Private The Gang's All Here

[Jacen Nimdok]

Judd's fist slammed into the one-eyed pirate, breaking his jaw and sending him flying, landing in a lanky sprawl on the pavement. Whether alive or dead, he wasn't getting up anytime soon.

Jacen continued to dodge and evade the shots—until one caught him in the shoulder. Hissing in pain, he lay still, clutching his arm.

For his hesitation, he was rewarded with the barrel of a pistol pressed to his head. "Nobody move!" the safe cracker howled.

Judd Levi​

 

[Judd]

Feeling his fist connect, and understanding humanoid physiology enough to know it was lights out, Judd didn't even bother watching the man soar further into the alleyway. Instead, he turned around, and glanced at the doorway. Nobody appeared to have snuck by him.

So they were already here. Trying to snatch the job out from under them. Figures. Why exactly was it so popular to make business deals in a cantina, again?

Their clean job had already been spoiled. He was pretty sure he'd heard blaster shots in the pawn shop. Silent alarms were probably already going off, if there were any to begin with. Might as well go in guns blazing.

If he, y'know had guns.

The large medic trampled across the alley, glad that he'd already taken care of the front cameras, and kicked down the door. It was reinforced, sure, but that wouldn't stop a Dowutin on a mission. The entryway bent inward, requiring one more battering to fly off it's hinges. Judd held his gut with his stumped arm. What could he say to help the crew?

"Uh... Police?"

Then he began stomping through the store down the stairs, stopping at the stairs as he saw Levi prepped at the bottom of them. No way he could help in a standoff. Except as extra incentive for things to go their way.

Levi - Jacen Nimdok ​

 

[Levi]

Levi was forced to stay where he was. He didn't have a safe shot on the safecracker, and Jacen was one itchy finger away from the galaxy's worst headache. A thumping from upstairs stole his attention, but only after he heard:

"Uh... Police?"

"Police?" The devaronian turned around to see the Dowutin. Then, there was another sound at the door.

"Police!" A voice repeated more confidently. A team of officers stormed the entryway.

"Police?!" Levi panicked, "How the hell did they know we were here?!"

Judd - Jacen Nimdok​

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

"Police!"

What?!

The safe cracker tensed, then shoved the young vampire away, backing up into the shadows. Jacen did the same, not sure what else to do now that the cops were involved.

He was terrified, his glowing eyes wide and blood roaring in his ears. If he got arrested again, Force...

The safe cracker was looking between him and the stairs. Paralyzed as he was, Jacen parsed the meaning of his glancing eyes. A temporary truce between the two crews could be made so long as they had a bigger threat to deal with. But right now, Judd was the closest to the cops. His massive hulking figure blocked the top of the stairs, a big fat obstacle to a would-be shootout with the police. What happened next would depend on him.

Levi Judd​

 

[Judd]

At first, Judd thought he heard an echo behind him.

Nope, he decided, watching a squad of officers storm into the room. The big bruiser's surprise quickly hardened into battle-trained resolve.

The enemy had outflanked them. It was time to push.

Judd grabbed the first heavy thing he could, a large metal table, and flung it at the entryway. The discharge of blasters accompanied the sound of clanking metal, as the furniture smacked the officers breaching. Following up the motion, Judd slammed the door shut, securing it closed with said metal table. There were a few dazed officers left in the room, and Judd made sure they wouldn't become a problem later by kicking them in the head.

Gently kicking them in the head. Gently-ish.

"They'll breach windows next!" Judd searched around for more items, finally palming the seat of a stool, a millitary cadence adding itself to his bark. "We gotta evac! Now!"

"Get the goods and go!"

Levi - Jacen Nimdok ​

 

[Levi]

The police made a mess of things right quick. Both bands of thieves were in a panic, but seemed to divert their violence away from each other for the duration of this chaos. Judd was holding the line upstairs, but even a brute of his stature wasn't immune to a barrage of blaster bolts. Time was short, and they'd need to work together if they didn't want to end up back in an Alliance cell.

"Where's that cask at?!" Levi barked at the safe cracker. "We're not leaving without the goods!"

Judd - Jacen Nimdok​

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

The would-be safe cracker turned out to be none other than one Captain Rhett Valentino, potentially recognizable among pirate circles by his ubiquitous keffiyeh. “I couldn’t get the safe to open,” he said. “I’m not the one who usually does this part. Our slicer got vaped on Chaldea…”

And the police were still coming. Grimacing in agitation, Jacen looked to Levi. “Give me your gun. I’ll hold them off while you get the safe open.” They were cutting it close, but the prize was still within their grasp.

Judd Levi​

 

[Judd]

The sounds of crashing glass, blaster fire, and the dull thud of a stool hitting someone's face all came from the upstairs room.

After a moment's pause, a very annoyed Judd peered down the stairs again, a blaster burn peeling away the skin above one of his brows. A few inches to the left, and his brain would've been cooked. "Ey! What part of 'now' didn't we understand?! Stop yapping, start zapping!"

If Jacen were to come up, he'd see a strange sight. A couple extra officers lay on the ground. The window, was entirely smashed. And sitting out of line of sight of the outside was Judd, six or seven smoking welts decorating his chest and arms. He'd picked up a blaster rifle, and was toting it awkwardly in one hand, sitting on the stool he'd just used to bash down the police. He was breathing heavy.

Judd was tough as shit, but even he had limits.

- Levi - Jacen Nimdok -

 

[Levi]

Levi rolled his eyes and scoffed, snatching the scramble key from his fellow Captain, "Give me that," More hesitantly, he handed Jacen his blaster. But after a lone nod, he stepped away to deal with the safe.

The Devonian's expertise lied more in his silver tongue, but at times like his, his deft hands revealed his all-around expertise as a true experienced thief. Even still, he struggled a bit with the console. It was well-secured, probably a necessity for a pawn dealer on Batuu. TO make matters worse, the system kept trying to reset on him, and he soon realized why, "The cops must've scrambled the power when they showed up!"

Finally, he got the code broken, and laughed in admiration of himself, "Got it!" He stepped back, but the safe door didn't open. Right. Scrambled power. He grabbed at the large durasteel door, trying to pull it open, "Damn it... Judd!" He looked up toward his Dowutin cremate, "I need Judd muscle here! Now!"

Jacen Nimdok - Judd​

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

Taking Levi’s gun, Jacen raced back up the stairs, pausing only briefly as he spotted Cagney sitting on the top step, clutching his burned hand. He moved past the old pirate, took aim and fired at the police. It was hard to believe that getting into a shootout with the cops wasn’t something he’d ever even dreamed of only a couple weeks earlier…

"The cops must've scrambled the power when they showed up!"

“What?!” Jacen blurted in a panic, blasting the brains of some poor police officer who probably had a family. Hopefully he beat them so no one would feel bad about his death.

Levi was calling Judd to help him with the safe door, which would leave Jacen alone against the police. The vampire boy fired indiscriminately… and it seemed he wasn’t alone. The eyepatch-wearing pirate who had harassed Judd was also haranguing the cops with blaster fire from the rear.

Judd Levi​

 

[Judd]

"I need Judd muscle here! Now!"

"Yeah! I'm comin'!" The hefty Dowutin stood up from the stool, a little shaky on his feet from the smoking holes in his torso. Lunging past Jacen, who had come up to join the combat. He paused as he lumbered past, patting the boy's shoulder. "Keep your head down, stay alive! Do that and suppress, and they won't kill us!"

The young vampire was a constant mystery to Judd. Grew up a scholar's son, out of the life, then in the course of one week, he's jailbreaking and trading tibanna with the law. It was... amusing.

Maybe more than amusing, but Judd wasn't about to admit that to himself yet.

Charging down the stairs, Judd pushed aside anyone too slow to get out of his way, grasping against the door with hand and stump. With a wheezing sort of growl, the pirate heaved, inching the door open. Once enough space was created from his pull, he wedged his handless arm into the gap, muscling the heavy vault open.

Inside, a plain wooden barrel, a few other boring knicknacks, and a safe. Assumedly full of credits.

"We're taking more than just the cask, right?" He turned to Levi, chest heaving with exertion. He may have been messed up, but he could still drag a safe through a police chase.

Levi - Jacen Nimdok ​

 

[Levi]

Levi turned back to see Judd already trampling towards him. He stumbled out of the way, letting him pull the heavy panel until they had enough space to get through. Levi couldn't help his greed, immediately peeking in to see what they could get their hands on. The cask was there, and a safe.

The devaronian grinned, "Most assuredly." He looked back to the others, "It's here! Let's get a move-on!" They were in a tight spot. They had to carry out the cask and the safe, and the only way out was basically forcing their way through the cops blocking their exit. It was a longshot, but Levi was dauntless. "You scalawags gonna lend a hand or what?" He asked the rival gang.

Judd - Jacen Nimdok​

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

Judd shouted some well-meaning advice over his shoulder before he headed down into the basement. Jacen grimaced, ducking into cover to reload.

Cagney emerged a few seconds later, still clutching his wounded hand. Grabbing the gun off of one of the downed policemen, he fired in precise bursts, picking off the cops with the efficiency of a machine. It was almost insufferably cool to watch, all the more impressive considering his dominant shooting hand was useless. Then he turned to Jacen, who froze, wide eyes staring down the gun barrel.

"You scalawags gonna lend a hand or what?"

“I’ll cover the rear,” the captain replied. "Get that crap up the stairs!”

Cagney hesitated. Outside, the third member of the rival crew was still exchanged fire with the police. Terrified as he was, Jacen could practically see the gears turning in the old man's head. Clearly the two gangs had decided to work together. If he took the shot now, he'd be the odd man out.

"You take that side of the door, I’ll take the other,” Cagney said, gesturing to the hastily barricaded shop entrance. Jacen obeyed, unable to think of a better plan. When the cops finally busted through, the pair were waiting for them, blowing them away in a hail of blaster bolts.

Judd Levi​

 

[Judd]

Despite his wounds, Judd shot Levi an avaricious smile.

Pirates would be pirates.

The bulky Dowutin entered the locked room, heaving the safe under one arm, and hugging the cask against his chest with his stump. He realized, despite the apparent heft of the metal lockbox he currently lugged, the cask was likely more expensive. Wine nuts went crazy over old stuff like this. Judd nodded once to Levi, a crisp dip of his chin-horns in millitary fashion.

They might not be able to break through on their own, but with the other crew helping...

He started up the stairs.

Levi - Jacen Nimdok ​

 

[Levi]

Having a guy like Judd around was already moving invaluable. He hauled both the safe and the cask, something that would otherwise have taken multiple sets of hands. It left him unable to defend himself, but the two gangs and put aside their differences to make sure the goods got out safely. Levi turned to see one of them pointing a gun at his crewmate, which instantly put the Devaronian on edge. If this guy was already contemplating their demise, they'd have to make sure they didn't let their guard down for even a fraction of a moment. This stranger was wise enough to keep up the charade for now, but Levi was already preparing himself.

Cagney and Jacen posted up by the door, and took out the initial wave of cops with an ambush. It gave them an opening to run, "Let's go, let's go!" Levi ushered them, running out the entrance and taking a few wild shot at the approaching police bikes to keep them at bay. While he passed on of the officers bodies, he noticed something, "…These aren't Batuu cops," It seemed obvious in retrospect. Security forces here of all places wouldn't be this, well, militarized, "These are Alliance marshals! Who the hell notified Alliance marshals?!"

Levi and his gang were wanted by the Alliance after their prison break. Somebody somehow recognized them.

Jacen Nimdok - Judd​

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

"Let's go, let's go!"

Jacen took off like a shot, running behind Judd and Levi. Cagney followed; he was quick for his age. Then lastly came Captain Valentino. All three exchanged fire with the police—not local cops, as Levi pointed out, but Alliance Marshals.

“Rask,” Jacen blurted, his expression contorting into a snarl. “That sonuvabitch must’ve led us into a trap!”

“Quit yer yapping,” Cagney growled. They weren’t quite out of this yet. He and the captain were soon reunited with their eyepatch-sporting mate, whose jaw was horribly swollen and bruised. He couldn’t speak, which was probably for the best.

Judd Levi​

 

[Judd]

As they charged from the shop, Judd flinched as a blaster bolt splashed against the safe, warping the metal slightly. There were a lot of the little bastards, weren't there?

Levi's realization brought a scowl to Judd's face. That explained their quick reaction time to the crime. Because they weren't here for the crime. They were here for the convicts. Jacen was quick to point a finger at the one person they've met in town, but Judd grumbled a response, ignoring the protestations of Cagney. "Coulda been anyone that saw us in our matching outfits!"

He enjoyed being contrarian, but... his first thought had been Levi's old first mate, too.

With the six break-and-enterers all grouped together, and with a brief, savage smile at the man with a busted jaw, Judd widened his pace to keep up with the Devaronian. "Whaddaya think!? Risk the ship!?"

- Levi - Jacen Nimdok -

 

[Levi]

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Levi barked abruptly at Jacen. Slander, he thought, to accuse his old first mate of such betrayal. Rask hadn't been one of the crew that mutinied against him all those years ago. Why turn his back on the captain now?

"Whaddaya think!? Risk the ship!?"

Levi flinched as a blaster bolt launched over his head, then grumbled loudly, "Ugh— We risk it! Batuu's officially a no-go zone, we need to get out until the heat's gone!" The city would be swarming with people hunting them down. Their chances of laying low planetside were slim to none. Better to just cut and run.

Weaving through alleys and moving quickly, they were able to make it back to the port without getting run down by police vehicles. "There she is!" Levi laughed victoriously, the sounded faded to disappointment as he saw who was waiting for them. A lone Bothan leaning against the Outrider II. "Rask… It really was you, wasn't it?"

"Afraid so, boss," Rask replied wearily, standing up and putting his hands on his hips.

"Why? I was good to you! We were comrades! Through it all, thick and thin!" Levi was clearly in disbelief. For all of his two-faced tricks and cons, there was one thing Levi valued enough to give his trust and commitment to: His crew. The mutiny had hurt enough as it was. But knowing his longtime friend had now turned on him as well? It was perhaps the closest Levi had ever come to heartbreak.

"I'm in a bad spot, Levi. Owe some money to folks a lot scarier than you," He looked at Levi, and notably at Judd as well when he said that, "I saw you were wanted big time for that prison break out— Nice job by the way— But when you happened upon my doorstep, I realized fate was giving me a chance after all." He touched his hand against his blaster, "I'll get the reward money for reporting you, and for reporting the break-in. Two pirates crews oughta be worth a nice sum."

The cops arrived now. They posted up behind their speeder bikes and whatever other cover they could find. The pirates were trapped. Levi looked around for cover of his own. "Times change, Levi. But I want you to know it wasn't personal. It's just our nature."

"I thought you of all people still believed in honor among thieves, Rask," Levi sighed and glanced knowingly back at his crew, "But noted." He drew his blaster quickly and fired a shot at Rask. It missed, but it made him flinch. The cops opened up fire not a moment later. Levi ducked out of cover, hoping his men would do the same.

Jacen Nimdok - Judd​

 

[Jacen Nimdok]

"You don't know what you're talking about!"

“Like hell I do!” Jacen snapped back. “You haven’t heard from him in a long time—you don’t know the first thing about him anymore, much less what he’s capable of!” Cagney once again hissed at him to shut the hell up, lest his boyish yap draw attention to them.

Despite all the signs of a setup, the group had no choice but to return to their ship. Batuu was no longer safe. They had to get out while they still could. Evidently the rival crew was simply along for the ride now, having little other recourse.

Upon reaching the Outrider II, Rask was waiting for them. Jacen bared his fangs in a snarl, shooting a glare at Levi—but once he saw the wounded look on the Devaronian’s face, his anger and annoyance at being doubted faltered.

Rask had sold out his old friend and crewmate… for money. Simple cash. Well, that and fear of dangerous debtors, but still. What a gut punch it must’ve been.

Not enough to stop Levi from taking the first shot at Rask. He missed, and the cops took the opportunity to unleash their firepower on the pirates. Jacen dropped to the ground, scrambling on his elbows and knees into cover.

The rival crew was less fortunate. Captain Valentino was killed by a clean headshot, blood staining his keffiyeh and pooling on the duracrete around his fallen body. Jacen felt him die. Only Cagney, wounded as he was, had been quick enough to get out of the line of fire, dragging Eye Patch with him, who had been wounded in the leg.

Judd Levi​

 

[Judd]

"Right," Judd huffed at Jacen, managing to keep up with the crew despite the armful of payload in his hands. "Now you're gettin' on my nerves, kid." It was fine when he talked back to his superior officer, but when he saw an annoying scholar's son doing it...

No, not SO. Captain.

Of course, when Jacen's tirade turned out to be correct, Judd wasn't particularly surprised. He just halted his forward momentum, adjusting the weight of the items in his arms.

"I'm in a bad spot, Levi. Owe some money to folks a lot scarier than you."

Judd noted Rask's eyes as they unexpectedly flicked his way. The medic's knowing, savage frown mutated into something a little more... timid. Did he mean...?

And suddenly, they were practically surrounded. Their one saving grace was the littered cover provided by a spaceport at work. But he still didn't like this. Not at all.

Their only chance was to punch through. Levi seemed to realize this too, as he shot first. Judd dropped as soon as he could, finding cover behind a panel of flashing lights. The safe had been splattered with bolts again, but the only shot Judd had taken was a blast to the meat of his leg. That wasn't too bad. Wouldn't even slow him down too much. At least, not 'til the adrenaline ran out.

Slinging the rifle he'd scavenged from his shoulder to his hand, Judd fired over the lip of his cover, speaking into his comms. "Ideas?"

"Jacen? Can you 'Force' them or somthing?"

- Jacen Nimdok - Levi -