Episode IV: Part One Into The Void

ORD MANTELL
The Moonrunner sat docked on Ord Mantell, one of her usual haunts. Nakei and Voyla were out and about, using what money was left from their cut of Ben Quadinaros' win on Aleen three weeks ago. The engines they'd purchased from the parts dealer on Junction had improved the ship's speed and capabilities but were still prone to hiccups as the Dug engineer worked to integrate them to the ship's already mismatched systems. Meanwhile in the lounge, Kirkran and the Clones were trying to pin down a job. Most of the jobs were either a single system jump or a cargo delivery to a colony or mining outpost.
It had been a dreadfully slow month since the excitement of the Aleen Annual. Though the hefty sum they had gotten from Ben theoretically would have lasted them a few months, a few big purchases and bad deals had whittled their funds back down. They'd still be in the green for a few more weeks, but unless they managed to restart the flow of credits, they'd be penny pinching in no time.
Luckily, or maybe unluckily, their waiting comes to an end. As Kirkran scans the HoloNet for any potential contracts, the holoterminal starts to ring, filling the cabin with quite, high-pitched warbling. Given how few people know the Moonrunner's HoloNet signature, it could either be very good news, or very bad news.
Kirkran answers. "Hello?"
The others watch, on edge.
"Maybe it's Chelaa and her dad." Said Voyla hopefully.
Nakei snorted. "Mo doe Empire coming tah collect um take our ship tah doe scrap heap. Seeing kava jee-jee're wanted."
Much to everyone's surprise, the visage that appears above the terminal is that of Talon Karrde. He's changed somewhat since their last encounter; His hair has become shaggier and more unkempt, and he now sports a mild moustache and goatee, accentuating his strong, square jaw. A grey armour cuirass is visible beneath his open smuggler's jacket.
"Long time no see, Kirk old boy." He says with a calm but friendly tone. "How's business been lately? I heard you got into a spot of drama around podracing, did Nakei drag you to the races?"
"No no no, haha. We were actually hired b--" Before he could finish, he was interrupted by Nakei.
"Choy doe hell happened tah u!? U look like u've escaped do sando people camp. Damn."
Karrde puts on an exaggeratedly offended expression, placing a hand on his chest and leaning back somewhat. "Well pardon me for trying something new." He retorts jovially, another smile washing over his face. It doesn't last long, though, quickly being replaced by a more serious, professional expression.
"I wish I could say this was just a personal call, but unfortunately we have business to discuss." He turns his attention to Kirkran specifically. "Car'das is calling in your favour, Kirk. He needs you to rendezvous with us in the next couple days."
"Aww schutta.... Okay." Where're we meeting?" He asks, Voyla keeping Nakei quiet.
"The planet Abafar." He replies, his arm reaching forward and pressing the buttons on a console out-of-view of his holo-emitter. A few moments later, the Moonrunner's computer receives the planet's coordinates and the relevant hyperspace navigation charts. "The planet is the source of Rhydonium fuel. We'll be picking up a shipment of the fuel and transporting it to Ciutric nearby."
"Rhydonium?" He says incredulously. "The stuff that'll explode if you so much as sneeze near it? NO." He says bluntly. "Debt, favor or whatever he has on me, I ain't doin' it. He can shoot at me all he likes."
"Let's just get it over with." Says Voyla as her hologram appears next to Kirkran's for Karrde to see. "He's vile and sick."
"Eh, sooner jee-jee get it done, sooner jee-jee're rid of da sleemo." Grunts Nakei as he fiddles with a piece of random tech.
"Fine." Says Kirkran, relenting. "But you tell Jorj we're done after. Don't ever ping me again."
"I'll pass the word along." With that, Karrde reaches out and cuts the feed, his image flickering out as the holocom deactivates. Mild silence hangs in the air for a few uncomfortable moments, accented by the humming of the Moonrunner's life support system, reverberating throughout the sturdy old hull.
"Leave it to Car'das to deal in Rhydonium." Voyla remarks, her teasing tone holding a hint of venom. "Any chance you two could do some maintenance on the shield generator before we leave?" She turns her gaze to Kirkran and Nakei. "If we're working with that stuff, I don't want to take any chances."
"Agreed. C'mon you." Kirkran smacks Nakei's leg off the Dejarik table.
Nakei huffs and follows him to the engine room.
"While they're doing that I'm gonna give the guns a once over." Says Vox as he stands, his brother following.
"This sa loca." Says Nakei as he adjusts the generator. "Being near two ships carrying Rhydonium. Mee can't count doe ways it could bolla goola.. Hand je da hydrospanner."
"I know but unless we wanna wind up like that Bimm..." Says Kirkran, passing the spanner. "Voyla is pissed."
Horror stories of the volatility of Rhydonium are still shared in hushed whispers by spacers all across the Galaxy; Star cruisers being split in half by a poorly secured canister. Entire convoys vaporized in a volatile chain reaction. Even the sturdiest of ships couldn't match up to the chemical's destructive potential... and the Renegades are going to be getting up close and personal with it. They delay with upgrades and maintenance for as long as they can, but eventually, there's nothing left for Kirkran and his crew to fix, nothing more they can do to waste time. Like it or not, it's time to go to the Abafar system.
"Here we go...." Says Voyla as the ship's hyperdrive hums to life, the stars going from dots to streaks and a swirling blue tunnel. "Probably for our last trip before being atomized by this bad idea."
Jak and Vox sat in the two rear cockpit seats, Kirkran standing behind Voyla, resting his hands on her shoulders comfortingly. "With you flying, we could fly inside a star destroyer." He says trying to lighten the grave mood on the ship.
Kirkran's attempts have little effect, but his crew probably appreciates the effort nonetheless. As the ship barrels through hyperspace, the crew slowly disperses, breaking off to fulfill their auxiliary duties and pass the time as they make the trip to Abafar. It will be a long journey, but as the Renegades will soon find out, not nearly long enough.
The Moonrunner pulls out of lightspeed over Abafar, the chalky desert world filling the cockpit's viewport, assaulting Kirkran and Voyla's eyes with its uncomfortable brightness. The short-range scanners show no other ships in orbit, but with the upgrades they had made to the ship, they did arrive ahead of schedule.
"Looks like we're the first ones here." He says.
Voyla scoffs. "That sleemo Car'das probably already exploded himself."
As much as the Renegades may hope such a thing, luck isn't on their side today. A few minutes after their arrival, three ships emerge from hyperspace close-by. One is recognizable as Talon Karrde's Action IV transport, and the other two seem to be the ZH-25s. Shortly after arriving, Karrde reaches out to Kirkran.
"Well now, look who's early!" He teases. "Glad you could make it. I'll contact our supplier on the planet and have them start sending up the Rhydonium. You keep watch for now, I'm going to pull around to the other hemisphere to see if we'll be dealing with any traffic."
"Got it. Stakes out." Replies Kirkran before maxing the scan range on the boom sensor. "Jak, Vox, get on the guns."
The Clones leave without a word, priming the guns as they climb into their seats.
Kirkran get back on the comm and pings Karrde. "So will Car'das be joining us?"
"No." Karrde responds. "He's dealing with some important business right now. I'm acting on his behalf for this job." There's a brief pause, before he speaks again. "We're lucky he's a busy man. If he were here, you'd probably be much closer to the Rhydonium than you'd want to be."

As the Moonrunner sweeps around Abafar, the scanners reveal nothing of note. A few satellites hang in orbit, but otherwise there's no activity to speak of, no traffic within the planet's gravity well. Abafar feels quiet, isolated even, a far cry from the bustling orbits of Nar Shaddaa or Taris.
"Right." He says. "How soon can we get moving? If half the stuff about Abafar is true, I don't wanna stay long."
"Yeah." Comes Vox's voice over the comm. "One settlement, Pons Ora. You don't leave tracks when you walk and even though there's sunlight, there's no SUN so navigation is hopeless. Plus, the surface is smooth as glass so no landmarks."
"It sounds like paradise." Voyla remarks sarcastically, tilting her head as she eases the joystick to the side. The Moonrunner glides around Abafar at an angle, moving in a simple but elegant drifting motion, pulling back towards Talon Karrde and the freighters, who have maintained their position in orbit.
When Kirkran and his crew rejoin the others, the short-range scanners ignite, showing energy signatures rising from the planet's surface. A cursory scan reveals them to be short-range tugboats, light cargo vessels with minimal life support and no hyperdrives, designed to ferry materials to and from a planet's surface.
"Here come the cargo shuttles." Says Kirkran. "Hands off the gun controls boys."
"Mee still tinka this sa loca." Comes Nakei over the comm.
"Yes we know, Nakei." Replies Voyla.
Contrary to Kirkran's fears, the job progresses smoothly and without incident. The tugboats deliver their payload to the ZH-25s before turning around and reentering Abafar's orbit to gather more Rhydonium. This process repeats several times, the process stretching on for about three grating, uneventful hours.
As the tugboats return to Abafar to gather the last shipment of Rhydonium, the Moonrunner's long-range scanners flicker to life, warning of ships entering the planet's gravity well. Sure enough, through the cockpit's viewport Kirkran and Voyla can see several small snub fighters blink into realspace, barely distinguishable from the stars behind them.
"Fighters incoming!" Yells Voyla, powering up everything.
Jak and Vox train the guns on the rapidly approaching snubs as Kirkran runs to the engine bay. "Let's see how well the shields hold now."
"I'm moving us to intercept, attempting to hail as well." Comes Voyla over the comm. "Karrde, move the ships back."
The Moonrunner does a long sweeping turn to face the snubs as it moves ahead of the ZH-25s.
"Copy, Moonrunner. The freighters are preparing to make the jump to lightspeed, I'll move ahead and provide support as soon as they're gone." Karrde's Action VI sweeps in front of the ZH-25s in a defensive manner, aiming its forward laser cannons out towards the approaching starfighters as a threatening gesture.
The squadron is a hodge-podge of Clone Wars-era vessels, such as Z-95s and V-19 Torrents, all of which sport distinctive Huttese writing and Cartel insignias. It's difficult to tell which lord in particular they belong to, but they're clearly Hutt pirates or mercenaries of some stripe.
"Your call, Karrde." Says Voyla.
Using the ship's transmitter patched to the engine room, Kirkran attempts to reach the Hutt ships. "This is Val Coreen, captain of the Pioneer's Requiem. May we help you?"
Kirkran receives no response from the incoming snub fighters.
"Kirk, they're powering up their laser cannons!" Voyla exclaims. She banks the Moonrunner to the right, narrowly avoiding a volley of blasterfire from the forwardmost Hutt ship, her body tensing up as she adopts a more focused posture. She clenches her hands into tight fists around the throttle, speaking with fire in her voice. "You better hold onto something, Captain." The Moonrunner lurches as she pulls it into a swooping L-turn, the old freighter rocketing away from the Hutt squadron, which promptly splits into two groups, half of them breaking off in pursuit.
"Jak, Vox, fire at will. Defend those 25s!" Yells Kirkran.
The Clones draw the guns on to the snubs and fire, causing the ships to scatter.
"Nothing can ever bolla smooth, can it?" Growls Nakei as he holds himself steady through the Moonrunner's aerobatics.
"When does it?" Laughs Vox over the comm.
As the fight progresses, the snubs slowly close in on the Wilde Karrde and the floating bombs that are the ZH-25s.
One of the 25s manages to make the jump to lightspeed, blinking out-of sight as it slips into hyperspace. The other freighter still seems to be charging its engines, remaining stationary as several of the Hutt fighters close in upon it. Karrde's Action VI peppers them with its laser cannons, demolishing a good chunk of the squad but still leaving a few.
"What are they doing?!" Voyla's voice is filled with disbelief. "One stray shot and that Rhydonium will go off like a supernova!" Several shots from the Hutt fighters splash against the Moonrunner, but the newly upgraded shields tank the damage, barely flinching against the laserfire.
"Karrde! Get outta there!" She yells, looking on in horror they pepper the lone ZH-25 with laserfire, its shields quickly failing. "Hang on!" She begins to bank away trying to put distance between them and the other ship.
Kirkran can see Karrde's Action VI turn around and attempt to break off, but by the time it starts to gain speed, it's far too late. With one last smattering of laserfire from the Hutt fighters, the ZH-25 catches fire, igniting the Rhydonium in its cargo bays.
What follows next is the closest brush with death the Renegades have ever had. The cockpit's viewport is bathed in light, wisps of blinding technicolor streaking across the transparisteel, forcing anyone that wants to keep their eyes to look away. They can feel the hull heating up, singed by the burning fuel, every single warning alarm going off at once, filling the cabin with raucous, repetitive noise.
When the light fades, they find that they're still alive, though much worse for wear. The upgraded shields had saved the Moonrunner from total destruction, but now they were in freefall, rocketing towards Abafar's surface at an uncontrollable speed.
"Schutta!" Yelled Voyla. "I've lost the forward stabilizers! The stick is dead!"
"Nakei!" Yelled Kirkran from the copilot seat.
"Mee'm working on it!" He yelled from the engine bay.
The two brothers could only watch in terror from the monitor the turrets were wired to as the ground drew closer with alarming speed.
At the last second Nakei managed to jury-rig the yoke controls as the stabilizers kicked on. What ensued would be one of the least gossamer landings Voyla'd ever done. She pulled the yoke back as far as she could, forcing the ship's nose to rise as she extended the landing struts. With a violent landing, the ship skidded along on the of the four struts, the fourth having been jammed in the explosion. The Moonrunner dropped on its front port side with a thud, throwing Kirkran headfirst into the instrument panel, cutting his side as he collapsed.
A violent caterwaul reverberates throughout the Moonrunner's hull as the old ship is pushed to its limits, the deck trembling violently against Abafar's atmosphere, flames crawling along the surface as oxygen ignites along the damaged and exposed circuitry. Durasteel plates are flung from the ship, ripped apart by the sheer force of gravity, turning into burning husks of shrapnel that rain hellfire upon the Void below.
As Voyla makes her crash landing, more of the freighter is torn apart: The ventral laser cannon is pulverized as the underside of the ship grinds against the endless salt flat, and the sensor array is smashed by the whiplash, among many other nonvital systems and components.
However, when the Moonrunner finally grinds to a screeching halt, the ship is still in one piece, and no one has died. Lesser pilots have survived gentler crash landings.

ABAFAR
"Nnngg...." Voyla sits up, holding her head. She'd suffered a minor cut on her brow, along with minor scrapes and bruises "C-Cap? You good?" She looks over at the empty seat then down, seeing Kirkran unconscious, blood oozing from his side. "Kirkran! Guys, he's hurt!"
The others stumble into the cockpit, nursing their own injuries, worst of which is Nakei's black eye. He stops grumbling when he sees Kirkran in Voyla's lap, using her shoulder to hold his head up.
"He's breathing but from what I can see he has a nasty side wound and a concussion." She says, trying to wake him.
After getting him on his feet, supported by Vox and Jak, Voyla attempts to wake him again.
"Nnngg..." He moans as he opens his eyes, his vision blurry. "W-what happened...?"
"Jee-jee crashed." Says Nakei. "Jee-jee crashed after those Hutt cartel pilots blew tonka wompa of doe ZH-25s. Jee-jee're stuck on Abafar, do million miles tuta civilization."

Kirkran steadied himself and tried to stand. "Agh!" The brothers caught him as he collapsed. He pulled his hand from his side to reveal a bloody palm. His side was bandaged while he was unconscious. "Damage report."
Even with the upgrades Kirkran and the Renegades had made on the Moonrunner, it's a miracle the ship survived. The hull is intact, but armor plating and protective panels are strewn all over the crash site, discounting those that had burned up during entry. The transparisteel windows are covered in a thick layer of carbon scoring, and the small crater the ship had created is accented by glass shards, chunks of sand that had been superheated by the impact.
Even then, the Corellian freighter had fared better than Talon Karrde's Action IV. Through the window outside, the crew can see the wreck of their comrade's gunship, or rather, the two wrecks; The ship had been torn in half during planetfall, and even further destroyed upon impact, now little more than a sculpture of warped metal in the distance, billowing black smoke into the air, interrupting the otherwise clear, featureless horizon.
"Oh no...." Kirkran as he sees the plume of smoke.
Voyla attempts to reach Talon via the comm. "Karrde, come in! Do you read? ..... Karrde! Schutta, no response."
"Why do u care?" Asks Nakei coldly. "Mee settah jee-jee get this thing airborne enough tah reach do panksta. Car'das will probably tinka jee-jee're dead."
"Because Nakei." Says Kirkran with a hard look. "It's Karrde out there, our friend. Not Car'das. "Jak, you and your brother take the bikes and go look for survivors then report back."
By the will of the Force, neither of the speeder bikes had been damaged in the crash. They sport shallow scuffs along the paint, as well as some dents around the engine housing, but given the punishment they had been forced through by Kirkran and his crew, it's impossible to tell just how recent those marks are.
The Void offers little resistance to the two Clones, which proves to be a relief as well as a source of discomfort. The horizon stretches flat as far as the eye can see, no hills or other topographical features to speak of, simply a stark white expanse barely distinguishable from the hazy orange sky.
When they finally reach Karrde's crash site, they find that a couple of his crewmen have survived, dragging supplies and scrap metal out of the downed ship.
"Hey!" Yells Jak as he and Vox dismount their speeders. "Is Karrde still with you?"
One of Karrde's crewmen, a Weequay, approaches Jak and Vox as they approach. The young smuggler sports several fresh-looking bruises, especially along his arms, where his short-sleeved jacket hadn't protected his skin. He has a solemn expression on his face, though this could just be his typical Weequay disposition.
"Yeah, 'e's in th' ship." He answers, motioning to the wreck with his thumb. "'e's not in good shape, tho'. Took a nasty blow to th' head, concussed pretty bad. Been in n' out for th' past few minutes."
"Ah hell." Says Vox, starting towards the wreck.
"V, it's Jak." Jak says as he pulls out his comm. "Seems Karrde also suffered a concussion. Vox's on his way to give assistance."
There was silence for a moment before Voyla spoke. "Other survivors?"
"Just the few here I've seen. They're salvaging what they can."
"Oi." The Weequay attracts Jak's attention with a wave of his hand. "We ain't so sure we c'n look after Karrde 'ere. We don't have th' supplies." He motions out toward the Void. "We saw a settlement out there on th' way down, near th' edge of th' quadrant. They might have medical 'quipment."
It's a grim prospect. Even with the speeder bikes, traversing across the quadrant would be a several days' journey across an endless, featureless wasteland... but there doesn't seem to be anything else they can do.
"Settlement?" Comes Voyla over the Comm. "Must be Pons Ora. .... Let Vox examine Karrde then get back to me."
"Got it, V." Says Jak.
Just inside the mangled wreck is a ramshackle shelter, Karrde sitting on a crate with a crewman keeping him awake.
"Karrde." Says Vox walking up.
The pepper-haired smuggler has certainly seen better days. His head is wrapped in thick bandages, upon one spot a large red stain has formed, blood having soaked through several layers of cloth. He's visibly concussed, but is sitting upright on his own, reacting to Vox's approach without any lag or severe disorientation.
"A Clone?" He murmurs, narrowing his eyes. "I thought the Clone Wars were over.... oh!" His eyes widen in recognition. "You're Kirkran crewmate, aren't you? Vox, or Jak, right?" He offers a relieved but weak grin. "You guys survived the crash. I knew you would, but it's nice to have confirmation. Is everyone okay over there?"
"Vox. And yeah, for the most part. Kirkran suffered a concussion and a mild side injury. I have a rudimentary medkit if you need a pain reliever."
"No, I can't afford to be sluggish right now." Karrde plants his hand on one of his crewmen's shoulders, letting out a strained grunt as he pushes himself back to his feet. He wobbles a bit, but manages to regain his footing, bringing his other hand up and placing it over his bandaged wound.
"Listen, this isn't as bad as it looks." He explains. "One freighter got away, they'll tell Car'das what happened, and he'll come to get us. But it'll be a few days at the earliest, and we need to survive until then." He winces. "Our best bet would be to make the trip to Pons Ora, grab some supplies."
"You have a speeder or bikes?" He asks. "No offense but the Wild Karrde is done. It's scrap. We need to take what supplies we can and make for the 'Runner. We can hole up there till help comes."
"One or two might have survived the crash." Talon turns to one of his crewmen, a human man, and gestures with his hand. The man hops out of his seat and scurries away, leaving his captain with the two Clones. "You're free to look around and take what you need. I'll have the gang scrounge up what they can."
"You sure you're okay?" Asks Vox again, worried.
Outside Jak is helping scrounge up supplies for the trip back. "Did you guys go down sideways or in a dive?"
"I'm seeing double, but that might just be because there's two of you." Karrde quips. "The sooner we get off of Abafar, the sooner we can get proper medical attention."
Over the next hour, Karrde and his crew help the Clones gather up what little supplies survived the crash. In total, they scrounge up some spare ship parts, a working tool set, a mostly functional 74-Z speeder bike, and enough rations to feed both themselves and the Renegades for two days. By the time they secure the supplies onto the three bikes, it's about noon hour. The sun hangs high in the creamy orange sky, bearing down with oppressive heat upon the smugglers below.
"Looks like we'll need to make several trips....." Says Jak as he looks around.
Vox nods. "Any suggestions, Karrde?"
Karrde doesn't respond at first. He sits atop the 74-Z, staring off into the distance, his eyes glossed over and his body slouched, still in the throngs of a throbbing concussion. After a few moments, he manages to pull himself back to reality, shaking his head and giving himself a light smack in the face.
"We need to conserve fuel." He decides. "Take what you can to the Moonrunner, we'll walk the rest over. We'll reconvene and plan out the rest when we arrive."
"Right. We'll inform the others your coming." Replies Vox as he mounts up with Jak. "Who's our third?"
Talon looks back to his crew, whom all look back with insistent glares, the sort one would give an overworked companion that refuses to take a break. With a sigh, he turns back. "I guess that's me." He concedes, moving forward to begrudgingly mount the speeder, giving the pedals a light tap with his toe.
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Kirkran can hear the speeders as they approach, an unfortunate reminder of how battered and punched-through the Moonrunner's hull is, doing little to muffle the noise of the outside. On the bright side, it provides ample shade from the dry, oppressive heat of the Void, though he can still feel himself cooking in his clothes.
Voyla goes to greet them. "We'd better get you inside. You're in no state to be riding." She says to Karrde. "I'll have Nakei come help unload.
Inside Kirkran removed his coat and shirt, wrapping it around his head like a turban. "Damn this heat."
Karrde greets Voyla with a weak smile, and as he's ushered into the Moonrunner and sees Kirkran, his smile takes on a more guilty look. After all, this whole operation had been his idea. He had assured Kirkran that he would be safe, that nothing would happen to them. And now he's too concussed to help in a meaningful way.
"The old girl's looking a little rough around the edges, Kirk." He quips, trying to lighten the mood. "Don't worry, my boys'll do everything they can to get her back in shape." The injured smuggler takes a seat, then does the best he can to fill Kirkran in on the current situation, as well as the plan he and the Clones concocted.
"You sure walking is safe in this environment? It's a helluva long walk." Says Kirkran.
"Better than staying at the wreck of the Wild Karrde. Talon replies, turning his gaze back the way they had come. "It's a couple hours in the sun, nothing more uncomfortable than what they've already gone through today. I'm more worried about whoever has to go out to Pons Ora."
Looking back to Kirkran, he continues. "If they run out of fuel or break down out there, they'd have much further to walk than my crew. It could take them days to reach the settlement, and even if they do, they might not find a way back to us."
"Agreed. But I'm sending the three I can trust not to get DISTRACTED!" Kirkran yells, banging his fist once on the opposite side of the engine bay wall, followed by angry Huttese muttering. "Jak, Vox and Voyla will go ahead while you, Nakei and I try and get the ship on its feet again enough to reach Pons Ora."
Outside Voyla was assessing the damage to the jammed strut. "Crap...."
"What's wrong?" Asked Jak as he exited the ship.
"When we went down, it trapped the port strut. If we can free it we can start repairs on the ventral plates..... The ones that weren't incinerated that is. Only thing is the cargo bay won't pressurize."
Karrde lets out a light sigh, wiping his hands on his trousers as he stands up from his seat. "Well, it's not going to free itself. Let's see what we can do until my crew gets here."
He nods and follows Talon outside.
"Tattooine is paradise compared to this." Says Karrde as he exits the ship.
"If we can get the repulsorlifts to respond we might be able to get her upright." Voyla says to Jak, continuing their discussion as Talon and Kirkran walk up.
Kirkran and the Renegades spend the rest of the afternoon wracking their heads over the problem of turning the Moonrunner back upright, though much to their dismay they don't come up with anything substantial. As the suns begin to set, the rest of Karrde's crew arrive, and the combined group decide it'd be best to rest and come back fresh in the morning.
In contrast to the oppressive heat of the daylight, the Void of Abafar is uncomfortably cool in the evening. However, the Moonrunner provides ample shelter, and the combination of their smuggler leathers and some portable heating units keeps the marooned crew toasty for the night. In addition,
they're treated to a rather dazzling show, as an ice comet swarm streaks across the sky, casting a cool sapphire glow onto the matte desert below.
Supposedly working on some of the loosened dorsal plating, Kirkran and Voyla were sitting on the back of the ship watching the cosmic spectacle.
"It's been a while..... Since we've had time like this." Kirkran remarked, looking at the Twi'lek next to him.
"What? A crash?" She says looking at him, offended before smiling.
"What-no, I-- You brat." He smiles.
The next morning, equally hot and oppressive as the last, the Clones, Voyla and several of Karrde's men stand looking at the ship.
"I..... Might have an idea." Pipes up one of his men. "What if.... Bare with me... We use the cargo elevator top raise the ship while engaging the struts simultaneously?"
The crewman's suggestion garners a mixed response. Some of Karrde's men seem enthusiastic about the idea, but the rest of the smugglers are averse, convinced that attempting something like that would only further damage the Moonrunner. Nakei in particular is staunchly opposed, going so far as to berate the man for suggesting such a reckless idea.
Karrde quickly reigns in the situation, standing up and raising his hand. "Easy, easy!" He raises his voice just enough to sound authoritative. "It was just an idea, and I happen to think it was a good one.
Besides, what else can we try? None of us are strong enough to move it ourselves, even if we all tried together." He looks up to Kirkran, his eyes flickering optimistically.
"I mean unless Nakei can get the repulsorlifts online....?" Says Kirkran, looking at the Dug.
"Nopa koona tah happen. Doe circuit needs rewiring."
"Well I guess that settles it." Says Kirkran. "Go slow and stop immediately if anything goes awry."
At this, all of Karrde's men get up and rush for the exit, being as orderly as possible in their scramble to vacate the Moonrunner. This was probably to reduce the weight in the ship for when the attempt is made, but perhaps it could also be a sign that they don't quite trust the cargo elevator's integrity as much as they initially seemed to.
Either way, by the time Kirkran and Voyla are ready to go, the ship's been totally cleared of bodies, and some of the smaller supplies have been moved as well. Most present understood how a little a difference this would really make, given the freighter's sheer size, but every gram counts when dealing withs omething like this.
"Ready Voyla?" Asked Kirkran over the comm as he stood by the elevator controls.
"Ready as I can be. As unsound as this idea is, it's all we have. She replies. "I'll engage the landing struts, then you start lowering the cargo elevator."
"Copy. Karrde, keep an eye on it and tell us if we should stop."
The riskiness of the maneuver is immediately made clear. As soon as the elevator activates, a croaking groan reverberates throughout the Moonrunner's battered hull, straining painfully at the effort. Kirkran and Voyla can feel the ship bending and shifting around them.
But it's working! As the elevator pushes into the sand, the ship begins to move, tilting up into the desired position. Karrde and his crew watch with baited breath, their bodies tense and tightly wound, not daring to relax until the ship is properly in place.
"Keep it going, Kirk..." Karrde's voice comes through the comlink. "Easy does it, you're doing great."
"C'mon sweetheart, you can do this...." Says Kirkran, resting a hand on the wall of the cargo hold.
Seconds later, Voyla engages the landing struts. The one fights back for a second before freeing itself with a loud pop, the door that usually concealed the strut having snapped off.
"What was that?" Came both Voyla and Kirkran's voices over Karrde's commlink.
Talon Karrde visibly recoils at the loud snap, clenching his jaw as he brings the comlink to his face. "It could be a good thing, depending upon your point of view." He remarks coyly, trying to maintain a sense of optimism. "One of the landing strut doors just snapped off. One more in a growing list of hull breaches."
Many of Karrde's crew step back, putting as much distance between themselves and the Moonrunner as possible, fearing for its structural integrity.
"Should we stop, Voyla? ....... Voyla?" Asks Kirkran.
"No. Keep going. We're too far to set it back down."
The operation continues, the ship groaning as it shifts, rising to its feet like a wounded Bantha.
Indeed, the Moonrunner is now suspended at least a few yards above the sandy flat, meaning that any attempt to put it back would result in a catastrophic crash. Keeping his eyes glued to the scene, Talon Karrde finds himself subconsciously stepipng backwards, chewing the inside of his cheek anxiously.
However, despite all the anguished metal groaning and visible bending, the old freighter eventually puts itself into place, coming to rest in an upright position against the bleached white ground. From their safe distance, Karrde's crew let loose a rapturous cheer, throwing their arms into the air.
Once the Moonrunner is upright and steady, Voyla and Kirkran exit the ship.
"That's my girl." Says Kirkran.
"Why thank y---" Voyla starts, turning to she get friend taking to the battered ship, chuckling quietly before walking away.
Kirkran joins moments later. " Our next objective is reaching Pons Ora." He suddenly stumbles before regaining his composure. "Obviously Talon and I aren't trustworthy enough on a speeder at the moment."
Once it looks like the Moonrunner is in a sturdy position, Talon Karrde and his crew return from their safe distance, stepping down to pack up their campsite and move inside. The prospect of having a roof over their heads, even one as rough as the Moonrunner, seems to be an ample motivator for them.
"As much as I hate to say it, you're right." Karrde admits, doing his best to hide the weary pain on his face. "It'd be best if we stay here, move around as little as possible."
"Then I suggest Voyla and my two boys head for Pons Ora, try and get a doctor. I'm really starting to feel this laceration in my side. Kirkran says, sitting, or rather falling, into the lounge's couch by the Dejarik table. "Karrde and I'll stay here, try and help Nakei get the ship airworthy."
"Sounds like a plan to me..." Karrde agrees, leaning himself against the wall. He does so in a noticeably gingerly fashion, as if concerned he might make the ship topple over if he were too rough.
Jak and Vox enter the room, having heard the discussion in one of the adjoining chambers. "Let's not waste anytime, then." Jak remarks impatiently. "The sooner we get this going, the sooner we can get off this salty rock." He speaks with a grimace over his face. "I'm already getting sick of this place."
"Agreed." Grunted Vox. "I officially hate the color orange."
"Okay, that'll work. But you have to contact us once every hour to let us know you're okay or if we need to come back." Says Voyla, going with the plan but not really keen on leaving her injured friend.
"So let je get this straight." Nakei says suddenly. "While u three bolla running ovv into doe void, mee'm stuck taking care of these two um fixing doe ship? Grancha."
"I always knew you'd make a good babysitter, Nakei." Jak remarks, giving the grumpy Dug a pat on the shoulder as he and his brother exit the room to prepare.
Sometime later, Jak is loading emergency supplies onto one of the speeders, the last of the preparations they need to make before leaving. As he picks up a heavy toolbox, a sharp pain shoots up his arm, from his wrist to his shoulder. He winces, dropping the box back into the sand, turning his attention to his arm.
The pain has mostly subsided, but a mild soreness remains, exacerbated when he flexes his muscle or bends his arm at the elbow. His limb feels stiff beneath his armour, not as flexible as it had been when he and Vox first joined @Kirkran's crew. He had also noticed the grey hairs that had started appearing in his and his brother's hair as of late. They're not the spry young clones they used to be; They're getting older, day by day.
Jak lets out a woeful sigh, rolling his shoulder before picking the toolbox up again, being more careful as he loads it onto the speeder.
"Bite je, Jak." Snaps Nakei in his usual tone as he works on the hydraulics for the damaged strut.
Outside, Kirkran and Karrde checking the wiring they had been exposed during their fiery descent into the Void around them.
"I'm sorry about the Wild Karrde, Talon..." Said Kirkran slowly. "If she's anything like the 'Runner is to me, it must hurt. I'd die if I lost her." He patted the ship's hull lightly.
Kirkran and Karrde can hear the speeders firing up on the opposite side of the Moonrunner, their engines whining loudly before dipping in volume as they rocket away, taking off into the desert. The latter smuggler folds his arms around his chest, letting out a quiet huff and doing his best not to seem too upset.
"It's fine, she was a loaner from Car'das anyway." He admits. "I've been looking into upgrading. CEC's coming out with a new generation soon, Action VI. Judging by the published specs, it will be far better suited to the work I'm planning." He manages an optimistic smile.
"Hopefully I'll see it. And not when we're working for Car'das." Replies Kirkran as he marks another spot they needs replacing.
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"So how far is it to Pons Ora, V?!" Yells Vox over the howl of the speeders.
"If all goes well we should be there by nightfall!" She replies as she spots a flock of flightless birds, Void Striders, running across the horizon. "There! Those are our guides!"