to wander out. There was a bare-bones cot and waste bucket. The ransom demand to one Judah Dashiell had been sent. Makai's mouth had gotten him roughed up a bit. Swollen eye, blood on his lip.

Max drew the short-straw and was ordered to clean the kid up a bit, knowing if whoever this Judah was called, he'd probably want proof of life.

Stopping at the energy shield, Max switched it off, carrying a wet rag with some bacta smeared on it.

Dark, wiry hair swayed across her shoulder as her head shook.

"Got a real mouth on you. If you just shut-up it'd be a mighty less painful of a ride." The girl stepped into his cell.

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Max Firestorm"]


Makai was sitting on the cot, feet firmly planted on the floor. He had removed his undershirt, folding it into a neat square before placing the clean cloth on his eye. His outershirt was haphazardly buttoned back and askew due to performing the task one handed. It didn't matter though. The lanky teenage boy used his knee as a prop for his elbow, gingerly resting the injured eye. It wasn't wise to upset his captors but Makai didn't care. They had left Koa behind in the black to fend for himself. Could have drug the hissing and scratching Loth Cat along and demanded a separate ransom.

He didn't bother moving to look at or acknowledge her presence. Shoulders lifted in the smallest of shrugs.

"Sarcastic comments irritate your crew, so I'll keep making them. I won't be killed, not yet. There are far too many credits for your 'team' to make for them to make that unwise decision. They send you in here to annoy me? Ask questions to see what leverage you can get?"

 

[Alexia Santiago]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

Energy shield closed behind her as she stepped into the cell.

"Name's Max." He'd already heard Frank say it earlier and no doubt he'd hear another crew-member say it again. "Y'know there are worse things than death, right?" The girl mused as she moved closer, cautiously, like approaching a wild animal.

fingers extended, holding out a clean cloth and bacta patches.

"Here."

It was clear she didn't want to be there. Drew the short-straw.

"Message was sent to your old man. Captain wants you to clean yourself up a bit. I have a feeling you'd be annoyed by anything I do or don't do so, why bother?" Hand went to her hip as her one eye looked him over closely.

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Max Firestorm"]


"I have scales, doesn't mean I'm wild animal that bites."


If Pirate Girl could ignore him then he would do fine ignoring her responses. His folded undershirt remained on his swollen, black-and-blue eye. Pain medicine and water would be nice to have but he wasn't going to give the crew the satisfaction of asking - begging - for anything. Iced-blue eyes that resembled his mother's flickered to the girl and her outstretched cloth. He didn't reach for it.


"Clean myself up so you can show my father how 'well' I've been treated? So he could look good, keep up appearances?Doesn't sound beneficial to me at all."


Makai had inherited Judah's easy going nature to an extent. Thessa Kai was incredibly stubborn and it was clear her son could dig in his heels and be just as stubborn when need be.

 

[Alexia Santiago]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

"Well, you tackled me last time we met, so," voice trailed off knowing full well she'd gotten him in the groin. BUT THAT WAS AFTER SHE WAS TACKLED.

Max lowered her arm and moved closer. She wasn't going to deny her captain's intentions. It was out of her control, anyway. The pirate girl plopped down on the cot.

"How about clean yourself up so you don't get an infection and die?" Fingers would reach out and try to gently turn his chin her way. Eh. She was ready to knee him in the groin again if he tried anything.