RocketBoy

[J21 - Imynusoph - CFS] Perilous Tales V | Fight and Flight

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Previous chapters of the Perilous Adventure!
Chapter 1: Meet our heroes!
Chapter 2: Meet the devious Colonel Corbett!

Chapter 3: Raiders of the Lost Jungle Planet!
Chapter 3: Torture, Love, and Civilized Conversation!


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After a daring escape from Colonel Corbett and his gang of pirates, our heroes skim over the jungle in search of the natives of IMYNUSOPH.
But the pirates are close on their tail. Will our heroes escape, or will their journey end at 10,000 feet?
Read on to find out!


STORY (w/ Photos)

Spoiler

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The clunky old Incom speeder buzzed over the treetops. Clod piloted while Kitsa and Professor Floon scanned the jungle below for any signs of habitation. Thus far, no luck.

"Does anyone else hear that?" asked Kitsa, a frown on her face.

A low, distant chanting announced they weren't alone. A ship burst through the cloud layer, a lumbering beast of a cargo hauler dressed up with raider paraphernalia. Spikes, nets, rusted metal, the works. Beside it buzzed the tiny ball of a jurry-rigged TIE fighter cockpit, two wings jutting out of it like the wings of a fly. 

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"You gave me a nasty knock back there, you truly did. While I commend your ingenuity, I admit I'm disappointed by your manners!"

Professor Floon gulped at the sound of Colonel Corbett's voice over the speeder's comm.

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"I do wish you wouldn't run," said the Colonel. "Professor, please--there needn't be any conflict! I was so enjoying our conversation about the fabled winged creatures of this planet. All you need do is turn around, and all will be forgiven."

A harsh laugh from the resourceful Harnabus Clod in the pilot's seat. "Ha! What, you think we woke up yesterday?"

"Ah, the Klatoonian, I presume," came the disinterested reply from the Colonel. "Professor, you do keep such racuous company. It reflects poorly on you, I feel I must say."

Professor Floon leaned forward in the cramped cockpit, much to Harnabus Clod's discomfort. Words tumbled emotionally out of his lipless mouth.

"Y-You are one to--to talk, Colonel! That...right hand man of yours did horrible things to my associate! Your hospitality is...is...wanting, sir! Wanting!"

Kitsa, the unwavering journalist, shot him a raised eyebrow and said sarcastically, "Harsh words, Professor."

"I've had enough of these goons," growled Clod. "Kitsa, you ever fly one of these things?"

"I've taken a few swoops for joyrides, sure! Same principles, I take it?"

"More or less. Take the controls! I'll get on the gun!"

"Righto. Let's just, scoot here, and--woah, don't let go just yet, I'm not in the chair..."

There was groaning and the ship shook as the three tried to maneuver themselves in the tiny cockpit, shoving past each other and falling face first into their new positions. Kitsa scrambled upright and took hold of the ship's flight sticks. "I'm taking us up," she informed her two companions. "We've got maneuverability on our side."

"Good thinking, Ms. Rigo!" cheered the Professor, watching warily behind them.

Clod grabbed a rifle from the floor of the cabin, and climbed out through the top hatch. "Take this, you loony fascists!"

Blaster fire back and forth, considerably more from the pirates thanks to their numbers. There was a blast of compressed air from the top gun on the Hauler, and a durasteel grappling hook came hurtling towards them. A nasty 'KA-CHUNK' announced that it had dug its spines into their left wing. Kitsa grunted and tried to correct as they were suddenly being pulled back by the tension on the cable.

"Someone's got to take care of that hook!"

"Don't worry, I've got it!" Clod shouted. He grabbed the blaster rifle and, carefully, started to clamber out onto the wing.

Floon could not handle the stress of bearing witness to this death-defying feat. "My goodness! Please be careful, Mr. Clod! The pirates are getting ever closer!"

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It was true, the Hauler was coming just up on their tail now, reeling them in by the tow cable like an iron-age tractor beam.
Clod, arms out for balance, rocked back and forth as they hit turbulence, trying desperately to keep his footing. He leaned down beside the grappling cable and put the muzzle of the rifle flush up against it. He pulled the trigger, and burned away a portion of the durasteel mesh.
Red weapon fire pierced the wing and flashed past his face, and he yelled in alarm. Nonetheless, he kept at his task. Another shot, a bit more burned away. Another shot, and they were nearly free. One more shot...

The last shot sent the cable whipping away and the grapple hook--now untethered--fell into the clouds below. But two things happened then: they came unhooked and all their stalled momentum returned, making their airspeeder yaw wildly. And the freed cable smacked Clod across his jowels, knocking him reeling from the wing.

The explorer had the enormous luck--and misfortune--to fall onto one of the arms of the AT-Hauler. His shoulder smashed against a metal grating welded to the front, and he groaned in pain when he felt something bruise. 
There was a ruckus as the pirates saw it happen. 

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"Don't kill him, you fools! I NEED WHAT HE KNOWS!" shouted an enraged Slyfoot from the rear deck, but whether it was the wind or the heat of the moment, not all the pirates seemed willing to comply.
Clod had the wherewithal to duck an opening blaster shot, but two of the raiders were crawling their way toward him across the armor plating, their hand weapons gleaming in the sun.

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Floon watched all this happen with a gaping look of horror, punctuated by a vicious swear from Ms. Rigo. The swear was so impassioned and the word so vile that it shook the Professor from his petrification and had him grabbing into the pocket of his jacket, where he had tucked the Colonel's stolen blaster pistol.

The normally-timid Neimodian burst from the open hatch and furiously discharged his weapon at the pirates while screaming over the howling wind, "Back away from him, you dogs!" 

The pirates cowered under the sudden volley of blaster fire, and while the Professor's aim was such that Clod himself was also in danger, it was less danger than a moment ago. 

"Professor!" he cried. "Didn't know you had it in you!"
Clod used the opening to jump to his feet and deliver a right hook to the closest pirate, which turned into a tussle, a push-and-pull to see who would be knocked off the narrow lift-arm. 

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Looking on was the hulking, shirtless pirate wearing the driver helmet--the pirate named Deksen, who had helped the trio escape the camp. So far he was hanging back, looking around to see if anyone had noticed that he wasn't doing any shooting. 

Slyfoot was the leader of the bunch on the Hauler, and he was incensed. He lurched from his chair and grabbed a pirate by the neck, pointed at the Incom airspeeder--now only manned by Kitsa and the Professor--and screamed, "We have the dog--blow them out of the sky!"

Hearing this barked command, Deksen's gaze moved between the airspeeder and the other pirates. His blank facemask didn't betray his internal conflict, but inside he was torn--a duty to do what he thought was right, and fear of what might happen as a result. 

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The other pirates ignored Clod and raised their blasters toward the airspeeder. Kitsa was as sharp and nimble in the airspeeder as she was with her pen; she did an incredible job of veering, dipping, and whipping the tiny craft around to avoid the attack, but the Colonel's TIE hounded her, shutting down any real escape. All she needed was a bit of help.
Deksen made his choice. With a sudden movement he crossed to the main body of the Hauler, seized the nearest pirate by the shoulder.

"Oy, stud, watch it!" said the man, who thought Deksen was stumbling from the turbulence. Realization dawned in his eyes shortly before Deksen threw him off the craft. He screamed as he plummeted headlong into the clouds and out of sight.

The scream drew attention. There was a moment of confusion, and then, as one, the pirates understood they'd been betrayed. Chaos ensued as they rushed towards the traitor. He could take two men, maybe even three, but not while balancing on top of a buffeted starship.

"What a move!" Kitsa cheered. "Professor, hold on tight!"

The sudden turn of attention gave Kitsa the reprieve she needed to pull off a loop and bring the airspeeder alongside the Hauler. After nearly losing his lunch and his nerve, Professor Floon let out a shout and opened fire--more carefully this time--on the bewildered pirates. All the confusion also let up the pressure on Clod, who finally beat his opponent in some sound fisticuffs, and he dashed to help his new ally.

"Professor, please!" came the crackling voice of the Colonel inside the airspeeder. "Put a stop to this madness! It's all simply a distraction from what truly matters: the great bird!"

Floons voice was pitched by adrenaline. "Colonel, p-please do not abdicate your responsibility in-in this matter!" Kitsa rolled her eyes, but Floon soldiered on, "You could put a stop to this yourself, as a sign of good faith! call off your men! Then we could speak amenably about all of this!"

A chuckle. "My men are pirates, Professor! Being 'called off' is not their strong suit, I'm afraid."

There was a sudden gasp, fringed by static. 

"What is---my lord!"

All the invested parties were aware of a sudden, swift-moving shadow moving quickly past them. Even the wrestling and fighting on board the Hauler came to a wary pause, while the fighters craned their necks to see what was moving through the clouds alongside them. It was massive, as big as the airspeeder, but infinitely more graceful.

A call--between a screech and a roar--split the air. Triumphant and proud.

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"Well, I'll be karfed," Kitsa gasped.

Floon turned in the cockpit, agape. "...Colonel, d-do you by any ch-chance see..."

"...Yes!" came the giddy reply. "I believe I do, I do!"

Clod paused from exchanging brutal blows with Slyfoot. He scrunched up his bloodied face and peered at the clouds, looking as dumbfounded and suspicious as any of the pirates surrounding him.

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"...What in the hell is that?" he growled.

At that moment the clouds thinned, and they all smashed into a mountainside.

 

THE HEROES

Spoiler

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You already know these three! But just in case...

Harnaby Clod: Hyperspace scout and treasure hunter, the sardonic Clod has two pet peeves: people making fun of his face, and being kept from a big score.

Kitsa Rigo: A reporter from the Galactic Gazette sent to record Harnaby and Floon's adventure. Would much rather get back to her investigations in the Core Worlds.

Professor Pod Floon: The neurotic professor is here to meet the local tribes and, with their permission, establish a CFS research post. Hungry for excitement, but entirely new to danger.

MORE PHOTOS

Spoiler

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Build Notes: The Hauler is modified from Imperial AT-Hauler 75219. The TIE Gnat is original, based on Inthert's version of Brick Feeder's TIE cockpit design. The Incom Skyclimber is original, my version of a Star Wars-ified jungle plane.



Thanks for looking! 
Read the thrilling conclusion, as our heroes encounter The Great Beast of Imynusoph!

 

Edited by RocketBoy

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The idea to mix both Star Wars and Adventurers theme is brillant, Even more since I'm a fan of both !

I might steal that idea for some builds, although not for Factions.

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This is really nice! I love the "pirate" mod done to the hauler. And the nod to Raiders of the lost ark with the plane is great. I think I saw that Tie somewhere? Maybe on the discord server? The idea of rogue/pirate imperials is great, I may "borrow" that someday.

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