GALACTIC LEGACY: A STAR WARS D6 RPG STORY - EPISODE 1: THE BEGINNING(PART 8)

GALACTIC LEGACY: A STAR WARS D6 RPG STORY - EPISODE 1: THE BEGINNING(PART 8)

Choe palmed the comm panel near the ramp.

"Mykar. We just lost the Dug to a sniper."
Grabbing the retinal scanner from his waist, Choe flipped a couple of switches and put them up to his eyes. Macrobinocular equipped, he peered hard at the figure on the roof top. He saw a figure swathed in a dark hooded cloak. It was bipedal, but beyond that he couldn’t see much. The weapon it was holding seemed to be a long rifle of some sort, Choe thought it might be some sort of hunting model.
"Should we pursue the figure,” Choe said with the comm still open. “Or maybe blast him off the roof top with a ship turret?"
Choe ran a cable out of a suit pocket, plugged an end into the converted macrobinoculars and the other into the comm terminal.

"Coordinates on the sniper and general features uploading to the ship's computer now."
This was a time that Choe wished he had access to the biomarker tracers that an unnamed laboratory was working on.

"Copy that, Choe."  

Mykar dashed up the ramp to the weapons stores.  

"Get everyone in the ship, and see if we can get the Dug!” Mykar barked into his comlink as he reached for his blaster. “Forks...Security prots engaged. Track that shot from the upper turret.  If you see a clear shot, take it. Minimize civ casualties. You better prep the medbay too..."

The turquoise droid blooped and whistled, acknowledging his master’s commands. 
"Choe,” Mykar said into the comlink. “If you can, pursue. Take him alive if you can. Forks is scanning. Bring in the Dug. You got 10 minutes. We're prepping for a hot dust-off."

The Ewok sensing the Dug was injured checked to see if she was alive. Surprisingly strong for his size, Jhok dragged her into the ship out of harm’s way. As he pulled the limp Dug toward the Shady Lady’s ramp, the figure on the roof fired another blast from its rifle, scorching a spot on the pavement where Bulraba’s head had been a fraction of a second before. The Ewok was curious about this species and figured he could help some way. When he had the Dug safely under the cover of the ship he put his hands on her body and rocked her to bring her awake, alert, up or something. The Dug made a noise halfway between a moan and a rattle. The wound wasn’t bleeding, and Jhok saw a ragged, roughly round spot about 8mm in diameter and about the same depth. The sides of the injury were charred and still smoked a bit. Bulraba’s color was gradually fading, Her eyelids fluttered weakly, and the sensory tendrils that drooped from her face like a mustache hung limply.

Malcom pulled a blaster checking its charge on his way back to the ramp, looked at Choe and asked "Where you want me?"

The crew and Malcolm were moving with impressive efficiency. Chloe checked the macrobinoculars once more as the Ewok moved the dug further up the ramp. He didn’t even flinch when the second blast came.

"Cover me while I spot check the assailant." 

With Malcolm for cover, Choe took another sighting on the location and the assailant.

“Not enough time,” Choe said looking to his chronometer. "Reporting to Port Authority will only slow us down."

Still down on the ramp surveying, with and without the macrobinoculars, Choe gathered details and information.

"You are the lady Doug's last known associate,” he said, looking at Malcom. “Check the area carefully for details."

"We have maybe five minutes to gather details,” Choe said, looking at the chronometer once more, “Any remote means of tracking targets?"

Reaching up the ramp, Choe pressed ship comms.

"Mykar, we file the report and details with Port Authority after we lift off. I will express the great urgency for our safety… and our immediate departure."

Choe returned to backup Malcom in the investigation.

Malcom visually scanbed the area for any other threats while maintaining cover from the sniper. Not seeing any immediate additional threat he wished he had time to make a break away from the ship's ramp to get a better angle but knew that wasn't a possibility. He looked around from his limited view point for any clues. Beyond the blast mark on the ground that had been aimed at Bulraba’s head, he saw nothing of forensic value.

"Forks,” Mykar called. “You gotta bead on the energy signal of that sniper rifle?"

The droid whined and tweeted. Mykar knew enough of the droid’s communication style to know the answer wasn’t good. He could take a shot with the ship’s cannons, and probably hit the assailant, but the shot would also probably take out some of the rooms in the spaceport hotel across the street.

As the engines began their slow spin-up with signs of life, Mykar took position on the ramp covering Choe. Sneaking another peek around the corner, Malcom saw the hooded figure jump off the roof he was on to another. The leap was at least 15 meters across, and 20 down. A landing like that should have killed a person, but the figure began running at great speed away from the landing bay, jumping to a lower elevation and out of Malcom’s sight.

From somewhere nearby sirens began to sound, and screaming could be heard from outside the landing bay.

"I have a bad feeling about this,” Mykar muttered to no one in particular.