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Dolash
Oct 23, 2008

aNYWAY,
tHAT'S REALLY ALL THERE IS,
tO REPORT ON THE SUBJECT,
oF ME GETTING HURT,

##Begin Log##

Captain’s Log, entry #021
Stardate: Getting deeper into this toxic trash-heap of a planet

So Taris's novelty is wearing off fast.



We pulled up at Vernan's tent expecting a full Republic team of scientists. Instead, we find one guy and a whole lot of obituaries to write.


quote:

Doctor Vernan: I've never composed a death notice before. How did that sound?

I used to write the notices for my company. It's a terrible thing to be an expert on, but Vernan's... eh, they could use work.


quote:

Doctor Vernan: I thought a personal touch was warranted, under the circumstances.

Doctor Vernan: Ah! I recognize the symbols on that container! My bio-alarms have finally arrived. Good, good.

Doctor Vernan: If only this had arrived in time to save my associates. Not your fault, certainly. We knew the risk of studying rakghouls.

Quinine: How did you manage to survive by yourself?



Maybe. Anybody who can stare like that would spoil my appetite too.

quote:

Doctor Vernan: My colleagues and I were studying the rakghouls behavior hoping to find a means to contain them.

Doctor Vernan: We can't afford to let the rakghouls impede our progress. The Republic's rebuilding efforts on Taris are paramount to future prosperity.

Quinine: You're pretty fearless, for a scientist.

Doctor Vernan: Fear obstructs understanding. Besides, my prospects for survival have just improved.

Doctor Vernan: I've identified an identifying element in the rakghouls' physiology, making it possible to detect and track their movements.

Doctor Vernan: The bio-alarms you brought will reveal how the creatures hunt – however, installing them will be a challenge with all of my assistants dead.

Yeesh, my soft heart. I couldn't imagine leaving this guy on his own out here without at least trying to help.


quote:

Doctor Vernan: Indeed! All that's required are quick feet, basic technical know-how and raw nerve – things I see you possess in abundance.

Doctor Vernan: Place a bio-alarm at each survey station we've established, and I'll see you're amply rewarded.

Quinine: “Amply rewarded” is my middle name.

Doctor Vernan: Your parents must have been fascinating people.

Doctor Vernan: Come back when you're done and we'll celebrate your success.



I guess I was feeling a little cocksure, since I hadn't seen any of these rakghouls yet. I mean sure they mulched some unarmed scientists, but how tough could they be for a few hardened spacers?



That attitude changed pretty quick. We found packs of the things wandering the ruins around where Vernan wanted his alarms set up. They came lunging at us, all snapping jaws and grasping claws – all of a sudden I'm jealous of Corso's heavy armor. He's had the good taste not to say “I told you so” yet.



Still though, they went down under blaster fire easy enough, and so long as we stayed quick on our feet we didn't have to worry about mutating into flesh-hungry freaks. It was a bit intense, and I say that as a guy who gets shot for a living, but I still don't see what's so bad it could be tying up the Republic army.



Once the bio-alarms were set up and working we got the hell out of there and made for Vernan's camp. If we're lucky, that'll be our last run-in with rakghouls while we're on Taris.


quote:

Quinine: I'm glad I was around to help out.

Doctor Vernan: You've done far more than just “help out.” my friend.

Doctor Vernan: What you've done most definitely calls for generous compensation. Good show!

Not that I wasn't happy to get paid, but even with the job done, a few alarms didn't seem nearly enough to protect one old man in the wilderness by himself. He doesn't even have a blaster.


quote:

Doctor Vernan: I'm one hundred percent safer now with the bio-alarms in place. I'll be fine.

Doctor Vernan: Accept these credits with my extreme gratitude.



That's one of Beryl's jobs done, and apart from almost getting mauled it was pretty easy. Now I just need to finish the second one and I can finally get down to business – hopefully before Skavak finds the navigation charts. I put in a call.

Recommended for checking in with our new partner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7yogEGAzSM

quote:

Quinine: Beautiful scenery, great weather, man-eating creatures trying to kill me. You should be here.

Beryl Thorne: That's the problem with running your own business. You always miss the good times.

Beryl Thorne: I finally located the other supplies you need to deliver. They were lost when Tyrodall got killed by the rakghouls.

Beryl Thorne: A Republic patrol found the supplies with Tyrodall's remains. Dropped everything off at an outpost near the lake.

Yeesh. This planet really isn't short on ways to kill you.


quote:

Beryl Thorne: Just bloody clothes. The rakghouls turned Tyrodall into one of them. I try not to think about it.

Beryl Thorne: All you have to do is swing by the outpost, grab the supplies and take them to an engineer named Ovold.

Beryl Thorne: Ovold will give you some planetary core samples to bring back to me. Got it?

Quinine: What do you need with planetary core samples?

Beryl Thorne: I have to transport them to Coruscant as part of my contract. It's a science thing.


Just a bunch of courier work. Sounds easy enough. I'm starting to wonder when I'm going to break a sweat, but maybe after getting neck deep in gang wars on Coruscant I can write off my stay on Taris as a working vacation.



Before I went deeper into the crumbling concrete jungle, though, I headed back to the space-port to drop off the gear we'd salvaged for Urana and her people.


quote:

Vidas Kawats: Is everything okay? What did the scavengers take?

Urana Kiel: Okay, calm down, people. Let's deal with the possessions first so those who want to can leave.

Quinine: Hopefully, this will help you start over.

Leisha Vamden: We can only hope. Now... what do we have?



Yeah, the galaxy would've really mourned the loss of your two-thousand page Satele Shan/Darth Malgus erotic fan fiction. They should've called you Semist Badauthor, am I right?

Okay, so maybe it's tougher than it looks.

quote:

Vidas Kawats: Yeah. I can't wait to turn this on.

Urana Kiel: I have to show these to my mother. She's been so worried... be right back!



The settler job didn't exactly pay, but I feel a little richer in spirit. Good spirits are pretty much all the settlers have to rely on until the army gets serious about pushing the scavengers off Taris for real.

Maybe in a few years when their settlement's thriving I can come back and score a few free drinks off some farmers who remember an old spacer who helped 'em out. That's kind of a nice thought.



We followed the road to the outpost by the lake Beryl told us about. I was looking for a Nemoidian contact in the army who had the delivery her partner died over. Turns out he wasn't just the base's lost-and-found custodian, though.


quote:

Sergeant Klewer: I'm going to square you with Republic Customs. Agent Soganti is watching your every move, but I can fix that.

Quinine: I'm not afraid of anybody.



With all the rakghouls prowling around I'd be surprised if anybody gets more than three hours of sleep around here, but I added 'insomniac' to my list of Soganti-facts, just in case.

quote:

Sergeant Klewer: Risha expressed some concern you might not be able to leave Taris with what you came here for – not unless Republic Customs lays off.

Sergeant Klewer: I can give you temporary diplomatic immunity. Republic Customs won't be able to search you or your starship.

Quinine: That sounds like just what I need.

Sergeant Klewer: The thing is, I need you to scratch my back while I scratch yours. We've got a problem with scavengers raiding our supply lines.

Should've known Risha's fixer would want something for the help. Can't say I like being a hired gun, but I don't like the idea of getting busted either. At least these scavengers sound like they've got it coming.


quote:

Quinine: Sure seems that way.

Sergeant Klewer: The scavengers have been coming from these coordinates. They probably have a camp there. Make life extra unpleasant for them.



Klewer's tent is along the back edge of the outpost, so I'll take some time to explore the place properly. Once I've done that though, it's back out there to do his 'favor' and get myself squared away with customs. I just hope the only things I find trying to kill me out there are people, and not more monster surprises from the world the galaxy forgot.

##End Log##

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