Just the Fiction: Notorious Actual Play - Part 2
Back in the desert, Malachi nervously tapped his shock rifle as he surveyed the crashed New Uprising starfighter, half-buried in the desert sands. He looked around the area and up in the sky but saw no other activity in the area. The sleek, angular craft was in bad shape, its hull scorched and battered. As he approached, he could hear the faint crackle of a radio transmission coming from the cockpit.
Malachi peered inside, his crystalline features reflecting the dim glow of the displays. The pilot was slumped over the controls, unmoving. Malachi then leaned in to get a better look at the pilot.
"Alive, but unconscious," he thought. Malachi's view then shifted to the radio, where a panicked conversation was unfolding.
"...repeat, the Empire knew about the ambush! We're being picked off one by one!" a voice crackled. "Requesting immediate reinforcement, they have us hemmed in here! We need to break through or we're all-"
The transmission dissolved into static and then nothing, leaving Malachi with a sense of unease. He knew the New Uprising were brave, but clearly they had been outmaneuvered by the Old Empire's forces and the firepower they possess is nothing that the Uprising can match.
Malachi's eyes drifted to the pilot's limp form. He could probably carry the man back to Quan's but that would exhaust him and delay his hunt for Devine. Also, the Nomad's Code states that Nomad's must remain neutral and Nomad's do not deal in good deeds.
He reached into the cockpit and retrieved the pilot's canteen of water. He unscrewed the cap and took a drink, savoring the cool, refreshing liquid. Then, he rested the canteen on the hands of the unconscious pilot.
"Sorry kid, looks like your are having a rough day," Malachi said plainly as he headed back into the blinding desert.
---
The Nomad had spent the better part of the day scouring the desert, but his search for the target had yielded little in the way of useful information. But he did discover some tracks that led him an Empire Fast Deployment Garrison.
As he approached the garrison's entrance, Malachi could see the tell-tale signs that this was a recent garrison deployment - clean outer walls unmarred by blaster fire or dirt, lack of refuse in general area, and groups of low-rank soldiers being berated by their commanding officers. As he drew closer, a pair of Imperial soldiers stepped forward, their rifles raised and ready.
"Don't take another step!" one of them barked. "State your business, Pellucid."
Malachi raised his hands in a gesture of peace. "I mean no harm," he said, his voice calm and even. "I am a Nomad, and I am under contract and searching for a human man named Kwame Devine. Have you seen him?"
The soldiers exchanged a glance, then the one who had spoken shook his head. "Can't say that we have. We just arrived here a few days ago, and we haven't had much contact with the local population."
Malachi nodded, "I see. May I be granted access to the garrison or perhaps speak to your commander?"
The soldier eyed him warily. He covered his ear as he quietly spoke into the communications device on his wrist, nodding his head as he was getting a response through his earpiece.
"Permission granted to the garrison but the CO is unavailable at the moment," the soldier said sternly while waving the end of his rifle towards the garrison gate.
Malachi bowed his head in acknowledgment, then turned and made his way into the garrison's courtyard. The air was thick with tension, and he could feel the wary gazes of the young soldiers as he passed.
Malachi spotted a group of soldiers gathered around a table, poring over a series of maps and data pads. Cautiously, he approached them, clearing his throat to announce his presence.
"Excuse me," he said, "I was hoping you might be able to assist me. I'm under contract for a man named Kwame Devine, and I was hoping that he may have been spotted in this area."
The soldiers looked up, their expressions guarded as they shot glance towards each other. One of them, a grizzled lieutenant with a scar running across her face, stepped forward.
"Devine, huh?" she said, her voice tainted by years of yelling. "Can't say I've heard that name. We've been pretty focused on securing this garrison and dealing with the local insurgents."
Malachi nodded, his disappointment evident. "Insurgents? I didn't realize the Uprising was active on Talus."
"Not the Uprising. The cartel.."
The officer stopped herself in that moment, like she had already said too much. "Look, if we come across this Devine, we'll hold him in the brig for you, but I wouldn't get your hopes up. The people around here tend to keep their heads down and stay quiet if they know what's best for them."
Malachi was disappointed, realizing that his search for Devine was proving to be more difficult than he had anticipated. "At least they mostly seem hospitable," Malachi responded.
"Oh yeah? Tell that to our soldiers laid out in the morgue."
---
As the sun set, Malachi decided to continue his hunt. He stepped out into the desert once more, the last light of the day cast a beautiful red glow to the horizon.
The night was cool and still, and Malachi moved silently across the dunes, his senses alert for any sign of his target. He had covered a considerable distance when a sudden movement caught his eye.
Malachi paused, as he spotted a human figure stumbling across the sand, pursued by three large, lizard-like creatures. The human was clearly injured, his steps faltering as he tried to escape his relentless pursuers. Unfortunately this wasn't Devine.
Malachi watched the scene unfold, his instincts urging him to intervene. But he knew the Code – they did not deal in good deeds. With a heavy heart, he turned away, continuing on his path.
---
This fan fiction was generated from my playthrough of Notorious.
You can find my review of Notorious here.
You can find Notorious through this affiliate link if you want to force Drive Thru RPG to give me some pennies when you buy something.
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