The Shadow Guard (Waste Rangers)

[Chairdor]

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

The small sliver of light coming through the door shook violently with the harsh raps of the men just outside it. Clutching the bloodstained rag to her chest Carmelia Harrassi tried to slow her rapid painful breathing hoping the men would move along. More knocks came more harshly then the last and without a word the men outside began to batter the door. No respect for anyone but their bosses it seemed as the former republican guard grabbed a piece of wood on the floor and bit down on it. Lifting herself her bite tightened as her stomach became inflamed in pain. Stupid...stupid...why did I let myself be seen like that Carmelia lamented as she began to limp away from the crumbling door behind her. Moving further into the hovel of a home she noted a small window and as the front door of the home gave way to the metal ram she realized what she had to do.

Biting down harder, the Captain began to run as fast as she could, one hand still tightly pressed upon the open wound on her chest. The window came faster than she expected, the pain causing her to blackout for a split second, jumping through it she felt the sting of shattered glass all across her form. Opening her eyes she felt a shared enter it and furiously brushed it out. Once finished she heard the rush of men inside the house heading her way. Spotting another building she made her way inside making sure to close the door quietly in hopes of evading her attackers.

In the months following the Weeping those Federated Republic civilians and soldiers who had survived found they were hunted by nearly every cut throat in Sathad'Ra. The Erenshi offered money for Republican ears, Venom offered it for noses, TMC were fond of eyes and the Ra'Fakki made a meal of the rest. Even in death a horrible fate awaited all those who had once lived and protected the proud republic and as a commanding officer of what remained of the Republican guard, Captain Harrassi found herself powerless to even stem the flow of bloodshed. This proved painfully literal in her current pressing situation as she moved her soaked rag to look upon her wound. It was a clean shot at least, the bolt went straight through and didn't seem to hit anything major as she hadn't died so far. Still she needed a way to plug the wound or she might soon find her ears listening in on trade deals, her nose smelling vile drugs, her eyes witnessing the worst debauchery, and the the rest of her bit into by the dirtiest mouths imaginable.

This fate well in mind Carmelia looked throughout the abandoned house she had made her way into, hearing her furious hunters searching all around outside. Moving into the kitchen she began to move through cabinets and while many were empty one had something she could at least use for now. Pulling the silvery tape from underneath a sink, which appeared to have been used for fermenting, the soldier began to wrap it tightly around her stomach sealing her wound for a time. Feeling pain with every step Carmelia noted with some positivity that the bleeding had at least stopped for now. Noting hr hunters hadn't found her location just yet she placed her back onto a wall and slid down slowly her eyes already drooping from exhaustion. On top of all her ailments, Carmelia had not slept well for the past month. Every night faces haunted her and enemies taunted her, every night she was chased by foes she could never defeat, every night she ran with no hope of hiding, no hope of safety, and every night she was caught and woke up screaming. She had taken to sleeping far from the others, screaming in the middle of the night was bad for morale, still one stuck by her side regardless. She wondered where Rika was now. Probably with the others where she had instructed them to be...where she should be....

Out in the Wastes​

Hiro's gobo Marx casually sniffed about looking for edibles in the endless sand, the droid walked beside him shaking his head. While he had gotten a fast gobo it's wit certainly suffered in the speed department,

"For the love of goddess Marx there is nothing to eat in the waste, that is why it is called waste!"

Marx didn't care it seemed as he continued to sniff on. Hiro was about to turn him back and end the patrol with a new ranger Sarith when his gobo suddenly gave a strange happy cry and began to rush forward with Hiro holding the reigns. Suddenly aloft the droid called out in panic as he was dragged through the desert sand by Marx who kept chirping like an idiot in love. Regaining his balance the droid lifted himself and grasped the still charging gobo's saddle and pulled himself atop it. Pulling on the reigns Hiro meant to stop the beast when he found it had decided to stop all by itself. This premature halt caused the droid to fly forward off his useful and loyal steed and come to a rolling stop in the sands. When he lifted himself he found he was on the wrong end of a gun. Raising his hands slowly fearing the worst Hiro looked up to see Marx being petted by a white haired woman in the group who was feeding him something,

"You goddess damned traitor-" Hiro began when he noted a familiar symbol, the red R of the republic. Looking across the entirety of the group he noted one taking his helmet off to reveal a stern expression. As he looked over the droid with his eyes and his gun barrel his stern expression softened as he spoke,

"I thought you were dead,"

"So did I for a minute there...have...have we met?" Hiro said hesitantly, his previous memory loss making him less than confident in this possible reunion,

"Not to my recollection," he replied leading to some relief from Hiro as the man helped him up, "I'm Lieutenant Daniels of the Federated Republic, everyone of the guard has heard of Hiro and his fabled Waste Rangers," Daniels waited a moment before speaking again, "Personally I thought you guys were made up,"

Hiro looked at the man and his small collection of soldiers and noted the wear on their gear and their tired expressions,

"What're yall doin out in the wastes with no ride to boot? That's a death sentence," the droid said with some concern. Lt Daniels merely shook his head,

"If you'd been in the city any, you'd know the death sentence is in those walls, not out of them...as it is were linking up with our commanding officer Carmelia Harrassi, have you seen or heard of her whereabouts?"

Hiro shook his head, "I ain't seen hide nor hair a nobody in weeks, but hey yall look tired, why don't you come back to my lil hideout and we can resupply ya so you can find her?"

Some sighs of relief arose from the troop as they got ready to move at a noticeably quickened pace, Lt Daniels nodded and made the signal for a march. Hiro looked to Sarith and said,

"Ya mind terribly if you guard the rear?" moving his gobo to the front near Daniels, Hiro hoped to interview the federal soldier on the happenings in the city. As he moved he remembered Marx's earlier disobedience but just as he turned to give his ride a harsh word he was licked repeatedly by the friendly creature. Shaking his mask free of saliva the droid laughed and said,

"Damn it Marx, you win this round."

 

[The Classiest Hobo]

Sitting atop his hoverbike with one hand resting on the Spear and the other holding a pair of binos up to watch the sands: Sarith had filed away the shenanigans of Hiro and his gobo mount for the last few minutes. All around him was sand. Sand, sand, and more sand filled the wastes and far off in the horizon he could see what looked like the beginnings of a small storm that looked as if it was moving away from them. No signs of tracks or dust clouds in the distance to let him know of coming hostiles it seemed, but the new Ranger wasn't so new to the dangers that places like this could present, and so he didn't immediately drop his guard just because it seemed safe at the moment. Besides that, it was a pretty nice day for what it was, and it'd be pretty miserable if bandits were to come swooping along -

Hiro wasn't there anymore.

Or, Hiro was there, he was just leaving.

That was bad.

Sarith gunned his speeder in pursuit of the retreating droid and his mount, tearing across the wastes after them in a display that a younger Sarith would have thought was cool because he hadn't been in nearly as many high-speed pursuits as the now much older Sarith had. One dune hopped and he got a glimpse of Hiro being thrown into the air with the grace of a rock, by the second dune he could glimpse the heads of a group that looked like trouble, and as he crested the third he'd already started breaking and reaching for his rifle. He banked to one side as he pulled the heavy rail-rifle from its holster and steadied it across one arm, using a leg dragging a long line through the sand to steady himself from tipping over. It wasn't the best position for a speedy getaway but when you are slinging 10mm tungsten slugs against the "armor" most raiders and Nomanii wore, speed of escape quickly became superfluous.

"Drop it or die." He growled, sights set on the man at the head of the group.

Right until Hiro and one of the goons began speaking.

At first Sarith relaxed his aim. Then he shifted, with the barrel high to the sky, and finally as he realized there was no chance among this lot of being shot in the back he finally moved to place the rifle away. Republic armor. Old soldiers by the looks of it, tired too, and likely none too pleased at having a rifle pointed at their apparent leader. Not that he could blame them. But Sarith was far too old to feel awkward about apologizing for something like that and so gave Lt. Daniels a nod of his head with a click from the holster as his rifle was firmly secured back into place.

It wasn't much to offer after nearly putting a hole in somebody's head, but he offered an apology as best he could, "Sorry. Nearly shot you. Thought you were bandits, or traitors."

He looked at the group. There were far more of them then he could probably help out, but the less gear they had to carry the better, "Hey Hiro, think maybe we could carry the non-essential parts of their kits?" He looked to the Lieutenant, "Ease the burden if you have bedding or that. Let you move easier."

 

[Chairdor]

As Hiro readied up Marx for the premature trek back home, he noted Sarith's suggestion and quickly adopted it. Several of the republican guardsmen eagerly placed their packs on Marx's back as the gobo looked proud as punch to suddenly be so significant among them all. When the pack beast was fully packed Hiro gave him a light whack to get him marching home. Marx moved a bit slower with the added weight and became a useful measure for pace for the rest of the troop. Hiro walked alongside his reptilian friend and noted Lt Daniels hadn't moved a single piece of gear from his body and though his movements seemed strained he certainly kept the pace as he moved far ahead of the others.

Slowly the droid moved away from Marx as the white haired trooper who had fed him earlier eagerly took his reigns so that she could pet him as they marched. Once Hiro got alongside the lieutenant he tipped his hat in a non-committal gesture and thought on how to begin this inquiry. Remembering what the weary yet strong looking soldier said last Hiro looked to the walls of the city and said,

"How many are trapped in there?"

For awhile the two marched in silence, the desert wind, the stomp of their tired feet, and Marx's whinnies being the only break in a long spell of nothing. Then out of that nothing the Lieutenant looked to Hiro, his eyes faded as if in thought. As the man continued to look on Hiro nodded in understanding. There is a sadness and a tragedy in the loss that can be quantified, but it deepens into a far more bitter well when you can't even begin to conceive all that you'll never have again, while it was something to lose a friend it was another to lose a people and an identity as well. Hiro noted it wasn't his place to give any comfort to the man, he'd certainly made his peace with it over time if the bags under his eyes were any indication. Still the droid felt responsible, or at least complicit in the destruction of everything this man had once fought to protect and now all he had to offer him was a castle in the sand, a stone throws away from bad memory.

"Last time we fought, in the Imperial Palace...we were outnumbered and outgunned, but what kept us fighting was a promise from the president that help was coming, the Waste Rangers would save us...but you never came,"

A harsh look fell upon Hiro as if to ask why. This inquisitive look coupled with Daniel's stone eyes pierced the metal shell of Hiro in such a way that he had to look away. This seemed to be enough for the soldier as he increased his pace further and made some distance between himself and the ranger. Hiro made no move to follow, it appeared he had failed yet another person in this world and with all that he didn't even have a decent explanation as to why. Looking up towards the scorching desert sun, Hiro noted their position and realized they were growing closer to home. One foot in front of the other for now, all he had was ahead of him.

Near the back of the small patrol two soldiers less formally armored than the rest hung back taking interest in Sarith. They were once simple citizens living on Federated land, but when The Weeping came the distinction between civilian and soldier was not, so the two picked up guns and hadn't stopped shooting since. Now the pair had finally found a bit of peace outside the walls and met some of the legendary Waste Rangers to boot. Looking up at the bearded man on the speeder bike the woman spoke,

"I'm Mary Wallis and this is my husband Krieg," to which the man grunted a hello, "I just wanted to wish you a hello and thank ya both for offering us food and shelter...I'm honest when I say your the first kindness we've found in weeks."

With that the woman put her head down, remembering the hatred, the fear, and at best the apathy of the people of the city. Looking to her husband she placed an arm around his shoulder and held him tight, in all the death and destruction at least she could say she had found love. Krieg didn't move in response but a faint smile formed which was enough for Mary,

"Is it true you rangers have an army and one day you're going to free the city?" she said as Krieg slowly put his palm to his forehead

"That's naught but silly rumors darlin," he said as he looked to Sarith, "My wife gets excitable at times, it's why I love her so, but I will ask if were going to be a burden on you, I don't want us to take any food or water from another is all," with that the two marched on with the group as the old Aranii fort hiding the Saloon crept into view.

"Almost home!" Hiro called out which led to some hoots and clapping from the soldiers, all except one, the stone eyed Lieutenant who kept his eyes peeled to the horizon past the fort always looking for-

'Captain Harrassi...'​

"Captain Harrassi....Captain Harrassi....Captain...Harrassi' the woman said her own name over and over again not remembering why it was important but only that it was important that she didn't stop. Something about sleep about wanting to sleep about needing sleep. Her eyes fluttered for a moment before she snorted awake not sure if seconds or hours had passed. Looking down at the hack job she had down to fix her wound the Captain held her rifle listening for the tell tale signs of roaming bands of hunters. Word had gotten out that the elusive Captain had been cornered it seemed and so every idiot with a gun was now wandering the blocks searching every home whether it was occupied or not. A lot of gunfire seemed to be concentrating around her building, though knowing Sathad'ra that wasn't entirely unusual anyway.

As she waited in the dark she continued to mutter her name, knowing it would help her stay awake so that when a kriffer kicked his way in she could kick him right back to hell. That's the only satisfaction she could find in the moment, a kill for a kill. A fair debt to pay for the life of a Proud Republican soldier. As she thought that she looked down at the red badge of courage emblazoned upon her vest. Touching it lightly the slightly addled woman handled it for a moment then noticed it had begun to blink red, slow blinks, nice blinks....blink....blink....blink....blink

Captain Harrassi's head nodded forward and at last she slept as hunters all around her continued their fruitless search for the eyes, ears, nose, and body of the Federated Republic.

 

[The Classiest Hobo]

Sarith had taken up the tail-end of the whole group. While the speeder allowed greater speed and made a good scouting element, the gobo leading a gathering of armed men and women would surely be more imposing to Nomanii raiders who might be looking for a quick and easy kill. Besides that he'd be able to put his rifle to better use with careful shots from the rear if they came under attack instead of rapid counter-fire if he found himself leading well into the killzone of an ambush It didn't take him any time to realize the two paramilitary-types drifting back from the rest of their friends meant he hadn't long to enjoy the relative solitude of the rear watch. That was a shame. He'd been looking forward to enjoying some of the quiet that the wastes had to offer. Sarith kept his eyes flickering between they and the horizon as they first spoke. And he finally spoke up when the man had finished.

"Its a pleasure to meet you both. The name is Sarith." He didn't mention or even make thought to bring up that he was some of the freshest blood on the Rangers, even if that thought made him laugh, "As for an army? We're our own little army. Nobody came out to well when this place got hit, by the looks of it." After all, he was no personal authority honestly, "There aren't too many of us and we're hurting, but we're doing what we can. Trying to help folks like you. So don't worry about taking food and water." The former detective shrugged, "Because no offense, but you all look like you've been spending a bit too long down the wrong end of a blaster. The least we can do is help you out some."

As the old fort that Sarith had only so recently started calling a home of sorts peaked into view, even he couldn't stop a smile reaching his face at watching the troopers' reactions. They were tired, hungry, thirsty, and probably all wanting a chance to get their boots off their feet. He couldn't blame them for it. But something told him that these troops weren't out here in the wastes for no reason and that he wouldn't be enjoying the comforts of 'home' for much longer.

 

[Chairdor]

There was something about a homecoming. Hiro knew that his friends old and new would be there along with all the comforts life required. Sure the old fort was a dump, but it was the ranger's dump and that made it a step above anything else he could think of. As they marched on the Saloon growing ever closer, Hiro looked down at the Lieutenant who had suddenly grown excitable. Not a regular sort of excitability mind you, this excitement was cool on the exterior but quite hot within like a thick cup of coffee, it all seemed to boil down to the soldiers badge which was now blinking a distinctive red color. After a moment he tapped it to hear a weak voice, somewhat feminine but also rough and worn,

"Captain Harrassi....Captain Harrassi..." the device said for a moment before growing silent save for the dulled sounds of smashing and screams. Gripping the device tightly the soldier began to speak into it,

""Captain Harrassi this is Lieutenant Daniels, I repeat this is Lieutenant Daniels where are you located?"

Silence. Dead silence greeted the soldier whose hand began to shake harder and faster as the moments grew long between then and the woman's first speaking. Hiro and Daniels had stopped as this occurred and the others were slowly catching up, curious as to why they were taking a rest so close to their destination. Once they heard the name of their captain however the group began to gather around the pair as Daniels continued to plead into the communications device acting in an impassioned way Hiro had not seen before.

"Please...Rebbecca...Captain."

For a moment the silence continued and stretched for a far longer period than its time would suggest. A few seconds later a cough was heard followed by the licking of dry lips. This orchestra of hard to place bodily sounds went on for another overly stretched moment until a highly casual voice was heard over the com,

"Daniels...oh hi...how ya been?" a hack of coughing was heard before the woman continued, "I myself have been better."

Daniels looked at his communication device with such intensity, his grip hardening with each cough he heard. When she had at last finished speaking he looked for words to say, first of comfort, then of confidence, and finally a simple question came to mind,

"Where are you?"

"Sathad'Ra...Ra'Fakki turf," more coughs followed by a small laugh, "I got...sidetracked."

With that the Lieutenant immediately sprang back into motion. Letting out a whistle the entire group began to run. Not a light marching jog mind you, but a sprint towards the fort still growing in the distance. Hiro noting their obvious urgency leaped onto his mount and began to pursue them. As the entire group sped towards their destination the droid gathered what was going on. In a good plan speed is only required in its initial phases, noting that this obviously exhausted group was running now told the droid that the Captain was more than a little bit sidetracked. Knowing what to do then Hiro turned back to Sarith and shouted,

"Ranger, with me full speed!"

With that he kicked Marx into high gear, while the beast was often a disobedient little cur it seems the gobo realized the urgency as well and moved as fast as his thick frame would carry him. Leaving the group behind but still in sight Hiro came upon a rather curious looking Ross and Archimedes. Not having much time to explain Hiro leaped off of Marx and rushed towards the small garage hidden just by the entrance of the fort. Grasping a speeder bike and activating its hover engines he grapped a length of rope and tied it to Marx. After than he began to loose all the supplies the federated soldier had given him allowing them to clatter all about the yard as he continued his frantic speedy movement. Catching on to the droids urgency, Ross and Archimedes swiftly joined him. Archimedes began to gather the supplies and after rushing inside once brought out Vince and Gray to help as well.

Slowly seven speeder bikes were attached to Marx and Hiro,

"Sarith tow as many bikes as you can!" he said to his fellow ranger as he set out back the way he came.

The going was slow and Marx grew tired, but Hiro knew he realized it was all for a good cause. Usually when the gobo was tired he let it be known in grunts or simply by rolling on his side and refusing to move, but now he was silent save for his panting, Hiro would have to reward him well after this. For now the job wasn't done. Approaching the running group he leaped from his gobo and instantly detached the assortment of bikes from the beast's back,

"All the wounded and green in fightin on the gobo, rest of you take a bike!"

With that the assembled group broke up and those tired and wounded souls who probably wouldn't have made it to Harrassi anyhow gladly took a ride on the happy gobos back, the rest grabbed a bike including the happy couple, the white haired woman, and the ever determined Lieutenant Daniels. Hiro jumped onto his own bike and when Sarith arrived with his bikes he'd lay out the plan,

"Alright I figure that com relies on a signal that I can at least partially track, we ride into town full speed and form two groups to cricle around the area where the captain is, once we find her we grab her and high tail it out of the city."

With that simple plan of action the droid revved his engine and shot out towards the walls of the city held by his enemies. With the help of his friends he would rescue

Captain Harrassi ​

Jake Daniels...she heard his voice. Jake was coming...he was coming for her. He always came for her. A smile came from her dry lips and a laugh as doors and windows were smashed around her. A city was burning around her. A city determined to find her. Leaning back and feeling her mouth she felt the dried bits of blood that had emerged and wondered when the Lieutenant did arrive to find her, would there be anything worth finding.

 

[The Classiest Hobo]

Sarith was learning that out in the unchanging wastes, things had a habit of changing rapid-fire before a man had a chance to blink. Even at the back end of the group he'd been able to sense the sudden change in the group's mood when the radio had come to life. He hadn't been on the planet as long as Hiro or the others in the group. It felt somewhat odd at his age to be saying that something was before his time, but as far as the Weeping went he hadn't even been on the same side of the galaxy when it had happened.

He couldn't hope to relate to these people as things stood, or understand the seeming hostility coming from the Lieutenant aimed at Hiro, and he had no chance at recognizing any of the names being thrown about. All he knew was that at one moment they were headed for the Saloon to get these poor souls some supplies and rest, and suddenly the next he was tearing off after them all towards the Saloon and before he'd even had a chance to ask what the hell was happening exactly he'd had orders from Hiro to tow as many speeder bikes as he could. Which, on a speeder bike himself, wasn't too many. Thankfully the gobo of Hiro's made up the difference more than well enough so as to not be a problem.

Towing the ones he had managed to tie to his own behind him after Hiro, Sarith wasted no time in unsecuring the vehicles once again for those who were fit to fight to get mounted up. After that, well, the old cop had nothing to do but listen to what the situation was, and do his best to catch up with everything that was apparently going on. Which was quite a bit. Needless to say that for the longest time while those present were getting ready to ride, Sarith spent his time listening to the chatter going on around him, and making sure that his rail-rifle was ready to go for any coming fight. And there would be a fight, because this many folks with guns didn't go riding out at speed unless they were expecting to get in some trouble. The general concept of Hiro's plan was easy enough to follow thankfully. Two teams go charging into the city stirring up merry chaos to avoid neither group attracting more attention from the local talent than they could handle.

While they were doing that Sarith imagined a transition would be easy in the plan after pin-pointing this apparent Captain's actual location. One team would move in to grab her while the other "circled the wagons" and played security. At least that was the way it seemed things would be playing out, he hoped. Easy enough to follow. Sarith made sure a round was chambered in his rail-rifle and revved the speeder bike to make sure that, of all the things that could go wrong, the accelerator wasn't about to stick on him when he would need it the most.

"That all sounds good, Hiro. Give me a team and we can run delays against local color while you go find the Captain. Sound good?"

 

[Chairdor]

Noting Sarith's remarks and agreeing with his addendum he nodded to his fellow Ranger and those on speeders quickly shifted into equitable groups of ten each. Their bikes roared as engines came to life all around the droid. Looking to his own group he saw Lt Daniels among them and swiftly gestured for him to be on point with him, it had been awhile since Hiro had been in the city so he would need someone who could make the quick decisions with the knowledge to make them. On Sarith's end he saw two of the people that had seen briefly talking with him so he figured he might make a similar arrangement with them as the droid didn't know if his fellow Ranger knew the city much at all besides the sparse idea that comes from maps.

"Alright yall this is a rescue mission, do what ya can but no more an that, we don't wanna lose anyone today!"

Lt Daniels' eyes narrowed at this short speech, though he said nothing his hands tightened on the controls of his speeder. These were his men, not the droids and he would have his piece on that with this Ranger later, but for now they needed haste and that came with compliance and efficiency not with petty argument. So with that the groups sped towards the looming walls of Sathad'Ra. As the walls rose above the desert and a gate began to appear on the horizon Lt Daniels spoke into his com,

"Well be heading to Ra'fakki turf due east, once we get there team A with me will search the neighborhood in a grid pattern to get a lock on the signal, team B with the ranger will be running a distraction, from what I guess these guys are bounty hunters looking for federation so if you flash em your bade that should be enough to get them onto you. Like the robot said, don't risk too much in this I want a clean rescue,"

Hiro wasn't entirely happy being refereed to simply as 'the robot' but he kept his peace as the group neared the gate manned by what appeared to be a group of Erenshi mercs. The group looked confused as they marched to interfere with the groups entrance, but the gate wasn't closed at the moment so without orders to stop the entire group just decided to race right past. The Erenshi guards rather than moving to fire upon them merely fell to the ground covering their heads as the twenty speeder bikes zoomed over them. Lifting their heads after this harrowing experience they turned to see these intruders were long gone. With a look to one another and a silent nod they all agreed this minor slip up would never be spoken of.

As the group zipped through the city blowing past shopkeepers stands and sending street walkers diving into alleys, Krieg and Mary whooped in excitement as they flew around each other trying to best the others speed. Moving closer to their squad leader, the ranger they had spoken with earlier Mary decided to throw out an offer,

"Krieg and I can take point with you while the others provide cover fire from their bikes, we seem to be the best riders of the bunch."

That statement was true in that Krieg and Mary had both been deeply involved in swoop and bike racing on the world as had anyone in the city who had any notion for upward mobility. The more willing you were to stick your neck out in Sathad'Ra the higher you might rise and in that respect Krieg and Mary were basically giraffes. Flying low and fast the couple moved alongside Sarith prepared for the long road ahead, knowing all the twists and turns that would come with it.

Hiro and Daniels moved their group into a loose bunching to ensure maximum mobility as they began to move through the unaffiliated territories. After the rise of the TMC many factions fled the city or lost their freedom, one faction that left was Mallum company, but as their warriors moved their fortified section of the city stayed. Gang members took it up and cut it up and as the part of the city wasn't all that profitable TMC and its allies seemed to be keeping it that way.

The territories didn't seem to be very responsive to their movements, but that was probably because large groups of bike riders were an extremely common sight in this gang infested section of the city. Still Hiro did his best not to lose his focus amidst the walls his enemies owned. Even now the guards they had zoomed past might be radioing their respective masters to tell them of the security breach. With this worst case scenario in mind the droid upped his speed a move that was eagerly matched by Daniels who seemed to be holding onto his bike's handles so tightly that they had lost all color. Noting his seriousness Hiro sought to reassure him,

"Lieutenant I'm sure well get to her in-"

"BLOCK!"

Hiro immediately ceased speaking and his bike at that call as he looked forward to see a herd of unruly Gobo being moved onto a sand skiff for transport. Blocking several avenues forward the group hesitated in its next move. Hiro knew they were sitting ducks out here and every second they wasted was another for the news of their coming to siphon through every communication method in the city from radio to word of mouth. Already it seemed one local had gotten wise as he leaned out of a nearby window and shouted,

"Well if ain't our good friends the Federated Republic, let's give em back the bullets they always gave us!" a cackling laugh was heard followed by the crunch of an automatic gun being placed on his windowsill.

As the gun began to warm up, readying itself to fire an endless stream of death upon the assembled riders Hiro took a chance and shot down the nearest avenue circumventing the gobos. He heard several following him, but he couldn't turn back to check as already the man had alerted many others in the sector who were starting to exit their homes in order to discern what was happening. The droid zipped past them along with several others following the Rangers confused and desperate path. Turning and twisting down this alley and that Hiro struggled to hold onto to his bike and struggled still more to keep this admittedly weak plan from crumbling apart.

 

[The Classiest Hobo]

With that, they were blazing a trail. Sarith and his new group stuck close to Hiro and the others for the most part. Until they got closer there was no reason to really separate themselves from each other. So Sarith led his group in just behind Hiro's, watching as they left the obviously confused and unprepared gate guards behind in a flurry of speeder-bikes and sand. Lefts, rights, curves, and straight-aways filled the zipping moments as they passed through the city streets. Sarith was focused on an as-the-crow-flies approach to everything but couldn't help but notice Krieg and Mary's antics as well as hear Mary's offer. It was true that of the entire group now under his command, they seemed to be the most capable three riders there were. Plus she seemed to have a good idea.

"That sounds good, Mary!" He called over the roar of their engines, "You two ride on my flanks, keep in my back pocket!"

But he hadn't been able to say much beyond that before he heard the warning.

"BLOCK!"

Sarith wasn't a fan of excessive profanity, but he still swore. Just internally as he slammed on his breaks to avoid leading his group head-on into colliding with Hiro's. His group only barely hung back from Hiro's own to prevent intermingling and as Sarith watched everything that was going on he'd already begun reaching for his rifle holstered on his speeder. He didn't need to hear the man in the window to already start feeling like he was sitting out in the open for far longer than they needed to be. But that voice did spur him along in coming up with a plan of action as he heard and saw the offending local trying to set the weapon up.

"Covering fire!" He yelled, drawing his Spear, and taking aim, "Blast him!"

Sarith unleashed a belt of fully automatic fire at the window. He felt his rifle kick in his hands from the force of the recoil and watched as pieces of the wall became pock-marked and slowly began crumbling apart. But he wasn't going to kill the gunner at this rate by himself and the team with him knew it. Krieg had dismounted from his speeder and was dashing across the open ground with something clutched close to his chest. Sarith didn't even see what it was until the beast of a man had stood up straight, reeled back, and threw it for the window. A thermal detonator sailed through the air in a sort arc, smacked against the edge window - and fell back down to the ground in front of them all. Krieg couldn't see it because he was far too busy running for safety but his wife quickly covered for him. Mary was already moving for it before Krieg was halfway back to his own bike and the woman scooped it up mid run, turned to give herself momentum, and gave the detonator a toss of her own. This time it sailed true and straight in through the window.

Nobody could hear the profanity the man screamed when he realized what had landed in his house with him but everybody could watch his legless body come sailing out down to the street below.

Sarith slammed his rifle back in its holster and gunned his engine, "On me!" He couldn't help but grin as he felt the adrenaline coursing through him before he keyed his radio to Hiro, "Hiro, we're going to start moving. Hitting every small gang drug house, checkpoint, or hidesite Krieg and Mary know of. We want to keep the local color so in a fuss that the PD is too busy with them to follow you."

He looked to the married couple this new part of the plan hinged on, "Well you two, lead the way."

And with that, his group took off down another alley.

 

[Chairdor]

Six

Hiro counted twice with two swift looks back, after each time he looked back just as swiftly to barely dodge another obstacle. Years of disuse had been horrible to certain sections of city streets and the droid hoped that these were the worst examples. Moving swiftly to dodge another pile of refuse, a large shard of rock, and a corpse of some kind the droid held onto his hat as it flapped in the wind. Looking back he heard Lt. Daniels barking orders but he couldn't hear him over the din of the engines and the gunfire at their back. An explosion rocked a building and for a moment the droid's processors stalled as he contemplated that many of the people on this mission might have perished. He had hoped others would follow, but his flight was too quick, too cowardly, too based in self preservation to be called leadership. Seeing Lt. Daniels in command in this chaos he saw for a moment why he was followed into battle. It didn't come from skills with a gun or an aura of menacing authority, but rather the ability to stay alive, keep others alive, and follow through on objectives.

As they regrouped Lt. Daniels had the squad of six form into an arrow, Hiro sidled next to Daniels and looked to his badge as it continued to beep faintly. They were still far from the target but they were growing closer every moment. Moving through many empty streets Hiro saw destroyed homes and burnt out houses, they were in the old district of the Saloon and Federated Republic. Nothing grew here, even in the most fetid parts of the city weeds grew in abundance out of the walks, but here the streets were burnt and cracked and black. Everything around them seemed dead for a moment, the only thing resisting the silence being the hum of their speeder bike engines and a sort of scared panting coming from one of the men who kept muttering he 'nearly got shot'.

For awhile it seemed the silence would be terminal, a lingering growing thing that would overtake the man as he calmed and the bikes when they ran out of gas. Then within an instant the momentary peace shattered as a roar erupted from an alley, not a roar of a beast nor of a gale but that of a powerful engine. Headlights glared upon the swiftly moving group as half naked men and women covered in body paint and scars whooped and hollered as they began to pursue them. Gunning their engines to near suicidal speeds Hiro cursed their luck, Ra'Fakki slaver squad.

Hiro had read transcripts from survivors of Ra'Fakki attacks, the mental exercise took mere minutes as the amount of survivors with mind enough to write were so few. A common theme was the cannibal slavers never giving up, whether they were fired upon or were not speedy enough to capture their prey at first they would pursue anyway. For hours, days, weeks it seemed they didn't need to eat or drink or sleep as they would ride with lips wet with desire to feast on flesh for the hunger of their mouth and their loins. They seemed only to give up when they captured someone or when they were dead.

Both the Droid and Lt. Daniels were thinking far ahead as they came to the same conclusion, looking to each other with a nod, a mental link of understanding Hiro said,

"We need to split up,"

He shook his head,

"We need to split them up."

After a moment Hiro agreed and the pair grabbed their brakes while harshly turning about, screeches were heard as the other four Republican Soldiers did as well. As the fanatical slavers grew closer with blood upon their lips, eyes wide and black, their last sights were blaster and gunfire approaching them, their last thoughts were of pain. As they fell from their speeders onto the street rivulets of blood fled the piling bodies forming a stream which pooled under the still floating speeder bikes they had ridden upon. Eventually the power to the bike ceased and they began to fall one by one upon the corpses and then the silence and peace returned to the group, but there was something disquieting about this silence and none wished to linger for long near the rotting dead.

As Hiro moved deeper into the city he hoped Sarith and the others were faring well

 

[Chairdor]

Deeper and deeper into the muck and mire of this urban hell they went. Soaring upon bikes of fantastic speed the groups criss crossed through the city. Moving to dodge fallen pieces of building, the fire of guns, and the clubs and spears of Ra'Fakki the riders knew they could not do this forever. Hiro was among them in knowing that and while Lt. Daniels would never admit it he too was afraid. His fear was not for his own life or even the man's next to him, no. His fear was for Harrassi, for Rebbecca. Gripping his throttle with intensity he sped before the rest, his head down, his thoughts of her.

Hiro was more focused on the problems at hand. The bikes didn't have enough fuel to go much further without dying before they got home so he called a halt. He'd have to risk everything himself, he could not ask these people who had already been through so much to die for him here and now. Telling them to siphon a bit of their own fuel into his bike he told them to head back and to find the others when they did. He would go alone. Lt. Daniels wouldn't allow that, he protested and when Hiro's optics caught the sight of his steely gaze and his dead set grip he knew their would be no dissuading the soldier. So the two took what fuel they could, the others left the city looking for sights of the other group and just like that the Lieutenant and Hiro were alone amidst the vastness of possible death for both them and the hidden Captain.

Rushing street by street, block by block as the sky grew dark the two moved with heads on a swivel for danger and for hope. Every so often Daniels checked the com for some sign of her but it only told them if they were getting close. Sometimes they were, then they weren't, hot, cold, hot, cold. Eventually Hiro and Daniels figured it would be more precise if they walked.

On their feet in the city they hid their bikes and began to move. From alley to alley they hid betwixt the shadows and danced on the lingering gazes of curious city sentinels. Eventually the duo found something, a trail. It was a trail of blood and the com told them its path was the path of the captain. Their footsteps were small, dutiful, fearful, but also concerned. Eventually Daniels broke the pattern and began to run. His footsteps slapped across the pavement with a cool splash as he hit a puddle of goddess knows what. He didn't care and as Hiro followed him he saw why. If Captain Harrassi wasn't already dead, she was dying. Plain and simple.

Eventually the two came across an abandoned building with a broken window. Jake Daniels didn't hesitate to bust in as Hiro drew his pistol. He looked around warily and held the door as the Lieutenant ran inside. Frantic searching, movement and an eventually cry. The cowboy droid rushed to his companions side not knowing if the cry was hopeful, happy, or something darker. What he found was a strange combination of the three as the Lieutenant knelt over the pale form of the Captain. Hiro looked with his thermal vision and saw she was ice cold all across except for a small heat in her heart. Barely clinging to life. Some programming kicked in and Hiro headed towards a pile of rubble,

"What are you doing?" Daniels asked as Hiro dug into the rock to produce a sharp object and some tubing from a defunct fridge.

"Blood type?"

"Wha-"

"Blood type" Hiro repeated

"O Negative,"

In some things fate can be kind. Hiro nodded noting his blood would do the job. Grabbing the man he held up the knife and stopped just short. Realizing it was a dirty thing as all this city was he looked over to the stove. Turning some knobs he got a flame to catch and spun the knife. At this moment the Republican fighter caught wind of what Hiro intended and offered his arm. His mouth twitch, he was afraid, probably hemophobia, common for many, but strange for a soldier to have. The droid took no time and cut near the mans vein so he might put the tube in. Turning to Harrassi he did the same. Red fluid of life poured from the Lieutenant to his captain and though it might have been the light, the woman appeared to immediately respond, her flesh growing more lively.

Noting this was a temporary fix at best Hiro helped carry the Captain through the streets. As two they were suspicious, as three with one incapacitated they were a target. The two could feel the city gnawing at them, tasting them, sizing them up for an eventual fatal bite. It came when two drugged up men rushed them pistols drawn. Their eyes were white, they were blind, and the guns weren't loaded. Hunger, addiction, desperation, all forms of temporary insanity and thus deserving of mercy. Hiro beat the two men down and then the two were able to get on their bikes. Daniels attached the Captain to his back and Hiro followed close behind.

For a while it seemed the return would come without incident, but it wasn't long before the sharks smelled the blood. This next pack was not Ra'Fakki, nor was it the simple common fare of doped up thugs. No, these were Venom assassins. Stalkers with blades lathered in pure poison only they knew the antidote to. They rushed across the rooftops at incredible speeds, faster than even their speeder bikes could muster. Hiro knew the two Republican Guard were no match in their state so he stopped his bike calling for Daniels to keep moving. He slowed for a moment but pressed on knowing what the droid meant to do.

It was not long before the Venom killers took their bite. Rushing Hiro their blades bit into him before he had a chance to react. Any man would have been dead within a few moments. But Hiro was no man. Gripping the two women by their necks, his metal hands crushing at their throats he threw the two cowardly killers against the walls and ripped their blades from his metal form. Some drips of coolant and oil spilled forth, but he would move on. He would survive, he would not allow himself to die while this world needed saving.

Eventually the droid caught the pair moving towards the gate. Just as before the zoomed out before the guards could react, throwing down his weapon the man watching the door knew he was getting fired. Regrouping with the rest of the soldiers the group made their way back to the Saloon. Rushing the Captain to their makeshift medbay a soldier came out among the others declaring she was the captain's personal medic. Her hair was of snow and her demeanor cold, but her hands worked quickly as she got several spot donors of the Captain's blood type. Soon several quarts were entered into the soldiers system from the brave men and women who fought under her. Checks of the Captain's pulse revealed it was increasing and within a few hours her eyes opened.

To greet her was Lieutenant Daniels. Her smile was wide as his eyes were watery. They embraced and Hiro, who was still in the room, swiftly exited knowing what he had to say could wait. When he was eventually called in he saw the Captain was in high spirits and good health. Taking a seat he made his offer simple and clear. When she heard the word Waste Ranger, her eyes widened, she too thought they were a myth. After the fall of the Republic a lot of lies she had been told had been made clear, she thought a group of desert do gooders was among those fabrications, but seeing this fabricated man real before her and in the metal she smiled and accepted.

So it was a formal alliance was forged between the Republican Remnants and the Rangers. To take back Sathad'Ra, then Zonju V, and then the galaxy from certain destruction at the hands of tyrants. It would be a hard job and beyond their lives, but they had a duty to start the work at least.