Chapter Four: Plans

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"So what we doin'?" Nyron called out, wadding through the sea of bodies with mock care, 'accidentally' stepping the occasionally drunk. "You!" he exclaimed, waving a finger at Ishti, "You, look like you're in charge!"
"Yeah," said Ishti slowly, "Do you have anything to collect? We should get going if we want to be on time."
"Nah, I got all I need right here." Nyron pointed over his shoulder to his backpack, striding out of the cantina past the others, and began down the road.
"Wait!" Ishti yelled, "You don't know where we're going!"
Nyron frowned for a second, then said, "We'll need a speeder, I assumed we'd go rent one."
Taken aback by his sudden logic, Ishti hurried after him, with the others following behind.

"So - what's the plan, then?" asked Merich as their speeder reached the outskirts of Mos Enda.
"You think I'd forgotten?" Ishti smirked, and then continued. "We've been contracted to intercept a cargo and return it to its owner. He lives in Mos Aran, and - are you listening, Nyron?"
Nyron was staring across the desert, legs swung over the side of the speeder, seemingly lost in thought.
"Yeah, sure I'm listening. I know what we're doing."
"I haven't said what we're doing yet, pay attention." sighed Ishti.
"Ah, okay, you got me." Nyron laughed and spun round to face Ishti,  putting on the face of an enthralled child.

Ishti rolled his eyes and continued, "They laid low for a while in Aran before setting out today to Garakon, intending to prevent the 'authorities' from guessing when they're leaving. But Da'bral managed to intercept their transmission to Garakon letting their associates know when they're arriving. I've studied the area and discovered that to get to Garakon, they need to go through the Jaro Canyon. That is where we'll attack."

They all followed Ishti's gaze to the tall, stark rocks they were headed towards,  red cliffs that towered over the barren sea of the Tatooinian desert. They all knew that the canyons were dangerous places, everybody had heard of Beggar's Canyon, they guessed Jaro was much the same.

"How do we even get in?" asked Merich
"There's a secret passage, a gap in the rock that we can climb through. I doubt they know about it." Ishti replied.
"Won't they be expecting any attack to come from the canyon?" asked Karlien.
"Good question." murmured Nyron.
"They will, but it's also the only place we can guarantee meeting them, and it's the perfect terrain for an ambush." he countered. "Anyway, since they don't expect any attack at, they only have a small escort of eight. Nyron, Da'bral, and I should be able to take them out alone," he said to the siblings, "you two watch and learn, and we'll call you if we need backup. Just don't join the fray at all, stay back, you can help us out a bit by giving us covering fire."

Merich looked frustrated at this, but Karlien merely shifted in her seat, as if embarrassed.
"Y'right?" Nyron looked concerned and bounced over next to her, but Ishti saw something else in his eyes.
She looked up and bit her lip, "I can't shoot." she admitted, "I don't even have a blaster." She looked bitterly disappointed in herself, perhaps on the brink of tears, not that she would let herself cry. "I'm good with swords, I'd happily fight in the melée."
Ishti looked over at Merich, "She's good?"
"Yeah, she is." He said begrudgingly.
"I could join her." Nyron interjected, "I'm better with knives than blasters anyway."

"A'right," Ishti paused. "Here's the plan."

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