Brawl at the Market.

After the ambush by the Emperor’s Getaway Guardian Service, the gangs hiked it back to civilization-or what counts as civilization near the bottom of the EG-in varying moods.  The Waste-Side Bears carried their freshly earned credits provided by the EGGS for their turncoatism. Fresh off the betrayal at the hands of the Waste-Side Bears and Shrouded Path, the Mischevious Misbehavios and Pale Veil trudged out minus comrades whom were captured by the Barrister’s militia.  The Misbehaviors and Path found themselves in a scrappy mood when they encountered the traitors at the trading post known as Grave’s Posttown where the gangs stopped to re-supply before heading home.  

Grave’s Posttown, or the Grave Post for short is a popular trading post for the less established, more unlawful groups   It is tolerant of mutants, and the head proprietor Marne Lamplighter tends to look the other way when the more wanted types show up to deal.  Violence rarely flares up in the trading post because customers don’t want to be banned.  The Pale Veil and Mischievous Misbehaviors were not thinking about bans when six of their crew closed in on a small group of Avians and Bears in the central market.   It was going to be a shootout.

The shops and stalls that line the main thoroughfare emptied as the two gangs slowly walked towards each other.   The Bears and birds possessed confidence. They did just watch the Emperor’s Getaway Guardian Service haul away several of their rivals   The Veilers and Greenies were focused.  They had been betrayed and they were out to collect scalps. 

The two groups slowly moved in.  Two straight lines closing, hands on triggers.  They faced off only feet apart.  Eyes narrowed. Sweat pooled  (except on the Kroot. Kroot don’t sweat.)  Tension tightened grips.

The Greens and Unseens blinked.  One of the newly recruited little pointy ears fumbled for his gun. The Pathers were quicker.  A Kroot pulled his auto pistol and fired the first shot. He missed.  A second bird drew and fired knocking down the little grot but couldn’t wound him.  A Bear fired his  newly acquired plasma pistol and shot down a Veiler. Another Bear fired his autogun but missed.  One of the bigger Misbehaviors had the foresight to pack his flamer and swept a gout of flame, burning one bird and barely missing the other.  The much slower Pale Veilers pulled guns last but dropped a Bear injured to the ground.

The shooting was decidedly poor.   Gangers hit gangers but injuries were minor..for now.   A Bear decided that his ammo was not going to cut it and charged a juvenile sneaker.  The older, more experienced Waste-Bear clubbed the youngster and knocked him out.  Further along the line, the torched (fried?) bird recovered long enough to stand up and be hit again by the flamer.   This was too much and the Kroot passed out.   The jittery juvenile greenie who had triggered (or didn’t trigger in his case) the shooting, jumped up and howled as he charged the one standing Pather.  The Avian was not standing long.  The little dude clubbed the more skilled, but less ready bird, knocking him out.

Soon, the noise and violence brought more combatants to the brawl from each gang.  The last remaining Kroot of the showdowners was unceremoniously shot down  by a long gun toting Veiler who had managed to climb a nearby hab block.  Another Pather was shot and killed by a newly arrived little green Juve. This would be the only death on the day.

The Bears braced for a bad beating.  A Mischievous big green ran up a flamed two Bears who had been pinned down by overwhelming Misbehavior firepower. Other Bears who had arrived and fired suppression shots to keep the greens at bay either ran out of ammo or watched shells harmlessly bounce off their opponents.   The Shrouded Path tried to fight back but were outclassed by the more skilled Veil and Misbehaviors. 

It was soon obvious that the day was won by the better armed and better skilled avengers.   The gangers of the Shrouded Path and Waste-Side Bears slipped away from the trading post and missed the two for one sale on socks.  The Pale Veil and Mischievous Misbehaviors claimed their vengeance and got a good deal on some very soft pillows and matching duvets.