STARBOX Episode Two: Game Chambers of Questal

[kipper]

"Useless piece of junk," Clark mutters, "serves me right!"

When he sees Tyralle's speeder approaching, he waves in the direction the ganger went, "Don't stop for me, keep after him!" he bellows.

[ybn1197]

Is there anything on the swoop Jackson can use as a hand weapon like a pipe or something?

[max_vale]

OOC: Jackson has a Blaster Pistol on him that he can use to shoot at the Swooper (including Sun Blasts) OR use as a makeshift club.

[Monsieur Rose]

Zuul

"Faster! Catch up to them." Zuul encourages Tyralle to keep going so that he can join the fight.

[max_vale]

Streets of Questal, the Capital City of planet Travnin, Capital World of the Minos Cluster Sector


Tyralle slowed her Speeder as they got close to Professor Clark and despite his calls for them to keep moving, Kit jumped out and started to clean him up and use a Medic on his wounds. The Academic started to tell her to quit 'mothering' him, but one look at the Wookie's glare and he wisely shut up and allowed himself to be treated*.

In the meantime with Zuul and Clark's hand waving and calls, Tyralle yelled out "Be back soon!" and she gunned the engine with Zuul in the passenger seat smiling and gripping the Blaster Pistol and the Enforcer he had had 'concealed' by his jack with a gleam in his eyes....

Meanwhile.....in a nearby alleyway....

Jackson Crodowski took advantage of the surprise moment he had gained by pulling his Swoop Bike right up next to the Ganger's bike and he drew his Blaster Pistol and fired a blast into the front control vanes, causing the Swooper to swerve wildly for a moment before smashing into the wall, the ground and then the wall again in that order....

The Ganger was tossed to the street and hit hard with a bone-crunching sound as his forearm bone snapped from the force of the impact and he screamed in pain as he rolled several times and came to a stand-still with ripped up clothes and bruises all over.....

Jackson spun a hard 180 as he passed the crash site and came to a stop and quickly was off the bike with his Blaster Pistol leveled at the man as he began to go for a concealed weapon with his good hand. "I'd think TWICE about that if I were you" he said and the man snarled in rage and frustration and stopped trying to go for the vibroblade.

He spit in anger at the Rebel-turned-Trader; "I don't even know you man....what the hell are you doing chasing me down and blasting my bike for?!!!" Before Jackson could answer, Tyralle pulled her Speeder up and she vaulted out of the driver's seat as Zuul got out of the passenger side. Coming up to the man who despite his condition and the situation was leering with a smirk at her, she slapped him HARD across the face and snatched off the necklace as she yelled out; "Where did you get THIS you slime-ball?"

The man looked at her with malice and started to raise his balled up fist at her when Zuul and Jackson stepped closer and he quickly re-thought the situation. "Look....I got it off a couple of guys that Pallik told us about....a couple of off-worlders to round up for Moshi's Warehouse. If they stole it from ou or something, here, you can have it back", he said as he awkwardly handed it to a stunned Tyralle who took it numbly while mumbling, "Moshi's Warehouse?"....

Her shocked and worried face suddenly register the man staring at the parts of her that were below her face and this time she balled up her own fist and didn't slap him, but PUNCHED him right in the jaw with enough force to send him whimpering to the street again. "HOW COUD YOU, YOU SLEASE-BALL?!!!! That place is a death-sentence!"

Seeing the others look at her with a questioning look, she explained, "Moe's Warehouse has an underground Gladiator Arena where duels to the death are fought.......and poor Nino and your friend are there?" She looked on the verge of emotional collapse.....

At about that moment, Kit and a MUCH better looking now Clark rounded the corner.....


*Clark is no longer Wounded

[Rex]

Kit

Kit looked at the others.

"Grlrr.."

"What happened, you look unwell."

[kipper]

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Clark asks rhetorically once he is filled in on the details.

[ybn1197]

Jackson looks over to Tyralle. "You willing to show us the way?"

[Monsieur Rose]

Zuul

Zuul raises a brow that nobody knew he had at the mention of 'underground Gladiator Arena'. He agrees with Clark, "Yess. We should hurry."

"Nice driving back there, Jackson. Stealing a bike, beating a gang-member in a race. He iss proud."

[ybn1197]

Jackson smirks a little self-consciously. "Yeah... My rebellious streak started when I was a youngster."

[max_vale]

Warehouse District in the City of Questal, the Capital City of planet Travnin, Capital World of the Minos Cluster Sector


Tyralle shook her head and took a deep breath and motioned for the others to follow her into her speeder. Composing herself a little bit, she laid out the situation for the Rebels-turned-Traders.....

"Okay....so, Moshi runs a 'Warehouse....but mostly it's just the cover for an underground....LITERALLY....gladiator arena. EVERYBODY knows about it and it's a wonder the Imps don't close it down....but rumors are since Moff Bandor runs his own version in his 'Game Chambers'; he doesn't really care. Nobody knows where the gladiators come from.....but almost ALL of them end up dead VERY quickly......I've never been to any of the games, but a lot of people who come to Shilley's go to try and bet on the fights....."

She trails off with a bit of a whimper in her voice as she's undoubtedly thinking of poor Nino in a mortal duel, but then shakes it off again. "I've never met or seen this Pallik guy that ganger mentioned, but rumor is he's well connected with underworld types AND a lot of the movers and shakers all over Travnin. I'd be VERY careful if I were you guys."

The sun is starting to go down and she pulls into a more run-down District of the city and into a section of Warehouses. She pulls to a stop about a block away from a large Warehouse that at first, doesn't look any different from any of the others; save for the fact that a couple of openly armed guards are outside one of its entrances and a line of people are slowly going thru the entrance after forking over some credits and getting patted down by the guards.

Tyralle reaches into a compartment of her speeder and hands clark a purse that is quiet heavy. "I've got about 1,000 credits in there....been saving up to hopefully get off this planet with Nino. Her eyes start to water and her voice breaks a bit again, but she takes a deep breath and moves on. "I'll be no good for you guys if I go in there and I see something has happened or IS happening to Nino; so please take this....and find him and your friend and either bring him back to me....or.....or.....at least let me know what happened. Thank you and......may the Force be with you", she finishes as she awkwardly hugs each of you in turn.

Getting out of the Speeder, the Rebels/Traders get into line and look at each other and the Warehouse as they contemplate their next move.....

[Monsieur Rose]

Zuul

"Do we bust in and kick buttss?" Zuul asks with a grin.

"Or do we pretend to join the fightss and then kick buttss?" He asks with an even bigger grin.

[Rex]

Kit

Kit just grins at Zuul's suggestions.

[kipper]

"I'm good either way too, let's play it by ear." Clark replies.

[ybn1197]

Jackson nods. "I agree with the professor. Lets get ourselves in there first and then start making plans as to whose butts we kick."

[Rex]

Kit

Grumbles in disappointment.

[max_vale]

Moshi's 'Warehouse' in the Warehouse District of the City of Questal, the Capital City of planet Travnin, Capital World of the Minos Cluster Sector


As the Rebels/Traders slowly made their way closer and closer to the warehouse entrance in the long line, they saw several pairs of guards, obviously armed, walking patrols around the warehouse....this place was as closely guarded as some military bases they'd seen. Eventually, they reach the bouncer/money taker and the going rate seems to be 50 credits each. Using the money Tyralle just gave them, they pay if and they are waved in....

The Inside of the Warehouse looks like any other warehouse; stacks and stacks of crates piled high, with a narrow path leading to a Turbolift towards the center of the building. Positioned all around the warehouse including some high on top of crate stacks are half a dozen more armed guards....meaning this place is VERY valuable to somebody....

Eventually, they get into the Turbolift and there are only buttons for 3 levels, including the one they are on. The middle button is pressed by a Droid that works as the 'lift operator' and they travel a surprisingly deep amount of distance before the bell dings and the doors open. As they step off the Turbolift their senses are immediately assaulted by flashing lights, strong smells and the deep rhythmic thumping of music. Letting their eyes adjust, they see they emerged into a massive open space with a packed bar tucked into one corner; a band playing music in the opposite corner and the other half of the room drops down into an amphitheater that can easily seat a thousand people with the bottom being a large, metal floor with a series of half-a-dozen circular areas about 2 meters wide each ringing the center of it.

While the bar is packed, about 3/4th of the arena seats are occupied or have people milling about, looking for seats and as the Rebel/Traders are being jostled this way and that by the crowd, the music suddenly cuts out and a voice over a PA system calls out; "5 minutes until the next contest.....5 minutes until the next contest.....get you bets in NOW!"....and then the music starts back up again as a large number of people rush towards a boxed off area in one corner at the top of the amphitheater and a shifty-looking human male backed by a quarter of armed guards with blasters not only out, but LEVELLED at the crowd, moves around taking credits and making notions on his data pad...presumably to record bets. The Rebel/Traders see a large computer screen above the bar that shows the next contest is apparently a 3 way contest between a Wookie named 'Grranthius', a Gamorrean named 'Ehallot' and a Trandoshan named 'Corrumaag'. The Trandoshan was apparently a heavy favorite.....

[kipper]

Clark studies the computer screen to learn if Nino or Vale are listed as upcoming fighters.

[Rex]

Kit

Kit stays with the others but scans the crowd looking for anything or anyone that she might recognize or think is valuable to note.

[ybn1197]

Jackson stays with the others as well, peering over Clark's shoulder to help him scan through the list.