The race of chains

[Regor Laxvan]

a smal transport landet on in a rome deserd secrion of tatooine, regore stept out the ship being fulowed by a smal group of GLC soldiers 4 of them draging 2 Spartakles mg's whit them, they stopt a few meters away from the ship, thad took of again, regore turned to the troops "2 kliks north from here the huts have a secret slave ring, we are hear today to liberate those pepol, cut there chains" As one those trops shouted "lets cut the chains", and whit thad they moved further agien @Mehrk Gorbi

 

[Beowoof]

Mehrk had been sent to 'assess' the situation on Tatooine, as the Cartel's slave profits on the desert world had dropped by an enormous 0.0001%. Unacceptable.

Rumors that an infiltrating organization was messing with business had been circulating, and the Gungan was dispatched in hopes of cleanly erasing the source of these extreme financial setbacks. A few slaves had managed to escape their 'housing' and were now top priority for Mehrk and his squad of three analysts--or thugs. Whatever you wanted to call them.

Being the expert tracker he was, the Gungan mobster trudged laboriously through the sands as they approached the fugitives' camp.

[member="Regor Laxvan"]

 

[Regor Laxvan]

Regore and his team aproced the camp of the excaped slaves Thad had contacted them, bien greeted warmly by the nowe Ex-slaves, the men set up defences making shure the ex-slaves stayd behend them, those of them willing to carry arms were giving them, droped of by a small Laat, whice landet on the ouside of the camp, the plan was to wiat a wile, and wen they were shure the coast was clease they would fly outthe nowe free men and woman, and use there camp as a staging erea fore the atack on the main slave ring. [member="Mehrk Gorbi"]

 

[Beowoof]

Coming to the top of the dune, Mehrk started. No one had informed him that his targets were armed--especially not to this degree. And it was so hot out here, his nose had ceased to snivel. He was not sure they were up for this sort of combat.

The Gungan raised his hand for his Cartel comrades to halt, observing the layout of the camp and the armed men. They seemed out of place--not dressed in makeshift slave garbs. It must be an enemy mob. This would require more strategy than he had prepared for.

He crouched low behind the summit of the sand dune and conversed through sign language with his partners--a hulking Utapaun and two Rodians. After gulping down a full liter of water, the mighty Gungan retrieved a heavy gauge cable from his pack and tied it around an end of his electropole. They established a plan of action, the Ithorian and Rodian digging in at the top of the dune while the bigger Rodian stood behind Mehrk as he prepared to thrust his spear from their hiding spot.

[member="Regor Laxvan"]

 

[Regor Laxvan]

A geonsian hover sligtly above the camp, spoting somting on the dune, he lande in the camp and ran over to regore " sire, there is somwan over there, it could be the slavers" he siad wel pointing to the dune, speaking in his bronken basik "good job gearbox" regore siad to the geonosian, before turning to the rest of the men "those slaving basterds are aprocing get the spartakest's in position and make ready, we wil protect these pepol" whit Thad the men brougt the heavy MG's in pocition abel to cover eigtsother firing arch, the unarmed Ex-slaved hid behind the soldiers [member="Mehrk Gorbi"]

 

[Beowoof]

The Gungan hitman hesitated, observing the other party's battle arrangements. It would appear that this first plan might need some tweaking. Scratching his snout, he devised a new course of action and decided that it would be best to draw the enemies up to their position than to sally into the camp.

Shuffling his squad around, he and the other three thugs began firing at the opposing group intermittently as they moved back and forth behind the sand dune to remain unpredictable. They kept their heads low to avoid return fire and kept their ears perked for the sounds of approaching footsteps.

[member="Regor Laxvan"]

 

[Regor Laxvan]

Te soldiers opend fire , the sparakest's fired in a cross fire pattern to send the maximum amound of bullets flying at there enemy's aswel as to make shure they coverd as big a erea as potbelly, firing about 90 bullets a second, there destingtif sound sounding loud in the air "stay in position, if they want to hid, than we dig in, we cant leave these pepol alone" the troops stardet diging in diging thrences, wel beaing coverd by the spartakest's and some of there comrades, taking shits digging and firing, some of the Ex-slaves helpt along aswel, some even digging whit there bare hands. [member="Mehrk Gorbi"]

 

[Beowoof]

The sand dune was choked in a powdery yellow haze as the solid slugs pounded into the slope or whistled over the peak. In interest of self-preservation, the Hutt Cartel crew kept low and ceased fire. The machine guns could only cover a limited arc. If they were to maneuver outside their rotations, the gunmen would be quite vulnerable.

But was it really worth it? The slaves were not worth dying for. The Hutts would certainly disagree, but Mehrk was not one to feel personal obligations to anyone--even if the penalty were a blade to the throat. He knew how hide.

He also knew how to lose. But that did not mean he liked it. If they did not come to him, he would have to make them miserable in within their zone. He and the three thugs all began to send a volley of plasma bolts into the tents of the camp, setting them afire. Let them suffer.

[member="Regor Laxvan"]

 

[Regor Laxvan]

The few slaves thad stil hid whitin the tends ran out jumping into the thrences next to the soldiers, the soldiers whitout helmets put on basik resperators to not be hinderd by the smoke, the mg's kept folowing the cartel member enshure they would face a rain of bullets werever they went, the ex-slaves kept lowe in the thrence. "they are reserving to despertate tactiks, keep it up, dont give them any room to breath," a few soldiers ran beteen the ship and the thrence coming back whit as muce ammo as they could cary, some of the Ex-slaves stared diging to the ship extending the trence. [member="Mehrk Gorbi"]

 

[Beowoof]

The sand mound was still being relentlessly pummeled as their opponents continuously loaded--and unloaded--their machine guns. It was becoming a nuisance but there was nothing they could do about it.

Mehrk, however, had one more plan if they wanted to save the mission. Returning to his original plan, he grasped his electric spear with the cable tied around the trailing end and readied to throw. The Ithorian retrieved his own spear and pounded it into the ground just behind the sand bluff and fastened the other end of the cable around it. Everything set, the Gungan flexed and thrust his electropole behind the slave defenders' ship. He and the two Rodians then slid down the makeshift zipline to their new position, placing the vessel between them and the enemy.

The Gungan let out a grim chuckle as he shot at the machine gunners from behind their backs.

[member="Regor Laxvan"]

 

[Regor Laxvan]

The guners turnd around as fast as the could opening fire agien, some soldiers hastely climing out of the trence to replace there falen comrades, firing at there oponeds frome out of the trence, throwing granedes at the enemy, some troops taking vibrosword tigtly in ahd wil firing whit there of hand, awayting wat would com, the ex-slaves garbing anything they could fight whit standing ready determend not to get draged bak agien. "hold the line, if they want to chares head long into a thrence, than thads there funeral" [member="Mehrk Gorbi"]

 

[Beowoof]

Mehrk and the Rodians dug in behind the GLC ship. He was staying sharp but the arid atmosphere was scorching his skin, and he was not sure how much longer he could remain out here. Curse the Hutts for assigning this job to a Gungan.

They had taken down some of the soldiers without any casualties on their side, but they were outnumbered and it seemed like it might be time to tuck and run. However, their current position was far from ideal. They could not leave their cover to fire without being cut down by the torrent of bullets. Mehrk loosened his electropole from the sands and removed the cable before signaling to the Ithorian who had remained on the dune.

The long-necked gangster released a burst of gunfire from his perch at the machine gunners once more while the other three thugs waited behind the ship.

[member="Regor Laxvan"]

 

[Regor Laxvan]

A few of the soldiers turnd around firing at the dune, standing back to back in the trench whit those firing on [member="Mehrk Gorbi"] positions, not letting up, making shure both were under a continuws stream of bullets and blaster bolds. "hey gungan, just surrender before you dry out, if you do we will spare you live, is destroying these pepols lives realy woth dying fore, is some fat sug thad would have you throwe your live away rather than lose a singel credit reay woth your loyalt, think about it they dont care if you live or die, why should you care about letting them torture these pepol"

 

[Beowoof]

Mehrk listened to the commander's speech over the din of the gunfire. He was unmoved. While certainly not a sadist and not especially interested in perpetuating the slave trade, he was apathetic. However, he completely agreed with the opposition leader about preserving his life. This was not their fight to win.

The Gungan raised his hand to signal his men to stop shooting and poked his spear above the ship's hull. "Yousa lettin' ussan be free?" he shouted back.

[member="Regor Laxvan"]

 

[Regor Laxvan]

Regore signaled his men to stop shooting thoug they kept there weapons aimd at the cartel members "if you surrender and throw down your weapons we wil, we got no problems whit hired tugs just trying to make a buck, it are the slavers we hate, we just want to win these pepol there freedom" [member="Mehrk Gorbi"]

 

[Beowoof]

Well, if that was the worst he wanted...

Still, the Cartel hitman had reserves about surrendering. The Hutts would not be pleased at all. But if he did not return from his mission with all his mates alive, he might be welcomed but face an undesirable penalty. But there might be another option.

The Gungan and his two Rodian counterparts approached the camp single filed, with Mehrk taking the lead. The Rodians dropped their guns in the sand while he laid down his electropole and let his dominant arm rest casually. Nearing the ramp of the beached starship, he kept track of a particular slave who had dug up to the craft during the battle.

Suddenly diving into the trench, Mehrk unsheathed his knife and grabbed the slave, holding the blade to his throat. The Rodians leaped in after him. "Mesa keepin' dis one til youse lettin' ussan free. Mesa gonna kill 'im iffin yousa breakin' deh word."

[member="Regor Laxvan"]

 

[Regor Laxvan]

Regore shook his head, wel his men rias there guns, thoug regore signald them to ease, they lowerd there guns, stil ready to defend the Ex-slaves thoug. "wat is it whit mobsters and al this disthrust, i gave you my work, and i always keep my word, just let him go, you can leave, id advise you thoug to stay away frome the slave ring" [member="Mehrk Gorbi"]

 

[Beowoof]

By this time the Ithorian had dropped his weapons and descended the dune to Mehrk's position. He gestured with an urgent nod of his head, at which the muscular Rodian and the Ithorian entered the GLC ship and fetched canisters of water. Upon their return, Mehrk slowly began to back up the hill with his hostage, the gangsters following. "Wesa be going now," he declared, cautiously stepping up the loose, sandy slope. "Tankin' youse for deh water."

After all four thugs had reached the crest of the dune, the Gungan released his grip on his captive and nudged him down the hill.

[member="Regor Laxvan"]

 

[Regor Laxvan]

2 of the soldiers ran to the man nowe at the bottem of the hill, helping him back, al men reloadet, drank some waterd and waited fore the new ship to arive. "lets bury are comrades" the soldiers and ex slaves stardet digging graves, when finesed they laid there death comrades in them "today we lay to rest are brotheres in arms, they gave there live's fore the freedom of others, they wil be rememberd as wil there sacrivese, may they find peace at last" The graves were fild whit sand, and smal singes were erected there dogtages hamerd to them [member="Mehrk Gorbi"]

 

[Beowoof]

A small hint of remorse seeped through his stolid expression as he observed the desert funeral. They were not his enemies. They were fighting for their cause, which he could not argue against. As their commander had told him, they were not out for his blood, but to destroy the slavers. There was nothing dishonorable in that as far as Mehrk could tell.

As the four gangsters marched off, retracing their steps from the nearest outpost, the tall Gungan turned around and saluted the victors. They had bested him, and they deserved his respect.

With that, he grabbed one of the water jugs they had procured and gulped the whole volume down. Ah, water.

[member="Regor Laxvan"]