Star Wars Galaxies: A Time for Vengeance (RP Story - Part 3)

A Time for Vengeance
By Yojimbo

The shuttle ride home had been long. Yojimbo had napped most of the way, getting up occasion to check on Slim in the cargo hold. He hated shuttle rides. The shuttle finally landed in Independence. This had been a strange trip. First the anonymous call in the dead of night, then the employer that refused to reveal his identity. Yojimbo was wary about this arrangement, but the amount he was being offered for his services was worth taking a chance.

It was a bright morning in the growing city of Independence, and Yojimbo was thinking of how he would keep the light of coming through the windows during his much needed sleep. He could all but feel the soft mattress as he approached his home. Slim, who was trudging along behind him suddenly stopped and snorted loudly. This caught Yojimbo's attention and he scanned the area.

Yojimbo has never been terribly loyal to one faction or the other in the Civil War, but no matter who you are, an Imperial Stormtrooper standing at your door is enough to tense you up. "Stay close boy, I may need you." Yojimbo told Slim. The rancor snorted in agreement, and settled about 30 feet from the door to the house.

"Can I do something for you today?" Yojimbo asked the Stormtrooper.

"I am GK-327" the trooper said in a monotone, "I am ordered to deliver this to you." The stormtrooper handed Yojimbo a datapad and stood back while he read it.

"This declaration is to inform you that one Tabitha Rashelle Semaj has been taken into custody, under suspicion of terrorist activity against the Galactic Empire. She will be tried for her crimes and most certainly put to death for the transgressions. Because the Empire cares for the citizens of the galaxy, we will allow you to witness her execution on the provided date."

Yojimbo's blood came to a boil immediately upon reading the datapad, but he knew that acting out of anger would accomplish nothing. What he needed was information, and killing the trooper now would get him none of that.

"Stormtrooper, what's this about?" he asked.

"It's all on the datapad sir. Including the location and time of the execution. Thank you for your co-operation in this matter." With that the stormtrooper turned to leave.

"Now wait just a minute there GK-whatever. You can't just take a mans wife and expect to just walk away without giving me details. What 'terrorist acts' has she committed?" Yojimbo's temper was growing short now, and he moved his hand a bit nearer to his scatter pistol.

"Sir, I don't am not at liberty to discuss that with you. If you would like pursue this pointless inquiry, take it up with Capt. Barlow at the planetary command." Responded GK-327 as 4 more troopers appeared from inside the house.

"What were you doing in there?" Yojimbo barked.

"None of your business" a particularly large trooper snapped "Go about your business, find a new wife or something. Lets move out!" the trooper shouted.

"You're not going anywhere mate, not until I get the answers I want." Yojimbo said putting his hand on the butt of his pistol.

"Sir, you should desist and go about your business now, or we will be required to use force." the big trooper said hefting what Yojimbo recognized as Tabitha's prized laser carbine to his shoulder. His comrades followed suit and readied their weapons.

"No armor, against 5 troopers," Yojimbo thought "Not a good combination." But his anger over ran his rational thoughts.

"Ok boys, if this is the way you want it, then this is how you'll have it. I'll have the information I need before you leave here, whether you give it to me, or I loot it from your cold dead bodies. Trust me fellas, you want to take the easy route. One last chance, tell me where she is being held, and no one has to die today"

"The only one dying today is you Zabrak" the big trooper sputtered in disgust "Under directive 174-30 of the Imperial code, you are branded a Rebel and will be killed for your offences against the Empire." With that, the big trooper raised the carbine and fired at Yojimbo.

Yojimbo rolled out of the way and behind his speeder, drawing his pistol and laying down fire purely to keep the troopers back. One of the troopers managed to move around Yojimbos cover fire and to the side of his speeder, only to be lifted from the ground by Slims strong jaw, and in seconds was nothing more than a mid-day snack for the beast. Slim was taking heavy fire, as was Jimbo's speeder. He had managed to take out one, not including Slims meal, and the two remaining were keeping him pinned down behind his bike with no chance of getting in a shot.

As the two remaining troopers moved in closer, Jimbo thought he might be joining Tabitha soon, but not under his terms. The big trooper moved around the speeder and leveled his carbine at Yojimbos head. "Surrender or die scum!" he shouted.

"You won't kill me you coward. I don't think you have the courage" Yojimbo spat, holding a laser burn on his arm.

As the trooper began to squeeze the trigger, a blast of lightning fire came streaking past from behind him, leveling the big trooper. Yojimbo quickly fired two shots into the trooper's helmet, and finished his short time in the galaxy. He then looked up to see that the source of the fire was his trusted friend, and fellow Bounty Hunter, Adazinn.

"Ada! There's one left!" Yojimbo yelled, leaping to his feet and running towards the final trooper, his scatter pistol leading the way. The trooper knowing that he was outnumbered by the two bounty hunters and the rancor tried his hardest to make it to his speeder, but it was quickly made useless by Adazinns lightning cannon. Using all his adrenaline Yojimbo caught and took down the trooper.

"Where is she being held!" he yelled at the trooper, who was looking up at a scatter pistol, lightning cannon, and a hungry rancor.

"I don't give information to terrorists." Was all the trooper said before he was silenced by Yojimbo's scatter pistol.

Yojimbo stood and looted through the corpses of the storm troopers. On the big one that Adazinn had killed he found a datapad containing the location that Tabitha was being held, along with a layout of the installation that she was being held in. He took that and Tabitha's carbine, and almost collapsed from his wound.

"C'mon Jimbo, lets get you inside, that's a nasty wound on your arm, lemme get some stims into you. We'll get you well, and then we'll plan how to get Tabitha." Adazinn said. The adrenaline had worn off and Yojimbo had no argument in him, so he followed Adazinn inside.

It had been 3 days. Yojimbo's wounds had healed. They had called on Yojimbo's guild doctor, Ikarumba to tend to it, and he had done well. He had even added something to the stimpacks to increase Yojimbo's strength, making him feel invincible. The plans were all laid out. Yojimbo had called on his most trusted friends to help carry out this mission.

"Ok, Klaw will be here in a few hours", he told Adazinn, "and the rest will meet us on Dantooine"

"This is risky Jimbo, I'm not sure I like it." Adazinn said, "It'll be tough to make this work."

"It has to work Ada, I can't just let her die. Yojimbo said as he drifted off for a short nap.

The fire burned brightly against the dark night. 5 silhouettes stood out in the firelight. "Ok, we'll attack them at first light, before the elite troopers are out of bed. That's our best shot. Irfit, you can handle the bunkers?"

"You got it boss. I'll make a ring of fire around those bunkers that a Kimo couldn't cross." Irfit responded, thanking the heavens for the fact that he'd held onto his commando training.

Tabitha was being held in the Imperial outpost here. Because of word of Yojimbo's out lash it had been decided that she would be executed 2 days sooner than scheduled, in case of a breakout attempt.

"We'll have to move quickly" Ooseef said, "They're going to move her at 0700, and as soon as we start they'll be gunning for her. Are we sure of where she is?"

"Yes," Yojimbo said, "I have an informant in the outpost that owes me more favors than he can count. And he knows that if he lies to me I'll kill him slowly."

It was a good group in Yojimbo's opinion. All fierce fighters for the right cause. He had known all of them for as long as he could remember. Adazinn had been with him through many Jedi hunts, as had Ooseef. Klaw was always the "whatever you need, I got" friend. If there was a problem, he was there to help fix it. Irfit of course was like Yojimbo's brother, they even had the same last name by some odd coincidence.

"Ok, when we hit, Irfit torches the barracks, to keep reinforcements from coming. Ooseef, Klaw, you're on close range combat with the troopers that are in the compound. Adazinn will provide cover fire from one of the towers. As soon as that starts, I'll go yank Tabi out, and then we leave like our lives depend on it." Yojimbo explained, as each nodded in consent of their role in this operation. "Ok fellas, lets get some sleep, we move out an hour before dawn."

With that the 5 warriors did their best to sleep despite the sound of a rancor snoring just outside camp.


The sky was just starting to light up as the 5 stealthily moved towards the gate of the imperial outpost. As they got close Yojimbo drew his vibroknuckler and silently eliminated the two gate guards. As they hit the ground he gave the signal to Irfit, who had snuck into the compounds disguised as a hunter with a pack full of hide and bone. As he drew out his flamethrower the quiet, sleepy compound turned into a fiery inferno, with troopers running everywhere. Crowds of half armored elite troopers tried to enter the courtyard, but couldn't breach the flames. The troopers that were already in the courtyard began littering the area with gunfire, but were quickly struck down by Ooseef and Klaw's area attacks. Adazinn was in the north tower, picking off troopers one by one with his lightning cannon, as well as his carbine.

With all of the soldiers distracted by his comrades, Yojimbo ran across the compound, trying to find the cell that Tabitha was captive in. He felt a hit to his side that knocked the wind out of him, and as he hit the ground he realized that he had taken a blaster shot to his side. As he looked down he saw that it had not pierced his armor, and that he was fine. "I gotta thank Phrozen again for making the good stuff." He thought as he got up. As he looked over his shoulder he saw that the shot had come from one of the 3 Elite troopers that had managed to get through the fire. Yojimbo sprayed them with pistol fire as they ran towards him, and managed to drop two before the third was standing over him with a blaster ready to fire on him. Suddenly the trooper grunted, and fell on top of Yojimbo. He looked up to see Adazinn give him a quick salute before taking out two troopers that were advancing on Ooseefs blind side. "That's two I owe you Ada" Yojimbo said under his breath as he got up and ran towards the detention area. Most of the guards had run to the center of the compound when the attack began, and fallen prey to the devastation of Adazinn, Klaw, Ooseef, and Irfits attacks, so only two guards remained outside the proson cell. Yojimbo made short work of them with his pistol, and searched the cells frantically trying to find Tabitha.

He worked down the corridor cell by cell, unable to locate her, when he heard a weak whimper come from the end of the hallway.

"Tabi!" he yelled, "I'm coming princess!"

He found her in a cell at the very end of the corridor, the cell marked with a display of the proposed execution time and place. With to shots Yojimbo destroyed the display screen and the lock holding the cell shut. He picked Tabitha up and tossed her over his shoulder. His comm. beeped in his ear from Klaw.

"Jimbo, we gotta hurry bro, ten dark troopers just popped up from outside the outpost, and it's getting messy out here."

Yojimbo could tell from his voice that he was serious, and he sprinted down the corridor, out into the main courtyard. He was holding his lightning cannon on one arm, firing wildly at whatever he saw moving or wearing trooper armor. Tabitha was whimpering his ear... "I'm so sorry Jimbo, I don't know what happened."

"It's ok princess, we'll talk about it all when we're safe." He replied as he took out another trooper. The group approached the gate of the outpost, Klaw, Ooseef, and Irfit laying cover fire as Yojimbo carried Tabitha towards Adazinn, who had all of the groups speeders fired up and ready. As they were mounting up, Tabitha let out a scream and pulled Yojimbo's scatter pistol from it's holster, firing a round and killing the dark trooper that was about to fire his Elite carbine at Yojimbo's head.

"Nice shot babe." Yojimbo said, and then whispered to himself "How many times does someone have to save my life on this trip?"

An hour later the team was safely on a shuttle out of the Mining outpost, headed for Corellia. Their mission a success, they were all smiling, laughing and joking, happy to be alive. As Yojimbo was tending to Tabitha's minor wounds his com link buzzed.
"Mr. Semaj," the voice said, "It is time for you to complete your first assignment..."