Star Wars: Bury Us On Tatooine #3: How to Start a Riot [Tabletop Fiction]
After each session of Star Wars: Edge of Empire, I write out my RPG group's adventure as a story.
Last Episodes:
#1 Never Stop Running
#2 Hypermatter Theater
3: How to Start a Riot
Today, it seemed just about every bastard in the galaxy had made their way to the streets of Mos Tooma. The city was bursting at its seams with the bad and the worse; all pressed together into a shifting mass of pressurized awful. Land speeders whined, bantha bellowed and coughed, speeders hummed and rattled. Creatures of all varieties added their noises to the villainous cacophony; not a language or temperament left out. But worse than the people, worse than claustrophobic streets, and worse than the noise - was the smell. A thousand races, all with different hygienic standards sweating and rotting under Tatooine's two desert suns.
"This place is the pit," Ashadrakka said. "How many ships in this galaxy come with showers installed on them?" She pulled her headwrap tight around her mouth and nose. A hopeless attempt to block out the stink.
Malix cringed as the scent of two Aqualish spice traders wafted by. "Not enough," he said. "It's the heat. We're all cooking out here."
Ashadrakka was surprised to feel sweat trickling down her back. Surprised because it happened so rarely. Her people were accustomed to high temperatures; their homeworld Ryloth was known for its extremes, but Tatooine was an absolute inferno. It was the kind of heat that pissed you off at everyone you met. With each step, her clothes dampened, and her frustration grew. Ashadrakka hated sweating.
"Something wrong?" asked Malix. "Anything I can do?"
"No," she replied. Not unless you can block out the suns. "I'm fine. I'm sweating. I just want to get to the spaceport and get off this planet without any problems."
A Crolute, huge, bulbous and pale, blocked Ashadrakka's path. She stepped to one side. He stepped to the same. She stepped to the other, he followed. They traded frustrated expressions as they waited to see who would move first. Ashadrakka had decided it wasn't going to be her, not today. She placed her hands on her hips and jerked her head for him to go around. The crolute raised his chubby brow and grunted.
"Just go around him," Malix said, impatiently.
Ashadrakka's eyes rolled sideways. "Fine." She took a step and gestured for him to pass, once he was behind them she threw up her hands, "When is the empire going to blow this planet up?"
Malix shook his head, "Too soon," he said, "Way too soon."
Ashadrakka flipped her wrist at him. "Too soon? I'm sorry did offend your delicate sensibilities." If an indecent joke made her feel better, then indecent jokes were going to happen."It was just one planet, lighten up."
"I hate this place just as much as you, but complaining ain't gonna to help us rescue the captain any faster."
"Complaining is what I need to do to keep from losing my mind," she snapped.
"A little too late for that," muttered Malix, turning his head away.
"Excuse me?"
"Lose our minds." Malix forced a smile. "I think we both did that a long time ago."
They threaded through the crowd, towards the spaceport where they were told the Berrik Treg was docked. Soon they'd be off this wretched planet.
Squish. Ashadrakka looked down. Bantha dung. A huge pile of it and one of her boots pressed right in the center. What could she do? These animals. These people. This heat. What words could she use to express her feeling at this moment? "Shit." She lifted her foot, scraped it back and forth in the dirt. "Shit."
"Watch it!" shouted Malix.
Ashadrakka looked down, but it was too late, something crashed into her leg, right below the knee She tripped, stumbled forward and crashed face first into a huge black-furred Wookie. She pushed herself off of him, tried not to wretch from the horrible stench of matted and unwashed Wookie hair.
The Wookie turned and roared, "Hhhhhwrrrrrr!" Huge arms swinging just over her head.
Ashadrakka held up her hands to the Wookie as if to say, it-wasn't-my-fault, then looked for the real culprit. She spun around and behind her was a Dug nursing a bruise on his head and glaring up a her. "Watch your step, tailhead."
Ashadrakka's eyes narrowed to slits. "Tailhead?" she hissed. "You puny fat-nosed little monster." She reached for her blaster.
The Dug's eyes went wide, then he scurried off under a nearby bantha and out of sight.
When she started to follow, Malix stopped her, "Ash," he said in a calming voice. "We're almost there. Let's just keep moving and get the hell off this planet."
Ashadrakka closed her eyes and nodded.
"The landing platform isn't far," Malix said. He locked arms with her and smiled, kissed her on the cheek. "Let's just get there, get this igniter installed, and go save the captain. Alright?"
Ashadrakka smiled thinly and nodded again. All she had to do was keep calm and let him pull her through the crowd. She focused on her feet, taking each step purposefully. Don't lose your cool. You're almost there. Everything is going to be fine.
"There they are, get them!" There was a static hiss behind the deep male voice.
Creatures of every variety scurried to either side of the road revealing three men in pale white armor: Stormtroopers. They raised their blaster rifles.
"Twi'lek Ashadrakka and human Malix Dravv," said the Stormtrooper Captain. "You are under arrest, put your hands up."
Ashadrakka looked over her shoulder, three more stormtroopers fell into formation behind them, one with a Z-6 rotary blaster cannon. They were surrounded.
"What exactly did we do?" Malix yelled to the captain.
Ashadrakka gave him a puzzled look. What didn't they do? They were smugglers. They'd broken just about every law there was.
"Smuggling illegal goods," yelled the commander.
"Okay," Malix smirked. "That makes sense. Just wanted to know. Thanks." He raised his hands.
Ashadrakka followed suit, putting her hands up. "What are you doing?"
"They work for Sulla," he whispered.
"How do you know?"
The commander took a step forward. "Both of you. On your knees."
"It doesn't make sense. A bunch of soldiers just decide to arrest two smugglers on a planet full of smugglers?" he paused. "Sulla paid them off."
Impatient, the commander took another step, gripped his blaster tighter, braced against his shoulder, "I said Kneel!"
"So, then we surrender?"
"Yup," Malix said, smirking. "Same as always."
Malix twitched his fingers, there was a click, and a hidden blaster sprung out of his sleeve. Before the troopers even realized what was going on, there was a flash of red light and the screech of blasterfire. The stormtrooper captain fell to the ground; charred hole in his helmet. Malix kneeling there - smoking blaster in his hand.
"Kill them!" yelled one of the stormtroopers, but the smugglers were already in motion.
Ashadrakka rolled to the side, drew her blaster mid-tumble, stood up and fired at the three stormtroopers behind them. Hit one of them in the chest piece and knocking backward into the other troopers.
Malix spun around, drew a second blaster, from his holster and nailed two of the troopers. "Split up," he yelled. "Run!"
Ashadrakka bolted toward a small building to the side of the road. The two stormtroopers up the street fired blast after blast at her. She tumbled behind the building. Blasterfire hit the wall in front of her; rubble flew into her face. She fell backward, nicks and cuts on her cheek. More shots screamed by as she scurried on her hands and knees into cover.
"Follow her!" the trooper said. "Kill her."
There was one trooper left in front of Malix, standing just under a two story shop, bracing to fire his Z-6. The trooper pulled back the trigger, the weapon began to hum, the barrels began to spin, unleashing a storm of blasterfire.
Malix sprinted toward an alley. The stormtrooper swung the cannon after him. Bolts screamed through the air; dirt and stone flew up in bursts, as the weapon tore up the streets. The civilians that weren't shot to death scattered, running for their lives, screaming as they went.
Malix tumbled into the alley, sprung onto a stack of crates, flung himself over a gap, caught the edge of the building, then pulled himself up onto the roof.
The stormtrooper hunting Malix hefted his cannon, marched toward the mouth of the alley, and opened fire a second time. Shards of wood and metal and plastic flew into the air. Malix watched the destruction from above. He crouched low and stalked to the edge of the building just above the trooper.
Then he drew his knife - and jumped.
Malix felt the hot air around him as he fell. Felt his knees smash into the stormtrooper's armor. Felt his chest bash against the stormtrooper's helmet. Felt his knife fly from his hand as his elbow smashed against the stormtrooper's shoulder. His feet hit the ground, his knees bent, and he tumbled onto his back, pulling the trooper down with him. Both men groaned as they laid there sprawled out in the dust.
"The Twi'lek's hiding behind the building, keep her there," the trooper commanded.
"Reinforcements are inbound. We'll surround her."
Ashadrakka heard the low whine of an imperial ship. She looked up - a Class T-4a Lambda shuttle - wings lifting as it prepared to land. How much money did Sulla spend to capture them? Imperial troopers came with hefty price tags. She smiled thinly - this might have been the most anyone's spent to kill them - she felt a sliver of pride, however short lived. A moment later, she heard the hiss of shuttle doors opening, and the heavy clamping stormtrooper after stormtrooper exiting the shuttle. It was time to get moving.
Malix tried to catch his breath, but there was little left in him. The world was spinning. Up ahead he could see the glint of his knife in the sand. He climbed to his feet, stumbled toward the blade-
"Ooof!" He felt the full weight of the stormtrooper slam into him from behind. The two hit the ground. Malix struggled to get to his knife. He elbowed the trooper in the helmet; the soldier flopped off him onto his back. Malix swiftly lifted the knife, spun jabbed it down.
In one smooth motion, the soldier blocked the blade and cracked Malix across the jaw. Malix spat blood as an armored fist dug into his jaw, the spinning worsened. "You're dead, smuggler bastard," said the stormtrooper as he lifted his fist for another strike.
Malix let him throw it, jerked his head to the side, caught the trooper's arm, laid back quick and broke it with a snap!
"Ahh!" The stormtrooper tried to pull back his arm, but Malix had it locked up tight. He tugged again, this time, more violently. Malix let it go, and the soldiers busted arm whipped back into the sand.
Malix saw an opening. He swiftly gripped the underside of his enemy's helmet and used it to jerked the soldier's head to the side, revealing a large portion of neck. Malix spun the knife in his hand and jabbed it downward deep into the stormtroopers artery. The soldier struggled, but Malix held the blade steady until there was no movement. Blood bubbled up from the wound as he withdrew the blade. Malix rolled off the dead man, "Kriffing Empire."
The scream of a blaster, then a hot sudden pain across her side. "There she is!" A stormtrooper shouted.
Ashadrakka winced as she pressed her palm into to the wound. Not so bad. Just a burn. She stood and ran into a gathering of people in the street up ahead; pushing and shoving her way through.
"She's trying to lose us in the crowd," the stormtrooper said. "Spread out. Find her."
Ashadrakka threaded through the throng of people as fast as she could, but the stormtroopers were all around. She needed a way out. Ashadrakka saw the black haired Wookie she'd crashed into before and an idea popped into her mind.
She drew her blaster, gripped it by the handle and charged him from behind. She cracked him in the back of the knee, hard enough to trip him up. "Hhhhhwrrrrrr!" he roared.
Ashadrakka moved stealthily around the Wookie as he turned, the two stormtroopers who were on her tail crashed into him. He bared his teeth and howled, "Hhhhhwrrrrrr!" Raised his huge arms into the air.
The soldier shook his head, stepped back, lifted his gun, "No, no, no-"
"Hhhhhwrrrrrr!" the Wookie lifted the soldier by the throat and slammed him into the ground, once, twice, three times and then tossed him away. Terrified, the other stormtrooper lifted his gun and shot the Wookie. The crowd watched, as the towering creature, collapsed - dead in the street.
Ashadrakka screamed from the alley, "The Empire. They're killing civilians! Rise up!" A few people looked over, some scratched their heads at the screaming Twi'lek, but not a real response from the group. If this were a stage show she would have heard crickets instead, she heard the clatter of stormtroopers boots. "They want your money!"
A couple of Rodian mercenaries shot each other puzzled looks. "They want our money?" asked the tallest Rodian.
"That's what she said," replied the shortest Rodian as stormtroopers marched into the street.
"They want our money!" shouted the Tallest.
"Yes!" yelled Ashadrakka. "They want your money!"
"The Empire is here for our money!" yelled Shortest, as she swung a bowcaster over her shoulder toward the Stormtroopers.
"They want our money," Ashadrakka repeated.
There were only two things the people of the outer-rim loved: money and freedom. Try to take either one of those away and you had a fight on your hands. Others were saying it now and the crowd was beginning to grow anxious. A cacophony of boos and bellows and howls rose from the crowd.
Ashadrakka watched and waited, "C'mon Malix," she whispered to herself as the mob grew around the stormtroopers.
"We're not here to harm you," yelled one of the troopers. "Get back." He was terrified. His hands were shaking; his blaster rattled against his armor.
"They want your money! They're here to take your freedom," Ashadrakka shouted. "Down with the empire!" She raised her blaster up and started firing into the air.
Startled by the sound, one of the stormtroopers fired into the crowd, nailing Tallest. Littlest screamed as her friend collapsed, and started blasting into the stormtroopers with her bowcaster.
"Get'em," Ashadrakka shouted. The mob roared and began drawing a galaxy's worth of weapons.
The Stormtroopers instinctively opened fire as a wave of anger and violence engulfed them.
Malix pushed through the frenzied crowd, ducking and pushing as fists, blades and blaster bolts flew in every direction.
Ashadrakka saw Malix pass by, grabbed his wrist, and yanked him into the alley. "What took you so-" There was blood on his chest. "You're hurt." She frantically searched his chest for a wound, pulling his shirt to the side, sliding her hands along his chest.
"It's not mine," he said. "I'm fine."
Ashadrakka paused, let the fear dissipate.
"I stabbed one of em in the neck."
She hugged him, and he kissed her back.
"What the hell is going on?" Malix asked.
"Seemed like everyone was pissed off today," Ashadrakka said. "Just needed something to fire'em up."
"You started a riot?" Malix looked more impressed than upset.
Ashadrakka shrugged, "It's a...it's a rebellion."
A glass bottle smashed above their heads. The violence had escalated. The streets of Mos Tooma were in chaos: A group of human mercenaries, dragged a Bothan smuggler to the ground, stabbing him several times with jagged daggers. A Twi'lek with a severed Lek and an eye patch fired at cloaked figure with a wide-brimmed hat on a roof. Whoever that was shot wide, and blasted into a group of assassin droids who all turned and opened fire into the crowd, causing the rioters to scatter in every direction. The stormtroopers, if any were still alive, were no longer the mob's focus, now they were fighting each other.
"Okay, it is a riot," Ashadrakka admitted.
“Wow," he said. "I think this is a first for us."
“Us?" she said, "What'd you have to do with it?"
“I..." Malix hesitated. "Let's just get to the spaceport."
Good. Good. HWrrrah!
Thanks!